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The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) determined that more stringent energy conservation standards for small electric motors (SEMs) are not cost-effective, so existing standards will remain unchanged. The analysis by DOE found that while technically feasible improvements exist for SEMs, the costs of implementing them would outweigh the energy savings benefits for consumers. As a result, the standards set by the Energy Policy and Conservation Act (EPCA) will not be amended because they would not be economically justified. This decision concludes that the potential energy conservation from new standards would not meet significant conservation thresholds under the current criteria.

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.

The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) is updating a rule for certain Airbus SAS airplanes, specifically the A330-200, -200 Freighter, -300 series, -841, and -941 models. The new rule replaces a previous one and incorporates more stringent safety checks required by the European Union Aviation Safety Agency (EASA). It focuses on updating inspection programs to prevent potential issues that could affect airplane controllability. The updated rule takes effect on March 7, 2025, and is designed to improve aviation safety.

The Department of Defense has announced an arms sale to Egypt, allowing them to purchase up to 168 RIM-116C Rolling Airframe Missiles (RAM) Block 2 tactical missiles. This deal, valued at approximately $197 million, includes related support and logistical services. The sale aims to strengthen Egypt's naval defense, specifically improving their protection of coastal regions and the Suez Canal, without upsetting the regional military balance. Raytheon Missiles & Defense is the principal contractor for this sale, and no U.S. personnel will be required to assist in Egypt.

The Department of Defense (DoD) has published an arms sales notification regarding the sale of 28-meter patrol craft production kits to the Government of Egypt. This proposed sale, valued at $129 million, aims to support U.S. foreign policy and enhance Egypt's defense capabilities by improving its security operations. The sale includes kits with boats, infrared systems, and supporting services, and it will not affect the military balance in the region. Swiftships, located in Morgan City, LA, will be the primary contractor for this sale.

The U.S. Office of Government Ethics has issued a final rule to adjust the fines for violations of the Ethics in Government Act in 2025, as required by law to keep up with inflation. These changes, effective January 15, 2025, include increasing penalties for activities such as falsifying financial disclosure reports and misuse of public reports. The adjustments ensure that penalties remain a deterrent and are calculated based on changes in the Consumer Price Index. These updates only affect violations occurring after November 2, 2015, that are addressed after the new rule's effective date.

The U.S. Department of Energy has decided to update energy conservation standards for gas-fired instantaneous water heaters. These changes aim to make the heaters more energy-efficient, leading to significant energy savings while being both technologically feasible and economically justified. Starting December 26, 2029, manufacturers will need to comply with these new standards, which are calculated to save energy and money over the lifetime of the heaters and reduce greenhouse gas emissions, despite potential minor increases in electricity use. The overall benefits include costs savings for consumers and emissions reductions, though there will be conversion costs for manufacturers to meet these standards.

The Judicial Conference of the United States has announced that certain dollar amounts related to bankruptcy cases in the United States Code will be adjusted due to changes in the Consumer Price Index for All Urban Consumers. These changes will take effect on April 1, 2025, and will apply to many sections of titles 11 and 28 that deal with bankruptcy law. The adjustments are based on a three-year period ending before January 1, 2025, and will be rounded to the nearest $25. Additionally, several Official Bankruptcy Forms and Director's Forms will also be updated to reflect these new dollar amounts.

The U.S. Office of Government Ethics has issued a final rule to adjust the civil monetary penalties related to the Ethics in Government Act, following the guidelines of the Federal Civil Penalties Inflation Adjustment Act Improvements Act of 2015. This rule updates the penalty amounts based on inflation, using a specific formula, to maintain their deterrent effect. The penalties for various violations have been increased slightly, such as those related to financial disclosures and breaches of trust, and these changes apply to penalties assessed after January 15, 2021. The adjustments help ensure that monetary penalties keep up with the cost of living over time.

The Copyright Royalty Board is correcting a proposed rule initially published on December 19, 2024, which concerns digital performance rates and ephemeral recordings for new subscription services from 2026 to 2030. The original document had a mistake in the rate adjustment formulas because it missed some parentheses, making the equations incorrect. This new document fixes those formulas. Comments on the proposed rule can be submitted online until March 12, 2025, using the Copyright Royalty Board's electronic filing system.