WASHINGTON, July 31 -- Sixteen State Attorneys General submitted a public comment letter to the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ). The letter addresses the department's interim final rule, "Withdrawing the Attorney General's Delegation of Authority," which pertains to the restoration of firearms rights under 18 U.S.C. Sec. 925(c). The Attorneys General urged the department to consider evidence from states' experiences with firearms rights restoration to inform its actions. They highlighted state  more

FORT BRAGG, North Carolina, July 30 -- The U.S. Army Reserve Command issued the following news: * * * Army Sustainment Command-Army Reserve Element welcomes new leadership * ROCK ISLAND ARSENAL, Ill. - The Army Sustainment Command-Army Reserve Element held a dual ceremony July 12 to welcome its new leadership team and say farewell to its outgoing command team. Col. William Blume Jr. assumed command from Col. Roderick Page in a ceremony hosted by Brig. Gen. Rachel Humphrey, deputy command  more

WASHINGTON, July 29 -- Sen. Mike Crapo, R-Idaho, issued the following news release: * * * Crapo, Warner Lead Bipartisan Push Urging Timely Deployment of Federal Funds to Community Lenders * Washington, D.C.-- U.S. Senators Mike Crapo (R-Idaho) and Mark R. Warner (D-Virginia), co-chairs of the Senate Community Development Finance Caucus, today led a bipartisan group of Senators in a letter to Office of Management and Budget (OMB) Director Russell Vought, urging swift action to disburse congre  more

WASHINGTON, July 29 -- Sen. Tammy Duckworth, D-Illinois, issued the following news release: * * * Duckworth Meets with Illinois Teachers to Discuss Support for Schools as Donald Trump Guts the Department of Education * July 29, 2025 [WASHINGTON, D.C.] - U.S. Senator Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) met with Illinois members of the American Federation of Teachers to discuss how we can better support our state's schools as the Trump Administration works to dismantle the U.S. Department of Education, i  more

WASHINGTON, July 29 -- Sen. Richard J. Durbin, D-Illinois, issued the following news release: * * * Durbin Statement On Senate Confirmation Of Emil Bove To Serve As A Lifetime Circuit Court Judge * July 29, 2025 WASHINGTON - U.S. Senate Democratic Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL), Ranking Member of the Senate Judiciary Committee, today released the following statement after the Senate voted to confirm Emil Bove's nomination to the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit: "Mr. Bove's primary q  more

WASHINGTON, July 31 -- Sen. Richard J. Durbin, D-Illinois, ranking member of the Senate Judiciary Committee, issued the following news release on July 29, 2025: * * * Durbin Statement On Senate Confirmation Of Emil Bove To Serve As Lifetime Circuit Court Judge U.S. Senate Democratic Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL), Ranking Member of the Senate Judiciary Committee, today released the following statement after the Senate voted to confirm Emil Bove's nomination to the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Third  more

WASHINGTON, July 29 -- Sen. Richard J. Durbin, D-Illinois, issued the following news release: * * * Durbin, Warnock Reintroduce John R. Lewis Voting Rights Advancement Act * July 29, 2025 WASHINGTON - U.S. Senate Democratic Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL), Ranking Member of the Senate Judiciary Committee, and U.S. Senator Reverand Raphael Warnock (D-GA), along with U.S. Senators Chuck Schumer (D-NY), Cory Booker (D-NJ), Richard Blumenthal (D-CT), and all other Senate Democrats, today reintroduced   more

WASHINGTON, July 31 -- Sen. Richard J. Durbin, D-Illinois, ranking member of the Senate Judiciary Committee, issued the following news release on July 29, 2025: * * * Durbin, Warnock Reintroduce John R. Lewis Voting Rights Advancement Act U.S. Senate Democratic Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL), Ranking Member of the Senate Judiciary Committee, and U.S. Senator Reverand Raphael Warnock (D-GA), along with U.S. Senators Chuck Schumer (D-NY), Cory Booker (D-NJ), Richard Blumenthal (D-CT), and all other Se  more

WASHINGTON, July 30 -- The Education Law Center (ELC), Newark, New Jersey, submitted a public comment letter to the U.S. Department of Education stating its opposition to proposed supplemental priorities that promote education choice and returning education to the states. The organization argued that these priorities, particularly those expanding private school vouchers, would harm students and families. ELC, a non-profit organization dedicated to justice and equity for public school students,   more

WASHINGTON, July 30 -- The U.S. Department of Defense issued the following news: * * * Fisher House Opens 100th Home to Support Military Families, Veterans * For military families or veterans going through a medical crisis, a new resource in the Chicago area may be able to ease the logistical and financial burden of getting treatment. Yesterday, the Fisher House Foundation officially dedicated its 100th Fisher House, which was built at the James A. Lovell Federal Health Care Center in nort  more

SPRINGFIELD, Illinois, July 31 -- The Illinois Department of Public Health issued the following news on July 30, 2025: * * * IDPH, Brady and the Ad Council Join Forces to Educate Illinoisans About Life-Saving Firearm Restraining Orders Trailblazing Public-Private Partnership Helps Illinoisians "Pause to Heal" in a Moment of Crisis to Reduce Gun Suicides and Other Shootings * CHICAGO, IL (July 30th, 2025) - Today, the Illinois Department of Public Health (IDPH), Brady: United Against Gun Vio  more

CHICAGO, Illinois, July 31 -- The Illinois Department of Healthcare and Family Services issued the following news release on July 30, 2025: * * * HFS to host Illinois State Fair attendees at booth that will highlight 'Innovations for a Healthier Illinois' HFS' booth will highlight innovations in Illinois Medicaid and Child Support programs * SPRINGFIELD - Illinois State Fairgoers are invited to stop by the Department of Healthcare and Family Services' (HFS) 'Innovations for a Healthier Illi  more

SPRINGFIELD, Illinois, July 31 -- The Illinois Department of Human Services issued the following news release on July 30, 2025: * * * Gov. Pritzker and Local Leaders Discuss Impact of Trump's Food Assistance Cuts Trump's budget bill will strip an estimated 360,000 Illinoisans of food assistance through SNAP cuts * EAST ST. LOUIS -- Today, Governor JB Pritzker joined Illinois Department of Human Services (IDHS) Secretary Dulce Quintero, First Assistant Deputy Governor for Health and Human Se  more

CHICAGO, Illinois, July 30 (TNSLrpt) -- The U.S. Department of Labor's Bureau of Labor Statistics - Midwest Regional Information Office issued the following report: * * * Illinois Job Openings and Labor Turnover -- May 2025 * Illinois had 296,000 job openings in May 2025, compared to 277,000 openings in April, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reported today. (See table 1.) Acting Regional Commissioner Julie Wilson noted that the job openings rate in Illinois was 4.6 percent in May and 4.3  more

WASHINGTON, July 29 -- Sen. Richard J. Durbin, D-Illinois, issued the following news release: * * * In Speech On Senate Floor, Durbin Makes His Case Against Nomination Of Emil Bove To Serve Lifetime Position On Federal Bench * July 29, 2025 Ahead of Mr. Bove's confirmation vote, there are now three troubling whistleblower complaints against the nominee WASHINGTON - Today, U.S. Senate Democratic Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL), Ranking Member of the Senate Judiciary Committee, delivered a speech   more

WASHINGTON, July 31 -- Sen. Richard J. Durbin, D-Illinois, ranking member of the Senate Judiciary Committee, issued the following news release on July 29, 2025: * * * In Speech On Senate Floor, Durbin Makes His Case Against Nomination Of Emil Bove To Serve Lifetime Position On Federal Bench Ahead of Mr. Bove's confirmation vote, there are now three troubling whistleblower complaints against the nominee * Today, U.S. Senate Democratic Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL), Ranking Member of the Senate Jud  more

WASHINGTON, July 30 -- The National Anti-Vivisection Society, Chicago, Illinois, a nonprofit advancing non-animal research and ethical alternatives to animal experimentation, submitted a public comment letter to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA). The organization's comment responds to the proposed extension of information collection under the Public Health Service Guideline on Infectious Disease Issues in Xenotransplantation. The organization highlights infectious disease concerns, st  more

WASHINGTON, July 31 (TNSLrpt) -- A report from Ocean Conservancy reveals sobering results: American states average just 1.5 stars out of five in efforts to curb plastic pollution, with 44 of 50 states plus D.C. scoring below 3 stars, indicating widespread need for policy improvements. In its most comprehensive state-level benchmark yet, Ocean Conservancy evaluated over 20 policy factors, including single-use plastic bans, microplastics regulation, extended producer responsibility, bottle deposi  more