WASHINGTON, April 17 -- A coalition of 16 civil society organizations has submitted a public comment letter to the Federal Trade Commission urging the agency to expedite the modernization of the Negative Option Rule to better protect consumers from unfair subscription practices. The letter emphasizes the necessity of updating outdated regulations to reflect the realities of the contemporary digital marketplace. The groups expressed strong support for the FTC's renewed efforts, highlighting the   more

WASHINGTON, April 17 -- A coalition of 365 former attorneys who served at the U.S. Department of Justice has submitted a public comment letter expressing strong opposition to a proposed rulemaking concerning the review of state bar complaints and allegations against DOJ attorneys, aiming to give the Attorney General discretionary authority to review and potentially delay or displace state bar disciplinary investigations into DOJ lawyers. The former DOJ attorneys argue that this proposal is both   more

WASHINGTON, April 17 -- A coalition of 45 health advocacy organizations submitted a public comment letter to the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services opposing a proposal to collect individualized immigration identifiers through the Transformed Medicaid Statistical Information System, arguing the change would deter enrollment and harm vulnerable populations. The coalition argues that the proposed information collection contradicts Medicaid's core function to provide health care coverage to l  more

SALEM, Oregon, April 18 -- The Democratic Party of Oregon issued the following news: * * * Ahead of First Major GOP Primary Debate, OR Dems Launch Mobile Billboard Highlighting Unanswered Questions on Candidate's Ties to Trump As the GOP gubernatorial candidates prepare for their first major debate today in Hillsboro, the Democratic Party of Oregon is launching a mobile billboard to remind voters that all leading GOP candidates remain silent on their support for Donald Trump. The GOP primary  more

SACRAMENTO, California, April 17 -- California Attorney General Rob Bonta issued the following news release: * * * Attorney General Bonta Opposes Lackluster Consumer Financial Protection Bureau Strategic Plan * OAKLAND -California Attorney General Rob Bonta today joined a coalition of 23 attorneys general in submitting a comment letter opposing the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau's (CFPB) draft Strategic Plan for fiscal years 2026-2030. The plan proposes rollbacks to the agency's superv  more

CHICAGO, Illinois, April 17 -- Illinois Attorney General Kwame Raoul issued the following news release: * * * ATTORNEY GENERAL RAOUL CALLS ON CONSUMER FINANCIAL PROTECTION BUREAU TO ABANDON PLAN TO DECIMATE ENFORCEMENT, CONSUMER PROTECTION * Chicago - Attorney General Kwame Raoul today led a coalition of 23 attorneys general in urging the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) to scale back its plans that would severely reduce staffing, undermine the agency's statutory obligation to sup  more

HARTFORD, Connecticut, April 17 -- Connecticut Attorney General William Tong issued the following news release: * * * Attorney General Tong calls on CFPB to Abandon Plan to Decimate Enforcement and Consumer Protection * (Hartford, CT) - Attorney General William Tong today joined a coalition of 23 attorneys general in urging the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) to scale back its plans that would severely reduce staffing, undermine the agency's statutory obligation to supervise fina  more

NEW YORK, April 18 -- Brennan Center for Justice at New York University School of Law issued the following news release on April 17, 2026: * * * League of Women Voters of Michigan Files Brief to Stop Justice Department from Obtaining Private Voter Data Amicus brief argues that Justice Department's appeal to Sixth Circuit should be denied for the sake of election integrity, voters' privacy, and the Constitution * Today the League of Women Voters of Michigan -- represented by the Brennan Cen  more

WASHINGTON, April 16 -- Rep. Janelle Bynum, D-Oregon, issued the following news release: * * * Bynum Rejects Republican "Gaslighting," Votes Against Bill Celebrating Billionaire Tax Break * Today, Congresswoman Janelle Bynum (OR-05) released the following statement after voting against H.Res. 1156. "This vote is just window dressing. The only people benefiting from Trump's One Big Beautiful Bill are billionaires. The rest of us are just getting the crumbs. This was an easy no. Stop trying   more

SACRAMENTO, California, April 18 -- Gov. Gavin Newsom, D-California, issued the following news release on April 17, 2026: * * * Governor Newsom exposes Trump's Sable offshore pipeline lie: one month of oil, prices have only gone up California court affirms state law while Trump and Wright continue to lie to the American people on behalf of Big Oil What you need to know: A California judge today ruled that the Trump administration's illegal order on the Sable offshore oil pipeline does not ca  more

CHARLOTTE, North Carolina, April 17 [Category: Sports] -- The Central Intercollegiate Athletic Association issued the following news: * * * CIAA Student Athletes Selected as HBCU Fellows for 2026 Black Student Athlete Summit * Winston-Salem, N.C. (April 17, 2026) - The Central Intercollegiate Athletic Association (CIAA(r)) proudly congratulates two outstanding student athletes who have been selected to attend the 2026 Black Student Athlete Summit as HBCU Fellows through the NCAA Office of In  more

EUGENE, Oregon, April 18 -- The Civil Liberties Defense Center issued the following news release on April 17, 2026: * * * Civil Liberties Defense Center Files Motion to Quash Reddit Grand Jury Subpoena in Washington D.C. Today, Civil Liberties Defense Center (CLDC) filed a motion to quash a grand jury subpoena Reddit received from the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) demanding the private information of an anonymous Redditor. The motion was filed in federal court in Washington, DC. This  more

PROVIDENCE, Rhode Island, April 17 [Category: Law/Legal] -- The American Civil Liberties Union of Rhode Island posted the following news: * * * Court Blocks Administration's Latest Restrictions on Grants to Survivors of Domestic Violence and Sexual Assault * Rhode Island Federal Judge Melissa R. DuBose has today issued an order preliminarily blocking the Trump-Vance administration's latest effort to implement unlawful restrictions on grants that support survivors of domestic violence, sexual  more

WASHINGTON, April 18 -- Democracy Forward, an organization that says it advances democracy and social progress through litigation, policy and public education and regulatory engagement, issued the following news release on April 17, 2026: * * * Court Blocks Administration's Latest Restrictions on Grants to Survivors of Domestic Violence and Sexual Assault Intervention Will Protect Violence Prevention Funding Nationwide * Providence, R.I. - A judge on the U.S. District Court for the Distric  more

PORTLAND, Oregon, April 17 -- Lewis and Clark College posted the following news: * * * Dr. Kosansky Receives Fulbright for Rabat Genizah Project * Associate Professor Oren Kosansky has received a prestigious Fulbright award for his project, "Digital Humanities Scholarship and Jewish Cultural Heritage in Contemporary Morocco". Building on his extensive background in anthropology and Moroccan studies, this project bridges the gap between Middle East and North African (MENA) studies and Jewish   more

PORTLAND, Oregon, April 17 -- Tonkon Torp, a law firm, issued the following news: * * * Drea Schmidt and Tom Vogt Speak at Startup Capital & Funding Program Tonkon Torp was a presenting sponsor for the Angel Oregon Consumer Packaged Goods (AOCPG) Capital & Funding Literacy program put on by the Oregon Entrepreneurs Network. The five-week program is designed for early-stage consumer packaged goods founders in Oregon and Southwest Washington who are preparing to raise capital and scale their br  more

WASHINGTON, April 17 -- East Alabama Medical Center, Opelika, has submitted a public comment letter to the U.S. Health Resources and Services Administration expressing opposition to the agency's proposal to replace upfront 340B drug discounts with a rebate-based model. The letter responds to HRSA's Request for Information (RFI) regarding a potential 340B Rebate Model Pilot Program that would implement backend rebates instead of immediate discounts for certain drugs subject to Medicare Part D neg  more

BOZEMAN, Montana, April 17 -- Montana State University issued the following news: * * * Environmental historian named Wallace Stegner endowed chair at Montana State * BOZEMAN - Author and environmental historian Joshua Howe will become the new Wallace Stegner Endowed Chair in Western American Studies at Montana State University in August. The author of books on the history of climate change science and exposure of soldiers in battle to toxic chemicals, Howe is the second professor appointe  more

WASHINGTON, April 17 -- The House Energy and Commerce Committee issued a report (H.Rpt. 119-595) on the Fire Improvement and Reforming Exceptional Events Act (H.R. 6387). The report was advanced by Rep. S. Brett Guthrie, R-Kentucky, on April 9, 2026. Here are excerpts: * * * Purpose And Summary The purpose of H.R. 6387 is to amend the Clean Air Act (CAA) to encourage wildfire mitigation efforts and provide clarity on how to treat the air monitoring data resulting from these activities in att  more

WASHINGTON, April 17 -- The House Energy and Commerce Committee issued a report (H.Rpt. 119-594) on the Foreign Emissions and Nonattainment Clarification for Economic Stability Act (H.R. 6409). The report was advanced by Rep. S. Brett Guthrie, R-Kentucky, on April 9, 2026. Here are excerpts: * * * Purpose and Summary The purpose of H.R. 6409 is to clarify the treatment of foreign emissions under section 179 of the Clean Air Act (CAA). Background and Need for Legislation CLEAN AIR ACT Unde  more

WASHINGTON, April 17 -- The House Energy and Commerce Committee issued a report (H.Rpt. 119-596) on the Reducing and Eliminating Duplicative Environmental Regulations Act (H.R. 6398). The report was advanced by Rep. S. Brett Guthrie, R-Kentucky, on April 9, 2026. Here are excerpts: * * * Purpose and Summary The purpose of H.R. 6398 is to amend the Clean Air Act (CAA) Section 309 removing the duplicative requirement for the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to review and provide written c  more

WASHINGTON, April 18 -- The U.S. Department of Justice issued the following news release: * * * In One Week, National Fraud Enforcement Division Announces More Arrests, Convictions and Sentences Representing Over $340 Million In Taxpayer Fraud Five Arrested Yesterday in Three States for $1.6 Million COVID-19 Scheme * The Justice Department's National Fraud Enforcement Division announced the following actions from across the country to hold individuals accountable for schemes that attempted   more

WASHINGTON, April 18 -- The U.S. Department of Justice issued the following news release: * * * U.S. Trustee Program Obtains Judgment Requiring National Consumer Bankruptcy Firm to Refund Nearly $200,000 Due to Bankruptcy Code Violations and Service Deficiencies The Department of Justice's U.S. Trustee Program (USTP) recently obtained a judgment requiring a nationwide consumer law firm to refund a total of $196,527 in legal fees to dozens of clients based on the firm's deficient services and   more

WASHINGTON, April 18 [Category: Political] -- The League of Women Voters issued the following news release on April 17, 2026: * * * League of Women Voters of Michigan Files Brief to Stop Justice Department from Obtaining Private Voter Data Amicus brief argues that Justice Department's appeal to Sixth Circuit should be denied for the sake of election integrity, voters' privacy, and the Constitution * GRAND RAPIDS, MI -- Today the League of Women Voters of Michigan -- represented by the Brenn  more

BALTIMORE, Maryland, April 18 -- Maryland Attorney General Anthony G. Brown issued the following news release on April 17, 2026: * * * Attorney General Brown Calls on Consumer Financial Protection Bureau to Abandon Plan that Would Decimate Enforcement, Consumer Protection Attorney General Anthony G. Brown today joined a coalition of 23 attorneys general in urging the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) to scale back its plans that would severely reduce staffing, undermine the agency's  more

WASHINGTON, April 17 (TNSLrpt) -- REBUILDING THE BREADBASKET WHY AJ JAZIRAH IS CENTRAL TO SUDAN'S FOOD SECURITY - A report from Mercy Corps, Portland, Oregon - April 2026 (16 pages) * * * Mercy Corps issued a report examining the collapse of the agricultural system in Aj Jazirah State, historically Sudan's breadbasket, due to the combined effects of conflict, political disruption, and climate shocks. The report analyzes how these overlapping crises have transformed a key food-producing region   more

WASHINGTON, April 17 -- Sen. Jeff Merkley, D-Oregon, issued the following news release: * * * Merkley, Warren, Van Hollen, Sanders Probe Trump-Backed Board of Peace's Plan to Rebuild Gaza with Shady Cryptocurrency * Washington, D.C. - Today, Oregon's U.S. Senator Jeff Merkley partnered with U.S. Senators Elizabeth Warren (D-MA), Chris Van Hollen (D-MD), and Bernie Sanders (I-VT) to press the Trump Administration over its plans to reportedly develop a US dollar-backed stablecoin for Gaza as p  more

SALEM, Oregon, April 18 -- The Oregon Department of Business Development issued the following news release: * * * $10 Million Awarded to Reduce Infrastructure Barriers in Housing Development Awards will fund 11 new housing infrastructure projects, producing an estimated 722 new housing units * To assist with Oregon's statewide housing shortage, Business Oregon has awarded $10 million to support 11 new housing infrastructure projects. Those projects are estimated to produce an estimated 722   more

WASHINGTON, April 17 [Category: Environment] (TNSrpt) -- The Defenders of Wildlife posted the following news release: * * * Oregon Releases 2025 Annual Wolf Count, Numbers Up * The Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife today issued its 2025 gray wolf annual report, announcing an increase in the wolf population for a new state total of 230 wolves -an increase of 13%. The recent withdrawal of federal funding for conflict reduction is likely to be felt in certain parts of the state. "It's in  more

SALEM, Oregon, April 17 -- Oregon Attorney General Dan Rayfield issued the following news release: * * * Oregon TITAN Fusion Center Earns National Recognition for Intelligence Excellence * Oregon analysts and leaders honored by National Fusion Center Association; state named national award winner Attorney General Dan Rayfield is highlighting the work of the Oregon TITAN Fusion Center (OTFC) as evidence of the state's growing role as a national leader in public safety intelligence. Three me  more

WASHINGTON, April 16 -- Sen. John Barrasso, R-Wyoming, issued the following news release: * * * Pass The No Licenses for Illegal Drivers or Truckers Act to Protect American Citizens * "It is time to make it clear that giving state-issued licenses to illegal immigrants is not in the best interest of our nation's safety or security... Every state in America should follow Wyoming's lead." WASHINGTON, D.C. - Senate Majority Whip John Barrasso (R-Wyo.) today spoke about his bill, the No License  more

PORTLAND, Oregon, April 12 -- Portland Community College issued the following news: * * * PCC and community partners rally support for student menstrual equity initiative By Misty Bouse The Portland Community College Student Basic Needs Center is partnering with Positive Charge PDX! to create and distribute 500 period packs for students with support from the community this spring. In addition, the Sports Bra in Southeast Portland is also partnering with the Period Power Project as a collecti  more

WASHINGTON, April 16 -- Rep. Andrea Salinas, D-Oregon, issued the following news release: * * * Rep. Andrea Salinas Questions CFTC Chairman During House Committee on Agriculture Hearing * Click here to watch Rep. Salinas' full remarks. WASHINGTON, D.C. - Today, Congresswoman Andrea Salinas (OR-06) questioned Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC) Chairman Michael Selig during a House Committee on Agriculture hearing. Rep. Salinas pressed Chairman Selig on the growing risks involved i  more

WASHINGTON, April 16 -- Rep. Andrea Salinas, D-Oregon, issued the following news release: * * * Rep. Andrea Salinas' Statement on Iran War Powers Resolution * WASHINGTON, D.C. - Today, Congresswoman Andrea Salinas (OR-06) released the following statement after voting in favor of the War Powers Resolution. "I voted in favor of the War Powers Resolution to reassert Congress' role to decide when and how our nation goes to war. I will not stand idly by as President Trump continues to usurp tha  more

WASHINGTON, April 17 -- Rep. Harriet Hageman, R-Wyoming, issued the following news release: * * * Rep. Hageman Introduces Bill To Shield American Energy Producers From Leftist Climate Litigation * Washington, D.C. - U.S. Representative Harriet Hageman (R-WY) introduced the Stop Climate Shakedowns Act of 2026 to protect American energy from leftist legal crusades punishing lawful activity. The shale revolution unlocked the United States as the world's leading producer of crude oil and natur  more

WASHINGTON, April 13 -- American Rivers issued the following news release: * * * Rogue River Named #5 on America's Most Endangered Rivers List of 2026 Due to Threats from Mining and Rollback of Federal Protections American Rivers is today naming the Rogue River as one of America's Most Endangered Rivers of 2026, citing threats from logging, mining, and road building that could follow the rollback of long-standing federal protections from the 2001 Roadless Rule. "The iconic Rogue River is on  more

SALEM, Oregon, April 17 [Category: Education] -- The Oregon School Boards Association posted the following news: * * * School instructional hours executive order meets resistance by State Board of Education * Gov. Tina Kotek announces her executive order to protect school instructional time to the media while accompanied by (from left) Stand for Children Executive Director Sarah Pope and parent Kate Lupton. (Photo by Jake Arnold, OSBA) Oregon's urgency to address its public education syste  more

WASHINGTON, April 17 -- Sen. Jeff Merkley, D-Oregon, issued the following news release: * * * Strickland, Merkley Introduce Bill Addressing Toxic Chemical Killing Pacific Northwest Salmon * Washington, D.C. - Today, during Puget Sound Day on the Hill, Congresswoman Marilyn Strickland (WA-10), Co-Chair of the Puget Sound Recovery Caucus, introduced her 6PPD Task Force Act. The bill creates a Task Force to bridge together federal, state, tribal, and industry voices to coordinate further 6PPD-q  more

WASHINGTON, April 18 -- The House Appropriations Subcommittee on Defense released the following testimony by Lt. Gen. Leonard F. Anderson IV, commander of the U.S. Marine Corps Reserve, from an April 17, 2026, hearing on fiscal 2027 budget requests: * * * Chairman Calvert, Ranking Member McCollum, and distinguished members of the Subcommittee, it is my privilege to testify on behalf of the Commandant of the Marine Corps. This testimony will provide an overview of the current state of the Ma  more

RICHMOND, Virginia, April 18 -- Virginia Commonwealth University issued the following Q&A on April 17, 2026, involving Joshua Maus, public administration student in the L. Douglas Wilder School of Government and Public Affairs: * * * World@VCU: Joshua Maus from Germany 'There is such a wide and diverse range of courses I could take here that I cannot take at home.' World@VCU is a VCU News feature, in partnership with the Global Education Office, that highlights students from around the world  more

WASHINGTON, April 18 -- Sen. Ron Wyden, D-Oregon, ranking member of the Senate Finance Committee, issued the following news release on April 17, 2026: * * * Wyden Bill Would Crack Down on Abuse of Complex Financial Contracts to Dodge Taxes Bill Would Close Loopholes that Allow Wealthy Investors to Use Derivatives Contracts to Dodge Paying a Fair Share * Senate Finance Committee Ranking Member Ron Wyden, D-Ore., today introduced legislation to close loopholes that allow wealthy investors to   more

WASHINGTON, April 18 -- Sen. Ron Wyden, D-Oregon, ranking member of the Senate Finance Committee, issued the following news release on April 17, 2026: * * * Wyden Questions $370M Tax Windfall Trump IRS Granted Major Natural Gas Exporter To Obtain Massive Tax Windfall, LNG Exporter Cheniere Energy Claimed its 1,000-Foot, Gas-Powered LNG Carriers Qualify as "Motorboats" that Run on "Alternative Fuel"; Trump IRS Appears to Have Thrown Out Longstanding Policy to Hand Cheniere $370 Million at Taxp  more