Sunday - November 24, 2024
News Tipoffs - Tennessee Editors Newsletter for Friday October 04, 2024 ( 22 items )  

ACL Announces Awards & Initiatives to Advance the National Strategy To Support Family Caregivers
WASHINGTON, Oct. 3 -- The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Administration for Community Living issued the following news: ACL is pleased to announce new awards for multiple initiatives that support the implementation of the 2022 National Strategy to Support Family Caregivers. The strategy was developed by the advisory councils established by the RAISE Family Caregiving Act and the Supporting Grandparents Raising Grandchildren Act and 15 federal agencies, with extensive input from f  more

Assistant A.G. Clarke Delivers Remarks Announcing Findings That Conditions at Georgia Prisons Violate Constitution
WASHINGTON, Oct. 3 -- The U.S. Department of Justice issued the following remarks on Oct. 1, 2024, by Assistant Attorney General Kristen Clarke at the announcement of the findings that the conditions at Georgia prisons violate the Constitution: * * * As Prepared for Delivery Good afternoon. Joining me are Ryan Buchanan, U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of Georgia; Peter Leary, U.S. Attorney for the Middle District of Georgia; and Jill Steinberg, U.S. Attorney for the Southern District   more

Biden-Harris Administration Invests in Rural Communities to Lower Energy Costs and Create Jobs in 34 States as Part of Investing in America Agenda
WASHINGTON, Oct. 3 -- The U.S. Department of Agriculture issued the following news release: Projects Funded by President Biden's Inflation Reduction Act Strengthen American Farms and Rural Small Businesses Somerset, Pa., Oct. 3, 2024 U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Deputy Secretary Xochitl Torres Small announced today that USDA is partnering with farmers and small businesses to expand access to clean energy and lower energy bills through the Rural Energy for America Program (REAP). "As   more

Biden-Harris Administration Provides More Than $20 Million to Hurricane Helene Survivors, Ongoing Search and Rescue Operations Continue in North Carolina
WASHINGTON, Oct. 3 -- The U.S. Department of Homeland Security Federal Emergency Management Agency issued the following news release: Today, President Biden will travel to Georgia and Florida to survey damage, meet with local officials, community leaders and first responders As search and rescue, power restoration and communication capabilities remain top priorities throughout the Southeast, FEMA has already helped thousands of Hurricane Helene survivors jumpstart their recoveries with more th  more

EPA Launches Resource Website for Communities Affected by Hurricane Helene
WASHINGTON, Oct. 4 -- The Environmental Protection Agency issued the following news release: ATLANTA (October 2, 2024) - The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) today launched a dedicated website to provide resources and information about EPA's efforts to assist communities affected by Hurricane Helene. The EPA's Hurricane Helene website (https://www.epa.gov/hurricane-helene) will be updated in the coming days and weeks with real-time information on EPA response and recovery efforts for   more

FCC Wireline Competition Bureau Issues Public Notice: Copper Retirement Network Change Notification Filed By AT&T Tennessee
WASHINGTON, Oct. 4 -- The Federal Communications Commission's Wireline Competition Bureau issued the following public notice (WC Docket No. 24-364) on Oct. 3, 2024: * * * Re: Copper Retirement Network Change Certification Received BellSouth Telecommunications, LLC d/b/a AT&T Tennessee (AT&T), an incumbent local exchange carrier (LEC), has filed certification that public notice of network change(s) involving the retirement of copper has been provided through its publicly accessible Internet si  more

International clean energy initiative launches global biomass resource assessment
OAK RIDGE, Tennessee, Oct. 3 -- The U.S. Department of Energy's Oak Ridge National Laboratory issued the following news release: A multi-country, government-led initiative dedicated to advancing the global transition to a sustainable, bio-based economy, unveiled a new Global Biomass Resource Assessment, providing groundbreaking data on current and future sustainable biomass supplies around the world. The results from this new global sustainable supply assessment will allow scientists, policym  more

IRS Direct File Set to Expand Availability in a Dozen New States and Cover Wider Range of Tax Situations for the 2025 Tax Filing Season
WASHINGTON, Oct. 4 -- The U.S. Department of the Treasury's Internal Revenue Service issued the following news release on Oct. 3, 2024: The Internal Revenue Service announced today that Direct File will be available for the 2025 tax filing season in double the number of states than last year's pilot, and it will cover a wider range of tax situations, greatly expanding the number of taxpayers eligible to use the free e-filing service. State and eligibility expansion For the 2025 tax filing sea  more

IRS Employees Help Hurricane Helene Efforts; 500 Phone Assistors Supporting FEMA, Criminal Investigation Agents Work on Rescue Efforts in North Carolina, Florida
WASHINGTON, Oct. 4 -- The U.S. Department of the Treasury's Internal Revenue Service issued the following news release on Oct. 2, 2024: As part of efforts to help victims of Hurricane Helene, the Internal Revenue Service is taking special steps to provide more than 500 employees to help with the Federal Emergency Management Agency's (FEMA) disaster relief call lines and sending IRS Criminal Investigation (IRS-CI) agents into devastated areas to help with search and rescue efforts and other reli  more

IRS Granting Dyed Diesel Penalty Relief as a Result of Hurricane Helene
WASHINGTON, Oct. 4 -- The U.S. Department of the Treasury's Internal Revenue Service issued the following news release on Oct. 1, 2024: In response to disruptions resulting from Hurricane Helene, the Internal Revenue Service will not impose a penalty when dyed diesel fuel with a sulfur content that does not exceed 15 parts-per-million is sold for use or used on the highway throughout Alabama, Georgia, North Carolina, and South Carolina and in the following counties in Florida, Tennessee and Vir  more

IRS Provides Relief for Helene; Various Deadlines Postponed to May 1, 2025; Part or All of 7 States Qualify
WASHINGTON, Oct. 4 -- The U.S. Department of the Treasury's Internal Revenue Service issued the following news release on Oct. 1, 2024: The Internal Revenue Service today announced disaster tax relief for all individuals and businesses affected by Hurricane Helene, including the entire states of Alabama, Georgia, North Carolina and South Carolina and parts of Florida, Tennessee and Virginia. Taxpayers in these areas now have until May 1, 2025, to file various federal individual and business ta  more

Judicial Panel on Multidistrict Litigation Issues Order on Change Healthcare Customer Data Security Breach Litigation (MDL No. 3108)
WASHINGTON, Oct. 4 -- The Judicial Panel on Multidistrict Litigation issued the following order (MDL No. 3108) on Oct. 3, 2024: * * * In Re: Change Healthcare Inc., Customer Data Security Breach Litigation TRANSFER ORDER Before the Panel: Defendant Healthfirst, Inc., in the Middle District of Tennessee action (Lemke) listed on the attached Schedule A moves under Panel Rule 7.1 to vacate the Panel's order conditionally transferring the action to MDL No. 3108. It requests that the unjust enric  more

Justice Dept. Issues Readout of "Walk the Redline" Event to Commemorate Third Anniversary of the Combating Redlining Initiative
WASHINGTON, Oct. 3 -- The U.S. Department of Justice issued the following readout of the agency's "Walk the Redline" event on Oct. 1, 2024, to commemorate the third anniversary of the Combating Redlining Initiative: * * * To commemorate the third anniversary of the Justice Department's Combating Redlining Initiative, Assistant Attorney General Kristen Clarke of the Justice Department's Civil Rights Division and U.S. Attorney Matthew M. Graves for the District of Columbia conducted a walking to  more

Justice Dept.: 10 Pharmaceutical Distributor Executives, Sales Representatives, and Brokers Charged in Connection With Unlawful Sales of Nearly 70M Opioid Pills
WASHINGTON, Oct. 4 -- The U.S. Department of Justice issued the following news release on Oct. 3, 2024: * * * Largest Ever Criminal Enforcement Action Targeting Distributors of Pharmaceutical Opioids and Commonly Abused Prescription Drugs with Estimated Street Value of $1.3B * * * Charges against five pharmaceutical distributor executives and five pharmaceutical sales representatives and brokers have been unsealed in the Southern District of Texas, Southern District of Florida, Eastern Distr  more

Justice Dept.: 3 Former Memphis, Tennessee, Police Officers Convicted of Federal Felonies Related to Death of Tyre Nichols
WASHINGTON, Oct. 4 -- The U.S. Department of Justice issued the following news release on Oct. 3, 2024: Following a trial that lasted nearly four weeks, a federal jury in Memphis, Tennessee, found three former Memphis Police Department (MPD) officers guilty of federal felonies related to the death of Tyre Nichols on Jan. 7, 2023. "All three former Memphis Police Department officers were convicted of federal felonies for their role in Tyre Nichols' death," said Assistant Attorney General Kriste  more

National Guard Provides Support to Hurricane Stricken States
WASHINGTON, Oct. 3 -- The U.S. Department of Defense issued the following news: In the wake of Hurricane Helene, which made landfall last week and has since dissipated, National Guard units in the hardest-hit states across the American Southeast are still working alongside state emergency response agencies to get life back on track for communities affected by the storm. About 6,700 guardsmen from 16 states across the U.S. have been activated to provide assistance, as part of emergency manageme  more

National Park Service Awards Nearly $200,000 to Preserve the Delta Region's History and Culture
WASHINGTON, Oct. 4 -- The U.S. Department of the Interior's National Park Service issued the following news release on Oct. 3, 2024: ATLANTA - The National Park Service (NPS), in partnership with Jefferson National Parks Association (JNPA), today announced the award of $186,756 in Lower Mississippi Delta Initiative (LMDI) grants. This year's awards will support 11 projects advancing preservation of the Delta Region's culture and history across 7 states, including Arkansas, Illinois, Kentucky, L  more

President Joseph R. Biden, Jr. Approves Major Disaster Declaration for Tennessee
WASHINGTON, Oct. 2 -- The U.S. Department of Homeland Security Federal Emergency Management Agency issued the following news release: FEMA announced that federal disaster assistance is available to the state of Tennessee to supplement recovery efforts in the areas affected by Tropical Storm Helene from Sept. 26, 2024 and continuing. The President's action makes federal funding available to affected individuals in Carter, Cocke, Greene, Hamblen, Hawkins, Johnson, Unicoi and Washington counties  more

Texas U.S. Attorney: Multiple Pharmaceutical Distributor Executives, Sales Representatives and Brokers Charged in Connection With Unlawful Sales of Over 70M Opioid Pills
HOUSTON, Texas, Oct. 4 -- The office of the U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Texas issued the following news release: Charges have been unsealed as part of a larger enforcement action related to the unlawful distribution of nearly 70 million opioid pills and over 30 million doses of other commonly abused prescription drugs to alleged Houston-area pill-mill pharmacies. Three Houston-area pharmacy operators were also charged for their role in the schemes. Nine individuals have pleaded g  more

U.S. Department of the Treasury, IRS Announce 30 Million Americans in 24 States Eligible For Direct File in Filing Season 2025
WASHINGTON, Oct. 3 -- The U.S. Department of the Treasury issued the following news release: Today, the U.S. Department of the Treasury and Internal Revenue Service (IRS) announced that more than 30 million taxpayers in 24 participating states will be eligible for Direct File in Filing Season 2025. The average American spends $270 and 13 hours filing their taxes. Through Direct File, made possible by the Biden-Harris Administration's Inflation Reduction Act, eligible Americans are able file the  more

White House Fact Sheet: Update - Biden-Harris Continues Life-Saving Response Efforts in Response to Hurricane Helene
WASHINGTON, Oct. 3 (TNSfact) -- The White House issued the following fact sheet on Oct. 2, 2024: * * * Update: Biden-Harris Continues Life-Saving Response Efforts in Response to Hurricane Helene - Today, President Biden is announcing 1,000 active-duty troops will be immediately deployed to assist with response and recovery efforts President Biden and Vice President Harris continue to mobilize an intensive Federal response to the impacts of Hurricane Helene. The Administration is prioritizing  more

White House Issues Press Gaggle by Press Secretary Jean-Pierre, USDA Secretary Vilsack En Route Tallahassee, Fla.
ABOARD AIR FORCE ONE, Oct. 4 -- The White House issued the following transcript of a press gaggle on Oct. 3, 2024, by Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre and Secretary of Agriculture Thomas J. Vilsack while en route Tallahassee, Florida: * * * MS. JEAN-PIERRE: All right, we can do this really quickly. So, today, we're going -- we're on our way to Florida and Georgia, where the president will s- -- will further survey damage caused by Helene and meet with state and local leaders regarding ongo  more