U.S. General Services Administration Issues Request for Information on Technology Business Management

U.S. General Services Administration Issues Request for Information on Technology Business Management

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Transparency in IT spending will improve outcomes and save taxpayer dollars



Washington, DC - - (June 18, 2018) - - The U.S. General Services Administration (GSA) today issued a Request for Information (RFI) seeking feedback from industry on how it can adopt Technology Business Management (TBM) across the federal government. Adopting the TBM Taxonomy will provide a standardized view of IT spend and provide greater transparency...

U.S. Small Business Administrator McMahon’s Statement on Association Health Plans

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Washington, DC - - (June 19, 2018) - - U.S. Small Business Administration Administrator Linda E. McMahon today issued the following statement in response to a U.S. Department of Labor rule expanding access to Association Health Plans (AHP): The President’s decision to expand access to affordable, quality health care through Association Health Plans (AHPs) is welcome news to tens of thousands of small businesses. This reform...

Secretary Zinke Praises President Trump's Government Reform and Modernization, Welcomes NMFS back to Interior

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Executive Branch reorg strengthens Zinke's plan to modernize and reorganize Interior; welcomes National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS) back to Interior



Washington, DC - - (June 21, 2018) - - Today, the U.S. Department of the Interior published the following information:

In accordance with President Donald J. Trump’s Executive Order 13781, the Executive Branch will undergo a reorganization to better meet the needs of Americans in...

Tobacco-Free Policies on the Rise Across US Colleges and Universities

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Many include e-cigarettes and hookahs



(June 21, 2018) - - Today, the (U.S.) Centers for Disease Control and Prevention published the following information:

More than twice as many U.S. college and university campuses were smoke free or tobacco free in 2017 as in 2012, according to a study by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and the American Nonsmokers’ Rights Foundation (ANRF), published today in CDC’s Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report. As of November 2017, at least 2,082 U.S. colleg...

U.S. Environmental Protection Agency Outlines Expectations for Next Phase of Chesapeake Bay Restoration Effort

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Philadelphia, PA - - (June 20, 2018) - - Today, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) sent letters to Pennsylvania, New York, Delaware, Maryland, Virginia, West Virginia, and the District of Columbia outlining what the agency expects to see in state and local implementation plans for the third phase of the Chesapeake Bay Total Maximum Daily Load (TMDL). “The Phase III Watershed Implementation Plans will provide clear roadmaps for how fed...

U.S. Department of Homeland Security Officials Discuss Efforts to Combat the Opioid Crisis

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(June 19, 2018) - - On today's date, the U.S. Department of Homeland Security published the following information: On June 19, Department of Homeland Security (DHS) officials participated in a hearing titled "Opioids in the Homeland: DHS Coordination with State and Local Partners to Fight the Epidemic." The hearing took place in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania and was held by the House Committee on Homeland Security’s Subcommittee on Oversigh...

Secretary Perdue Announces New Budget Director at U.S. Department of Agriculture

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Washington, DC - - (June 19, 2018) - - U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Sonny Perdue today announced the selection of Erica Navarro to serve as Director of the Office of Budget and Program Analysis (OBPA) for the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA). OBPA administers the Department's budgetary functions and also develops and presents budget-related matters. The Director is responsible for providing leadership in carrying out Department-wide responsibilities...

Five New Members Appointed to the 2018 ERISA Advisory Council

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The 2018 Advisory Council on Employee Welfare and Pension Benefit Plans, known as the Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974 (ERISA) Advisory Council, gets five new members.



Washington, DC - - (June 21, 2018) - - Today the U.S. Department of Labor announced the appointments of five new members as well as chair and vice chair to the 2018 Advisory Council on Employee Welfare and Pension Benefit Plans, known as the ERISA Advisory Council. "The ERISA Advisory Council advises the Department's work in enhancing and preserving the health and retirement benefits of America's workers," s...

U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs Provides Reorganization Plan to Strengthen and Modernize Department

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Washington, DC - - (June 21, 2018) - - Today the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) announced specific recommendations in the President’s “Delivering Government Solutions in the 21st Century” - Reform Plan and Reorganization Recommendations.” The plan is the result of President Trump’s Executive Order 13781 – “Executive Order on a Comprehensive Plan for Reorganizing the Executive Branch,” signed March 13, 2017. Specific mentions of VA are on page 57 and...

U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development and U.S. Census Bureau Report Residential Construction Activity in May 2018

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Washington, DC - - (June 19, 2018) - - The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) and the U.S. Census Bureau jointly announced the following new residential construction statistics for May 2018.






Building Permits: Privately owned housing units authorized by building permits in May were at a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 1,301,000. This is 4.6 percent (±1.4 percent) below the revised April rate of 1,364,000, but is 8.0 percent (±1.3...

National Nuclear Security Administration Awards Los Alamos National Laboratory Management & Operating Contract

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Washington, DC - - (June 8, 2018) - - The Department of Energy’s National Nuclear Security Administration (DOE/NNSA) announced today it has awarded Triad National Security, LLC the management and operating (M&O) contract for the Los Alamos National Laboratory (LANL) in Los Alamos, New Mexico. Triad National Security, LLC is a limited liability company, which consists of Battelle Memorial Institute, the Regents of the Univ...

SelectUSA’s Annual Summit Begins Today, Highlights Foreign Investment in U.S. with $600 Million for New Projects

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American Communities Look to Do Business with Global Companies at D.C. Summit



(June 20, 2018) - - On today's date, the U.S. Department of Commerce published the following information: Today, U.S. Secretary of Commerce Wilbur Ross opened the fifth annual SelectUSA Investment Summit, which brings together international companies, U.S. economic development organizations, and other stakeholders to explore job-creating investment ...

U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Investigation Update: Cyclosporiasis

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(June 19, 2018) - - Today the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention published the following statement:

CDC investigation announcement of a multistate outbreak of cyclosporiasis linked to Del Monte Fresh Produce Vegetable Trays, U.S. 2018 can be found here: https://www.cdc.gov/parasites/cyclos...018/index.html

Key points:

• CDC, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, and state and local public health partners are investigating a multistate outbreak of

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Statement from FDA Commissioner Scott Gottlieb, M.D., on New Guidance to Help Manufacturers Implement Protections Against Potential Attacks on the U.S. Food Supply

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(June 19, 2018) - - Today, U.S. Food and Drug Administration Commissioner Scott Gottlieb, M.D., issued the following Statement: In the U.S., we enjoy one of the safest food supplies in the world. The FDA takes its responsibility to protect the U.S. food supply very seriously. And while we work diligently to prevent accidental contaminations, it’s also our duty to take measures to protect our food from those who seek to deliberately do us harm. The likelihood of an incident at a particular facility is low, but the intentional adu...

President Donald J. Trump Helps Millions of Americans Employed By Small Businesses Gain Access to Quality, Affordable Health Coverage

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Washington, DC - - (June 19, 2018) - - The U.S. Department of Labor is helping millions of working Americans gain access to quality, affordable health insurance for themselves and their families. Many small businesses and their employees have struggled with government restrictions that limit access to quality, affordable health coverage. This Association Health Plan (AHP) reform will address many of the inequities between small and large businesses in access to that covera...

U.S. Health and Human Services Secretary Azar Praises Trump Administration Expansion of Health Insurance Options

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(June 19, 2018) - - HHS Secretary Alex Azar issued the following statement regarding the Department of Labor’s release of a final rule on the regulation of Association/Small Business Health Plans: “This action by the Trump Administration will give more Americans access to affordable, high-quality health insurance coverage. Allowing small businesses and individuals to band together to...

Space Policy Directive 3 Brings Space Traffic Coordination to Commerce

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(June 18, 2018) - - Today, U.S Secretary of Commerce Wilbur Ross praised President Donald J. Trump’s signing of Space Policy Directive 3 (SPD-3), America’s first National Space Traffic Management Policy. The policy acknowledges the rapidly increasing volume and diversity of commercial space activity and announces that the Department of Commerce should be the new civil agency interface for space traffic management (STM) and space situational awareness (SSA). “I commend President Trump and t...

U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs Issues New Policy to Protect Veteran Homeowners from Predatory Lending

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Washington, DC - - (June 15, 2018) - - The U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) has issued a new policy implementing the May 2018 Economic Growth, Regulatory Relief, and Consumer Protection Act, to protect Veteran homeowners from predatory lending practices when obtaining a VA-guaranteed refinance loan. The act helps protect Veterans and service members from the dangers associated with repeatedly refinancing their home loans, requiring, among other...

U.S. Department of Labor Announces Apprenticeship.gov to Connect Job Seekers and Employers

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Washington, DC - - (June 15, 2018) - - The U.S. Department of Labor today announced the launch of Apprenticeship.gov . Apprenticeship.gov delivers on the Task Force on Apprenticeship Expansion's recommendation to "compile apprenticeship information in a single, online, centralized website." The website will evolve into a robust one-stop platform to connect job seekers, job creators, training providers, parents, teachers, and federal and...

Preliminary Report Issued for Investigation of Fatal, Mountain View, California, Tesla Crash

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(June 7, 2018) - - The National Transportation Safety Board issued Thursday its preliminary report for the investigation of the fatal, March 23, 2018, crash of a Tesla on U.S. Highway 101 in Mountain View, California. Information contained in the report is preliminary and subject to change during the NTSB’s ongoing investigation. Preliminary reports, by their nature, do not contain analysis and do not discuss probable cause and as such, no conclusions about the cause of the crash should be drawn from the prelimi...