Washington, DC - Monday, the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) announced selections for its Notice of Opportunity for Technical Assistance (NOTA) to perform techno-economic studies to evaluate the long-term value of two selected pumped-storage hydropower (PSH) projects. While PSH projects were initially built to balance the electricity system between period of high demand during the day and low demand at night, increases in variable renewable generation have changed how plants are operated and the value they provide to the grid. For example, instead of generating during the day and pumping at night, many plants now change operational modes multiple times per day and are relied on to provide quick ramping or frequency response.

Los Angeles, California - Two southern California residents were arrested on November 28, 2018, in connection with a long-running scheme to smuggle purported dietary supplement ingredients into the United States from China, the Department of Justice announced.

Washington, DC - A seller of identity documents was arraigned Thursday, after being extradited from El Salvador, on a superseding indictment charging one count of conspiracy to possess and transfer identity documents, one count of conspiracy to commit human smuggling for financial gain, and 40 counts of aggravated identity theft, in relation to a scheme to traffic the identities of Puerto Rican U.S. citizens and corresponding identity documents.  Judge Bruce McGiverin ordered the defendant detained. 

Washington, DC - The Department of Justice announced that on November 29, the Madoff Victim Fund (MVF) began its third distribution of $695.4 million in funds forfeited to the U.S. Government in connection with the Bernard L. Madoff Investment Securities LLC (BLMIS) fraud scheme, bringing the total distributed to nearly $2 billion.  These funds will be sent to over 27,000 victims across the globe, bringing their total recovery to 56.65 percent. This distribution represents the third in a series of payments that will eventually return over $4 billion to victims as compensation for losses they suffered from the collapse of the BLMIS.  The MVF has received over 65,000 petitions from victims in 136 countries.

Miami, Florida - A pharmacist licensed by the State of Florida was sentenced today to 78 months in prison for her participation in a scheme involving the payment of approximately $3.4 million in fraudulent claims by TRICARE, Medicare, and private insurance programs for compounded creams that were medically unnecessary, procured through illegal kickbacks, and otherwise not eligible for reimbursement.

Sacramento, California - Governor Edmund G. Brown Jr. and First Lady Anne Gust Brown joined the California Museum to award the Spirit of California medal to eight Californians inducted into the 12th class of the California Hall of Fame this evening.