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. 25 -- The Equal Employment Opportunity Commission issued the following news release: * * * Boart Longyear to Pay $177,500 for EEOC Race Discrimination Charge * Mining company conciliates allegations of racial harassment of black employee ELKO, Nev. - Drilling services provider Boart Longyear Company (US) agreed to provide $177,500 to a former employee following an investigation by the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC), the federal agency announced today.  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

WASHINGTON, Sept. 26 -- Sen. Ron Wyden, D-Oregon, ranking member of the Senate Finance Committee, issued the following news release on Sept. 25, 2025: * * * Continuing Epstein Investigation, Wyden Probes Major JPMorgan Chase Compliance Failures New Reporting Indicates JPMorgan Chase Executives Turned a Blind Eye to Epstein's Conduct; Wyden Asks What Bank Executives Knew and When They Knew It -- And Why JPMorgan Chase Covered Up Epstein's Suspicious Transactions For Six Years After Firing Him   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 -- The Housing Authority of Lincoln County (Oregon) has submitted a public comment letter to the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development urging a reassessment of the Fair Market Rents (FMR) set for the Housing Choice Voucher program and related initiatives for the fiscal year 2026. The letter highlights a pressing concern regarding rising rental rates in Lincoln County, Oregon, and argues that the proposed FMRs do not adequately reflect the local housing market's re  more

WASHINGTON, Sept. 25 -- Sen. Edward J. Markey, D-Massachusetts, issued the following news release: * * * Markey, Warren, Merkley, Van Hollen Press Rubio to Protect Gaza Flotilla Carrying U.S. Citizens * Letter Text (PDF) Boston (September 25, 2025) - Senators Edward J. Markey (D-Mass.), Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.), Chris Van Hollen (D-Md.), and Jeff Merkley (D-Ore.) wrote to Secretary of State Marco Rubio urging him to intervene with the Netanyahu government to protect the safety of the civ  more

WASHINGTON, Sept. 25 -- Sen. Jeff Merkley, D-Oregon, issued the following news release: * * * Markey, Warren, Merkley, Van Hollen Press Rubio to Protect Gaza Flotilla Carrying U.S. Citizens * Letter Text (PDF) Boston (September 25, 2025) - Senators Edward J. Markey (D-Mass.), Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.), Chris Van Hollen (D-Md.), and Jeff Merkley (D-Ore.) wrote to Secretary of State Marco Rubio urging him to intervene with the Netanyahu government to protect the safety of the civilian membe  more

WASHINGTON, Sept. 26 -- Sen. Jeff Merkley, D-Oregon, ranking member of the Senate Budget Committee, issued the following news release: * * * Merkley Statement on OMB's Threat to Fire Public Servants if Republicans Shut Down the Government U.S. Senator Jeff Merkley (D-OR), Ranking Member of the Senate Budget Committee, released the below statement following release of the memo from the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) detailing mass layoffs as Republicans continue on a path toward shuttin  more

WASHINGTON, Sept. 24 -- Sen. Ron Wyden, D-Oregon, issued the following news release: * * * Merkley, Wyden Announce Over $18 Million Invested into Oregon Airports * Washington, D.C. - Oregon's U.S. Senators Jeff Merkley and Ron Wyden today announced that the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) is investing $18,352,590 into airports throughout Oregon through the Airport Improvement Program (AIP). "Our regional airports are vital hubs for Oregonians, supporting local businesses and providin  more

WASHINGTON, Sept. 25 -- Sen. Jeff Merkley, D-Oregon, issued the following news release: * * * Merkley, Wyden Join Colleagues to Champion Expanding Head Start for Working Families * Washington, D.C. - As the Trump Administration continues to attack and undermine Head Start, Oregon's U.S. Senators Jeff Merkley and Ron Wyden announced today they joined their Senate colleagues to introduce the Head Start for America's Children Act. This sweeping legislation would expand Head Start to ensure that  more

WASHINGTON, Sept. 25 -- The Oregon Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ) has submitted a public comment letter to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) regarding its recent partial disapproval of Colorado's air quality plan, known as the State Implementation Plan (SIP). The agency's announcement, issued on September 15, 2025, raised concerns about Colorado's regulatory strategy to address regional haze and source closures within its jurisdiction. The EPA's disapproval pertains to C  more

WASHINGTON, Sept. 25 -- Erica M. LaFata, a research scientist at Oregon Research Institute submitted a public comment letter to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) regarding their request for information on ultra-processed foods. The writer, affiliated with Oregon Research Institute, urged the agencies to adopt the NOVA classification system as the foundation for a federal definition, citing its scientific rigor and policy readiness. The writer   more

WASHINGTON, Sept. 24 -- The Small Business Administration posted the following news release: * * * Owner of Local Restaurant Pleads Guilty to Laundering COVID Funds * Click Here to Sign Up for SBA OIG Email Updates on Recent Investigative Cases, Audit Oversight Reports, and General News Link is external Click Here to View the Original U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) Press Release Link is external Bryan Ochoa Diaz, 32, a resident of Tigard, Oregon, pleaded guilty today to money launderin  more

WASHINGTON, Sept. 25 -- The Pacific Northwest Economic Region (PNWER) has submitted a public comment letter to the U.S. Geological Survey advocating for the inclusion of potash on the list of critical minerals. This recommendation underscores the importance of potash to the agricultural economy of both the U.S. and Canada, highlighting its role in food production and national security. PNWER represents a coalition of five U.S. states-Alaska, Idaho, Oregon, Montana, and Washington-and five Canad  more

WASHINGTON, Sept. 24 -- Sen. Alex Padilla, D-California, issued the following news release: * * * Padilla, Sheehy Announce Bipartisan Bill to Improve Forest Conservation, Reduce Wildfire Risk * WASHINGTON, D.C. -- Today, U.S. Senators Alex Padilla (D-Calif.) and Tim Sheehy (R-Mont.), co-chairs of the bipartisan Senate Wildfire Caucus, announced bipartisan legislation to help permanently conserve forestlands and mitigate increasing wildfire risks. Representatives John Garamendi (D-Calif.-08)   more

WASHINGTON, Sept. 24 -- Rep. Andrea Salinas, D-Oregon, issued the following news release: * * * Rep. Andrea Salinas' Statement on Release of Oregon Firefighter from ICE Facility * Tigard, OR - Today, U.S. Congresswoman Andrea Salinas (OR-06) released the following statement following the release of an Oregon firefighter from Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) custody. "I am relieved that my constituent, Mr. Rigoberto Hernandez, was released from Immigration and Customs Enforcement (  more

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

WASHINGTON, Sept. 25 -- Sen. Ron Wyden, D-Oregon, issued the following news release: * * * Wyden Joins Legislation to Protect Education Programs for Students with Disabilities * Washington, D.C. - U.S. Senator Ron Wyden said today that he has joined legislation to ensure the continuation of special education programs for students with disabilities, following the Trump administration's draconian cuts to the U.S. Department of Education. "Every kid in America deserves equal education opportu  more

WASHINGTON, Sept. 24 -- Sen. Jeff Merkley, D-Oregon, issued the following news release: * * * Wyden, Merkley Call on Trump Administration to Back Off Plan to Gut Vehicle Emissions Standards * Current greenhouse gas emission standards set to be eliminated by Trump administration are projected to prevent 25,000 premature deaths and save drivers $6,000 over the next five years Washington, D.C. - U.S. Senators Ron Wyden and Jeff Merkley today said that they are joining nine of their Senate col  more

WASHINGTON, Sept. 24 -- Sen. Ron Wyden, D-Oregon, issued the following news release: * * * Wyden, Merkley Call on Trump Administration to Back Off Plan to Gut Vehicle Emissions Standards * Current greenhouse gas emission standards set to be eliminated by Trump administration are projected to prevent 25,000 premature deaths and save drivers $6,000 over the next five years Washington, D.C. - U.S. Senators Ron Wyden and Jeff Merkley today said that they are joining nine of their Senate collea  more