Press releases

New York-based automotive service provider agrees to pay $174K to settle safety violations, protect workers after federal investigation

NORWICH, NY – The U.S. Department of Labor has entered into a settlement agreement with auto service provider Monro Inc. requiring it to pay $174,000 in penalties to resolve seven safety violations found at its Norwich facility in July 2025.The department’s Occupational Safety and Health Administration cited Monro Inc. after inspectors identified multiple safety hazards. Workers were exposed to slip, trip, and fall hazards from engine oil and transmission fluid spilled on a storage room floor, and from the accumulation of commercial trash, including tires, in an exterior storage area.Investigators also found oily rags were allowed to pile up instead of being stored in a covered metal container, employees performing battery maintenance lacked a suitable nearby eyewash station, and damaged outlets and electrical conduits created electrical hazards.OSHA also cited Monro with one repeat violation for exposing employees to a crushing hazard after finding a four-post rotary lift with a broken safety latch cable that had been held in place with a pair of vice grips.Monro Inc. contested the citations and penalties before the independent Occupational Safety and Health Review Commission and agreed to abate all safety violations. The company also agreed to set up a free, anonymous hotline for employees across its 1,100 locations to report safety and health concerns directly to corporate safety personnel.Learn more about OSHA, including automotive lift safety and how to prevent slips, trips and falls. In addition, employers can contact the agency for free compliance assistance and resources.OSHRC Docket No. 26-0334

US Department of Labor cites Texas contractor, staffing company after worker suffers fatal injury in elementary school crawl space

SAN ANTONIO, TX – The U.S. Department of Labor has cited a building contractor and a staffing company for safety violations after a worker suffered fatal injuries while operating a mini-excavator beneath an elementary school in Converse.The department’s Occupational Safety and Health Administration opened an inspection after a Jan. 7, 2026, incident at Converse Elementary School involving a D L Bandy Constructors Inc. employee who was removing accumulated dirt from the school’s crawl space with a mini excavator and became trapped between the equipment and a concrete beam, resulting in fatal injuries. Pacesetter Personnel Services also supplied workers for the project to assist with dirt removal.The agency cited D L Bandy Constructors Inc. with one willful violation for removing the rollover protective structures from mini-excavators and adding fabricated parts so the equipment could fit inside the crawl space. The agency also issued 15 serious violations related to confined space hazards, including failing to identify and evaluate permit-required confined spaces, conduct required atmospheric testing, provide adequate ventilation and communication, train employees, designate confined space personnel, and implement required entry and rescue procedures.Pacesetter Personnel Services received two serious violations for failing to ensure permit-required confined space entry procedures were followed and for failing to provide confined space training to temporary workers assigned to the project.OSHA proposed $276,399 in penalties for D L Bandy Constructors Inc. and $23,170 for Pacesetter Personnel Services. The companies have 15 business days from receipt of the citations and penalties to comply, request an informal conference with OSHA’s area director, or contest the findings before the independent Occupational Safety and Health Review Commission. Please check the OSHA establishment search page periodically for any changes in the inspection or penalty status.Learn more about OSHA, including information on confined spaces. In addition, employers can contact the agency for free compliance assistance and resources.

FTC Secures $12 Million in Penalties for Pre-Merger Reporting Act Violations

FTC alleges Edwards Lifesciences and Genesis structured JC Medical deal to avoid federal antitrust review The Federal Trade Commission secured $12 million in penalties to settle charges alleging that Edwards Lifesciences Corp. acquired medical device maker JC Medical from Genesis MedTech Group Limited without complying with the notification and waiting period requirements of the Hart-Scott-Rodino Act (HSR). View Press Release

BLM expands public land closures in Ferris Fire area

Home Info Press Releases Press Releases The BLM manages about 245 million acres of public land located primarily in 12 western states, including Alaska, on behalf of the American people. The BLM also administers 700 million acres of sub-surface mineral estate throughout the nation. Our mission is to sustain the health, diversity, and productivity of America’s public lands for the use and enjoyment of present and future generations.

U.S. Navy to Christen Future USS George M. Neal

The Navy will christen the future USS George M. Neal during a ceremony at Huntington Ingalls Industries Inc. Shipbuilding in Pascagoula, Miss., on Saturday, July 11, at 9 a.m. CDT.

Press Release: Kentland Bank Assumes All Deposits of Kentland Federal Savings and Loan Association

PRESS RELEASE | JULY 10, 2026 Kentland Bank Assumes All Deposits of Kentland Federal Savings and Loan Association WASHINGTON — Kentland Federal Savings and Loan Association of Kentland, Indiana was closed today by the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency, which appointed the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC) as receiver. The FDIC entered into an agreement with Kentland Bank of Kentland, Indiana (no affiliation with Kentland Federal Savings and Loan Association) to purchase substantially all assets and assume all deposits of Kentland Federal Savings and Loan Association. As of March 31, 2026, Kentland Federal Savings and Loan Association reported total assets of $3.73 million and total deposits of $3.65 million. It was the smallest standalone bank in the United States. The sole branch of Kentland Federal Savings and Loan Association will permanently close. Depositors of Kentland Federal Savings and Loan Association will automatically become depositors of Kentland Bank. The deposits assumed by Kentland Bank will continue to be insured by the FDIC, so there is no need for customers to change their banking relationship. The Kentland branch of Kentland Bank is located at 111 N 4th St, Kentland, Indiana 47951, and the phone number is 219-474-1500. Customers of Kentland Federal Savings and Loan Association will have immediate access to their deposits at all branches of Kentland Bank during normal business hours beginning Monday, July 13, 2026. Loan customers of Kentland Federal Savings and Loan Association should make payments to Kentland Bank at any branch of Kentland Bank . Customers with questions about this transaction may visit the FDIC’s website or contact the FDIC toll-free at 1-866-314-1744. This phone number will be operational this evening until 8:00 p.m., Central Time (CT); on Saturday from 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m., CT; on Sunday from noon to 4:00 p.m., CT; Monday from 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m., CT; and thereafter from 8:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m., CT. The FDIC preliminarily estimates that the failure will cost the Deposit Insurance Fund approximately $1.2 million. # # # MEDIA CONTACT: MediaRequests@fdic.gov The FDIC does not send unsolicited email. If this publication has reached you in error, or if you no longer wish to receive this service, please unsubscribe . CONNECT WITH US

Department of War Establishes the Directed Energy Bio-Effects Cross-Functional Team, Delivering First HAVANA Act Payments

The War Department renamed the Anomalous Health Incidents Cross-Functional Team to the Directed Energy Bio-Effects CFT, while the team continues to facilitate the multifaceted implementation of enduring processes, procedures and capabilities.

BLM Issues Decision on Fall Controlled Hunt Special Recreation Permits

Home Info Press Releases Press Releases The BLM manages about 245 million acres of public land located primarily in 12 western states, including Alaska, on behalf of the American people. The BLM also administers 700 million acres of sub-surface mineral estate throughout the nation. Our mission is to sustain the health, diversity, and productivity of America’s public lands for the use and enjoyment of present and future generations.

Treasury Targets Key Supreme Leader Financier and Iran’s Shadow Exchange Houses

U.S. Department of the Treasury Office of Public Affairs Press Release: July 10, 2026 Contact: Treasury Public Affairs, Press@treasury.gov Treasury Targets Key Supreme Leader Financier and Iran’s Shadow Exchange Houses WASHINGTON— Today, following Iran’s resumption of attacks on international shipping in the Strait of Hormuz, the U.S. Department of the Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) took action against Iranian financial facilitator Ali Ansari (Ansari) , who oversees a sprawling global network of assets benefitting Iran’s leader—Mojtaba Khamenei—and other regime elites. Ansari has effectively institutionalized large‑scale embezzlement within the Iranian regime, diverting publicly funded wealth into an extensive overseas portfolio of real estate and commercial holdings to enrich himself, regime elites—including notable senior figures within the Supreme Leader’s Office—and the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC). OFAC today also targeted key Iranian exchange houses that move billions of dollars annually on behalf of sanctioned Iranian banks, using layers of shell companies to obscure the regime’s illicit financial activity. “The so-called Supreme Leader is hiding in seclusion while his regime crumbles,” said Secretary of the Treasury Scott Bessent . “Treasury will continue using every tool at its disposal to isolate him and other regime elites from the global financial system. We will preserve these assets for the Iranian people.” Today’s action is being taken pursuant to E.O. 13902, which targets persons operating in Iran’s financial and petroleum sectors, E.O. 13876, which focuses on the Supreme Leader of Iran and his affiliates, and the counterterrorism authority E.O. 13224, as amended by E.O. 13886 (“E.O. 13224, as amended”). These designations build on a series of OFAC actions targeting Iranian shadow banking and currency exchange house networks. KEY FINANCIER FOR THE SUPREME LEADER’S OFFICE Dubai-based Iranian national Ali Ansari has made a name for himself by institutionalizing embezzlement within the Iranian regime and has subsequently amassed a global network of investment properties and financial holdings, both on behalf of Mojtaba Khamenei and for his own self-serving interests by using his close ties to regime elites to enrich himself and his allies at the expense of the Iranian people. Ansari was previously the owner and director of the U.S. sanctioned and now bankrupt and defunct Ayandeh Bank , and he used this position to overextend loans and embezzle billions of dollars from the Iranian people until the Iranian government forced the bank’s dissolution in mid-October 2025. Ayandeh Bank racked up billions in debt as it issued loans backed by the Central Bank of Iran to Ansari’s own companies and commercial ventures in Iran. While Ansari’s embezzlement was causing untold damage to Iran’s economy and the already soaring inflation affecting the daily lives of ordinary Iranians, Ansari was using his publicly funded wealth to simultaneously expand an overseas business empire on behalf of Mojtaba Khamenei. Using numerous shell companies and bank accounts across multiple jurisdictions, Ansari has accumulated millions of dollars’ worth of holdings under the Saint Kitts and Nevis-based Smart Global Limited , a holding company established in 2011 under the former name Ziba Leisure Limited. Through Smart Global Limited, Ansari has invested the Iranian people’s money into real estate and commercial properties throughout Germany, Luxembourg, Spain, the United Kingdom, Cyprus, the United Arab Emirates, and beyond. Although held in Ansari’s name, many of these financial interests are ultimately held for the financial benefit of Mojtaba Khamenei, his family, and other Iranian elites in the regime and the IRGC who have protected Ansari from facing punishment despite his blatant corruption and the significant damage he has caused to the Iranian economy and people. Ali Ansari is being designated pursuant to E.O. 13876 for having materially assisted, sponsored, or provided financial, material, or technological support for, or goods or services to or in support of, Mojtaba Khamenei, as well as pursuant to E.O. 13224, as amended, for having acted or purported to act for or on behalf of, directly or indirectly, the IRGC. Smart Global Limited is being designated pursuant to E.O. 13876 for being owned or controlled by, or having acted or purported to act for or on behalf of, directly or indirectly, Ali Ansari, and pursuant to E.O. 13224, as amended, for being owned, controlled, or directed by, or having acted or purported to act for or on behalf of, directly or indirectly, Ali Ansari. IRANIAN EXCHANGE HOUSES Iran’s international banking activities are heavily reliant on Iran-based currency exchange houses which hold and move money on behalf of their Iranian bank customers. These exchange houses are often family-run “general partnership” companies formed by at least two individuals, wherein the company partners are ultimately liable for the funds with which they are entrusted by the banks. Mohammad Darbani , Shokufeh Rostam Abadi , and Zahra Sarshari are the controlling partners of Iranian exchange house Mohammad Darbani and Partners Exchange General Partnership Company , which has facilitated transactions moving hundreds of millions of dollars in foreign currency on behalf of sanctioned Iranian banks over the last several years. As of early 2026, Darbani Exchange held tens of millions of dollars’ worth of foreign currency on behalf of its sanctioned Iranian bank customers. Shokufeh Rostam Abadi is the exchange house’s chief executive officer (CEO) while Mohammad Darbani is the chairman of the board of directors and Zahra Sarshari is a board member. Ahmad Navai Lavasani and Amir Navai Lavasani are the controlling partners of Iranian exchange house Lavasani and Partners General Partnership Company , which has entered into contracts with sanctioned Iranian banks Bank Melli, Bank Saderat, Sina Bank, Shahr Bank, Eghtesad Novin Bank, Tourism Bank, Bank Pasargad, and Bank Mellat. As of early 2026, Lavasani Exchange held hundreds of millions of dollars’ worth of foreign currency on behalf of its sanctioned Iranian bank customers and has facilitated transactions moving hundreds of millions of dollars in foreign currency on behalf of sanctioned Iranian banks over the last several years. Ahmad Navai Lavasani is the exchange house CEO and Amir Navai Lavasani is the chairman of the board of directors. Mohsen Khandan and Ali Asghar Khandan are the controlling partners of Iranian exchange house Mohsen Khandan and Partners General Partnership Company , which has entered into contracts with sanctioned Iranian banks Parsian Bank, Export Development Bank, Bank Saderat, Bank Sepah, Sina Bank, Karafarin Bank, Saman Bank, and Tejarat Bank. Khandan Exchange holds over $117 million in foreign currency on behalf of sanctioned Iranian banks. Mohsen Khandan is the exchange house CEO and Ali Asghar Khandan is the only other partner and board member. Mohammad Darbani and Partners Exchange General Partnership Company, Lavasani and Partners General Partnership Company, and Mohsen Khandan and Partners General Partnership Company are being designated pursuant to E.O. 13902 for operating in the financial sector of the Iranian economy. Mohammad Darbani, Shokufeh Rostam Abadi, and Zahra Sarshari are being designated pursuant to E.O. 13902 for acting for or on behalf of, directly or indirectly, Mohammad Darbani and Partners Exchange General Partnership Company. Ahmad Navai Lavasani and Amir Navai Lavasani are being designated pursuant to E.O. 13902 for acting for or on behalf of, directly or indirectly, Lavasani and Partners General Partnership Company. Mohsen Khandan and Ali Asghar Khandan are being designated pursuant to E.O. 13902 for acting for or on behalf of, directly or indirectly, Mohsen Khandan and Partners General Partnership Company. These exchange houses move and maintain the equivalent of billions of dollars annually on behalf of sanctioned Iranian banks, which transact through vast layers of cover and shell companies that conceal the sanctioned Iranian commercial parties ultimately behind these transactions. Hong Kong-based CDM Trading Limited is a front company which has been used to conduct financial transactions by multiple Iranian exchange houses, to include Mohsen Khandan and Partners General Partnership Company. Similarly, Naba Alzaki Raw Materials Trading LLC is a UAE-based front company which has been used by Mohsen Khandan and Partners General Partnership Company as part of Iran’s rahbar network. CDM Trading Limited and Naba Alzaki Raw Materials Trading LLC are being designated pursuant to E.O. 13902 for operating in the financial sector of the Iranian economy. SANCTIONS IMPLICATIONS As a result of today’s action, all property and interests in property of the designated or blocked persons described above that are in the United States or in the possession or control of U.S. persons are blocked and must be reported to OFAC. In addition, any entities that are owned, directly or indirectly, individually or in the aggregate, 50 percent or more by one or more blocked persons are also blocked. Unless authorized by a general or specific license issued by OFAC, or exempt, OFAC’s regulations generally prohibit all transactions by U.S. persons or within (or transiting) the United States that involve any property or interests in property of blocked persons. Violations of U.S. sanctions may result in the imposition of civil or criminal penalties on U.S. and foreign persons. OFAC may impose civil penalties for sanctions violations on a strict liability basis. OFAC’s Economic Sanctions Enforcement Guidelines provide more information regarding OFAC’s enforcement of U.S. economic sanctions. The prohibitions include the making of any contribution or provision of funds, goods, or services by, to, or for the benefit of any designated or blocked person, or the receipt of any contribution or provision of funds, goods, or services from any such person. Non-U.S. persons are also prohibited from causing or conspiring to cause U.S. persons to wittingly or unwittingly violate U.S. sanctions, as well as engaging in conduct that evades U.S. sanctions. Individuals located in the U.S. or abroad who provide information about sanctions violations to FinCEN’s whistleblower incentive program may be eligible for awards if the information they provide leads to a successful enforcement action that results in monetary penalties exceeding $1,000,000. In addition, financial institutions and other persons may risk exposure to sanctions for engaging in certain transactions or activities with designated or otherwise blocked persons. Furthermore, engaging in certain transactions involving the persons designated today may risk the imposition of secondary sanctions on participating foreign financial institutions. OFAC can prohibit or impose strict conditions on opening or maintaining, in the United States, a correspondent account or a payable-through account of a foreign financial institution that knowingly conducts or facilitates any significant transaction on behalf of a person who is designated pursuant to the relevant authority. The power and integrity of OFAC sanctions derive not only from OFAC’s ability to designate and add persons to the Specially Designated Nationals and Blocked Persons List (SDN List), but also from its willingness to remove persons from the SDN List consistent with the law. The ultimate goal of sanctions is not to punish, but to bring about a positive change in behavior. For information concerning the process for seeking removal from an OFAC list, including the SDN List, or to submit a request, please refer to OFAC’s guidance on Filing a Petition for Removal from an OFAC List . Click here for more information on the persons designated today . ###

Secretary Rollins Announces Growing Momentum Behind USDA’s Product of USA Label with 10 New Companies Joining Initiative

(Washington, D.C., July 10, 2026) – U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Brooke L. Rollins today announced that ten additional meat and poultry companies have adopted USDA’s voluntary Product of USA label, marking continued momentum behind the Administration’s efforts to help consumers easily identify products that are truly born, raised, harvested, and processed in the United States.

SEC Office of Municipal Securities Updates FAQs for Registration of Municipal Advisors

The Securities and Exchange Commission’s Office of Municipal Securities today announced it has updated its Registration of Municipal Advisors FAQs webpage to offer more clarity on municipal advisor registration and recordkeeping requirements. The…

BLM Announces September 2026 Sale of Oil and Gas Leases in Wyoming

CHEYENNNE, Wyo.– The Bureau of Land Management today announced an oil and gas lease sale scheduled for September 15, 2026, to offer 120 oil and gas parcels totaling 152,262 acres in Wyoming. The BLM completed scoping on these parcels in February 2026 and held a public comment period that closed in June 2026 on the parcels and the related environmental analysis. A 30-day public protest period to receive additional public input opened today and will close August 9, 2026. Leasing is the first step in the process to develop federal oil and gas resources. Before development operations can begin, an operator must submit an application for permit to drill detailing development plans. The BLM reviews applications for permits to drill, posts them for public review, conducts an environmental analysis and coordinates with state partners and stakeholders. All parcels that are included in a federal oil and gas lease sale include appropriate stipulations to protect important natural resources. Information on current and upcoming BLM leases is available through the National Fluid Lease Sale System . BLM lease sales are held online through Efficient Markets . The parcels BLM analyzed, as well as maps and instructions on how to submit a protest, are available on BLM’s ePlanning website at 2026 Third Quarter Oil and Gas Lease Sale .