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President Tinubu Hails ICC Ruling Rejecting $680 Million Claim Against Nigeria for Mambilla Project

President Tinubu Hails ICC Ruling Rejecting $680 Million Claim Against Nigeria for Mambilla Project

President Bola Tinubu announced that an International Chamber of Commerce (ICC) arbitration tribunal in Paris has ruled in favor of Nigeria, rejecting a $680 million claim by Sunrise Power and Transmission Company Ltd. This decision, according to President Tinubu, removes a significant legal obstacle that has hindered the Mambilla Hydroelectric Power Project for years. The dispute originated from a 2003 contract for a 3,050-megawatt hydroelectric plant in Taraba State under a build-operate-transfer arrangement, which the Federal Executive Council had never authorized. Sunrise Power had sought $680 million as a settlement and interest, in addition to another arbitration where it is claiming over $2.7 billion in compensation related to the 3,960-megawatt Mambilla Hydroelectric Power Project. President Tinubu commended the Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Prince Lateef Fagbemi, and Nigeria’s defense team, led by Elizabeth Oger-Gross and Tolu Obamuroh of Paul Hastings LLP, for their ...

Judge rules EPA illegally terminated $7 billion solar program intended to help poorer Americans

Judge rules EPA illegally terminated $7 billion solar program intended to help poorer Americans

A federal judge in Rhode Island has ruled that the Trump administration illegally terminated a $7 billion Solar for All program intended to make solar power accessible to more than 900,000 lower-income Americans

Representative Monica De La Cruz's Bipartisan Bill to Strengthen HUD Whistleblower Protections Passes House

Representative Monica De La Cruz's Bipartisan Bill to Strengthen HUD Whistleblower Protections Passes House

The U.S. House of Representatives has passed H.R. 4646, the Whistleblower Protection Act, a bipartisan bill championed by Housing and Insurance Subcommittee Vice Chair Monica De La Cruz. This legislation aims to ensure that all Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) contracts, including those established before 2013, incorporate whistleblower protections. The bill clarifies that enhanced whistleblower protections, originally enacted in 2013 under Section 4712, apply universally to all HUD contractors. This measure addresses a bureaucratic oversight where many long-standing HUD contracts, some decades old, lacked these crucial protections, leaving thousands of contractors without clear safeguards against retaliation for reporting waste, fraud, and abuse. The bill received bipartisan support and was passed out of the Financial Services Committee, reflecting a collective effort to enhance accountability within government programs.

Representative Monica De La Cruz Sponsors Whistleblower Protection Act of 2025, Passed Unanimously by House

Representative Monica De La Cruz Sponsors Whistleblower Protection Act of 2025, Passed Unanimously by House

The U.S. House of Representatives has unanimously passed the Whistleblower Protection Act of 2025 (H.R. 4646), sponsored by Representative Monica De La Cruz (R-Texas). The bill received a vote of 424 to 0. This legislation aims to extend whistleblower protections to contractors working on federally funded projects that were previously funded by the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD). According to Representative De La Cruz, existing whistleblower protections, originally enacted in 2013, did not cover HUD contractors whose contracts predated 2013. The new bill seeks to rectify this oversight by providing clarity to HUD and ensuring that all HUD contractors, regardless of when their contracts were signed, are covered by these protections. This move is part of a broader effort by the House to modernize various aspects of federal oversight and operations.

US judge strikes down Education Department's anti-DEI grant policy

US judge strikes down Education Department's anti-DEI grant policy

By Nate Raymond BOSTON, Sept 17 (Reuters) - A federal judge on Thursday struck down a policy that was adopted early in US President Donald Trump's administration that required the US Department of Education to terminate millions of dollars in grants funding diversity, equity, and inclusion

Los Angeles Homeless Services Authority Relinquishes Key Roles Amid Federal and Local Pressure

Los Angeles Homeless Services Authority Relinquishes Key Roles Amid Federal and Local Pressure

The Los Angeles Homeless Services Authority (LAHSA) has voted to relinquish four major roles it has managed for decades, including the annual application for federal homelessness funding, the Homeless Management Information System, the annual point-in-time count, and the coordinated-entry system. This decision comes amidst mounting pressure from the Trump administration and local city and county officials, who have accused LAHSA of mismanaging taxpayer dollars and lacking transparency. The federal government is currently investigating LAHSA's use of federal funds due to allegations of fraud and widespread mismanagement. In June, the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) suspended further funding to LAHSA until adequate safeguards were demonstrated. While a federal judge initially blocked this move, the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals later overruled the injunction, creating uncertainty around LAHSA's eligibility to coordinate homelessness services. Both Los Angeles County and the city are now...

Judge Blocks DHS from Acting Against Man Over Harsh Email to ICE Official

Judge Blocks DHS from Acting Against Man Over Harsh Email to ICE Official

A federal judge has issued a preliminary injunction blocking the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) and U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) from taking further action against David Streever of Rochester, New York. This ruling stems from an incident where Streever sent a critical email to the former acting director of ICE, Todd Lyons, comparing him to a Nazi and calling him a 'monstrous human being.' Following the email, ICE agents attempted to track Streever down at his home, an airport, and a hotel to serve him with a warning notice stating he might be in violation of federal law. Streever, represented by the Foundation for Individual Rights and Expression (FIRE), subsequently filed a lawsuit in July, arguing that the agents' actions violated his First Amendment rights and led him to self-censor. The federal government had argued for the dismissal of the case, citing an increase in threats against public officials, but did not assert that Streever's email constituted a prosecutable violent t...

Committee Approves Bills to Strengthen Maritime Cybersecurity and Federal Real Estate Oversight

Committee Approves Bills to Strengthen Maritime Cybersecurity and Federal Real Estate Oversight

The Transportation and Infrastructure Committee has approved several legislative measures aimed at enhancing maritime cybersecurity, increasing oversight of federal real estate, and improving aviation safety. Among the approved bills is an Amendment in the Nature of a Substitute (ANS) to H.R. 10305, the Strengthening Oversight in Public Buildings Act of 2026. This bill modifies the public building reforms previously enacted in the Thomas R. Carper Water Resources Development Act of 2024. The primary goal of H.R. 10305 is to ensure greater transparency within the federal real estate portfolio. Key modifications include directing the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) and the General Services Administration (GSA) to provide space utilization data to the Government Accountability Office (GAO) and the Public Buildings Reform Board. Additionally, agencies with independent leasing authority will be required to report data on office space leases to relevant congressional committees. This legislation was introd...

Trump administration can proceed with homelessness program overhaul, US court rules

Trump administration can proceed with homelessness program overhaul, US court rules

By Nate Raymond BOSTON, Sept 16 (Reuters) - A U.S. appeals court cleared the way on Wednesday for President Donald Trump's administration to reshape a $4 billion homelessness program by shifting funding away from permanent housing assistance toward temporary housing and supportive services.

Long-shot push for AI 'kill switch' bill fails in the Senate

Long-shot push for AI 'kill switch' bill fails in the Senate

Sen. John Kennedy said his bill would order AI companies to build kill switches into their advanced models.

Congresswoman Alma Adams and Senator Cory Booker Reintroduce Momnibus Act to Combat Maternal Mortality

Congresswoman Alma Adams and Senator Cory Booker Reintroduce Momnibus Act to Combat Maternal Mortality

Representatives Lauren Underwood and Alma Adams, co-chairs of the Black Maternal Health Caucus, along with Senator Cory Booker, have reintroduced the Momnibus Act. This legislative package aims to address the high rates of maternal mortality, morbidity, and disparities affecting mothers across all backgrounds in the United States. The Momnibus comprises 14 distinct pieces of legislation designed to improve maternal health outcomes and reduce mortality rates. Key provisions include critical investments in social determinants of health for pregnant individuals and new mothers, extending WIC eligibility during postpartum and breastfeeding periods, and funding for community-based organizations focused on maternal health. It also allocates funding for maternal healthcare for veterans, invests in a culturally competent perinatal workforce, and seeks to improve data collection processes and quality measures to better understand the causes of the maternal health crisis. Additionally, the act supports maternal ment...

House Unanimously Passes Representative Claudia Tenney's 'End Tax Penalties on American Hostages Act'

House Unanimously Passes Representative Claudia Tenney's 'End Tax Penalties on American Hostages Act'

The House of Representatives has unanimously passed Representative Claudia Tenney’s (R-N.Y.) 'End Tax Penalties on American Hostages Act' (H.R. 9496). This bipartisan measure aims to protect Americans who are held hostage or wrongly detained abroad from incurring IRS penalties due to missed tax deadlines. The bill proposes to pause certain federal tax deadlines during the period of captivity, extend these protections to the spouses of those detained, and mandate that the State and Justice departments work to identify eligible individuals for the IRS. Additionally, the legislation allows for the retroactive refunding of certain penalties and interest, with claims potentially reaching back to January 1, 2021. This initiative seeks to alleviate financial burdens on individuals and families already facing the immense stress of a loved one's detention overseas.