Weekly Roundup Archive: WR 5/18/24

5/19 - Joint Statement From the U.S. Department of Defense and the Department of National Defense of the Republic of Niger (DOD)

5/20 - EPA Outlines Enforcement Measures to Help Prevent Cybersecurity Attacks and Protect the Nation’s Drinking Water (EPA; direct to alert page)

5/20 - Moving Toward a User-Centered National Archives (NARA)

5/20 - Warrant Applications by the International Criminal Court (State; see also, statements from president and ICC prosecutor | CRS report)

5/21 - Biden-Harris Administration Launches New Option to Report Potential Violations of Federal Law and Continue to Promote Patient Access to Stabilizing Emergency Care (CMS; direct to new complaint page; see also, Sen. Murray statement)

5/21- U.S. Secretary of Commerce Gina Raimondo Releases Strategic Vision on AI Safety, Announces Plan for Global Cooperation Among AI Safety Institutes (DOC; direct to vision page)

5/21 - U.S. Election Assistance Commission Launches Voluntary Electronic Poll Book Certification Program (EAC)

5/21 - Biden-Harris Administration Announces Additional $7.7 Billion in Approved Student Debt Relief for 160,000 Borrowers (ED; see also, president’s statement)

5/21 - Biden-Harris Administration Makes History Launching New Suite of Summer Nutrition Programs to Help Tackle Hunger and Improve Healthy Eating for Millions of Children (FNS; direct to website)

5/21 - IMLS Selects 2024 Winners for Nation's Highest Museum and Library Honor (IMLS)

5/21 - Dr. Kenvi Phillips Appointed Director of the Barack Obama Presidential Library (NARA)

5/21 - Biden-Harris Administration announces $6.6M for new Data Assimilation Consortium to improve weather forecasting through Investing in America agenda (NOAA)

5/22 - CFPB Takes Action to Ensure Consumers Can Dispute Charges and Obtain Refunds on Buy Now, Pay Later Loans (CFPB; see also, director’s statement)

5/22 - Office for Civil Rights Releases Fiscal Year 2023 Annual Report (ED; direct to report)

5/22 - Rosenworcel Proposes AI Disclosure for Political Ads on TV & Radio (FCC)

5/22 - Statement from President Joe Biden on Confirming 200 Federal Judges (WH)

5/23 - Justice Department Sues Live Nation-Ticketmaster for Monopolizing Markets Across the Live Concert Industry (DOJ; see also, AG remarks)

5/23 - United States Reaches Over $310 Million Settlement with Norfolk Southern to Address Harms Caused by East Palestine Train Derailment (EPA; direct to DOJ consent degree page)

5/23 - FCC Proposes $6M Fine for N.H. Robocalls (FCC; see also, FCC Proposes First Robocall Fine for Caller ID Authentication Failures)

5/23 - Visualizing Disasters: New Hazardous Event Posters Available (NCEI)

5/23 - Researchers capture unique pollution data following Key Bridge collapse (NOAA)

5/23 - A Call to Action to Combat Image-Based Sexual Abuse (WH/OSTP)

5/24 - New FTC Data Shed Light on Companies Most Frequently Impersonated by Scammers (FTC; direct to report page)

5/24 - Fact Sheet: Biden-⁠Harris Administration Highlights Accomplishments on the Second Anniversary of Historic Executive Order to Advance Effective, Accountable Policing and Strengthen Public Safety (WH; see also, Statement From President Joe Biden on Four Years Since George Floyd’s Murder)

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.

None this week

OIGs have begun posting Spring 2024 Semiannual Reports (SARs). As always, I'm tracking availability on this guide.

5/20 - Management Alert: The NPSBN Band 14 Signal Strength Does Not Consistently Provide Adequate Band 14 Service for First Responders (DOC)

5/21 - Audit of the DoD’s Controls for Validating and Responding to Ukraine’s Requests for Military Equipment and Assistance (DOD)

5/21 - Federal Information Security Modernization Act of 2014 Capstone Report, Fiscal Years 2020–2023 (Interagency)

5/22 - Management Implication Report: The EPA’s Wood Heater Program (EPA)

5/23 - Network Modernization: The Changing Role of Postmasters (USPS)

5/20 - The Terrorist Watchlist (CRS)

5/20 - NOAA’s Commercial Data Program: Background and Considerations for Congress (CRS)

5/21 - Iran’s President Dies in Helicopter Crash (CRS)

5/21 - Electricity: Information on Peak Demand Power Plants (GAO; see also, eGRID website)

5/20 - Committee Releases Sixth Tranche of Afghanistan Interview Documents (Congress; direct to transcribed interview; see also, minority release and highlights)

5/20 - Federal agencies’ engagement and morale bounced back in 2023, according to annual rankings (via GovExec, with link to source document)

5/20 - FDIC chairman resigns following toxic workplace allegations (via GovExec; see also,  chairman’s statement and 5/23 OIG Management Advisory Memorandum on Reporting Allegations of Misconduct)

5/20 - Time to Close the Hatch Act’s Escape Hatch (via Politico, written by new head of OSC, with link to source document)

5/21 - Biden Administration Will Release 1 Million Barrels of Gasoline (via NYT; see also, DOE announcement)

5/22 - SEVIS by the Numbers - 2023 Annual Report (DHS; see also, 2023 International Student and Exchange Visitor Data and school data)

5/22 - Third Antisemitism Hearing Could Further Disrupt Higher Ed (via Inside Higher Ed; see also, hearing page and ranking member opening statement)

5/22 - U.S. says Russia launched a space weapon in the path of an American [government] satellite (via NBC News)

5/22 - Another Provocative Flag Was Flown at Another Alito Home (via NYT; see also, 5/24 Durbin, Whitehouse Request Meeting with Chief Justice Roberts, Urge Roberts to Ensure Justice Alito Recuses Himself in 2020 Election Cases)

5/23 - Court rules for South Carolina Republicans in dispute over congressional map (via SCOTUSblog; see also, source document)

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

5/22 - Legislative Proposal to Sunset Section 230 of the Communications Decency Act (House Energy; see also, chair and ranking member opening remarks and 2/2/24 CRS overview report)

5/22 - Examining NIST’s Priorities for 2025 and Beyond (House Science; see also, ranking member opening statement)

5/22 - Protecting Consumers’ Pocketbooks: Lowering Food Prices and Combatting Corporate Price Gouging and Consolidation (Senate Banking)

5/22 - Droughts, Dollars, and Decisions: Water Scarcity in a Changing Climate (Senate Budget)

5/22 - Restoring Congressional Oversight over Emergency Powers: Exploring Options to Reform the National Emergencies Act (Senate Homeland)