New regs for Tuesday: Race to the Top for districts

{mosads}The competition rewards local districts with grant money if they sufficiently reform their education systems.

Fish and plants:

The Fish and Wildlife Service wants to determine that two Texas fish species, the sharpnose shiner and the smalleye shiner, are endangered. The agency also is proposing to designate critical habitat for the fish. 

Additionally, the National Marine Fisheries Service wants to set protected habitat for three species of threatened fish in Washington state’s Puget Sound.

The national fishing agency is implementing new regulations for catching snapper and grouper in the Atlantic and adjusting the seasonal quota for scup in the Northeast. 

The plants Graham’s beardtongue and White River beardtongue should be considered threatened, according to the Fish and Wildlife Service, and areas of Utah and Colorado should be protected for them to thrive. 

Healthcare:

The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services is updating its payment rates for hospice services and some inpatient care for fiscal 2014.