Office of Governor Kathy Hochul · Original source
New York Governor Kathy Hochul announced the state’s acquisition of nearly 750 acres of open space around the former Shoreham Nuclear Power Plant in Suffolk County, billed as the largest Long Island land acquisition in the Department of Environmental Conservation’s history. DEC bought the Shoreham and Wading River parcel from National Grid for $28.25 million. The land protects pine barrens, tidal marshes and the island’s sole source aquifer, and will gain public parking and trails.
Office of Governor Gavin Newsom · Original source
California Governor Gavin Newsom activated the State Operations Center and convened top emergency officials as high winds and elevated fire-weather conditions threatened multiple counties. He proclaimed a state of emergency in Imperial, Los Angeles, Orange and San Diego counties after Tropical Storm Rachel, and another in Tuolumne County after July’s Dove Fire. An executive order also speeds cleanup from August’s Gann Fire in Calaveras County, which burned 10,339 acres.
NASA · Original source
NASA said further engineering analysis confirmed that the Orion spacecraft’s heat shield performed as expected during the crewed Artemis II return from the Moon, when Orion reached 39 times the speed of sound and external temperatures above 4,000 degrees Fahrenheit. A modified entry trajectory cut cracking and char loss tenfold compared with Artemis I, leaving nine char-loss spots versus 103. Teams are now readying Orion for next year’s Artemis III mission in low Earth orbit.
U.S. Department of Justice · Original source
Brett Blackman, 43, a Kansas CEO whose company owned the DMERx telemedicine platform, was sentenced to 19 years in federal prison for a scheme that billed Medicare and other federal health programs more than $1 billion for medically unnecessary orthotic braces and other equipment, with insurers paying more than $450 million. A jury convicted him in April 2026 after a 23-day trial. Restitution and forfeiture will be set by the court later.
U.S. Department of Justice · Original source
The U.S. Justice Department and the Federal Trade Commission filed a complaint against California ticket broker REPS & Company Inc. and three executives under the FTC Act and the Better Online Ticket Sales (BOTS) Act. Filed in the Southern District of California, it alleges the defendants have circumvented ticket purchase limits since 2022, spending more than $1.3 billion on over 18.5 million tickets and making at least $120.8 million in profit. The claims are allegations only.
National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration · Original source
NOAA’s U.S. Winter Outlook for December 2026 to February 2027 says El Nino is likely to bring warmer-than-average temperatures across the northern U.S. and wetter-than-average conditions across the southern tier, from California to Florida, and along the East Coast. Drought is forecast to improve or end in the Southwest, Southern Great Plains, Southeast and parts of the East, but could develop or worsen in the northern Rockies, northeastern Oregon and eastern Washington.
Office of Governor Josh Stein · Original source
North Carolina Governor Josh Stein and Transportation Secretary Daniel Johnson joined the Federal Railroad Administration in Raleigh to announce $550 million in Federal-State Partnership funding for the S-Line Raleigh to Richmond rail program, which is expected to cut Raleigh-to-Richmond travel times by more than an hour. Officials toured the Durant Road grade separation project, where NCDOT expects bridge completion in November 2026 and final restoration work in July 2028.
Office of Governor JB Pritzker · Original source
Illinois Governor JB Pritzker said the state’s Medical Debt Relief Program has erased more than $1.4 billion in medical debt for nearly 700,000 residents across all 102 counties in its first two years, beating its $1 billion goal. The state has spent about $10 million, with each dollar clearing more than $100 of debt. Run with nonprofit Undue Medical Debt, the program covers households at or below 400% of the federal poverty level and requires no application.
U.S. Department of the Treasury · Original source
The U.S. Treasury, under its Operation Economic Outcast campaign, sanctioned Iraq-based International Development Bank for Investment and Finance, accusing it of giving Iran access to U.S. dollars and maintaining ties to Iran-aligned militias. Two Iranian offshore banks, a Dubai-based Iranian oil intermediary, exchange houses and several shadow-banking operatives were also designated. The State Department concurrently designated Cuba-based Banco Internacional de Comercio (BICSA) for providing services to Iran’s Karafarin Bank.
U.S. Department of Justice · Original source
The U.S. Justice Department, working with the Department of Homeland Security, filed a federal complaint against the State of California over its voter list, alleging that more than 20,000 people who are likely noncitizens are registered to vote there. Officials said California declined to remove suspected noncitizens from its rolls or sequester their returned ballots. Homeland Security Investigations compared public voter-registration files with federal immigration data, and its review remains ongoing.
