Public Policy & NGOs
Here's a look at documents from public policy and non-governmental organizations
Featured Stories
Strengthening IAEA Nuclear Security Guidance at a Pivotal Moment
WASHINGTON, March 10 (TNSrpt) -- The Nuclear Threat Initiative issued the following news:
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Strengthening IAEA Nuclear Security Guidance at a Pivotal Moment
At a time of profound geopolitical upheaval, the International Atomic Energy Agency's (IAEA) nuclear security recommendations are central to preventing nuclear terrorism and sustaining global confidence in the peaceful use of nuclear technologies. Those recommendations are now undergoing their first update in more than a decade. To inform this process, the Nuclear Threat Initiative (NTI) has released a new paper, Modernizing IAEA Recommendations
... Show Full Article
WASHINGTON, March 10 (TNSrpt) -- The Nuclear Threat Initiative issued the following news:
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Strengthening IAEA Nuclear Security Guidance at a Pivotal Moment
At a time of profound geopolitical upheaval, the International Atomic Energy Agency's (IAEA) nuclear security recommendations are central to preventing nuclear terrorism and sustaining global confidence in the peaceful use of nuclear technologies. Those recommendations are now undergoing their first update in more than a decade. To inform this process, the Nuclear Threat Initiative (NTI) has released a new paper, Modernizing IAEA Recommendationsfor a Changing Security Landscape: A Path Forward, which offers practical recommendations to help governments strengthen IAEA nuclear security guidance.
The paper examines how evolving threats--including cyber vulnerabilities, insider risks, emerging technologies, and geopolitical instability--are reshaping nuclear security challenges and underscores the need for adaptable, resilient, and forward-looking IAEA recommendations. Drawing on insights from NTI's Global Dialogue on Nuclear Security Priorities and contributions from international experts, the paper outlines actionable steps to address insider threats, enhance information and computer security, and strengthen the sustainability and resilience of nuclear security regimes.
As countries initiate, expand, and sustain nuclear energy programs, modernized guidance will be essential to reinforcing confidence in the peaceful use of nuclear technology while reducing the risks of theft, sabotage, and nuclear terrorism. In the coming years, NTI will continue to engage with governments and international stakeholders throughout the IAEA review process, advocating for these recommendations and supporting efforts to ensure the revised guidance reflects today's evolving threat landscape.
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REPORT: https://www.nti.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/NTI_Paper_Strengthening-IAEA-Recommendations_FINAL.pdf
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Original text here: https://www.nti.org/news/strengthening-iaea-nuclear-security-guidance-at-a-pivotal-moment/
[Category: National Defense]
No Labels Issues Commentary: 2026 Midterms Are Already Heating Up
WASHINGTON, March 10 -- No Labels, a political organization that advocates for centrism and bipartisanship, issued the following commentary on March 9, 2026, by Deputy Research Director Austin Milks:
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The 2026 Midterms Are Already Heating Up
Record turnout, Latino voter engagement in South Texas, and a $120 million Senate primary signal an intense election cycle ahead.
The 2026 midterms are officially underway, and early primaries in Texas and North Carolina suggest voters are already highly engaged.
Texas led the way with record Democratic turnout, strong Republican participation,
... Show Full Article
WASHINGTON, March 10 -- No Labels, a political organization that advocates for centrism and bipartisanship, issued the following commentary on March 9, 2026, by Deputy Research Director Austin Milks:
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The 2026 Midterms Are Already Heating Up
Record turnout, Latino voter engagement in South Texas, and a $120 million Senate primary signal an intense election cycle ahead.
The 2026 midterms are officially underway, and early primaries in Texas and North Carolina suggest voters are already highly engaged.
Texas led the way with record Democratic turnout, strong Republican participation,a surge in Latino voting across parts of the Rio Grande Valley, and more than $120 million spent in the state's Republican Senate primary. Several races remain unsettled and will head to May runoffs, extending the political fight in the state.
High turnout across states, especially in Texas
Texas: Turnout was extremely strong in both parties' primaries. More than 2.2 million votes were cast in the Democratic primary, the highest turnout for a Texas Democratic midterm primary since 1970 and second only to the 2008 presidential primary. Republican turnout was also high, with more than 2.1 million GOP voters, representing the party's largest primary turnout since 2016.
North Carolina: While neither Senate primary was particularly competitive, turnout remained strong. Roughly 200,000 more votes were cast in the Democratic contest than the Republican primary, and early voting exceeded the levels seen in the past two midterm primary cycles.
Latino voter turnout surged in South Texas.
Latino voters played a significant role in the Texas Democratic primary. In five rural Hispanic-majority counties in South Texas, more Democratic votes were cast than the number of voters who supported Kamala Harris in the 2024 presidential election. The results suggest that parts of the Rio Grande Valley may be shifting back toward Democrats after trending Republican in recent cycles.
Turnout also rose in four newly redrawn congressional districts, signaling strong engagement in competitive areas. Across Texas' 64 Latino-majority counties, participation exceeded levels from the past three primary cycles, pointing to renewed Democratic engagement after recent Republican gains with Latino voters.
Texas dominated campaign spending
Record spending in Texas was driven by the high-profile Republican Senate race between incumbent Sen. John Cornyn and Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton.
More than $120 million was spent on the primary alone, making it the most expensive Senate primary in U.S. history (surpassing the roughly $80-90 million spent in the 2022 Pennsylvania Senate primary). The spending reflects the high stakes of the Cornyn-Paxton runoff and divisions within the Texas GOP.
The spending battle is likely far from over. With the race now heading to a May runoff, national party organizations and outside groups are expected to continue spending heavily in what could become one of the most expensive runoff contests in recent Senate history.
Several incumbents face runoffs
Cornyn and Paxton aren't the only candidates heading to a runoff in Texas. Some congressional incumbents also failed to secure majority support and will now face May runoff elections, extending key contests in the state.
On the Democratic side, longtime Houston congressman Al Green (TX-09) will face freshman Congressman Christian Menefee in a runoff after neither candidate secured a majority. Green has represented the district since 2005 and is currently serving his tenth term, making the race notable as a challenge to a long-standing incumbent in a safely Democratic district.
Runoffs typically produce lower turnout and more ideologically motivated electorates, which can force candidates to spend additional time and resources appealing to core primary voters before pivoting toward general-election voters.
How No Labels allies fared
Several members of Congress aligned with No Labels also advanced in the first primaries of the 2026 cycle. In Texas, Democratic Reps. Vicente Gonzalez (TX-34) and Henry Cuellar (TX-28) both secured renomination, while Republican Rep. Monica De La Cruz (TX-15) also advanced from her primary. All three represent South Texas districts that have become increasingly competitive in recent election cycles.
In North Carolina, Democratic Rep. Don Davis (NC-01) also won renomination in his district. Davis represents a politically competitive seat that has been closely watched in recent election cycles.
Incumbents faced notable primary challenges
Several incumbents faced significant primary pressure in the first contests of the 2026 cycle. In Texas, Republican Rep. Dan Crenshaw (TX-02) lost his primary, marking one of the most notable incumbent defeats of the night and highlighting continued turbulence within Republican primaries.
In North Carolina, Democratic Rep. Valerie Foushee (NC-04) defeated progressive challenger Nida Allam in a closely watched race that reflected ideological tensions within the Democratic Party. While Foushee ultimately prevailed, the competitive contest underscored ongoing debates within the Democratic coalition.
High turnout, record spending, and multiple runoff races suggest the 2026 midterms are already shaping up to be competitive, expensive, and closely watched.
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Austin Milks is Deputy Research Director at No Labels. He has a degree in Political Science from the University of Wisconsin-Whitewater and a JD from Valparaiso University. He has worked for numerous campaigns over the last fifteen years.
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Original text here: https://nolabels.org/the-latest/the-2026-midterms-are-already-heating-up/
[Category: Political]
Issue of JFTR & More From NCFR's Journals
ST. PAUL, Minnesota, March 10 -- The National Council on Family Relations issued the following news:
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New Issue of JFTR & More From NCFR's Journals
Read 7 New Early-View Articles Published March 1-7
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Keep up with the latest research from NCFR's three scholarly journals -- Journal of Marriage and Family (JMF), Family Relations: Interdisciplinary Journal of Applied Family Science (FR), and Journal of Family Theory & Review (JFTR).
Most Recent Journal Issues:
JMF April 2026 issue (https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/toc/17413737/2026/88/2): Includes articles on financial and childcare
... Show Full Article
ST. PAUL, Minnesota, March 10 -- The National Council on Family Relations issued the following news:
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New Issue of JFTR & More From NCFR's Journals
Read 7 New Early-View Articles Published March 1-7
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Keep up with the latest research from NCFR's three scholarly journals -- Journal of Marriage and Family (JMF), Family Relations: Interdisciplinary Journal of Applied Family Science (FR), and Journal of Family Theory & Review (JFTR).
Most Recent Journal Issues:
JMF April 2026 issue (https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/toc/17413737/2026/88/2): Includes articles on financial and childcareresources, couple and family dynamics, and more.
JFTR March 2026 issue (https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/toc/17562589/2026/18/1): Includes an "Original Voices" piece by NCFR Fellow Pauline Boss, Ph.D.; several articles on theoretical advances; a number of scoping reviews and "Emerging Voices" articles; and more.
FR February 2026 issue (https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/toc/17413729/2026/75/1): Features articles on family education programs, older adults and families, coparenting, education and research, health and family, family finances and resources, and more.
New Early-View Articles Published Online (March 1-7):
Family Relations:
* Racially and economically diverse participants' change in couple-focused mindfulness following participation in couple relationship education -- Julianne McGill, Ziying Wang, Francesca Adler-Baeder
* Parental rejection and adolescent problematic social media use: Role of interpersonal strengths and gender dyads (open access) -- Kaiji Zhou, Xiaoqin Zhu, Daniel T. L. Shek, Wenqing Zong
* Women's experiences in polygamous marriages: A qualitative examination of kuma in the context of Sanliurfa, Turkiye -- Hatice Cecen-Celik, Sabiha Tuysuz
* Development and validation of the Digital Fertility Influence Scale: Evidence from Turkiye -- Selman Kizilkaya, Nuh Ataman, Gulizar Gulcan Seremet
* Longitudinal trajectories of maternal perceived support: The role of household conditions -- Melissa Radey, John Moore
* The tensions between parenthood rights and child's interests: Israeli court analysis of parents with disabilities -- Michal Segal, Ari Reich, Ayelet Gur
* Negative birth experiences and fathers' well-being: The roles of gender role stress and social support -- Daniel Franco, Hisham Abu-Raiya
NCFR member journal subscribers can access articles by logging into their NCFR account.
Learn more about NCFR's scholarly journals prior to submitting your manuscript.
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NCFR is a nonpartisan, 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization whose members support all families through research, teaching, practice, and advocacy.
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Original text here: https://www.ncfr.org/news/new-issue-jftr-more-ncfrs-journals
[Category: Sociological]
CAIR Designates Tenn. Rep. Andy Ogles as 'Anti-Muslim Extremist' After His Call to Eliminate All Muslims From U.S.
WASHINGTON, March 10 -- The Council on American-Islamic Relations posted the following news release on March 9, 2026:
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CAIR Designates Tenn. Rep. Andy Ogles as 'Anti-Muslim Extremist' After His Call to Eliminate All Muslims from U.S.
The Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR) the nation's largest Muslim civil rights and advocacy organization today designated Rep. Andy Ogles (R-TN) an "anti-Muslim extremist" after his "un-American fascist" call to eliminate all Muslims from the United States.
SEE: Anti-Muslim Extremist: Rep. Andy Ogles (R-TN) (https://www.cair.com/press_releases/anti-muslim-extremist-rep-andy-ogles-r-tn/)
In
... Show Full Article
WASHINGTON, March 10 -- The Council on American-Islamic Relations posted the following news release on March 9, 2026:
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CAIR Designates Tenn. Rep. Andy Ogles as 'Anti-Muslim Extremist' After His Call to Eliminate All Muslims from U.S.
The Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR) the nation's largest Muslim civil rights and advocacy organization today designated Rep. Andy Ogles (R-TN) an "anti-Muslim extremist" after his "un-American fascist" call to eliminate all Muslims from the United States.
SEE: Anti-Muslim Extremist: Rep. Andy Ogles (R-TN) (https://www.cair.com/press_releases/anti-muslim-extremist-rep-andy-ogles-r-tn/)
Ina post on X (formerly Twitter), Rep. Ogles wrote: "Muslims don't belong in American society. Pluralism is a lie."
SEE: Tennessee GOP Rep. Andy Ogles says Muslims 'don't belong' in America (https://www.politico.com/live-updates/2026/03/09/congress/andy-ogles-muslim-americans-ban-00818765) - Politico
[NOTE: On Tuesday, March 10, CAIR plans to release its annual civil rights report, titled "The Right to be Different," during a news conference at its Capitol Hill headquarters in Washington, D.C. To obtain an embargoed copy of the report, media professionals may email: csaylor@cair.com ]
In a statement, CAIR National Deputy Director Edward Ahmed Mitchell said:
"The First Amendment guarantees religious freedom to everyone in our nation, including American Muslims. If any member of Congress had declared that 'Jews do not belong in America,' that politician would rightfully face condemnation and censure.
"Yet like Randy Fine and other anti-Muslim extremists in Congress, Mr. Ogles has faced no consequences for his dangerous rhetoric, even as American Muslim elected officials experience censure motions, threats and harassment for daring to criticize Israel's genocide in Gaza. The double standards and hypocrisy must end."
Last year, CAIRsent a letter to U.S. Attorney General Pam Bondi urging the Department of Justice (DOJ) to swiftly and publicly reject Rep. Ogles' racist and Islamophobic demand that the federal government pursue denaturalization proceedings against New York Assemblymember Zohran Mamdani.
Also last year, CAIR called on House Speaker Mike Johnson and Democratic leader Hakim Jeffries to publicly repudiate Rep. Ogles and to issue a formal censure for his recent statement that "We should kill them all" in reference to Palestinian children in Gaza.
CAIR's mission is to protect civil rights, enhance understanding of Islam, promote justice, and empower American Muslims.
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Original text here: https://www.cair.com/press_releases/cair-designates-tenn-rep-andy-ogles-as-anti-muslim-extremist-after-his-call-to-eliminate-all-muslims-from-u-s/
[Category: Sociological]
CAIR Calls on Rep. Jeffries and Sen. Schumer to 'Explicitly Oppose' Any Funding for U.S.-Israel War on Iran After Ecological Warfare, Rising Civilian Death Toll
WASHINGTON, March 10 -- The Council on American-Islamic Relations posted the following news release on March 9, 2026:
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CAIR Calls on Rep. Jeffries and Sen. Schumer to 'Explicitly Oppose' Any Funding for U.S.-Israel War on Iran After Ecological Warfare, Rising Civilian Death Toll
The Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR), the nation's largest Muslim civil rights and advocacy organization, today called on congressional leaders, especially Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer and Rep. Jeffries, to explicitly oppose any bill that would provide funding for the illegal U.S.-Israeli war
... Show Full Article
WASHINGTON, March 10 -- The Council on American-Islamic Relations posted the following news release on March 9, 2026:
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CAIR Calls on Rep. Jeffries and Sen. Schumer to 'Explicitly Oppose' Any Funding for U.S.-Israel War on Iran After Ecological Warfare, Rising Civilian Death Toll
The Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR), the nation's largest Muslim civil rights and advocacy organization, today called on congressional leaders, especially Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer and Rep. Jeffries, to explicitly oppose any bill that would provide funding for the illegal U.S.-Israeli waron Iran in the wake of the environmental disaster created in Tehran and the rising civilian death toll in Iran, Lebanon and other nations.
SEE: 'We're in it': Democrats won't rule out giving Trump more money for Middle East war - POLITICO (https://www.politico.com/news/2026/03/04/democrats-iran-supplemental-funding-00813547)
Hakeem Jeffries won't commit to blocking additional Iran war funding (https://www.yahoo.com/news/articles/hakeem-jeffries-wont-commit-blocking-142407892.html?guccounter=1&guce_referrer=aHR0cHM6Ly93d3cuYmluZy5jb20v&guce_referrer_sig=AQAAAC8p7BXDRIn9hOoWt-robLb_ItUetSyzmMQG7pdNmNfPJUAD5TvO4Gdwa01u6xWZZPXy_YVuFinszcNyMUM73wfooiZP1tPKeHTysAwOGYIKNovVA8q9XH4fWSixaK4ZyhdYIrXBx5hNaxldzZJMb6twFKSCWhTHUUlZcwO0ZwdF)
Yesterday, black, toxic rain fell over Tehran following Israeli airstrikes on an oil facility. Fires also reportedly broke out throughout the city. The death toll in Iran has now reportedly risen to 1,230, most of them civilians.
SEE: Tehran under 'black rain' as oil depot strikes darken sky, raising alarm over war's environmental damage (https://www.msn.com/en-in/news/world/tehran-under-black-rain-as-oil-depot-strikes-darken-sky-raising-alarm-over-war-s-environmental-damage/ar-AA1XMhlU?ocid=BingNewsSerp)
Tracking deaths in Iran, wider Middle East as conflict rages on | CBC News (https://www.cbc.ca/news/world/tracking-deaths-iran-israel-united-states-middle-east-9.7114340)
The UN agency for children, UNICEF, says at least 83 children have been killed and 254 injured in Lebanon since March 2 as Israel bombards and invades wide swathes of southern Lebanon, claiming to target Hezbollah while causing widespread civilian harm. "On average, more than 10 children have been killed every day across Lebanon over the past week, with approximately 36 children injured each day," the statement published on the UNICEF website said on Monday.
SEE: Lebanon reports 83 children among nearly 400 killed in week of conflict with Israel (https://www.msn.com/en-in/news/other/lebanon-reports-83-children-among-nearly-400-killed-in-week-of-conflict-with-israel/ar-AA1XLhJ3?ocid=BingNewsVerp)
In a statement, CAIR said:
"We call on Senate Minority Leader Schumer, House Minority Leader Jeffries and other lawmakers to explicitly state that they will oppose any bill that provides funding for this unjust, illegal war on Iran and other Israeli and U.S. attacks in the region. The American people do not want their tax dollars spent on killing children in Iran or sparking a deadly environmental and ecological disaster. No leader of Congress should waffle about whether they would vote for a bill funding this illegal and disastrous war. Members of Congress should announce that they will oppose any funding, loudly and clearly."
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Original text here: https://www.cair.com/press_releases/cair-calls-on-rep-jeffries-and-sen-schumer-to-explicitly-oppose-any-funding-for-u-s-israel-war-on-iran-after-ecological-warfare-rising-civilian-death-toll/
[Category: Sociological]
Animal Wellness Action Condemns National Park Service Plan to Restore Baiting of Grizzlies and Black Bears on National Preserves in Alaska
WASHINGTON, March 10 -- The Center for a Humane Economy posted the following joint news release on March 9, 2026 with Animal Wellness Action:
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Animal Wellness Action Condemns National Park Service Plan to Restore Baiting of Grizzlies and Black Bears on National Preserves in Alaska
The agency will get people killed by allowing the feeding of black and grizzly bears on lands visited by hikers and other forest users.
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Animal Wellness Action and the Center for a Humane Economy today condemned a proposed rule from the National Park Service (NPS) to unwind a very conservative 2024 regulation
... Show Full Article
WASHINGTON, March 10 -- The Center for a Humane Economy posted the following joint news release on March 9, 2026 with Animal Wellness Action:
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Animal Wellness Action Condemns National Park Service Plan to Restore Baiting of Grizzlies and Black Bears on National Preserves in Alaska
The agency will get people killed by allowing the feeding of black and grizzly bears on lands visited by hikers and other forest users.
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Animal Wellness Action and the Center for a Humane Economy today condemned a proposed rule from the National Park Service (NPS) to unwind a very conservative 2024 regulationbanning the use of food bait to hunt black and grizzly bears on roughly 20 million acres of national preserves in Alaska. The 2024 rule walked back a far more comprehensive 2015 rulemaking that restricted a set of ruthless predator and caribou killing practices on these lands, including bear baiting, shooting swimming caribou, and shooting newborn bears and wolves in or emerging from their dens.
This latest proposed rule, scheduled for publication in the Federal Register this week, would rescind the Park Service's recent prohibition on bear baiting -- a hunting method that involves placing piles or barrels of human foods such as pastries, grease, dog food, or other human-scented items and shooting bears while they are feeding.
In its 2024 rulemaking, the NPS provided details on why bear baiting is particularly dangerous by conditioning grizzly bears and black bears to seek out human foods. Wildlife scientists and other experts warned that the practice can increase risks to hikers, campers, and other visitors to national preserves by habituating bears -- including immensely powerful and fast grizzly bears -- to food sources associated with people.
"The National Park Service should never have played host to baiting of grizzly bears and black bears," said Wayne Pacelle, president of Animal Wellness Action and the Center for a Humane Economy. "The 2024 rulemaking got it right in pinpointing that bear baiting is deadly for bears as well as hikers and other forest users who encounter bears trained to search out human foods."
Pacelle added that "dumping piles of food for bears to gorge on and then shooting them while they feed is not hunting; it's an ambush." Pacelle led ballot measures to ban bear baiting in Colorado, Oregon, and Washington, collaborating with fair-chase hunters on all these campaigns.
Pacelle said the proposal represents the latest swing in a decade-long policy battle over wildlife management on Alaska's national preserves. In 2015, the NPS adopted regulations to prevent the State of Alaska from imposing extreme predator-killing policies on federal lands managed as part of the national park system. Those rules limited a range of controversial practices, including certain forms of bear baiting and predator-control measures intended to artificially inflate populations of moose and caribou for hunters -- an unsound wildlife management practice at odds with the value systems that govern management of all NPS units.
The Trump administration rescinded that rule in 2020, allowing state-authorized hunting practices to be applied more broadly on national preserves. That action was later challenged in court by wildlife-protection organizations.
In 2024, the NPS issued a narrower rule that at least restored a prohibition on bear baiting, concluding that the practice conflicted with the agency's wildlife-management policies and public-safety responsibilities. Now the agency is proposing to reverse that position yet again, citing new policy directives aimed at expanding resource use in Alaska.
Federal land managers, from the National Park Service to the U.S. Forest Service, routinely advise visitors to "never feed bears" and to properly secure food and garbage to prevent dangerous encounters.
"Federal agencies spend enormous resources educating the public never to feed bears because it creates potentially deadly human-bear conflicts," Pacelle added. "It makes no sense for federal land managers to invite trophy hunters to do exactly that -- deliberately bait bears with human foods so they can shoot them with their head in a feed barrel."
Pacelle also noted that legislation was introduced in the 119th Congress to address the issue nationwide. Shri Thanedar, D-Mich., recently introduced the Don't Feed the Bears Act, H.R. 4422, to prohibit the use of bait to hunt bears on any federal lands, including NPS lands.
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Center for a Humane Economy is a Washington, D.C.-based 501(c)(3) whose mission is to help animals by helping forge a more humane economic order. The first organization of its kind in the animal protection movement, the Center encourages businesses to honor their social responsibilities in a culture where consumers, investors, and other key stakeholders abhor cruelty and the degradation of the environment and embrace innovation as a means of eliminating both. The Center believes helping animals helps us all. Twitter: @TheHumaneCenter
Animal Wellness Action is a Washington, D.C.-based 501(c)(4) whose mission is to help animals by promoting laws and regulations at federal, state and local levels that forbid cruelty to all animals. The group also works to enforce existing anti-cruelty and wildlife protection laws. Animal Wellness Action believes helping animals helps us all. Twitter: @AWAction_News
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Original text here: https://centerforahumaneeconomy.org/animal-wellness-action-condemns-national-park-service-plan-to-restore-baiting-of-grizzlies-and-black-bears-on-national-preserves-in-alaska/
[Category: Animals]
Americans for Tax Reform: From 6% to 1.99% - South Carolina Set to Lead Nation on Income Tax Relief
WASHINGTON, March 10 -- Americans for Tax Reform posted the following commentary by Patrick Gleason:
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From 6 Percent to 1.99 Percent: South Carolina Set to Lead Nation on Income Tax Relief
It's set to be a historic week in South Carolina, where the statehouse in Columbia is expected to vote for final passage on H. 4216, legislation that will move the state from a progressive income tax code with a top rate of 6 percent down to a flat 1.99 percent rate over the next half decade. Enactment of H. 4216 would not only relieve the Palmetto State of its distinction as home to the highest marginal
... Show Full Article
WASHINGTON, March 10 -- Americans for Tax Reform posted the following commentary by Patrick Gleason:
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From 6 Percent to 1.99 Percent: South Carolina Set to Lead Nation on Income Tax Relief
It's set to be a historic week in South Carolina, where the statehouse in Columbia is expected to vote for final passage on H. 4216, legislation that will move the state from a progressive income tax code with a top rate of 6 percent down to a flat 1.99 percent rate over the next half decade. Enactment of H. 4216 would not only relieve the Palmetto State of its distinction as home to the highest marginalincome tax rate in the southeast, it would allow South Carolina to boast the nation's lowest flat income tax rate, which currently belongs to Arizona and its 2.5 percent flat rate.
Speaker Murrell Smith (R), House Ways & Means Chairman Bruce Bannister (R), and their South Carolina House colleagues first passed H. 4216 last year. Last month, the South Carolina Senate passed H. 4216 after amending it so that the income tax rate drops farther and faster. The South Carolina House is expected to pass the amended version of H. 4216 this week and then send it to Governor Henry McMaster (R), who is expected to sign it.
"We must continue to reduce our taxes," Gov. McMaster said during his final State of the State Address on January 28. "Until a few years ago, we had the highest personal income tax rate in the Southeast and the 12th highest in the nation. No more."
"Five years ago, I signed into law the largest income tax cut in state history," McMaster added. "As a result, South Carolina taxpayers have kept an additional $1.275 billion of their hard-earned money. This year, I have again proposed cutting the personal income tax rate as much as we can, and as fast as we can. And if the General Assembly can find a way to eliminate it altogether, I will sign it the second it arrives on my desk."
In H. 4216, the South Carolina House will soon be sending Gov. McMaster a bill that does just that. In addition to phasing down to a flat 1.99 percent income tax over the next five years, H. 4216 also establishes revenue triggers that, if met, would eventually phase out South Carolina's income tax entirely over a number of years.
Original text here: https://atr.org/from-6-percent-to-1-99-percent-south-carolina-set-to-lead-nation-on-income-tax-relief/
[Category: Political]
