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FERC Opens Mountain Valley Pipeline Boost Review to Comment
The proposal would add or upgrade four compressor sites for 600,000 dekatherms a day of service; comments on the environmental assessment are due Sept. 8.
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Chicago Belt Railway Seeks Approval for PTC Maintenance
FRA is taking comments through Sept. 1 on four planned network-work windows; the railroad says it will not disable I-ETMS but brief communication losses could occur.
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National Parks Require Local Approval for E-Scooters
A final rule creates a separate category for powered micromobility devices, with park-by-park designations and wilderness restrictions.
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NSF Offers Up to $40 Million for Secure Open Source
PESOSE proposals are due Sept. 1, with three tracks supporting planning, ecosystem growth and security or privacy work.
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EPA Says One-Third of the Water Workforce Is Nearing Retirement
A federal roundtable focused on recruiting and retaining utility workers as systems add cybersecurity and other technical responsibilities.
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Federal Student-Loan Autopay Discount Rises to 1 Percentage Point
Eligible Direct Loan borrowers must enroll by Sept. 30 and remain in automatic payments to receive the temporary reduction through June 2028.
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FAA Proposes Medical-Certificate Change for Military Pilot Trainees
Qualifying U.S. and military-sponsored foreign trainees could use a current military flight medical exam instead of obtaining a separate FAA third-class certificate.
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FMCSA Proposes English-Proficiency Out-of-Service Rule
The proposal would codify a two-step roadside assessment and align federal regulations with current commercial-vehicle inspection criteria.
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Biomedical Science Joins Patent-Bar Degree List
USPTO moved the exact Biomedical Science degree title into Category A, simplifying the technical-training showing for some patent-registration exam applicants.
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Federal Mileage Rate Rises to 76 Cents
GSA's midyear adjustment applies to authorized federal travel from July 1 through Dec. 31; it is not a general tax-deduction rate.
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IES Opens Five Education Research Grant Competitions
Applications for training, methods, replication and state longitudinal-data programs are due Oct. 1, with maximum awards ranging from $800,000 to $1.2 million.
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DOT Adds $24 Million to Shape Union Station Partnership
The new funding is for a public-private delivery plan, separate from $466 million announced for structural and passenger upgrades.
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NASA Test Wing Failed at 127% of Its Design Limit
The 15-foot SWEET-15 composite wing matched computer predictions before engineers deliberately loaded it to failure.
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Metro Bachelor's-Degree Share Rose to 37.8%
Census estimates show a 3.6-point gain from 2015–2019, with Durham–Chapel Hill and Taos posting some of the largest increases.
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U.S. Traffic Death Rate Fell to 0.99 in Early 2026, NHTSA Estimates
The preliminary first-quarter rate was the second lowest on record as estimated deaths declined 4.3% even while driving increased by 11 billion miles.
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The South Was the Only U.S. Region to Grow in Every Age Group
Census estimates show a 6% regional gain from 2020 to 2025, led by outlying metro counties and growth that extended from children to older adults.
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U.S. Public School Spending Reached a Record $17,619 Per Pupil in 2024
Census data show a 6.6% increase in current spending per student while federal revenue fell 4.4% from the prior fiscal year.
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NSF Puts $47 Million Into Four-Year Ph.D. Pilot With Industry Research
More than 250 doctoral students will combine university study with company-site dissertation work under a five-year test beginning in fall 2026.
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NSF Commits $47 Million to Four-Year Industry-Integrated PhD Pilot
More than 250 doctoral students at nearly three dozen universities are expected to combine academic research with an industry placement.
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Census Releases New Household Tables From a 136,000-Home Survey
The experimental March 2026 release covers jobs, energy costs, well-being, prices and other fast-moving household conditions.
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U.S. Population Growth Slowed to 0.5% as Net Migration Fell 54%
The Census Bureau estimates the country added 1.8 million people to reach 341.8 million, half the prior year's growth rate.
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Arkansas Wins Federal Waiver to Consolidate $8.8 Million in Education Funds
The Education Department also approved Ed-Flex authority and accountability changes covering advanced assessments and temporary alternative-learning placements.
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State and Local Pension Assets Reached $6.49 Trillion in 2025
Census Bureau data show an 8.46% increase in assets, more than 37 million participants and $418.25 billion in benefit payments.
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NASA TEMPO-Lab Brings Hourly Air-Quality Data Into Teen Research
Thirteen educators tested local pollution investigations and plan to share the free satellite-data tool with about 100 colleagues in three states.
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GAO Updates Federal Training Guide Around a Four-Part Evaluation Cycle
The first overhaul since 2004 adds blended learning, coaching, mentoring and new technology while keeping agency mission outcomes at the center.
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Older Workers Found Jobs Less Often After Federal Training Programs, GAO Says
People 55 and older were 22% of participants in six programs, but their post-exit employment rates trailed younger groups.
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Back to School 2026: Census Counts 54.4 Million Students and 5.9 Million Teachers
The national snapshot also places elementary and secondary school employment above 10 million, showing the workforce behind the fall return.
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Education Department Has 10 Priority GAO Items Open
Federal auditors elevated student-aid modernization, sensitive-data protection and charter-school management financial risk after only one earlier priority item was completed.
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$33.6 Billion in Infrastructure Awards Still Await Decisions
GAO says four agencies approved about 9,500 awards after review, canceled roughly 800 worth $17.8 billion and left more than 2,500 pending.
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More Students With Disabilities Learn in General Classrooms
The national count rose 25% over 11 school years, but GAO found wide state and district differences in how much time students spend with peers without disabilities.
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FAA Directs $1.776 Billion to Airport Projects in 46 States
The grants cover runway rehabilitation, taxiways, lighting and rescue facilities, including $88.8 million for Denver and $74 million for Boise.
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2026 Census Test Continues Doorstep Visits at 154,600 Homes Through Aug. 31
The two-city field test is comparing ordinary census takers with specially trained postal workers before the Census Bureau finalizes 2030 operations.
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Education Department Finalizes Earnings Test for Federal Student Loans
College programs that miss a new earnings benchmark in two of three award years can lose access to Direct Loans, with broader Title IV consequences possible after sustained failure.
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RentGrow to Pay $2.25 Million to Settle FTC Tenant-Screening Allegations
The proposed order targets duplicate criminal or eviction records, incomplete source disclosures and failures in the consumer-dispute process.
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GAO Finds Fraud-Risk Assessment Gaps in 15 Major Federal Programs
Only five of 20 large federally funded, state-administered programs had documented evidence consistent with identifying and prioritizing fraud risks, the watchdog said.
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Iowa’s 14-Week EMT Course Became the First Federally Approved Workforce Pell Program
Eligible students at Iowa Central Community College can now use Pell grants for the short program. The approval also tests a new accountability system for eight- to 15-week credentials.
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Hopper Agreed to Pay $35 Million in FTC Hidden-Fee Case
The proposed court order would fund consumer redress and require clearer total prices and consent. The complaint also challenges VIP Support and Price Freeze claims.
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GAO’s Education Priority List Grew From 8 to 10
The federal watchdog added three priority items after the department implemented one, sharpening its focus on student aid, data privacy and charter-school financial risk.
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The 1.59-Million-Dozen Egg Recall Comes Down to Three Carton Codes
Roughly 19.1 million eggs are covered, but brand alone does not identify them. The plant code, Julian date and sell-by window must line up.
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Kia Telluride Owners Told to Park Outside—Again—Before a New Seat-Motor Fix
Campaign 26V430 covers 462,869 SUVs already recalled in 2024. Kia’s filing records seven localized fires and 11 melted motors, with no injuries, crashes or deaths.
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National Park Week Starts Aug. 22; Resident Fee-Free Day Is Aug. 25
The nine-day observance opens with National Junior Ranger Day. The birthday waiver covers entrance fees for residents, but reservations and other charges can still apply.
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Why Survey Planes Will Fly Just 260 Feet Above Eastern Kansas
USGS says the planes will fly about 260 feet above terrain on lines 980 feet apart, using passive magnetic and radiometric sensors—not cameras—to map the Nemaha Uplift and Humboldt Fault Zone.