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Today, U.S. Secretary of Commerce Wilbur Ross announced $10 million in Economic Development Administration (EDA) grants to the state of Florida during a visit to Indian River State College (IRSC) in Ft. Pierce. The two EDA grants will help recovering businesses gain access to capital and will fund the construction of a new IRSC worker training facility to bolster the region?s advanced manufacturing sector. These EDA funds will be matched by more than $13 million in state and local investment and will directly create over 100 jobs.
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On May 20th, the President?s Advisory Commission on Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders convened its Inaugural Open Meeting with all fourteen (14) Commissioners in attendance. U.S. Secretary of Commerce Wilbur Ross and U.S. Secretary of Transportation Elaine L. Chao, Co-Chairs of the White House Initiative on Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders, provided welcoming remarks at the meeting, which commenced with the official swearing-in ceremony of Commissioner Helen Van Etten of Kansas.
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Recently, Secretary of Commerce Wilbur Ross announced the allocation of $88 million in fishery disaster funding to Alabama, Louisiana, and Mississippi, where a catastrophic regional fishery disaster occurred due to extreme freshwater flooding in 2019 associated with the unprecedented opening of the Bonnet Carre Spillway.
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On May 19, the U.S. Department of Commerce released?new regulations?to improve the licensing process for private U.S. satellite remote sensing operations, helping ensure continued U.S. leadership in a critical commercial space industry. The new final rules?increase openness and transparency in the licensing process, will eliminate most restrictions on how licensed remote sensing systems may be operated, such as limits on the resolution of imagery, and prohibit the government from imposing additional conditions after a license has been issued.
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Responses to the 2020 Census are on track as more than 60% of U.S. households have responded to the 2020 Census, with approximately four out of every five households that responded on their own choosing to do so online at 2020census.gov. Current internet self-response rates are 9.2 percentage points above Census Bureau projections, as households continue to favor online to phone and mail in responding to the census.
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Personal income increased 10.5 percent (monthly rate) in April according to estimates released today by the Bureau of Economic Analysis. Disposable personal income increased 12.9 percent and consumer spending decreased 13.6 percent.
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An above-normal 2020 Atlantic hurricane season is expected, according to forecasters with NOAA?s Climate Prediction Center, a division of the National Weather Service. The outlook predicts a 60% chance of an above-normal season, a 30% chance of a near-normal season and only a 10% chance of a below-normal season. The Atlantic hurricane season runs from June 1 through November 30.
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The U.S. Department of Commerce?s National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) has awarded $8.9 million for high-impact biopharmaceutical manufacturing projects to support the nation?s response to the COVID-19 pandemic. Authorized by the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act signed by President Donald Trump in March, the funding will go to the National Institute for Innovation in Manufacturing Biopharmaceuticals (NIIMBL).?
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The Economic Development Administration (EDA) is accepting applications for?CARES Act Recovery Assistance supplemental awards from Economic Development Districts, University Centers, Tribal Groups, & Revolving Loan Fund recipients through mid-June and competitive awards from all eligible grantees on a rolling basis.
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Join the Minority Business Development Agency?s Enterprising Women of Color Initiative in partnership with the National Minority Supplier Diversity Council, as they present a 4-week virtual event series for women of color entrepreneurs looking to reevaluate their business strategies. Missed a session? Visit MBDA.gov to view video replays. Catch up today and start developing your formula for a winning comeback!
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Did you know that patents offer country-by-country protection? Learn how to protect your intellectual property in foreign jurisdictions. The USPTO's International Patent Legal Administration will host a two-hour seminar on considerations and options for filing foreign patent applications.
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The U.S. Commercial Service has several upcoming webinars to help you connect with global trade professionals and industry experts with the opportunity to raise your own questions & to hear what is on the minds of other businesses.
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In accordance with the Secure 5G and Beyond Act of 2020, the National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA), on behalf of the Executive Branch, is requesting comments to inform the development of an Implementation Plan for the National Strategy to Secure 5G. Written comments identified by Docket No. 200521-0144 may be submitted by email to [email protected]. Comments must be received on or before June 18, 2020.
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The U.S. Department of Commerce?s Bureau of Industry and Security (BIS) is seeking public comments on how to improve the exclusion process for tariffs and quotas imposed on steel and aluminum imports under Section 232 of the Trade Expansion Act of 1962 (?Section 232?). The notice of inquiry, which went on public display today at the Federal Register, states that BIS will accept comment submissions from May 26, 2020 through July 10, 2020.
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