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📈USPTO Finalizes Trademark Fee Adjustments for FY 2025

The United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) is correcting nonsubstantive errors in the preamble and regulatory text of a final rule that appeared in the Federal Register on November 18, 2024. That final rule set or adjusted trademark fees as authorized by the Leahy-Smith America Invents Act (AIA), as amended by the Study of Underrepresented Classes Chasing Engineering and Science Success Act of 2018 (SUCCESS Act). This action is necessary to address potential confusion for impacted entities that could result if these errors are not corrected. These corrections do not result in any substantive changes to the final rule.

🌊Corps of Engineers

The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (Corps) ACF is correcting a final rule (FR) that was published in the Federal Register on December 19, 2024, with an effective date of January 17, 2025. This rule establishes Agency Specific Procedures (ASPs) for the Corps to implement the Principles, Requirements, and Guidelines (PR&G) for Federal water resources investments. It provides a framework to govern how the Corps would evaluate proposed water resources investments, subject to the PR&G. The rule incorporates recommendations from interested parties. This correction ensures that this final rule will be effective 30 days after its publication on December 19, 2024, which is January 18, 2025.

⚖️Inflation Adjustments for Civil Money Penalties Effective 2025

This rule implements inflation adjustments to civil money penalties (CMPs) that the Farm Credit System Insurance Corporation (FCSIC) may impose under the Farm Credit Act of 1971, as amended. These adjustments are required by 2015 amendments to the Federal Civil Penalties Inflation Adjustment Act of 1990.

📑Revised Advance Information Collection Notice for Border Activities

The Department of Homeland Security, U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) will be submitting the following information collection request to the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) for review and approval in accordance with the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995 (PRA). The information collection is published in the Federal Register to obtain comments from the public and affected agencies.

🚫New CFPB Rule Prohibits Medical Debt in Credit Decisions

The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) is issuing a final rule amending Regulation V, which implements the Fair Credit Reporting Act (FCRA), concerning medical information. The FCRA prohibits creditors from considering medical information in credit eligibility determinations. The CFPB is removing a regulatory exception that had permitted creditors to obtain and use information on medical debts notwithstanding this statutory limitation. The final rule also provides that a consumer reporting agency generally may not furnish to a creditor a consumer report containing information on medical debt that the creditor is prohibited from using.

⚡Combined Notice of Natural Gas Pipeline Rate Filings - 2025

⚖️Investigation Notice on Urine Splash Guards by the USITC

Notice is hereby given that a complaint was filed with the U.S. International Trade Commission on December 6, 2024, under section 337 of the Tariff Act of 1930, as amended, on behalf of For Kids By Parents, Inc. of Potomac, Maryland. The complaint alleges violations of section 337 based upon the importation into the United States, the sale for importation, and the sale within the United States after importation of certain urine splash guards and components thereof by reason of the infringement of certain claims of U.S. Patent No. 7,870,619 ("the '619 patent") and U.S. Patent No. 11,812,901 ("the '901 patent"). The complaint further alleges that an industry in the United States exists as required by the applicable Federal Statute. The complainant requests that the Commission institute an investigation and, after the investigation, issue a general exclusion order, or in the alternative a limited exclusion order, and cease and desist orders.

🐟Atlantic Herring Fishery 2025 Possession Limit Adjustment Notification

NMFS is implementing a 2,000-lb (907.2-kg) possession limit for Atlantic herring for Management Area 1B. This is required because NMFS projects that herring catch from Area 1B will reach 92 percent of the Area's sub-annual catch limit before the end of the fishing year. This action is intended to prevent overharvest of herring in Area 1B, which would result in additional catch limit reductions in a subsequent year.

🏢Succession Order for Office of Personnel Management Director

🚚Analysis of the Draft Designation of National Multimodal Freight Network

The U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT or Department) is publishing a draft designation of the National Multimodal Freight Network (NMFN or Network) as required Federal law. The designation is informed by the comments received on a notice published by DOT on April 12, 2024. DOT is also using this notice to request comments or proposed modifications to the draft Network prior to designating the Network. Once the Network is designated by DOT, States will have the opportunity to submit additional designations through the "State Input" process required by statute.