WASHINGTON, Dec. 9 -- The U.S. Department of Defense issued the following news: U.S. Army Gen. Bryan P. Fenton, commander of U.S. Special Operations Command, highlighted the cooperation among adversarial nations and nonstate actors, and called for decisive action in the face of increasing complex global security threats at the Reagan National Defense Forum in Simi Valley, California on Saturday. Fenton detailed how partnerships between Russia, Iran, North Korea and China are reshaping the int  more

SACRAMENTO, California, Dec. 11 -- Gov. Gavin Newsom, D-California, issued the following news release on Dec. 10, 2024: Transformative infrastructure projects are making California communities safer, cleaner and healthier. Guided by Governor Gavin Newsom's Build More, Faster - For All infrastructure agenda, the state is projected to invest $180 billion in state and federal funds over the next 10 years. Projects span broadband, clean energy, transportation, environmental restoration, hydrogen, s  more

SACRAMENTO, California, Dec. 11 -- Gov. Gavin Newsom, D-California, issued the following news release on Dec. 10, 2024: Moving swiftly to support the state's response to the Franklin Fire, Governor Gavin Newsom announced Tuesday that California has secured a Fire Management Assistance Grant (FMAG) from the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) to help ensure the availability of vital resources to suppress the fire burning in Malibu. "Fire officials and first responders are working relentl  more

SACRAMENTO, California, Dec. 11 -- Gov. Gavin Newsom, D-California, issued the following news release on Dec. 10, 2024: Continuing the state's efforts to address the illegal cannabis market, Governor Gavin Newsom today announced California's Unified Cannabis Enforcement Taskforce (UCETF) recently seized a combined total of more than $19 million of illegally grown cannabis and illegally manufactured cannabis products during concurrent operations in Oakland and Hayward. "I'm proud of the recent   more

SACRAMENTO, California, Dec. 11 -- Gov. Gavin Newsom, D-California, issued the following news release on Dec. 10, 2024: This week, the Metropolitan Water District of Southern California (MWD) voted overwhelmingly to approve $141 million in additional funding for planning and permitting for the Delta Conveyance Project. The vote illustrates continued support for this necessary infrastructure that will protect access to clean drinking water for 27 million Californians. MWD, the largest supplier   more

WASHINGTON, Dec. 11 -- District of Columbia Attorney General Brian L. Schwalb issued the following statement on Dec. 10, 2024: * * * Attorney General Brian L. Schwalb today issued a statement after a federal judge halted the merger of Kroger and Albertsons, finding that a challenge is likely to succeed on the merits. Kroger and Albertsons are the largest supermarket chains in the country, and the proposed merger presented a significant risk of reduced competition and higher food prices nationw  more

WASHINGTON, Dec. 10 -- The U.S. Department of Homeland Security Federal Emergency Management Agency issued the following news release: OAKLAND, Calif. The Federal Emergency Management Agency's (FEMA) Region 9 Administrator authorized the use of federal funds on December 10 at 1:21 a.m. PST / 4:21 p.m. EST to assist the state of California in combating the Franklin Fire, burning in Los Angeles County. The State of California submitted a request for a Fire Management Assistance Grant (FMAG) on D  more

WASHINGTON, Dec. 10 -- The U.S. Navy's U.S. Fleet Forces Command issued the following news: At just 13 years old, Personnel Specialist 3rd Class Erica Dolor, assigned to USS Iwo Jima (LHD 7) found herself uprooted from the familiar chaos of her childhood in the Philippines. Her early life in a lower-middle-class province had been framed by the unconditional love of her siblings and grandmother, and the absence of her mother, who had moved to the United States in search of better opportunities.   more

WASHINGTON, Dec. 11 (TNSres) -- The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases issued the following news release: * * * Study Examined Tecovirimat in Countries Affected by Global Clade II Mpox Outbreak * * * The antiviral drug tecovirimat did not reduce the time to lesion resolution or have an effect on pain among adults with mild to moderate clade II mpox and a low risk of developing severe disease, according to an interim data analysi  more

CHICAGO, Illinois, Dec. 11 -- Illinois Attorney General Kwame Raoul issued the following news release on Dec. 10, 2024: Attorney General Kwame Raoul today announced the U.S. District Court for the District of Oregon granted a preliminary injunction in Raoul's lawsuit challenging the proposed merger between Albertsons and Kroger. The ruling halts the merger of the largest supermarket chains in the country, including two of the Chicago area's major grocery chains, Jewel-Osco and Mariano's, pendin  more

WASHINGTON, Dec. 10 (TNSres) -- The U.S. Department of Labor's Bureau of Labor Statistics issued the following document from Economics Daily: * * * Job openings rates decreased in 4 states and increased in 1 state in September 2024. The national job openings rate was 4.5 percent, with the total number of job openings at 7.4 million. Alaska and Arkansas had the highest job openings rates, at 6.9 percent each. California had the most job openings, at 554,000, followed by Texas (525,000). Vermon  more

LIVERMORE, California, Dec. 11 (TNSres) -- The U.S. Department of Energy Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory issued the following news: Researchers at Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory (LLNL) have developed a new approach that combines generative artificial intelligence (AI) and first-principles simulations to predict three-dimensional (3D) atomic structures of highly complex materials. This research highlights LLNL's efforts in advancing machine learning for materials science research  more

WASHINGTON, Dec. 11 -- The Securities and Exchange Commission issued the following litigation release (No. 2:24-cv-10608; C.D. Cal. filed Dec. 10, 2024) involving Christopher Booth Kennedy: * * * The Securities and Exchange Commission filed a civil injunctive action against former broker Christopher Booth Kennedy for securities law violations that resulted in millions of dollars of losses for his former brokerage customers. According to the SEC's complaint, between February 2021 and July 2021  more

WASHINGTON, Dec. 9 -- The U.S. Department of Defense issued the following news: Navy Lt. Cmdr. Jackson Charles Pharris saved a lot of lives when the Japanese bombed his battleship during the Pearl Harbor attacks that thrust the U.S. into World War II. With his quick thinking, he managed to drag several of his shipmates from flooding compartments while directing fire on the enemy. Pharris received the Medal of Honor for his leadership and valor. Pharris was born on June 26, 1912, in Columbus,   more

COLUSA, California, Dec. 11 -- Gov. Gavin Newsom, D-California, issued the following news release on Dec. 10, 2024: Governor Gavin Newsom today continued his California Jobs First 'tour' with a visit to a historic farm in the northern part of the state in Colusa where he highlighted his Administration's efforts to maintain the state's water supply. At Davis Ranches, a farm started in the 1800s, the Governor learned about its sustainable operations that help the ranch save water and restore cr  more

WASHINGTON, Dec. 10 -- The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services' National Institutes of Health issued the following news release: Study Examined Tecovirimat in Countries Affected by Global Clade II Mpox Outbreak. The antiviral drug tecovirimat did not reduce the time to lesion resolution or have an effect on pain among adults with mild to moderate clade II mpox and a low risk of developing severe disease, according to an interim data analysis from the international clinical trial calle  more

SALEM, Oregon, Dec. 11 -- Oregon Attorney General Ellen Rosenblum issued the following statement on Dec. 10, 2024, on the U.S. District Court's preliminary injunction blocking the Kroger-Albertsons merger: * * * "Earlier today, Judge Adrienne Nelson of the United States District Court for the District of Oregon granted the State of Oregon's request for a preliminary injunction that would block the Kroger-Albertsons merger from proceeding. Judge Nelson's ruling confirms our argument that the pr  more

HARRISBURG, Pennsylvania, Dec. 11 -- Pennsylvania Attorney General Michelle Henry issued the following news on Dec. 10, 2024: Attorney General Michelle Henry is leading a coalition of Attorneys General in sending a letter to the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) in support of rules that would require internet, cable, voice, and broadcast satellite providers to take some of the pain out of routine customer service calls and allow for better consumer choices. The Office of Attorney General  more

WASHINGTON, Dec. 11 -- The U.S. Department of Energy Pacific Northwest National Laboratory issued the following news on Dec. 10, 2024: * * * Even as snow cover becomes less reliable, climate change may make deadly avalanches in the California range more frequent * * * Snow cover in the Sierra Nevada is expected to shrink overall as the climate warms, but avalanche frequency could remain the same or even increase at high elevations. That's bad news for bighorn sheep that live there, accordin  more

WASHINGTON, Dec. 10 -- The U.S. Department of Homeland Security's Customs and Border Protection issued the following news release: PHILADELPHIA Londoners sure aren't thankful today after U.S. Customs and Border Protection officers seized a combined 179 more pounds of United Kingdom-bound marijuana before Thanksgiving at an international shipping service facility in Delaware County, Pa. CBP officers seized a combined 179 pounds of marijuana destined to London. While inspecting export parcels o  more

WASHINGTON, Dec. 9 -- The U.S. Department of Defense issued the following news: SECRETARY OF DEFENSE LLOYD AUSTIN III: Once again, good afternoon everybody, and thanks for being here. This is my fourth trip to Japan as Secretary of Defense, and my 13th trip to the Indo Pacific. It's great to be back. Our two countries have gotten a lot done together over the past four years. Heard me describe some of those achievements this weekend in California, but there's much more to see here. I'm especi  more

WASHINGTON, Dec. 10 -- The Federal Trade Commission issued the following news release: The U.S. District Court for the District of Oregon granted on December 10, 2024, the Federal Trade Commission's request for a preliminary injunction to prevent Kroger Company from acquiring Albertsons Companies, Inc. in what would be the largest supermarket merger in U.S. history. The FTC challenged the $24.6 billion deal alongside a bipartisan group of nine state attorneys general. In response to the distri  more

WASHINGTON, Dec. 9 -- The U.S. Department of Defense issued the following news: During the COVID-19 pandemic, shortages of electronic components slowed down development of satellites headed to the Space Development Agency. But it's not only parts and subcomponents that affect the timeline of satellite delivery, said the agency's director. "Even though it takes a while to get the hardware and the supply chain built up to actually build the satellites, it doesn't matter what you see on the sche  more

JOINT BASE SAN ANTONIO-LACKLAND, Texas, Dec. 10 -- The U.S. Air Force Joint Base San Antonio-Lackland (16th Air Force) issued the following news: During the COVID-19 pandemic, shortages of electronic components slowed down development of satellites headed to the Space Development Agency. But it's not only parts and subcomponents that affect the timeline of satellite delivery, said the agency's director. "Even though it takes a while to get the hardware and the supply chain built up to actuall  more

WASHINGTON, Dec. 11 -- The U.S. Department of the Interior Fish and Wildlife Service issued the following news release: * * * Urges Increased Public Engagement to Help Save the Species * * * The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service is proposing protection for one of the nation's most beloved species -- the monarch butterfly -- and is encouraging the public to be part of its recovery. The Service is seeking public input on a proposal to list the species as threatened with species-specific protectio  more

CAMP SMITH, Hawaii, Dec. 9 -- The U.S. Department of Defense's Indo-Pacific Command issued the following news: SINGAPORE The Singapore Armed Forces (SAF) and Marine Rotational Force-Southeast Asia (MRF-SEA) commenced Exercise Valiant Mark 2024 in a ceremony today at Bedok Camp, Singapore. The combined U.S.-Singapore force will continue Valiant Mark 24 training through Dec. 13, focusing heavily on increasing interoperability between forces and building a sense of partnership a  more

WASHINGTON, Dec. 10 -- The U.S. Department of Agriculture issued the following news release: Funding Will Improve Access to a Clean, Reliable Electric Grid and Safe Drinking Water for Millions in Rural and Tribal Communities U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Secretary Tom Vilsack today announced that USDA is investing $6.3 billion in rural and Tribal communities across 44 states to expand access to a clean and reliable electric grid, provide safe drinking water and create good-paying jobs.  more