Weekly Roundup Archive: WR 11/16/24

11/18 - Census Bureau Seeks Public Comment on Proposed Updates to the Census Bureau’s Race/Ethnicity Code List (Census; direct to .xlsx code list)

11/18 - U.S. Department of Energy Releases First-Ever Blueprint for a Clean and Competitive Industrial Sector (DOE; direct to report)

11/18 - Biden-Harris Administration Announces $125 Million Investment for Large-Scale Water Recycling Projects (DOI)

11/18 - What Airline Passengers Need to Know About DOT’s Automatic Refund Rule (DOT)

11/18 - Paving The Way Forward for A Continued Transformation of Puerto Rico’s Education System (ED; direct to guidebook)

11/18 - Biden-Harris Administration Launches National Behavioral Health Workforce Career Navigator (HHS; direct to website)

11/18 - National Archives Announces Portal for Civil Rights Cold Case Records Access (NARA; direct to website)

11/18 - Department of State Reports Record High Number of International Students in the United States at Start of International Education Week (State; direct to report page)

11/19 - Civic Engagement and Volunteering Supplement (Census; direct to data page)

11/19 - Cost of child care for one child can be more than rent in some US counties (DOL; direct to data page)

11/19 - U.S. Surgeon General Releases New Report: Eliminating Tobacco-Related Disease and Death, Addressing Health Disparities (HHS; direct to report page)

11/19 - Could Artificial Intelligence Help Catalog Thousands of Digital Library Books? An Interview with Abigail Potter and Caroline Saccucci (LOC)

11/19 - Global Atlas Expands Reach of NOAA Microplastics Database (NCEI; direct to database page)

11/19 - USCIS Updates Guidance on Determining Custody for Children Acquiring U.S. Citizenship (USCIS; direct to policy alert)

11/19 - USGS Critical Minerals Study: Bans on Gallium and Germanium Exports Could Cost the U.S. Billions (USGS; direct to report)

11/19 - Modernizing the Regulatory Comment Process (WH/OMB)

11/20 - Biden-Harris Administration Puts Colorado River on Path to Success (DOI; direct to proposed alternatives)

11/20 - U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Proposes Endangered Species Act Protections for Giraffes (FWS; direct to info page)

11/20 - Secretary’s International Security Advisory Board Releases Three Reports (State; direct to reports page)

11/20 - Judiciary Releases First Annual Report on the Workplace (US Courts; direct to report)

11/20 - Patent fee changes to take effect on January 19 (USPTO)

11/21 - CFPB Finalizes Rule on Federal Oversight of Popular Digital Payment Apps to Protect Personal Data, Reduce Fraud, and Stop Illegal “Debanking” (CFPB; direct to final rule)

11/21 - US Department of Labor announces new research that underscores benefits of paid family and medical leave (DOL; direct to reports page)

11/21 - EPA Announces New Draft Framework to Advance Consideration of Cumulative Impacts on Communities (EPA; direct to framework page)

11/21 - Biden-Harris Administration Announces National Strategy to Prevent Plastic Pollution (EPA; direct to strategy page)

11/21 - Statement from President Joe Biden on Warrants Issued by the International Criminal Court (WH; see also, ICC press release with links to arrest warrants)

11/21 - At COP29, Biden-⁠Harris Administration Highlights Actions to Cut U.S. Government Emissions, Lead on Federal Sustainability (WH/CEQ; direct to website)

11/21 - Ensuring Effective and Timely Usability Research (WH/OMB; direct to guidance)

11/22 - DHS Will Now Restrict Goods from Over 100 PRC-Based Companies from Entering the United States Due to Forced Labor Practices (DHS)

11/22 - The Law Library Launches its First Interactive Map (LOC; direct to map page and associated report)

11/22 - SEC Announces Enforcement Results for Fiscal Year 2024 (SEC; direct to statistical report)

11/22 - The Puerto Rico Advisory Committee Publishes its Second Memorandum on Economic Perspectives in Relation to the Effects of the Insular Cases and the Non-Incorporation Doctrine on the Civil Rights of Residents of Puerto Rico (USCCR; direct to report in English and Spanish)

11/22 - USDA Launches New Online Civil Rights Tool for USDA Customers (USDA; direct to website)

11/24 (time-senstive) – Redesigned website rolled out (DOE)

Information below is from congress.gov. Date listed is date signed into law, and the description is an abbreviated version of bill summary available on that website.

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None this week

Fall 2024 Semiannual Reports are now being released. As always, you can track availability and access reports at this guide.

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11/21 - Evaluation of the DoD’s Health, Safety, and Environmental Hazard Identification and Remediation in Military Housing (DOD)

11/21 - Notification of Concerns Identified in the Drug Enforcement Administration’s Transportation Interdiction Activities (DOJ)

11/22 - Fiscal Year 2025 Peak Season Preparedness (USPS)

11/19 - Poverty in the United States in 2023 (CRS; see also, SPM page)

11/19 - Downloadable Federal Budget Data: Spending by Function, Subfunction, and Agency (CRS; note-data download available only to congressional staff)

11/19 - Unaccompanied Children: Efforts by the Office of Refugee Resettlement to Address GAO Recommendations (GAO)

11/20 - Effects on CBO’s Baseline of the Increase in Immigration Among Other Foreign Nationals (CBO)

11/21 - Tracking the Funds: Agencies Continued Executing FY 2022 and 2023 Community Project Funding Congressionally Directed Spending Provisions (GAO; see also, Tracking the Funds: Specific Fiscal Year 2024 Provisions for Federal Agencies)

11/22 - Federal Telework: Selected Agencies Need to Evaluate the Potential Effects on Agency Performance (GAO)

Note: links related to the Trump transition are posted in a new section below to make it easier to avoid them if you'd like. Also, I've moved from Twitter/X to Bluesky to follow journalists, so there may be some different sources utilized than in the past.

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11/18 - Letter to Schumer: Now is the time to confirm inspectors general (via CREW; direct to letter)

11/18 - Texts threatening deportation and 're-education' for gays stoke both fear and defiance (via NBC News, with link to source document)

11/18 - Hackers nabbed emails between congressional staff and Library of Congress (via NextGov)

11/18 - Accused of violating worker rights, SpaceX and Amazon go after labor board (via NPR)

11/18 - Key Intelligence Watchdogs Resign in Wake of Trump’s Win (via POGO)

11/19 - FEMA chief calls passing over of Trump supporters isolated incident, requests wider probe (via GovExec)

11/19 - Senator wants info on inspectors general office sexual harassment settlements (via GovExec; see also, Grassley press release with letters to OIGs)

11/19 - Anyone Can Buy Data Tracking US Soldiers and Spies to Nuclear Vaults and Brothels in Germany (via Wired)

11/20 - National Wildlife Services Advisory Committee recommendations (USDA NWSAC)

11/20 - DOJ pushes for Google to break off Chrome browser after antitrust case (via CNBC, with link to source document)

11/20 - The Biden administration is trying to throw a Hail Mary to save the Colorado River before Trump takes over (via CNN)

11/20 - Republicans block release of report on Gaetz's alleged sexual misconduct (via Salon)

11/20 - The Danger of the New House Bill on “Terrorist-Supporting Organizations” (via Slate)

11/21 - Senators call for watchdog to investigate TSA’s use of facial recognition (via NextGov, with link to source document)

11/21 - Mike Johnson announces transgender bathroom ban in Capitol after Sarah McBride's election (via USA Today; see also, Johnson statement)

See full weekly list of Congressional hearings on congress.gov.

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11/19 - 1000 Days of Russia's War on Ukraine (Helsinki; direct to video)

11/19 - In the Eye of the Storm: Oversight of FEMA's Disaster Readiness and Response (House Transport; see also, opening statements from chairs and ranking members)

11/19 - Protecting Consumers from Artificial Intelligence Enabled Fraud and Scams (Senate Commerce)

11/21 - Threats to the Homeland (Senate Homeland; postponed - see chair statement)