RANDOLPH AFB, Texas, Dec. 11 -- The U.S. Air Force Air Education and Training Command issued the following news: The 17th Training Wing hosted the 2024-2025 class of honorary commanders for their first immersion providing exclusive insight on the mission, objectives and capabilities at Goodfellow AFB, Dec. 6. The immersion was the first event the honorary commanders have participated in since they were inducted into the program in early November. The immersion began at the Cressman dining f  more

WASHINGTON, Dec. 12 -- Rep. Pete Sessions, R-Texas, issued the following news release: Subcommittee on Government Operations and the Federal Workforce Chairman Pete Sessions (TX-17) is requesting the U.S. Government Accountability Office (GAO) continue to support efforts to conduct oversight of U.S. Department of Defense (DOD) and its failure to prevent waste, fraud, and abuse within the Department. In a letter to GAO Comptroller General Gene Dodaro, Subcommittee Chairman Sessions requests GAO'  more

JOINT BASE SAN ANTONIO-LACKLAND, Texas, Dec. 12 -- The U.S. Air Force Joint Base San Antonio-Lackland (16th Air Force) issued the following news: The Army announced today policy updates to a pair of voluntary education programs for active-duty, Reserve, and National Guard Soldiers. The new guidance includes a $500 increase and two semester-hour increase for tuition assistance, and changes to the credentialing assistance program. "The Army recognizes the value of the tuition assistance and cre  more

DALLAS, Texas, Dec. 13 (TNSres) -- The U.S. Department of Labor's Bureau of Labor Statistics - Southwest Regional Information Office issued the following report on Dec. 12, 2024, entitled "County Employment and Wages in Oklahoma - Second Quarter 2024": * * * Employment rose in two of the three largest counties in Oklahoma from June 2023 to June 2024, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reported today. (Large counties are the 369 U.S. counties or county equivalents with annual average employmen  more

WASHINGTON, Dec. 12 -- The U.S. Department of Homeland Security's Customs and Border Protection issued the following news release: LAREDO, Texas As the countdown to Christmas is less than two weeks out, U.S. Customs and Border Protection's Office of Field Operations at the Laredo Port of Entry strongly encourages travelers to plan ahead, apply for I-94 travel permits online as CBP prepares to implement measures to facilitate Christmas, New Year's holiday traffic. "As last-minute shopping and   more

WASHINGTON, Dec. 12 -- The U.S. Department of Homeland Security's Customs and Border Protection issued the following news release: LAREDO, Texas A menos de dos semanas de cuenta regresiva a Navidad, la Oficina de Operaciones Regionales de Aduanas y Proteccion Fronteriza de EE. UU. en el Puerto de Entrada de Laredo alienta encarecidamente a los viajeros a planificar con anticipacion, solicitar permisos de viaje I-94 en linea mientras CBP se prepara para implementar medidas para facilitar el traf  more

RANDOLPH AFB, Texas, Dec. 11 -- The U.S. Air Force Air Education and Training Command issued the following news: Command and control is the nervous system of a military installation, responsible for ensuring communication between units, and directing resources to accomplish military operations in the most efficient way possible. The 334th Training Squadron opened a new command post study room at Erwin Manor, one of the non-prior service dorms on base, Dec. 9, 2024. It's expected to help with e  more

WASHINGTON, Dec. 12 -- The U.S. Department of Transportation Federal Aviation Administration issued a notice of proposed rulemaking in the Federal Register on Dec. 5, 2024, entitled "Establishment of Class E Airspace; Buckeye, AZ". Here are excerpts: * * * SUMMARY: This action proposes to establish Class E airspace at Buckeye, AZ. The FAA is proposing this action to support new instrument procedures and to support instrument flight rule (IFR) operations. DATES: Comments must be received   more

RANDOLPH AFB, Texas, Dec. 11 -- The U.S. Air Force Air Education and Training Command issued the following news: For Staff Sgt. Valesia Williams, the Air Force is more than a career, it is a calling to make a difference in the lives of others. As the non-commissioned officer in charge at the 42nd Air Base Wing Equal Opportunity Office, Williams is on the front lines of ensuring fairness and respect within the military. U.S. Air Force Staff Sgt. Valesia Williams, NCOIC of equal opportunity, 42  more

WASHINGTON, Dec. 12 -- The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency has released the following public communication dated Nov. 23, 2024, from Luminant Generation Co. LLC, Irving, Texas: * * * To: Mr. Michael Feldman Environmental Protection Agency, Region 6 Regional Haze and SO2 Section 1201 Elm St., Suite 500 Dallas, Texas 75270 Re: Supplemental Comments of Luminant Generation Company LLC on EPA's Proposed Air Plan Disapproval; Texas ; Control of Air Pollution from Visible Emissions and Part  more

WASHINGTON, Dec. 12 -- The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency has released the following public communication dated Dec. 2, 2024, from Luminant Generation Co. LLC, Birmingham, Alabama: * * * To: Michael Thrift Air and Radiation Law Office, Office of General Counsel U.S. Environmental Protection Agency Mail Code 2310A 1200 Pennsylvania Ave., N.W. Washington, D.C. 20460 Re: Comments of Luminant Generation Company LLC on EPA's Proposed Consent Decree (Docket No. EPA-HQ-OGC-2024-0490) * *  more

WASHINGTON, Dec. 13 -- Rep. Jodey Arrington, R-Texas, chairman of the House Budget Committee, issued the following news release on Dec. 12, 2024: Yesterday, House Budget Committee Chairman Jodey Arrington (R-TX) and members of the Committee held a hearing entitled "Sounding the Alarm: Pathways and Possible Solutions to the U.S. Fiscal Crisis" to examine the sweeping implications of our nation's $36 trillion dollar national debt while exploring reform proposals designed to combat a looming U.S.   more

TALLAHASSEE, Florida, Dec. 13 (TNSres) -- The Florida Chamber of Commerce issued the following news: * * * While Florida Saw the Highest Influx of New Residents in the Nation in 2023, Business Leaders Are Addressing Florida's Increase in Outflow * * * The Florida Chamber Foundation has released its latest migration report, revealing significant trends in Florida's population growth and state-to-state migration patterns. The report, which details data on population inflow and outflow from oth  more

RANDOLPH AFB, Texas, Dec. 11 -- The U.S. Air Force Air Education and Training Command issued the following news: COLUMBUS AIR FORCE BASE, Miss. Every dollar that entered the tip jar sitting in the Officer's Club on Columbus Air Force Base in 1958 would serve a bigger purpose than a simple "thank you." The tips would snowball into a legacy of giving through the decades as donations of good will to the Columbus community. Six decades ago, George "Happy" Irby began working in the Officer's Club   more

WASHINGTON, Dec. 12 -- Rep. Jodey Arrington, R-Texas, chairman of the House Budget Committee, issued the following news release on Dec. 11, 2024: Today, House Budget Committee Chairman Jodey Arrington (R-TX) delivered opening remarks at the hearing "Sounding the Alarm: Pathways and Possible Solutions to the U.S. Fiscal Crisis." Opening Statement as Delivered: "We've got major fiscal problems and a completely unsustainable fiscal trajectory. I haven't heard anyone, Democrat or Republican, witn  more

WASHINGTON, Dec. 12 -- Rep. Jodey Arrington, R-Texas, chairman of the House Budget Committee, issued the following news release on Dec. 11, 2024: Today, the House of Representatives favorably advanced House Budget Committee legislation, H.R. 9716, the Increasing Baseline Updates Act, sponsored by Rep. Blake Moore (R-UT) to the Senate by a recorded vote of 407-0. H.R. 9716 passed the House Budget Committee unanimously by a bipartisan vote of 32-0 on September 25, 2024. House Budget Committee C  more

WASHINGTON, Dec. 13 -- Rep. Roger Williams, R-Texas, chairman of the House Small Business Committee, issued the following news release on Dec. 12, 2024: On Wednesday, Congressman Roger Williams (TX-25), Chairman of the House Committee on Small Business, released the Committee's interim staff report detailing the findings of the Committee's investigation into the U.S. Small Business Administration's voter registration efforts in Michigan. In Case You Missed It: "House small business panel rele  more

WASHINGTON, Dec. 13 -- The Judicial Panel on Multidistrict Litigation issued the following order (MDL No. 2738) on Dec. 12, 2024: * * * In Re: Johnson & Johnson Talcum Powder Products Marketing, Sales Practices and Products Liability Litigation ORDER VACATING CONDITIONAL TRANSFER ORDER Before the Panel: Plaintiff in the Beasley Allen action listed on Schedule A moves under Panel Rule 7.1 to vacate our order that conditionally transferred Beasley Allen to the District of New Jersey for inclus  more

WASHINGTON, Dec. 12 -- The U.S. Department of Justice issued the following news release on Dec. 10, 2024: * * * Lawsuit Seeks to Stop Tax Return Preparers Operating in East Texas from Preparing Tax Returns and Owning or Operating a Tax Preparation Business * * * The Justice Department filed a civil injunction suit today in federal court in Tyler, Texas. The lawsuit seeks to bar Hudrell Lemontez Jones, Brenda Jackson Thomas and D&B Professional Tax Services LLC from owning or operating a tax   more

WASHINGTON, Dec. 9 -- The U.S. Department of Justice issued the following news release: * * * Arrests Result from Joint Task Force Alpha Investigation and Joint Operation in U.S. and Guatemala * * * An international enforcement operation today resulted in the arrest of five Guatemalan human smugglers linked to the Dec. 9, 2021, mass casualty event in Chiapas, Mexico, where a semi-trailer truck containing at least 160 migrants -- many of whom were Guatemalan nationals -- crashed, resulting in  more

WASHINGTON, Dec. 12 -- The U.S. Department of Justice issued the following news release on Dec. 11, 2024: * * * Note: A copy of the indictment can be found here (https://www.justice.gov/media/1379941/dl). * * * A federal grand jury in Dallas, Texas, returned an indictment yesterday charging a Texas businessman for his role in a yearslong scheme involving at least five publicly traded companies. According to court documents, Philip Verges, 59, of Dallas, controlled five publicly traded compa  more

WASHINGTON, Dec. 12 -- Rep. Michael T. McCaul, R-Texas, issued the following news release: Luxembourg Starting today, Congressman Michael McCaul (R-Texas) chairman of the House Foreign Affairs Committee is leading a bipartisan Congressional Delegation to Belgium and Luxembourg on behalf of Speaker of the House Mike Johnson (R-La.) to commemorate the 80th anniversary of the Battle of the Bulge. On Friday, December 13th, and Saturday, December 14th, the delegation will take part in observances   more

WASHINGTON, Dec. 12 -- The U.S. Department of Labor Occupational Safety and Health Administration has released the following public communication on Dec. 4, 2024, from MaryCatherine Jones Consulting LLC, Tallahassee, Florida: * * * To: Andrew Levinson, MPH Director, Directorate of Standards and Guidance Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) US Department of Labor 200 Constitution Ave NW Washington, DC 20210 RE: OSHA's Proposed Standard on Heat Injury and Illness Prevention  more

WASHINGTON, Dec. 12 -- Rep. August Pfluger, R-Texas, issued the following news release: Congressman August Pfluger (TX-11) led a coalition of 32 military veterans serving in the U.S. House of Representatives in endorsing Pete Hegseth for Secretary of Defense. The group sent a letter to Senate leadership expressing their strong support for Hegseth's nomination. In the letter, the members note: "In an era of unprecedented global challenges, America demands defense leadership that breaks from con  more

WASHINGTON, Dec. 13 -- Rep. Dan Crenshaw, R-Texas, issued the following news release on Dec. 12, 2024: On December 12th, Congressman Dan Crenshaw (R-TX) sent a letter to the Congressional Budget Office requesting a budgetary score on the total cost of gender transitions for minors in federal programs. "Cosmetic self-harm for minors is not medicine. Children's hospitals offering gender-transition procedures should be stripped of their federal funding." said Congressman Crenshaw. "To eliminate s  more

WASHINGTON, Dec. 12 -- Rep. Henry Cuellar, D-Texas, issued the following news release: Today, Congressman Henry Cuellar, Ph.D. (TX-28) helped pass the Judicial Understaffing Delays Getting Emergencies Solved (JUDGES) Act of 2024, which will add 4 district court judgeships in the Southern District of Texas as well as 6 district court judgeships in the Western District of Texas. "Today, I was pleased to help pass the JUDGES Act," said Dr. Cuellar, a senior member of the House Appropriations Com  more

WASHINGTON, Dec. 13 -- Rep. Pat Fallon, R-Texas, issued the following statement on Dec. 11, 2024: * * * In response to the House of Representatives' passage of the FY2025 National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA), Rep. Pat Fallon (TX-04) commented: "The FY2025 NDAA prioritizes U.S. servicemembers and strengthens our national defense in critical ways by restoring our military's focus on lethality. Thanks to House Armed Services Committee Chairman Mike Rogers' (AL-03) leadership, the bill ensu  more

WASHINGTON, Dec. 12 -- Rep. Sylvia Garcia, D-Texas, issued the following statement on Dec. 11, 2024: * * * Congresswoman Sylvia R. Garcia (D-TX-29) issued the following statement following passage of the Fiscal Year 2025 National Defense Authorization Act: "Tonight, the House voted on the Fiscal Year 2025 National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA). I am proud the bill secured a historic 14.5 percent pay raise for junior enlisted servicemembers and 4.5 percent pay raise for all other serviceme  more

WASHINGTON, Dec. 12 -- Rep. Al Green, D-Texas, issued the following statement on Dec. 10, 2024: * * * (Houston, TX) -- On Tuesday, December 10, 2024, Congressman Al Green issued the following statement regarding the recent fatal shooting at the United States Postal Service (USPS) South Houston Distribution Center in Missouri City, Texas, located within his congressional district: "In light of the tragic shooting involving a postal service employee, my heart goes out to their family and friend  more

WASHINGTON, Dec. 13 -- Rep. Darrell E. Issa, R-California, issued the following news release on Dec. 12, 2024: Today, Senate-companion legislation authored by Congressman Darrell Issa (CA-48) to add critically needed federal judgeships to resolve backlogged courts passed the House of Representatives by a bipartisan majority vote of 236-173. 29 Democrats crossed the aisle to support the bill. "The JUDGES Act represents the diligent work and hard-won agreement of national stakeholders that ultim  more

WASHINGTON, Dec. 12 -- Rep. Chip Roy, R-Texas, issued the following news release: Representative Chip Roy (TX-21) issued the following statement on the FY 2025 National Defense Authorization Act (H.R. 5009): "I voted NO on the FY 2025 National Defense Authorization Act (H.R. 5009). I was very happy to see that the NDAA adhered to spending caps in law and made some strides to restore mission focus at the Pentagon, primarily through language banning Critical Race Theory and prohibiting taxpayer  more

WASHINGTON, Dec. 13 -- Rep. Tony Gonzales, R-Texas, issued the following news release on Dec. 12, 2024: Today, Congressman Tony Gonzales (TX-23) voted for the final passage of the Servicemember Quality of Life Improvement and National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2025, also known as the FY25 NDAA in the U.S. House of Representatives. This legislation will raise junior enlisted servicemembers' pay by 14.5% and provide all servicemembers across the board with a 4.5% pay raise--a prio  more

WASHINGTON, Dec. 13 -- Rep. Randy Weber, R-Texas, issued the following news release on Dec. 12, 2024: Today, U.S. Reps. Randy Weber (TX-14) and August Pfluger (TX-11) introduced the Securing Every Vector, Enhancing Networks (SEVEN) Act, a bill designed to strengthen America's defenses against cyber threats targeting the Signaling System 7 (SS7) telecommunications protocol. The legislation aims to address these vulnerabilities by coordinating efforts across the government and creating a task for  more

WASHINGTON, Dec. 13 -- Rep. Roger Williams, R-Texas, issued the following news release on Dec. 12, 2024: Today, the House of Representatives passed H.R. 5009, the National Defense Authorization Act, which includes the full authorization of the Small Business Administration's (SBA) Boots to Business program for four years. Congressman Roger Williams (TX-25), Chairman of the House Committee on Small Business, issued the following statement. "The SBA's Boots to Business program has provided assis  more

WASHINGTON, Dec. 12 -- Sen. John Cornyn, R-Texas, issued the following news: U.S. Senator John Cornyn (R-TX) made the following remarks to media after meeting with former Congressman representing Texas' 4th congressional district and Director of National Intelligence John Ratcliffe, whom President-Elect Trump has announced he will nominate to serve as Director of the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA): "I've known John Ratcliffe for a number of years, even before he came to Congress, and of c  more

WASHINGTON, Dec. 12 -- Sen. John Cornyn, R-Texas, issued the following news on Dec. 10, 2024: Today on the floor, U.S. Senator John Cornyn (R-TX) discussed the need to prohibit investments by American entities in sensitive technologies in countries of concern like China, an effort he has led in the Senate with Sen. Bob Casey (D-PA), and urged House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries (NY-08) to support provisions prohibiting certain investments in such countries before the end of the year. Excerpts  more

WASHINGTON, Dec. 13 -- Sen. John Cornyn, R-Texas, issued the following statement on Dec. 12, 2024: * * * U.S. Senators John Cornyn (R-TX), Maggie Hassan (D-NH), John Thune (R-SD), Gary Peters (D-MI), John Kennedy (R-LA), and Raphael Warnock (D-GA) released the following statements after their Grant Transparency Act, which would require government agencies to provide competitive grant applicants with more information about their selection criteria and evaluation process, was signed into law:   more

WASHINGTON, Dec. 13 -- Sen. John Cornyn, R-Texas, issued the following news on Dec. 12, 2024: U.S. Senators John Cornyn (R-TX) and Ted Cruz (R-TX) today released the following statements after their James R. Dominguez Memorial Act, a bill to rename the U.S. Border Patrol checkpoint on U.S. Highway 90 West in Uvalde County after James Ray Dominguez, a Border Patrol agent who tragically lost his life on July 19, 2012, while clearing debris from the side of Highway 90 near Cline, Texas, was signed  more

WASHINGTON, Dec. 12 -- Sen. John Cornyn, R-Texas, issued the following news on Dec. 11, 2024: U.S. Senators John Cornyn (R-TX), Chris Van Hollen (D-MD), Mark Warner (D-VA), and Patty Murray (D-WA) today sent a bipartisan letter to President Joe Biden urging him to provide an update on efforts to locate and free Austin Tice in light of the fall of the Assad regime. Tice is an American journalist, Houston native, and Marine veteran who has been held captive in Syria for 12 years. They wrote: "We  more

WASHINGTON, Dec. 13 -- Sen. John Cornyn, R-Texas, issued the following news on Dec. 12, 2024: * * * Bill Supports Advanced DNA Technology for Investigative Agencies * * * U.S. Senators John Cornyn (R-TX) and Peter Welch (D-VT) today introduced the Carla Walker Act, which would dedicate federal grant funds to support forensic genetic genealogy (FGG) DNA analysis and help solve previously unsolvable cold cases. The bill is named for Carla Walker, a Fort Worth native whose murderer was finally   more

WASHINGTON, Dec. 12 -- The U.S. Department of State issued the daily public schedule for Dec. 10, 2024: * * * SECRETARY ANTONY J. BLINKEN 1:00 p.m. Secretary Blinken delivers remarks at the Human Rights Defender Award Ceremony at the Department of State. (OPEN PRESS COVERAGE) The Secretary's remarks will be streamed live on the Department homepage (https://www.state.gov/) and the Department YouTube channel (https://www.youtube.com/statedept). Preset time for videocameras is 12:20 p.m. from  more

WASHINGTON, Dec. 12 -- The U.S. Department of State issued the daily public schedule for Dec. 11, 2024: * * * SECRETARY ANTONY J. BLINKEN 10:00 a.m. Secretary Blinken testifies before the House Foreign Affairs Committee on the U.S. Withdrawal from Afghanistan on Capitol Hill. (MEDIA DETERMINED BY HFAC) * * * DEPUTY SECRETARY KURT M. CAMPBELL Deputy Secretary Campbell attends meetings and briefings at the Department of State. * * * DEPUTY SECRETARY FOR MANAGEMENT AND RESOURCES RICHARD R.  more

WASHINGTON, Dec. 13 -- The U.S. State Department issued the following media note from the Office of the Spokesperson on Dec. 11, 2024: * * * The Department of State hosted a high-level delegation from Czechia for a U.S. Civil Nuclear Study Tour to promote cooperation on small modular reactor (SMR) and advanced nuclear technologies from December 1-11, 2024. The delegation visited Washington, D.C., Texas A&M University in College Station, Texas, and the Deep Isolation Borehole Demonstration Cent  more

AUSTIN, Texas, Dec. 13 -- Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton issued the following news release on Dec. 12, 2024: Attorney General Ken Paxton has launched investigations into Character.AI and fourteen other companies including Reddit, Instagram, and Discord regarding their privacy and safety practices for minors pursuant to the Securing Children Online through Parental Empowerment ("SCOPE") Act and the Texas Data Privacy and Security Act ("TDPSA"). The SCOPE Act prohibits digital service provid  more

AUSTIN, Texas, Dec. 12 -- Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton issued the following news release on Dec. 11, 2024: Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton announced a groundbreaking new lawsuit against the largest manufacturers of per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances ("PFAS") chemical products, 3M and DuPont, for misrepresentations and key omissions they made in advertising the safety of brand names such as Teflon, Stainmaster, and Scotchgard. PFAS are known as "forever chemicals" because they are persi  more

AUSTIN, Texas, Dec. 13 -- Gov. Greg Abbott, R-Texas, issued the following news release on Dec. 12, 2024: Governor Greg Abbott today announced that Breckenridge, having completed the multi-step training and certification process, has been designated as a Film Friendly Texas Certified Community by the Texas Film Commission. "Congratulations to Breckenridge on earning the Film Friendly Texas designation and joining more than 175 other Texas communities that have received this recognition," said   more

AUSTIN, Texas, Dec. 13 -- Gov. Greg Abbott, R-Texas, issued the following news release on Dec. 12, 2024: Governor Greg Abbott today touted Texas' robust energy sector during a fireside chat at the Dallas Citizens Council 2024 Annual Meeting in Dallas. "Texas is the fourth-largest producer of oil in the entire world," said Governor Abbott. "This is owed to the hard work and determination of the men and women of the energy industry. Here in Texas, we believe in an 'all-of-the-above' energy appr  more

WASHINGTON, Dec. 12 -- The White House issued the following news release on Dec. 11, 2024: On Wednesday, December 11, 2024, the President signed into law: H.R. 2950, the "Coastal Habitat Conservation Act of 2023," which codifies the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service's Costal Program and supports efforts to assess, protect, and enhance important costal landscapes. Thank you to Representatives Huffman and Gonzalez-Colon, and Senators Cardin and Graham for their leadership. * * * H.R. 5302, the "  more