SAN FRANCISCO, California, June 17 (TNSLrpt) -- The U.S. Department of Labor Bureau of Labor Statistics - Western Regional Information Office issued the following report: * * * County Employment and Wages in Alaska -- Fourth Quarter 2024 * Employment rose 1.3 percent in Alaska's only large county, Anchorage Municipality, from December 2023 to December 2024, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reported today. Regional Commissioner Chris Rosenlund noted that the rate of employment growth in An  more

SAN FRANCISCO, California, June 17 (TNSLrpt) -- The U.S. Department of Labor Bureau of Labor Statistics - Western Regional Information Office issued the following report: * * * County Employment and Wages in Arizona-- Fourth Quarter 2024 * Employment rose in 1 of the 2 largest counties in Arizona from December 2023 to December 2024, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reported today. Regional Commissioner Chris Rosenlund noted that Maricopa County had an over-the-year increase in employment   more

SAN FRANCISCO, California, June 17 (TNSLrpt) -- The U.S. Department of Labor Bureau of Labor Statistics - Western Regional Information Office issued the following report: * * * County Employment and Wages in Oregon - Fourth Quarter 2024 * Employment rose in 2 of the 7 largest counties in Oregon from December 2023 to December 2024, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reported today. Regional Commissioner Chris Rosenlund noted that Deschutes County had the largest over-the-year increase in emp  more

WASHINGTON, June 18 -- Rep. Jared Golden, D-Maine, issued the following news release: * * * Golden calls for renewed investment in American shipyards at Boston Ship Repair * BOSTON -- Congressman Jared Golden (ME-02) joined other members of Congress and the International Association of Machinists (IAM) Tuesday at Boston Ship Repair to call for the revitalization of America's shipbuilding industry. Golden, a member of the House Armed Services Committee (HASC) was joined by fellow committee   more

WASHINGTON, June 18 -- Sen. Ben Ray Lujan, D-New Mexico, issued the following news release: * * * Heinrich, Lujan, Senate Democrats Demand Trump Withdraw Military Forces from Los Angeles * WASHINGTON - U.S. Senators Martin Heinrich (D-N.M.) and Ben Ray Lujan (D-N.M.) joined U.S. Senator Alex Padilla (D-Calif.) and the entire Senate Democratic Caucus in demanding that President Trump immediately withdraw all military forces from Los Angeles and cease threats to deploy the National Guard or ac  more

WASHINGTON, June 18 -- Sen. Ben Ray Lujan, D-New Mexico, issued the following news release: * * * Heinrich, Lujan, Senate Democrats Press Trump Administration to Resume Processing DACA Applications * WASHINGTON -- U.S. Senators Martin Heinrich (D-N.M.) and Ben Ray Lujan (D-N.M.) joined U.S. Senator Dick Durbin (D-Ill.) to urge the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) to resume processing applications for the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program, following a Fift  more

AUGUSTA, Maine, June 19 -- The Maine House Democrats issued the following news release on June 18, 2025: * * * House Democrats give final approval to Matlack bill to cut taxes for middle-class Maine families AUGUSTA - House Democrats voted Friday to give final approval to a bill sponsored by Rep. Ann Matlack, D-St. George, that would restructure Maine's tax brackets to give middle-class Mainers a tax cut while ensuring the wealthy pay more of their fair share. The vote was 76-71. "Working c  more

WASHINGTON, June 18 -- Sen. John Kennedy, R-Louisiana, issued the following news release: * * * Kennedy backs McCormick, Fetterman resolution to condemn antisemitic violence * WASHINGTON - Sen. John Kennedy (R-La.), a member of the Senate Judiciary Committee, today joined Sens. Dave McCormick (R-Pa.), John Fetterman (D-Pa.) and 33 bipartisan colleagues in introducing a resolution condemning the trend of political violence against Jewish people. "Attacking innocent people for their faith is  more

WASHINGTON, June 18 -- Sen. Angus S. King Jr., I-Maine, issued the following news release: * * * King Blasts Defense Secretary for Presenting Incomplete FY26 Pentagon Budget * WASHINGTON, D.C. -- Today, in a hearing of the Senate Armed Services Committee (SASC), U.S. Senator Angus King (I-ME) blasted the Department of Defense (DoD) for not presenting the committee with a full year 2026 fiscal budget that fully reflects the department's funding priorities and needs. In an unprecedented move,   more

WASHINGTON, June 18 -- Sen. Angus S. King Jr., I-Maine, issued the following news release: * * * King Highlights Administration Hypocrisy: Slashing IRS Funding Will Balloon Federal Deficit * WASHINGTON, D.C. -- U.S. Senator Angus King (I-ME) is joining efforts to highlight the hypocrisy of White House policy slashing funding for the Internal Revenue Service (IRS), resulting in diminished enforcement for "wealthy tax cheats." In a letter to IRS Commissioner Billy Long, King and his colleagues  more

WASHINGTON, June 18 -- The Maine Public Utilities Commission has granted a request by United States Cellular Corp., Chicago, Illinois, to waive a rule requiring 9-months advance notice for relinquishing its Eligible Telecommunications Carrier designation (Docket No. 2025-00067). This decision paves the way for United States Cellular Corp. to transition its services as its acquisition by T-Mobile US Inc., Bellevue, progresses. USCC informed the Commission on February 21, 2025, of its intent to r  more

WASHINGTON, June 18 -- The Maine Public Utilities Commission has authorized the Maine Water Co., Saco, to issue an unsecured note for up to $25,000,000 (Docket No. 2025-00155). The note, to be issued through CoBank, ACB, will carry an interest rate not exceeding 7.25 percent net of patronage and have a term of up to 31 years. The utility company plans to use the proceeds from this issuance to pay down an existing line of credit from its parent company, Connecticut Water Service Company. Funds w  more

WASHINGTON, June 18 -- The Maine Public Utilities Commission has authorized Rippleffect Inc., Rockville, Maryland, to provide water taxi and charter services within Casco Bay (Docket No. 2025-00144). The approval, issued on June 17, 2025, allows the company to operate its vessels, opportunity, vision and venture, for these purposes. Rippleffect, Inc., submitted its application on May 6, 2025, seeking permission for water taxi, unscheduled freight, and charter services. The Commission provided p  more

WASHINGTON, June 18 -- The Maine Public Utilities Commission has approved an amended Support Services Agreement between Summit Natural Gas of Maine Inc., Augusta, and its affiliate, Peaks Renewables Inc., Vancouver, Canada (Docket No. 2019-00306). This allows Summit to provide operational and emergency response services to Peaks, ensuring the continued supply of renewable natural gas. The original SSA, approved in January 2020, permitted Summit to offer support services to Peaks primarily durin  more

WASHINGTON, June 19 -- The Maine Department of Marine Resources has submitted comments to the U.S. Department of the Interior Fish and Wildlife Service regarding its proposed rule, along with the the U.S. Department of Commerce National Marine Fisheries Service, to rescind the definition of 'harm' in Endangered Species Act regulations. Signed by Commissioner Carl Wilson, Maine Department of Marine Resources fears adverse implications, particularly for commercial and recreational fisheries. The   more

WASHINGTON, June 18 (TNSLrpt) -- The Congressional Research Service issued the following In Focus white paper (No. IF12010) on June 17, 2025. The white paper is written by natural resources policy specialist Laura B. Comay, energy policy specialist Corrie E. Clark and public finance specialist Donald J. Marples: * * * Offshore Wind: Status and Issues for the 119th Congress The Outer Continental Shelf Lands Act, as amended (OCSLA; 43 U.S.C. 1337(p)), authorizes the Secretary of the Interior   more

WASHINGTON, June 18 -- Rep. Chellie Pingree, D-Maine, issued the following news release: * * * Pingree Leads Bipartisan Push to Save Buoys Essential to Maritime Safety * Today, Maine First District Congresswoman Chellie Pingree led a bipartisan group of her colleagues in calling on the U.S. Coast Guard (USCG) to preserve critical navigational buoys along the Northeast coast. In a letter to Admiral Kevin E. Lunday, Acting Commandant of the Coast Guard, the lawmakers warned that removing the b  more

WASHINGTON, June 17 -- Sen. Susan M. Collins, R-Maine, issued the following news release: * * * Senator Collins Announces More Than $1.3 Million for AmeriCorps Seniors Programs in Maine * Washington, D.C. -- U.S. Senator Susan Collins, Chair of the Senate Appropriations Committee, announced that three organizations in Maine will receive a total of $1,373,395 through the Fiscal Year 2025 AmeriCorps Seniors Foster Grandparent Program (FGP) and the Senior Companion Program (SCP). The funding wi  more