National News

Senate approves Bost effort to protect veterans’ 2nd Amendment rights 

WASHINGTON, D.C. – The U.S. Senate has approved an amendment patterned after legislation introduced by U.S. Rep. Mike Bost (IL-12) to protect veterans’ Second Amendment rights. Bost, the chairman of the House Veterans’ Affairs Committee, introduced legislation earlier this year that would end the Department of Veterans Affairs’ practice of automatically submitting veterans’ names for background […]

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As Disability Employment Awareness Month winds down, more effort is needed to increase inclusivity for disabled workers

CLEARWATER, Fla. — As the US Department of Labor’s National Disability Employment Awareness month comes to a close, large disparities still divide the workforce, excluding one of the greatest assets to American businesses, individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD).   According to recent statistics published by the US Department of Labor’s Office of Disability

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EPA has $3.5M for environmental justice projects in communities across Missouri

LENEXA, Kan. – The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has announced it has $3.5 million to fund six projects across Missouri that advance environmental justice as part of President Biden’s Investing in America agenda. The organizations, which EPA has selected through its Environmental Justice Collaborative Problem-Solving Cooperative Agreement and Environmental Justice Government-to-Government programs, will use the

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SBA announces National Veterans Small Business Week

WASHINGTON – On Tuesday, Administrator Isabel Guzman, the head of the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) and voice in President Biden’s Cabinet for America’s more than 33 million small businesses, announced the SBA will celebrate the 10th annual National Veterans Small Business Week (NVSBW) from Oct. 30 to Nov. 3.   Throughout the week, the

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EPA finalizes rule to require enhanced PFAS reporting

LENEXA, Kan.– The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) finalized a rule that improves reporting on per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) to the Toxics Release Inventory (TRI) by eliminating an exemption that allowed facilities to avoid reporting information on PFAS when those chemicals were used in small concentrations. Often referred to as “forever chemicals,” PFAS are used

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Ban on trichloroethylene proposed to protect public from toxic chemical

LENEXA, Kan. – The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has announced a proposal to ban all uses of trichloroethylene (TCE), an extremely toxic chemical known to cause serious health risks including cancer, neurotoxicity, and reproductive toxicity. TCE is used in cleaning and furniture care products, degreasers, brake cleaners, and tire repair sealants, and a variety

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Nearly $50M in grants available to strengthen forest products economy

MILWAUKEE, Wisc. – The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Forest Service is making nearly $50 million in grant funding available for projects that support crucial links between healthy forests, strong rural economies and jobs in the forestry sector. Made possible by the Inflation Reduction Act and Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, the funding will spark innovation, create new

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SBA Administrator Guzman and business leaders reaffirm support for 8(a) Program

WASHINGTON – Business leaders across the country are joining the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) in voicing support for the agency’s 8(a) Business Development Program, the federal government’s premier business development program helping socially and economically disadvantaged small business owners expand their footprint in the federal marketplace through training and contract support. In light of a United States District Court ruling in Ultima Servs.

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Starved Rock State Park voted as Illinois’ Top ‘Hidden Gem’ to see fall foliage

PORTLAND, Ore. – Each Fall, images appear online showcasing some of the most stunning examples of foliage. Most of these hotspots occur in New England. For example, the entire state of Vermont is a canvas of fall colors, and the Green Mountains are especially renowned. However, many Americans are perhaps unaware of alternative ‘hidden gems’

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EPA determines that lead emissions from aircraft engines cause or contribute to air pollution  

LENEXA, KAN. – The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has announced its final determination that emissions of lead from aircraft that operate on leaded fuel cause or contribute to air pollution which may reasonably be anticipated to endanger public health and welfare under the Clean Air Act.   “The science is clear: exposure to lead

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