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 -- American Bird Conservancy, an organization dedicated to conserving birds and their habitats across the Americas, has submitted a public comment letter to the U.S. Department of Agriculture urging the agency to maintain the Roadless Area Conservation Rule of 2001. The rule, which has been instrumental in preserving wildlife habitats for the past 25 years, is currently facing a proposed rescission that the organization believes would have detrimental effects on numerous spe  more

WASHINGTON, Sept. 25 -- Rep. Yassamin Ansari, D-Arizona, issued the following news release: * * * Ansari Calls on Speaker Johnson to Swear in Adelita Grijalva * WASHINGTON - Today, Representative Yassamin Ansari (AZ-03) sent a letter to House Speaker Mike Johnson urging his swift action in swearing in Representative-elect Adelita Grijalva (AZ-07) to the U.S. House of Representatives. "Adelita is the fighter Arizona's Seventh District needs right now-and unofficial results have her winning   more

PHOENIX, Arizona, Sept. 26 -- The Arizona Board of Regents issued the following news release on Sept. 25, 2025: * * * Athletes from Arizona's public universities step up to boost FAFSA awareness ABOR teams up with ASU Sun Devils, NAU Lumberjacks and U of A Wildcats to push FAFSA forward. * The Arizona Board of Regents is teaming up with the athletic departments at Arizona State University, Northern Arizona University and the University of Arizona to launch a new campaign aimed at helping m  more

WASHINGTON, Sept. 25 -- Rep. Juan Ciscomani, R-Arizona, issued the following news release: * * * Ciscomani Joins Bipartisan Bill to Support Law Enforcement & Crack Down on Identity Theft * WASHINGTON -- Rep. Juan Ciscomani (AZ-06) joined Rep. Kristen McDonald Rivet (MI-08) in introducing the bipartisan Protect Your PIN Act. This bill will protect Americans from identity theft by enabling local law enforcement agencies to use federal resources to combat these crimes. "As a member of the Law  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. 25 -- The Environmental Protection Agency issued the following news release: * * * EPA Protects the Little Colorado River from Impacts of Abandoned Uranium Mines, Announces Removal Action to Advance Cleanup of Contamination * Today, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) announced a removal action decision that will protect the Little Colorado River from uranium contamination by safely moving mine waste from two abandoned uranium mines and a portion of a third into an o  more

WASHINGTON, Sept. 26 -- Freeport-McMoRan Inc., a copper producer based in Phoenix, Arizona, has submitted a public comment letter to the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) advocating for the inclusion of copper on the agency's 2025 Draft List of Critical Minerals. This request aligns with the ongoing discussion about critical mineral designation, which is pivotal for supporting U.S. economic security and national defense. In its correspondence, Freeport highlighted the essential role copper plays in  more

WASHINGTON, Sept. 25 -- Sen. Ruben Gallego, D-Arizona, issued the following news release: * * * Gallego Talks Lowering Costs for Everyday Americans in Tucson * TUCSON - Yesterday, Senator Ruben Gallego (D-AZ) visited Southern Arizona to hear from students, community leaders, and local officials and discuss federal solutions to lower the cost of living, fix the housing crisis, and expand broadband internet access. Senator Gallego began his visit with a tour of the University of Arizona's re  more

WASHINGTON, Sept. 25 -- Sen. Ruben Gallego, D-Arizona, issued the following news release: * * * Gallego, Moran, Warner, Scott Reintroduce Bipartisan Legislation to Bolster American Entrepreneurship * WASHINGTON - Senators Ruben Gallego (D-AZ), Jerry Moran (R-KS), Mark Warner (D-VA), and Tim Scott (R-SC) reintroduced the bipartisan Expanding American Entrepreneurship Act, which would increase the permitted size of angel funds to allow for a higher number of investors in start-up companies. By  more

WASHINGTON, Sept. 25 -- Sen. Ruben Gallego, D-Arizona, issued the following news release: * * * Gallego, Peters, Slotkin Lead Colleagues to Demand Answers on Closure of Tom Homan Bribery Investigation * WASHINGTON - Senators Ruben Gallego (D-AZ), Gary Peters (D-MI), and Elissa Slotkin (D-MI) led their colleagues in the Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee in demanding answers from Attorney General Pam Bondi on why Trump administration officials closed a bribery investigation   more

WASHINGTON, Sept. 25 -- Sen. Mark Kelly, D-Arizona, issued the following news release: * * * Kelly, Blumenthal, Coons Meet with Zelenskyy Following His Address to the UN General Assembly * Senators Mark Kelly (D-AZ), Richard Blumenthal (D-CT), and Chris Coons (D-DE) met with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy yesterday following his address to the United Nations General Assembly in New York. The meeting was joined by Representatives Joe Wilson (R-SC-2), Young Kim (R-CA-40), and Gregory   more

LIVERMORE, California, Sept. 26 (TNSjou) -- The U.S. Department of Energy Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory issued the following news: * * * LLNL research rewrites a chapter of the Moon's early history When Apollo 17 astronauts collected a small rock from the Moon more than 50 years ago, they had no way of knowing it would still be challenging scientists' understanding of lunar history today. The fragment, known as sample 76535, formed nearly 50 kilometers underground but shows almost n  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. Maria Cantwell, D-Washington, issued the following news release: * * * NEW REPORT: ACA Marketplace Plan Customers in 29 States Face a Health Insurance Premium Hike of 20% or More in 2026 * 09.25.25 Cantwell tells Trump, Congressional leaders in a letter: "Unless Congress acts within the next few weeks, millions of Americans will collectively pay an estimated $23b more next year just to maintain the same level of coverage they currently rely on."; Case study: In  more

WASHINGTON, Sept. 25 -- Rep. Jimmy Panetta, D-California, issued the following news release: * * * Rep. Panetta Again Visits Southern Border with Bipartisan Delegation * Monterey, CA - United States Representative Jimmy Panetta (CA-19) joined a bipartisan delegation of Members of Congress to visit the U.S.-Mexico border in Arizona as part of his work as Co-Chair of the Problem Solvers Caucus Immigration & Border Security Working Group. This visit marks Rep. Panetta's eighth trip to an immigr  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 -- Rep. Greg Stanton, D-Arizona, issued the following news release: * * * Stanton, Pallone Call on Trump to Fire DHS Secretary Kristi Noem, FEMA Head Following Blockbuster GAO Report on Mismanagement * WASHINGTON, D.C. - Congressman Greg Stanton (D-AZ), Ranking Member of the Transportation and Infrastructure Subcommittee on Economic Development, Public Buildings and Emergency Management, and Congressman Frank Pallone, Jr. (D-NJ), Ranking Member of the House Energy and Co  more

PHOENIX, Arizona, Sept. 26 -- The Arizona House Republicans issued the following news release on Sept. 25, 2025: * * * Tolleson Union High School District Refuses Lawmakers' Request for Financial Transaction Records, Blocking Transparency For the first time, a public school district is refusing the Arizona Legislature's request for access to basic financial records. After a July 21 Joint Legislative Audit Committee (JLAC) hearing on district finances, Co-Chairman Matt Gress requested two yea  more