WASHINGTON, Nov. 1 -- The National Railroad Passenger Corporation (Amtrak) issued the following news: Amtrak has been awarded nearly $126 million from the Federal Railroad Administration's Consolidated Rail Infrastructure and Safety Improvements (CRISI) competitive grant program for Fiscal Year 2023-2024. Many Amtrak partners also received funding that will improve the safety, efficiency and reliability of Amtrak service and support the expansion of intercity passenger rail. "These grants will  more

WASHINGTON, Nov. 2 -- The National Railroad Passenger Corporation (Amtrak) issued the following news: CHICAGO - Amtrak and Midwestern partners have been awarded up to $300 million to improve passenger rail service with grants from the Federal Railroad Administration's Consolidated Rail Infrastructure and Safety Improvements (CRISI) competitive grant program. "These grants will directly support Amtrak priorities, including the Chicago Hub Improvement Program (CHIP) - an Amtrak-led Midwest megap  more

WASHINGTON, Nov. 1 -- The U.S. Department of Agriculture issued the following news release: Nov. 1, 2024 Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack today announced that students eligible for free and reduced price school meals must not be charged junk fees along with the cost of a meal served through the School Breakfast Program and National School Lunch Program. This policy, effective school year 2027-2028, will lower costs for families with income under 185% of federal poverty guidelines equal to $57,  more

WASHINGTON, Nov. 1 -- The U.S. Department of Homeland Security Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency has released the following public communication dated Oct. 23, 2024, from the Elections Infrastructure Information Sharing and Analysis Center Executive Committee: * * * Agency Name: Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency Docket Number: CISA-2024-0021 Subject: Response to Nationwide Cyber Security Review Information Collection Activity From: Election Infrastructure Infor  more

WASHINGTON, Nov. 2 -- The General Services Administration Public Buildings Service has issued a notice and announcement of public hearing, published in the Federal Register on Oct. 1, 2024, entitled "Availability for a Draft Environmental Impact Statement for the Grand Portage Land Port of Entry Modernization and Expansion Project in Grand Portage, Minnesota." SUMMARY: This notice announces the availability of the Draft Environmental Impact Statement (EIS), which examines potential environment  more

WASHINGTON, Nov. 2 -- The U.S. Department of Justice issued the following news release on Nov. 1, 2024: * * * Civil Rights Division Staff Available to Receive Nationwide Reports Throughout Election Day * * * The Justice Department announced today that it plans to monitor compliance with federal voting rights laws in 86 jurisdictions in 27 states for the Nov. 5 general election. The Justice Department enforces federal voting rights laws that protect the rights of all eligible citizens to acc  more

ST. PAUL, Minnesota, Nov. 2 -- Gov. Tim Walz, D-Minnesota, issued the following proclamation: * * * WHEREAS: Over 13,000 soldiers, airmen, and civilian employees serve the Minnesota National Guard with over 600 Minnesota military service members currently deployed worldwide; and WHEREAS: Minnesota service members rely on their families and loved ones who stand alongside, providing strength, stability, and encouragement; and WHEREAS: For generations, military families have had their loved one  more

ST. PAUL, Minnesota, Oct. 30 -- The Minnesota Senate Republican Caucus posted the following document on behalf of State Sen. Rich Draheim, R-Madison Lake: * * * This month I thought I would provide a brief rundown of a few key issues I've been hearing about a lot in my conversations with you each day. If there is something on your mind you do not see listed here, please give me a call or shoot me an email. I'd love to hear about it! Cost of living, spending, taxes, and fees: This is still th  more

ROCKVILLE, Maryland, Nov. 1 -- The National Institutes of Health's Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child's Health and Human Development issued the following news: * * * Innovative devices could improve fetal health outcomes in low-resource settings * * * The National Institutes of Health has announced winners of the Rapid Acceleration of Diagnostics Technology (RADx(R) Tech) Fetal Monitoring Challenge, a $2 million prize competition to speed development of innovative medical tec  more

WASHINGTON, Nov. 1 -- Rep. Ilhan Omar, D-Minnesota, issued the following news release: Today, Rep. Omar joined a letter to President Biden, led by Congresswoman Rashida Tlaib (MI-12) and Congresswoman Cori Bush (MO-01), questioning the involvement of the U.S. Armed Forces in the Israeli government's expanding regional war across the Middle East, including in the ground invasions of Lebanon and Gaza, and the recent exchanges of hostilities between Israel and Iran. The Biden administration has d  more

WASHINGTON, Nov. 1 -- The U.S. Department of the Interior's U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service issued the following news release: They have quirky names and are often mistaken for stones, but freshwater mussels are very much alive and perform critical ecological functions in rivers and streams. We at the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service have published a recovery plan to save four imperiled mussels protected under the Endangered Species Act: the rayed bean, sheepnose, snuffbox and spectaclecase. The   more

WASHINGTON, Nov. 2 -- Sen. Amy Klobuchar, D-Minnesota, issued the following news release on Nov. 1, 2024: MINNEAPOLIS, MN - Today, U.S. Senators Amy Klobuchar and Tina Smith (both D-MN), announced over $112 million in federal funding to help families and seniors pay for energy costs this winter. The funding was made possible in part through the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, which both Klobuchar and Smith helped pass. "As Minnesota prepares for winter, families shouldn't have to choose between  more

WASHINGTON, Nov. 1 -- The U.S. Department of Agriculture issued the following news release: As Part of President Biden's American Rescue Plan, Funding Will Help Grocers, Markets and Other Organizations Provide Healthy Food Options to Underserved Communities Nov. 1, 2024 U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Deputy Secretary Xochitl Torres Small announced today that USDA is partnering with Reinvestment Fund to invest nearly $6 million to improve access to healthy foods in underserved communiti  more