Government

Via press release: The U.S. Department of Transportation’s Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) released a new public service announcement and levied $119,000 in civil penalties against passengers for alleged violations of federal regulations as part of its Zero Tolerance efforts against unruly behavior. As part of the FAA’s Zero Tolerance campaign, the web video features children explaining how to behave on …

PBS reports: New Jersey Gov. Phil Murphy announced Wednesday that Andrew Bruck would be appointed acting attorney general for the remainder of Murphy’s term. Bruck, who is first assistant attorney general, has been part of the office’s executive leadership since outgoing Attorney General Gurbir Grewal was confirmed in January 2018. The announcement comes one day after the Securities and Exchange …

Gothamist reports: The MTA has unveiled the first of the brand new subway cars that will begin replacing some of the system’s creakiest trains at the end of next year. At a rail yard in Sunset Park on Thursday, transit officials pulled back the curtain on a handful of long-awaited R211 cars. The new model — part of a $1.4 …

Deadline reports: The National Security Agency has given Tucker Carlson a lesson in spycraft and fake news. One which looks certain to crank up the volume in the now war of words, real and imagined. In a rare social media rebuke, the agency shot down the Fox News Channel host’s recent self-described “shocking claim” that he and his prime time …

CNBC reports: Virgin Galactic announced Friday that the Federal Aviation Administration granted the company the license it needs to fly passengers on future spaceflights, a key hurdle as the venture completes development testing. “The commercial license that we have had in place since 2016 remains in place, but is now cleared to allow us to carry commercial passengers when we’re …

The New York Times reports: The government still has no explanation for nearly all of the scores of unidentified aerial phenomena reported over almost two decades and investigated by a Pentagon task force, according to a report released on Friday, a result that is likely to fuel theories of otherworldly visitations. A total of 143 reports gathered since 2004 remain …

Via press release from the Justice Department: The Justice Department announced today that it has reached a settlement to resolve a claim that Night and Day Dental Inc. discriminated against a woman with HIV in violation of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA). Night and Day Dental operates nine dental offices throughout North Carolina. This settlement is part of the …

“We can’t wait until the next election because if we have the same kinds of shenanigans that brought about January 6, if we have that for a couple more election cycles, we’re going to have real problems in terms of our democracy [in the] long term. “Since I left office I’ve tried to make a policy not to weigh in …

The Birmingham News reports: The Federal Aviation Administration is considering a plan to land commercial space vehicles in Alabama. The agency recently released information about a proposal by the Huntsville airport and Nevada-based Sierra Space to use the site roughly 15 miles (24 kilometers) west of downtown to land ships that resemble a small space shuttle with upswept wings. The …

CNN reports: States across the country are scrambling to close their government offices Friday after President Joe Biden signed legislation establishing Juneteenth as a US federal holiday. While June 19 — which commemorates the end of slavery in the United States — falls on a Saturday this year, governors across the country announced in quick succession a range of plans …

CBS News reports: A bipartisan group of senators reached a deal Thursday on infrastructure legislation, after President Biden ended negotiations with a team of Republican senators on Tuesday. The group of five Republicans and five Democrats released a joint statement Thursday afternoon saying they had reached an agreement, although they did not offer any details about it. “Our group – …

Gothamist reports: Governor Andrew Cuomo announced today that the vast majority of New York’s coronavirus restrictions and safety measures will be lifted once 70% of adults have received at least one dose of the COVID-19 vaccine—which he estimated could happen within the next two weeks. All capacity restrictions, social distancing, cleaning and disinfection requirements, health screenings ,and contact tracing would …

CNBC reports: The Food and Drug Administration on Monday approved Biogen Alzheimer’s drug aducanumab, making it the first drug cleared by U.S. regulators to slow cognitive decline in people living with Alzheimer’s and the first new medicine for the disease in nearly two decades. The FDA’s decision was highly anticipated. The drug, which is marketed under the name Aduhelm, is …

The New York Times reports: American intelligence officials have found no evidence that aerial phenomena witnessed by Navy pilots in recent years are alien spacecraft, but they still cannot explain the unusual movements that have mystified scientists and the military, according to senior administration officials briefed on the findings of a highly anticipated government report. And while a forthcoming unclassified …

The Washington Post reports:  The U.S. Postal Service is raising rates on letters, magazines and marketing missives as much as 6.9 percent this summer, sending the cost of a first-class stamp from 55 to 58 cents, as the agency leans into an expansive restructuring plan that codifies slower mail delivery and streamlines agency operations. The rate structure announced Friday represents …

ABC News reports: Joseph Costello, a high school freshman, will have his college education paid for thanks to getting a COVID-19 vaccine. Joseph, of Englewood, Ohio, was announced Wednesday as the winner of a full-ride, four-year scholarship – with room, board, tuition and books – in Ohio’s Vax-a-Million lottery. “It feels very good,” Joseph, 14, said Thursday on “Good Morning …

NPR reports: The Transportation Security Administration, in the wake of the ransomware attack on the Colonial Pipeline that caused widespread gasoline disruptions earlier this month, has announced new reporting requirements for pipeline operators. In a security directive, the TSA, which oversees pipeline cybersecurity, said it will now require that pipeline operators report any cyberattacks on their systems to the federal …

The Insider reports: Sen. Elizabeth Warren plans to introduce legislation during this congressional session that would bar members of Congress and other top government officials from buying and selling individual stocks, she told Insider. “It is a no-brainer,” said Warren, a Massachusetts Democrat. “Every senator, member of Congress, president, Cabinet secretary, federal judge, and other senior officials in charge of …

Politico reports: Sen. Patrick Leahy (D-Vt.), who has served since 1975 and is in the line of presidential succession, is asking colleagues to support his potential campaign for a ninth term, according to Democratic senators who have spoken to him. The 81-year-old has also indicated to them that he believes he’s “the only Democrat that can win the seat,” said …

The Associated Press reports: The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention on Thursday will ease indoor mask-wearing guidance for fully vaccinated people, allowing them to safely stop wearing masks inside in most places, according to a person briefed on the announcement. The new guidance will still call for wearing masks in crowded indoor settings like buses, planes, hospitals, prisons and …