Herndon, Virginia – The U.S. Department of Labor has obtained a consent judgment in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia removing Answers Inc. and 401(k) trustee Cynthia Chambliss as fiduciaries of the company’s 401(k) profit-sharing plan and appointing JM Pension Advisory Inc. as the independent plan fiduciary. Answers Inc. is a defunct company formerly located in Herndon, Va., that operated under the names Transit Services LLC and Answer Transit Services Corp.

WASHINGTON – The U.S. Department of Labor has certified for release $141,808,031 in unemployment insurance (UI) modernization incentive funds to the state of Tennessee. Tennessee qualified for its full share of the funds available under the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (Recovery Act) by providing for a variety of family friendly provisions that assist recent entrants to the workforce, workers seeking part-time work and workers with children.

WASHINGTON – The U.S. Department of Labor has certified for release $59,969,332 in unemployment insurance (UI) modernization incentive funds to the state of Arkansas. Arkansas qualified for its full share of the funds available under the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (Recovery Act) by making it easier for recent entrants to the workforce, workers seeking part-time work and those unemployed for family reasons to be eligible for benefits.

Cookeville, Tennessee – The U.S. Department of Labor has obtained a consent judgment and settlement agreement appointing an independent fiduciary to manage and distribute the retirement assets of defunct Renewable Resources Inc. of Cookeville.

The order, issued by the U.S. District Court for the Middle District of Tennessee, appoints Larry Lefoldt as the independent fiduciary for the purpose of terminating the plan and distributing its assets in accordance with plan provisions.

Denver — The U.S. Department of Labor has obtained a consent judgment in the U.S. District Court for the District of Colorado appointing an independent fiduciary to oversee the abandoned 401(k) plan of the defunct Denver Window Corp., formerly of Commerce City, Colorado.

CHICAGO – The U.S. Department of Labor's Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) today announced the publication of a notice of proposed rulemaking in today's Federal Register to approve a new Illinois state public employee protection plan.

WASHINGTON — The U.S. Department of Labor would like to notify all former Westinghouse Atomic Power Development Plant workers about a new class of employees added to the Energy Employees Occupational Illness Compensation Program Act's (EEOICPA) Special Exposure Cohort (SEC). The EEOICPA provides compensation and medical benefits to employees who became ill as a result of working in the nuclear weapons industry. Survivors of qualified employees may also be entitled to benefits.

WASHINGTON — The U.S. Department of Labor would like to notify all former Tyson Valley Powder Farm workers about a new class of employees added to the Energy Employees Occupational Illness Compensation Program Act's (EEOICPA) Special Exposure Cohort (SEC). The EEOICPA provides compensation and medical benefits to employees who became ill as a result of working in the nuclear weapons industry. Survivors of qualified employees may also be entitled to benefits.

WASHINGTON — The U.S. Department of Labor would like to notify all former Hood Building workers about a new class of employees added to the Energy Employees Occupational Illness Compensation Program Act's (EEOICPA) Special Exposure Cohort (SEC). The EEOICPA provides compensation and medical benefits to employees who became ill as a result of working in the nuclear weapons industry. Survivors of qualified employees may also be entitled to benefits.

UNEMPLOYMENT INSURANCE WEEKLY CLAIMS REPORT

SEASONALLY ADJUSTED DATA In the week ending July 4, the advance figure for seasonally adjusted initial claims was 565,000, a decrease of 52,000 from the previous week's revised figure of 617,000. The 4-week moving average was 606,000, a decrease of 10,000 from the previous week's revised average of 616,000.

WASHINGTON – The U.S. Department of Labor today certified for release $275,161,405 in unemployment insurance (UI) modernization incentive funds to the state of New York. New York qualified for these funds available under the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (Recovery Act) by making it easier for unemployed workers seeking part-time employment and those unemployed for family-related reasons to be eligible for benefits.

Pella, Iowa - The U.S. Department of Labor has sued the owner of Van Elsen Consulting Inc. in Pella, Iowa, for allegedly retaining employee contributions owed to the company’s SIMPLE IRA Retirement Plan to pay the operating expenses of the company. Van Elsen Consulting Inc. was an actuarial consulting firm that ceased operations on December 31, 2006.

Washington – The Advisory Council on Employee Welfare and Pension Benefit Plans (also known as the ERISA Advisory Council) will meet July 21-23, 2009 in Washington, D.C., at the U.S. Department of Labor, 200 Constitution Avenue, Room N-3437A-B.

Cincinnati – A free health law compliance assistance seminar for employers, plan fiduciaries and plan services providers, sponsored by the U.S. Department of Labor’s Employee Benefits Security Administration (EBSA) and the Ohio Department of Insurance, will take place July 15 and 16 at the Kingsgate Marriott Conference Hotel at the University of Cincinnati, 151 Goodman Drive.

Kansas City — A former employee of a Kansas City, Mo., gaming casino was sentenced to one year in federal prison and three years of supervised probation after completion of her prison term. Dana Wachter also was ordered to make approximately $38,000 in restitution stolen from a co-worker.

The sentencing was based on a criminal investigation by the U. S. Department of Labor’s Regional Office of the Employee Benefits Security Administration (EBSA) in Kansas City, Missouri and the U.S. Postal Inspection Service.

WASHINGTON – Secretary of Labor Hilda L. Solis today issued the following statement regarding the death of former Secretary of Defense Robert S. McNamara:

"I offer my condolences to the McNamara family during this difficult time.

"Robert S. McNamara was a fellow Californian and a quintessential public servant.

NEW YORK – The U.S. Department of Labor has obtained two federal court orders appointing the same independent fiduciary to manage the abandoned profit-sharing plans of defunct H&M Tool & Machine Co. Inc. and Valmar Industrial Corp., both formerly located in the Binghamton, New York, area.

WASHINGTON – U.S. Secretary of Labor Hilda L. Solis issued the following statement on the June 2009 Employment Situation report released today:

"Today's news is a reminder of the severity of the economic problem that this administration inherited and continues to illustrate the pressing needs of American working families.

UNEMPLOYMENT INSURANCE WEEKLY CLAIMS REPORT

SEASONALLY ADJUSTED DATA In the week ending June 27, the advance figure for seasonally adjusted initial claims was 614,000, a decrease of 16,000 from the previous week's revised figure of 630,000. The 4-week moving average was 615,250, a decrease of 2,750 from the previous week's revised average of 618,000.

WASHINGTON – The U.S. Department of Labor has announced a $3,026,914 National Emergency Grant increment to continue assisting 1,063 California workers affected by mass layoffs and closures in the mortgage and banking industries.