Public Policy & NGOs
Here's a look at documents from public policy and non-governmental organizations
Featured Stories
Scouting America Teams Up With AB Motorsports to Deliver STEM-Focused Experiences for Youth Through NHRA Partnership
IRVING, Texas, April 9 -- Scouting America (formerly the Boy Scouts of America) issued the following news release on April 8, 2026:
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Scouting America Teams Up with AB Motorsports to Deliver STEM-Focused Experiences for Youth Through NHRA Partnership
Partnership will Inspire the Next Generation with World-class Racing Experiences
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IRVING, TX, and BROWNSBURG, IN -- Scouting America and AB Motorsports announced today a season-long partnership for the 2026 NHRA Mission Foods Drag Racing Series season, creating new STEM-centered opportunities for Scouts at select national events.
Scouting
... Show Full Article
IRVING, Texas, April 9 -- Scouting America (formerly the Boy Scouts of America) issued the following news release on April 8, 2026:
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Scouting America Teams Up with AB Motorsports to Deliver STEM-Focused Experiences for Youth Through NHRA Partnership
Partnership will Inspire the Next Generation with World-class Racing Experiences
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IRVING, TX, and BROWNSBURG, IN -- Scouting America and AB Motorsports announced today a season-long partnership for the 2026 NHRA Mission Foods Drag Racing Series season, creating new STEM-centered opportunities for Scouts at select national events.
ScoutingAmerica has joined forces with four-time NHRA Top Fuel world champion and team owner Antron Brown to provide hands-on learning experiences that connect Scouting's values with the real-world science, technology, engineering, and teamwork behind championship drag racing.
Serving nearly one million youth nationwide, Scouting America prepares young people for lives of impact and purpose through leadership development and outdoor education rooted in the Scout Oath and Law.
"Our new partnership with AB Motorsports represents an exciting opportunity to connect the spirit of Scouting with the innovation, teamwork, and determination that define motorsports," said Roger Krone, president & CEO of Scouting America. "Whether it's learning how to solve problems under pressure, working effectively as a team, or pushing themselves to reach new goals, AB Motorsports embodies the very qualities we strive to cultivate in every young person who wears the Scout uniform. Together, we'll inspire young people to aim higher, work harder, and discover their potential, on the track, in their communities, and throughout their lives."
With support from World Wide Technology, the initiative will emphasize STEM (science, technology, engineering, and mathematics) education, helping Scouts see firsthand how STEM disciplines power one of the fastest and most technologically advanced sports in the world.
David L. Steward, Founder and Chairman of World Wide Technology, said, "We are thrilled to sponsor Antron Brown and Scouting America. As a world-class NHRA competitor, Antron will help us drive excitement for both Top Fuel racing and the science and engineering Scouts will learn."
At select NHRA national events, Scouts will be invited to participate in interactive STEM activations, including engineering-focused demonstrations, team-building challenges, and hands-on learning experiences, before stepping into Brown's pit area to see how precision, data, and preparation translate directly to performance on race day.
Additional youth-focused activities, including entry-level mechanical design and competition-based learning experiences, are being explored throughout the season.
For Brown, the partnership aligns directly with his long-standing commitment to mentorship and youth development.
"This is bigger than racing," Brown said. "This sport has given me so much, and I've always believed it's important to give that back to the next generation. When young people walk through our pit and see how much math, engineering, technology, and teamwork goes into what we do, it opens their eyes. If we can help them connect what they're learning in school to real careers and real opportunities, that's a win far beyond the race track. It's about showing them what's possible and helping them believe they can chase big dreams in any field they choose."
"It all starts with relationships," Brown said. "Curtis (Francois, World Wide Technology Raceway Owner and CEO) and Chris (Blair, World Wide Technology Raceway Executive Vice President and General Manager) introduced me to David (Steward) years ago, and we built a connection based on trust and a shared commitment to making an impact. That's what makes partnerships like this possible."
NHRA's longstanding commitment to youth engagement and education makes the partnership a natural fit. Through its NHRA Youth & Education Services (YES) Program, the organization has connected students nationwide to STEM-based learning experiences at the race track for more than three decades. NHRA President Glen Cromwell praised the collaboration.
"NHRA is proud to support the collaboration between Scouting America and four-time Top Fuel champion Antron Brown," NHRA President Glen Cromwell said. "NHRA has always been committed to engaging young people by utilizing real-world applications of science, technology, engineering and math. Partnerships like this, connecting Antron and Scouting America, only help inspire the next generation of innovators and problem-solvers, and we're thrilled to see this partnership take place at NHRA events across the country."
The Scouting America and AB Motorsports partnership will officially kick off at the Lucas Oil NHRA Winternationals at In-N-Out Burger Pomona Dragstrip in Pomona, California, April 9-12, 2026. Brown will begin to welcome Scouts through the YES Program at the NHRA 4-Wide Nationals at zMax Dragway in Charlotte, North Carolina, April 23-26.
For more information, visit Scouting.org/ABMotorsports.
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ABOUT SCOUTING AMERICA:
Scouting America provides the nation's foremost youth program of character development and values-based leadership training, which helps young people be "Prepared. For Life.(R)"
Scouting America welcomes all of America's youth into its programs. Our goal is to give them fantastic experiences in the outdoors, and elsewhere, where they can grow with us in a safe environment. More than 130 million Americans have been through our programs since our founding, and currently nearly one million youth are served by over 475,000 adult volunteers in local councils throughout the country.
To learn more about Scouting America's mission, or to sign your child up for Scouting, visit www.BeAScout.org.
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ABOUT WORLD WIDE TECHNOLOGY
World Wide Technology (WWT) is a global technology solutions provider helping organizations make a new world happen by turning ambition into real-world outcomes. Founded in 1990, WWT brings together strategy, deep technical expertise and world-class technology partnerships to help public- and private-sector organizations design, build and scale intelligent AI, digital, cybersecurity, cloud and infrastructure solutions. Through its Advanced Technology Center (ATC)--a collaborative ecosystem featuring state-of-the-art hardware and software--WWT enables clients and partners to conceptualize, test and validate innovative technology and then deploy solutions at scale using its global integration and distribution capabilities. With more than 14,000 team members and over 60 locations worldwide, WWT's culture--grounded in core values and leadership philosophies--has been recognized by Fortune and Great Place to Work(R) for its commitment to innovation, trust and creating a great place to work for all. WWT serves clients in nearly 200 countries across six continents, and through Softchoice, a World Wide Technology company, it supports U.S. commercial and SMB markets and all of Canada.
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ABOUT AB MOTORSPORTS:
Established in 2019, AB Motorsports is a single-car NHRA Top Fuel team owned and operated by four-time world champion Antron Brown. The team competes on the 20-race NHRA Mission Foods Drag Racing Series circuit thanks to the support of Matco Tools, Red Line Oil, Factory Motor Parts and its FVP brand, Hangsterfer's Metal Working Lubricants, Summit Racing Equipment, Streamlight, Western Technical College, and Genesis Attachments.
Headquartered in Brownsburg, Indiana, AB Motorsports made its on-track debut in 2022 and has collected 13 wins throughout its first three seasons.
Brown, who serves as both the driver and owner of the AB Motorsports Top Fuel dragster, is the only competitor in NHRA history to have won races in both the Top Fuel and Pro Stock Motorcycle categories. In addition to his 51 No. 1 qualifier awards, Brown is an 81-time NHRA national event winner and became the first Black driver to win a major U.S. auto racing championship when he captured his first NHRA Top Fuel series title in 2012. He made history again in 2024 when he captured his first Top Fuel crown as a team owner, becoming the first Black championship-winning owner/driver.
In 2023, Brown launched the AB Motorsports Accelerate Program, an all-encompassing driver development initiative aimed at helping racers advance in their careers. Three-time Pro Stock Motorcycle world champion Angelle Sampey was the first athlete to join the Accelerate Program. She made her Top Alcohol Dragster debut in October 2023 and continues to compete in the category as she progresses toward the premier Top Fuel class.
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Original text here: https://www.scoutingnewsroom.org/press-releases/16520/
[Category: Sociological]
Save the Children: Ceasefire is a First Step, But Children in Lebanon Still Under Fire
WESTPORT, Connecticut, April 9 -- Save the Children, an organization that says it is giving children a healthy start in life, opportunity to learn and protection from harm, posted the following news release on April 8, 2026:
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Ceasefire is a first step, but children in Lebanon still under fire
JORDAN - Reports that the US and Iran have agreed to a two-week conditional ceasefire will be a welcome relief for families in the region, who have suffered five weeks of bombing, displacement and terror. However, a ceasefire is still urgently needed in Lebanon and the wider region.
In the hours since
... Show Full Article
WESTPORT, Connecticut, April 9 -- Save the Children, an organization that says it is giving children a healthy start in life, opportunity to learn and protection from harm, posted the following news release on April 8, 2026:
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Ceasefire is a first step, but children in Lebanon still under fire
JORDAN - Reports that the US and Iran have agreed to a two-week conditional ceasefire will be a welcome relief for families in the region, who have suffered five weeks of bombing, displacement and terror. However, a ceasefire is still urgently needed in Lebanon and the wider region.
In the hours sincethe ceasefire was agreed, Israeli military bombing has intensified in Lebanon to some of the worst levels since the conflict began.
This moment must be the start of a definitive ceasefire in Iran, Lebanon and across the wider region to protect children from further harm.
Ahmad Alhendawi, Save the Children's Middle East, North Africa and Eastern Europe Regional Director, said:
"There is no doubt that the news of a ceasefire agreement, however incomplete, is welcome; the alternatives being discussed were beyond abhorrent and the potential implications for children were appalling.
"However, this agreement is not enough. We're urgently calling for a definitive ceasefire for the wider region, which includes Lebanon, to protect children from further harm. Lebanon is still being bombed, with Beirut shaken today by repeated blasts.
"The situation in Lebanon is reaching breaking point, with more than a fifth of the population forced from their homes. Many families have been displaced for the second time in two years, some have no choice but to sleep on the streets or collective shelters. More than 1,500 people in Lebanon have been killed, including more than 130 children and over 450 children injured. Children in Lebanon deserve the same safety as children anywhere in the world.
"The parties to the conflict and the international community must take every step possible to ensure a definitive ceasefire.
"Upholding the rules of war is an obligation, not a choice. Wars have laws and children must be off limits.
"A whole generation of children bears the brunt of this conflict. A definitive ceasefire for the entire regional conflict, including Lebanon, is the only way to truly protect children's lives and futures and end the suffering.
"The violence must end before more children suffer irreparable harm."
Save the Children is the world's largest independent child rights organization, reaching tens of millions of children annually in over 100 countries through its work to save and improve children's lives.
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Save the Children believes every child deserves a future. Since our founding more than 100 years ago, we've been advocating for the rights of children worldwide. In the United States and around the world, we give children a healthy start in life, the opportunity to learn and protection from harm. We do whatever it takes for children - every day and in times of crisis - transforming the future we share. Our results, financial statements and charity ratings reaffirm that Save the Children is a charity you can trust. Follow us on Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, X and YouTube.
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Original text here: https://www.savethechildren.org/us/about-us/media-and-news/2026-press-releases/ceasefire-children-lebanon-under-fire
[Category: Sociological]
Protect Our Care: Pot. Kettle. Black. Top Vaccine Misinformer RFK Jr. Launches Podcast On 'Lies' That Have Made Americans Sick
WASHINGTON, April 9 -- Protect Our Care issued the following news:
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Pot. Kettle. Black. Top Vaccine Misinformer RFK Jr. Launches Podcast On 'Lies' That Have Made Americans Sick
Trump Health Secretary RFK Jr. is rolling out yet another taxpayer-funded effort to promote his own brand: a podcast that ironically promises to expose 'lies' that have made Americans sicker despite his own long, sordid history of promoting blatant lies and evidence-free conspiracy theories that have directly contributed to a decline in vaccination rates and a rise in preventable diseases like measles.
"Pot, meet
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WASHINGTON, April 9 -- Protect Our Care issued the following news:
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Pot. Kettle. Black. Top Vaccine Misinformer RFK Jr. Launches Podcast On 'Lies' That Have Made Americans Sick
Trump Health Secretary RFK Jr. is rolling out yet another taxpayer-funded effort to promote his own brand: a podcast that ironically promises to expose 'lies' that have made Americans sicker despite his own long, sordid history of promoting blatant lies and evidence-free conspiracy theories that have directly contributed to a decline in vaccination rates and a rise in preventable diseases like measles.
"Pot, meetkettle," said Kayla Hancock, Director of Protect Our Care's Public Health Project. "RFK Jr. must be joking to claim he's an arbiter of health disinformation as one of the world's most influential and shameless traffickers in such lies. This is a guy who spent years peddling discredited claims about vaccine safety- smears that have directly led to falling vaccination rates and allowed diseases like measles to flourish for the first time in decades. This is the same guy who gutted the child vaccine schedule based on vibes, not credible scientific data or input from medical experts. If anyone has made Americans sicker by leading them astray, it's RFK Jr..
"Like Donald Trump, Kennedy has always been a guy who shoots first with unfounded claims and doesn't bother to ask questions later, which often gives families false hope followed by bitter disappointment, like his leucovorin-autism debacle."
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Original text here: https://www.protectourcare.org/pot-kettle-black-top-vaccine-misinformer-rfk-jr-launches-podcast-on-lies-that-have-made-americans-sick/
[Category: Health Care]
Food & Water Watch and Allies Sue EPA for Illegal Repeal of Climate Protections
WASHINGTON, April 9 -- The Food and Water Watch posted the following news release on April 8, 2026:
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Food & Water Watch and Allies Sue EPA for Illegal Repeal of Climate Protections
Groups and Alaskan tribes challenge Trump's unlawful repeal of endangerment finding and vehicle emissions standards
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Today Food & Water Watch, along with allied environmental groups and Alaskan tribes, sued the Trump administration's Environmental Protection Agency for unlawfully repealing the endangerment finding and motor vehicle emissions standards.
The EPA's 2009 endangerment finding is the scientific
... Show Full Article
WASHINGTON, April 9 -- The Food and Water Watch posted the following news release on April 8, 2026:
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Food & Water Watch and Allies Sue EPA for Illegal Repeal of Climate Protections
Groups and Alaskan tribes challenge Trump's unlawful repeal of endangerment finding and vehicle emissions standards
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Today Food & Water Watch, along with allied environmental groups and Alaskan tribes, sued the Trump administration's Environmental Protection Agency for unlawfully repealing the endangerment finding and motor vehicle emissions standards.
The EPA's 2009 endangerment finding is the scientificdetermination that greenhouse gas pollution harms public health and welfare. If allowed to stand, the repeal would abandon climate action at the federal level.
The case was brought by:
* Food & Water Watch, representing itself.
* Hoosier Environmental Council, Illinois Environmental Council, Iowa Environmental Council, Minnesota Environmental Partnership, and Ohio Environmental Council, represented by Environmental Law & Policy Center
* Alaska Institute for Justice, Chesapeake Bay Foundation, Chinik Eskimo Community, Native Village of Kwinhagak, Native Village of Nunapitchuk, Northeast Organic Farming Association of New York, WE ACT, West Virginia Highlands Conservancy, and Wyoming Outdoor Council, represented by Earthjustice
The 2009 endangerment finding came from the landmark 2007 Supreme Court decision in Massachusetts v. EPA, which confirmed that the Clean Air Act authorizes EPA to regulate greenhouse gas emissions that endanger public health and welfare. Based on scientific analysis and rigorous review, EPA then determined in 2009 that emissions from sources like motor vehicles contribute to air pollution that harms public health and welfare. EPA set federal standards to reduce greenhouse gas emissions from vehicles, which account for the largest source of climate emissions in the country.
"The notion that EPA shouldn't act against climate-harming greenhouse gas emissions is akin to a fire department refusing to fight fires. It is patently absurd," said Erin Doran, Senior Staff Attorney at Food & Water Watch. "The entire reason EPA exists is to protect human health and the environment. The Trump administration's attempt to ignore this fundamental truth and disavow its authority to protect people and the planet is simply wrong, which is why we are challenging this grossly unlawful action in court."
"The endangerment finding that EPA has repealed rests on nearly two decades of conclusive scientific evidence and long-settled law," said Brian Lynk, Senior Attorney at the Environmental Law & Policy Center. "The transportation sector is the nation's leading source of carbon emissions that drive climate change and damage public health and welfare. Repealing sensible regulations on pollution from vehicles puts the Midwest, and the nation, at a higher risk of serious harm to the public. EPA cannot be permitted to recklessly abandon its duty to protect American public health and well-being."
"Rescinding the endangerment finding ignores decades of clear scientific evidence and puts communities in Illinois and across the country at greater risk," said Jen Walling, Chief Executive Officer at the Illinois Environmental Council. "Illinois communities are already living with the realities of climate change through extreme heat, more intense storms, and rising respiratory illnesses. Weakening these protections leaves families exposed to even greater risks, especially in neighborhoods already burdened by pollution. IEC supports ELPC's petition because the federal government has a legal and moral responsibility to limit dangerous greenhouse gas pollution. Ignoring that responsibility puts public health at risk."
"Iowans face growing threats from climate change, from severe storms to extreme heat," said Cody Smith, Director of Climate Initiatives at the Iowa Environmental Council. "EPA's refusal to recognize the risks will not make them disappear. We need rapid, unified action to mitigate greenhouse gases and protect the health, lives, and livelihoods of people across the state."
"Between wildfire smoke choking our air, floods and droughts hammering our farms, and insurance costs rising from worsening storms, Minnesota is on the front lines of the climate crisis," said Steve Morse, Executive Director at the Minnesota Environmental Partnership. "We joined this lawsuit to stop the illegal and unscientific repeal of the endangerment finding because the health and well-being of Minnesotans and our natural resources must come first."
"The US EPA will not get away with eviscerating the endangerment finding, and the Ohio Environmental Council is proud to join the national fight to oppose this pro-polluter decision," said Chris Tavenor, General Counsel at the Ohio Environmental Council. "The federal government should be making its regulations based on the science, not on the interests of corporations that benefit from the deregulation of dirty, expensive fuels like coal, oil, and gas. Ohioans deserve better for their environment, as do all Americans."
"EPA is choosing to abandon its core mandate to protect human health and the environment at the expense of communities," said Hana Vizcarra, Deputy Managing Attorney at Earthjustice. "EPA cannot rewrite the law in order to ignore the very real harms impacting communities across the country. Earthjustice and our partners will continue to defend the rule of law and demand that EPA focus on protecting our health and environment, not boosting industry profits."
"Climate change is an existential threat to Alaska's rural communities and Tribes," said Sheryl Musgrove, Director of the Alaska Climate Justice program at Alaska Institute for Justice. "Catastrophic permafrost thaw, massive erosion events, and more frequent and life-threatening storms are harming the lives and safety of the people who live throughout our state. The federal government must address these threats by regulating greenhouse gases and reinstating the endangerment finding."
"Climate change is already harming people and the Chesapeake Bay, regardless of the Trump Administration's ridiculous claims. This latest rollback is a threat to us all. Flooding and sea level rise are walloping communities up and down the Bay. Heat waves send people to hospitals from Baltimore to Richmond. Warmer waters are driving away striped bass, brook trout, and other wildlife. And increasingly intense storms are washing more pollution into rivers and the Chesapeake Bay," said Alison Hooper Prost, Senior Vice President for Programs at the Chesapeake Bay Foundation. "We're proud to join our partners in fighting this rollback that endangers everyone's future."
"My wife and I chose to farm knowing that we would face challenges, but the increasingly unstable climate is making farming riskier," said Wes Gillingham, board member of the Northeast Organic Farming Association of New York."Despite the critical role we play in the American food and fiber supply economy, farmers are completely at the mercy of droughts, floods, and other extreme weather. This policy repeal ignores the realities of climate change and will lead to the economic demise of many good farmers."
"Earlier this year, President Trump's EPA chose to abandon the agency's endangerment finding - a science-based, legal determination which EPA made after conducting scientific studies and analysis. The Trump EPA's decision to rescind the endangerment finding was made without any peer-reviewed scientific study or other evidence-based reason," said Anhthu Hoang, PhD, Esq., General Counsel & Deputy Director of WE ACT for Environmental Justice. "That is why WE ACT has joined as a plaintiff, suing the EPA to ensure that it adheres to and executes its legal mandate to implement and enforce the environmental laws. Decades of scientific studies show that communities of color and low-income are disproportionately harmed by emissions of greenhouse gasses, and - before it was abandoned - the EPA's endangerment finding provided some degree of protection for these communities. Rather than shirking its responsibilities, EPA must fulfill its mission to protect human health and the environment."
"In repealing the endangerment finding, the EPA is ignoring decades of scientific evidence and turning its back on its legal obligation to protect human health and welfare," said Olivia Miller, interim executive director of the West Virginia Highlands Conservancy. "That is especially troubling in West Virginia, where Attorney General JB McCuskey helped lead the effort from Republican states to support this rollback, even as our communities face repeated flooding, strained water systems, and an already vulnerable power grid under growing stress from climate impacts. By weakening these protections, this decision puts West Virginians' health and safety at even greater risk. It has no basis in law, science, or reality, and that is why we are challenging it in court."
"The law and science regarding the endangerment finding are settled," said Matt Gaffney, Legal and Government Relations Director at the Wyoming Outdoor Council. "Wyoming communities are already experiencing the negative impacts and costs of climate change on our health, water, agricultural heritage, and recreation economy. Instead of abandoning EPA's legal authority and moral responsibility to regulate greenhouse gases, the federal government should maintain a clear and stable regulatory framework to mitigate the worst aspects of climate change and encourage innovation and technological advancement to reduce greenhouse gas emissions."
ELPC and partners previously filed a challenge in D.C. Circuit Court representing health, environmental justice, and scientific experts.
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Original text here: https://www.foodandwaterwatch.org/2026/04/08/food-water-watch-and-allies-sue-epa-for-illegal-repeal-of-climate-protections/
[Category: Science]
Center for a Humane Economy Responds to Courier-Journal Investigation on Lead Poisoning of Kentucky Eagles
WASHINGTON, April 9 (TNSrpt) -- The Center for a Humane Economy posted the following statement on April 8, 2026:
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Center for a Humane Economy Responds to Courier-Journal Investigation on Lead Poisoning of Kentucky Eagles
The Center for a Humane Economy and Animal Wellness Action and the today issued the following statement in response to a deeply reported investigation by the Louisville Courier-Journal documenting the ongoing toll of lead poisoning on Kentucky's bald eagles and other raptors.
The article, "Inside the Mission to Save Kentucky's Eagles from Lead Poisoning," details a persistent
... Show Full Article
WASHINGTON, April 9 (TNSrpt) -- The Center for a Humane Economy posted the following statement on April 8, 2026:
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Center for a Humane Economy Responds to Courier-Journal Investigation on Lead Poisoning of Kentucky Eagles
The Center for a Humane Economy and Animal Wellness Action and the today issued the following statement in response to a deeply reported investigation by the Louisville Courier-Journal documenting the ongoing toll of lead poisoning on Kentucky's bald eagles and other raptors.
The article, "Inside the Mission to Save Kentucky's Eagles from Lead Poisoning," details a persistentand preventable crisis: widespread exposure of eagles to toxic lead from spent ammunition and fishing tackle, with devastating neurological and physiological effects on bald eagles protected under the Migratory Bird Treaty Act.
"Bald eagles are dropping out of the sky because they are ingesting lead fragments dispersed all across Kentucky," said Wayne Pacelle, president of the groups. "It's claiming the lives of a startling number of eagles, and it's all preventable: get rid of lead ammunition and use copper, tungsten, bismuth, or other elements or alloys that don't keep killing long after the ammunition has left the barrel."
According to the story, roughly 90% of eagles treated by a Kentucky rehabilitation facility are suffering from lead poisoning, which should be a wake-up call for policymakers. Even more troubling is the growing body of science showing that nearly half of North America's eagles carry evidence of chronic lead exposure, suppressing population growth and undermining decades of conservation success.
A landmark 2022 study published in the journal Science documented continent-wide lead poisoning in bald and golden eagles. The eight-year study of 1,210 eagles across 38 states found that nearly half of eagles had bone lead levels consistent with chronic poisoning, and roughly one-third showed evidence of acute exposure. Lead fragments in the remains of hunted animals were identified as a primary driver of these population-level effects.
"Kentucky should move with other states and wean itself off of lead ammunition in hunting," said Pam Rogers, Kentucky state director for Animal Wellness Action. "If the U.S. Army can switch to copper, so can hunters. It's safer for them and their families, and it will stop the indiscriminate killing of wildlife."
"Nonlead options perform as well or better, and they will save the lives of people unintentionally consuming lead in their wild-game diets," Pacelle said. "There is no safe level of lead consumption. We've taken lead out of gasoline, paint, and toys, and it's time to switch to widely available, comparably priced nonlead ammunition."
Despite its known toxicity, lead-based ammunition remains the largest source of unregulated lead intentionally released into U.S. lands and waters. The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) estimates that about 73,000 tons of lead are deposited by hunters and target shooters each year. This figure includes spent lead shot and bullet fragments left in fields, forests, and wetlands during hunting and target shooting activities.
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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/lead-poisoning-of-kentucky-eagles-courier-journal-investigation/
[Category: Animals]
CAIR-LA Responds to SCOTUS Decision in Landmark FBI V. Fazaga Case, Welcomes Continued Litigation to Hold Government Accountable
WASHINGTON, April 9 -- The Council on American-Islamic Relations posted the following news release on April 8, 2026:
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CAIR-LA Responds to SCOTUS Decision in Landmark FBI v. Fazaga Case, Welcomes Continued Litigation to Hold Government Accountable
The Greater Los Angeles Area office of the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR-LA) today responded to the U.S. Supreme Court (SCOTUS)'s decision to vacate a lower court ruling in FBI v. Fazaga and remand the case back to the district court. The organization also welcomed the continued litigation to hold the government accountable for its
... Show Full Article
WASHINGTON, April 9 -- The Council on American-Islamic Relations posted the following news release on April 8, 2026:
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CAIR-LA Responds to SCOTUS Decision in Landmark FBI v. Fazaga Case, Welcomes Continued Litigation to Hold Government Accountable
The Greater Los Angeles Area office of the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR-LA) today responded to the U.S. Supreme Court (SCOTUS)'s decision to vacate a lower court ruling in FBI v. Fazaga and remand the case back to the district court. The organization also welcomed the continued litigation to hold the government accountable for itsunlawful surveillance of Muslim communities.
SEE: What You Need to Know About CAIR-CA's First-Ever Supreme Court Case (https://ca.cair.com/press-release/cair-cas-first-ever-supreme-court-case/)
FBI v. Fazaga began in February 2011, after it became known that the FBI had hired an informant to go undercover as a Muslim convert in order to surveil mosques and spy on Orange County's Muslim population as part of a covert government operation in 2006 and 2007.
After plaintiffs Sheikh Yassir Fazaga, Ali Malik, and Yasser AbdelRahim filed suit, the government moved to dismiss the case by asserting the "state-secrets" privilege, arguing that merely defending the case in court would threaten the disclosure of information sensitive to our national security. The district court agreed and dismissed most of the lawsuit on that basis. In December 2024, the Ninth Circuit Court ruled in favor of the plaintiffs, reversing the earlier dismissal of the case and allowing it to move forward.
The SCOTUS's recent decision vacates the Ninth Circuit but allows the case to continue to move forward to examine factual developments in the case.
In a statement, CAIR-LA Legal Director Amr Shabaik, Esq., said:
"The FBI's surveillance operation on the Southern California Muslim community was a blatant violation of civil rights and religious freedoms, and we will continue to fight for justice as this case returns to the district court. The government must be held accountable to the full extent for its unconstitutional targeting and surveillance of an entire community simply for practicing their faith."
CAIR-LA is Southern California's largest Muslim civil liberties and advocacy organization. Its mission is to enhance understanding of Islam, protect civil rights, promote justice and empower American Muslims.
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Original text here: https://www.cair.com/press_releases/cair-la-responds-to-scotus-decision-in-landmark-fbi-v-fazaga-case-welcomes-continued-litigation-to-hold-government-accountable/
[Category: Sociological]
Buyers Unite to Accelerate the Market for Low-Carbon Cement
BASALT, Colorado, April 9 -- Rocky Mountain Institute issued the following news release on April 8, 2026:
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Buyers Unite to Accelerate the Market for Low-Carbon Cement
The Sustainable Concrete Buyers Alliance launches a first-of-its-kind procurement, calling for proposals to supply low-emissions cement to meet corporate demand.
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The Sustainable Concrete Buyers Alliance (SCoBA), a joint initiative of the Center for Green Market Activation and RMI, today launched a request for proposals (RFP) to secure multi-year offtake agreements supporting up to 250,000 tons of low-carbon cement production
... Show Full Article
BASALT, Colorado, April 9 -- Rocky Mountain Institute issued the following news release on April 8, 2026:
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Buyers Unite to Accelerate the Market for Low-Carbon Cement
The Sustainable Concrete Buyers Alliance launches a first-of-its-kind procurement, calling for proposals to supply low-emissions cement to meet corporate demand.
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The Sustainable Concrete Buyers Alliance (SCoBA), a joint initiative of the Center for Green Market Activation and RMI, today launched a request for proposals (RFP) to secure multi-year offtake agreements supporting up to 250,000 tons of low-carbon cement productionannually, beginning as early as 2027. It marks the first phase of a procurement designed to overcome persistent barriers that have slowed decarbonization across the construction sector.
Cement and concrete are vital to the built environment, from housing and commercial buildings to data centers and transportation networks, and global demand for cement is expected to increase to 6.2 billion tons by 2050. Cement accounts for most of the sector's global emissions, yet emissions-reducing technologies often face geographic and cost barriers to scale, limiting access for many organizations. Through this RFP, SCoBA will enable its climate-ambitious member companies to abate up to 85,000 metric tons of CO2e emissions per year, subject to final commercial details.
The procurement will target offtake from innovative cement producers while sending a catalytic signal to the market. The inaugural RFP is open globally to products meeting the Global Cement and Concrete Association's low-carbon cement definition of Band B or better, roughly equivalent to at least a 67% emissions reduction compared with today's industry reference level. SCoBA aims through this procurement to pool buyer demand, secure high integrity supply, and enable innovative, low-carbon production methods to scale.
"Decarbonizing cement is essential to tackling emissions in the built environment, but progress has been constrained by fragmented demand and limited access to low-carbon solutions," said Bryan Fisher, managing director of RMI's industries program. "We're excited to be entering the next phase of our cement and concrete demand initiative with GMA, connecting leading companies with cutting-edge producers to secure the long-term offtake agreements project developers need to confidently pursue decarbonization projects in this critical industrial sector."
SCoBA launched in 2025 as a program of the Center for Green Market Activation (GMA) and RMI to pool demand from end-use customers and channel investment through bankable agreements, giving low-carbon cement and concrete producers the confidence to scale. Since its launch, SCoBA has engaged the market to design a procurement that is ambitious, globally-focused, and capable of accelerating new production of truly sustainable low-carbon cement.
"Our outreach to the market confirms a growing pipeline of low-emissions cement solutions seeking credible demand," said Kim Carnahan, CEO at GMA. "SCoBA's innovative procurement brings that demand together, sending a signal individual buyers cannot achieve alone. This is about turning climate ambition into real market movement."
The procurement will use a book-and-claim framework developed and recently launched by GMA and RMI, allowing companies to support low-carbon production even when the physical material cannot be delivered directly to their projects. Buyers purchase verified environmental attribute certificates representing the emissions associated with low-carbon cement or concrete, which they can retire and count toward Scope 3 goals, while the material itself is deployed where it is most practical. This model helps overcome geographic and logistical constraints that have historically limited access to lower-emission building materials and provides producers with streamlined access to committed buyers.
SCoBA's procurement builds on proven demand aggregation models pioneered by the Sustainable Aviation Buyers Alliance and expanded to additional transport sectors such as maritime (Zero Emission Maritime Buyers Alliance) and heavy-duty trucking (GMA Trucking). This program represents a second application of that approach to the built environment, the first being the Sustainable Steel Buyers Platform.
Low-carbon cement suppliers are invited to download the RFP and submit proposals by June 19, 2026. Interested parties can also register for a webinar, scheduled for April 15 at 11AM ET. Companies with Scope 3 cement and concrete emissions who are interested in purchasing through this pilot procurement can explore SCoBA membership by emailing info@buildscoba.org.
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About the Center for Green Market Activation:
The Center for Green Market Activation (GMA) is a US-based, globally focused non-profit. Through innovative procurement approaches and collaborative alliances, GMA catalyzes and scales the uptake of low-carbon goods and services within carbon-intensive industries such as aviation, maritime, trucking, cement and concrete, and chemicals. With collective decades of experience in environmental markets and alternative fuels and materials, the GMA team works to standardize new, green markets and forges mutually beneficial partnerships between climate-focused companies, suppliers, and mission-aligned non-profit organizations to channel funding to critical climate technologies in pursuit of accelerated sectoral decarbonization.
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About RMI
Rocky Mountain Institute (RMI) is an independent, nonpartisan nonprofit founded in 1982 that transforms global energy systems through market-driven solutions to secure a prosperous, resilient, clean energy future for all. In collaboration with businesses, policymakers, funders, communities, and other partners, RMI drives investment to scale clean energy solutions, reduce energy waste, and boost access to affordable clean energy in ways that enhance security, strengthen the economy, and improve people's livelihoods. RMI is active in over 50 countries.
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Original text: https://rmi.org/press-release/buyers-unite-to-accelerate-the-market-for-low-carbon-cement/
[Category: Energy]
