WASHINGTON, May 14 -- A national advocacy organization dedicated to ending gender-based violence is calling on the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) to reverse recent revisions to fair housing rules, arguing that the changes will decrease critical protections for survivors of domestic and sexual violence. In a letter submitted to HUD Secretary Scott Turner, The Network: Advocating Against Domestic Violence expressed deep concern over the 2025 Interim Final Rule titled, Affir  more

WASHINGTON, May 14 (TNSLrpt) -- The Congressional Research Service issued the following In Focus white paper (No. IF10675) on May 13, 2025, by military ground forces specialist Andrew Feickert: * * * Army Security Force Assistance Brigades (SFABs) What Is Security Force Assistance (SFA)? Security Force Assistance (SFA) is defined as "unified action to generate, employ, and sustain local, host-nation, or regional security forces in support of a legitimate authority." By definition "security f  more

WASHINGTON, May 13 -- Sen. Tammy Duckworth, D-Illinois, issued the following news release: * * * Duckworth, Murray, Blumenthal Introduce Resolution to Celebrate VA Researchers and to Commemorate the 100th Anniversary of Veteran-Focused Research at VA May 13, 2025 [WASHINGTON, DC] - To honor our nation's Veterans Affairs (VA) researchers and commemorate the 100 th anniversary of Veteran-focused research beginning at what is now known as the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA), U.S. Sena  more

WASHINGTON, May 14 -- Sen. Richard J. Durbin, D-Illinois, issued the following news release: * * * Durbin Calls Out Republicans' As Trump Administration Slashed Funding For Mental Health Grants, Gun Violence Prevention Efforts That Had Bipartisan Support May 14, 2025 "The next time the President or any of his friends go to Fox News and try to start scapegoating Democrats for the gun violence in Chicago, they should remember that the President and his billionaire cronies eliminated these suc  more

WASHINGTON, May 14 -- Sen. Richard J. Durbin, D-Illinois, issued the following news release: * * * Durbin Introduces Legislation To Ban U.S. Recognition Of Any Ukrainian Territory Annexed By Russia, Including Crimea May 14, 2025 WASHINGTON - As Russia continues their unjustified and unprovoked war of aggression in Ukraine, U.S. Senate Democratic Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL) Co-Chair of the Senate Ukraine Caucus, today introduced legislation to prohibit the United States from recognizing the Russ  more

WASHINGTON, May 14 -- Sen. Richard J. Durbin, D-Illinois, issued the following news release: * * * Durbin Investigates $400 Million Private Jet Gift From Qatar To President Trump May 14, 2025 In letter to Attorney General Bondi, Durbin requests copy of her memorandum deeming this gift as 'legally permissible' despite its blatant unconstitutionality and Bondi's clear conflict of interest with Qatar from past lobbying work WASHINGTON - U.S. Senate Democratic Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL), Ranking  more

WASHINGTON, May 15 -- Sen. Richard J. Durbin, D-Illinois, ranking member of the Senate Judiciary Committee, issued the following news release on May 14, 2025: * * * Durbin Investigates $400 Million Private Jet Gift From Qatar To President Trump WASHINGTON - U.S. Senate Democratic Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL), Ranking Member of the Senate Judiciary Committee, today sent a letter to Attorney General Pam Bondi regarding the legal justification for President Trump's attempted acquisition of a private   more

WASHINGTON, May 14 -- Sen. Richard J. Durbin, D-Illinois, issued the following news release: * * * Durbin Joins Ernst To Introduce Bipartisan Legislation To Improve USDA Conservation Programs For Farmers May 14, 2025 Streamlining Conservation Practice Standards Act modernizes USDA's process for updating conservation standards WASHINGTON - U.S. Senate Democratic Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL), a member of the Senate Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry, joined U.S. Senator Joni Ernst  more

WASHINGTON, May 14 -- Sen. Richard J. Durbin, D-Illinois, issued the following news release: * * * Durbin Meets With ACLU Of Illinois May 14, 2025 WASHINGTON - U.S. Senate Democratic Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL), Ranking Member of the Senate Judiciary Committee, released the following statement after meeting today with the American Civil Liberties Union of Illinois to discuss concerns regarding Republicans' reconciliation package, Medicaid funding, immigration, and the SAVE Act : "The Trump Ad  more

WASHINGTON, May 15 -- Sen. Richard J. Durbin, D-Illinois, ranking member of the Senate Judiciary Committee, issued the following news release on May 14, 2025: * * * Durbin Meets With ACLU Of Illinois WASHINGTON - U.S. Senate Democratic Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL), Ranking Member of the Senate Judiciary Committee, released the following statement after meeting today with the American Civil Liberties Union of Illinois to discuss concerns regarding Republicans' reconciliation package, Medicaid fundi  more

WASHINGTON, May 14 -- Sen. Richard J. Durbin, D-Illinois, issued the following news release: * * * Durbin Meets With USCIS Nominee Ahead Of Confirmation Hearing May 14, 2025 WASHINGTON - U.S. Senate Democratic Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL), Ranking Member of the Senate Judiciary Committee, today released the following statement after meeting with Joseph Edlow, President Trump's nominee to be the Director of the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS), a fee-funded agency tasked with kee  more

WASHINGTON, May 13 -- Sen. Richard J. Durbin, D-Illinois, issued the following news release: * * * Durbin, Delauro Introduce Bill To Ban Child Labor On Tobacco Farms May 13, 2025 WASHINGTON - U.S. Senate Democratic Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL) and U.S. Representative Rosa DeLauro (D-CT-03) today reintroduced legislation to protect child workers from the dangers of exposure to tobacco plants, including nicotine poisoning. The Children Don't Belong on Tobacco Farms Act amends the Fair Labor Standa  more

WASHINGTON, May 14 -- Sen. Richard J. Durbin, D-Illinois, issued the following news release: * * * Durbin, Shaheen Meet With Venezuelan Opposition Leader Maria Corina Machado May 14, 2025 WASHINGTON - U.S. Senate Democratic Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL) and U.S. Senator Jeanne Shaheen (D-NH), Ranking Member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, yesterday met virtually with Venezuelan opposition leader Maria Corina Machado, who remains in hiding in Caracas. Ms. Machado was fairly chosen by   more

WASHINGTON, May 13 -- The Equal Employment Opportunity Commission issued the following news release: * * * EEOC Files Subpoena Enforcement Action Against Mauser Packaging Solutions Federal Agency Seeks Court Order Compelling Packaging Material Manufacturer to Provide Information Relating to Its Hiring and Staffing Practices CHICAGO - The U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) announced today that it has filed an action in federal court to enforce a subpoena that it issued durin  more

WASHINGTON, May 14 -- Sen. Joni Ernst, R-Iowa, issued the following news release: * * * Ernst Breaks Down Barriers to Conservation Practices for Iowa Farmers WASHINGTON - U.S. Senator Joni Ernst (R-Iowa), a member of the Senate Agriculture Committee, is pushing to remove bureaucratic barriers and better support farmers in implementing conservation practices that improve soil health and water quality. At an Agriculture Committee hearing, she announced her new bipartisan Streamlining Conserva  more

WASHINGTON, May 15 (TNSFR) -- The Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) has issued a notice detailing the schedule for the preparation of an environmental assessment (EA) concerning the Decatur Lateral Project proposed by Rockies Express Pipeline LLC. Filed on February 28, 2025, under Docket No. CP25-94-000, the application seeks a Certificate of Public Convenience and Necessity to construct and operate natural gas pipeline facilities intended to deliver approximately 185 million standard  more

WASHINGTON, May 15 (TNSFR) -- The Field Museum in Chicago, Illinois, has completed a federally required inventory of human remains and associated funerary objects and has determined that a cultural affiliation exists with the United Auburn Indian Community of the Auburn Rancheria of California. In accordance with the Native American Graves Protection and Repatriation Act (NAGPRA), the museum will proceed with the repatriation of the remains of four Native American individuals along with three l  more

SPRINGFIELD, Illinois, May 15 -- The Illinois Supreme Court issued the following news release on May 14, 2025: * * * ILLINOIS SUPREME COURT INSTALLS HANDCRAFTED GAVEL AS OFFICIAL INSTRUMENT TO OPEN PROCEEDINGS The Illinois Supreme Court during a brief ceremony Tuesday installed an official handmade gavel, crafted by esteemed Judge Andreas "Andy" Matoesian, marking a tribute to judicial tradition and as an emblem for court proceedings. The installation took take place ahead of the Legal Lumina  more

WASHINGTON, May 13 -- Sen. Richard J. Durbin, D-Illinois, issued the following news release: * * * In Senate AG Committee Hearing, Durbin Speaks About Deadly Cost Of Dust Storms, Advocates For Programs To Incentive Farmers To Plant Cover Crops May 13, 2025 At the top of the hearing, Durbin introduced witness Mrs. Megan Dwyer, Illinoisan and Director of Conservation and Nutrient Stewardship at the Illinois Corn Growers Association WASHINGTON - U.S. Senate Democratic Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL)  more

WASHINGTON, May 14 -- Howard Brown Health, Chicago, Illinois, the nation's largest LGBTQ+ health center, has called on the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) to withdraw its 2025 Interim Final Rule, which the organization argues will weaken crucial fair housing regulations. In a letter to Secretary Scott Turner, Howard Brown expressed deep concern over the proposed revisions to the Affirmatively Furthering Fair Housing (AFFH) provision of the Fair Housing Act. The AFFH provi  more

WASHINGTON, May 14 -- The U.S. Senate conducted 11 committee hearings on May 13, 2025: * * * PERSPECTIVES FROM THE FIELD: CONSERVATION Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry: Committee concluded a hearing to examine perspectives from the field, focusing on conservation, after receiving testimony from Gary Blair, National Association of Conservation Districts, Starkville, Mississippi; Brad Doyle, Arkansas Farm Bureau, Weiner; Lynn Tjeerdsma, Pheasants Forever and Quail Forever, Plat  more

WASHINGTON, May 14 -- Sen. John Kennedy, R-Louisiana, issued the following news release: * * * Senate passes Kennedy-backed National Police Week resolution WASHINGTON - Sen. John Kennedy (R-La.), a member of the Senate Judiciary Committee, joined Sens. Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa), Dick Durbin (D-Illinois) and 78 bipartisan senators in introducing a resolution to designate the week of May 11 through May 17, 2025, as National Police Week. The Senate unanimously adopted the resolution. "One of the  more

WASHINGTON, May 14 -- Sen. Richard J. Durbin, D-Illinois, issued the following news release: * * * Senate Unanimously Passes Grassley-Durbin Resolution Recognizing National Police Week May 14, 2025 Bipartisan resolution reiterates Senate support for law enforcement, honors 234 fallen officers WASHINGTON - U.S. Senate Democratic Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL), Ranking Member of the Senate Judiciary Committee, U.S. Senator Chuck Grassley (R-IA), Chairman of the Senate Judiciary Committee, and 79 S  more

WASHINGTON, May 14 -- The U.S. Department of Homeland Security's Immigration and Customs Enforcement issued the following news release: * * * Sinaloa cartel leaders charged with narco-terrorism, material support of terrorism and drug trafficking in ICE, FBI investigation SAN DIEGO - An indictment unsealed May 13 is the first in the nation to charge alleged leaders of the Sinaloa Cartel with narco-terrorism and material support of terrorism in connection with trafficking massive amounts of fen  more

WASHINGTON, May 15 -- The Taxpayers Protection Alliance (TPA) has called on the U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) to maintain the federal truck weight limit of 80,000 pounds, warning that proposed increases could lead to significant safety risks and infrastructure damage. In a letter to DOT Secretary Sean Duffy, TPA President David Williams outlined concerns about the potential consequences of allowing heavier trucks on the nation's highways, emphasizing the financial burden on taxpayers a  more

WASHINGTON, May 14 -- United Airlines, Chicago, Illinois, has submitted comments to the U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT), advocating for a significant reduction in current regulations. In its communication regarding the DOT's request for information on "Ensuring Lawful Regulation; Reducing Regulation and Controlling Regulatory Costs," the airline emphasized the pro-competitive advantages stemming from the Airline Deregulation Act of 1978. The airline's comments, which supplement those f  more

WASHINGTON, May 14 -- Sen. Tammy Baldwin, D-Wisconsin, issued the following news release: * * * WATCH: Baldwin Presses RFK, Jr. on MPS Lead Crisis, Head Start Closures at Senate Hearing WASHINGTON, D.C. - Today, at a Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions (HELP) Committee Hearing, U.S. Senator Tammy Baldwin (D-WI) pressed Health and Human Services (HHS) Secretary Robert F. Kennedy, Jr. on mass layoffs at the agency that are impacting Wisconsin families, including firing lead experts th  more