DOE opens nearly $147 million in small-business funding
DOE opened nearly $147 million in Phase II funding plus a Genesis Mission Phase I opportunity for eligible U.S. small businesses developing advanced technologies.
National
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USDA farm-aid deadlines approach for specialty crops and disaster losses
Farmers face Aug. 7, Aug. 12 and Aug. 31 deadlines for specialty-crop aid, disaster relief and ARC/PLC base-acre reviews.
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FDA Tracker Lists Four Unresolved Foodborne-Illness Investigations
FDA lists 93 Cyclospora, 212 Salmonella Javiana, nine Listeria and 90 Salmonella Oranienburg cases, but no single confirmed nationwide source.
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GAO Finds Fraud-Risk Gaps Across $1.1 Trillion in Programs
A new GAO review found that 15 of 20 major state-administered federal programs lacked documented, systematic fraud-risk assessments.
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NHTSA proposes dropping brake-pedal rule for driverless vehicles
NHTSA proposes letting purpose-built driverless vehicles meet federal brake rules without pedals, but the plan is pending and does not authorize nationwide robotaxis.
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BLM: Trump order did not automatically reopen closed public-land routes
A new BLM directive keeps current OHV rules and route designations in place while the agency begins rulemaking under President Trump’s May access order.
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FERC orders Western grid operators to report on seams by Sept. 30
FERC ordered CAISO and SPP to explain how they manage Western grid seams by Sept. 30, as new markets and power flows expand across the region.
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FTC weighs consumer-law theory for hidden AI objectives
The FTC is considering whether undisclosed AI objectives that steer answers away from users’ reasonable expectations could violate existing federal law.
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Federal Civil-Rights Data Collection Sets 2025-26 Reporting for Schools
A renewed federal civil-rights data collection will require covered public schools and districts to report 2025-26 data on access, discipline, safety and disability services.
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Pew Study Finds Four Patterns of Civic Participation in the U.S.
A Pew study identifies four civic-participation patterns, showing how voting, volunteering, news use, group membership and community life overlap.
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CMS Proposes Medicare Oversight and Home-Health Payment Changes
CMS proposes broader Medicare enrollment enforcement and a projected 2.4% aggregate home-health payment increase for 2027. Comments are due August 31.
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Homeowner Assistance Fund Deadline Nears as Relief Program Winds Down
Homeowners should check local assistance programs now: federal HAF funding ends September 30, 2026, and some programs may close sooner.
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ACA Marketplace Plans Shift Toward Higher Deductibles in 2026
CMS reports 23.1 million 2026 Marketplace selections, but bronze plans gained share as average premiums and deductibles rose after enhanced credits expired.
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What the next jobs report could show about wages and worker pay
The July jobs report is due August 7. Here are the wage, hours and revision figures workers and households should watch against June’s baseline.
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World Cup Hotel Gains Were Real but Uneven Across U.S. Cities
The 2026 World Cup filled stadiums and lifted hotel rates, but final data show uneven occupancy, displaced group travel and no uniform U.S. hotel boom.
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DOJ’s proposed Keystone settlement sets safeguards, comment deadline
A proposed DOJ settlement over the 2022 Kansas Keystone spill would require a $26.9 million penalty, about $40 million in safeguards and public comments by August 14.
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DOT Extends Pause on Refund Enforcement for Renumbered Flights
DOT extended through July 7, 2027, a temporary pause on enforcing refund rules for some renumbered flights, but major itinerary changes still qualify.
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Supreme Court leaves $656 million judgment against Palestinian authorities in place
Justice Sonia Sotomayor declined on August 3 to pause enforcement of a roughly $656 million judgment while the Palestinian Authority and PLO appeal.
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What Congress’s August Recess Could Mean for Federal Workers
Congress is weighing competing funding extensions before its August recess. Here is what the December deadlines could mean for workers and services.
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FCC’s ABC license review reaches an August 5 reply deadline
Replies are due August 5 in the FCC’s early renewal review of eight ABC-owned stations, a procedural step in a broader fight over broadcast oversight.
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Cameron Hamilton’s FEMA Nomination Reaches Senate Cloture Stage
A Senate cloture motion has moved Cameron Hamilton’s FEMA nomination closer to a confirmation vote, but he remains unconfirmed and FEMA rules have not changed.
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New President’s House exhibit tests who controls public history
A replacement exhibit in Philadelphia keeps slavery in view but changes its emphasis, raising questions about federal authority over historic interpretation.