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The Department of State is seeking public comments on the submission of the Affidavit of Relationship (AOR) to the Office of Management and Budget for approval. This form is part of the U.S. Refugee Admissions Program and helps certain family members of U.S. residents apply for refugee resettlement. The AOR is used to prove family ties and requires DNA testing to verify relationships, with costs covered by the government. The collection aims to ensure proper functioning and minimize the burden on respondents, and public comments will be accepted until January 15, 2025.

The State Department has announced that certain art objects are being imported from abroad for temporary display in the "Sargent and Paris" exhibition at The Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York. These objects are considered culturally significant and displaying them in the United States is deemed to be in the national interest. This determination was made under various legal authorities, and public notice of this has been published in the Federal Register. For more information, Reed Liriano at the U.S. Department of State can be contacted.

The Department of State has updated the Exchange Visitors Skills List, which identifies countries that need people with certain specialized skills. This list is used to see if someone in the U.S. on a "J" nonimmigrant exchange visa must spend two years in their home country before applying for other U.S. visas. This updated list replaces the previous version from 2009 and incorporates factors like a country’s GDP and migration rates to decide which skills are necessary. This list helps with U.S. foreign policy and doesn't require the usual public comment process due to its relation to foreign affairs.

The State Department has officially designated Ansarallah (also known as Houthi group) as a Foreign Terrorist Organization under section 219 of the Immigration and Nationality Act. This decision came after consulting with the Attorney General and the Secretary of the Treasury, concluding there is enough evidence to support the designation. The announcement was made by Secretary of State Marco Rubio and takes effect upon its publication in the Federal Register.

The State Department announced its decision to import certain culturally significant objects for a temporary exhibition called “Rethinking Etruria” at the Institute for the Study of the Ancient World in New York. This exhibition may also be displayed at other venues that are yet to be decided. The temporary display of these objects is deemed to be in the national interest, and public notice of this decision is published in the Federal Register. Reed Liriano from the U.S. Department of State is the point of contact for more information regarding this matter.

The Secretary of State has imposed sanctions on three individuals, determined to have been involved in obstructing peace efforts in Syria. These sanctions involve blocking any property they have in the United States and preventing those assets from being transferred or used. The individuals, including Asma al-Assad and Kifah Moulhem, were identified under Executive Order 13894, which targets those obstructing peace in Syria or attempting to interfere with the conflict's resolution. Additionally, several relatives of Asma al-Assad are also sanctioned as family members of a designated person.

The Secretary of State has imposed sanctions on four individuals in connection with the enforcement of the National Security Law in Hong Kong. These sanctions, effective from November 9, 2020, are part of Executive Order 13936, related to Hong Kong's autonomy and stability. The individuals, Li Jiangzhou, Edwina Lau, Steve Li Kwai-Wah, and Deng Zhonghua, have been added to the Specially Designated Nationals and Blocked Person List, which means their assets in the U.S. are blocked, and U.S. persons are generally prohibited from dealing with them.

The State Department has reviewed the status of several organizations designated as Foreign Terrorist Organizations, including al-Qa'ida in the Indian Subcontinent, Boko Haram, Hizballah, ISIS-West Africa, and Jemaah Islamiyah. After looking at various records and consulting with the Attorney General and Secretary of the Treasury, it was determined that the circumstances have not changed enough to remove these groups from the list of Foreign Terrorist Organizations. As a result, the designations for these groups will remain in place to protect national security. Hillary Batjer Johnson from the Bureau of Counterterrorism made this determination public.

The State Department has announced that certain objects from abroad, which are part of the "Woven Histories: Textiles and Modern Abstraction" exhibition at The Museum of Modern Art in New York, are of cultural importance and beneficial for temporary display in the United States. The Deputy Assistant Secretary for Professional and Cultural Exchanges has authorized these arrangements as being in the national interest, as noted in the Federal Register. Additional exhibitions or venues for these objects may also be considered. The determinations follow U.S. legal authority and were published for public awareness.

The U.S. Advisory Commission on Public Diplomacy (ACPD) is hosting a virtual public meeting on February 11, 2021, to discuss the challenges and opportunities for U.S. public diplomacy in the context of 2021. The meeting will highlight the Commission's 2020 comprehensive report on public diplomacy and will include a panel of independent experts. The event is open to the public, and attendees can obtain access by contacting ACPD Program Assistant Kristy Zamary via email. The ACPD has been assessing public diplomacy efforts since 1948 and reports its findings to the President, Secretary of State, and Congress.