WASHINGTON, Sept. 20 -- A coalition of 36 public health law academics and practitioners has issued a public comment letter to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) expressing serious concerns regarding irregularities in the preparation for the upcoming Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP) meetings. The group asserts that procedural shortcomings could undermine the integrity of the committee's decision-making process. In their letter, the coalition emphasizes the ne  more

WASHINGTON, Sept. 20 -- A coalition of 64 civil and human rights organizations has submitted a public comment letter to the U.S. Department of Education expressing strong opposition to a Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (NPRM) regarding the William D. Ford Federal Direct Loan Program. Published on August 18, 2025, the NPRM seeks to introduce changes to the Public Service Loan Forgiveness (PSLF) program that the coalition argues could unjustly target organizations based on their viewpoints. The org  more

WASHINGTON, Sept. 20 -- Seventy-three legal services organizations have expressed strong opposition to a proposed rule by the U.S. Department of Education that would impose new restrictions on the Public Service Loan Forgiveness (PSLF) program. This public comment letter, submitted to Secretary Linda McMahon, contends that the changes threaten to undermine the program's foundational goals and jeopardize legal support for low-income individuals. The proposed rule seeks to redefine qualifying emp  more

WASHINGTON, Sept. 20 -- The Council on American-Islamic Relations, New York (CAIR-NY) has submitted a public comment letter to the U.S. Department of Education expressing strong opposition to its proposed amendments regarding the Public Service Loan Forgiveness (PSLF) program. The organization raised significant concerns over a particular provision that disqualifies nonprofit employers engaged in activities deemed to have a "substantial illegal purpose." CAIR-NY argues that this vague standard  more

WASHINGTON, Sept. 20 -- Dance/NYC, a service organization supporting over 6,000 individual dance artists and 1,700 dance entities in the metropolitan area, has submitted a public comment letter to the U.S. Department of Education expressing strong opposition to proposed changes to the Public Service Loan Forgiveness (PSLF) program. The organization highlights the vital role the PSLF plays in the sustainability of nonprofit dance organizations, particularly amid ongoing financial challenges for a  more

WASHINGTON, Sept. 20 -- The Empire State Energy Association Inc. has submitted a public comment letter to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Food and Drug Administration regarding its proposed "Tobacco Product Standard for Nicotine Yield of Cigarettes and Certain Other Combusted Tobacco Products." ESEA, a trade association representing independent energy marketers in New York, expressed strong opposition to the regulations that threaten to heavily impact the state's economy and sup  more

WASHINGTON, Sept. 20 (TNSLrpt) -- The Congressional Research Service issued the following report (No. R48233) on Sept. 16, 2025, entitled "Federal Reserve Board - Current and Historical Membership" by senior research librarian Ben Leubsdorf. Here are excerpts: * * * SUMMARY The Federal Reserve (Fed), the U.S. central bank, is led by a seven-member Board of Governors based in Washington, DC. The President appoints governors for 14-year terms with the advice and consent of the Senate. Governo  more

WASHINGTON, Sept. 20 -- Rep. Hakeem Jeffries, D-New York, issued the following news release: * * * LEADER JEFFRIES: "WE'RE NOT GOING TO LET REPUBLICANS DIVIDE US OR DISTRACT US FROM THE MISSION OF PROTECTING THE HEALTHCARE OF THE AMERICAN PEOPLE" * Today, Democratic Leader Hakeem Jeffries appeared on MSNBC's PoliticsNation where he made clear that House Democrats will continue to fight back against Republican efforts to rip away healthcare from the American people. AL SHARPTON: Here with m  more

ALBANY, New York, Sept. 19 -- The New York State Department of Environmental Conservation issued the following news release: * * * Media Advisory for Saturday, September 20 - DEC to Make Announcement at Historic 25th Annual Fall Festival at Reinstein Woods Nature Preserve * Reinstein Woods Nature Preserve and Environmental Education Center in suburban Buffalo will host its 25 th annual Fall Festival from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Saturday, Sept. 20., with a special announcement happening at 10 a.  more

WASHINGTON, Sept. 20 (TNSLrpt) -- The Congressional Research Service issued the following report (No. R48713) on Sept. 18, 2025, entitled "Mortgage Servicing and Selected Policy Issues:" (Continued from Part 1 of 2) * * * Movement Towards Greater Standardization of Servicing Rules In addition to more formal servicing procedures, consideration has been given to greater harmonization, particularly of federal servicing guidelines and solutions, to reduce confusion among servicers and possibly e  more

WASHINGTON, Sept. 20 -- The New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene has submitted a public comment letter to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Food and Drug Administration regarding the agency's proposed tobacco product standard aimed at regulating nicotine yield in cigarettes and certain other combusted tobacco products. The letter emphasizes the ongoing public health crisis posed by tobacco use, which claims an estimated 12,000 lives annually in New York City alone  more

WASHINGTON, Sept. 20 -- The New Civil Liberties Alliance (NCLA) has submitted a public comment letter to the U.S. Department of Labor's Office of Federal Contract Compliance Programs (OFCCP) advocating for the rescission of regulations implementing Executive Order 11246. This proposed action, outlined in the letter dated September 17, emphasizes that these regulations have long placed burdensome compliance requirements on federal contractors without any statutory basis. NCLA's letter addresses   more

WASHINGTON, Sept. 20 -- The New York Legal Services Coalition (NYLSC), a statewide coalition representing 46 nonprofit civil legal service providers in New York, has submitted a public comment letter to the U.S. Department of Education strongly opposing a proposed rule that could enact significant alterations to the Public Service Loan Forgiveness (PSLF) program. The proposed changes, announced on August 18, 2025, have sparked concerns that they may contradict the program's intended purpose and   more

WASHINGTON, Sept. 20 (TNSLrpt) -- The Congressional Research Service issued the following report (No. R48715) on Sept. 19, 2025, entitled "The Protection of Lawful Commerce in Arms Act: The Supreme Court Recognizes Statutory Immunity for Firearm Companies in Case Brought by the Government of Mexico" by legislative attorney Dave S. Sidhu and firearms policy analyst Jordan B. Cohen: * * * SUMMARY Enacted in 2005, the Protection of Lawful Commerce in Arms Act (PLCAA) generally bars lawsuits in f  more

WASHINGTON, Sept. 20 -- Southern Tier Independence Center Inc. (STIC), a Binghamton, New York-based not-for-profit Center for Independent Living, has issued a public comment letter addressing proposed rule changes by the U.S. Department of Labor that would significantly alter existing regulations under Section 503 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973. STIC, which serves individuals with disabilities across a dozen counties in south-central New York and northeastern Pennsylvania, argues that the cha  more