Federal Register Digest: November 14, 2025
1. Interest Rates and Monetary Policy: Discount Window and Bank Reserves
Federal Reserve: Discount Window Rates (Regulation A – 12 CFR 201)
What changed:
The Fed cut the primary credit (discount window) rate from 4.25% to 4.00%.
The secondary credit rate (for higher-risk or less-sound institutions) dropped from 4.75% to 4.50% (always 0.50 percentage points above primary).
These changes took effect October 30, 2025, and are now codified in regulation.
Why it matters:
These rates are a key back-up funding source for banks. Lower rates can ease short-term funding stress and support broader credit conditions, particularly in times of uncertainty.
For households and businesses, this is one piece of the broader interest-rate environment that shapes loan costs, savings rates, and job stability (Maslow: safety and economic security).
Civic lens (COOF & Constitution):
This implements Congress’s delegation in the Federal Reserve Act, using data-driven monetary policy to “promote the general Welfare” while maintaining transparency through formal rulemaking.
Federal Reserve: Interest on Reserve Balances (Regulation D – 12 CFR 204)
What changed:
The interest on reserve balances (IORB) paid by the Fed to banks was reduced from 4.15% to 3.90%, effective October 30, 2025.
This rate helps the Fed keep the federal funds rate inside its target range of 3.75%–4.00%.
Why it matters:
IORB is a powerful lever: if banks earn less on reserves at the Fed, they may be more willing to lend into the real economy, affecting mortgages, credit cards, and small-business lending.
This is part of a controlled easing of financial conditions, with implications for inflation, employment, and household budgets.
Your move:
Local governments, nonprofits, and community advocates should track how local banks respond—especially in under-served communities where credit access is fragile.
2. Aviation Safety: Grounding MD-11s Until Critical Inspections
FAA Emergency Airworthiness Directive: Boeing MD-11 / MD-11F (14 CFR 39)
What happened:
After an accident where the left engine and pylon detached during takeoff on an MD-11, the FAA issued an emergency directive now formalized as AD 2025-23-51.
All MD-11 and MD-11F aircraft (109 U.S.-registered planes) are prohibited from further flight until:
The airplane is inspected using an FAA-approved method, and
All necessary corrective actions are completed.
Special ferry flights are only allowed with explicit FAA approval.
Why it matters:
MD-11s are widely used in cargo operations; this could temporarily affect freight routes and logistics.
The directive prioritizes life safety—directly protecting passengers, crew, ground personnel, and communities (Maslow: physical safety).
Civic lens:
This is classic use of federal authority under 49 U.S.C. §44701 to “promote safe flight of civil aircraft,” aligning with COOF’s emphasis on transparent risk management over economic convenience.
3. Climate & Energy: Texas Takes Over Carbon Storage Permitting (Class VI Primacy)
EPA: Texas Class VI Underground Injection Control (UIC) Primacy (40 CFR 147)
What changed:
EPA approved Texas’s application to take primary responsibility (“primacy”) for Class VI injection wells—those used to inject CO₂ deep underground for long-term storage (geologic sequestration).
The Texas Railroad Commission (RRC) will now issue and enforce Class VI permits state-wide, except on Indian lands, where EPA retains authority.
Effective December 15, 2025.
What Texas had to show:
State statutes and regulations that are at least as protective as federal rules (40 CFR 144, 145, 146).
Legal authority to enforce, including civil and criminal penalties, plus staff and technical capacity for:
Site characterization and modeling
Well construction standards
Testing, monitoring, financial assurance, and emergency response
Public input:
Texas held multiple rulemakings in 2010, 2012, 2022, and 2023; comments included strong support for local control and concerns about RRC oversight and environmental justice.
EPA then ran its own public comment process in 2025 and offered Tribal consultation opportunities.
Why it matters:
Texas hosts some of the largest potential carbon capture and storage (CCS) projects in the country.
Primacy could speed permitting and encourage investment in CCS, a key climate-mitigation tool—if oversight is robust.
For nearby communities, this raises questions about groundwater protection, seismic risk, and long-term monitoring, directly tied to health and environmental security (Maslow: safety; COOF: equity and transparency).
Your move:
Community groups, landowners, and local governments should:
Monitor upcoming Class VI permit drafts,
Engage in public comment on individual projects, and
Request clear, accessible explanations of long-term monitoring and liability.
4. Chemical Safety: Delaying Parts of the TCE Rule
EPA: Trichloroethylene (TCE) – Extension of Postponement (40 CFR 751)
What changed:
EPA extended the postponement of effectiveness for certain provisions of its Toxic Substances Control Act (TSCA) rule on trichloroethylene (TCE).
TCE is a hazardous industrial solvent linked to serious health risks, including cancer and neurological harm.
Why it matters:
The original rule sought aggressive risk reduction; the extension means some restrictions or deadlines will not kick in as soon as planned.
This gives industry more time to adjust but can slow risk reduction for workers and nearby communities.
From a Maslow/COOF lens: EPA must balance economic stability (jobs, operations) against health protection—especially for vulnerable populations often located near industrial sites.
Questions for civic engagement:
Does EPA’s delay come with additional safeguards, monitoring, or worker protections in the interim?
How are affected communities being informed and included in this timing decision?
5. Air Quality & Climate Policy: Ozone and HFCs
EPA Proposal: California – San Joaquin Valley Ozone Contingency Measures (40 CFR 52)
What’s proposed:
EPA is proposing action on California’s plan for contingency measures in the San Joaquin Valley for the 1997 ozone standard.
Contingency measures are backup pollution controls that take effect automatically if an area fails to meet required air-quality milestones.
Why it matters:
San Joaquin Valley has some of the worst smog in the nation, directly affecting asthma, heart disease, and overall life expectancy (Maslow: health and safety).
EPA approval or disapproval can trigger sanctions and additional federal requirements, which can reshape local transportation, industry, and agriculture practices.
Your move:
Residents, farmworkers, health professionals, and local governments can comment on whether the proposed measures are strong enough and how they should be implemented or strengthened.
EPA Proposal: Hydrofluorocarbon (HFC) Phasedown – Comment Period Extension (40 CFR 84)
What changed:
EPA extended the public comment period for a rule reconsidering certain requirements under the Technology Transitions provisions of the American Innovation and Manufacturing Act (HFC phasedown).
Why it matters:
HFCs are powerful climate-warming gases used in cooling and refrigeration. Rules here influence:
Appliance standards and costs
Commercial refrigeration and building systems
Global warming trajectory over coming decades
Extending the comment period gives industry, workers, and environmental groups more time to weigh in—an example of participatory governance central to the COOF framework.
Your move:
HVAC technicians, manufacturers, consumer advocates, and climate groups should use the extra time to file specific, data-backed comments on feasibility, costs, and equity impacts.
6. Environment & Defense: Navy Arctic Ice Exercise and Marine Mammals
NOAA / National Marine Fisheries Service: Incidental Take Authorization – Navy Ice Exercise 2026
What happened:
NOAA announced it is authorizing the U.S. Navy’s 2026 Ice Exercise in the Arctic Ocean to incidentally “take” (disturb, not intentionally kill) marine mammals while conducting under-ice training and research.
Key features:
Specifies species, numbers, and conditions under which disturbance is allowed.
Requires mitigation measures (e.g., monitoring, shutdown zones) and reporting to minimize impact.
Why it matters:
The Arctic is ecologically fragile and increasingly strategic militarily. This decision tries to balance national security training needs with marine conservation, especially for whales and seals reliant on sea ice.
Local and Indigenous communities depend on those ecosystems for food, culture, and livelihoods (Maslow: physiological and belonging needs).
Civic lens:
This is an example of how environmental and defense agencies coordinate under statutes like the Marine Mammal Protection Act, with public documentation to support transparency and oversight.
7. Local Infrastructure & Land Use: Closing the Indianapolis Downtown Heliport
FAA Notice: Permanent Closure of Indianapolis Downtown Heliport
What happened:
FAA published a notice of permanent closure for the Indianapolis Downtown Heliport (Indianapolis, IN).
Why it matters:
Affects emergency services, business aviation, tourism, and urban planning in downtown Indianapolis.
Land previously dedicated to aviation may be re-purposed (housing, commercial development, green space), with implications for accessibility and economic opportunity.
Your move:
Local residents, city officials, and community groups may want to engage city processes on what replaces the heliport and how it can serve broad community needs, not just private interests.
8. Governance, Data, and Transparency Notices
USDA: Information Collection – Proposals and Approvals
What happened:
USDA announced an information collection activity—formal notice it is seeking OMB approval to gather specific data from the public (surveys, forms, etc.).
Why it matters:
These collections underpin program design (often in agriculture, nutrition, or rural development), influencing how resources are targeted and evaluated.
Under the Paperwork Reduction Act, agencies must show they use data efficiently—key to COOF’s emphasis on evidence-based policy.
EPA: Environmental Impact Statements – Notice of Availability
What happened:
EPA published a Notice of Availability for new or updated Environmental Impact Statements (EISs).
Why it matters:
EIS documents analyze major federal actions with potentially significant environmental effects (highways, pipelines, large facilities).
These notices signal public comment opportunities at the heart of participatory democracy and environmental justice.
Federal Retirement Thrift Investment Board (FRTIB): Meeting Notice
What happened:
FRTIB announced upcoming board meetings related to the Thrift Savings Plan (TSP), the federal government’s retirement plan.
Why it matters:
Millions of federal workers and retirees depend on TSP decisions on investment options, fees, and governance—directly affecting long-term financial well-being.
9. Presidential Proclamations: Pardons and National Observances
Proclamation 10989: Pardons for Certain 2020 Presidential Election Offenses
What it does:
Issues presidential pardons for certain persons convicted or charged with federal offenses related to the 2020 Presidential Election, within defined categories.
Why it matters:
Raises significant questions about accountability, rule of law, and national reconciliation.
Under the U.S. Constitution, the President has broad pardon power (Article II, Section 2), but how that power is used shapes public trust and perceptions of fairness.
Civic lens:
Regardless of viewpoint, this is a moment to examine how clemency interacts with democratic norms, election integrity, and equal justice—core concerns of the Constitution and COOF’s ethical leadership principles.
Proclamation 10990: 250th Anniversary of the U.S. Marine Corps
What it does:
Commemorates 250 years of the U.S. Marine Corps, recognizing service, sacrifice, and the Corps’ role in national defense.
Why it matters:
Honors military personnel and veterans, reinforcing belonging, esteem, and recognition (Maslow: social and esteem needs) for those who serve.
Proclamation 10991: Veterans Day
What it does:
Formally observes Veterans Day, calling on the nation to honor all who have served in the U.S. Armed Forces.
Why it matters:
Reinforces civic commitments to care, benefits, and inclusion for veterans and their families—connecting symbolic recognition with substantive policy debates on health care, housing, employment, and mental health.
10. Quick Reference: Today’s Key Participation Windows
Comment now or soon on:
EPA’s San Joaquin Valley ozone contingency measures (air quality & public health).
EPA’s HFC phasedown technology-transition rule (climate & industry).
Watch for local impacts from:
Texas’s new Class VI primacy (carbon storage projects and groundwater protections).
MD-11 aircraft inspections (cargo and logistics disruptions).
Indianapolis heliport closure (land-use and emergency access).
Track oversight & governance:
FRTIB meetings (federal retirement savings).
EPA EIS notices (major infrastructure and environmental justice issues).
