WASHINGTON, Sept. 23 -- A coalition of 183 environmental, conservation, and outdoor recreation organizations has submitted a public comment letter to the U.S. Department of Agriculture Forest Service urging the agency to maintain the Roadless Conservation Area Rule. The groups, representing millions of members across the country, express concerns that rescinding the rule could jeopardize nearly 45 million acres of vital national forests, which play a crucial role in the ecological health of the   more

WASHINGTON, Sept. 22 -- A coalition of 254 civil rights, social justice and consumer advocacy organizations has issued a public comment letter to the U.S. Department of Education expressing strong opposition to a proposed rule that threatens the integrity of the Public Service Loan Forgiveness (PSLF) program. The letter, filed in response to a Notice of Proposed Rulemaking published on August 18, critiques the proposed changes as unconstitutional and harmful to borrowers engaged in public servic  more

WASHINGTON, Sept. 23 -- Eight state Attorneys General have voiced their concerns in a public comment letter addressed to the U.S. Department of Agriculture Forest Service regarding its proposal to rescind the 2001 Roadless Area Conservation Rule. This rule has long provided essential environmental protections for nearly 45 million acres of national forest land, restricting road construction and logging activities to safeguard crucial ecosystems. The proposed action by the Forest Service could l  more

ST. PAUL, Minnesota, Sept. 22 -- The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers-St. Paul District issued the following news release: * * * Army Corps of Engineers begins implementing policy to increase America's energy generation efficiency * WASHINGTON -- Assistant Secretary of the Army for Civil Works Adam Telle today directed the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers to weigh whether energy projects that might impact America's navigable waters would actually deliver significant energy, relative to impacts, fo  more

ST. PAUL, Minnesota, Sept. 22 -- The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers-St. Paul District issued the following news release: * * * Corps of Engineers Reopens County Road 33 at Lac qui Parle Emergency Spillway * ST. PAUL, Minn. -- The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, St. Paul District, announced today that County Road 33 over the emergency spillway of the Lac qui Parle Dam has reopened near Watson, Minnesota. The reopening was coordinated with Lac qui Parle and Chippewa counties. The temporary flo  more

WASHINGTON, Sept. 22 -- Rep. Brad Finstad, R-Minnesota, issued the following news release: * * * Finstad Calls on MSU Mankato to Demand Immediate Resignation of Professor Over Repeated Inflammatory Remarks * Washington, D.C. - Today, Rep. Brad Finstad (MN-01), once again called on Minnesota State University, Mankato to demand the immediate resignation of Professor Kevin Parsneau following repeated instances of inflammatory comments that excuse or glorify violence. In a letter to Minnesota   more

WASHINGTON, Sept. 20 (Rep.) -- House Democratic Leader 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.   more

WASHINGTON, Sept. 23 -- The Minnesota Children's Justice Initiative has submitted a public comment letter to the Administration for Children and Families regarding technical assistance related to the Indian Child Welfare Act (ICWA). The initiative, which forms part of the ACF's Court Improvement Program grant, aims to address barriers affecting state courts and child welfare agencies in efficiently implementing ICWA. Among the challenges noted in the letter is the difficulty experienced by bot  more

WASHINGTON, Sept. 23 -- Minnesota Supreme Court Associate Justice Anne McKeig submitted a public comment letter to the Administration for Children and Families (ACF), a division of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), citing barriers to implementing the Indian Child Welfare Act (ICWA) and offering recommendations for improvements. The letter stated that the primary barrier to effective implementation in Minnesota is a lack of adequate funding and the unavailability of cultural  more

ST. PAUL, Minnesota, Sept. 22 -- The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers-St. Paul District issued the following news release: * * * U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Seeks Public Input for Mississippi & Illinois River Habitat Restoration * ROCK ISLAND, Illinois -- The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, in collaboration with state and federal partners, announces the launch of the Mississippi & Illinois River Experience Tool, a new initiative to gather public input to inform future restoration efforts under   more

WASHINGTON, Sept. 21 -- Rep. Kelly Morrison, D-Minnesota, issued the following news release: * * * U.S. Rep. Kelly Morrison Holds Town Hall on Gun Violence Prevention * PLYMOUTH, MN - Today, U.S. Representative Kelly Morrison (MN-03) hosted an in-person town hall specifically focused on gun violence prevention. In the wake of the horrific tragedy at Annunciation Catholic Church in Minneapolis, Rep. Morrison was joined by parents from Annunciation Catholic School, a trauma surgeon who operate  more

WASHINGTON, Sept. 22 -- Sen. Tina Flint Smith, D-Minnesota, issued the following news release: * * * U.S. Senators Amy Klobuchar and Tina Smith Announce Award to Improve Infrastructure in Polk County * WASHINGTON, D.C. - Today, U.S. Senators Amy Klobuchar (D-MN) and Tina Smith (D-MN) announced an award for the city of Crookston to upgrade infrastructure in the city's east side industrial park. The new infrastructure will include a roadway, water, and wastewater lines that will add 73 acres o  more

WASHINGTON, Sept. 22 -- Sen. Tina Flint Smith, D-Minnesota, issued the following news release: * * * U.S. Senators Amy Klobuchar, Tina Smith Announce Grant to Strengthen Workforce in Waseca County * MINNEAPOLIS, MN - Today, U.S. Senators Amy Klobuchar (D-MN) and Tina Smith (D-MN) announced an award for Waseca County to strengthen workforce training and development. The award will be used to develop a new manufacturing workforce training facility in Waseca, Minnesota. The new center will hous  more

WASHINGTON, Sept. 23 -- Christine Delp, a University of Minnesota Sociology Ph.D. Candidate submitted a public comment letter to the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) in opposition to a proposed rule that would limit the period of admission for certain nonimmigrant academic students and exchange visitors. The writer argued that the changes would harm U.S. research, education, and global reputation. According to the writer, the proposed change would eliminate the current Duration of Sta  more