US

August 25, 2016 – At a speech in Reno on Thursday, Hillary Clinton highlighted Donald Trump and his advisors’ embrace of a hate movement – the disturbing “alt-right” political philosophy.  This “alt-right” brand is embracing extremism and presenting a dystopian view of America, Clinton said, which should concern all Americans regardless of party. Clinton argued […]

NEW YORK, NY, Aug. 25, 2016 – A first-of-its-kind lawsuit today opened up a new front in the defense of the Obama administration’s 2014 immigration relief initiatives, known as Deferred Action for Parents of Americans and Lawful Permanent Residents (DAPA) and expanded Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (expanded DACA). The lawsuit filed in the U.S. […]

Washington, DC August 24, 2016 – When the hoopla from this week’s centennial fades, the National Park Service will find itself an institution in deepening trouble. Record visitation not only masks but also aggravates a spiral sucking our system of nation parks downward, according to indicators highlighted by Public Employees for Environmental Responsibility (PEER). Much […]

Washington, DC August 24, 2016 – This morning, leading national environmental organizations delivered nearly 200,000 petition signatures to the Obama Administration to call for the cancelation of today’s fossil fuel auction in the Gulf in the wake of unprecedented flooding in central and southwestern Louisiana. The devastating flooding is among the most severe weather disasters […]

WASHINGTON August 24, 2016 – Today, the U.S. Department of Labor (DOL) issued final regulations implementing President Obama’s executive order on Fair Pay and Safe Workplaces. Among its provisions, the regulations will help to ensure companies contracting with the federal government comply with non-discrimination protections based on sexual orientation and gender identity. The Human Rights […]

Tallahassee, FL August 24, 2016 – Florida’s recent track record gives ample reason why federal oversight is still needed to ensure safe drinking water in the Sunshine State, according to formal comments filed today by Public Employees for Environmental Responsibility (PEER) with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. EPA is poised to act on a request […]

August 24, 2016 – Since the Affordable Care Act – or what many call Obamacare – has been labeled a failure since the day it started, according to some political types, it’s difficult to know if the recent defections by large insurance companies are really a death knell or just growing pains. Aetna dropped a […]

August 23, 2016 – The historic gathering of tribes from across the continent in opposition to the Dakota Access pipeline continues in the face of aggressive state repression and media manipulation.  Last Friday, Governor Dalrymple declared a State of Emergency in order to make additional state resources available to “manage public safety risks associated with […]

FORT WORTH, TX, Aug. 22, 2016 – A U.S. District Court judge today issued a preliminary injunction against the federal government’s guidance to public school districts regarding their legal responsibility to allow transgender students to use the same restrooms as other students. The ruling came in the multi-state lawsuit, Texas v. United States. Five civil […]

Aug. 22, 2016 – Casting a secret ballot in the upcoming election might not be so secret or secure depending on where – and how – you vote, according to a new report, The Secret Ballot at Risk: Recommendations for Protecting Democracy. The report was coauthored by three leading organizations focused on voting technology, the […]

Aug. 22, 2016 – This report is part of a project on voting rights in America produced by the Carnegie-Knight News21 program. Politicians and voting rights advocates continue to clash over whether photo ID and other voting requirements are needed to prevent voter fraud, but a News21 analysis and recent court rulings show little evidence that such fraud is […]

PHOENIX, AZ, Sept. 21, 2016 – As the 100th anniversary of the National Park Service approaches, Environment America announced a nationwide campaign calling on President Obama to stop new uranium mining by creating a new National Monument surrounding America’s most iconic national park: the Grand Canyon. 40+ organizers have descended on nine cities in Arizona, […]

WASHINGTON, DC, Aug. 20, 2016 – The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) announced today more than $56 million dollars has been approved in federal support within the first week of the president’s major disaster declaration for the State of Louisiana. FEMA approved more than $39 million to help survivors with temporary rental assistance, essential home […]

August 19, 2016 – It is looking increasingly likely that computer hackers have in fact successfully attacked what had been the pinnacle of cybersecurity – the U.S. National Security Agency (NSA). A few days ago, reports began emerging of claims by a hacking group called the Shadow Brokers that it had breached the network of, […]

August 19, 2016 – The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has been working with Florida health officials on investigating cases of locally transmitted Zika virus. An additional area of active Zika transmission has been identified in a section of Miami Beach, in addition to the area of active Zika transmission near Wynwood. The […]

WASHINGTON, August 19, 2016 – Today, the Human Rights Campaign (HRC), the nation’s largest lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer (LGBTQ) civil rights organization, responded to a report from the Associated Press that the National Basketball Association (NBA) is moving the 2017 All-Star Game to New Orleans, Louisiana — a city with explicit LGBTQ-inclusive non-discrimination […]

WASHINGTON, Aug. 18, 2016 — The Department of Justice announced today that it is ordering the federal Bureau of Prisons (BOP) to begin phasing out its use of private prisons. The order, announced by Deputy Attorney General Sally Yates, includes amending the solicitation for five private prisons in Texas from 10,800 prisoners to 3,600. By May […]

Aug. 18, 2016 – In a rare move, Scientific American’s editorial board has taken a stand against GOP presidential nominee Donald Trump’s “antiscience” views, including his denial of man-made climate change and pledge to eliminate the Environmental Protection Agency. Trump “has repeatedly and resoundingly demonstrated a disregard, if not outright contempt, for science,” wrote the […]

August 18, 2016 – The announcement today by the Department of Justice that it will not renew private prison contracts due to the disproportionate abuse and danger in those facilities, brings to light and should prompt further action within the criminal justice and immigrant detention systems. It isn’t made immediately obvious that all but one […]

LOS ANGELES, Aug. 18, 2016 — Today, groups made public damning evidence, including expert testimony and video stills illustrating the deplorable and unconstitutional conditions detained individuals are subjected to in Border Patrol custody in the agency’s Tucson Sector. The court rejected the Border Patrol’s effort to conceal evidence of inhumane and abusive detention practices from […]