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The National League of Cities (NLC) and the Urban Land Institute (ULI) today announced that mayors from four cities—Birmingham, Ala.; Denver; Long Beach, Calif.; and Rochester, N.Y.—have been selected as the 2016 class of Daniel Rose Fellows by the Rose Center for Public Leadership in Land Use. Mayors William Bell, Michael Hancock, Robert Garcia and Lovely Warren will lead teams from their respective cities who will receive technical assistance on a local land use challenge from NLC, ULI and their peers from the other fellowship cities.

Several national groups sent a letter to President Obama urging the Administration to rethink its position on the recapitalization of the government-sponsored enterprises (GSEs) Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac and calling for their continued reform. The letter is in response to comments last week from Jacob Lew, Secretary of the U.S. Department of the Treasury, and Antonio Weiss, Counselor to the Secretary of the U.S. Department of the Treasury, that seemingly suggested that the Obama Administration would not consider recapitalization of the GSEs

On October 22, the House Financial Services Committee held a hearing entitled, "The Future of Housing in America: 50 Years of HUD and its Impact on Federal Housing Policy" to review the effectiveness of HUD programs since the Department was established half a century ago

Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack today announced that the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) is partnering with 21 states through the Biofuel Infrastructure Partnership (BIP) to nearly double the number of fueling pumps nationwide that supply renewable fuels to American motorists. In May 2015, USDA announced the availability of $100 million in grants through the BIP, and that to apply states and private partners match the federal funding by a 1:1 ratio.

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) recently announced approximately $13.2 million in supplemental funding through the Revolving Loan Funding (RLF) program for 44 communities to cleanup and redevelop contaminated properties. The agency also has released a new electronic decision tree that helps users explore the feasibility of siting renewable energy projects on formerly contaminated properties and underutilized sites.

Safety professionals aren’t yet aware of all the emerging green building systems. To meet this need in the building industry, AGC of Washington and its AGC Education Foundation partnered with others on a grant to develop a curriculum and a mobile app specific to safety concerns while working on a green building.

The White House and leaders in Congress struck a significant two-year budget deal on Tuesday to restore 90% of the sequestration budget cuts for non-defense discretionary programs in fiscal year 2016. The House passed The Bipartisan Budget Act of 2015 this afternoon.

EPA, the U.S. Department of Justice and the State of Iowa have reached a proposed settlement of alleged Clean Water Act violations by the City of Waterloo, Iowa, that will require the city to assess its sanitary sewer system and develop a master plan to eliminate unlawful sewer overflows and bypasses.

U.S. Senators Barbara A. Mikulski and Ben Cardin together with Representatives Elijah E. Cummings, C.A. Dutch Ruppersberger and John P. Sarbanes (all D-Md.) today announced $10,000,000 in federal funding for the Southeast Baltimore Port Industry Freight Corridor Plan, making critical transportation infrastructure improvements to the Broening Highway Corridor that will create jobs and enhance the economic security of the Port of Baltimore and surrounding business community.

U.S. Representative Mimi Walters (CA-45) released the following statement in response to the Bureau of Land Management’s recent determination related to the Cadiz Water Project’s proposed use of railroad right-of-way for a water conveyance pipeline.

The City of Sacramento’s Department of Utilities is presenting a report to the City Council on October 27 proposing four-year rate adjustments to address critical improvements to the city’s water, wastewater and storm drainage infrastructure

The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services’ (HHS) Administration for Children and Families has announced the release of over $3 billion for the Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP) for the Fiscal Year (FY) 2016. LIHEAP aids individuals and families, especially seniors and children, heat their homes in the winter, cool their homes in the summer, and assist with insulation to ensure that their homes are energy efficient. Grantees with completed FY 2016 LIHEAP plans will receive award letters with their individual allotments.

U.S. Senators Barbara A. Mikulski and Ben Cardin together with Representatives Elijah E. Cummings, C.A. Dutch Ruppersberger and John P. Sarbanes (all D-Md.) today announced $10,000,000 in federal funding for the Southeast Baltimore Port Industry Freight Corridor Plan, making critical transportation infrastructure improvements to the Broening Highway Corridor that will create jobs and enhance the economic security of the Port of Baltimore and surrounding business community.

Support comes from USDA’s rural energy program to help farmers and rural business owners reduce their costs by providing grants and loan guarantees for renewable energy and energy efficiency projects

National Church Residences has completed the sale of Ocean View Senior Apartments to BRIDGE Housing. This transaction will preserve Ocean View as an affordable housing community for seniors in Pacifica and pave the way for new capital improvements

The California State Historical Resources Commission will consider seven nominations for federal historic designation, and one nomination for state historic designation this Friday October 30, 2015.

U.S. Senators Johnny Isakson, R-Ga., and David Perdue, R-Ga., have cosponsored two resolutions of disapproval under the Congressional Review Act that would stop the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) from implementing new energy regulations that could raise the cost of living for hardworking taxpayers and turn back the clock on America’s energy independence

Recognizing the rehabilitation of abandoned properties in local communities as a way to address the impact of the foreclosure crisis, Attorney General Maura Healey today toured a Brockton property rehabilitated through her Abandoned Housing Initiative (AHI).

U.S. Senators Susan Collins and Angus King, a member of the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee, today announced that fourteen Maine businesses will receive federal grants totaling more than $1.6 million to support renewable energy and energy efficiency projects in the state. The funding is provided through the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) Rural Energy for America (REAP) program

The Cybersecurity Information Sharing Act (CISA) of 2015, which passed the Senate this afternoon with strong bipartisan support (74-21), included an important amendment authored by U.S. Senator Susan Collins