Open Weight News

Law removes Paducah land restrictions

2026-09-22T05:57:19+00:00

Public Law 119-105 directs the Secretary of the Interior to execute instruments to remove all deed restrictions from a specified parcel of land.

The restrictions are those in a quitclaim deed from the United States to the City of Paducah, executed on April 27, 2012.

The deed was recorded by the Clerk of the County Court of McCracken County, Kentucky, on pages 247 through 260 of Deed Book 1229.

The law includes conditions for the extinguishment of these restrictions.

The City of Paducah may not transfer or sell the land to any entity except the Oscar Cross Boys & Girls Club of Paducah.

If the city transfers or sells the parcel to the Oscar Cross Boys & Girls Club of Paducah, that organization must offer to convey the parcel to the Secretary without consideration prior to conveying the property to any other entity.

Any new use or development of the parcel must continue to be compatible with public use or recreation purposes.

The parcel is approximately 3.62 acres located at 2956 Park Avenue on the Paducah Memorial Army Reserve Center.

Court dismisses visa delay lawsuit

2026-09-22T05:53:04+00:00

Plaintiffs Adnan Abdulkadir Abdulla and Abdullah Abdulqader Abdullah sued Steven H. Fagin, in his official capacity as Chargé d’Affaires of the U.S. Embassy in Iraq, and Marco Rubio, in his official capacity as U.S. Secretary of State.

The plaintiffs contended their visa applications had been unreasonably delayed in violation of the Administrative Procedure Act.

The plaintiffs also alleged a violation of the Mandamus Act.

While the motion to dismiss was pending, all plaintiffs and their eligible derivative beneficiaries except for Abdulbasit, Adnan’s son, were granted visas.

Only Abdulbasit’s visa application remained outstanding at the time of the decision.

The court granted the defendants’ motion to dismiss under Federal Rules of Civil Procedure 12(b)(1) and 12(b)(6).

The plaintiffs had filed their complaint in September 2025 after their applications were temporarily refused under Section 221(g) of the Immigration and Nationality Act following consular interviews in July 2024.

House Committee Advances Health, Tax, Trade Bills

2026-09-22T05:33:04+00:00

The committee advanced legislation to improve Alzheimer’s disease screening, enhance electronic tax filing security, and combat China’s use of forced labor in cobalt mining.

The EFIN Verification Act and Alzheimer’s Screening and Prevention Act passed the committee 40-0.

The Medically Tailored Home-Delivered Meals Program Pilot Act passed 39-0, while the Stop China’s Exploitation of Congolese Children and Adult Forced Labor through Cobalt Mining Act passed 32-8.

The committee also approved bills to increase transparency in Medicare spending and support new mothers.

White House Targets H-1B Abuse

2026-09-22T05:32:24+00:00

The order requires the Secretary of State, Labor, and Homeland Security to take into account whether employer sponsors engaged in layoffs within the previous year.

The Secretary of Labor will begin reviewing data related to previously submitted labor condition applications within 30 days to determine whether further action is warranted.

The authority to issue rules and guidance to implement the order is delegated to the Secretary of State, Commerce, Labor, and Homeland Security.

Employers have laid off large numbers of highly skilled American workers and hired large numbers of H-1B workers.

FDA audit policies have gaps, GAO says

2026-09-22T04:20:35+00:00

FDA’s audit policies have gaps and are missing key details, the GAO found.

For example, FDA has not established time frames specifying how long it should take the agency to complete an audit and communicate results to third parties.

As a result, GAO identified several recent audits with findings of deficiencies that took FDA more than 6 months to close.

FDA is required to audit third parties periodically to ensure they remain in compliance with the standards for program participation.

The agency conducted 25 periodic audits of third parties from 2000 to 2026, according to FDA officials.

Third parties provided FDA with 617 510(k) submission reviews and recommendations from fiscal years 2018 through 2025.

These accounted for about 2 percent of CDRH’s 510(k) submission reviews annually.

Court Denies Stay in USAGM Case

2026-09-21T23:21:17+00:00

The April 22 injunction requires returning USAGM employees and contractors to pre-March 14, 2025 status, restoring FY 2025 grants to Radio Free Asia and Middle East Broadcasting Networks such that international USAGM outlets can provide reliable, accurate, and comprehensive news, and restoring VOA programming to fulfill its statutory mandate as a reliable and authoritative news source.

The court rejected claims that disbursing congressionally appropriated funds causes irreparable harm, noting financial loss does not threaten USAGM’s existence.

Defendants argued the injunction covers staff placed on leave or terminated for reasons other than Executive Order 14238, including misconduct or performance issues, a point not previously raised in the litigation.

The court found the requested stay would effectively block VOA programming, as resuming broadcasts requires staff reinstatement.

The court previously ruled the actions under Executive Order 14238 violated the Administrative Procedure Act, and plaintiffs are likely to succeed on their arbitrary and capricious claim.

Federal property disposal hindered by funding

2026-09-21T23:19:52+00:00

As of August 2026, 14 of 23 recommended and approved properties have been sold for about $576 million.

Stakeholders said the main benefit is potential funding to offset disposal costs, but accessing that funding has been a significant challenge, the GAO said.

Congress appropriated $90 million from 2016 to 2022 but provided no additional FASTA appropriations from 2023 to 2025.

In 2026, Congress appropriated an additional about $143 million in FASTA proceeds.

Other challenges include relocating tenants, particularly for the 2025 round where most properties remain occupied by federal tenants.

The General Services Administration and the Board suggested improvements if FASTA were extended beyond 2026, including greater access to sales proceeds.

Timeframes for completing disposal on many 2025 round properties are not clear due to shifting cost and schedule estimates.

EMS Memorial Authority Extended

2026-09-21T23:18:47+00:00

The law amends Section 1(b) of Public Law 115-275 to revise the expiration date for the National Emergency Medical Services Memorial Foundation’s authority.

References in section 8903(e) to the expiration at the end of or extension beyond a seven-year period are now considered references to the date that is seven years after the enactment of this Act.

The legislative authority to establish the commemorative work in the District of Columbia and its environs is extended accordingly.

The House passed the bill on March 16, 2026, according to legislative history.

The Senate passed the bill on August 7, 2026, according to legislative history.

House Report 119-518 from the Committee on Natural Resources covered the bill.

The law is cited as the National Emergency Medical Services Memorial Extension Act.

US, Italy Sign Minerals Pact

2026-09-21T22:54:36+00:00

Rubio called Italy a close partner and emphasized the importance of collaboration on critical minerals.

Tajani said the memorandum is a key part of Italy’s industrial strategy and trade policy.

He stated that Italy is an industrial country and the second most important industrial country in Europe.

He also said Italy is number four in the world in trade.

Tajani said it is important to have reduced prices for raw materials.

Trump Signs Water Quality Order

2026-09-21T22:49:17+00:00

Executive Order 14428 aims to provide meaningful water quality improvements through collaboration and oversight of federal support.

The order states the Chesapeake Bay is the largest estuary in the United States and serves a critically important economic purpose.

Governmental actors should prioritize environmental protection and economic objectives in managing the Chesapeake Bay, the order said.

The order cites Executive Order 13508 of May 12, 2009 (Chesapeake Bay Protection and Restoration).

Executive Order 13508 has been in effect for 17 years and instituted a mandate for states and municipalities to improve the bay’s environmental health, according to the order.

The document was published by the Executive Office of the President in the Federal Register on September 21.

State Department Restricts Visas

2026-09-21T22:34:08+00:00

The individuals are responsible for or complicit in defrauding Americans through cybercrime, cyber-enabled crime, and related activity.

The majority of the individuals targeted are affiliated with the Prince Group, a transnational criminal organization that has been the subject of U.S. sanctions.

Any valid visas held by these individuals have been revoked.

This action is taken under Section 212(a)(3)(C) of the Immigration and Nationality Act.

Cybercriminals scam Americans out of tens of billions of dollars every year.

In 2025 alone, transnational criminal organizations in Southeast Asia, like the Prince Group, defrauded Americans out of at least $18.2 billion through cyber-enabled scams.

The Department of the Treasury sanctioned 146 members and affiliates of the Prince Group in October 2025.

The Department of the Treasury also sanctioned an additional 35 Prince Group members and affiliates in June 2026.

Those complicit in devastating families and communities nationwide will be denied entry into the United States.

USTR to Hold Public Hearing

2026-09-21T22:21:41+00:00

The hearing will take place in the main hearing room of the US International Trade Commission, at 500 E Street SW, Washington, DC, starting at 10:00 am ET.

Please consult the USTR website for the hearing schedule.

Rubio Meets Arctic Allies

2026-09-21T22:20:23+00:00

The meeting reinforced the need for sustained allied investment and coordination on shared Arctic challenges.

Allies agreed that Arctic security requires continued investment to deter strategic competitors.

Discussions focused on developing sovereign military and economic capabilities, ensuring investment security, and funding resilient critical infrastructure that ensures reliable access and supports shared leadership in the Arctic.

Rubio highlighted the Icebreaker Collaboration Effort (ICE) Pact among the US, Canada, and Finland as a model for industrial cooperation and burden sharing, strengthened by President Trump’s commitment to significantly expand the U.S. icebreaker fleet.

Rubio Meets Kenyan President Ruto

2026-09-21T22:19:33+00:00

They discussed opportunities for U.S. firms to add value to Kenya’s critical minerals sector.

The Secretary expressed appreciation for Kenya’s partnership with the U.S. on the America First Global Health Strategy.

Rubio underscored the important role Kenya plays in furthering the resolution of regional conflicts.