WASHINGTON, April 4 -- The U.S. Department of Agriculture's Natural Resources Conservation Service announced that it expects to award up to three grants for the development and adoption of innovative conservation approaches and technologies in conjunction with agricultural production in New York. The estimated total program funding available was cited as $600,000 with a ceiling of $250,000. The categories of funding activity are a) agriculture, b) environment and c) natural resources. Addition  more

WASHINGTON, March 31 -- The U.S. Department of Defense issued the following news story: The United States is at war with an invisible enemy in the coronavirus, President Donald J. Trump said from the dock at Naval Station Norfolk, Virginia, where he and Defense Secretary Dr. Mark T. Esper saw off the Navy hospital ship USNS Comfort as it left for New York City to join the response to the COVID-19 pandemic. "We are marshalling the full power of the American nation -- economic, scientific, medic  more

WASHINGTON, April 2 -- The National Railroad Passenger Corporation (Amtrak) issued the following news release: Some states are currently limiting travel between state lines. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has urged residents of New York, New Jersey and Connecticut to refrain from non-essential travel for 14 days. Amtrak service continues to operate on the Northeast Corridor to provide vital transportation for essential employees. Customers should check with each state for specif  more

WASHINGTON, April 2 -- The National Railroad Passenger Corporation (Amtrak) issued the following news release: Some states are currently limiting travel between state lines. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has urged residents of New York, New Jersey and Connecticut to refrain from non-essential travel for 14 days. Amtrak service continues to operate on the Northeast Corridor to provide vital transportation for essential employees. Customers should check with each state for specif  more

WASHINGTON, April 3 -- The National Railroad Passenger Corporation (Amtrak) issued the following news release: Some states are currently limiting travel between state lines. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has urged residents of New York, New Jersey and Connecticut to refrain from non-essential travel for 14 days. Amtrak service continues to operate on the Northeast Corridor to provide vital transportation for essential employees. Customers should check with each state for specif  more

WASHINGTON, April 2 -- The U.S. Department of Labor's Bureau of Labor Statistics issued the following book review: What Would the Great Economists Do? How Twelve Brilliant Minds Would Solve Today's Biggest Problems. By Linda Yueh. New York: Picador, 2018, 368 pp., $15.66 hardcover. In this book, author Linda Yueh begins with the following sentence: "During times of fundamental change, economic expertise is in demand." We are not that far removed from the 2008 financial crisis and the Great Rec  more

WASHINGTON, April 2 -- The U.S. Department of Labor's Bureau of Labor Statistics issued the following article from The Economics Daily: North Dakota had the lowest unemployment rate in February, 2.2 percent, while Alaska had the highest rate, 5.8 percent. The rates in Alaska, Idaho (2.7 percent), Illinois (3.4 percent), New York (3.7 percent), North Dakota (2.2 percent), and Washington (3.8 percent) set new lows. All state data begin in 1976. In total, 14 states had unemployment rates lower tha  more

WASHINGTON, April 3 -- The U.S. Department of Defense issued the following news story on April 2: To free overwhelmed local hospitals focusing on patients with COVID-19, the Navy hospital ships USNS Mercy and USNS Comfort are docked on both U.S. coasts to provide medical and surgical care to non-COVID-19 patients. The USNS Mercy is in Los Angeles under the command of Navy Capt. John R. Rotruck, and the USNS Comfort is in New York City with Navy Capt. Patrick Amersbach in charge. Both captains  more

WASHINGTON, April 1 -- The Department of Energy's Office of Legacy Management issued the following news: Knowing what highway passes by a sampling well, seeing how the topography of the earth changes after soil removal, and visualizing the concentration of contamination in a groundwater plume are all concepts once left up to the interpretation of black-and-white text and data in the mind of the reader. Now, thanks to a combination of historic photos, satellite imaging, 3D maps, and data-inform  more

WASHINGTON, April 3 -- The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services issued the following news release: The U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) and U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) announced the distribution of hoarded personal protective equipment (PPE), including approximately 192,000 N95 respirator masks, to those on the frontline of the novel coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) response in New York and New Jersey. The Federal Bureau of Investigation discovered the supplie  more

SPRINGFIELD, Virginia, April 2 -- The Federal Aviation Administration has issued a rule, published in the Federal Register on April 2, entitled: "Airworthiness Directives; Bombardier, Inc., Airplanes". The rule was issued by Lance T. Gant, Director, Compliance & Airworthiness Division, Aircraft Certification Service. DATES: This AD is effective May 7, 2020. The Director of the Federal Register approved the incorporation by reference of certain publications listed in this AD as of May 7, 2020.   more

WASHINGTON, April 1 -- The Federal Reserve issued the following monetary policy document on March 31: The Federal Reserve on Tuesday announced the establishment of a temporary repurchase agreement facility for foreign and international monetary authorities (FIMA Repo Facility) to help support the smooth functioning of financial markets, including the U.S. Treasury market, and thus maintain the supply of credit to U.S. households and businesses. The FIMA Repo Facility will allow FIMA account hol  more

BUFFALO, New York, April 3 -- The U.S. Attorney for the Western District of New York, James P. Kennedy Jr., issued the following news release: Internal Revenue Service - Criminal Investigation Special Agent-in-Charge Jonathan D. Larsen and U.S. Attorney James P. Kennedy, Jr. are urging New York taxpayers to be vigilant of emerging scams targeting COVID-19 economic impact payments. "We are living in unprecedented times and each one of us is struggling one way or another," said Jonathan Larsen,   more

WASHINGTON, April 1 -- The U.S. Department of Defense issued the following news story: The Defense Department is going all out to support civilian agencies confronting the COVID-19 pandemic, the vice director of operations for the Joint Staff said. Air Force Maj. Gen. Jeff Taliaferro told Pentagon reporters in a teleconference yesterday that the hospital ship USNS Mercy has begun admitting patients and conducting surgeries in Los Angeles. The USNS Comfort arrived in New York yesterday and will  more

WASHINGTON, April 3 -- The U.S. Department of Justice's Office of the Attorney General issued the following news release: The U.S. Department of Justice and U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) announced the distribution of hoarded personal protective equipment (PPE), including approximately 192,000 N95 respirator masks, to those on the frontline of the novel coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) response in New York and New Jersey. The FBI discovered the supplies during an enforce  more

NEW YORK, April 3 -- The U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of New York, Geoffrey S. Berman, issued the following news release: Geoffrey S. Berman, the United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, Lt. Gen. Ronald J. Place, Director of the Defense Health Agency of the U.S. Department of Defense ("DoD"), Scott J. Lampert, Special Agent in Charge of the New York Regional Office of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Office of Inspector General ("HHS-OIG"), Micha  more

NEW YORK, March 28 -- The U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of New York, Geoffrey S. Berman, issued the following news release on March 27: Geoffrey S. Berman, the United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, announced that the United States filed a civil fraud lawsuit today against ANTHEM, INC. ("ANTHEM"), alleging that ANTHEM falsely certified the accuracy of the diagnosis data it submitted to the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services ("CMS") for risk-adjustment pu  more

NEW YORK, March 28 -- The U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of New York, Geoffrey S. Berman, issued the following news release on March 26: * * * - Venezuela's Vice President for the Economy and Others Separately Charged with Evading OFAC Sanctions In Connection With Maduro's 2018 Presidential Campaign * * * William Barr, the Attorney General of the United States, Geoffrey S. Berman, the United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, Brian Benczkowski, Assistant Attorney  more

WASHINGTON, March 28 -- The U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of New York, Richard P. Donoghue, issued the following news release: * * * - First of Their Kind Injunctions Obtained by Justice Department * * * The Department of Justice announced that the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of New York entered orders in two separate civil actions barring eight individuals and entities from continuing to facilitate the transmission of massive volumes of fraudulent robocalls to cons  more

BUFFALO, New York, April 3 -- The U.S. Attorney for the Western District of New York, James P. Kennedy Jr., issued the following news release: * * * - U.S. Attorney Kennedy Says $1.7 Million Available To Cities, Towns, And Counties In WDNY * * * The Department of Justice announced that it is making $850 million available to help public safety agencies respond to the challenges posed by the outbreak of COVID-19. The Coronavirus Emergency Supplemental Funding program, authorized by the recent   more

OYSTER BAY, New York, April 2 -- The U.S. Department of the Interior's Sagamore Hill National Historic Site issued the following news release: Sagamore Hill National Historic Site, in response to guidance from Nassau County and the New York State Department of Health, is announcing modifications to operations to support federal, state, and local efforts to slow the spread of the novel coronavirus (COVID-19). As of March 17, 2020, Sagamore Hill has offered no services outside those that suppor  more

JOINT BASE ANDREWS, Maryland, March 31 -- President Trump issued the following remarks on March 28 before the Air Force One departure: Q Thank you, Mr. President. Just a quick clarification on the total quarantine you're talking about for New York City. Would you -- THE PRESIDENT: Well, we're looking at it. We're looking at it, and we'll be making a decision. A lot of the states that aren't infected, that don't have a big problem, they've asked me if I'd look at it. So we're going to look at i  more

WASHINGTON, March 31 -- The Securities and Exchange Commission issued the following litigation release (No. 19-civ-09645; S.D.N.Y. filed October 18, 2019): On March 25, 2020, the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York entered a final consent judgment against Bryan Cohen, a former executive at a global investment bank who was charged with misappropriating confidential information he obtained through his position at the bank. On October 18, 2019, the Commission charged Cohen w  more

WASHINGTON, April 3 -- The Tennessee Valley Authority issued the following news release: The interest rate on the Tennessee Valley Authority 1999 Series A Putable Automatic Rate Reset Securities bonds, which are traded on the New York Stock Exchange under the symbol TVE, will be reset from 3.360% to 2.216% on May 1, 2020. "This reset will continue to provide investors an attractive return on investment in this market environment, while saving TVA $2.7 million annually," said TVA Treasurer and  more

KINGS POINT, New York, April 4 -- The Maritime Administration's U.S. Merchant Marine Academy issued the following news release: This week marks the official start of National Sexual Assault Awareness and Prevention Month (SAAM) at the United States Merchant Marine Academy (USMMA). President Donald J. Trump issued the Proclamation on National Sexual Assault Awareness and Prevention Month, 2020. USMMA joins the President, as "we pause to recognize the devastation caused by sexual assault and to   more

NORFOLK, Virginia, March 31 -- The U.S. Navy issued the following story: The Military Sealift Command hospital ship USNS Comfort (T-AH 20) arrived in New York March 30, 2020 in support of the nation's COVID-19 response efforts. While in New York, the ship will serve as a referral hospital for non-COVID-19 patients currently admitted to shore-based hospitals, and will provide a full spectrum of medical care to include general surgeries, critical care and ward care for adults. This will allow lo  more

NEW YORK, April 2 -- The U.S. Navy issued the following story: The hospital ship USNS Comfort (T-AH 20) treated its first patients Apr. 1 in support of the nation's COVID-19 response efforts. Local health officials, in coordination with the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), have established patient transfer protocols, with careful consideration to the safety and security of patients and medical care providers aboard USNS Comfort. Both civilian physicians and USNS Comfort phys  more

NORFOLK, Virginia, March 31 -- The U.S. Navy issued the following story: The Military Sealift Command hospital ship, USNS Comfort (T-AH 20), departed Naval Station Norfolk for New York City in support of the nation's Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) response efforts. The ship will serve as a referral hospital for patients not infected with COVID-19, providing a full spectrum of medical care to include general surgeries, critical care and ward care for adults, while allowing shore-based civi  more

WASHINGTON, March 31 -- The U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs issued the following news release: The U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) began deploying Mobile Vet Center units, the week of March 16, to expand direct counseling, outreach and care coordination to Veterans in communities affected during the COVID-19 pandemic. The first of the mobile units was dispatched to various cities to include boroughs in New York City, a second unit was sent to San Francisco, followed by mobile cent  more

WASHINGTON, March 31 -- The U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs issued the following news release: The Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) announced it is opening a total of 50 beds (35 acute care and 15 intensive care unit) to non-Veteran, non-COVID patients to help assist New York City in its COVID-19 response efforts. VA's decision comes in response to a request the department received from the Federal Emergency Management Agency after the state of New York asked FEMA for federal assistance  more