Saturday - November 23, 2024
*Virginia Editor Tipoffs Newsletter for Saturday November 16, 2024 ( 25 items )  

Alaska Native SPAR - The Story of Seaman First Class Sophia Thadei
WASHINGTON, Nov. 15 -- The U.S. Department of Homeland Security Coast Guard issued the following news: By Donna Vojvodich, Historian, SPARS Stories History Program On Jan. 1, 1944, tragedy struck the Coast Guard Women's Reserve (SPARS) in Charleston, South Carolina. A young seaman serving as a telephone operator died in a Coast Guard ambulance enroute to the Navy hospital. She was laid to rest at Arlington National Cemetery. Who was she? Lacking a name to research, I entered her date of deat  more

At Hearing, Warren Expresses Full Support for IRS Watchdog Nominee
WASHINGTON, Nov. 14 -- Sen. Elizabeth Warren, D-Massachusetts, issued the following news release: At a hearing of the U.S. Senate Committee on Finance, Senator Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.) highlighted the qualifications of David Johnson, Assistant Inspector General for Investigations at the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs Office of Inspector General and nominee for Treasury Inspector General for Tax Administration (TIGTA). Mr. Johnson brings over a decade of experience as a federal prosecutor  more

Connolly to Host 16th Annual Open Season Workshop
WASHINGTON, Nov. 15 -- Rep. Gerald "Gerry" Connolly, D-Virginia, issued the following news: Congressman Gerry Connolly (D-VA) will hold his 16th annual Open Season Workshop on November 16, 2024 to assist federal employees, retirees, servicemembers, and veterans in navigating changes to the Federal Employees Health Benefits Plans (FEHBP) and dental and vision insurance programs. The program will feature a panel of experts, including representatives from the various health care plans, to an  more

DEA's Third Annual National Family Summit on Fentanyl Highlights Progress in Fight to Save Lives
WASHINGTON, Nov. 16 -- The U.S. Department of Justice's Drug Enforcement Administration issued the following news release: The U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration hosted the third annual National Family Summit on Fentanyl on November 14 and 15. For the past three years, DEA has invited families who have lost a loved one to a fentanyl drug poisoning or overdose to gather in the nation's capital and explore ways to work with DEA to combat the fentanyl crisis. DEA Administrator Anne Milgram pro  more

FACT SHEET: Celebrating Three Years of the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law at USDA
WASHINGTON, Nov. 15 -- The U.S. Department of Agriculture issued the following news release: Three years ago, on November 15, 2021, President Biden signed the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, making a historic investment in America's infrastructure and competitiveness. Since being signed into law, it has been instrumental in transforming the lives and livelihoods of farmers, ranchers, small businesses and communities nationwide. Through this landmark legislation, the U.S. Department of Agricultu  more

General Officer Announcements
WASHINGTON, Nov. 15 -- The U.S. Department of Defense issued the following news: Secretary of Defense Lloyd J. Austin III announced today that the president has made the following nominations: Army Lt. Gen. Christopher T. Donahue for appointment to the grade of general, with assignment as commanding general, U.S. Army Europe-Africa; and commander, Allied Land Command, NATO, Germany. Donahue is currently serving as commanding general, XVIII Airborne Corps and Fort Liberty, Fort Liberty, North C  more

Justice Dept.: Computer Programmer Convicted for Helping Run One of the Biggest Illegal Television Show Streaming Services in the United States
WASHINGTON, Nov. 16 -- The U.S. Department of Justice issued the following news release on Nov. 15, 2024: After a two-week trial, a federal jury in Las Vegas yesterday convicted a Cuban citizen and U.S. permanent resident for helping operate an illegal streaming service with one of the largest quantities of infringing works. The defendant, who was convicted of one count of conspiracy to commit criminal copyright infringement, is the eighth and final defendant to be convicted in the case. Accor  more

N.C. U.S. Attorney: California Gang Member Caught Smuggling 46 Kilograms of Methamphetamine at Charlotte Airport is Sentenced to 20 Years
CHARLOTTE, North Carolina, Nov. 16 -- The office of the U.S. Attorney for the Western District of North Carolina issued the following news release on Nov. 15, 2024: A member of the Inglewood Family Gangster Bloods was sentenced to 20 years in prison today after he was caught trying to smuggle 46 kilograms of methamphetamine through the Charlotte Douglas International Airport, announced Dena J. King, U.S. Attorney for the Western District of North Carolina. Rashad Jamal Blanchard, 47, of Los Ang  more

Native American Women Take Pride in Their Military Service
WASHINGTON, Nov. 15 -- The U.S. Department of Defense issued the following news: Native American women, like their male counterparts, share a proud tradition of military service. During the Revolutionary War, Tyonajanegan, an Oneida, fought on the side of the United States with her husband during the Battle of Oriskany, Aug. 6, 1777, in New York. She died in 1824 at the age of 84. The first active duty Native American women were four Sioux nuns, serving as Army nurses during the Spanish-Ame  more

NUWC Division, Keyport engineer honored at Women of Color STEM Conference
WASHINGTON, Nov. 15 -- The Naval Sea Systems Command issued the following news: Liliana "Lili" Beltran, a lead heavyweight production engineer at Naval Undersea Warfare Center Division, Keyport, was honored as a Technology Rising Star at the 2024 Women of Color Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics Conference in Detroit, Michigan, Oct. 3 5. The Technology Rising Star award honors women of color who have made impactful contributions to STEM fields and who help inspire future leaders   more

NUWC Division, Keyport launches Future Capabilities Office to accelerate warfighting readiness
WASHINGTON, Nov. 15 -- The Naval Sea Systems Command issued the following news: Naval Undersea Warfare Center Division, Keyport recently unveiled its Future Capabilities Office, a lean, agile department-level organization aimed at accelerating efforts to meet critical warfighter needs. The FCO will serve as an incubator for innovative solutions in areas such as weapons delivery, fleet sustainment and subsea warfare. As projects develop and mature, they will transition to other departments, ind  more

Richmond Fed Announces Appointments
RICHMOND, Virginia, Nov. 15 -- The Federal Reserve Bank of Richmond issued the following news release on Nov. 14, 2024: The Federal Reserve Bank of Richmond announces the following appointments: Ryan Rehorn has been named vice president in Supervision, Regulation and Credit, with responsibility for leading the team supervising Bank of America. Rehorn joined the Richmond Fed in 2000 as a community bank examiner and joined the Bank of America team in 2010. He was later named an assistant vice p  more

Share with Your Friends, Family and Neighbors: Disaster Assistance Still Available for Virginians
WASHINGTON, Nov. 15 -- The U.S. Department of Homeland Security Federal Emergency Management Agency issued the following news release: BRISTOL, Va. Do you have any friends, family or neighbors that were affected by Hurricane Helene? There is still time for them to apply for disaster assistance! Impacted individuals in Bedford, Bland, Carroll, Giles, Grayson, Lee, Montgomery, Pittsylvania, Pulaski, Russell, Scott, Smyth, Tazewell, Wise and Wythe counties and the cities of Galax and Radford are   more

The Republican Recap: Week of November 11, 2024
WASHINGTON, Nov. 16 -- House Majority Leader Steve Scalise, R-Louisiana, issued the following news release: Here's a recap of what Republicans achieved on the House Floor this week: Unleashing American Geothermal Energy Production Geothermal energy is a clean, renewable energy source that provides efficient and dependable power for long periods of time, making it a great resource for the United States to diversify our energy supply and restore our energy independence. Currently, however, bu  more

USDA Announces Approval of D-SNAP for Virginia Disaster Areas
WASHINGTON, Nov. 15 -- The U.S. Department of Agriculture issued the following news release: The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) announced that people recovering from Tropical Storm Helene may be eligible for food assistance through USDA's Disaster Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (D-SNAP). Approximately 22,858 households in nine counties are estimated to be eligible for this relief to help with grocery expenses. Through this program, which USDA makes available through states in  more

USTR: ICYMI - First Shipment of American Turkey Departs for India
WASHINGTON, Nov. 16 -- The Office of the U.S. Trade Representative issued the following news release on Nov. 15, 2024: This week, the first shipment of U.S. turkey - which takes advantage of the agreed upon reduced tariff rate - departed for India, allowing American producers to access a critical global market. This announcement signifies the beginning of historic market access for United States poultry producers and reflects the elevated bilateral cooperation on trade achieved between the Uni  more

Va. U.S. Attorney: Career Offenders Sentenced to Prison for Meth Trafficking and Illegally Possessing Firearms
NORFOLK, Virginia, Nov. 16 -- The office of the U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia issued the following news release: Two Norfolk men were sentenced for drug-trafficking and firearms convictions. According to court documents, in December 2023, law enforcement conducted a controlled drug purchase from Javou Jameil Smith, 43, at the residence of Brian Ricardo Hinton, 41, in Norfolk. During the controlled purchase, Smith sold 452 grams of methamphetamine and was in possession of a  more

Va. U.S. Attorney: Chesapeake Drug Trafficker Sentenced to Over 16 Years in Federal Prison
NORFOLK, Virginia, Nov. 16 -- The office of the U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia issued the following news release on Nov. 15, 2024: A Chesapeake man was sentenced today to 16 years and eight months in prison for manufacturing, distributing, and possessing with intent to distribute fentanyl and possessing a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime. According to court documents, on Aug. 13, 2023, Chesapeake Police (CPD) responded to four non-fatal overdoses at a hote  more

Va. U.S. Attorney: Seven More Sentenced for Roles in Meth Conspiracy Tied to Officer's Murder
ABINGDON, Virginia, Nov. 16 -- The office of the U.S. Attorney for the Western District of Virginia issued the following news release on Nov. 15, 2024: Seven more defendants who participated in a conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine tied to the murder of Big Stone Gap, Virginia Police Officer Michael Chandler, were sentenced this week in federal court. Misty Lynn Ward, 36, of Big Stone Gap, Virginia, Anthony Holmes, 39, of Appalachia, Virginia, and Keri Leanna Corbin, 44, of Jonesville, Vi  more

Va. U.S. Attorney: Virginia Hospital System Agrees to $2.37M False Claims Settlement
ALEXANDRIA, Virginia, Nov. 16 -- The office of the U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia issued the following news release: Inova Health System Foundation, Inova Health Care Services, Inc., and Inova Physician Partners, LLC, (collectively, Inova), located in Falls Church, agreed to pay $2,378,731.06 to settle claims that it submitted claims to Medicaid that contained falsified information. Inova voluntarily submitted written disclosures to the U.S. Attorney's Office and the Virgin  more

Virginians Continue to Reap Benefits of Bipartisan Infrastructure Law on Its Three-Year Anniversary
WASHINGTON, Nov. 15 -- Sen. Tim Kaine, D-Virginia, issued the following news release: Today, U.S. Senators Mark R. Warner and Tim Kaine (both D-VA) released the following statement to mark the three-year anniversary of the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law becoming law: "In the past three years, the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, which we authored and helped pass, has been transformative for communities across Virginia. This law has upgraded our roads, railways, and airports, made our air and wate  more

Virginians Continue to Reap Benefits of Bipartisan Infrastructure Law on its Three-Year Anniversary
WASHINGTON, Nov. 15 -- Sen. Mark Warner, D-Virginia, issued the following news release: Today, U.S. Senators Mark R. Warner and Tim Kaine (both D-VA) released the following statement to mark the three-year anniversary of the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law becoming law: "In the past three years, the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, which we authored and helped pass, has been transformative for communities across Virginia. This law has upgraded our roads, railways, and airports, made our air and wa  more

Warner Applauds Major Federal Funding for TSMC to Secure the Future of Advanced Semiconductor Manufacturing in the U.S.
WASHINGTON, Nov. 15 -- Sen. Mark Warner, D-Virginia, issued the following news release: Sen. Mark R. Warner (D-VA) released the statement below, following an announcement by the Biden-Harris administration that TSMC will receive up to $6.6 billion in direct funding, which will be paired with over $65 billion in private investment to support three leading-edge facilities in Arizona that will manufacture the world's most advanced semiconductor process technologies. This funding was awarded throug  more

Warner Presses Valve to Crack Down on Hateful Accounts and Rhetoric Proliferating on Steam
WASHINGTON, Nov. 15 -- Sen. Mark Warner, D-Virginia, issued the following news release: Sen. Mark R. Warner (D-VA) today urged leadership at Valve, a prominent video game company, to respond to reports that their gaming distribution and social networking platform, Steam, is hosting extremist and hateful content including over 1.5 million users and tens of thousands of groups that share and amplify antisemitic, Nazi, sexuality or gender-based hate, and white supremacist content. Sen. Warner call  more

White House Fact Sheet: Biden-Harris Administration Transforms Nation's Infrastructure, Celebrates Historic Progress in Rebuilding America for the Three-Year Anniversary of the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law
WASHINGTON, Nov. 16 (TNSfact) -- The White House issued the following fact sheet on Nov. 15, 2024: * * * Biden-Harris Administration Transforms Nation's Infrastructure, Celebrates Historic Progress in Rebuilding America for the Three-Year Anniversary of the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law - Over $695 billion in funding and over 74,000 projects announced thanks to President Biden's Investing in America agenda For far too long, this country's infrastructure was under resourced and neglected, lea  more