WASHINGTON, Oct. 1 -- A coalition of 119 civil rights, labor, economic justice, and consumer advocacy organizations have raised concerns regarding the U.S. Department of Labor's (DOL) recent Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (NPRM) that mandates states to provide sensitive data collected by their unemployment insurance agencies. In a public comment letter, they urged the DOL to withdraw the proposed rule to address critical questions about data usage, privacy protections, and the overall necessity f  more

WASHINGTON, Oct. 2 (TNSFR) -- The U.S. Department of Agriculture Agricultural Marketing Service is issuing a final rule to amend Marketing Order No. 930, which governs the handling of tart cherries grown in Michigan, New York, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Utah, Washington and Wisconsin. This action modifies several administrative aspects of the Cherry Industry Administrative Board to improve its operation and clarify existing regulations. The amendments focus on how the board is structured and adminis  more

WASHINGTON, Oct. 1 -- The American Mathematical Society has submitted a public comment letter to the U.S. Department of Homeland Security to express concerns regarding proposed regulatory changes concerning the admission and extension of stay for international students in academic programs. The advisory group, comprises professional mathematicians from various prestigious institutions, emphasizes that the changes could significantly hinder the ability of nonimmigrant students to pursue their stu  more

WASHINGTON, Sept. 30 -- Rep. Don Bacon, R-Nebraska, issued the following news release: * * * Bacon Issues Statement on Government Shutdown * Washington, D.C. - Rep. Don Bacon (NE-02) issued the following statement after Democrat Leadership failed to pass a clean Continuing Resolution (CR): "Republicans passed a clean, short-term CR with no additional funding except for security for Members of Congress and Federal office holders such as judges. Schumer and Jeffries catered to their far-left  more

WASHINGTON, Oct. 1 -- Rep. Brendan Boyle, D-Pennsylvania, issued the following news release: * * * Boyle Statement on the Trump-Republican Government Shutdown * WASHINGTON, DC - Congressman Brendan F. Boyle (PA-02), Ranking Member of the House Budget Committee, issued the following statement after President Trump and congressional Republicans forced a shutdown of the federal government: "Donald Trump and Republicans would rather shut down the government than help millions of Americans affor  more

WASHINGTON, Oct. 2 -- Rep. Brendan Boyle, D-Pennsylvania, ranking member of the House Budget Committee, issued the following news release: * * * Boyle Statement on the Trump-Republican Government Shutdown Congressman Brendan F. Boyle (PA-02), Ranking Member of the House Budget Committee, issued the following statement after President Trump and congressional Republicans forced a shutdown of the federal government: "Donald Trump and Republicans would rather shut down the government than help   more

MINNEAPOLIS, Minnesota, Oct. 8 -- The Federal Reserve Bank of Minneapolis issued the following analysis: * * * CICD 10th Anniversary and Data Summit * On October 8-9, 2025, leaders from across Indian Country, the Federal Reserve System, and beyond will gather to mark the Center for Indian Country Development's (CICD's) tenth anniversary and first decade of economic research and data work. This special two-day event will feature thought leader reflections on what we've learned from the past d  more

WASHINGTON, Oct. 1 -- Rep. Madeleine Dean, D-Pennsylvania, issued the following news release: * * * Congresswoman Dean's Statement on Republican Government Shutdown * Washington D.C. -- Congresswoman Madeleine Dean (PA-04), member of the Appropriations and Foreign Affairs Committees, released the following statement on today's government shutdown: "Today, Congress failed its fundamental duty to fund our government -- a responsibility enshrined in Article 1 of the Constitution. This failure  more

WASHINGTON, Oct. 1 -- Rep. Chris Deluzio, D-Pennsylvania, issued the following news release: * * * Deluzio Statement on Republican Government Shutdown * WASHINGTON, D.C. -- At midnight tonight (October 1, 2025) the federal government went into a government shutdown. Congressman Chris Deluzio (PA-17) released the following statement. "Republicans have full control in Washington: the White House, the House of Representatives, and the Senate. Their decision to shut down the government is fool  more

WASHINGTON, Oct. 1 -- Scott Saxton, owner of Endless Mountains Hot Air Balloons Inc., Pennsylvania, has submitted a public comment letter to the U.S. Department of Transportation voicing serious concerns regarding the proposed normalization of Unmanned Aircraft Systems Beyond Visual Line of Sight (BVLOS) Operations. The letter highlights key safety implications that could arise if the regulations are enforced as written. In the letter, the commenter emphasizes the risks that the BVLOS proposal   more

WASHINGTON, Oct. 1 -- Christopher A. Galarza, the founder and CEO of Forward Dining Solutions, Verona, Pennsylvania, has submitted a public comment letter to the U.S. Department of Labor / OSHA - Docket Office urging the establishment of clear and enforceable standards for indoor heat exposure in commercial kitchens. Galarza expressed strong support for the agency's proposed rule on Heat Injury and Illness Prevention in Outdoor and Indoor Work Settings. The letter asserts that extreme condition  more

HARRISBURG, Pennsylvania, Oct. 1 -- The Pennsylvania House Republicans posted the following news: * * * Gaydos Applauds House Passage of Landslide Insurance Legislation * HARRISBURG - Rep. Valerie Gaydos (R-Allegheny) announced the approval of House Bill 589, the Protecting Pennsylvanians from Landslides Act, which passed the Pennsylvania House of Representatives on Monday with strong bipartisan support. As the bill's prime co-sponsor, Gaydos has championed this legislation for years to help  more

WASHINGTON, Oct. 1 -- Rep. Glenn Thompson, R-Pennsylvania, issued the following news release: * * * Government Shutdown Resources * As of 12:01 a.m. on October 1, funding for many federal government operations has lapsed. I supported a package passed by the House that would extend current funding until November 21, 2025, but the proposal did not pass the Senate. This means two things: 1. Washington D.C.'s Democrats have decided that $1.5 trillion in new spending is more important than n  more

WASHINGTON, Oct. 2 -- Rep. Glenn Thompson, R-Pennsylvania, chairman of the House Agriculture Committee, issued the following news release: * * * Thompson Slams Democrat Shutdown House Committee on Agriculture Chairman Glenn "GT" Thompson (PA-15) released the following statement after Democrats voted to shut down the government indefinitely: "By voting to shut down the government, Democrats put critical USDA services in jeopardy. These political games harm rural America through disruptions to  more

HARRISBURG, Pennsylvania, Oct. 1 -- The Pennsylvania House Democrats posted the following news release: * * * House clears Solomon data breach bill * Protects people's privacy HARRISBURG, Oct. 1 - The Pennsylvania House of Representatives today passed legislation authored by state Rep. Jared Solomon that would help defend Pennsylvanians' personal information. The bill ( H.B. 997 ) would require companies and other entities that collect personal information electronically to take reasonab  more

HARRISBURG, Pennsylvania, Oct. 1 -- The Pennsylvania House Democrats posted the following news release: * * * House Dems launch bills to strengthen Protection from Abuse Orders * Lawmakers call to protect survivors, increase accountability for repeat PFA violations HARRISBURG, Oct. 1 - State Reps. Nate Davidson, Emily Kinkead and Justin Fleming announced two bills today designed to hold repeat Protection from Abuse Order violators accountable and give courts better tools to protect survivo  more

WASHINGTON, Oct. 1 (TNSFR) -- The International Trade Commission has determined to permanently rescind a limited exclusion order that was issued in an underlying investigation involving rolled-edge rigid plastic food trays. The rescission proceeding is now terminated. ITC instituted the investigation on June 23, 2020, based on a complaint filed by Clearly Clean Products LLC, South Windsor, Connecticut, and Converter Manufacturing LLC, Orwigsburg, Pennsylvania. The complaint alleged violations o  more

WASHINGTON, Sept. 30 -- Rep. Hakeem Jeffries, D-New York, issued the following news release: * * * LEADER JEFFRIES ON THE HOUSE STEPS: "HOUSE DEMOCRATS ARE ON DUTY. HOUSE REPUBLICANS ARE ON VACATION." * Today, Democratic Leader Hakeem Jeffries and House Democrats held a press event to make clear that as opposed to their Republican colleagues, Democrats are in Washington and ready to work to find a bipartisan deal to avoid a government shutdown and save the healthcare of the American people.   more

WASHINGTON, Oct. 1 -- Sen. Bernie Moreno, R-Ohio, issued the following news release: * * * Moreno, Barrasso Ask Bessent to Close IRS Loophole Allowing Continued EV Tax Credits Yesterday, Senator Bernie Moreno (R-Ohio) and Senator John Barrasso, M.D. (R-Wyoming) sent a letter to Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent asking him to close an IRS loophole that is allowing automobile companies to continue taking advantage of EV tax credits, despite the $7,500 credit ending on Tuesday. "It has come to   more

WASHINGTON, Oct. 1 (TNSrpt) -- The U.S. Department of the Interior National Park Service issued the following news release: * * * Tourism to Valley Forge National Historical Park contributes $44.8 million to local economy New report shows visitor spending impacts. * KING OF PRUSSIA, Pa. -- A new National Park Service report shows that 1.9 million visitors to Valley Forge National Historical Park in 2024 spent $28.9 million in communities near the park. That spending had a cumulative benefit  more

HARRISBURG, Pennsylvania, Oct. 1 -- The Pennsylvania House Democrats posted the following news release: * * * Neilson bill to protect consumers' personal information online passes Pa. House * HARRISBURG, Oct. 1 - The Pennsylvania House today passed bipartisan legislation ( H.B. 78 ) authored by state Reps. Ed Neilson, D-Phila., and Stephenie Scialabba, R-Butler, that would ensure consumers have a right to privacy and are informed about how their sensitive information is used online. "Many   more

HARRISBURG, Pennsylvania, Oct. 1 -- The Pennsylvania House Republicans posted the following news: * * * Nelson, Giral Bill to Eliminate Child Care Cliff Advances * HARRISBURG - Legislation authored by Rep. Eric Nelson (R-Westmoreland) and Rep. Jose Giral (D-Philadelphia) to make child care more accessible to working families was approved by the House Monday with strong bipartisan support. "For years, we have worked to implement a commonsense solution that enables lower-income parents to ac  more

WASHINGTON, Oct. 1 -- The National Transportation Safety Board issued the following news release: * * * NTSB Issues Urgent Recommendations on Fire Risk for SEPTA Railcar Fleet * Safety agency urges immediate action to address unacceptable safety risk WASHINGTON (Oct. 1, 2025) -- The National Transportation Safety Board Wednesday urged the Southeastern Pennsylvania Transportation Authority to act immediately to eliminate fire risks in its fleet of Silverliner IV railcars. The NTSB conc  more

HARRISBURG, Pennsylvania, Oct. 2 -- The Pennsylvania Department of Conservation and Natural Resources issued the following news: * * * ICYMI: Shapiro Administration Celebrates Trails Month and the Connections to Nature, Economic Boost Trails Provide to Pennsylvania Pennsylvania boasts 14,000 miles of trails, ranging from easy loops to challenging wild trails. Land and water trails are the backbone of Pennsylvania's $19 billion outdoor recreation industry. Pennsylvania's 124 state parks and  more

HARRISBURG, Pennsylvania, Oct. 2 -- The Pennsylvania Treasurer issued the following news release on Oct. 1, 2025: * * * Treasurer Stacy Garrity Announces Enhancements for INVEST PA Program, New Manager Federated Hermes, Inc. New management partnership will enhance benefits for INVEST PA participants * Pennsylvania Treasurer Stacy Garrity announced today that Treasury's INVEST PA program, formerly called INVEST, will see significant positive changes for program participants thanks to the pr  more

WASHINGTON, Oct. 1 -- Jeanette Ramer, Chief of Developmental Pediatrics at Penn State Hershey Children's Hospital submitted a public comment letter to the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) supporting the creation of a HCPCS Level II code to reimburse FDA-cleared diagnostic tools for autism spectrum disorder (ASD). The specialist's letter states that creating a unique code for technologies like EarliPoint would improve access to early services and reduce the burden on specialty diagn  more

WASHINGTON, Oct. 1 -- The Pennsylvania Department of Labor & Industry (L&I), Harrisburg, has expressed strong concerns regarding a public comment letter submitted to the U.S. Department of Labor (USDOL) pertaining to its proposed rule on unemployment compensation data availability. The proposal, published in the Federal Register, seeks to enhance oversight and fraud prevention measures but raises significant issues about data privacy and administrative efficiency. In its letter, Pennsylvania em  more

WASHINGTON, Oct. 1 -- Philadelphia Legal Assistance, Pennsylvania, and Community Legal Services Inc., have submitted a public comment letter to the U.S. Department of Labor (DOL) expressing their strong opposition to a proposed rule that would mandate states to share sensitive data related to unemployment compensation claimants. The legal organizations argue that this requirement raises serious concerns about client privacy and the potential misuse of personal information. The letter indicates   more

WASHINGTON, Oct. 1 -- Rep. Mike Kelly, R-Pennsylvania, issued the following news release: * * * Rep. Mike Kelly statement on government shutdown * WASHINGTON, D.C. -- Today, U.S. Rep. Mike Kelly (R-PA) issued this statement after Senate Democrats failed to join House and Senate Republicans to pass a short-term spending bill that would avoid a government shutdown. Rep. Kelly and House Republicans passed the spending bill on September 19. "The spending bill passed by House Republicans last  more

WASHINGTON, Oct. 1 -- Rep. Summer Lee, D-Pennsylvania, issued the following news release: * * * Rep. Summer Lee Statement on Republican-induced Government Shutdown * WASHINGTON, DC - October 1, 2025 -- Today, Congresswoman Summer L. Lee (PA-12) issued the following statement on the Republican-induced federal government shutdown: "This Republican-induced government shutdown was preventable. Trump and Republicans slashed Medicaid in the so-called One Big Beautiful Bill Act and refused to ext  more

WASHINGTON, Oct. 1 -- Rep. Mary Gay Scanlon, D-Pennsylvania, issued the following news release: * * * Scanlon Statement on the Republican Government Shutdown * Washington, D.C. - Congresswoman Mary Gay Scanlon (PA-05) today released the following statement after President Trump and House Republicans shut down the government instead of working with Democrats to protect Americans' health care. "Let me be very clear: The federal government officially ran out of funding at midnight - after Rep  more

WASHINGTON, Oct. 1 -- Sen. Dave McCormick, R-Pennsylvania, issued the following news release: * * * Senators McCormick, Fetterman Release Application for Judicial Nominations for Eastern District of PA * WASHINGTON, D.C., September 30, 2025 -- Senators Dave McCormick (R-PA) and John Fetterman (D-PA) today released the application for candidates to be considered for judicial appointments to the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania. "The Eastern District is h  more

WASHINGTON, Sept. 30 -- Rep. Chrissy Houlahan, D-Pennsylvania, issued the following news release: * * * Smith, Houlahan Condemn Trump Administration's Waste of Time, Resources, and Money on Culture War Pep Rally * WASHINGTON, D.C. - U.S. Representatives Adam Smith (D-Wash.), Ranking Member of the House Armed Services Committee, and Chrissy Houlahan (D-Penn.), Ranking Member of the Military Personnel Subcommittee, released the following joint statement in response to Secretary of Defense Pete  more

WASHINGTON, Oct. 1 -- Rep. Lloyd Smucker, R-Pennsylvania, issued the following news release: * * * Smucker: Democrats Responsible for Government Shutdown * WASHINGTON - Rep. Lloyd Smucker (PA-11) called on congressional Democrats to work with Republicans to reopen the government. On Friday, September 19, 2025, Rep. Smucker and a majority of the House of Representatives voted in favor of a short-term continuing resolution to keep government funded through November 21, 2025, to allow for negot  more

WASHINGTON, Oct. 1 -- The University of Pittsburgh Medical Center (UPMC), Pennsylvania, has submitted a public comment letter to the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) addressing proposed policies under the Medicare and Medicaid programs for calendar year 2026. The letter, dated September 12, provides feedback on the Physician Fee Schedule and other related changes that could significantly impact healthcare delivery and management for Medicare beneficiaries. UPMC is a renowned hea  more

HARRISBURG, Pennsylvania, Oct. 1 -- The Pennsylvania House Republicans posted the following news: * * * Warner Stands for Second Amendment, Votes 'No' on Gun Bills * HARRISBURG - Rep. Ryan Warner (R-Fayette) was an adamant "no" vote on four gun control measures taken up in the state House of Representatives this week. "These bills are unconstitutional and unnecessary. They will do NOTHING to stop gun violence in our Commonwealth," Warner said. "If our Democrat colleagues were serious about  more