Public Policy & NGOs
Here's a look at documents from public policy and non-governmental organizations
Public Policy & NGOs
Featured Stories
Trust for Public Land and a Broad Coalition of LA Community Organizations Applaud Los Angeles City Council for Advancing Charter Amendment to Restore Park Funding
SAN FRANCISCO, California, July 2 -- The Trust for Public Land posted the following news release on June 30, 2026:
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Trust for Public Land and a Broad Coalition of LA Community Organizations Applaud Los Angeles City Council for Advancing Charter Amendment to Restore Park Funding
LOS ANGELES, CA - More than 100 community-based organizations, neighborhood leaders, park and public health advocates, and residents from across Los Angeles applauded the Los Angeles City Council today for advancing a charter amendment that would restore long-term funding for the Department of Recreation and Parks. ... Show Full Article SAN FRANCISCO, California, July 2 -- The Trust for Public Land posted the following news release on June 30, 2026: * * * Trust for Public Land and a Broad Coalition of LA Community Organizations Applaud Los Angeles City Council for Advancing Charter Amendment to Restore Park Funding LOS ANGELES, CA - More than 100 community-based organizations, neighborhood leaders, park and public health advocates, and residents from across Los Angeles applauded the Los Angeles City Council today for advancing a charter amendment that would restore long-term funding for the Department of Recreation and Parks.Coalition members also thanked Councilmembers Rodriguez, Jurado, Padilla, and Hutt for championing a fiscally sound proposal that would allow Los Angeles voters to decide the future of park funding this November.
More than 1.5 million Angelenos do not live within a 10-minute walk of a park, with neighborhoods including South Los Angeles and Pacoima facing some of the city's greatest park access gaps. These same communities also disproportionately experience air pollution, toxic contamination, and other environmental and public health burdens. Increased investment would help expand and improve parks, recreation facilities, and community school parks in neighborhoods that need them most, advancing greater park equity across Los Angeles. This funding will allow RAP to begin to address park equity through new and improved parks and community school parks for communities that lack park access.
The proposed amendment would double the Department of Recreation and Parks' minimum charter funding through a phased 10-year implementation. On June 17, the Los Angeles City Council voted to direct the City Attorney to draft a charter amendment that would double the Department of Recreation and Parks' guaranteed minimum annual funding over a 10-year period. On June 30, the Council approved the ballot language--a critical milestone toward placing the measure before Los Angeles voters in November 2026. If approved by voters, the amendment would help reverse decades of underinvestment in the city's park system and provide a stable, dedicated funding floor for parks and recreation.
"The 2025 Parks Needs Assessment showed a system in crisis and laid out a path forward. This is generational progress towards addressing this crisis," said Sarah K. Friedman, Trust for Public Land. "We applaud the City Council for a common-sense proposal and look forward to working with City leadership to identify and create additional revenue streams so the Los Angeles park system will rise from 93rd in the nation."
"Increasing the charter allocation is the only sure path to pulling our park system out of its current decline -- and it is fully within the intent and history of the charter which protected parks and library funding because they are essential to the life and culture of a great city. Study after study confirms their value for the health of residents and as the spaces where we are most likely to encounter people different from ourselves -- to listen, learn, and build trust," said Jon Christensen, with the UCLA Institute of the Environment and Sustainability. "We need those spaces more than ever in Los Angeles. I deeply appreciate the careful, thoughtful consideration the City Council demonstrated in developing and moving this fiscally sound measure forward to the voters in November."
"At the LA Neighborhood Land Trust, we work every day with the parks department, who have been doing more with less for decades," said Tori Kjer, Executive Director of the LA Neighborhood Land Trust. "We also see how this has affected the services Angelenos rely on. However, throughout all, one thing is clear: Angelenos love our parks. We are deeply appreciative of all the community members who have showed up for parks and to City Council for taking action."
"Los Angeles spends 1/3 of peer cities on parks ($92 to other cities $283) which, over decades of disinvestment, has led to a 2.4 B + deferred maintenance backlog and a 28% reduction in full-time park staffing, as the city's park budget has lagged behind other departments and not kept up with inflation. Beyond recreation and parks, they along with LAPD, LAFD and Paramedics are the City's first responders in times of crisis and emergencies," said Sakae Koyama, Co-President of the Friends of Elysian Park, President of the Echo Park PAB and lifelong Echo Park resident. "We have seen this first hand and thank City Council for taking action to correct a broken funding system."
"Restoring this funding will create good green union careers in the Parks department; staffing the services and programs that working people depend on - and tending the grassy and natural spaces that capture rain and provide shade, habitat and open spaces for Angelenos and wildlife. This work will also help prepare our city to respond to climate and other emergencies," said Lauren Akhiam, Climate Campaign Director with Los Angeles Network for the New Economy. "This work is critically important to address climate and prepare our city for climate and other emergencies."
"As we saw last week with the Lineage Logistics Fire, working class communities across LA pay with their health. We also see, that in times of crisis, like now, recreation and senior centers serve as emergency shelters, cooling centers, and sources of needed information, supplies and care. But they do so every day: providing elders with food and services, space for kids to practice sports, after-school safe havens, and a third space for families to experience the benefits of nature together" said Lluvia Arras, Ascot Hills Park Advisory Board member. "We applaud Council leaders for recognizing its time to invest in these essential services"
"We've seen park services erode throughout Los Angeles over the past decades, and families have suffered," said Mona Field, former Charter Reform Commissioner. "I appreciate the City Council for moving forward this much needed and important reform, and for the public for engaging in this process."
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About Trust for Public Land
Trust for Public Land (TPL) is a national nonprofit that works to connect everyone to the benefits and joys of the outdoors. As a leader in equitable access to the outdoors, TPL works with communities to create parks and protect public land where they are needed most. Since 1972, TPL has protected more than 4 million acres of public land, created more than 5,504 parks, trails, schoolyards, and iconic outdoor places, raised $112 billion in public funding for parks and public lands, and connected nearly 10 million people to the outdoors. To learn more, visit tpl.org.
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Original text here: https://www.tpl.org/media-room/trust-for-public-land-and-a-broad-coalition-of-la-community-organizations-applaud-los-angeles-city-council-for-advancing-charter-amendment-to-restore-park-funding
[Category: Environment]
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Trust for Public Land and a Broad Coalition of LA Community Organizations Applaud Los Angeles City Council for Advancing Charter Amendment to Restore Park Funding
LOS ANGELES, CA - More than 100 community-based organizations, neighborhood leaders, park and public health advocates, and residents from across Los Angeles applauded the Los Angeles City Council today for advancing a charter amendment that would restore long-term funding for the Department of Recreation and Parks. ... Show Full Article SAN FRANCISCO, California, July 2 -- The Trust for Public Land posted the following news release on June 30, 2026: * * * Trust for Public Land and a Broad Coalition of LA Community Organizations Applaud Los Angeles City Council for Advancing Charter Amendment to Restore Park Funding LOS ANGELES, CA - More than 100 community-based organizations, neighborhood leaders, park and public health advocates, and residents from across Los Angeles applauded the Los Angeles City Council today for advancing a charter amendment that would restore long-term funding for the Department of Recreation and Parks.Coalition members also thanked Councilmembers Rodriguez, Jurado, Padilla, and Hutt for championing a fiscally sound proposal that would allow Los Angeles voters to decide the future of park funding this November.
More than 1.5 million Angelenos do not live within a 10-minute walk of a park, with neighborhoods including South Los Angeles and Pacoima facing some of the city's greatest park access gaps. These same communities also disproportionately experience air pollution, toxic contamination, and other environmental and public health burdens. Increased investment would help expand and improve parks, recreation facilities, and community school parks in neighborhoods that need them most, advancing greater park equity across Los Angeles. This funding will allow RAP to begin to address park equity through new and improved parks and community school parks for communities that lack park access.
The proposed amendment would double the Department of Recreation and Parks' minimum charter funding through a phased 10-year implementation. On June 17, the Los Angeles City Council voted to direct the City Attorney to draft a charter amendment that would double the Department of Recreation and Parks' guaranteed minimum annual funding over a 10-year period. On June 30, the Council approved the ballot language--a critical milestone toward placing the measure before Los Angeles voters in November 2026. If approved by voters, the amendment would help reverse decades of underinvestment in the city's park system and provide a stable, dedicated funding floor for parks and recreation.
"The 2025 Parks Needs Assessment showed a system in crisis and laid out a path forward. This is generational progress towards addressing this crisis," said Sarah K. Friedman, Trust for Public Land. "We applaud the City Council for a common-sense proposal and look forward to working with City leadership to identify and create additional revenue streams so the Los Angeles park system will rise from 93rd in the nation."
"Increasing the charter allocation is the only sure path to pulling our park system out of its current decline -- and it is fully within the intent and history of the charter which protected parks and library funding because they are essential to the life and culture of a great city. Study after study confirms their value for the health of residents and as the spaces where we are most likely to encounter people different from ourselves -- to listen, learn, and build trust," said Jon Christensen, with the UCLA Institute of the Environment and Sustainability. "We need those spaces more than ever in Los Angeles. I deeply appreciate the careful, thoughtful consideration the City Council demonstrated in developing and moving this fiscally sound measure forward to the voters in November."
"At the LA Neighborhood Land Trust, we work every day with the parks department, who have been doing more with less for decades," said Tori Kjer, Executive Director of the LA Neighborhood Land Trust. "We also see how this has affected the services Angelenos rely on. However, throughout all, one thing is clear: Angelenos love our parks. We are deeply appreciative of all the community members who have showed up for parks and to City Council for taking action."
"Los Angeles spends 1/3 of peer cities on parks ($92 to other cities $283) which, over decades of disinvestment, has led to a 2.4 B + deferred maintenance backlog and a 28% reduction in full-time park staffing, as the city's park budget has lagged behind other departments and not kept up with inflation. Beyond recreation and parks, they along with LAPD, LAFD and Paramedics are the City's first responders in times of crisis and emergencies," said Sakae Koyama, Co-President of the Friends of Elysian Park, President of the Echo Park PAB and lifelong Echo Park resident. "We have seen this first hand and thank City Council for taking action to correct a broken funding system."
"Restoring this funding will create good green union careers in the Parks department; staffing the services and programs that working people depend on - and tending the grassy and natural spaces that capture rain and provide shade, habitat and open spaces for Angelenos and wildlife. This work will also help prepare our city to respond to climate and other emergencies," said Lauren Akhiam, Climate Campaign Director with Los Angeles Network for the New Economy. "This work is critically important to address climate and prepare our city for climate and other emergencies."
"As we saw last week with the Lineage Logistics Fire, working class communities across LA pay with their health. We also see, that in times of crisis, like now, recreation and senior centers serve as emergency shelters, cooling centers, and sources of needed information, supplies and care. But they do so every day: providing elders with food and services, space for kids to practice sports, after-school safe havens, and a third space for families to experience the benefits of nature together" said Lluvia Arras, Ascot Hills Park Advisory Board member. "We applaud Council leaders for recognizing its time to invest in these essential services"
"We've seen park services erode throughout Los Angeles over the past decades, and families have suffered," said Mona Field, former Charter Reform Commissioner. "I appreciate the City Council for moving forward this much needed and important reform, and for the public for engaging in this process."
* * *
About Trust for Public Land
Trust for Public Land (TPL) is a national nonprofit that works to connect everyone to the benefits and joys of the outdoors. As a leader in equitable access to the outdoors, TPL works with communities to create parks and protect public land where they are needed most. Since 1972, TPL has protected more than 4 million acres of public land, created more than 5,504 parks, trails, schoolyards, and iconic outdoor places, raised $112 billion in public funding for parks and public lands, and connected nearly 10 million people to the outdoors. To learn more, visit tpl.org.
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Original text here: https://www.tpl.org/media-room/trust-for-public-land-and-a-broad-coalition-of-la-community-organizations-applaud-los-angeles-city-council-for-advancing-charter-amendment-to-restore-park-funding
[Category: Environment]
Statement: Ocean Conservancy Urges Congress to Pass Next Generation Shipping Act
WASHINGTON, July 2 -- The Ocean Conservancy issued the following statement on July 1, 2026:
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STATEMENT: Ocean Conservancy Urges Congress to Pass Next Generation Shipping Act
Last week, Representative Nanette Barragan (D-CA-44), Representative Troy Carter (D-LA-2) and Senator Chris Van Hollen (D-MD) introduced the Next Generation Shipping Act.
The legislation would authorize $1 billion in financing annually from 2026 to 2035 to support the research, development, demonstration and deployment of clean shipping technologies including zero-emission vessels, the retrofit of existing vessels ... Show Full Article WASHINGTON, July 2 -- The Ocean Conservancy issued the following statement on July 1, 2026: * * * STATEMENT: Ocean Conservancy Urges Congress to Pass Next Generation Shipping Act Last week, Representative Nanette Barragan (D-CA-44), Representative Troy Carter (D-LA-2) and Senator Chris Van Hollen (D-MD) introduced the Next Generation Shipping Act. The legislation would authorize $1 billion in financing annually from 2026 to 2035 to support the research, development, demonstration and deployment of clean shipping technologies including zero-emission vessels, the retrofit of existing vesselsand related infrastructure to support them.
Caroline Bonfield, Ocean Conservancy's senior U.S. policy manager for climate, issued the following statement in response:
"The global shipping industry is on the verge of a green shift, and the U.S. must act quickly to stay competitive. This bill will help ensure that our country's maritime industry has the resources to make the transition to clean shipping a reality, by retrofitting existing vessels and designing and building new zero-emission vessels and their supporting infrastructure.
"The environmental and health benefits of a cleaner shipping industry cannot be overstated: if shipping were a country, it would be the sixth-largest emitter of greenhouse gases, responsible for an estimated 1 billion metric tons of greenhouse gas emissions each year. Meanwhile, six million cases of childhood asthma around the world can be linked to shipping emissions annually. In the U.S. alone, 39 million people live within three miles of a port, where poor air quality from ships and port operations contribute to respiratory diseases and cardiovascular issues.
"We are grateful for Representative Barragan's, Representative Carter's and Senator Van Hollen's leadership in pursuit of the future of U.S. shipping--an industry that supports nearly 22 million American jobs--and look forward to working with their offices to bring the provisions in this bill to life."
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ABOUT OCEAN CONSERVANCY
For more than 50 years, Ocean Conservancy has delivered effective, evidence-based solutions for the ocean and all who depend on it. Today, we continue to unite science, people and policy to protect our ocean from the greatest challenges it faces: climate change, plastic pollution and biodiversity loss. We are a 501(C)3 headquartered in Washington, D.C. that inspires a worldwide network of partners, advocates and supporters through our comprehensive and clear-eyed approach to ocean conservation. Together, we are securing a healthy ocean and a thriving planet, forever and for everyone. For more information, visit oceanconservancy.org, or follow us on LinkedIn, Facebook, X (formerly Twitter), Bluesky or Instagram.
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Original text here: https://oceanconservancy.org/newsroom/press-release/2026/07/01/ocean-conservancy-urges-congress-to-pass-next-generation-shipping-act/
[Category: Environment]
* * *
STATEMENT: Ocean Conservancy Urges Congress to Pass Next Generation Shipping Act
Last week, Representative Nanette Barragan (D-CA-44), Representative Troy Carter (D-LA-2) and Senator Chris Van Hollen (D-MD) introduced the Next Generation Shipping Act.
The legislation would authorize $1 billion in financing annually from 2026 to 2035 to support the research, development, demonstration and deployment of clean shipping technologies including zero-emission vessels, the retrofit of existing vessels ... Show Full Article WASHINGTON, July 2 -- The Ocean Conservancy issued the following statement on July 1, 2026: * * * STATEMENT: Ocean Conservancy Urges Congress to Pass Next Generation Shipping Act Last week, Representative Nanette Barragan (D-CA-44), Representative Troy Carter (D-LA-2) and Senator Chris Van Hollen (D-MD) introduced the Next Generation Shipping Act. The legislation would authorize $1 billion in financing annually from 2026 to 2035 to support the research, development, demonstration and deployment of clean shipping technologies including zero-emission vessels, the retrofit of existing vesselsand related infrastructure to support them.
Caroline Bonfield, Ocean Conservancy's senior U.S. policy manager for climate, issued the following statement in response:
"The global shipping industry is on the verge of a green shift, and the U.S. must act quickly to stay competitive. This bill will help ensure that our country's maritime industry has the resources to make the transition to clean shipping a reality, by retrofitting existing vessels and designing and building new zero-emission vessels and their supporting infrastructure.
"The environmental and health benefits of a cleaner shipping industry cannot be overstated: if shipping were a country, it would be the sixth-largest emitter of greenhouse gases, responsible for an estimated 1 billion metric tons of greenhouse gas emissions each year. Meanwhile, six million cases of childhood asthma around the world can be linked to shipping emissions annually. In the U.S. alone, 39 million people live within three miles of a port, where poor air quality from ships and port operations contribute to respiratory diseases and cardiovascular issues.
"We are grateful for Representative Barragan's, Representative Carter's and Senator Van Hollen's leadership in pursuit of the future of U.S. shipping--an industry that supports nearly 22 million American jobs--and look forward to working with their offices to bring the provisions in this bill to life."
* * *
ABOUT OCEAN CONSERVANCY
For more than 50 years, Ocean Conservancy has delivered effective, evidence-based solutions for the ocean and all who depend on it. Today, we continue to unite science, people and policy to protect our ocean from the greatest challenges it faces: climate change, plastic pollution and biodiversity loss. We are a 501(C)3 headquartered in Washington, D.C. that inspires a worldwide network of partners, advocates and supporters through our comprehensive and clear-eyed approach to ocean conservation. Together, we are securing a healthy ocean and a thriving planet, forever and for everyone. For more information, visit oceanconservancy.org, or follow us on LinkedIn, Facebook, X (formerly Twitter), Bluesky or Instagram.
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Original text here: https://oceanconservancy.org/newsroom/press-release/2026/07/01/ocean-conservancy-urges-congress-to-pass-next-generation-shipping-act/
[Category: Environment]
Shawna Berger Hired as Director of Communications
LITTLE ROCK, Arkansas, July 2 -- Southwest Power Pool, a corporation mandated by the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission to ensure supplies of power, transmission infrastructure and wholesale electricity prices, issued the following news release:
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Shawna Berger hired as director of communications
Southwest Power Pool (SPP) is pleased to announce the hiring of Shawna Berger as director of communications, effective June 16.
"Effective communication is essential to how SPP builds trust, strengthens relationships, and advances our shared mission with members, regulators, stakeholders, and ... Show Full Article LITTLE ROCK, Arkansas, July 2 -- Southwest Power Pool, a corporation mandated by the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission to ensure supplies of power, transmission infrastructure and wholesale electricity prices, issued the following news release: * * * Shawna Berger hired as director of communications Southwest Power Pool (SPP) is pleased to announce the hiring of Shawna Berger as director of communications, effective June 16. "Effective communication is essential to how SPP builds trust, strengthens relationships, and advances our shared mission with members, regulators, stakeholders, andthe broader industry," said Kevin Bryant, SPP executive vice president, stakeholder affairs and chief strategy officer. "Shawna's leadership will strengthen how we connect our strategy, tell our story, and engage stakeholders across our organization and the region we serve."
In this position, Berger will lead the SPP communications team, its communications strategy and build relationships throughout the organization and with stakeholders. Continuing to build on the team's work, she brings a fresh perspective and deep industry experience at a time when the broader energy landscape is rapidly changing.
"Compelling communications starts with listening, building strong relationships and bringing people together around a shared purpose," Berger said. "I look forward to partnering with employees, members and stakeholders across the organization to tell SPP's story, strengthen engagement and support the work that helps keep the lights on for millions of people across SPP's footprint."
Berger joins SPP after more than nine years at Duke Energy in Charlotte, N.C., most recently as manager of enterprise communications and employee engagement, where she led strategic communications support for executives and oversaw internal communications. In prior roles at Duke Energy, she led communications for sustainability, the company's foundation, external affairs/federal policy, and nuclear generation. Earlier in her career, Berger held communications leadership roles at Walmart and ConocoPhillips.
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Original text here: https://www.spp.org/news-list/shawna-berger-hired-as-director-of-communications/
[Category: Energy]
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Shawna Berger hired as director of communications
Southwest Power Pool (SPP) is pleased to announce the hiring of Shawna Berger as director of communications, effective June 16.
"Effective communication is essential to how SPP builds trust, strengthens relationships, and advances our shared mission with members, regulators, stakeholders, and ... Show Full Article LITTLE ROCK, Arkansas, July 2 -- Southwest Power Pool, a corporation mandated by the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission to ensure supplies of power, transmission infrastructure and wholesale electricity prices, issued the following news release: * * * Shawna Berger hired as director of communications Southwest Power Pool (SPP) is pleased to announce the hiring of Shawna Berger as director of communications, effective June 16. "Effective communication is essential to how SPP builds trust, strengthens relationships, and advances our shared mission with members, regulators, stakeholders, andthe broader industry," said Kevin Bryant, SPP executive vice president, stakeholder affairs and chief strategy officer. "Shawna's leadership will strengthen how we connect our strategy, tell our story, and engage stakeholders across our organization and the region we serve."
In this position, Berger will lead the SPP communications team, its communications strategy and build relationships throughout the organization and with stakeholders. Continuing to build on the team's work, she brings a fresh perspective and deep industry experience at a time when the broader energy landscape is rapidly changing.
"Compelling communications starts with listening, building strong relationships and bringing people together around a shared purpose," Berger said. "I look forward to partnering with employees, members and stakeholders across the organization to tell SPP's story, strengthen engagement and support the work that helps keep the lights on for millions of people across SPP's footprint."
Berger joins SPP after more than nine years at Duke Energy in Charlotte, N.C., most recently as manager of enterprise communications and employee engagement, where she led strategic communications support for executives and oversaw internal communications. In prior roles at Duke Energy, she led communications for sustainability, the company's foundation, external affairs/federal policy, and nuclear generation. Earlier in her career, Berger held communications leadership roles at Walmart and ConocoPhillips.
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Original text here: https://www.spp.org/news-list/shawna-berger-hired-as-director-of-communications/
[Category: Energy]
Scoop, There It Is! Frederick Ice Cream Shops Featured on PETA's 'Nice Cream Trail'
NORFOLK, Virginia, July 2 -- People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals issued the following news release:
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Scoop, There It Is! Frederick Ice Cream Shops Featured on PETA's 'Nice Cream Trail'
Frederick, Md. - In a compassionate spin on Maryland's Best Ice Cream Trail, PETA is launching its "Nice Cream Trail," highlighting 10 shops across the state serving up delicious vegan ice cream, and two of the shops--Swirls of Frederick and North Market Pop Shop--are located in Frederick. And to make it even sweeter, the first Maryland resident to complete the trail by visiting all 10 participating ... Show Full Article NORFOLK, Virginia, July 2 -- People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals issued the following news release: * * * Scoop, There It Is! Frederick Ice Cream Shops Featured on PETA's 'Nice Cream Trail' Frederick, Md. - In a compassionate spin on Maryland's Best Ice Cream Trail, PETA is launching its "Nice Cream Trail," highlighting 10 shops across the state serving up delicious vegan ice cream, and two of the shops--Swirls of Frederick and North Market Pop Shop--are located in Frederick. And to make it even sweeter, the first Maryland resident to complete the trail by visiting all 10 participatingshops through August will win the cherry on top: a vegan ice cream party with PETA's famous "iScream" truck for themselves and up to 50 guests.
* The extensive vegan offerings at Swirls of Frederick--located at 1305 W. 7th St.--include three rotating dipping cabinet flavors like creamy vanilla, tropical toasted coconut, and sweet strawberry; decadent vegan sundaes piled high with Biscoff cookies, Oreos, strawberry crumble, or Nutter Butter; thick, frosty vegan milkshakes and floats; and rich oat milk affogatos. Swirls of Frederick is open Tuesday through Sunday from 12 p.m. to 9 p.m.
* Located at 241 N. Market St. in downtown, North Market Pop Shop boasts an array of creamy, oat milk-based vegan flavors, including chocolate chocolate chip, strawberry, peanut butter vanilla Oreo, coffee, and mint chip, and an array of vegan toppings like whipped cream and Bac'n Bits. North Market Pop Shop is open Monday through Thursday from 12 p.m. to 8 p.m., Friday from 11 a.m. to 10 p.m., Saturday from 10 a.m. to 10 p.m., and Sunday from 11 a.m. to 8 p.m.
"Maryland is home to a plethora of parlors serving up delicious dairy-free desserts that are as kind to cows as they are to taste buds," says PETA Founder Ingrid Newkirk. "PETA's 'Nice Cream Trail' gives ice cream lovers the scoop on where to beat the heat with vegan sweets, and we encourage everyone to support these forward-thinking local businesses."
PETA's vegan "iScream" truck has crisscrossed the country, satisfying sweet tooths far and wide by giving away thousands of decadent dairy-free delights, all while bringing attention to the cruel separation of mother cows from their beloved calves in the dairy industry. PETA notes that with an abundance of dairy-free ice creams available today--including decadent vegan flavors from Oatly, Breyer's, Ben & Jerry's, and more--it's never been easier to opt for delicious desserts that let calves stay with their mothers. PETA's free vegan starter kit can help anyone looking to make the switch.
Other stops on the trail include The Charmery (Baltimore and Columbia), Moo Moo Cows (Baltimore), Pitango Gelato (Baltimore), Coffee Talk Cafe (Towson), The Crazy Mason (Ellicott City), Mimi's Handmade Ice Cream (Rockville), La Gelatteria (Kensington), and Sarah's Handmade Ice Cream & Treats (Bethesda, Rockville, and Chevy Chase). Participating shops will display a window sign and distribute trail maps showing all the sweet stops.
To enter to win an iScream truck party, Maryland residents must visit all 10 Nice Cream Trail shops through August 18, submit photos of their receipts and a brief review of the ice cream they sampled (at least 50 words), and send their submissions to SPD@peta.org. The first eligible entrant to send PETA a winning submission will be selected.
* * *
PETA--whose motto reads, in part, that "animals are not ours to eat"--points out that Every Animal Is Someone and offers free Empathy Kits for people who need a lesson in kindness. For more information, please visit PETA.org or follow PETA on X, Facebook, or Instagram.
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Original text here: https://www.peta.org/media/news-releases/scoop-there-it-is-frederick-ice-cream-shops-featured-on-petas-nice-cream-trail/
[Category: Animals]
* * *
Scoop, There It Is! Frederick Ice Cream Shops Featured on PETA's 'Nice Cream Trail'
Frederick, Md. - In a compassionate spin on Maryland's Best Ice Cream Trail, PETA is launching its "Nice Cream Trail," highlighting 10 shops across the state serving up delicious vegan ice cream, and two of the shops--Swirls of Frederick and North Market Pop Shop--are located in Frederick. And to make it even sweeter, the first Maryland resident to complete the trail by visiting all 10 participating ... Show Full Article NORFOLK, Virginia, July 2 -- People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals issued the following news release: * * * Scoop, There It Is! Frederick Ice Cream Shops Featured on PETA's 'Nice Cream Trail' Frederick, Md. - In a compassionate spin on Maryland's Best Ice Cream Trail, PETA is launching its "Nice Cream Trail," highlighting 10 shops across the state serving up delicious vegan ice cream, and two of the shops--Swirls of Frederick and North Market Pop Shop--are located in Frederick. And to make it even sweeter, the first Maryland resident to complete the trail by visiting all 10 participatingshops through August will win the cherry on top: a vegan ice cream party with PETA's famous "iScream" truck for themselves and up to 50 guests.
* The extensive vegan offerings at Swirls of Frederick--located at 1305 W. 7th St.--include three rotating dipping cabinet flavors like creamy vanilla, tropical toasted coconut, and sweet strawberry; decadent vegan sundaes piled high with Biscoff cookies, Oreos, strawberry crumble, or Nutter Butter; thick, frosty vegan milkshakes and floats; and rich oat milk affogatos. Swirls of Frederick is open Tuesday through Sunday from 12 p.m. to 9 p.m.
* Located at 241 N. Market St. in downtown, North Market Pop Shop boasts an array of creamy, oat milk-based vegan flavors, including chocolate chocolate chip, strawberry, peanut butter vanilla Oreo, coffee, and mint chip, and an array of vegan toppings like whipped cream and Bac'n Bits. North Market Pop Shop is open Monday through Thursday from 12 p.m. to 8 p.m., Friday from 11 a.m. to 10 p.m., Saturday from 10 a.m. to 10 p.m., and Sunday from 11 a.m. to 8 p.m.
"Maryland is home to a plethora of parlors serving up delicious dairy-free desserts that are as kind to cows as they are to taste buds," says PETA Founder Ingrid Newkirk. "PETA's 'Nice Cream Trail' gives ice cream lovers the scoop on where to beat the heat with vegan sweets, and we encourage everyone to support these forward-thinking local businesses."
PETA's vegan "iScream" truck has crisscrossed the country, satisfying sweet tooths far and wide by giving away thousands of decadent dairy-free delights, all while bringing attention to the cruel separation of mother cows from their beloved calves in the dairy industry. PETA notes that with an abundance of dairy-free ice creams available today--including decadent vegan flavors from Oatly, Breyer's, Ben & Jerry's, and more--it's never been easier to opt for delicious desserts that let calves stay with their mothers. PETA's free vegan starter kit can help anyone looking to make the switch.
Other stops on the trail include The Charmery (Baltimore and Columbia), Moo Moo Cows (Baltimore), Pitango Gelato (Baltimore), Coffee Talk Cafe (Towson), The Crazy Mason (Ellicott City), Mimi's Handmade Ice Cream (Rockville), La Gelatteria (Kensington), and Sarah's Handmade Ice Cream & Treats (Bethesda, Rockville, and Chevy Chase). Participating shops will display a window sign and distribute trail maps showing all the sweet stops.
To enter to win an iScream truck party, Maryland residents must visit all 10 Nice Cream Trail shops through August 18, submit photos of their receipts and a brief review of the ice cream they sampled (at least 50 words), and send their submissions to SPD@peta.org. The first eligible entrant to send PETA a winning submission will be selected.
* * *
PETA--whose motto reads, in part, that "animals are not ours to eat"--points out that Every Animal Is Someone and offers free Empathy Kits for people who need a lesson in kindness. For more information, please visit PETA.org or follow PETA on X, Facebook, or Instagram.
* * *
Original text here: https://www.peta.org/media/news-releases/scoop-there-it-is-frederick-ice-cream-shops-featured-on-petas-nice-cream-trail/
[Category: Animals]
Public Citizen Issues Letter to Members of Congress
WASHINGTON, July 2 (TNSletter) -- Public Citizen issued the following letter to members of the Congress:
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Here is the text of the letter:
June 25, 2026
Senate Should Not Slash Funding for OSHA
Dear Members of Congress:
Public Citizen, a national nonprofit consumer and worker advocacy organization with more than one million members and supporters, writes to urge the Senate Appropriations Committee and the Subcommittee on Labor, Health and Human Services, Education and Related Agencies to reject the Administration's proposed cuts to the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) ... Show Full Article WASHINGTON, July 2 (TNSletter) -- Public Citizen issued the following letter to members of the Congress: * * * Here is the text of the letter: June 25, 2026 Senate Should Not Slash Funding for OSHA Dear Members of Congress: Public Citizen, a national nonprofit consumer and worker advocacy organization with more than one million members and supporters, writes to urge the Senate Appropriations Committee and the Subcommittee on Labor, Health and Human Services, Education and Related Agencies to reject the Administration's proposed cuts to the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA)for Fiscal Year 2027. We write to call on the Senate to maintain OSHA funding at no less than the FY2026 enacted level of $629.3 million. Anything less would compromise the agency's ability to fulfill the Department of Labor's mission to foster, promote, and develop the welfare of wage earners; improve working conditions; and assure work-related benefits and rights.
The FY2027 budget request proposes a 24.8% reduction in the Department of Labor's discretionary budget authority, decreasing funding from $13.7 billion to $10.3 billion. This funding reduction constitutes an act of austerity incompatible with the Department's statutory mission. Within that request, OSHA's budget would be reduced by $46.9 million (7.5%), from $629.3 million to $582.4 million. The House-passed bill proposes an even lower amount of $576.9 million. These reductions affect the frontline infrastructure that safeguards American workers, and evidence clearly shows that such cuts will endanger lives.
The workers OSHA protects are the constituents of every member of this Subcommittee. They are miners in West Virginia and Kentucky, construction workers in Texas and Ohio, farm workers in Florida and California, and poultry and warehouse workers across the rural South.
Their safety is not a partisan issue, and the decision before this Committee and Subcommittee should not be treated as one.
For more than a decade, OSHA has operated with nearly flat funding, despite a substantial increase in its mandate and responsibilities.
The Administration has described the budget request as a shift toward prioritizing compliance assistance. In practice, this approach reduces the enforcement of the law and relies on employers to comply voluntarily. However, decades of peer-reviewed research demonstrate that voluntary compliance, without the credible threat of inspection and penalty, does not reduce workplace injuries or deaths. The evidence provided in this letter confirms that enforcement is effective, and reductions in enforcement result in preventable loss of life.
These cuts arrive at a moment when American workers are dying at rates that demand greater federal investment, not less. In 2024, 5,070 workers were killed on the job, one death every 104 minutes. An estimated 135,000 additional workers die each year from occupational injury, placing the true annual toll at approximately 140,000 lives, more than 380 workers every single day. American private-industry employers reported 2.5 million nonfatal injury and illness cases in that same year.
The enforcement infrastructure meant to prevent these deaths is already dangerously thin. OSHA currently has one compliance officer for approximately every 93,877 workers. At current inspection rates, federal OSHA would take 191 years to inspect every covered workplace once, compared to 84 years in 1991. The FY2027 budget projects only 22,040 inspections, 27% below the FY2025 level and among the lowest annual totals in OSHA's 55-year history. These figures reflect the state of worker safety today, before any cuts take effect. The proposed cuts would make each of them materially worse.
The case for maintaining OSHA enforcement funding is grounded in evidence. A substantial body of rigorous, peer-reviewed research demonstrates a clear causal relationship between OSHA inspection activity and reduced workplace harm.
A landmark study published in the National Library of Medicine found that random OSHA inspections reduce injury rates by 9.4% and injury costs by 26% at inspected facilities, with no detectable negative effect on employment, sales, or firm survival. A follow-up study published in the American Economic Journal: Applied Economics found that each random OSHA inspection prevents an average of 9% fewer serious injuries over five years, generating an estimated $125,000 in social benefit, approximately 35 times the cost of the inspection itself. A separate analysis published in the American Economic Journal: Economic Policy found that first-time pre-scheduled OSHA inspections reduced plant fatality rates by 52-57%. A 2026 study published in the Journal of Occupational Medicine and Toxicology, which reviewed decades of research, demonstrated that workplaces subject to inspection are measurably safer than those that are not. This evidence underscores the critical role of oversight in protecting workers' health and safety.
The evidence is clear and compelling. Reducing enforcement funding by 13.5% does not result in cost savings. Instead, it increases workers' compensation claims, lost productivity, and litigation costs. Most importantly, it places the greatest burden on workers and their families, who face preventable injury and death as a result. Three specific program cuts within the FY2027 request illustrate how that harm would unfold.
1. The FY2027 request cuts OSHA's Federal Enforcement appropriation from $243 million to $210.1 million, a $32.9 million (13.5%) reduction that directly limits the number of inspections, investigations, and penalty actions the agency can conduct. With only 618 federal inspectors already covering a workforce of 155 million, this cut further narrows the deterrence effect that peer-reviewed research has identified as the primary mechanism by which OSHA saves lives.
2. The FY2027 request cuts OSHA's Safety & Health Standards line from $18.5 million to $15.7 million and funds only 44 staff within OSHA's Directorate of Standards and Guidance, down from 96 staff budgeted for this function in FY2012. This represents a 54% reduction in rulemaking capacity over 14 years. The immediate and most consequential casualty of this cut is the Heat Injury and Illness Prevention Standard. The proposed rule, supported by more than 43,000 public comments, would protect approximately 36 million workers from heat-related illness and death. Heat kills and injures thousands of workers each year. BLS data documented 48 heat-related worker deaths in 2024 and 3,890 heat injuries serious enough to cause workers to miss time on the job between 2011 and 2020. Public Citizen has reported that a comprehensive heat standard could prevent at least 50,000 injuries and illnesses annually. The 44 Directorate of Standards and Guidance staff cannot meaningfully analyze 43,000 public comments, complete the required economic and technical analyses, respond to litigation-ready objections from industry, and produce a legally defensible final rule, while simultaneously managing every other active rulemaking on OSHA's agenda. Eliminating funding for the Directorate of Standards and Guidance severely undermines OSHA's capacity to establish and implement critical protections for workers exposed to significant hazards, beginning with the heat standard, and extending to other essential safeguards. It is imperative that the Senate acts to restore this vital function.
3. Finally, the FY2027 request eliminates the Susan Harwood Training Grant Program in its entirety, removing $12.8 million in funding for competitive grants to nonprofits, community organizations, unions, and educational institutions for hazard-recognition training and worker-rights education targeted at workers in high-hazard industries. Since 1978, the Harwood program has trained approximately 2.1 million workers across 24 languages, with an explicit focus on small-business employees, low-income workers, immigrants, young workers (ages 16-24), and others who lack access to safety training. These are precisely the workers most likely to be killed or injured, and least likely to have the organizational infrastructure to assert their rights without external support. Congress has repeatedly rejected proposed eliminations of the Harwood program. We urge the Senate to do so again.
The Administration proposed near-identical cuts to OSHA in its FY2026 budget request. Congress rejected them. In FY2026, the Senate Appropriations Committee voted favorably to restore OSHA's funding. The final consolidated appropriations act funded OSHA at $629.3 million, only 0.5% below the FY2025 enacted level. This bipartisan decision reflected an evidence-based judgment that OSHA's enforcement, standards-setting, and training capacity are essential infrastructure for a functioning worker-safety system. That judgment was sound and should be reaffirmed in FY2027.
The Senate appropriations process is currently the most consequential safeguard against the Administration's proposed dismantling of the federal worker-safety system. The House bill goes further than the Administration's request, cutting OSHA to $576.9 million and eliminating the Susan Harwood grants outright. The Senate Appropriations Committee has both the authority and the demonstrated bipartisanship to reverse that trajectory.
Public Citizen urges the Senate to take the following actions in the FY2027 Labor, Health and Human Services, Education, and Related Agencies Appropriations Act:
1. Fund OSHA at no less than the FY2026 enacted level of $629.3 million, preserving the baseline capacity Congress established as appropriate last year.
2. Restore OSHA Federal Enforcement to no less than $243 million, consistent with the FY2025 and FY2026 enacted levels, to sustain inspection rates sufficient to deter noncompliance and protect workers in high-hazard industries.
3. Fund OSHA Safety & Health Standards at no less than the FY2026 enacted levels of $18.5 million, sufficient to support a meaningful rulemaking staff capable of completing the Heat Injury and Illness Prevention Standard rulemaking and other active proceedings.
4. Restore and fully fund the Susan Harwood Training Grant Program at $12.8 million, consistent with all prior enacted appropriations and Congress's recognition that this program is vital for the nation's most vulnerable workers; and Include report language directing OSHA to maintain dedicated staffing and resources for the Heat Injury and Illness Prevention Standard rulemaking throughout FY2027, to ensure the agency does not deprioritize or delay this critical rule that will protect 36 million workers.
5. American workers cannot protect themselves from hazards they cannot see, control, or refuse without legal consequence. The federal worker-safety system exists because the labor market, without government oversight, has never adequately priced the risk of death or serious injury at work. The proposed budget cuts OSHA to funding levels that cannot fulfill the statutory mandate Congress gave it more than 50 years ago.
We are grateful for the Committee's continued leadership on worker health and safety, and we remain available to provide additional information, data, or testimony in support of the appropriations process.
Sincerely,
Aishah Johnson, MPH, Workers' Health and Safety Advocate, Public Citizen
* * *
Original text and footnotes here: https://www.citizen.org/article/senate-should-not-slash-funding-for-osha/
News Release here: https://www.citizen.org/news/osha-funding-cuts-would-endanger-workers/
[Category: Political]
* * *
Here is the text of the letter:
June 25, 2026
Senate Should Not Slash Funding for OSHA
Dear Members of Congress:
Public Citizen, a national nonprofit consumer and worker advocacy organization with more than one million members and supporters, writes to urge the Senate Appropriations Committee and the Subcommittee on Labor, Health and Human Services, Education and Related Agencies to reject the Administration's proposed cuts to the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) ... Show Full Article WASHINGTON, July 2 (TNSletter) -- Public Citizen issued the following letter to members of the Congress: * * * Here is the text of the letter: June 25, 2026 Senate Should Not Slash Funding for OSHA Dear Members of Congress: Public Citizen, a national nonprofit consumer and worker advocacy organization with more than one million members and supporters, writes to urge the Senate Appropriations Committee and the Subcommittee on Labor, Health and Human Services, Education and Related Agencies to reject the Administration's proposed cuts to the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA)for Fiscal Year 2027. We write to call on the Senate to maintain OSHA funding at no less than the FY2026 enacted level of $629.3 million. Anything less would compromise the agency's ability to fulfill the Department of Labor's mission to foster, promote, and develop the welfare of wage earners; improve working conditions; and assure work-related benefits and rights.
The FY2027 budget request proposes a 24.8% reduction in the Department of Labor's discretionary budget authority, decreasing funding from $13.7 billion to $10.3 billion. This funding reduction constitutes an act of austerity incompatible with the Department's statutory mission. Within that request, OSHA's budget would be reduced by $46.9 million (7.5%), from $629.3 million to $582.4 million. The House-passed bill proposes an even lower amount of $576.9 million. These reductions affect the frontline infrastructure that safeguards American workers, and evidence clearly shows that such cuts will endanger lives.
The workers OSHA protects are the constituents of every member of this Subcommittee. They are miners in West Virginia and Kentucky, construction workers in Texas and Ohio, farm workers in Florida and California, and poultry and warehouse workers across the rural South.
Their safety is not a partisan issue, and the decision before this Committee and Subcommittee should not be treated as one.
For more than a decade, OSHA has operated with nearly flat funding, despite a substantial increase in its mandate and responsibilities.
The Administration has described the budget request as a shift toward prioritizing compliance assistance. In practice, this approach reduces the enforcement of the law and relies on employers to comply voluntarily. However, decades of peer-reviewed research demonstrate that voluntary compliance, without the credible threat of inspection and penalty, does not reduce workplace injuries or deaths. The evidence provided in this letter confirms that enforcement is effective, and reductions in enforcement result in preventable loss of life.
These cuts arrive at a moment when American workers are dying at rates that demand greater federal investment, not less. In 2024, 5,070 workers were killed on the job, one death every 104 minutes. An estimated 135,000 additional workers die each year from occupational injury, placing the true annual toll at approximately 140,000 lives, more than 380 workers every single day. American private-industry employers reported 2.5 million nonfatal injury and illness cases in that same year.
The enforcement infrastructure meant to prevent these deaths is already dangerously thin. OSHA currently has one compliance officer for approximately every 93,877 workers. At current inspection rates, federal OSHA would take 191 years to inspect every covered workplace once, compared to 84 years in 1991. The FY2027 budget projects only 22,040 inspections, 27% below the FY2025 level and among the lowest annual totals in OSHA's 55-year history. These figures reflect the state of worker safety today, before any cuts take effect. The proposed cuts would make each of them materially worse.
The case for maintaining OSHA enforcement funding is grounded in evidence. A substantial body of rigorous, peer-reviewed research demonstrates a clear causal relationship between OSHA inspection activity and reduced workplace harm.
A landmark study published in the National Library of Medicine found that random OSHA inspections reduce injury rates by 9.4% and injury costs by 26% at inspected facilities, with no detectable negative effect on employment, sales, or firm survival. A follow-up study published in the American Economic Journal: Applied Economics found that each random OSHA inspection prevents an average of 9% fewer serious injuries over five years, generating an estimated $125,000 in social benefit, approximately 35 times the cost of the inspection itself. A separate analysis published in the American Economic Journal: Economic Policy found that first-time pre-scheduled OSHA inspections reduced plant fatality rates by 52-57%. A 2026 study published in the Journal of Occupational Medicine and Toxicology, which reviewed decades of research, demonstrated that workplaces subject to inspection are measurably safer than those that are not. This evidence underscores the critical role of oversight in protecting workers' health and safety.
The evidence is clear and compelling. Reducing enforcement funding by 13.5% does not result in cost savings. Instead, it increases workers' compensation claims, lost productivity, and litigation costs. Most importantly, it places the greatest burden on workers and their families, who face preventable injury and death as a result. Three specific program cuts within the FY2027 request illustrate how that harm would unfold.
1. The FY2027 request cuts OSHA's Federal Enforcement appropriation from $243 million to $210.1 million, a $32.9 million (13.5%) reduction that directly limits the number of inspections, investigations, and penalty actions the agency can conduct. With only 618 federal inspectors already covering a workforce of 155 million, this cut further narrows the deterrence effect that peer-reviewed research has identified as the primary mechanism by which OSHA saves lives.
2. The FY2027 request cuts OSHA's Safety & Health Standards line from $18.5 million to $15.7 million and funds only 44 staff within OSHA's Directorate of Standards and Guidance, down from 96 staff budgeted for this function in FY2012. This represents a 54% reduction in rulemaking capacity over 14 years. The immediate and most consequential casualty of this cut is the Heat Injury and Illness Prevention Standard. The proposed rule, supported by more than 43,000 public comments, would protect approximately 36 million workers from heat-related illness and death. Heat kills and injures thousands of workers each year. BLS data documented 48 heat-related worker deaths in 2024 and 3,890 heat injuries serious enough to cause workers to miss time on the job between 2011 and 2020. Public Citizen has reported that a comprehensive heat standard could prevent at least 50,000 injuries and illnesses annually. The 44 Directorate of Standards and Guidance staff cannot meaningfully analyze 43,000 public comments, complete the required economic and technical analyses, respond to litigation-ready objections from industry, and produce a legally defensible final rule, while simultaneously managing every other active rulemaking on OSHA's agenda. Eliminating funding for the Directorate of Standards and Guidance severely undermines OSHA's capacity to establish and implement critical protections for workers exposed to significant hazards, beginning with the heat standard, and extending to other essential safeguards. It is imperative that the Senate acts to restore this vital function.
3. Finally, the FY2027 request eliminates the Susan Harwood Training Grant Program in its entirety, removing $12.8 million in funding for competitive grants to nonprofits, community organizations, unions, and educational institutions for hazard-recognition training and worker-rights education targeted at workers in high-hazard industries. Since 1978, the Harwood program has trained approximately 2.1 million workers across 24 languages, with an explicit focus on small-business employees, low-income workers, immigrants, young workers (ages 16-24), and others who lack access to safety training. These are precisely the workers most likely to be killed or injured, and least likely to have the organizational infrastructure to assert their rights without external support. Congress has repeatedly rejected proposed eliminations of the Harwood program. We urge the Senate to do so again.
The Administration proposed near-identical cuts to OSHA in its FY2026 budget request. Congress rejected them. In FY2026, the Senate Appropriations Committee voted favorably to restore OSHA's funding. The final consolidated appropriations act funded OSHA at $629.3 million, only 0.5% below the FY2025 enacted level. This bipartisan decision reflected an evidence-based judgment that OSHA's enforcement, standards-setting, and training capacity are essential infrastructure for a functioning worker-safety system. That judgment was sound and should be reaffirmed in FY2027.
The Senate appropriations process is currently the most consequential safeguard against the Administration's proposed dismantling of the federal worker-safety system. The House bill goes further than the Administration's request, cutting OSHA to $576.9 million and eliminating the Susan Harwood grants outright. The Senate Appropriations Committee has both the authority and the demonstrated bipartisanship to reverse that trajectory.
Public Citizen urges the Senate to take the following actions in the FY2027 Labor, Health and Human Services, Education, and Related Agencies Appropriations Act:
1. Fund OSHA at no less than the FY2026 enacted level of $629.3 million, preserving the baseline capacity Congress established as appropriate last year.
2. Restore OSHA Federal Enforcement to no less than $243 million, consistent with the FY2025 and FY2026 enacted levels, to sustain inspection rates sufficient to deter noncompliance and protect workers in high-hazard industries.
3. Fund OSHA Safety & Health Standards at no less than the FY2026 enacted levels of $18.5 million, sufficient to support a meaningful rulemaking staff capable of completing the Heat Injury and Illness Prevention Standard rulemaking and other active proceedings.
4. Restore and fully fund the Susan Harwood Training Grant Program at $12.8 million, consistent with all prior enacted appropriations and Congress's recognition that this program is vital for the nation's most vulnerable workers; and Include report language directing OSHA to maintain dedicated staffing and resources for the Heat Injury and Illness Prevention Standard rulemaking throughout FY2027, to ensure the agency does not deprioritize or delay this critical rule that will protect 36 million workers.
5. American workers cannot protect themselves from hazards they cannot see, control, or refuse without legal consequence. The federal worker-safety system exists because the labor market, without government oversight, has never adequately priced the risk of death or serious injury at work. The proposed budget cuts OSHA to funding levels that cannot fulfill the statutory mandate Congress gave it more than 50 years ago.
We are grateful for the Committee's continued leadership on worker health and safety, and we remain available to provide additional information, data, or testimony in support of the appropriations process.
Sincerely,
Aishah Johnson, MPH, Workers' Health and Safety Advocate, Public Citizen
* * *
Original text and footnotes here: https://www.citizen.org/article/senate-should-not-slash-funding-for-osha/
News Release here: https://www.citizen.org/news/osha-funding-cuts-would-endanger-workers/
[Category: Political]
CIRES Welcomes Eric Anderson as Associate Director for Science
BOULDER, Colorado, July 2 -- The Cooperative Institute for Research in Environmental Sciences issued the following news:
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CIRES welcomes Eric Anderson as associate director for science
Anderson brings expertise in surface water and atmosphere interactions and a career spanning NOAA labs, cooperative institutes, and academia
-
For more than two decades, Eric Anderson has studied where large bodies of water meet the atmosphere -- and where federal science meets academic research. Now, he brings both areas of expertise to CIRES as the institute's new associate director for science.
Anderson ... Show Full Article BOULDER, Colorado, July 2 -- The Cooperative Institute for Research in Environmental Sciences issued the following news: * * * CIRES welcomes Eric Anderson as associate director for science Anderson brings expertise in surface water and atmosphere interactions and a career spanning NOAA labs, cooperative institutes, and academia - For more than two decades, Eric Anderson has studied where large bodies of water meet the atmosphere -- and where federal science meets academic research. Now, he brings both areas of expertise to CIRES as the institute's new associate director for science. Andersonsees his new role as fundamentally one of service to the institute and the people in it.
"I see this role as service to the science and scientists -- not just in my own research area, but across the full breadth of what CIRES does. That means listening first, understanding where the strengths and opportunities are, and then working together to build a community where there's room to grow and implement new ideas. I bring a vision, but the best version of that vision comes from the people at CIRES," Anderson said.
Anderson's path to CIRES began at Case Western Reserve University in Cleveland, where he earned both his bachelor's and doctoral degrees in mechanical engineering. After graduating, he made a deliberate pivot toward the environmental sciences, becoming a postdoctoral fellow at NOAA's Great Lakes Environmental Research Laboratory (GLERL) in Ann Arbor. That postdoc, funded through the National Academy of Sciences, launched a career focused on the Great Lakes and beyond.
Following his postdoc, Anderson joined the Cooperative Institute for Great Lakes Research (CIGLR) at the University of Michigan where he worked as a research scientist before becoming a federal employee at NOAA GLERL. Over those years, he worked on both the university and federal sides without ever changing desks, giving him a rare, end-to-end view of how science flows from fundamental research to public-facing products. That firsthand experience at the academic-government interface is precisely what drew him to CIRES.
His research centers on surface water, specifically lakes, rivers, and coastal ocean, and how these large water bodies interact with the atmosphere. The Great Lakes are massive enough to shape regional weather, driving the intense lake-effect snowstorms familiar to anyone in the Midwest, as well as more unusual phenomena like meteotsunamis. Anderson has worked to build forecast systems predicting currents, water temperatures, waves, and ice, while also advancing the fundamental science that makes those forecasts possible.
That work brought him into contact with CIRES more than a decade ago. Anderson collaborated with CIRES and NOAA's Global Systems Laboratory (GSL) on early versions of what would become the High-Resolution Rapid Refresh (HRRR), a short-range weather forecast model, working to improve how it represented lake and surface water dynamics. That project eventually bore fruit: the HRRR is now coupled with Great Lakes models, meaning atmosphere and surface water models are, as Anderson put it, talking to each other. Watching that arc unfold from early research conversations in Boulder to a fully operational model is one of the experiences that drew him to this new role.
That commitment to fundamental science, even when the payoff isn't obvious, is something Anderson feels strongly about. He recalls a scientist at GLERL who had been counting a particular water bug since the lab opened in the 1970s -- work that was difficult to justify for decades until the bug's sudden collapse turned out to be an early warning of an impending fishery collapse.
"That's always stuck with me," Anderson said. "You're learning something, and the picture might not be clear at first, but eventually it could be a huge contributor."
Most recently at the Colorado School of Mines, Anderson continued his surface water-atmosphere research while mentoring the next generation of scientists he hopes will fill federal roles at agencies like NOAA and NASA. He speaks enthusiastically about watching students take a kernel of an idea, like satellite remote sensing, and run with it into territory he doesn't yet know himself. "Teaching is a great way to learn," he said. "It's learning from all directions."
"Eric has navigated federal science, cooperative institutes, and academic leadership -- and done each of them well," said CIRES Director Waleed Abdalati. "That breadth, combined with his passion for fostering the next generation of scientists, makes him exactly the kind of leader CIRES needs in this role."
Anderson looks forward to engaging with scientists and staff on both the CU Boulder and NOAA sides of CIRES, listening to understand where strengths lie, where barriers exist, and where new collaborations might take root. He is excited about opportunities at the frontier of observations and modeling -- including the growing role of artificial intelligence in guiding scientific inquiry -- and about CIRES' potential to communicate complex climate science to the public in ways that build trust and show impact.
"Some of the most rewarding parts of my career have been when I could see how somebody used the thing I made and it hopefully made their life better," Anderson said.
Anderson has lived in Colorado for five years, relocating from Michigan with his wife and daughter. Outside of work, he's a long-distance runner who is still making his peace with Colorado's trails after years as a road runner in the Midwest. He plays the banjo and is hoping to pick it up more often -- and is on the lookout for fellow musicians at CIRES. He and his daughter share a fondness for a good cheesy movie. He looks forward to getting to know the broader CIRES and CU Boulder community.
* * *
Original text here: https://cires.colorado.edu/news/cires-welcomes-eric-anderson-associate-director-science
[Category: Environment]
* * *
CIRES welcomes Eric Anderson as associate director for science
Anderson brings expertise in surface water and atmosphere interactions and a career spanning NOAA labs, cooperative institutes, and academia
-
For more than two decades, Eric Anderson has studied where large bodies of water meet the atmosphere -- and where federal science meets academic research. Now, he brings both areas of expertise to CIRES as the institute's new associate director for science.
Anderson ... Show Full Article BOULDER, Colorado, July 2 -- The Cooperative Institute for Research in Environmental Sciences issued the following news: * * * CIRES welcomes Eric Anderson as associate director for science Anderson brings expertise in surface water and atmosphere interactions and a career spanning NOAA labs, cooperative institutes, and academia - For more than two decades, Eric Anderson has studied where large bodies of water meet the atmosphere -- and where federal science meets academic research. Now, he brings both areas of expertise to CIRES as the institute's new associate director for science. Andersonsees his new role as fundamentally one of service to the institute and the people in it.
"I see this role as service to the science and scientists -- not just in my own research area, but across the full breadth of what CIRES does. That means listening first, understanding where the strengths and opportunities are, and then working together to build a community where there's room to grow and implement new ideas. I bring a vision, but the best version of that vision comes from the people at CIRES," Anderson said.
Anderson's path to CIRES began at Case Western Reserve University in Cleveland, where he earned both his bachelor's and doctoral degrees in mechanical engineering. After graduating, he made a deliberate pivot toward the environmental sciences, becoming a postdoctoral fellow at NOAA's Great Lakes Environmental Research Laboratory (GLERL) in Ann Arbor. That postdoc, funded through the National Academy of Sciences, launched a career focused on the Great Lakes and beyond.
Following his postdoc, Anderson joined the Cooperative Institute for Great Lakes Research (CIGLR) at the University of Michigan where he worked as a research scientist before becoming a federal employee at NOAA GLERL. Over those years, he worked on both the university and federal sides without ever changing desks, giving him a rare, end-to-end view of how science flows from fundamental research to public-facing products. That firsthand experience at the academic-government interface is precisely what drew him to CIRES.
His research centers on surface water, specifically lakes, rivers, and coastal ocean, and how these large water bodies interact with the atmosphere. The Great Lakes are massive enough to shape regional weather, driving the intense lake-effect snowstorms familiar to anyone in the Midwest, as well as more unusual phenomena like meteotsunamis. Anderson has worked to build forecast systems predicting currents, water temperatures, waves, and ice, while also advancing the fundamental science that makes those forecasts possible.
That work brought him into contact with CIRES more than a decade ago. Anderson collaborated with CIRES and NOAA's Global Systems Laboratory (GSL) on early versions of what would become the High-Resolution Rapid Refresh (HRRR), a short-range weather forecast model, working to improve how it represented lake and surface water dynamics. That project eventually bore fruit: the HRRR is now coupled with Great Lakes models, meaning atmosphere and surface water models are, as Anderson put it, talking to each other. Watching that arc unfold from early research conversations in Boulder to a fully operational model is one of the experiences that drew him to this new role.
That commitment to fundamental science, even when the payoff isn't obvious, is something Anderson feels strongly about. He recalls a scientist at GLERL who had been counting a particular water bug since the lab opened in the 1970s -- work that was difficult to justify for decades until the bug's sudden collapse turned out to be an early warning of an impending fishery collapse.
"That's always stuck with me," Anderson said. "You're learning something, and the picture might not be clear at first, but eventually it could be a huge contributor."
Most recently at the Colorado School of Mines, Anderson continued his surface water-atmosphere research while mentoring the next generation of scientists he hopes will fill federal roles at agencies like NOAA and NASA. He speaks enthusiastically about watching students take a kernel of an idea, like satellite remote sensing, and run with it into territory he doesn't yet know himself. "Teaching is a great way to learn," he said. "It's learning from all directions."
"Eric has navigated federal science, cooperative institutes, and academic leadership -- and done each of them well," said CIRES Director Waleed Abdalati. "That breadth, combined with his passion for fostering the next generation of scientists, makes him exactly the kind of leader CIRES needs in this role."
Anderson looks forward to engaging with scientists and staff on both the CU Boulder and NOAA sides of CIRES, listening to understand where strengths lie, where barriers exist, and where new collaborations might take root. He is excited about opportunities at the frontier of observations and modeling -- including the growing role of artificial intelligence in guiding scientific inquiry -- and about CIRES' potential to communicate complex climate science to the public in ways that build trust and show impact.
"Some of the most rewarding parts of my career have been when I could see how somebody used the thing I made and it hopefully made their life better," Anderson said.
Anderson has lived in Colorado for five years, relocating from Michigan with his wife and daughter. Outside of work, he's a long-distance runner who is still making his peace with Colorado's trails after years as a road runner in the Midwest. He plays the banjo and is hoping to pick it up more often -- and is on the lookout for fellow musicians at CIRES. He and his daughter share a fondness for a good cheesy movie. He looks forward to getting to know the broader CIRES and CU Boulder community.
* * *
Original text here: https://cires.colorado.edu/news/cires-welcomes-eric-anderson-associate-director-science
[Category: Environment]
USMCA to face review on July 1st - Will America continue its strongest trade relationship?
WASHINGTON, July 2 [Category: Consumer Services] (TNSrpt) -- The Consumer Choice Center, an independent, non-partisan consumer advocacy group that promotes policies fit for growth, lifestyle choice and technological innovation through research and educational outreach, issued the following news release:
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The USMCA to face review on July 1st. Will America continue its strongest trade relationship?
Renew the USMCA, Drop Tariffs, and Bring Down Consumer Costs
-
As the U.S., Mexico, and Canada prepare for a mandatory review of the USMCA trade agreement on July 1 (tomorrow), the Consumer ... Show Full Article WASHINGTON, July 2 [Category: Consumer Services] (TNSrpt) -- The Consumer Choice Center, an independent, non-partisan consumer advocacy group that promotes policies fit for growth, lifestyle choice and technological innovation through research and educational outreach, issued the following news release: * * * The USMCA to face review on July 1st. Will America continue its strongest trade relationship? Renew the USMCA, Drop Tariffs, and Bring Down Consumer Costs - As the U.S., Mexico, and Canada prepare for a mandatory review of the USMCA trade agreement on July 1 (tomorrow), the ConsumerChoice Center (CCC) urges the Trump administration to pursue renewal-rather than termination or further tariff escalation. Both paths are economically destructive, particularly for states that went for Donald Trump in 2024, where consumers and workers will both face higher costs with robust North American trade.
President Trump has been ambiguous on whether he supports USMCA renewal, saying recently, "I would rather not have the agreement, but I may sign it." In addition, the administration has found workarounds (Section 232) to impose 50 percent tariffs on Canadian steel, aluminum, and copper, plus 25 percent tariffs on non-US content of USMCA-compliant automobiles.
"Ending or undermining the USMCA doesn't strengthen American negotiating power," said DAVID CLEMENT, policy director for the Consumer Choice Center. "It generates more uncertainty, which leads to less investment and fewer American exports flowing to its neighbors."
A new policy paper by the CCC shows how tariffs have inflated the cost of living for everyday Americans, particularly in housing and at the grocery store, as a result of tariffs on steel, aluminum, and copper.
"The only thing worse for consumer costs than tariffs is the unpredictability around their implementation, and uncertainty around the future of the USMCA. Canada will almost certainly push for tariff relief in renewing the agreement, and I hope American trade representatives keep in mind that the majority of U.S. exports go out under the USMCA. It's a huge benefit to American workers," added Clement.
Read our new Tariffs Report here (https://link.mediaoutreach.meltwater.com/ls/click?upn=u001.kkA-2B5AE43OxWPGlc5bDzqG55Pilft1sEMDmecyTaM6GY4k1Kzt0x-2BVivel5zYzGHBwmya5cQpiNGbPOpMhDt7VP0I5rWGFKixd-2BPJLzX5-2F21VmRXiaaZ3yfu5buLHsMs2zitEciS04mTTKV0jyiiUHWq1viqf3-2FRvoUasQ7O70gSz7T0duq-2BDQCnbJSSE4wBoBgE57Nh6sM-2BXlLoNDIGdg-3D-3D8Dul_UDSyBV-2BP22dNyMoTeX24jDfU6HkTcYwByVH3DCAXNZvW-2FUvdf8SNDvOVoY2waEcQoskVIev1Q9dLI2MYQBa0xO8-2BS7FTegaKqwEbb8x-2B-2Fs-2Bji3JfnWDY9f7WT1LyXOo88C82hczRYoxZYASUeaSFUb7k4-2B05BRjp4K33P0Rmmt-2BGaOksbHgquR9VWleDkkbdpNG1rx3VRJ8NZaGXidNbrRAckiq7UTXwY101sZ-2Bpg-2FoKU2jfEiTFhj6PKp1EUjn6XZ2gMkZr84zfFQ4sUG-2FY5cS2iTE0M2Zv91eys8zUOEanPEIAyoORb2RvkGLx3cDwd5BOOJ-2F-2BFOop3KazZw3SAr9i-2BrjlNw1x0rZ5ChRzaB0HQo68NxEK-2FuFs4J68CQxwv-2BRnBRGnmUsPt-2FPvHnaYXQ-3D-3D)
States that voted for President Trump-Michigan, North Dakota, Iowa, Arizona-depend on USMCA access for a quarter to nearly 90 percent of their exports. Retaliatory tariffs from Canada and Mexico in response to the deal's termination wouldn't punish foreign governments; they'd hit American farmers, manufacturers, and middle-class consumers.
Michigan exported 65 percent of its goods to Canada and Mexico last year. North Dakota shipped 90 percent of its goods to Canada and Mexico last year. Iowa exported close to 50 percent within the USMCA, and Arizona around 40 percent.
"E xemptions for Canada and Mexico are the best way for the White House to push consumer prices downward, as well as more targeted solutions that avoid blanket tariffs. President Trump's team needs to keep its eye on the prize, which is a better and stronger USMCA, not a break from its closest neighbors and trading partners," Clement concluded.
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REPORT: https://consumerchoicecenter.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/06/Polict-note-Tariffs-The-consumer-case-against-tariffs-on-steel-aluminum-and-copper.pdf
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Original text here: https://consumerchoicecenter.org/the-usmca-to-face-review-on-july-1st-will-america-continue-its-strongest-trade-relationship/
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The USMCA to face review on July 1st. Will America continue its strongest trade relationship?
Renew the USMCA, Drop Tariffs, and Bring Down Consumer Costs
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As the U.S., Mexico, and Canada prepare for a mandatory review of the USMCA trade agreement on July 1 (tomorrow), the Consumer ... Show Full Article WASHINGTON, July 2 [Category: Consumer Services] (TNSrpt) -- The Consumer Choice Center, an independent, non-partisan consumer advocacy group that promotes policies fit for growth, lifestyle choice and technological innovation through research and educational outreach, issued the following news release: * * * The USMCA to face review on July 1st. Will America continue its strongest trade relationship? Renew the USMCA, Drop Tariffs, and Bring Down Consumer Costs - As the U.S., Mexico, and Canada prepare for a mandatory review of the USMCA trade agreement on July 1 (tomorrow), the ConsumerChoice Center (CCC) urges the Trump administration to pursue renewal-rather than termination or further tariff escalation. Both paths are economically destructive, particularly for states that went for Donald Trump in 2024, where consumers and workers will both face higher costs with robust North American trade.
President Trump has been ambiguous on whether he supports USMCA renewal, saying recently, "I would rather not have the agreement, but I may sign it." In addition, the administration has found workarounds (Section 232) to impose 50 percent tariffs on Canadian steel, aluminum, and copper, plus 25 percent tariffs on non-US content of USMCA-compliant automobiles.
"Ending or undermining the USMCA doesn't strengthen American negotiating power," said DAVID CLEMENT, policy director for the Consumer Choice Center. "It generates more uncertainty, which leads to less investment and fewer American exports flowing to its neighbors."
A new policy paper by the CCC shows how tariffs have inflated the cost of living for everyday Americans, particularly in housing and at the grocery store, as a result of tariffs on steel, aluminum, and copper.
"The only thing worse for consumer costs than tariffs is the unpredictability around their implementation, and uncertainty around the future of the USMCA. Canada will almost certainly push for tariff relief in renewing the agreement, and I hope American trade representatives keep in mind that the majority of U.S. exports go out under the USMCA. It's a huge benefit to American workers," added Clement.
Read our new Tariffs Report here (https://link.mediaoutreach.meltwater.com/ls/click?upn=u001.kkA-2B5AE43OxWPGlc5bDzqG55Pilft1sEMDmecyTaM6GY4k1Kzt0x-2BVivel5zYzGHBwmya5cQpiNGbPOpMhDt7VP0I5rWGFKixd-2BPJLzX5-2F21VmRXiaaZ3yfu5buLHsMs2zitEciS04mTTKV0jyiiUHWq1viqf3-2FRvoUasQ7O70gSz7T0duq-2BDQCnbJSSE4wBoBgE57Nh6sM-2BXlLoNDIGdg-3D-3D8Dul_UDSyBV-2BP22dNyMoTeX24jDfU6HkTcYwByVH3DCAXNZvW-2FUvdf8SNDvOVoY2waEcQoskVIev1Q9dLI2MYQBa0xO8-2BS7FTegaKqwEbb8x-2B-2Fs-2Bji3JfnWDY9f7WT1LyXOo88C82hczRYoxZYASUeaSFUb7k4-2B05BRjp4K33P0Rmmt-2BGaOksbHgquR9VWleDkkbdpNG1rx3VRJ8NZaGXidNbrRAckiq7UTXwY101sZ-2Bpg-2FoKU2jfEiTFhj6PKp1EUjn6XZ2gMkZr84zfFQ4sUG-2FY5cS2iTE0M2Zv91eys8zUOEanPEIAyoORb2RvkGLx3cDwd5BOOJ-2F-2BFOop3KazZw3SAr9i-2BrjlNw1x0rZ5ChRzaB0HQo68NxEK-2FuFs4J68CQxwv-2BRnBRGnmUsPt-2FPvHnaYXQ-3D-3D)
States that voted for President Trump-Michigan, North Dakota, Iowa, Arizona-depend on USMCA access for a quarter to nearly 90 percent of their exports. Retaliatory tariffs from Canada and Mexico in response to the deal's termination wouldn't punish foreign governments; they'd hit American farmers, manufacturers, and middle-class consumers.
Michigan exported 65 percent of its goods to Canada and Mexico last year. North Dakota shipped 90 percent of its goods to Canada and Mexico last year. Iowa exported close to 50 percent within the USMCA, and Arizona around 40 percent.
"E xemptions for Canada and Mexico are the best way for the White House to push consumer prices downward, as well as more targeted solutions that avoid blanket tariffs. President Trump's team needs to keep its eye on the prize, which is a better and stronger USMCA, not a break from its closest neighbors and trading partners," Clement concluded.
* * *
REPORT: https://consumerchoicecenter.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/06/Polict-note-Tariffs-The-consumer-case-against-tariffs-on-steel-aluminum-and-copper.pdf
***
Original text here: https://consumerchoicecenter.org/the-usmca-to-face-review-on-july-1st-will-america-continue-its-strongest-trade-relationship/