WASHINGTON, Sept. 7 -- A coalition of seven civil rights and education-advocacy organizations has submitted a public comment letter to the U.S. Department of Education expressing concerns about the proposed priorities and definitions for advancing artificial intelligence (AI) in education. They argue that the current proposal emphasizes rapid AI implementation while neglecting essential legal, ethical, and equity considerations vital for responsible adoption within educational settings. The org  more

WASHINGTON, Sept. 7 -- A coalition of 77 economic justice, workers' rights, and gender equity organizations sent a public comment letter to the U.S. Department of Labor (DOL) expressing their strong opposition to proposed rule changes regarding equal employment opportunity (EEO) regulations affecting registered apprenticeship programs. The proposed rule, titled "Prohibiting Illegal Discrimination in Registered Apprenticeship Programs," aims to amend existing regulations that have been establis  more

WASHINGTON, Sept. 8 -- The American Association of Nurse Practitioners, Austin, Texas, has submitted a public comment letter to the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs expressing grave concerns regarding a proposed rule that could restrict access to reproductive health services for veterans. The organization, representing over 431,000 nurse practitioners across the nation, argues that the proposed physician certification requirement may hinder timely care for patients. The AANP emphasizes the b  more

WASHINGTON, Sept. 7 -- The American Civil Rights Project, Dallas, Texas, has submitted a public comment letter to the U.S. Department of Labor in support of proposed rule changes aimed at rescinding outdated regulations for federal contractors under the Office of Federal Contract Compliance Programs (OFCCP). The ACR Project's comments highlight essential steps towards realizing the constitutional promise of equality as outlined in President Trump's Equality Order issued in January 2025. In its   more

WASHINGTON, Sept. 7 -- The Communications Workers of America has issued a public comment letter to the U.S. Department of Labor expressing strong opposition to a proposed rule that aims to remove the mandate for states to employ merit-based staff in providing Wagner-Peyser Employment Service programs. This proposed shift in policy has raised alarms among the CWA, which represents over a hundred thousand public sector employees across industries such as telecommunications, customer service, media  more

WASHINGTON, Sept. 5 -- Sen. John Cornyn, R-Texas, issued the following news: * * * Cornyn Pushes to Rescind Biden Rule Promoting Abortion On-Demand at VA Facilities * WASHINGTON - U.S. Senator John Cornyn (R-TX) sent a letter with a group of his congressional colleagues to U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs Secretary Doug Collins urging him to rescind an unconstitutional Biden-era rule promoting abortion services at VA facilities: The Senators and Representatives wrote: "VA facilities shou  more

WASHINGTON, Sept. 6 -- The Federal Election Commission issued the following weekly digest: * * * Commission meetings and hearings The Commission voted to cancel the executive session scheduled for September 3 and the open meeting scheduled for September 4. * * * Litigation National Republican Senatorial Committee, et al. v. FEC, et al. (Case No. 24-621) Last week, Briefs of Amicus Curiae were filed in the U.S. Supreme Court by the following: Georgia Republican Party, Inc., Alabama Republic  more

WASHINGTON, Sept. 6 (TNSFR) -- Phillips 66 Co., Houston, Texas, has submitted an application to the U.S. Department of Commerce Foreign-Trade Zones Board requesting production authority within Subzone 3E in Rodeo, California. The request involves using foreign status feedstock in the production of renewable fuels. This application is part of a larger review of the company's subzone operation by the Board. The company made a submission to the Board on September 2, 2025. The filing provides suppo  more

WASHINGTON, Sept. 6 (TNSFR) -- The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Health Resources and Services Administration will provide $1,637,500 in supplemental award funds to 25 recipients of the Sickle Cell Disease Newborn Screening Follow-Up Program. Each of the 25 organizations will receive $65,500 in fiscal year 2025. This funding is an extension of the program and will support activities that are in line with its original goals and objectives. The funding will assist in strengthening   more

WASHINGTON, Sept. 6 (TNSFR) -- U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Health Resources and Services Administration has published a notice concerning petitions received under the National Vaccine Injury Compensation Program. The Program offers a system of compensation for individuals who have been injured by specific childhood vaccines. Individuals who seek compensation must file a petition with the United States Court of Federal Claims and provide a copy to the Secretary of HHS, who deleg  more

WASHINGTON, Sept. 5 -- Sen. Martin Heinrich, D-New Mexico, issued the following news release: * * * Heinrich, Lujan Call Out Trump Administration's Wrongful Targeting of DACA Recipients * WASHINGTON -- U.S. Senators Martin Heinrich (D-N.M.) and Ben Ray Lujan (D-N.M.) joined 39 Senate Democrats to press U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Secretary Kristi Noem on the Trump Administration's wrongful targeting of Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) recipients in its cruel mass   more

WASHINGTON, Sept. 6 -- Sen. Ben Ray Lujan, D-New Mexico, issued the following news release: * * * Heinrich, Lujan Call Out Trump Administration's Wrongful Targeting of DACA Recipients * WASHINGTON -- U.S. Senators Martin Heinrich (D-N.M.) and Ben Ray Lujan (D-N.M.) joined 39 Senate Democrats to press U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Secretary Kristi Noem on the Trump Administration's wrongful targeting of Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) recipients in its cruel mass de  more

WASHINGTON, Sept. 7 -- Sen. Ben Ray Lujan, D-New Mexico, issued the following news release: * * * Heinrich, Lujan Call Out Trump Administration's Wrongful Targeting of DACA Recipients * WASHINGTON -- U.S. Senators Martin Heinrich (D-N.M.) and Ben Ray Lujan (D-N.M.) joined 39 Senate Democrats to press U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Secretary Kristi Noem on the Trump Administration's wrongful targeting of Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) recipients in its cruel mass de  more

WASHINGTON, Sept. 7 -- MCR Oil Tools, Arlington, Texas, has submitted a public comment letter to the U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) advocating for reforms in the classification of thermite technologies under the Hazardous Materials Transportation Act (HMTA). The Arlington, Texas-based small business, which has been manufacturing Radial Cutting Torches (RCTs) for over forty years, aims to highlight the detrimental impact of recent regulatory changes on innovation and energy production in  more

WASHINGTON, Sept. 7 -- The National Infusion Center Association, Austin, Texas, has submitted a public comment letter to the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) expressing NICA's concerns regarding proposed changes to Medicare's payment and coverage policies that could impact the affordability and accessibility of necessary medications for patients with complex conditions. In its letter, NICA addressed the proposed conversion factor updates under the Medicare Access and CHIP Reauth  more

WASHINGTON, Sept. 7 (TNSFR) -- The U.S. Department of the Interior National Park Service is reviewing 13 properties that have been nominated for listing in the National Register of Historic Places. The National Register of Historic Places is a list of districts, sites, buildings, structures and objects that have been deemed worthy of preservation for their historical relevance. Nominations from eight states are under consideration, with properties located in Illinois, New Mexico, Ohio, Oklahom  more

WASHINGTON, Sept. 7 (TNSFR) -- The U.S. Department of the Interior National Park Service is reviewing 30 properties that have been nominated for listing or related actions in the National Register of Historic Places. The National Register is the nation's list of cultural resources considered worthy of preservation. Its purpose is to recognize properties for their historical relevance, to provide recognition of their importance to the country's heritage and to encourage their preservation. Nomin  more

WASHINGTON, Sept. 7 (TNSLrpt) -- The Congressional Research Service issued the following report (No. R46234) on July 16, 2025, entitled "School Meals and Other Child Nutrition Programs - Background and Funding:" (Continued from part 3 of 4) * * * Summer Food The SFSP and the Seamless Summer Option (SSO) provide federal reimbursements for summer meals./170 SFSP is open to school food authorities, local public agencies, and private nonprofit organizations, while SSO is specifically for school   more

WASHINGTON, Sept. 7 -- SEIU Local 668, a public sector labor union based in Pennsylvania, has issued a public comment letter to the U.S. Department of Labor expressing strong opposition to a proposed rule that would eliminate the requirement for states to use merit-based staff in delivering Wagner-Peyser employment services. The union represents workers who provide essential employment services across the state, including at the 62 PA CareerLink centers. In the letter, the labor organization ar  more

WASHINGTON, Sept. 7 (TNSLrpt) -- The Congressional Research Service issued the following report (No. RL33487) on Sept. 5, 2025, entitled "Syria - Transition and U.S. Policy:" (Continued from Part 1 of 3) * * * Syria and the United Nations Security Council In 2025, the UN Security Council has called for "an inclusive, Syrian-led and Syrian-owned political process facilitated by the United Nations and based on key principles" in Security Council Resolution 2254 (2015)./46 These include "commit  more

WASHINGTON, Sept. 7 -- The Texas Association for Home Care and Hospice, Austin, has submitted a public comment letter to the U.S. Department of Labor regarding the application of the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA) to domestic service. Representing over 1,200 licensed home and community support services agencies across Texas, TAHC&H emphasizes the critical importance of revisiting the 1975 interpretation of companionship and live-in exemptions. Currently, home health and personal care aides are  more

WASHINGTON, Sept. 8 -- The Texas Bankers Association, St, Austin, has filed a public comment letter with the U.S. Department of the Treasury and other regulatory agencies, urging a comprehensive approach to address the rising threat of payment fraud in the financial sector. The association, which represents nearly 400 banks across Texas, highlights the urgency for modernized rules and better inter-agency coordination to combat increasingly sophisticated fraud techniques. In its communication, T  more