WASHINGTON, Dec. 17 -- The U.S. Department of Agriculture Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service issued the following news: The United States Department of Agriculture's (USDA) Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) has confirmed the presence of highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) in a non-commercial backyard flock (non-poultry) in Bossier Parish, Louisiana. This is the first case of HPAI in domestic birds in Louisiana during this outbreak, which began in February 2022. Sa  more

OFFUTT AIR FORCE BASE, Nebraska, Dec. 18 -- The U.S. Strategic Command issued the following news: By Airman First Class Laiken King, 2nd Bomb Wing Public Affairs RAF FAIRFORD, England - The 20th Expeditionary Bomb Squadron deployed to RAF Fairford, England, Nov. 4 - Dec. 12, 2024, for Bomber Task Force 25-1. BTF operations are the global employment of U.S. strategic bombers in various capacities, providing strategic military advantage throughout the continuum of campaigning to achieve Nationa  more

WASHINGTON, Dec. 18 -- The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services' Centers for Disease Control and Prevention issued the following news release: A patient has been hospitalized with a severe case of avian influenza A(H5N1) virus ("H5N1 bird flu") infection in Louisiana. This marks the first instance of severe illness linked to the virus in the United States. The case was confirmed by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) on Friday, December 13. Since April 2024, there have   more

PHOENIX, Arizona, Dec. 19 -- The Arizona Commerce Authority posted the following news: CASA GRANDE, AZ (December 17, 2024) -- Chlorum Solutions USA LLC, today formally announced the development of its first small-scale U.S. chlor-alkali plant in Casa Grande, Arizona. The plant will enhance local supply chain resilience in the U.S. chemical industry with its innovative decentralized model tailored for this purpose. The Arizona facility will be a model of environmentally friendly, safe practices  more

WASHINGTON, Dec. 16 -- The U.S. Department of Labor Wage and Hour Division issued the following news release: * * * SafeCare misclassified employees, ApexCare withheld overtime from workers * * * NEW ORLEANS - More than 100 people working as home care companions will receive their share of nearly $355,000 in back wages and damages after investigations by the U.S. Department of Labor's Wage and Hour Division of two southern Louisiana home care providers under common ownership. Investigators   more

WASHINGTON, Dec. 19 -- The Federal Communications Commission's Wireline Competition Bureau issued the following public notice (WC Docket No. 24-711) on Dec. 18, 2024: * * * Re: Copper Retirement Network Change Certification Received BellSouth Telecommunications, LLC d/b/a AT&T Louisiana (AT&T), an incumbent local exchange carrier (LEC), has filed certification that public notice of network change(s) involving the retirement of copper has been provided through its publicly accessible Internet   more

DALLAS, Texas, Dec. 19 -- The Federal Home Loan Bank of Dallas, a district bank in the Federal Home Loan Bank System, issued the following news release: In response to the challenges faced by small businesses impacted by flooding and wildfires in New Mexico, the Federal Home Loan Bank of Dallas (FHLB Dallas) is offering $1 million in grants through the Small Business Recovery Grant (SBRG) program to support recovery efforts in affected counties. The program will be available to eligible small  more

DALLAS, Texas, Dec. 17 -- The Federal Home Loan Bank of Dallas, a district bank in the Federal Home Loan Bank System, issued the following news release: LAS VEGAS, NEW MEXICO -- The Federal Home Loan Bank of Dallas (FHLB Dallas), along with Community 1st Bank, provided $9,000 in Partnership Grant Program (PGP) funding to the Las Vegas Arts Council to promote economic and artistic development in Las Vegas, New Mexico. In this case, FHLB Dallas member institution Community 1st Bank provided a $1  more

BATON ROUGE, Louisiana, Dec. 19 -- Gov. Jeff Landry, R-Louisiana, issued the following news on Dec. 18, 2024: * * * Ignores Real Economic Data, Benefits to American States * * * Governor Jeff Landry, Chairman of the Governors' Coalition for Energy Security (GCES), challenged the Department of Energy's new liquefied natural gas (LNG) export study. This study used selective data and pre-determined conclusions that contradict the Department of Energy's own data, comprehensive market analysis, a  more

LINCOLN, Nebraska, Dec. 19 -- Nebraska Attorney General Mike Hilgers issued the following news release on Dec. 18, 2024: Nebraska Attorney General Mike Hilgers joined a 13-state coalition to defend the Dakota Access Pipeline, which has safely transported oil and gas from North Dakota to Illinois for the past seven years. Keeping the Dakota Access Pipeline open significantly benefits Nebraskans. Without the pipeline, crude oil would be either shipped by truck or train through Nebraska. Thus, th  more

COLUMBIA, South Carolina, Dec. 19 -- South Carolina Attorney General Alan Wilson issued the following news on Dec. 18, 2024: South Carolina Attorney General Alan Wilson co-led a 23-state brief filed today with the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit aimed at protecting students' First Amendment right to free speech. The case is about a school district in Ohio that adopted policies requiring everyone to use students' preferred pronouns. A group of parents challenged the policies but los  more

COLUMBIA, South Carolina, Dec. 19 -- South Carolina Attorney General Alan Wilson issued the following news on Dec. 18, 2024: South Carolina Attorney General Alan Wilson co-led a 25-state brief filed today in federal court to protect small businesses and uphold states' authority to regulate the formation of corporations. The brief asks the 5th Circuit Court of Appeals to uphold a ruling by a lower court that the Corporate Transparency Act is unconstitutional. "Right before Christmas, the federa  more

NASHVILLE, Tennessee, Dec. 19 -- Gov. Bill Lee, R-Tennessee, issued the following news on Dec. 18, 2024: * * * Lee leads bipartisan coalition of 33 governors in letter to the Biden Administration * * * Tennessee Gov. Bill Lee led a bipartisan coalition of 33 governors in urging President Biden to act following a decision to halt foreign adoptions by The People's Republic of China (PRC). The suspension of China's intercountry adoption program has indefinitely delayed the adoptions of more tha  more

WASHINGTON, Dec. 17 -- The U.S. Department of Agriculture's National Agricultural Statistics Service issued the following news release on Dec. 16, 2024: Total sales of aquaculture products in 2023 were $1.9 billion, an increase of 26% from 2018, according to the 2023 Census of Aquaculture released today by USDA's National Agricultural Statistics Service. In 2023, there were 3,453 aquaculture farms with sales in the United States, up 18% from 2018. Five states - Mississippi, Washington, Louisian  more