WASHINGTON — Advancing President Donald J. Trump's strategic focus on domestic critical mineral development, the Department of the Interior today announced it is initiating the process to evaluate a potential mineral lease sale in the waters offshore American Samoa. This marks the first such action by Interior in over 30 years and could pave the way for future extraction of critical minerals from the U.S. Outer Continental Shelf.

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The Justice Department has issued two fact sheets on the Service members Civil Relief Act (SCRA). The first explains how service members, recent veterans, and their spouses can exercise their right to the six percent interest rate benefit under the SCRA. The second generally summarizes some of the most common protections and benefits under the SCRA for the military community.

“Service members make great sacrifices to protect and advance our nation’s safety,” said Assistant Attorney General Harmeet K. Dhillon of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division. “The Justice Department is committed to ensuring that service members are afforded their rights and benefits under the law.”

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WASHINGTON, D.C.— The Department of Commerce (DOC) announced a rescission of the Biden Administration’s AI Diffusion Rule, while rolling out additional steps to strengthen export controls on semiconductors worldwide.

The AI Diffusion Rule was issued on January 15, 2025, with compliance requirements that were set to come into effect on May 15, 2025. These new requirements would have stifled American innovation and saddled companies with burdensome new regulatory requirements. The AI Diffusion Rule also would have undermined U.S. diplomatic relations with dozens of countries by downgrading them to second-tier status.

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WASHINGTON – The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) announced loan interest rates for May 2025, which are effective May 1, 2025. USDA Farm Service Agency (FSA) loans provide important access to capital to help agricultural producers start or expand their farming operation, purchase equipment and storage structures or meet cash flow needs.

Operating, Ownership and Emergency Loans
FSA offers farm ownership, operating and emergency loans with favorable interest rates and terms to help eligible agricultural producers obtain financing needed to start, expand or maintain a family agricultural operation.

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WASHINGTON — Secretary of the Interior Doug Burgum has directed the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management to initiate the first step in a robust public engagement process to develop a new schedule for offshore oil and gas lease sales on the U.S. Outer Continental Shelf.

“Launching the process to develop the 11th National Outer Continental Shelf Program marks a decisive step toward securing American Energy Dominance,” said Secretary of the Interior Doug Burgum. “Through a transparent and inclusive public engagement process, we are reinforcing our commitment to responsible offshore energy development—driving job creation, bolstering economic growth and strengthening American energy independence. Under President Donald J. Trump’s leadership, we are unlocking the full potential of our offshore resources to benefit the American people for generations to come.”

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WASHINGTON – In support of President Donald J. Trump’s directive to accelerate domestic critical mineral production, the Department of the Interior is taking steps to streamline permitting processes and improve federal accountability by working with Federal Permitting Improvement Steering Council to add critical minerals infrastructure projects to the FAST-41 program.

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