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The Department of Education has announced the opening for applications for the Fulbright-Hays Group Projects Abroad (GPA) Program for fiscal year 2021. This program aims to promote the study of modern foreign languages and area studies by offering opportunities for faculty, teachers, and students to conduct projects overseas. The available funding is approximately $3.5 million, with awards ranging from $50,000 to $250,000 for short-term and long-term projects. Eligible applicants include higher education institutions, state educational agencies, nonprofit educational organizations, and consortia of these entities.

The Maritime Administration under the Department of Transportation has announced the availability of $19.6 million in grants through the Small Shipyard Grant Program. These grants aim to enhance efficiency and quality in small shipyard operations, focusing on capital improvements and training for workers in shipbuilding-related industries. Applications for these grants are open until February 25, 2021, with strict eligibility criteria, including the requirement for shipyards to have fewer than 1,200 production employees. The program encourages the use of U.S.-produced goods and supports projects that aid rural areas and opportunity zones.

The Treasury Department and IRS have issued final regulations that update the rules for classifying transactions involving digital content and cloud services. These updates help clarify how transactions like software downloads and streaming services are taxed, especially in international contexts. The new rules replace the previous "de minimis" standard with a "predominant character" rule to simplify determining the main purpose of such transactions. Examples in the regulations provide further guidance, and while the new rules are effective for tax years starting on or after January 14, 2025, businesses can also choose to apply them to earlier years.

The Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) has revoked the DEA registration of Xubex Community Pharmacy in Casselberry, Florida. This decision was made because the pharmacy dispensed controlled substances, specifically Schedule II drugs like oxycodone and hydromorphone, without prescriptions. The DEA considered these actions a threat to public health and safety, demonstrating that the pharmacy cannot be trusted to comply with legal requirements. Furthermore, the pharmacy did not request a hearing to dispute these conclusions, leading to the default revocation of its registration.

The Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) has issued a final rule modifying the Federal Manufactured Home Construction and Safety Standards. This rule adopts certain recommendations from the Manufactured Housing Consensus Committee (MHCC) to enhance safety, affordability, and flexibility of manufactured homes. Key amendments include updates to standards for attached garages and structures, interior passage dimensions, carbon monoxide and smoke alarms, and stairway design and requirements. The rule aims to modernize the standards, align them with best practices, and incorporate new technologies to provide benefits to consumers and the broader community.

The Department of Defense has issued a notice about a planned arms sale involving Command, Control, Communications, and Computers (C4) support to the Taipei Economic and Cultural Representative Office in the U.S. (TECRO). This sale includes maintenance and improvement of existing systems, spare parts, training, and support services under the Syun An program and is worth an estimated $300 million. The proposal seeks to bolster the defense capabilities of the recipient without affecting the military balance in the region. The notice also mentions that about 26 U.S. government personnel and 83 contractors will be involved in providing the necessary support and services.

The National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) has announced a proposal to update regulations concerning inventions funded by federal grants, especially those created by nonprofit organizations and small businesses. These updates aim to simplify existing rules, correct outdated sections, and better define terms and processes. NIST seeks public feedback on these proposed changes by April 5, 2021, and plans to hold a public webinar to discuss these revisions further. These changes are intended to enhance the commercialization and application of federally funded innovations, in line with efforts to boost American innovation.

The United States Department of Agriculture announced the launch of the Marketing Assistance for Specialty Crops (MASC) program, which provides financial support to specialty crop producers to help them expand or develop markets. Applications for this assistance will be accepted from December 10, 2024, to January 8, 2025. To qualify, producers must be actively engaged in farming specialty crops, such as fruits, vegetables, tree nuts, and floriculture, among others. The program aims to boost domestic market growth and address the challenges specialty crop producers face due to high costs and lower cash receipts.

The Department of Energy (DOE) has announced a final interpretive rule regarding energy conservation standards for products like residential furnaces and commercial water heaters. The rule states that non-condensing technology and its associated venting is considered a "feature" that must be preserved under the Energy Policy and Conservation Act (EPCA). This decision comes after public comments and aims to prevent eliminating this technology through energy-saving regulations. This interpretation may limit potential energy savings but allows consumers more choices and prevents unnecessary building modifications. The DOE also withdrew previous proposals on energy conservation standards that were inconsistent with this interpretation.

The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service has proposed a rule to list several Caribbean skink species as endangered or threatened. The Puerto Rican skink, Lesser Virgin Islands skink, and Virgin Islands bronze skink are proposed as endangered, while the Culebra skink is proposed as threatened. The proposal also includes designating critical habitats for these species to aid in their conservation. Public comments on the proposal will be accepted until February 18, 2025.