U.S. Government Information: Weekly Roundup

12/1 - Statement from President Joe Biden [re: pardon for Hunter Biden] (WH)

12/2- EPA Proposes Rule to Revoke Most Food Uses of the Insecticide Chlorpyrifos (EPA; direct to info page)

12/2 - Library of Congress Launches Digitized Collection of National AIDS Memorial Quilt Records (LOC; direct to collection page)

12/2 - U.S. Postal Service Releases 2024 Post-Election Analysis Report Detailing the Successful Efforts Taken to Deliver the Nation’s Election Mail Securely and Effectively (USPS; direct to report)

12/3 - CFPB Proposes Rule to Stop Data Brokers from Selling Sensitive Personal Data to Scammers, Stalkers, and Spies (CFPB; direct to factsheet)

12/3 - CISA, NSA, FBI and International Partners Publish Guide for Protecting Communications Infrastructure (CISA; direct to guide page)

12/3 - Revenue of Industries Heavily Reliant on U.S. Government Data (DOC)

12/3 - Deputy Attorney General Announces Over 50 Actions to Reduce the Risk of Suicide for Adults in the Department’s Custody (DOJ; direct to memo and report)

12/3 - US Department of Labor announces proposed rule to phase out certificates allowing payment of less than minimum wage to workers with disabilities (DOL; direct to proposed rule)

12/3 - U.S. Department of Education Calls on States, Districts, and Schools to Adopt Policies for Student Use of Cell Phones and Personal Devices (ED; direct to playbook)

12/3 - Criminals Use Generative Artificial Intelligence to Facilitate Financial Fraud (FBI)

12/3 - USDA-FDA Seek Information About Food Date Labeling, Aim is to Provide Further Clarity, Transparency and Cost Savings for U.S. Consumers (FDA)

12/3 - New Features Added to the Earth System Data Explorer (NASA; direct to website)

12/3 - New NOAA animated series takes kids on educational, climate-weather adventures (NOAA; direct to website)

12/4 - EPA Reforms New Chemicals Review Process to Better Protect Public Health, Promote Efficiency and Consistency (EPA; direct to rule page)

12/4 - USDA Forest Service announces new monitoring policy (FS; direct to policy)

12/4 - GSA accelerates efforts to right-size federal real estate with plans for 1.5 million square feet in reductions and more than $475 million in cost avoidance to taxpayers (GSA)

12/5 - Demographic and Housing Characteristics Data Available for 119th Congress (Census; direct to data.census.gov and FTP download pages)

12/5 - DOT Launches Rulemaking to Protect Passengers Stranded by Airline Disruptions (DOT)

12/5 - EPA’s Annual Enforcement and Compliance Assurance Results Include Strongest Outcomes Since 2017 (EPA; direct to report page)

12/5 - Potential Budgetary Impacts of Climate Change on the Pasture, Rangeland, and Forage Insurance Plan (ERS)

12/5 - New Dashboard to Track Progress Toward 50 Percent Reduction in Patient and Workforce Harm (HHS; direct to website)

12/5 - NCES Data Show Public School Enrollment Held Steady Overall From Fall 2022 to Fall 2023 (NCES)

12/6 - ICE updates policies on use of Special Management Units (ICE)

12/6 - Office of the Historian, Foreign Service Institute Releases Foreign Relations of the United States, 1981–1988, Volume XXIV, North Africa (State; direct to website)

12/6 - Financial Stability Oversight Council Releases 2024 Annual Report (Treas; direct to report)

12/6 - USDA Announces New Federal Order, Begins National Milk Testing Strategy to Address H5N1 in Dairy Herds (USDA)

12/6 - 2024 National Plan for Civil Earth Observations (WH/CEA; direct to report)

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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12/1 - H.R. 1505, No Stolen Trademarks Honored in America Act of 2023 - modifies the bar against U.S. courts enforcing or validating trademarks that were confiscated by the Cuban government

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

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12/2 - Annual Report to Congress Pursuant to FY 2021 NDAA, Section 554 [“Inspector General Oversight of Diversity and Inclusion in Department of Defense; Supremacist, Extremist, or Criminal Gang Activity in the Armed Forces”] (DOD)

12/5 - COVID-19: Data Sharing Project Finds Billions Paid to Same Likely Fraudsters Under Both the Unemployment Insurance and Economic Injury Disaster Loan Programs (SBA)

12/3 - Presidential Transitions: Security Clearance Background Investigations (CRS)

12/3 - Law Enforcement: DHS Could Better Address Bias Risk and Enhance Privacy Protections for Technologies Used in Public (GAO)

12/4 - How the Expiring Individual Income Tax Provisions in the 2017 Tax Act Affect CBO’s Economic Forecast (CBO)

12/5 - Federal Aviation Administration Oversight of Boeing (CRS)

12/5 - Plastic Pollution and Policy Considerations: Frequently Asked Questions (CRS)

12/2 - National HIV Progress Report, 2024 (CDC)

12/2 - Final Report: COVID Select Concludes 2-Year Investigation, Issues 500+ Page Final Report on Lessons Learned and the Path Forward (Congress/House Oversight; direct to majority report; see also, Ranking Member Ruiz Leads Select Subcommittee Democrats in Releasing Final Report Debunking Extreme Republican Probes; direct to minority report)

12/3 - CREAT: Census Research Exploration and Analysis Tool added to Data Tools page (Census)

12/3 - Unauthorized Disposition of Federal Records: 1) EOUSA, founded: Audio recording on a personal device was deleted; 2) VA, founded: Agency reported that a private researcher used a VA desktop to gain access to the VA Corporate Data Warehouse (CDW) and downloaded a series of Research Investigator Files to include patient personal identifiers. The data was found on the private researcher’s personal laptop. (NARA)

12/3 - Despite critical report, Biden hasn’t taken disciplinary action against DHS watchdog (via GovExec)

12/3 - Inside the Supreme Court Ethics Debate: Who Judges the Justices? (via NYT)

12/4 - As the Supreme Court Weighs Trans Care for Minors, Adults Are in the Crosshairs (via Mother Jones)

12/4 - Jeffries stays out of the way as Dems mutiny against senior panel leaders (via Politico)

12/4 - Biden White House Is Discussing Preemptive Pardons for Those in Trump’s Crosshairs (via Politico)

12/5 - E&C Democrats Press DOE Inspector General for More Answers on $20 Million Contract Award Following Inadequate Responses (Congress/House Energy)

12/5 - Crawford, CIA Subcommittee Release Interim Report on Havana Syndrome (Congress/House Intel; direct to report; see also, ranking member statement)

12/5 - Trump’s victory has some liberal judges reversing their retirement plans (via CNN)

12/5 - Biden Has Just 7 Weeks to Secure His Conservation Legacy (via Heatmap)

12/6 - US appeals court upholds law forcing sale or ban of TikTok (via The Guardian; see also, source document)

12/6 - US House blocks release of ethics report on former congressman Matt Gaetz (via JURIST, with links to source documents)

12/6 - New tool from [Tyler McBrien]: a searchable archive of the Department of Justice's Civil Rights Division reports and findings letters from investigations into patterns and practices of excessive force, biased policing, and other unconstitutional practices by law enforcement (via McBrien on Bluesky; direct to resource)

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

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12/5 - Oversight of the U.S. Census Bureau (House Oversight; see also, chair and ranking member opening remarks | majority and minority post-hearing statements)

12/5 - Examining the Public Health Impacts of PFAS Exposures (Senate Environment)

12/5 - Oversight of the United States Postal Service: Understanding Proposed Service Changes (Senate Homeland; see also, ranking member post-hearing statement)