WASHINGTON, Dec. 5 (TNSLrpt) -- The Congressional Research Service issued the following In Focus white paper (No. IF11672) on Dec. 4, 2025, by naval affairs specialist Ronald O'Rourke. Here are excerpts: * * * Coast Guard Waterways Commerce Cutter (WCC) Program: Background and Issues for Congress Introduction The Coast Guard's Waterways Commerce Cutter (WCC) program envisages procuring 30 replacements for the Coast Guard's 35 aging river buoy tenders (WLRs), inland construction tenders (WLI  more

SPRINGFIELD, Illinois, Dec. 6 -- The Illinois Department of Public Health issued the following statement on Dec. 5, 2025: * * * IDPH Statement on ACIP Action Regarding Hepatitis B Vaccine SPRINGFIELD - The Illinois Department of Public Health today released the following statement from Director Dr. Sameer Vohra in response to the actions of the federal Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP): "Since universal newborn vaccination began in 1991, hepatitis B infection among U.S. chi  more

WASHINGTON, Dec. 6 -- The U.S. Department of Justice issued the following news release on Dec. 5, 2025: * * * Illinois Men Face Additional Charges for Health Care Fraud and Money Laundering Conspiracy * Two Illinois brothers were indicted yesterday in a superseding indictment on charges related to a scheme to defraud Medicare, Medicaid and private health care insurers and for participating in a money laundering conspiracy with the fraud proceeds. "These defendants are charged with a brazen  more

WASHINGTON, Dec. 6 -- The U.S. Department of Justice issued the following news release: * * * Illinois Precision Machining Company Agrees to Pay $421,234 to Resolve Alleged False Claims Act Violations Swiss Automation Inc. has agreed to pay $421,234 to resolve alleged False Claims Act violations relating to its failure to provide adequate cybersecurity for certain drawings of parts that the company machined and supplied to Department of Defense (DoD) prime contractors. Swiss Automation is an   more

SPRINGFIELD, Illinois, Dec. 6 -- The Illinois Supreme Court issued the following news release on Dec. 5, 2025: * * * Illinois Supreme Court Recalls and Assigns Hon. Mark Clarke to Fifth District Appellate Court Justice David K. Overstreet and the Illinois Supreme Court have announced the recall and assignment of the Honorable Mark H. Clarke (ret.) to the Fifth District Appellate Court. Judge Clarke is being assigned to fill the vacancy created by the upcoming retirement of Justice James R. M  more

BALTIMORE, Maryland, Dec. 5 -- The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services' Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services issued the following news release: * * * Marketplace 2026 Open Enrollment Period Report: National Snapshot * The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) reports that nearly 950,000 consumers who do not currently have health care coverage through plans in the individual market Marketplace have signed up for coverage in 2026, since the start of the Marketplace Open  more

WASHINGTON, Dec. 6 -- The Securities and Exchange Commission issued the following litigation release (No. 1:21-cv-05040; N.D. Ill. filed Sept. 23, 2021): * * * Securities and Exchange Commission v. James R. Collins and Robert F. DiMeo, Civil Action 1:21-cv-05040 (N.D. Ill. filed Sept. 23, 2021) On December 3, 2025, the Securities and Exchange Commission obtained final judgment against James R. Collins and Robert F. DiMeo, two former executives of a subprime automobile finance company, whom th  more

WASHINGTON, Dec. 5 (TNSLrpt) -- The Congressional Research Service issued the following In Focus white paper (No. IF13058) on Dec. 4, 2025, by Linda R. Rowan, natural resources and earth sciences analyst. Here are excerpts: * * * The USGS Earth Mapping Resources Initiative The U.S. Geological Survey's (USGS's) Earth Mapping Resources Initiative (Earth MRI) is an effort within the USGS Mineral Resources Program (MRP, part of the Energy and Minerals Mission Area) to modernize mapping of the na  more