🐟Designation of Critical Habitat for Bay-Delta Longfin Smelt
We, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (Service), propose to designate critical habitat for the San Francisco Bay-Delta distinct population segment (DPS) of the longfin smelt (Spirinchus thaleichthys), a fish species from the San Francisco Bay estuary in California, under the Endangered Species Act of 1973, as amended (Act). In total, approximately 91,630 acres (37,082 hectares) in California fall within the boundaries of the proposed critical habitat designation. We also announce the availability of an economic analysis of the proposed designation of critical habitat for the species.
Learn More✈️TSA Updates Recordkeeping Requirements for Aviation Security Regulations
The Transportation Security Administration (TSA) is issuing technical amendments to certain aviation security regulations. The technical amendments to the regulations clarify that airport operators and aircraft operators are required to retain only the criminal records, including the application for a criminal history records check (CHRC), associated with an individual's current CHRC, CHRC certification, or authorization to perform a covered function and not records associated with previous CHRCs or employment investigations. Also, the technical amendments clarify that the records may be stored in paper or electronic form.
Learn More⚖️2025 Adjustments to Civil Monetary Penalties for Government Ethics
In accordance with the Federal Civil Penalties Inflation Adjustment Act Improvements Act of 2015, the U.S. Office of Government Ethics is issuing this final rule to make the 2025 annual adjustments to the Ethics in Government Act civil monetary penalties.
Learn More🤖New Export Controls Impacting AI Technology and Business Compliance
With this interim final rule, the Commerce Department's Bureau of Industry and Security (BIS) revises the Export Administration Regulations' (EAR) controls on advanced computing integrated circuits (ICs) and adds a new control on artificial intelligence (AI) model weights for certain advanced closed-weight dual-use AI models. In conjunction with the expansion of these controls, which BIS has determined are necessary to protect U.S. national security and foreign policy interests, BIS is adding new license exceptions and updating the Data Center Validated End User authorization to facilitate the export, reexport, and transfer (in-country) of advanced computing (ICs) to end users in destinations that do not raise national security or foreign policy concerns. Together, these changes will cultivate secure ecosystems for the responsible diffusion and use of AI and advanced computing ICs.
Learn More🐻New Grizzly Bear Listing
We, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (Service or FWS), propose to revise the listing of the grizzly bear (Ursus arctos horribilis) in the lower-48 States under the Endangered Species Act of 1973, as amended (Act or ESA). After a review of the best scientific and commercial data available, we affirm that the currently listed grizzly bear population meets our requirements for consideration as a distinct population segment (DPS) under the Act and that the population remains likely to become an endangered species within the foreseeable future. However, we find that clarification of the geographic areas included within the DPS is warranted. Therefore, we propose to revise the listing by defining the boundaries of the contiguous U.S. grizzly bear DPS. The revised entity would include all geographic portions of the currently listed lower-48 entity that contain suitable habitat and where grizzly bears are currently found or are likely to be found in the future as populations recover. This area includes all of Washington and portions of Idaho, Montana, and Wyoming. The contiguous U.S. grizzly bear DPS would retain threatened species status. This proposed rule would promote conservation of the grizzly bear by ensuring that the listing under the Act explicitly reflects the areas where grizzly bears currently occur and are likely to occur in the future. Clarifying that the listing does not include areas outside of the grizzly bear's historical range will assist as recovery proceeds. We are also proposing to revise protective regulations for the grizzly bear issued under section 4(d) of the Act.
Learn More💰Analysis of Regulation D Amendments and Financial Implications
The Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System ("Board") has adopted final amendments to its Regulation D to revise the rate of interest paid on balances ("IORB") maintained at Federal Reserve Banks by or on behalf of eligible institutions. The final amendments specify that IORB is 4.4 percent, a 0.25 percentage point decrease from its prior level. The amendment is intended to enhance the role of IORB in maintaining the federal funds rate in the target range established by the Federal Open Market Committee ("FOMC" or "Committee").
Learn More📈New IRS Regulations on Base Erosion Tax and Derivative Payments
This document contains proposed regulations regarding the base erosion and anti-abuse tax imposed on certain large corporate taxpayers with respect to certain payments made to foreign related parties. The proposed regulations relate to how qualified derivative payments with respect to securities lending transactions are determined and reported. The proposed regulations would affect corporations with substantial gross receipts that make payments to foreign related parties.
Learn More💼New IRS Regulations on Micro-Captive Transactions Compliance
This document contains final regulations that identify transactions that are the same as, or substantially similar to, certain micro-captive transactions as listed transactions, a type of reportable transaction, and certain other micro-captive transactions as transactions of interest, another type of reportable transaction. Material advisors and certain participants in these listed transactions and transactions of interest are required to file disclosures with the IRS and are subject to penalties for failure to disclose. The final regulations affect participants in these transactions as well as material advisors.
Learn More☁️IRS Proposes Rules for Cloud Income Tax Sourcing
This document contains proposed rules for determining the source of income from cloud transactions for purposes of the international provisions of the Internal Revenue Code. These proposed rules would generally affect taxpayers who earn gross income from engaging in cloud transactions.
Learn More🏗️New Buy America Regulations for Manufactured Products Effective 2025
This final rule amends FHWA's Buy America regulation to terminate FHWA's general waiver for manufactured products and establish Buy America requirements for manufactured products with respect to Federal-aid highway projects. The standards for applying Buy America to manufactured products are generally consistent with the Office of Management and Budget's (OMB) guidance implementing the Build America, Buy America Act (BABA) provisions of the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (also known as the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law (BIL)).
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