WASHINGTON, May 26 -- As the nation braces for the upcoming hurricane season, a prominent Texas-based justice organization is calling for sweeping changes to the federal disaster response system, emphasizing the urgent need for enhanced coordination, improved communication, and increased accessibility for survivors. Texas Appleseed, a nonpartisan nonprofit, submitted a detailed letter to the Federal Emergency Management Agency Review Council, offering critical feedback on the agency's performanc  more

WASHINGTON, May 26 (TNSLrpt) -- The Health and Human Services Inspector General issued the following report (No. OEI-02-24-00430) entitled "Fewer than One in Five Medicare Enrollees Received Medication to Treat Their Opioid Use Disorder": Here are excerpts: * * * Why OIG Did This Review * Combatting the overdose crisis continues to be a National priority. As a payor, CMS plays an important role in ensuring that Medicare enrollees have access to medications and services for the treatment of   more

WASHINGTON, May 27 -- The House Rules Committee issued a report (H.Rpt. 119-95) on a resolution (H.Res. 405), which provides consideration for the Improving Law Enforcement Officer Safety and Wellness Through Data Act (H.R. 2240), LEOSA Reform Act (H.R. 2243) and Federal Law Enforcement Officer Service Weapon Purchase Act (H.R. 2255). The report was advanced by Rep. Chip Roy, R-Texas, on May 13, 2025. Here are excerpts: * * * SUMMARY OF PROVISIONS OF THE RESOLUTION The resolution provides fo  more

WASHINGTON, May 26 -- Sen. Ben Ray Lujan, D-New Mexico, issued the following news release: * * * Lujan, Cruz Introduce Bipartisan Bill to Streamline Land Port of Entry Permits Washington, D.C. - U.S. Senators Ben Ray Lujan (D-N.M.) and Ted Cruz (R-Texas) introduced the International Bridge and Port of Entry Modernization Act. This legislation expedites the presidential permitting process for all international bridges and land ports of entry. "Ports of entry and international bridges are vit  more

WASHINGTON, May 27 (TNSFR) -- The U.S. Department of Commerce National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration has announced the issuance of a permit to Charted Marine Consulting, allowing the company to conduct important research on marine mammals. This notice, published in the Federal Register, details the authorization for studies focusing on bottlenose dolphins (Tursiops truncatus) in the coastal waters of Texas. The research will take place across the bays, sounds, estuaries, and near-shor  more

WASHINGTON, May 26 -- Texas is urging federal wildlife officials to rethink a proposed rule that would grant threatened species status to the monarch butterfly and designate critical habitat, arguing the Biden administration's "midnight regulation" is outdated and lacks scientific basis. Texas Agriculture Commissioner Sid Miller, in a letter dated May 14, 2025, to Brian Nesvik, Director of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, stated that new evidence and recent policy changes under the Trump adm  more