Government & Policy · Week of Nov 2, 2026
Federal settlements and prosecutions lead the week in policy news
Justice Department settlements and prosecutions dominated the week, alongside a coal advisory appointment and policy moves in school safety and testing.
Justice Department announcements made up most of the week's releases. Lockheed Martin agreed to pay approximately $29.5 million in a two-part settlement with the Justice Department and the EEOC over alleged employment discrimination and false certifications as a federal contractor, while Lab Genomics LLC and its owner agreed to pay $1.25 million to resolve False Claims Act allegations over marketer kickbacks. Other Justice News items covered a guilty plea by a former government IT contractor to conspiring to spy for Ethiopia, a consent decree involving an Ohio chinchilla breeder, and an interstate child exploitation charge.
Outside enforcement, companies tied their announcements to policy processes. Ramaco Resources said its chairman and CEO, Randall W. Atkins, was elected chairman of the International Energy Agency's Coal Industry Advisory Board. GeoComm addressed federal school safety proposals inspired by Alyssa's Law, and NWEA said two of its assessments received provisional approval in Texas' new statewide assessment system.
Ramaco Resources, Inc.
Randall W. Atkins Elected as Chairman of the International Energy Agency's Coal Industry Advisory Board
Ramaco Resources says Chairman and CEO Randall W. Atkins was elected Chairman of the IEA's Coal Industry Advisory Board by unanimous vote, and Vice Chairman Evan Jenkins will chair the CIAB Associate Members. The CIAB, created in 1979, advises the IEA on coal, energy security, critical minerals and related policy, putting a Ramaco executive at the head of that advisory channel.
Justice News
California Laboratory and Its Owner Pay $1.25M to Settle Allegations of Kickbacks to Marketers
Lab Genomics LLC and owner Leena Dalal agreed to pay $1.25 million to resolve allegations that they paid value and volume-based commissions to three marketers to induce lab test referrals from January 2020 through September 2022, the Justice Department announced on November 6, 2026. Whistleblowers Sunil Wadhwa and Ken Newton will receive $225,000, and the department says the claims are allegations only with no determination of liability.
Justice News
Lockheed Martin Agrees to Pay $29.5M to Resolve Alleged Employment Discrimination Violations
The Justice Department and the EEOC announced that Lockheed Martin agreed to pay approximately $29.5 million to resolve allegations of employment discrimination and false certifications of compliance with federal civil rights laws as a federal contractor. Of that total, $22 million is to be paid to the United States under an agreement with the Justice Department.
Justice News
Ohio Pet Breeder Agrees to Surrender Over 1,100 Chinchillas
The U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Ohio endorsed a consent decree requiring the owner of R & R Chinchilla Inc. to surrender over 300 remaining chinchillas at a facility in Jenera, Ohio. The order follows the voluntary surrender of roughly 800 chinchillas to animal welfare organizations under a modified temporary restraining order.
Justice News
Former U.S. Government Contractor Pleads Guilty to Spying for Ethiopia
Abraham Teklu Lemma, 53, of Maryland, a former IT contractor at the National Reconnaissance Office, the State Department and the Justice Department, pleaded guilty to conspiring to commit espionage on behalf of the government of Ethiopia. The case involves a contractor who worked across several federal agencies, according to the Justice Department.
GeoComm, Inc
GeoComm Highlights the Role of Location Intelligence in Federal Alyssa's Law Proposals
GeoComm says bipartisan federal school safety legislation inspired by Alyssa's Law points to a model in which emergency alerts, 9-1-1 and response-ready maps work together. The release positions location data as part of the response systems Congress is considering.
Justice News
Utah Minor Recovered by Law Enforcement After Oregon Man Allegedly Transported the Victim to Engage in Criminal Sexual Activity
An Oregon man is in federal custody and charged with transportation with intent to engage in criminal sexual activity after allegedly meeting a Utah minor online in May 2025 and driving the victim across state lines, the Justice Department says. Law enforcement recovered the minor, according to the release.
NWEA
NWEA Assessments Clear First Step of Approval in the New Statewide Assessment System in Texas
NWEA says Texas provisionally approved its MAP Growth and MAP Reading Fluency assessments as a first step in the state's new statewide assessment system. The company says the approval gives Texas districts more flexibility in measuring student progress and informing instruction.
This roundup is written with AI assistance from the press releases listed above, using only what they state. The releases are the companies' own announcements, not Economy Life reporting.