RALEIGH, North Carolina, Jan. 11 -- The office of the U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of North Carolina issued the following news release: A Goldsboro drug trafficker was sentenced to 480 months in prison for conspiracy and trafficking significant quantities of methamphetamine. The lengthy sentence was imposed due to his previous criminal history and the evidence tying him to the murder, dismemberment, and disposal of a confidential informant during the course of the investigation. On Au  more

WASHINGTON, Jan. 10 -- Sen. Ted Budd, R-North Carolina, issued the following news release: Senator Ted Budd (R-NC) joined the reintroduction of the Protection of Women and Girls in Sports Act, a bill led by Senator Tommy Tuberville (R-AL), in the 119th Congress. The legislation would preserve Title IX protections for female athletes and ensure fair, safe competition in women's sports across the country. The bill is also co-sponsored by Senators Jim Banks (R-IN), John Barasso (R-WY), Marsha Bl  more

NEW YORK, Jan. 10 -- Common Cause - New York issued the following news release on Jan. 8, 2025: * * * On Tuesday, January 14 at 12:00 p.m. ET, states leaders will share what new voting rights, ethics, and other democracy-related policy issues they'll be watching as we look ahead to the legislative session at the state level. * * * Common Cause's state leaders will host the first press briefing in a series called Protecting Democracy in the South. The briefings will discuss voting rights conc  more

WASHINGTON, Jan. 11 -- The U.S. Department of Transportation Federal Railroad Administration issued the following news release on Jan. 10, 2025: * * * Additional funding announced through a separate grant program will support passenger rail service around the country More than 445 rail projects nationwide have now been announced thanks to the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law and President Biden's unprecedented support for rail * * * The U.S. Department of Transportation's Federal Railroad Adm  more

WASHINGTON, Jan. 11 -- The Environmental Protection Agency issued the following news release on Jan. 10, 2025: * * * Several small businesses in Florida, Georgia, North Carolina, and South Carolina to receive $100,000 of Phase I funding for six months for "proof of concept" of their proposed technology * * * ATLANTA (January 10, 2025) - The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) announced $2,500,000 for 25 small businesses to develop technologies to address public health and environmenta  more

WASHINGTON, Jan. 10 -- Sen. Lindsey Graham, R-South Carolina, issued the following news release: WASHINGTON - U.S. Senator Lindsey Graham (R-South Carolina) joined his colleagues once again to introduce the Constitutional Concealed Carry Reciprocity Act. The bill would allow individuals with concealed carry privileges in their home states to exercise those rights in any other state that allows concealed carry while abiding by that state's laws. "Personal protection should not end at a state l  more

WASHINGTON, Jan. 10 -- The U.S. Department of Transportation issued the following news release: Additional funding announced through a separate grant program will support passenger rail service around the country More than 445 rail projects nationwide have now been announced thanks to the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law and President Biden's unprecedented support for rail The U.S. Department of Transportation's Federal Railroad Administration (FRA) today announced that it has awarded more tha  more

WASHINGTON, Jan. 10 -- The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration issued the following news: Where did you grow up? I grew up in Frederick, Maryland but I spent my summers in Kill Devil Hills, North Carolina where I developed my love of the ocean and interest in what lies beneath the surface. If you have not been to the Outer Banks, North Carolina, I highly recommend it. It's one of my favorite places in the world. Where did you go to school and in what subject did you get your deg  more

RALEIGH, North Carolina, Jan. 10 -- The North Carolina Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services issued the following news release: The N.C. Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services' Standards Division fined 14 stores in 12 counties for price scanning errors during the final quarter of 2024. "Our Standards Division remained committed to protecting consumers across the state," said Agriculture Commissioner Steve Troxler. "Our inspectors continue to find errors among price scanners   more

RALEIGH, North Carolina, Jan. 10 -- The North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services issued the following news release: As Kody H. Kinsley closes out his tenure as North Carolina's Secretary of Health and Human Services, the department celebrates the lasting accomplishments achieved under his leadership. Guided by his vision to make the health system easier to navigate for families and more effective at promoting health, Secretary Kinsley drove collaboration across the department and   more

RALEIGH, North Carolina, Jan. 11 -- The North Carolina Department of Insurance issued the following news release: * * * Criminal Investigations Division made 406 arrests last year * * * Insurance Commissioner Mike Causey has announced that the North Carolina Department of Insurance saved or recovered nearly $144 million for North Carolinians in the 2024 calendar year. This amount represents a record in recoveries since Commissioner Causey took office in January 2017, eclipsing the $130 mill  more

WASHINGTON, Jan. 11 -- President Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris issued the following remarks on Jan. 10, 2025, ahead of a briefing on the federal response to the wildfires across Los Angeles: * * * THE PRESIDENT: Here's what we're going to do. We're going to get a briefing from the governor and the mayor and FEMA, and then we're going to lay out where we go from here. Okay? Ready? Get set. Go. AIDE: Ready. THE PRESIDENT: All right. Vice President Harris and I are about to receive a   more

WASHINGTON, Jan. 4 -- The U.S. Department of Defense issued the following news: Well, good morning. And welcome. It's great to ring in the New Year with all of you in such a meaningful way. Secretary Wormuth, General George: Thanks for your outstanding leadership of the United States Army. You know, I proudly served in the Army for more than half of my life. So your branch of our military holds a special place in my heart. And you have both led the military--led the Army with integrity and v  more

WASHINGTON, Jan. 11 -- The U.S. Department of Transportation's Surface Transportation Board issued the following decision (Docket No. MCF 21128) entitled "Avalon Motor Coaches LLC - Acquisition Of Control - Rose Chauffeured Transportation Inc.": * * * ACTION: Notice Tentatively Approving and Authorizing Finance Transaction. SUMMARY: On December 11, 2024, Avalon Motor Coaches, LLC (Avalon Motor Coach), an interstate passenger motor carrier, together with its noncarrier affiliates Virgin-Fish,   more

WASHINGTON, Jan. 10 -- The U.S. Department of Agriculture issued the following news release: Latest Investments Will Lower Costs and Support Jobs in 30 States WASHINGTON, Jan. 10, 2025 - Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack today announced more than $6 billion in clean energy investments through the U.S. Department of Agriculture's (USDA) Empowering Rural America (New ERA) and Powering Affordable Clean Energy (PACE) programs. Rural electric cooperatives and communities will use the funding to su  more

WASHINGTON, Jan. 10 -- The U.S. Department of Agriculture issued the following news release: Part of Today's Announcement is Funded by President Biden's Inflation Reduction Act U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Secretary Tom Vilsack today announced that USDA is funding 586 projects to expand access to clean energy systems and increase the availability of domestic biofuels. Today, USDA is providing nearly $180 million through the Rural Energy for America Program (REAP) and the Higher Blends  more

WASHINGTON, Jan. 9 -- Sen. Ted Budd, R-North Carolina, issued the following news release: Today, Senator Ted Budd (R-NC) spoke at a press conference alongside Senators Katie Britt (R-AL), Majority Leader John Thune (R-SD), and other Senate leaders after voting to advance the Laken Riley Act. "We can't let something like this happen again... I can't think of a single reason why any senator would oppose the Laken Riley Act," Budd said. WATCH HERE Senators Budd and Britt led the reintroduction   more

WASHINGTON, Jan. 11 -- The White House issued the following transcript of a news briefing on Jan. 10, 2025, by Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre and Federal Emergency Management Agency Administrator Deanne Criswell: * * * MS. JEAN-PIERRE: Hi, everybody. Hi. Good afternoon. Q Good afternoon. MS. JEAN-PIERRE: All right. So, the president and the first lady continue to grieve the lives lost and livelihoods destroyed by the tragic wildfires that are burning communities in Southern California to  more