WASHINGTON, Sept. 26 -- Twenty attorneys general and Hawaii Office of Consumer Protection submitted a public comment letter to the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) opposing the agency's proposed rule on the legal standard applicable to supervisory designation proceedings. The letter emphasizes concerns that the proposed changes could severely limit the Bureau's authority to oversee nonbank financial institutions, placing millions of consumers at greater risk of financial harm. The le  more

WASHINGTON, Sept. 26 -- A coalition of 44 state and regional banking associations representing thousands of community banks has submitted a public comment letter to the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System, the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC) and Office of the Comptroller of the Currency (OCC) applauding their efforts to address the growing issue of payments fraud, which has become a pressing challenge for community banks. The ICBA emphasizes that community banks are in  more

WASHINGTON, Sept. 26 -- The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Food and Drug Administration issued the following recall notice: * * * AquaStar (USA) Corp Recalls AquaStar Raw Shrimp Skewers Because of Possible Health Risk Summary Company Announcement Date: September 23, 2025 FDA Publish Date: September 25, 2025 Product Type: Food & Beverages Shellfish Contaminants Reason for Announcement: Potential Foodborne Illness - possible radionuclide (Cesium-137) contamination Company Na  more

WASHINGTON, Sept. 25 -- The Housing Authority of the City of Asheville (Asheville Housing) has submitted a public comment letter to the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) requesting a reevaluation of the 2026 Fair Market Rents (FMRs) for the Asheville HUD Metro FMR Area. This initiative aims to better support very low-income residents in the region amidst significant rental cost increases and insufficient housing availability. In partnership with WNC Source, which administer  more

WASHINGTON, Sept. 25 -- Rep. Chuck Edwards, R-North Carolina, issued the following news release: * * * Congressman Edwards Announces $1.15 Billion in Federal Highway Funding for Hurricane Helene Recovery * Washington, DC \- Congressman Chuck Edwards (NC-11) announced that the U.S. Federal Highway Administration has awarded $1.15 billion to the North Carolina Department of Transportation for Hurricane Helene recovery projects. Between September 26th and 28th, 2024, Hurricane Helene brought   more

WASHINGTON, Sept. 25 -- Rep. Deborah Ross, D-North Carolina, issued the following news release: * * * Congresswoman Ross Statement on Reported NC Redistricting Plans * Raleigh, N.C. -- Congresswoman Deborah Ross (NC-02) released the following statement on reported Republican redistricting plans in the North Carolina General Assembly: "If reports are true, North Carolina Republicans have truly stooped to a new low. Accepting a political endorsement in exchange for engaging in partisan gerry  more

WASHINGTON, Sept. 25 -- The Consortium for Constituents with Disabilities (CCD) has submitted a public comment letter to the Office of Federal Contract Compliance Programs (OFCCP) expressing strong opposition to the proposed rule to amend regulations implementing Section 503 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973. The proposal seeks to remove several key provisions that promote the employment and advancement of individuals with disabilities in federal contracting. The CCD, which represents a coaliti  more

RALEIGH, North Carolina, Sept. 25 -- The North Carolina Department of Environmental Quality issued the following news release: * * * DEQ Division of Water Resources urges caution around discolored water * The N.C. Department of Environmental Quality's Division of Water Resources (Opens in new window) (DWR) reminds the public to avoid contact with discolored water that could indicate the presence of an algal bloom. Certain algae can produce toxins that can lead to adverse health effects in   more

WASHINGTON, Sept. 25 -- The Federal Trade Commission issued the following news release: * * * FTC and 19 States Act to Stop a Deceptive Cancer Charity Fundraising Scheme * The Federal Trade Commission, along with 22 agencies from 19 states, stopped a deceptive charity fundraising scheme and its operators who made false or deceptive claims to U.S. donors. Kars-R-Us.com, Inc. (Kars) and its operators, Michael Irwin and Lisa Frank, solicited charitable donations nationwide on behalf of United  more

WASHINGTON, Sept. 25 -- Rep. Deborah Ross, D-North Carolina, issued the following news release: * * * Moldova Caucus Co-Chairs Ross and Lawler Call For Transparency and Integrity in Upcoming Moldovan Elections * Today, Reps. Deborah Ross (NC-02) and Mike Lawler (NY-17), Co-Chairs of the Moldova Caucus, released the following statement ahead of Moldova's parliamentary elections on September 28th. The lawmakers wrote: "We express our deep concern over continued efforts by Russia to undermine  more

WASHINGTON, Sept. 25 -- The U.S. Department of Justice issued the following news release: * * * More Than Two Million Illicit Vaping Products Seized in Nationwide Sweep * The Justice Department, together with the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA), announced today that recent actions targeting unauthorized flavored e-cigarettes, or vapes, resulted in the seizure of more than 2.1 million illicit vaping products taken from five distributors and six retailers across seven different states.  more

WASHINGTON, Sept. 25 -- Sen. Markwayne Mullin, R-Oklahoma, issued the following news release: * * * Mullin Welcomes Oklahoma State Legislators to The White House, Secures Visit with VP * Washington, D.C. - On Tuesday, U.S. Senator Markwayne Mullin (R-OK) welcomed 83 members of the Oklahoma State Legislature to Washington, D.C. and spoke to them at the White House State Leadership Conference. The Senator worked alongside President Trump and his White House team to orchestrate a day of meanin  more

WASHINGTON, Sept. 25 -- The South Atlantic Fishery Management Council has submitted a public comment letter to the Federal Aviation Administration regarding the proposed expansion of the SpaceX Starship-Super Heavy Project at Florida's Kennedy Space Center Launch Complex 39A. The Council, which oversees fishery resources from the North Carolina/Virginia border to Key West, Florida, emphasized that the planned developments could adversely affect Essential Fish Habitat crucial for numerous fish sp  more

WASHINGTON, Sept. 25 -- University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill Professor of Social Medicine Anne Drapkin Lyerly submitted a public comment letter to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) Office of Pediatric Therapeutics. The writer offered suggested language to enhance the draft guidance on including pregnant and breastfeeding women in clinical trials, arguing that the ethical imperative to address evidence gaps must be more strongly conveyed. The writer stated that ethical concerns   more

WASHINGTON, Sept. 25 -- The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) has submitted a public comment letter to the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) regarding its recent Notice of Receipt for the biofungicide Trichoderma atroviride strain AT10. This strain, proposed for use on rice and turfgrass, shows promise as an effective solution for controlling various fungal pathogens. According to the USDA, Trichoderma atroviride strain AT10 operates through multiple modes of action, such as competing f  more