WASHINGTON, July 8 -- The Ground Water Protection Council, OKlahoma City, Oklahoma, has submitted a public comment letter to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) expressing strong support for Arizona's application to gain primacy for its Underground Injection Control (UIC) Program. The council, representing state agencies administering UIC programs nationally, believes that Arizona is well-equipped to manage the program effectively. In the letter, Dan Yates, Executive Director of GWPC  more

WASHINGTON, July 9 (TNSLrpt) -- The Congressional Research Service issued the following In Focus white paper (No. IF11672) on July 8, 2025, by naval affairs specialist Ronald O'Rourke. Here are excerpts: * * * Coast Guard Waterways Commerce Cutter (WCC) Program: Background and Issues for Congress Introduction The Coast Guard's Waterways Commerce Cutter (WCC) program envisages procuring 30 replacements for the Coast Guard's 35 aging river buoy tenders (WLRs), inland construction tenders (WLI  more

WASHINGTON, July 8 (TNSrpt) -- The U.S. Department of Agriculture issued the following news release: * * * Farm Security is National Security: The Trump Administration Takes Bold Action to Elevate American Agriculture in National Security * (Washington, D.C., July 8, 2025) -- Today, U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Brooke L. Rollins alongside U.S. Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth, U.S. Attorney General Pam Bondi, and U.S. Secretary of Homeland Security Kristi Noem announced the next pillar of   more

ARCADIA, Oklahoma, July 8 -- The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers-Tulsa District issued the following news: * * * From forecasting to floodgates: tabletop exercise emphasizes the importance of preparedness By Stacey Reese, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Tulsa District The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Tulsa District, Emergency Management team held a tabletop exercise near Lake Arcadia in collaboration with local agencies and stakeholders June 25. The exercise, which simulated real-world conditio  more

WASHINGTON, July 8 -- Sen. Markwayne Mullin, R-Oklahoma, issued the following news release: * * * ICYMI: Mullin Highlights Historic Border Security and Air Traffic Control Modernization in 'One, Big, Beautiful Bill' * "This will put us in in the driver's seat again and put us where we need to be." Washington, D.C. - On Tuesday, U.S. Senator Markwayne Mullin (R-OK) joined SiriusXM's Patriot's David Webb on The David Webb Show to unpack the enormous border security wins in President Trump's   more

WASHINGTON, July 8 -- Sen. Markwayne Mullin, R-Oklahoma, issued the following news release: * * * ICYMI: Senator Mullin on Securing America's Borders with the 'One Big, Beautiful Bill'ICYMI: * Washington, D.C. - On Sunday, U.S. Senator Markwayne Mullin (R-OK) joined Fox News' "Sunday Morning Futures" to discuss how the 'One Big, Beautiful Bill' and President Trump are securing America's borders and making the country safe again. Senator Mullin also touted the record retention and recruiting   more

DALLAS, Texas, July 8 (TNSLrpt) -- The U.S. Department of Labor Bureau of Labor Statistics - Southwest Regional Information Office issued the following report: * * * Occupational Employment and Wages in Fort Smith -- May 2024 * Workers in the Fort Smith, AR-OK Metropolitan Statistical Area had an average (mean) hourly wage of $23.42 in May 2024, compared to the nationwide average of $32.66, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reported today. Assistant Commissioner for Regional Operations Mic  more

WASHINGTON, July 9 (TNSLrpt) -- The Congressional Research Service issued the following Legal Sidebar white paper (No. LSB11335) on July 8, 2025, by legislative attorney Andrew S. Coghlan: * * * Supreme Court Clarifies Who Can Hear Challenges to Clean Air Act Actions On June 18, 2025, the Supreme Court decided EPA v. Calumet Shreveport Refining and Oklahoma v. EPA, a pair of cases about Clean Air Act (CAA) Section 307(b)(1), which governs judicial review of the U.S. Environmental Protection A  more

WASHINGTON, July 8 -- Sen. James Lankford, R-Oklahoma, issued the following news release: * * * What They Are Saying: Lankford Delivers Major Victory for Charitable Giving with Key Tax Provision in One Big Beautiful Bill * WASHINGTON, DC -- US Senator James Lankford (R-OK), Chairman of the Senate Values Action Team and a member of the Senate Finance Committee, secured an important policy provision for charitable giving in the One Big Beautiful Bill that passed the Senate and was signed into   more