WASHINGTON, June 17 -- Sen. Cory Booker, D-New Jersey, issued the following news release: * * * Booker, Padilla, Reed, Huffman, Pallone, Castor Lead Charge to Block Trump's Dangerous Offshore Drilling Plan * WASHINGTON, D.C. - Today, U.S. Senators Cory Booker (D-NJ), Alex Padilla (D-CA), and Jack Reed (D-RI) along with U.S. House Natural Resources Committee Ranking Member Jared Huffman (D-CA), U.S. House Energy and Commerce Ranking Member Frank Pallone (D-NJ), and Representative Kathy Castor  more

WASHINGTON, June 16 -- The Small Business Administration issued the following news release: * * * Business Owner Sentenced After Receiving More than $1.6 Million in Funds from the CARES Act * A former Oklahoma man with business ties in Florida was sentenced today after pleading guilty to four counts of bank fraud, announced U.S. Attorney Clint Johnson.  U.S. District Judge Sara E. Hill sentenced Shawn Ray Murnan, 57, of Windemere, Florida, to 33 months imprisonment, followed by five years   more

WASHINGTON, June 17 -- C-BATT Innovations LLC, Oviedo, Florida, has submitted comments to the U.S. Department of Commerce Bureau of Industry and Security, raising concerns about China's near-monopoly on battery-grade graphite and its implications for U.S. energy security. The company highlighted that most rechargeable batteries, crucial for applications from AI datacenters to military drones, rely on graphite processed in China. C-BATT asserted that China heavily subsidizes its graphite product  more

WASHINGTON, June 18 -- Rep. Brian Mast, R-Florida, chairman of the House Foreign Affairs Committee, issued the following news release: * * * Chairman Mast Commends President Trump's Efforts to Advance Peace in African Great Lakes Region, Encourages Continued Engagement WASHINGTON, D.C. - Today, House Foreign Affairs Committee Chairman Brian Mast led a letter to President Trump in support of the administration's diplomatic efforts to advance peace and responsible development across the African  more

WASHINGTON, June 18 -- Rep. Rich McCormick, R-Georgia, issued the following news release on June 17, 2025: * * * Congressman Rich McCormick Introduces the States Taking Accountability for Troops Engaged in Safety Act WASHINGTON - Congressman Rich McCormick (GA-07) has introduced the States Taking Accountability for Troops Engaged in Safety (STATES) Act, in direct response to the recent violent riots in Los Angeles and the resulting federal deployment of the National Guard. The bill ensures th  more

TALLAHASSEE, Florida, June 17 (TNSLrpt) -- The Florida Auditor General released the following operational audit (No. 2025-201) on June 5, 2025, entitled "Department of Health - County Health Department Expenditures, Selected Administrative Activities, and Prior Audit Follow-Up." Here are excerpts: * * * SUMMARY This operational audit of the Department of Health (Department) focused on selected county health department (CHD)1 expenditures and selected Department administrative activities. The  more

TALLAHASSEE, Florida, June 17 (TNSLrpt) -- The Florida Auditor General released the following quality assessment review (No. 2025-200) on June 4, 2025, entitled "Department of Legal Affairs - Office of Inspector General's Internal Audit Activity." Here are excerpts: * * * SUMMARY As subsequently described, in our opinion the quality assurance and improvement program (QAIP) related to the Department of Legal Affairs (Department), Office of Inspector General's internal audit activity was not a  more

TALLAHASSEE, Florida, June 17 (TNSLrpt) -- The Florida Auditor General released the following informations technology operational audit (No. 2025-198) on June 2, 2025, entitled "South Florida State College - Ellucian Banner Enterprise Cloud Applications." Here are excerpts: * * * SUMMARY This operational audit of South Florida State College (College) focused on evaluating selected information technology (IT) controls applicable to the Ellucian Banner Enterprise Cloud Applications and the Col  more

WASHINGTON, June 15 (TNSFR) -- The Florida Department of State has completed an inventory of human remains and associated funerary objects. The department has determined a cultural affiliation between these items and the Seminole Tribe of Florida, in accordance with the Native American Graves Protection and Repatriation Act. The inventory includes the human remains of at least three individuals, along with 447 associated funerary objects. These objects comprise a variety of items such as faunal  more

WASHINGTON, June 17 -- Rep. W. Greg Steube, R-Florida, issued the following news release: * * * Rep. Steube: Hold South Africa Accountable for Antisemitism * WASHINGTON, D.C. -- U.S. Representative Greg Steube (R-Fla.) today introduced the Addressing Hostile and Antisemitic Conduct by the Republic of South Africa Act of 2025. This bill would suspend direct assistance to South Africa while imposing targeted sanctions on political leaders responsible for their government's antagonism towards  more

WASHINGTON, June 17 -- Sen. Rick Scott, R-Florida, issued the following news release: * * * Sens. Rick Scott, Ruben Gallego Lead CHECKPOINT Act to Strengthen Border Patrol Operations and Combat Fentanyl Trafficking * WASHINGTON, D.C. - Today, Senators Rick Scott and Ruben Gallego announced their bipartisan Continuing High-Quality Evaluations of Concerning and Known Persons of Interest through National Training Updates (CHECKPOINT) Act. This legislation will modernize and improve operations o  more

WASHINGTON, June 17 (TNSLrpt) -- A report issued by the U.S. Congress Joint Economic Committee - Minority, titled "New Parents Are Paying 24 Percent More for Five Common Baby Items Since Trump's Tariffs," reveals a surge in the cost of baby goods following the Trump Administration's tariff hikes. Published in June 2025, the analysis highlights that rising trade barriers are placing a substantial financial burden on new families nationwide. The Committee tracked price changes between April 1 and  more

WASHINGTON, June 17 -- X-BATT Inc., Oviedo, Florida, has submitted comments to the U.S. Department of Commerce Bureau of Industry and Security regarding its Section 232 national security investigation of imports of processed critical minerals and derivative products. The company supports a focused examination of critical minerals related to national security, highlighting its patented technology that offers high-capacity, low-cost and scalable solutions for battery components. X-BATT emphasizes   more