WASHINGTON, Nov. 12 (TNSrep) -- The Congressional Research Service issued the following report (No. R48209) on Oct. 4, 2024, entitled "A Binding Debt Limit - Background and Possible Consequences:" (Continued from Part 3 of 4) * * * Potential Economic and Financial Effects A binding debt limit would not only hinder federal finances and operations, but could also trigger severe economic and financial consequences. A 1979 GAO report noted that a federal default caused by a binding debt limit co  more

WASHINGTON, Nov. 12 -- Rep. Gerald "Gerry" Connolly, D-Virginia, issued the following news: Congressman Gerry Connolly (D-VA) will hold his 16th annual Open Season Workshop on November 16, 2024 to assist federal employees, retirees, servicemembers, and veterans in navigating changes to the Federal Employees Health Benefits Plans (FEHBP) and dental and vision insurance programs. The program will feature a panel of experts, including representatives from the various health care plans, to an  more

WASHINGTON, Nov. 12 -- The U.S. Department of Homeland Security Federal Emergency Management Agency issued the following news release: BRISTOL, Va. More than $10 million in federal disaster assistance has been approved for over 3,549 households in Virginia following the impacts of Hurricane Helene. This milestone is accompanied by other important moments in disaster assistance and recovery. "Our focus during the Hurricane Helene recovery in Southwest Virginia will always be helping the survivo  more

WASHINGTON, Nov. 12 -- The Naval Sea Systems Command issued the following news: PORT HUENEME, Calif. A Royal Australian Navy Officer graduated for the first time from the U.S. Navy Engineering Duty Officer (EDO) School, during a ceremony at Naval Base Ventura County in Port Hueneme, Calif. on 7 Nov. Royal Australian Navy (RAN) CMDR Stephen completed five weeks of training in support of the Australia, United Kingdom, United States (AUKUS) enhanced trilateral security partnership's Optimal Pathw  more

PEARL HARBOR, Hawaii, Nov. 12 -- The Commander of the Hawaii Navy Region issued the following news: From Kyler Hood, Commander Navy Region Hawaii JOINT BASE PEARL HARBOR-HICKAM, Hawaii - When Information Systems Technician 1st Class (IT1) Maria Edwards, 41, got a stage three breast cancer diagnosis in 2022, her life was upended. The process for medical retirement from the Navy began while she underwent chemotherapy. Then another complication came up: her mother who came to Hawaii to care for E  more

WASHINGTON, Nov. 13 -- The U.S. Department of Justice issued the following news release on Nov. 12, 2024: A former member of the U.S. Air National Guard (USANG), Jack Douglas Teixeira, 22, of North Dighton, Massachusetts, was sentenced today in federal court in Boston for retaining and transmitting hundreds of pages of classified National Defense Information (NDI), including many documents designated top secret, on an online social media platform in 2022 and 2023. Teixeira, was sentenced to 15   more

WASHINGTON, Nov. 13 -- The U.S. Department of Justice issued the following news release: * * * Athena Services International LLC, Athena Joint Venture Services LLC, and Owner Agree to Pay Over $1.6M to Resolve Related Allegations * * * Herndon, Virginia-based contractor Paragon Systems Inc. (Paragon) has agreed to pay to the United States $52 million to settle allegations that the company violated the False Claims Act by knowingly causing purported small businesses that it controlled to frau  more

WASHINGTON, Nov. 13 -- The office of the U.S. Attorney for the District of Maryland issued the following news release: Herndon, Virginia-based contractor Paragon Systems Inc. (Paragon) has agreed to pay to the United States $52 million to settle allegations that the company violated the False Claims Act by knowingly causing purported small businesses that it controlled to fraudulently obtain small business set-aside contracts. The settlement further resolves allegations that Paragon violated th  more

WASHINGTON, Nov. 12 -- The Naval Sea Systems Command issued the following news: The Navy has awarded a $960.8 million firm-fixed-price multiyear contract to Kongsberg Defence and Aerospace (KDA) for the Over the Horizon Weapons System (OTH-WS) Naval Strike Missile (NSM) requirement, Nov. 12. The OTH NSM provides the U.S. and its allies with long range anti-surface offensive strike capability as well as increased coastline defense, deterrence, and interoperability. "This multi-year procurement  more

WASHINGTON, Nov. 12 -- The U.S. Department of Homeland Security's Customs and Border Protection issued the following news release: Customs and Border Protection is proud to partner with the Commonwealth of Virginia and more than 175 local, state and federal agencies from 13 states in Operation FREE (Fentanyl Awareness, Reduction, Enforcement and Eradication), making 1,081 arrests and seizing 267 firearms and thousands of pounds of narcotics, including several hundred pounds of fentanyl in 45 da  more

ALEXANDRIA, Virginia, Nov. 13 -- The office of the U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia issued the following news release on Nov. 12, 2024: A Virginia Beach man pled guilty today to possession of a machinegun, being a felon in possession of a firearm, possession with intent to distribute fentanyl, and possession of a firearm during and in relation to a drug trafficking crime. According to court documents, on June 8, Taekwon Malik Morris, 27, was driving a vehicle with expired tem  more

WASHINGTON, Nov. 12 -- Sen. Mark Warner, D-Virginia, issued the following news release: Today, U.S. Sen. Mark R. Warner (D-VA), co-chair of the Senate India Caucus, announced the first shipment of U.S.-grown turkey products from Virginia to India, marking a historic milestone in international trade, expanding the reach of American turkey products in global markets, and opening new doors for U.S. turkey producers. This shipment comes as a result of a recent trade agreement and tariff reduction,  more

WASHINGTON, Nov. 12 -- Sen. Mark Warner, D-Virginia, issued the following news release: Sens. Mark R. Warner and Tim Kaine and U.S. Rep. Don Beyer (all D-VA) released the statement below following the release of a report by the Department of the Interior's Office of the Inspector General on the use of deadly force by U.S. Park Police officers against Bijan Ghaisar. "The death of Bijan Ghaisar remains a great tragedy. Despite the OIG's findings that the officers who killed Bijan Ghaisar did not  more