Public Policy & NGOs
Here's a look at documents from public policy and non-governmental organizations
Featured Stories
Peterson Institute for International Economics Issues Commentary: Tariffs Slashed US Musical Instrument Imports, But to What End?
WASHINGTON, May 28 -- The Peterson Institute for International Economics issued the following commentary on May 26, 2026, by senior research staffer Cullen S. Hendrix:
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Tariffs slashed US musical instrument imports, but to what end?
The Trump administration argued that steeply higher tariffs on imported goods would spur a wave of reshoring and reinvestment in US manufacturing. For musical instruments, that hasn't happened. Instead, higher tariffs have raised prices and suppressed imports--particularly of instruments for beginners--without boosting domestic production. And if the trend continues,
... Show Full Article
WASHINGTON, May 28 -- The Peterson Institute for International Economics issued the following commentary on May 26, 2026, by senior research staffer Cullen S. Hendrix:
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Tariffs slashed US musical instrument imports, but to what end?
The Trump administration argued that steeply higher tariffs on imported goods would spur a wave of reshoring and reinvestment in US manufacturing. For musical instruments, that hasn't happened. Instead, higher tariffs have raised prices and suppressed imports--particularly of instruments for beginners--without boosting domestic production. And if the trend continues,the effects will narrow the pipeline of players who would eventually become customers for the higher-end instruments the United States does make.
In the first quarter of 2026, the average effective tariff rate[1] on musical instrument imports was 16.6 percent, up from 15.9 percent in 2025 and nearly three times the effective rate in 2024. The tariff pain has not fallen equally on different instrument classes (see figure below). Pianos and acoustic keyboards, strings (violins, cellos, etc.), wind (horns, reed instruments), and parts and accessories saw the steepest increases in tariff burdens, with effective rates for each more than tripling.
Anyone who was even half-awake during an Econ 101 course will remember that taxes affect supply and demand by increasing prices, thereby lowering the quantity demanded. And that's exactly what has happened. Imports of musical instruments are cratering. In the first quarter of this year, the total real value of US musical instrument imports[2] was down 20.4 percent from the first quarter of 2024, the last quarter under the Biden administration tariff regime, and 21.6 percent lower than the same period of 2025, when many US firms temporarily boosted imports to front-run anticipated Trump administration tariffs.
Like many global industries, musical instrument making has specialized according to wage levels, with Europe, Japan, South Korea, and the United States making professional-grade instruments while China, Indonesia, and other lower- and middle-income countries cater to the lower-cost, lower-margin beginner and intermediate markets. Companies like Gibson are able to sell versions of the iconic Les Paul electric guitar for $199 to the aspiring teen rocker mowing lawns and $9,999 to the professional musician[3] because they produce globally. The same general story holds across all major classes of instruments. There is no significant US student-instrument manufacturing base to protect.
Band and orchestral instruments have been hit the hardest. In the first quarter of 2026, real imports of orchestral strings and wind instruments were down 42.3 percent and 23.2 percent, respectively, from the first three months of 2024. A drop in imports from China accounted for 70 percent of the decrease in orchestral strings and 29 percent of wind instruments, respectively. The vast majority of these forgone Chinese imports were of student- and beginner-grade instruments, the workhorses of both school music and private lesson programs. These losses translate directly into fewer low-priced instruments available for cost-sensitive consumers. These affordable instruments can provide the gateway for student musicians to begin a lifetime as players and eventually buyers of higher-grade, US-made instruments. Low-cost instrument imports are the seed corn of tomorrow's high-end instrument market. The tariffs are decimating the musical instrument industry's future customer base, with the effects falling hardest on the segments of the market that are most price-sensitive and dependent on public funding.
Tariffs are driving this dynamic in at least three ways. The first is the mechanical effect operating through the higher prices of the instruments themselves. The second operates through the Trump administration's higher tariffs on other imports, resulting in higher general costs for other goods that eat into discretionary spending power: For the vast majority of consumers, instruments are wants, not needs, and musical instruments are among the first wants to be sacrificed when times get harder. The third is a general brake on business and consumer confidence, both via higher costs spread through the economy and the general economic uncertainty created by the tariffs and the chaotic, seemingly capricious way in which they were implemented.
Parsing the relative contributions of these mechanisms is challenging, but also unimportant for the bottom line: Fewer imported instruments are making their way to the US market. Imports of US musical instrument and parts declined $64.4 million in Q1 2026 relative to Q1 2024, while US consumers paid higher prices for the instruments that were imported - instruments against which higher-grade US-made instruments do not directly compete.
This isn't protecting the US musical instrument industry. Conn-Selmer, the horn manufacturer that made Elkhart, Indiana the "band instrument capital of the world," is finalizing the permanent closure of its brass instruments factory in Eastlake, Ohio, as it offshores a major portion of that production to China.
This decision highlights a self-defeating, second-order effect of protectionism. Because these instruments are made of metals covered by Section 232 tariffs, higher domestic input costs decimated their profit margins. Ultimately, Conn-Selmer concluded it was more cost effective to absorb the import tariffs on finished goods destined for the United States than to manufacture domestically and export to the world under inflated production costs. Conn-Selmer is owned by John Paulson, a major donor to President Donald Trump's campaign and a staunch proponent of the tariffs-as-reshoring-fuel narrative.
By the way, US federal revenue from tariffs on instruments has been negligible. Since 2024, tariffs on musical instruments have generated only a trivial share of overall US tariff revenue, never higher than 0.11 percent. Through the first quarter of 2026, musical instrument imports have contributed 0.07 percent to total collected tariffs. And after the Supreme Court in February struck down many of the Trump administration's tariffs, very little of that revenue will stay in government coffers. Some US importers will be made whole through tariff refunds, though many will not.
Even as importers begin receiving refunds, there is little reason to expect that relief to reach the consumers who ultimately bore the cost. Tariffs are paid at the border and passed forward through the supply chain--to distributors, to retailers, and finally to buyers--in the form of higher prices. Those transactions are done. A refund to an importer does not unwind a retail sale from last year, and no obvious mechanism exists to trace the tariff burden back to the individual who paid it at the register. The money flows back to the importing business. The consumer who stretched their budget for a beginner violin does not get a check. And even if those retailers and consumers were to be made whole, the broader damage will have been done.
Musical instruments are a tiny fraction (0.04 percent in the first quarter of 2026) of US imports. But they illustrate the mismatch between the stated rationale for broad tariff increases and their actual effects.
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Notes
1. Tariff revenue amounts and shares are estimates derived from Census Bureau trade data. The Census Bureau urges caution in interpreting these figures, as they are subject to reporting errors, classification revisions, and timing lags in data collection.
2. Real values for instrument imports are calculated using the appropriate US Federal Reserve deflator series (IPXVIII), with 2000 as the base (index = 100) year.
3. OK, let's be real: to doctors, dentists, and lawyers.
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Original text here: https://www.piie.com/blogs/realtime-economics/2026/tariffs-slashed-us-musical-instrument-imports-what-end
[Category: Economics]
Lawsuit Challenges Wildlife Killing by Federal Agents Inside America's Designated Wilderness Areas
SANTA FE, New Mexico, May 28 -- WildEarth Guardians issued the following news release on May 27, 2026 with Western Watersheds Project and Wilderness Watch:
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New Lawsuit Challenges Wildlife Killing by Federal Agents inside America's Designated Wilderness Areas
USDA's Wildlife Services authorizes federally-subsidized "predator control" across millions of acres of public lands nationwide
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WildEarth Guardians, Western Watersheds Project ("WWP"), and Wilderness Watch filed a lawsuit today challenging the U.S. government's policy of allowing federal agents to kill native wildlife, including
... Show Full Article
SANTA FE, New Mexico, May 28 -- WildEarth Guardians issued the following news release on May 27, 2026 with Western Watersheds Project and Wilderness Watch:
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New Lawsuit Challenges Wildlife Killing by Federal Agents inside America's Designated Wilderness Areas
USDA's Wildlife Services authorizes federally-subsidized "predator control" across millions of acres of public lands nationwide
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WildEarth Guardians, Western Watersheds Project ("WWP"), and Wilderness Watch filed a lawsuit today challenging the U.S. government's policy of allowing federal agents to kill native wildlife, includingwolves, bears, mountain lions and coyotes using poisons, traps, and aerial gunning inside the nation's most protected public lands- congressionally designated Wilderness Areas.
The lawsuit (https://pdf.wildearthguardians.org/support_docs/Complaint_filed_Dkt%201.pdf), filed in the U.S. District Court for the District of New Mexico, targets a nationwide program run by the U.S. Department of Agriculture's Wildlife Services that authorizes federally-subsidized "predator control" across millions of acres of public lands at the behest of the private livestock industry, including within designated Wilderness Areas subject to the strict protections of the 1964 Wilderness Act.
Today there are 803 federally designated Wilderness Areas in the United States, covering nearly 112 million acres, which still only represents less than 5% of the country.
Congress established Wilderness Areas under the Wilderness Act to preserve places "untrammeled by man," where unrestrained wildlife and natural ecological processes operate freely without direct human control. Yet the U.S. Forest Service and Bureau of Land Management are systematically authorizing the killing of native wildlife in Wilderness Areas at the request of the heavily subsidized commercial livestock industry grazing on America's public lands.
"This case is about whether Wilderness can actually be wild," said Jennifer Schwartz, senior staff attorney with WildEarth Guardians. "You cannot preserve areas as 'untrammeled' while simultaneously deploying federal agents to kill apex predators for the intended purpose of propping up commercial grazing operations."
The Wilderness Act broadly prohibits all commercial enterprise in Wilderness unless explicitly authorized in the Act. The Act carved out a narrow exception for "the grazing of livestock" to continue where that use predates Wilderness designation. It does not, however, authorize killing native wildlife to prevent domestic sheep or cattle from being predated upon while grazing within these remote and often rugged areas, as federal agencies have implicitly read into the statute.
The case comes as federal courts reassess the deference owed to federal agencies' statutory interpretations following the U.S. Supreme Court's rollback of the Chevron doctrine, which had previously required courts to defer to an agency's interpretation of a law when silent or ambiguous as to the legal question presented.
"In this case, now that the Supreme Court overruled that doctrine, we think we stand a better chance of getting a proper judicial reading of the law based on its plain language rather than the court deferring to the agencies' misreading of the statute," said Schwartz.
"Here there is no ambiguity in the statute," said Cyndi Tuell, Arizona/New Mexico Director for WWP. "Courts have already recognized that Congress spoke clearly to ban all forms of commerce in Wilderness except as specifically provided for in the Wilderness Act's text, and it certainly did not provide for so-called 'predator control.' Wildlife killing is contrary to the Wilderness Act's core purpose of preserving our wildest natural areas."
"Killing native species to appease the livestock industry violates the Wilderness Act," said Dan Brister of Wilderness Watch. "In Wilderness, Congress mandated that the Forest Service protect nature--not industry profits."
The lawsuit asks the court to establish that the Wilderness Act prohibits "predator control" for commercial grazing operations in designated Wilderness, vacate the federal policies authorizing these activities, and permanently prohibit such practices going forward.
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Original text here: https://wildearthguardians.org/press-releases/new-lawsuit-challenges-wildlife-killing-by-federal-agents-inside-americas-designated-wilderness-areas/
[Category: Environment]
Florida Chamber's Prosperity Initiative to Spotlight Solutions for Reducing Childhood Poverty at June 9
TALLAHASSEE, Florida, May 28 -- The Florida Chamber of Commerce issued the following news:
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Florida Chamber's Prosperity Initiative to Spotlight Solutions for Reducing Childhood Poverty at June 9 Summit
The Florida Chamber Foundation's Florida Prosperity Initiative will convene business, nonprofit, policy, and community leaders from across the state for the 2026 Florida Prosperity & Economic Opportunity Solution Summit on June 9 at the Grand Hyatt Tampa Bay.
Since the Florida Chamber's Prosperity Initiative launched, childhood poverty in Florida has declined by nearly 200,000 children.
... Show Full Article
TALLAHASSEE, Florida, May 28 -- The Florida Chamber of Commerce issued the following news:
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Florida Chamber's Prosperity Initiative to Spotlight Solutions for Reducing Childhood Poverty at June 9 Summit
The Florida Chamber Foundation's Florida Prosperity Initiative will convene business, nonprofit, policy, and community leaders from across the state for the 2026 Florida Prosperity & Economic Opportunity Solution Summit on June 9 at the Grand Hyatt Tampa Bay.
Since the Florida Chamber's Prosperity Initiative launched, childhood poverty in Florida has declined by nearly 200,000 children.Today, Florida has 711,576 children in poverty, with more than half of Florida's children in just over 15% (152) of the state's 983 ZIP codes.
The annual summit brings together cross-sector leaders focused on advancing data-driven solutions to ensure all Floridians, regardless of their zip codes, have a pathway to economic opportunity. The summit will highlight Florida's Zip Code Model, which focuses on overcoming the unique challenges within each community and addressing the 10 Root Causes of Poverty through tailored, community-driven solutions.
Participants will explore strategies aligned with the Florida 2030 Blueprint and the latest childhood poverty data released in the Florida Prosperity Initiative's State of Childhood Poverty in Florida report, including efforts to cut childhood poverty in half and strengthen Florida's long-term economic competitiveness, down to the zip code level.
This year's event will feature keynote presentations from Florida Attorney General James Uthmeier and Heather Cogar of the Florida Prosperity Initiative, who grew up in foster care and instinctively broke the cycle of generational poverty.
"Growing up in foster care and experiencing homelessness showed me how important it is to have people and communities willing to invest in your future," said Heather Cogar, Statewide Director of Community Engagement of the Florida Prosperity Initiative. "The work being done through the Florida Prosperity Initiative is helping create pathways to opportunity so more children can reach their full potential."
"Florida's future depends on moving children and their families from government dependence and poverty to prosperity and self-sufficiency, said Mark Wilson, President & CEO of the Florida Chamber of Commerce and Foundation. "This Prosperity Summit brings together leaders from across Florida to focus on the root causes of generational poverty and accelerate solutions that strengthen our workforce, grow our economy, and improve generational outcomes in every zip code."
Also speaking at the Florida Prosperity Summit is Karen Moore, Founder & CEO of Moore Agency and Chair of the Florida Chamber Foundation. "As Florida continues to grow, economic opportunity for all is essential to sustaining long-term success," said Karen Moore. "The Prosperity Summit is about collaboration and action, bringing together leaders who are committed to breaking down barriers and creating pathways to prosperity for every Floridian."
"When communities thrive, Florida's economy thrives," said Michelle Hamilton, Senior Director of Corporate Social Responsibility for Florida Blue and a Florida Prosperity Initiative Advisory Board member. "Through the Florida Prosperity Initiative, we are collaborating with businesses, health care companies, and other local partners to advance practical, community-driven solutions that expand opportunity, improve quality of life, and strengthen Florida's future."
Click here to learn more and register for this year's summit.
Media interested in attending onsite or virtually can request press credentials before the event by contacting Taylore Maxey at tmaxey@flchamber.com.
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Original text here: https://www.flchamber.com/florida-chambers-prosperity-initiative-to-spotlight-solutions-for-reducing-childhood-poverty-at-june-9-summit/
[Category: Business]
Elder Bednar Discusses Upcoming Temple in Rosario With City's Mayor
SALT LAKE CITY, Utah, May 28 -- The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints issued the following news release:
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Elder Bednar Discusses Upcoming Temple in Rosario With City's Mayor
The Apostle also shares Christ-focused messages with members and friends of the Church in Chile and Argentina
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Elder David A. Bednar of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints recently concluded a ministry visit in South America. He met with the mayor of Rosario, Argentina, about an upcoming temple in the city and strengthened members and friends of the Church
... Show Full Article
SALT LAKE CITY, Utah, May 28 -- The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints issued the following news release:
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Elder Bednar Discusses Upcoming Temple in Rosario With City's Mayor
The Apostle also shares Christ-focused messages with members and friends of the Church in Chile and Argentina
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Elder David A. Bednar of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints recently concluded a ministry visit in South America. He met with the mayor of Rosario, Argentina, about an upcoming temple in the city and strengthened members and friends of the Churchin Chile and Argentina.
Visit With Mayor of Rosario, Argentina
Elder Bednar met with Rosario Mayor Pablo Javkin at the Municipal Palace in Rosario on May 20, 2026.
One of the central topics of the meeting was the announced construction of the temple of the Church of Jesus Christ in Rosario, whose location was recently announced.
During the meeting, Elder Bednar explained that the Church is currently in the early stages of the design and construction process and emphasized the importance of working in coordination with local authorities.
"We helped him learn more about The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, how we operate throughout the world, and we specifically spoke about the construction of the temple here in Rosario," the Apostle said.
He also stated: "We are at the very beginning of the process. We wanted to make sure that we comply with all the necessary regulations and receive all of the required licenses. We sought and received his guidance so that we would be able to carry out this project in the proper manner and in good time."
Elder Bednar also emphasized the spiritual and social impact the future temple will have on the city and its residents, including those who are not members of the Church.
"The temple in Rosario will be a great blessing to the citizens, including those who are not members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints," he said. "The temple is a place of serenity, peace. The light that emanates from the house of the Lord will bless all who come to the grounds and feel the Spirit of the Lord there."
Ministering in Argentina and Chile
In Buenos Aires, Argentina, Elder Bednar participated in a special devotional for new members and friends of the Church. He shared teachings centered on Jesus Christ, the Restoration of the gospel and the transforming power of sacred covenants.
From the beginning of his message, Elder Bednar expressed feelings of love and closeness toward those in attendance.
"We are sons and daughters of God, and that makes us brothers and sisters. I may not know your name. I may not know where you live. But I know we are brothers and sisters, and I love you," he said.
The Apostle also warmly welcomed those who had recently joined the Church, saying, "We need you, and we are delighted you are here."
Toward the conclusion of his message, Elder Bednar taught about the true joy that comes through Jesus Christ. Quoting President Russell M. Nelson, he explained that joy does not depend on outward circumstances.
"When Jesus Christ becomes the center of our lives, we can experience joy regardless of our outward circumstances," Elder Bednar said.
Elder Bednar concluded by reaffirming that the restored gospel of Jesus Christ is a lasting source of hope, joy and transformation.
While in Santiago, Chile, he taught principles related to faith, family, continuing revelation and the importance of strengthening the home as the center of gospel learning.
"The question is no longer: 'What did you learn at church today?' The question is: 'What did you learn in your home this week?'"
He explained that members should come spiritually prepared to Sunday meetings.
"You should not just attend church and expect someone to deliver to you everything you need to know. Your testimony and understanding of the gospel comes at the price of personal and family study," said Elder Bednar.
He also noted that in a world with increasing spiritual darkness, individuals need to generate light in their own lives.
"You cannot borrow the light from someone else," he said.
Elder Bednar emphasized throughout his entire message the importance of coming unto, learning from and following the Lord Jesus Christ.
"He is our Savior and Redeemer, and He fulfilled the atoning role in Heavenly Father's great plan of happiness," he said.
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Original text here: https://newsroom.churchofjesuschrist.org/article/elder-bednar-discusses-upcoming-temple-in-rosario-with-citys-mayor
[Category: Religion]
Democracy Forward: Fair Housing and Lending Advocates Sue CFPB Over New Rule Gutting Key Anti-Discrimination Protections
WASHINGTON, May 28 -- Democracy Forward, an organization that says it advances democracy and social progress through litigation, policy and public education and regulatory engagement, issued the following news release on May 27, 2026:
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Fair Housing and Lending Advocates Sue CFPB Over New Rule Gutting Key Anti-Discrimination Protections
Lawsuit Challenges Rollback of Longstanding Equal Credit Opportunity Act Safeguards Protecting Consumers from Discriminatory Lending Practices
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The National Fair Housing Alliance (NFHA), Rise Economy, BLDS LLC, and SolasAI filed a lawsuit today challenging
... Show Full Article
WASHINGTON, May 28 -- Democracy Forward, an organization that says it advances democracy and social progress through litigation, policy and public education and regulatory engagement, issued the following news release on May 27, 2026:
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Fair Housing and Lending Advocates Sue CFPB Over New Rule Gutting Key Anti-Discrimination Protections
Lawsuit Challenges Rollback of Longstanding Equal Credit Opportunity Act Safeguards Protecting Consumers from Discriminatory Lending Practices
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The National Fair Housing Alliance (NFHA), Rise Economy, BLDS LLC, and SolasAI filed a lawsuit today challenginga sweeping new rule issued by the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) that dismantles decades-old protections against discrimination in lending and weakens enforcement of the Equal Credit Opportunity Act (ECOA). When passed in 1974, ECOA was the first law to prohibit discrimination in the offering of credit based on sex or marital status, thus guaranteeing women access to credit without spousal requirements. Congress then expanded ECOA to also protect against discrimination based on race, color, religion, national origin, age, because an applicant receives income from a public assistance program, or because an applicant has in good faith exercised any right under the Consumer Credit Protection Act. Democracy Forward, Relman Colfax PLLC and Public Citizen Litigation Group represent the plaintiffs, and NFHA represents themselves.
The lawsuit argues that the new rule would make it much harder to challenge banks and lenders for policies that unfairly hurt Black communities, women, immigrants, and other historically discriminated communities.
The new rule includes several harmful policies, including:
* Removes protections against discrimination. Banks and lenders would face no legal consequences for policies that indirectly discriminate unless there is proof they intentionally meant to discriminate. Right now, lenders can face legal challenges if a policy looks "neutral" on paper but disproportionately hurts protected groups - for example, Black borrowers being denied loans at much higher rates. The new rule removes that protection.
* Narrows what counts as illegally discouraging people from applying for credit. For decades, the CFPB -- and the Federal Reserve before it -- recognized that lenders could discriminate before someone even applies -- for example, by only advertising in certain neighborhoods, avoiding minority communities, or using messaging that signals certain groups are unwelcome. The new rule makes it much harder to challenge those practices.
* Restricts the use of Special Purpose Credit Programs meant to help underserved communities access credit. These programs help expand access to loans or mortgages for communities that historically faced discrimination. The rule would effectively block many of those programs, especially those that consider race or gender.
"This is the deliberate dismantling of 50-years of legal jurisprudence, regulatory guidance, and bipartisan consensus that lending discrimination has no place in America. The law did not change. The legal decisions did not change. Washington's commitment did. This reversal by the CFPB is a continuation of this Administration's efforts to gut fair housing and lending protections. Eviscerating these guardrails will ultimately result in less credit access for many people, make our markets less sound, and cause our economy to be less productive. When the agency built to enforce civil rights and protect consumers walks away from the job, the rule of law remains. That is why we are in court," said Lisa Rice, National Fair Housing Alliance President and CEO.
"The CFPB has ignored public comments, common sense, and decades of precedent in its misguided attempt to turn anti-discrimination law on its head. The CFPB was created to protect consumers and small businesses from financial abuse and discrimination, and this final Reg B rule would do real harm, setting us back in our collective efforts to ensure that all families and small businesses have a fair chance to achieve the American Dream. The Equal Credit Opportunity Act prohibits lending discrimination and encourages the development of Special Purpose Credit Programs to address the effects of past discrimination. These programs help ensure that underserved borrowers and communities have equitable access to credit while also allowing lenders to reach new markets and customers. The CFPB needs to follow the law and return to its core mission of protecting consumers and small businesses," said Paulina Gonzalez-Brito, CEO of Rise Economy.
"This rule undermines one of the nation's core civil rights protections in lending and will lead to more discrimination in access to credit," said Skye Perryman, President and CEO of Democracy Forward. "At a time when communities across the country continue to face barriers to homeownership, small business lending, and economic opportunity, the CFPB should be strengthening protections against discrimination, not dismantling them. At Democracy Forward, we are honored to represent a coalition of fair housing and lender advocates in holding the CFPB accountable for abandoning its mission to protect consumers."
"The CFPB is upending decades of consistent regulatory implementation of ECOA by dismantling some of the statute's fundamental protections," said Allison Zieve, director of Public Citizen Litigation Group. "The court should reject the CFPB's arbitrary and unsupported rule, which is inconsistent with the plain text of ECOA."
The plaintiffs argue the CFPB ignored decades of law, evidence, and its own research showing discrimination in lending is still a critical problem. They're asking the court to block the unlawful rule for being poorly justified and for making discrimination easier.
The case is National Fair Housing Alliance et al. v. CFPB, et al. The legal team at Democracy Forward includes Steven Bressler, Hanna Hickman, and Robin Thurston.
Read the complaint here (https://democracyforward.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/1-NFHA-et-al-v.-CFPB-et-al.pdf).
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Original text here: https://democracyforward.org/news/press-releases/fair-housing-and-lending-advocates-sue-cfpb-over-new-rule-gutting-key-anti-discrimination-protections/
[Category: Political]
Club for Growth PAC Endorses AG Ken Paxton in TX-SEN Race
WASHINGTON, May 28 -- Club for Growth, an advocacy organization, issued the following news release:
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Club for Growth PAC Endorses AG Ken Paxton in TX-SEN Race
Club for Growth PAC endorsed Attorney General Ken Paxton in the Texas U.S. Senate race after his impressive runoff election victory. Paxton will face James Talarico in the general election. President Trump has also endorsed Paxton in the race.
"Texas is a conservative state and deserves a real conservative in the Senate. Ken Paxton has consistently stood up against Democrats and the establishment in Austin to defend the rule of
... Show Full Article
WASHINGTON, May 28 -- Club for Growth, an advocacy organization, issued the following news release:
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Club for Growth PAC Endorses AG Ken Paxton in TX-SEN Race
Club for Growth PAC endorsed Attorney General Ken Paxton in the Texas U.S. Senate race after his impressive runoff election victory. Paxton will face James Talarico in the general election. President Trump has also endorsed Paxton in the race.
"Texas is a conservative state and deserves a real conservative in the Senate. Ken Paxton has consistently stood up against Democrats and the establishment in Austin to defend the rule oflaw and freedoms for every Texan," said Club for Growth PAC President David McIntosh. " Meanwhile, James Talarico is the weirdest candidate to run for U.S. Senate. He has spent his career promoting woke gender ideology, fighting against meat consumption, and opposing the values Texans cherish.The choice in November is clear: we must elect Ken Paxton."
Click here to watch (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zP-El4LZl_0) Davy Crockett, a Win It Back PAC ad highlighting James Talarico's woke and weird campaign platform.
Club for Growth PAC is affiliated with Club for Growth Action, the nation's largest conservative Super PAC. In 2024, Club for Growth PAC endorsed candidates won 79% of their elections.
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Original text here: https://www.clubforgrowth.org/club-for-growth-pac-endorses-ag-ken-paxton-in-tx-sen-race/
[Category: Political]
Catholic League Issues Commentary: Interfaith Rally Sears Mamdani
NEW YORK, May 28 -- The Catholic League for Religious and Civil Rights, an organization that defends the right of Catholics to participate in American public life without defamation or discrimination, issued the following commentary on May 27, 2026, by President Bill Donohue:
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INTERFAITH RALLY SEARS MAMDANI
Last night's Interfaith Rally Against Extremism was held near Gracie Mansion, home of New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani. Organized by EndJewHatred and attorney Brooke Goldstein, upwards of 1,000 protesters jammed 87th Street between York and East End Avenue.
Aside from a few hecklers,
... Show Full Article
NEW YORK, May 28 -- The Catholic League for Religious and Civil Rights, an organization that defends the right of Catholics to participate in American public life without defamation or discrimination, issued the following commentary on May 27, 2026, by President Bill Donohue:
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INTERFAITH RALLY SEARS MAMDANI
Last night's Interfaith Rally Against Extremism was held near Gracie Mansion, home of New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani. Organized by EndJewHatred and attorney Brooke Goldstein, upwards of 1,000 protesters jammed 87th Street between York and East End Avenue.
Aside from a few hecklers,the only visible protesters who opposed the rally were a few dozen ultra-Orthodox Jews; they believe the Jewish state should not exist until the Messiah comes.
Most of the speakers were young and middle-age Jews. Also speaking was an African activist, a Muslim woman from American Muslim & Multifaith Women's Empowerment Council, and a Hindu man representing Hindus for Universal Rights; I was the only Catholic who spoke. I am grateful to Rabbi Daniel Schonbuch for inviting me.
All the speakers, including non-Jews, were very well received. Most of them focused their remarks on Mamdani's anti-Semitic statements and policies. It is clear that he has offended legions of New Yorkers.
Chants of "Zohran Mamdani's got to go," and "Zohran, Zohran, you can't hide, we charge you with hate and lies," were heard throughout the 90-minute demonstration. Pro-America remarks, and shout-outs to the NYPD, were also commonplace (there was a large police presence). The American flag and the Flag of Israel were everywhere. It was clearly a very patriotic assembly.
I felt it necessary to participate for two reasons.
Jews and Catholics make up the majority of New Yorkers, and over the past few decades I have joined with Jews in protesting attacks on our respective religions, so when asked to speak at this rally, I did not hesitate.
The Catholic League is also highly critical of Mamdani's radical politics and his animus against people of faith. That is why we have on the front page of our website a section, "Mamdani Watch"; it details our objections to him.
I closed my comments with a plea to religious New Yorkers across faith communities. We need to take a NATO Article 5 approach--an attack on one religion is an attack on all religions. It would behoove Mamdani to heed this message.
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Original text here: https://www.catholicleague.org/interfaith-rally-sears-mamdani/
[Category: Sociological]
