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Trump Administration Plans to Gut the Endangered Species Act, Threatening At-Risk Whales
BOSTON, Massachusetts, Sept. 17 -- Conservation Law Foundation issued the following news release:
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Trump Administration Plans to Gut the Endangered Species Act, Threatening At-Risk Whales
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Many North Atlantic right whales, like "Caterpillar," have scarring from dangerous collisions with boats and ships. Photo: Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission, taken under NMFS research permit #15488.
September 17, 2026 (Boston, MA) - A memo distributed by the Trump administration would strip a key protection from the Endangered Species Act. The administration argues that the law only
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BOSTON, Massachusetts, Sept. 17 -- Conservation Law Foundation issued the following news release:
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Trump Administration Plans to Gut the Endangered Species Act, Threatening At-Risk Whales
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Many North Atlantic right whales, like "Caterpillar," have scarring from dangerous collisions with boats and ships. Photo: Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission, taken under NMFS research permit #15488.
September 17, 2026 (Boston, MA) - A memo distributed by the Trump administration would strip a key protection from the Endangered Species Act. The administration argues that the law onlyprotects species from intentional harm directed at a particular animal, not highly foreseeable and avoidable unintentional incidents like hitting whales with speeding ships or entangling marine life with commercial fishing lines. Since endangered species are almost always killed as a byproduct of development or other economic activity, this change would make the law nearly powerless.
"This is a dangerous, unlawful reinterpretation of a longstanding law that will drive many species to extinction if the administration enacts it," said Erica Fuller, senior counsel at Conservation Law Foundation. "When we run over North Atlantic right whales with ships or entangle them in fishing gear lines, the whales die whether it was intentional or accidental. The same is true of countless other endangered species that are primarily killed by construction, logging, pollution, and other activities that could wipe them out."
This radical reinterpretation poses an existential threat to critically endangered North Atlantic right whales, which are killed almost exclusively as a result of accidental collisions with vessels or entanglements in fishing gear. CLF will continue to push back against the Trump administration's unlawful attacks on the species that sustain our natural world and the reckless actions that threaten our environment, our health, and our future.
CLF experts are available for further comment.
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Original text here: https://www.clf.org/newsroom/trump-administration-plans-to-gut-the-endangered-species-act-threatening-at-risk-whales/
States Push Back on Civil Rights Rollbacks That Put Communities at Risk of More Pollution, Environmental Harms
BOSTON, Massachusetts, Sept. 17 -- Conservation Law Foundation issued the following news release:
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States Push Back on Civil Rights Rollbacks That Put Communities at Risk of More Pollution, Environmental Harms
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When we ignore real-world impacts, communities that already carry more than their fair share of health and environmental burdens are the ones who pay the price. Photo: Unsplash
September 17, 2026 (Boston, MA) - A coalition of 14 state attorneys general, including Massachusetts and Vermont, released new guidance on Thursday affirming that civil rights laws protect people from policies
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BOSTON, Massachusetts, Sept. 17 -- Conservation Law Foundation issued the following news release:
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States Push Back on Civil Rights Rollbacks That Put Communities at Risk of More Pollution, Environmental Harms
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When we ignore real-world impacts, communities that already carry more than their fair share of health and environmental burdens are the ones who pay the price. Photo: Unsplash
September 17, 2026 (Boston, MA) - A coalition of 14 state attorneys general, including Massachusetts and Vermont, released new guidance on Thursday affirming that civil rights laws protect people from policiesand practices that have unjustified discriminatory impacts, even when discrimination is not intentional. The guidance comes as the Trump administration rolls back federal enforcement of disparate-impact protections.
"Discrimination doesn't always announce itself," said Alex St. Pierre, Conservation Law Foundation Vice President of Environmental Justice. "A decision can look neutral on paper while leaving the same communities with more pollution, poorer health, and less say over what happens in their neighborhoods. When we ignore those real-world impacts, communities that already carry more than their fair share of health and environmental burdens are the ones who pay the price."
Disparate-impact protections affect decisions that shape everyday life, from hiring, housing, lending, education, and health care to transportation, public services, and where polluting facilities are built.
"The federal government cannot simply declare longstanding civil rights protections illegal and make them disappear," St. Pierre said. "This guidance is an important reminder that these protections still stand. And while this guidance alone does not create new protections, the Trump administration's rollback raises the stakes for states. Governors and legislatures cannot stop at affirming these rights. They need to use the power they have to strengthen protections in state law, close existing gaps, and make clear that discrimination will not get a free pass because federal enforcement has weakened."
Two New England states, Massachusetts and Vermont, joined the 14-state coalition.
CLF experts are available for further comment.
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Original text here: https://www.clf.org/newsroom/states-push-back-on-civil-rights-rollbacks-that-put-communities-at-risk-of-more-pollution-environmental-harms/
Rockefeller Foundation: New Global Poll - Amid Growing Pessimism, Security Tops Priorities for International Cooperation
NEW YORK, Sept. 17 (TNSrpt) -- The Rockefeller Foundation posted the following news release:
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New Global Poll: Amid Growing Pessimism, Security Tops Priorities for International Cooperation
Published Date September 16, 2026
Support for international cooperation holds steady even as nearly 7 in 10 say the world has gotten worse over the past year
After learning the projected human cost of recent aid cuts, majorities in all 34 countries favor reversing cuts or increasing aid
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NEW YORK | September 16, 2026 -- As world leaders prepare to gather in New York for the United Nations General
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NEW YORK, Sept. 17 (TNSrpt) -- The Rockefeller Foundation posted the following news release:
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New Global Poll: Amid Growing Pessimism, Security Tops Priorities for International Cooperation
Published Date September 16, 2026
Support for international cooperation holds steady even as nearly 7 in 10 say the world has gotten worse over the past year
After learning the projected human cost of recent aid cuts, majorities in all 34 countries favor reversing cuts or increasing aid
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NEW YORK | September 16, 2026 -- As world leaders prepare to gather in New York for the United Nations GeneralAssembly, a new 34-country survey -- the second annual installment of The Rockefeller Foundation's global research on international cooperation -- finds that people around the world are increasingly pessimistic about the state of the world but are not turning inward. Preventing wars and conflicts is the clearest shared priority for countries to work together on, selected by more people than any other issue, and a majority of those surveyed look to countries acting together -- more than their own governments -- to address it. The survey also finds majorities in every country favor reversing recent aid cuts or increasing assistance after learning their projected human cost. While neither the United States nor China command broad public support to lead globally, six international institutions playing important roles across global challenges gained trust among those surveyed since last year.
Nearly seven in ten people (69%) say the world has gotten worse over the past year, and economic optimism has fallen in 27 of the 34 countries surveyed. Yet 57% say their country should cooperate to solve global challenges even when doing so requires compromising some national interests, up slightly from 55% in 2025.
That global figure masks a limited but measurable divergence between wealthier and developing economies. In 2025, support stood at 55% in both groups. This year, it rose to 61% in wealthier economies and fell to 53% in developing economies. Across both groups, however, preventing wars and conflicts is the leading shared priority.
"The world is living through a period of extraordinary disruption, and this poll makes clear that people in 34 countries are starting to feel it, often for the worse," said Dr. Rajiv J. Shah, President of The Rockefeller Foundation. "But they are not asking their leaders to turn inward. They want countries to work together to prevent conflict, solve problems that cross borders, and deliver results that they can see in their own lives. The challenge for leaders gathering at the United Nations is to meet this moment -- and that demand -- by finding ways to work together and really deliver results."
Conducted by Focaldata between July 21 and August 5, 2026, the survey reached 35,399 adults across 34 countries, following a 2025 survey of the same countries. The research is part of The Rockefeller Foundation's Build the Shared Future initiative, housed within its affiliated public charity, RF Catalytic Capital, Inc., which works to advance more effective models of international cooperation and development.
"The international system was built for a different era, but the need for countries to work together has never been clearer," said Gordon Brown, former Prime Minister of the United Kingdom and trustee at The Rockefeller Foundation. "These findings show that in every country a majority of people want cooperation that keeps them safe and delivers in their lives. Leaders now have an opportunity, with clear public support, to come together around a renewed set of principles -- rooted in shared values, mutual responsibility, and respect between nations -- that can provide a foundation for cooperation in the world we live in today."
Security Is the World's Shared Priority
Preventing wars and conflicts is the most widely selected priority for countries to work together on, chosen by 44% -- 11 percentage points ahead of the next-ranked issue. It ranks first in 21 of the 34 countries surveyed, in the top two in 33, and no lower than third in any country. The priority has also risen since late 2025. Among 18 countries included in a comparable November 2025 survey, preventing wars and conflicts increased in 13, with the median rising from 41% to 44%.
The public also sees collective action as central to delivering security. When asked who is most responsible for preventing wars and conflicts, groups of countries working together are the leading choice in both wealthier economies (45%) and developing economies (38%), while only around one in five names their own national government.
Majorities Support Reversing Aid Cuts After Learning Their Projected Human Cost
The survey also assessed attitudes toward recent reductions in international aid. Respondents were first told that research estimates recent aid cuts could lead to more than nine million deaths in the world's poorest countries by 2030, mostly from preventable disease and malnutrition. They were then asked to choose among statements tailored to donor, recipient or middle-income countries.
After receiving that information, a majority in every one of the 34 countries surveyed chose either a moral or national-interest reason for reversing recent cuts or increasing aid. Support ranges from 54% in the United Kingdom to 82% in Brazil and includes 61% in the United States. Globally, about one in five says the cuts were the right decision.
The mortality estimate comes from a peer-reviewed study by the Barcelona Institute for Global Health (ISGlobal), published in The Lancet Global Health and supported by The Rockefeller Foundation.
While neither argument commands a majority on its own, respondents are more likely to support aid because they see it as serving their country's long-term interests than because they believe their country has a moral responsibility to help people in need. Among donor countries, 37% choose the long-term-interest argument and 26% the moral argument; among recipient countries, the split is 49% to 23%, and among middle-income countries, 45% to 26%.
At the same time, the findings do not point to support for a foreign policy based on self-interest alone. When forced to choose, 56% say their country's foreign policy should reflect its national values even if that means missing out on beneficial deals, compared with 44% who prefer getting the best deal for citizens even if it means compromising national values.
A World Less Willing to Wait for Superpowers
The poll also reveals a fragmented global leadership landscape in which neither the United States nor China commands broad public confidence. Only 39% say they are comfortable with the United States playing a leading role in world affairs, and 37% say the same of China. Several other countries receive substantially higher ratings, including Canada (60%), Japan (58%), Australia (55%), and the United Kingdom (54%).
Threat perceptions vary sharply by geography. Excluding respondents rating their own country, 42% call Russia a major threat to their country, 34% say the same of the United States and 30% of China. Russia is most salient as a threat in much of Europe, the United States is the most-cited of the three in 13 of 17 developing markets, and concern about China is concentrated in its region.
Yet uncertainty over global leadership has not translated into rejection of collective action. Sixty-one percent support a group of countries working together on global problems even if neither the United States nor China participates, compared with 12% who oppose the idea. Among the 32 countries asked, support is at least 49% in every market and at least 50% in 29.
At the same time, trust has increased since 2025 in all six international institutions tracked by the survey. The World Health Organization rose to 69% and the United Nations to 62%, while the World Bank, World Trade Organization and International Monetary Fund all crossed from minority to majority trust.
Support Holds, with a Growing Gap Between Wealthier and Developing Economies
Overall support for cooperation has held: 57% say their country should cooperate to solve global challenges even if it means compromising on some national interests, compared with 55% in 2025. But the two economic groups have moved in different directions, from 55% support in each last year to 61% in wealthier economies and 53% in developing economies today.
Effectiveness matters: 81% say they would support international cooperation more if it proved it could solve global problems effectively, and 80% say the same if it could solve problems in their own country.
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About the Survey
Focaldata conducted nationally representative polls in 34 countries, capturing responses from 35,399 quantitative respondents. These were carried out from July 21 to August 5 2026, with broad geographic coverage.
The survey reached representative cohorts based on age, gender, region, education, ethnicity, and most recent political vote to achieve nationally representative samples in each country, with ethnicity and past political votes used only where such measures are collected and standard practice. The sample was then weighted to be representative by the same variables.
With samples ranging from 754 to 1,338, the margin error at the 95% confidence level is approximately +-2-4 percentage points, with most countries around +-3.0 percentage points.
Global, wealthier and developing figures are medians of the country percentages unless stated otherwise. Regional figures are averages of the country percentages within each region. The report groups 17 countries as wealthier economies and 17 as developing economies.
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About The Rockefeller Foundation
Investing $30 billion over the last 113 years to promote the well-being of humanity, The Rockefeller Foundation is a pioneering philanthropy built on unlikely partnerships and innovative solutions that deliver measurable results for people in the United States and around the world. We leverage scientific breakthroughs, artificial intelligence, and new technologies to make big bets across energy, food, health, and finance. For more information, sign up for our newsletter at www.rockefellerfoundation.org/subscribe and follow us on X @RockefellerFdn, Instagram @rockefellerfdn, YouTube @RockefellerFdn, and LinkedIn @the-rockefeller-foundation.
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REPORT: https://www.rockefellerfoundation.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/09/Seeking-Security-and-Opportunity-in-a-Stormy-World-34-Country-Survey-Report-Final.pdf
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Original text here: https://www.rockefellerfoundation.org/news/new-global-poll-amid-growing-pessimism-security-tops-priorities-international-cooperation/
Ratepayer Protection Act Should Apply to All Large Electricity Users, Not Just Data Centers, Says Center for Data Innovation
WASHINGTON, Sept. 17 [Category: Computer Technology]-- The Information Technology and Innovation Foundation posted the following news release:
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Ratepayer Protection Act Should Apply to All Large Electricity Users, Not Just Data Centers, Says Center for Data Innovation
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WASHINGTON-In response to the House's 417-3 passage of the Ratepayer Protection Act, which now heads to the Senate, the Center for Data Innovation released the following statement from Associate Director of AI Policy Michelle Lopes Maldonado:
The Ratepayer Protection Act gets the core principle right: large electricity
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WASHINGTON, Sept. 17 [Category: Computer Technology]-- The Information Technology and Innovation Foundation posted the following news release:
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Ratepayer Protection Act Should Apply to All Large Electricity Users, Not Just Data Centers, Says Center for Data Innovation
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WASHINGTON-In response to the House's 417-3 passage of the Ratepayer Protection Act, which now heads to the Senate, the Center for Data Innovation released the following statement from Associate Director of AI Policy Michelle Lopes Maldonado:
The Ratepayer Protection Act gets the core principle right: large electricityconsumers of 100 megawatts or more should pay for any associated infrastructure upgrades, ensuring those costs do not spill over to other ratepayers.
However, the revised bill only applies to data centers. A steel mill, semiconductor fab, or chemical refinery consuming 100 MW of power would create the same grid demand but be treated differently.
Congress should apply the standard uniformly to any customer at 100 MW or more, establishing a separate rate class for these large electricity users. This preserves the cost-recovery principle while eliminating sectoral favoritism and ensuring residential users are not left paying the bill.
To put it simply: If a customer creates the cost, that customer should pay the cost-regardless of what industry it happens to be in.
Contact: Nicole Hinojosa, press@datainnovation.org
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Original text here: https://itif.org/publications/publications/2026/09/17/ratepayer-protection-act-should-apply-to-all-large-electricity-users-not-just-data-centers/
KATU Photojournalist Hits IATSE Union, Station with Federal Labor Board Charges after Being Illegally Fired
SPRINGFIELD, Virginia, Sept. 17 -- The National Right to Work Legal Defense Foundation posted the following news release:
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KATU Photojournalist Hits IATSE Union, Station with Federal Labor Board Charges after Being Illegally Fired
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Union officials and complicit management illegally demand photographer join union and authorize dues deductions, then had him fired when he refused
Portland, OR (September 17, 2026) - With free legal assistance from the National Right to Work Foundation, a former employee for KATU-TV has filed federal charges against the television station and the International
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SPRINGFIELD, Virginia, Sept. 17 -- The National Right to Work Legal Defense Foundation posted the following news release:
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KATU Photojournalist Hits IATSE Union, Station with Federal Labor Board Charges after Being Illegally Fired
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Union officials and complicit management illegally demand photographer join union and authorize dues deductions, then had him fired when he refused
Portland, OR (September 17, 2026) - With free legal assistance from the National Right to Work Foundation, a former employee for KATU-TV has filed federal charges against the television station and the InternationalAlliance of Theatrical Stage Employees (IATSE) union for violating his rights, culminating in his illegal termination.
Devon Carroll was employed as a photojournalist for ABC local affiliate KATU television station in Portland, Oregon. His federal charges detail how both IATSE Local 600 officials and KATU-TV demanded that he sign the union's membership and dues check-off authorization, then violated federal law by terminating his employment when he declined to give in to their clearly illegal demands.
Because Oregon lacks Right to Work protections for its private sector workers, union officials can require workers to pay money to the union or lose their jobs. However, IATSE union officials' demands - which were later enforced by a complicit KATU human resources official - went far beyond what is legally permissible, even in a state without Right to Work protections for employees.
Union Bosses and Employer Ignore Supreme Court Precedent, Clear Federal Law
The Supreme Court's decision in NLRB v. General Motors, decided in 1963, forbids mandatory, formal union membership as a condition of employment. Further, longstanding law says employees can never be required to sign a union dues deduction card. Federal law also says union officials cannot require payment of dues or fees without a union contract that includes a valid forced dues clause, and that, even when such a contract is in effect, no forced dues can be required of new hires until after 30 days of employment.
IATSE also ignored the NLRB's 1962 Philadelphia Sheraton Corp. precedent, which includes mandatory procedural safeguards a union must follow when union officials are seeking to have an employee terminated for non-payment of union dues or fees. Furthermore, IATSE union bosses failed to inform Carroll of his Beck rights, a Supreme Court victory the Right to Work Foundation won in 1988.
According to his charges, an IATSE Senior Business agent told Carroll that he must join the union. When Mr. Carroll requested more information about the forced-dues requirement, the IATSE official responded by demanding he sign a union membership and dues check-off authorization.
At no point did the union officials provide information required under Beck or Philadelphia Sheraton. In addition, union officials' initial demand for payment was based on an expired union contract, something the KATU HR official knew. Despite this, KATU ignored the union's known misrepresentations and complied with union officials' illegal demand that Carroll be fired.
Mr. Carroll's federal charges will now be investigated by National Labor Relations Board Region 19 officials. A win in his case would result in Carroll being offered reinstatement, and issued back pay and reimbursement of other expenses associated with the unlawful termination. The union and station would also likely be required to post a notice to inform other employees of their legal rights.
"It is bad enough that Oregon workers can be forced to pay fees to union bosses just to earn a living," said Mark Mix, President of the National Right to Work Foundation. "In this case - aided by complicit company officials - IATSE union bosses violated numerous longstanding legal requirements in their rush to extort forced dues from Mr. Carroll.
"This case is a clear example of why more fundamental reform is needed, and especially why all American workers deserve Right to Work protections, so they can freely choose for themselves whether or not to fund a union with their hard-earned money," Mix added.
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The National Right to Work Legal Defense Foundation is a nonprofit, charitable organization providing free legal aid to employees whose human or civil rights have been violated by compulsory unionism abuses. The Foundation, which can be contacted toll-free at 1-800-336-3600, assists thousands of employees in about 200 cases nationwide per year.
Posted on Sep 17, 2026 in News Releases
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Original text here: https://www.nrtw.org/news/photojournalist-files-charges-against-union-and-station-09172026/
EU KIDS ACT Would Impose Broad Restrictions on the Entire Internet, Says ITIF
WASHINGTON, Sept. 17 [Category: Computer Technology]-- The Information Technology and Innovation Foundation posted the following news release:
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EU KIDS ACT Would Impose Broad Restrictions on the Entire Internet, Says ITIF
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BRUSSELS-Following the European Commission's proposed EU Keeping Internet Digital Spaces Accountable and Trustworthy (EU KIDS ACT), which would ban users under 13 from accessing social media, the Information Technology and Innovation Foundation (ITIF) released the following statement from Patrick Grady, Head of European Tech:
The proposed KIDS ACT regulates not only
... Show Full Article
WASHINGTON, Sept. 17 [Category: Computer Technology]-- The Information Technology and Innovation Foundation posted the following news release:
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EU KIDS ACT Would Impose Broad Restrictions on the Entire Internet, Says ITIF
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BRUSSELS-Following the European Commission's proposed EU Keeping Internet Digital Spaces Accountable and Trustworthy (EU KIDS ACT), which would ban users under 13 from accessing social media, the Information Technology and Innovation Foundation (ITIF) released the following statement from Patrick Grady, Head of European Tech:
The proposed KIDS ACT regulates not onlysocial media, but online video games, video-sharing platforms, and AI services. This broad scope has led to cross-category restrictions that don't reflect how kids use the Internet, such as one-hour time limits for online video games. It also treats all social media sites the same, even if they have different features and functionalities. Meanwhile, entire categories of emerging tools like AI tutors are curbed too soon. And as the Internet evolves, the lines between the proposed categories will blur.
Safeguarding children online is as difficult as it is offline. Children face new and emerging risks. They also have rights to access information, to leisure and play, to associate freely, and to engage with culture. Any new rules governing their online environment should keep these rights in mind and target specific, evidence-based risks.
Politicians are responding to parents' concerns about children's safety online. The EU, whose members are writing divergent rules, has rightly proposed a harmonized approach that will better protect the single market. It should take the necessary time to get this right and ensure new rules do not undermine its ambition to foster an innovative digital economy.
Contact: Nicole Hinojosa, nhinojosa@itif.org
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Original text here: https://itif.org/publications/publications/2026/09/17/eu-kids-act-would-impose-broad-restrictions-on-the-entire-internet-says-itif/
Central New York Community Foundation Welcomes New Hire
SYRACUSE, New York, Sept. 17 -- The Central New York Community Foundation issued the following news release:
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Sep 16, 2026
Central New York Community Foundation Welcomes New Hire
The Central New York Community Foundation has hired Madeline Thibault, Esq., as Philanthropic Advisor.
Thibault brings experience in legal advocacy, civic engagement and community development through her work as an attorney, advocate and organizer.
Prior to joining the Community Foundation, Thibault advised and represented clients in matters involving labor and employment, employee benefits, creditors' rights,
... Show Full Article
SYRACUSE, New York, Sept. 17 -- The Central New York Community Foundation issued the following news release:
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Sep 16, 2026
Central New York Community Foundation Welcomes New Hire
The Central New York Community Foundation has hired Madeline Thibault, Esq., as Philanthropic Advisor.
Thibault brings experience in legal advocacy, civic engagement and community development through her work as an attorney, advocate and organizer.
Prior to joining the Community Foundation, Thibault advised and represented clients in matters involving labor and employment, employee benefits, creditors' rights,bankruptcy, housing and anti-discrimination law. Her practice included matters before the New York State Public Employment Relations Board, New York State Division of Human Rights, National Labor Relations Board and state and federal courts. She is licensed to practice law in New York State and before the U.S. District Courts for the Northern, Western, Eastern and Southern Districts of New York.
Before beginning her legal career, Thibault served as a voting rights advocate with the Andrew Goodman Foundation and worked as a campaign field operative. In those roles, she organized voter engagement efforts, supervised Get Out the Vote initiatives and developed and led a campaign internship program.
Thibault earned her bachelor's degree in English from St. Lawrence University and her juris doctor from Syracuse University College of Law.
As philanthropic advisor, Thibault works with donors, professional advisors and nonprofit partners to support charitable giving across Central New York. She helps individuals and families explore charitable fund options, lifetime giving strategies and legacy planning to achieve their philanthropic goals.
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Original text here: https://cnycf.org/central-new-york-community-foundation-welcomes-new-hire/
