Featured Stories
'It's About Time': ALG Praises House Passage Of Sunshine Protection Act, Urges Senate Passage
FAIRFAX, Virginia, Aug. 16 [Category: Government/Public Administration] -- Americans for Limited Government posted the following news release:
* * *
'It's About Time': ALG Praises House Passage Of Sunshine Protection Act, Urges Senate Passage
*
July 15, 2026, Fairfax, Va.-Americans for Limited Government Executive Director Robert Romano today issued the following statement praising the House for passing the Sunshine Protection Act and urged the Senate to do the same:
"The House has finally passed legislation that will end standard time once and for all. No more sunsets in the middle of the
... Show Full Article
FAIRFAX, Virginia, Aug. 16 [Category: Government/Public Administration] -- Americans for Limited Government posted the following news release:
* * *
'It's About Time': ALG Praises House Passage Of Sunshine Protection Act, Urges Senate Passage
*
July 15, 2026, Fairfax, Va.-Americans for Limited Government Executive Director Robert Romano today issued the following statement praising the House for passing the Sunshine Protection Act and urged the Senate to do the same:
"The House has finally passed legislation that will end standard time once and for all. No more sunsets in the middle of theafternoon. It's about time. Nobody likes the constant clock changes. The fact is that under current law, there was never a way to opt out of standard time whereas states were permitted to opt out of daylight savings time if they really wanted to, as Arizona and Hawaii do. School districts can always have starting bells later to compensate if there is concern about later sunrises during the winter months, although it's worth noting almost all districts are already on Christmas vacation during the shortest days. Clearly, based on the House vote, and unanimous passage of practically identical legislation by the Senate in 2022, and the President's support, daylight savings time is far more popular. But really, it's just let's pick a time and stick with it. Compromise if needs be: shave a half hour off standard time. Anything's better than the clock changes, and the early sunsets in the winter are frankly depressing. But the bill's fine the way it is. It is time for the Senate to immediately take up this common sense, bipartisan legislation, stop switching the clocks and let the sun shine into the evening for good."
For media availability contact Americans for Limited Government at media@limitgov.org.
***
Original text here: https://getliberty.org/2026/07/its-about-time-alg-praises-house-passage-of-sunshine-protection-act-urges-senate-passage/
Policy Matters Ohio: State College Aid Program Shortchanges Students Who Need It Most
COLUMBUS, Ohio, Aug. 13 -- Policy Matters Ohio, a nonpartisan policy research institute, posted the following news release:
* * *
Ohio college aid program shortchanges students who need it most
Policy choices hamstring Ohio's only need-based financial aid program
-
Ohio's only need-based financial aid program falls short of its potential because state policymakers created rules that reduce aid for many low-income students and fail to account for the true cost of attending college. A new Policy Matters Ohio brief finds that the Ohio College Opportunity Grant (OCOG) could do more to help Ohioans
... Show Full Article
COLUMBUS, Ohio, Aug. 13 -- Policy Matters Ohio, a nonpartisan policy research institute, posted the following news release:
* * *
Ohio college aid program shortchanges students who need it most
Policy choices hamstring Ohio's only need-based financial aid program
-
Ohio's only need-based financial aid program falls short of its potential because state policymakers created rules that reduce aid for many low-income students and fail to account for the true cost of attending college. A new Policy Matters Ohio brief finds that the Ohio College Opportunity Grant (OCOG) could do more to help Ohioansafford higher education at a time when the state increasingly depends on a highly educated workforce.
"OCOG was created to help Ohioans afford college, but legislators and the Governor-appointed Chancellor of Higher Education have structured the program in ways that limit its effectiveness," said Bailey Sandin, author of the brief. "Students who choose affordable options like community colleges and regional campuses often receive little or no benefit, while the program ignores major costs like housing, transportation, and books that can determine whether a student is able to stay enrolled."
The brief finds that Ohio's "Pell first" policy forces many students to use federal Pell Grant dollars to cover tuition and fees before receiving state aid, reducing or eliminating their OCOG awards. The policy can leave students who attend affordable institutions with no OCOG support at all.
Federal changes may soon exacerbate the problem. "If Congress doesn't take action, Pell is facing a $5 billion deficit by the end of 2026," Sandin said. "That would likely result in a significant reduction in award amounts for the 2028-29 school year, meaning even more students will depend on OCOG."
"At a time when Ohio's economy increasingly requires postsecondary education and enrollment continues to decline, policymakers should be making college more affordable, not less," Sandin said. "Lawmakers can strengthen OCOG by eliminating the Pell first policy and ensuring that aid reflects the full cost of attending college. Those changes would help more Ohio students complete degrees and credentials while strengthening Ohio's future workforce."
* * *
Original text here: https://policymattersohio.org/news/2026/08/11/ohio-college-aid-program-shortchanges-students-who-need-it-most/
[Category: Economics]
PennEnvironment Research & Policy Center: Report - Pennsylvania Rivers and Streams Regularly Test Positive for Harmful Bacteria
PHILADELPHIA, Pennsylvania, Aug. 13 (TNSrep) -- PennEnvironment Research and Policy Center issued the following news release:
* * *
NEW REPORT: Pennsylvania rivers and streams regularly test positive for harmful bacteria
A new report released by the statewide nonprofit group PennEnvironment Research & Policy Center showed that rivers and streams across Pennsylvania regularly test positive for harmful levels of bacteria.
The study (https://environmentamerica.org/pennsylvania/center/resources/are-pennsylvanias-rivers-and-lakes-safe-for-swimming/) finds that 55% of the 653 monitoring sites located
... Show Full Article
PHILADELPHIA, Pennsylvania, Aug. 13 (TNSrep) -- PennEnvironment Research and Policy Center issued the following news release:
* * *
NEW REPORT: Pennsylvania rivers and streams regularly test positive for harmful bacteria
A new report released by the statewide nonprofit group PennEnvironment Research & Policy Center showed that rivers and streams across Pennsylvania regularly test positive for harmful levels of bacteria.
The study (https://environmentamerica.org/pennsylvania/center/resources/are-pennsylvanias-rivers-and-lakes-safe-for-swimming/) finds that 55% of the 653 monitoring sites locatedacross Pennsylvania experienced at least one day when E. coli bacteria reached potentially unsafe levels for swimming during 2024 and 2025. 39% of these monitored locations had potentially unsafe levels of fecal contamination on at least one-quarter of the days on which testing took place in Pennsylvania.
"Pennsylvanians love our state's rivers and streams as popular destinations to paddle, swim and fish, but sometimes the water isn't as safe as it should be," said David Masur, PennEnvironment Research & Policy Center's Executive Director. "We ought to have access to clean, healthy water when we visit our great waterways in any part of Pennsylvania."
Common sources of fecal indicator bacteria such as E. coli in waterways include sewage spills and overflows, stormwater runoff, and failing septic systems. Each year, Americans suffer an estimated 87 million cases of illness associated with swimming, paddling, boating or fishing in U.S. waterways.
Some Pennsylvania waterways with recurring bacteria contamination levels included:
* The Philadelphia section of the Delaware River, where E. coli levels exceeded the Beach Action Value for health risks at 43 out of 37 testing locations on at least one day, and with 12 locations above that level on 100% of days tested;
* Pittsburgh's Saw Mill Run, which tested positive for potentially unsafe levels of fecal bacteria in nearly 90% of samples taken;
* Portions of the Allegheny River, where E. coli levels exceeded the Beach Action Value for health risks on 100% of the days sampled in 2025;
* Parts of the Brandywine Creek, with potentially unsafe levels of fecal bacteria 100% of days tested.
To view test results for other popular or regional Pennsylvania waterways, visit the PennEnvironment Research & Policy Center's interactive map here (https://environmentamerica.org/pennsylvania/center/resources/are-pennsylvanias-rivers-and-lakes-safe-for-swimming/).
"Other communities swim in their waterways, but Philly's rivers are so polluted that most of us forget that this is something we should be able to do here," said Philadelphia Councilmember Jamie Gauthier (3rd District), Chair of City Council's Committee on the Environment. "Swimming is good exercise. It's a way to see your community differently, to cool down in the summer, and for some, a path to scholarships and opportunity. I'll keep working with the Philadelphia Water Department to make our rivers safe for recreation, and advocate for the federal and state investments we need to accomplish this."
Communities in Pennsylvania can dramatically reduce sewage overflows and other sources of fecal bacteria, but infrastructure projects often require substantial resources.
"Pittsburgh's waterways should be places where folks can swim, fish, gather, and enjoy the outdoors without fear," says Pittsburgh City Councilperson Erika Strassburger. "When we see repeated E. coli exceedances, it raises real questions about whether people can safely use these spaces. We must continue the work to make sure our rivers and streams are clean, safe, and places that people feel good about spending their time in."
In Pennsylvania, wastewater and stormwater infrastructure improvements will require an estimated $638,250,000 a year over 20 years, according to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). Unfortunately, Congress only provided $135 million to Pennsylvania through the Clean Water State Revolving Fund (CWSRF) during the government's fiscal year 2026.
"When we invest in clean water infrastructure, we're investing in every Pennsylvanian's right to clean and safe rivers, lakes and streams across the Keystone State," said Masur. "The contamination shown in this report provides Pennsylvania leaders in Congress a powerful case for stepping up and closing this funding gap, so that every waterway can be safer for swimming."
* * *
Original text here: https://environmentamerica.org/pennsylvania/media-center/new-report-pennsylvania-rivers-and-streams-regularly-test-positive-for-harmful-bacteria/
[Category: Environment]
Groups File Amended Lawsuit Challenging Everglades Detention Center
SAN FRANCISCO, California, Aug. 13 -- Earthjustice posted the following news release on Aug. 12, 2026:
* * *
Groups File Amended Lawsuit Challenging Everglades Detention Center
Florida, federal officials withheld key funding Information
-
Miami, FL -- Conservation groups filed an updated lawsuit today as part of the ongoing legal challenge over the Everglades detention center known as "Alligator Alcatraz" in the heart of Big Cypress National Preserve.
The amended lawsuit (https://earthjustice.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/08/2026.08.12-de-162-amended-and-supplemental-complaint-for-declaratory-and-injunctive-relief.pdf)
... Show Full Article
SAN FRANCISCO, California, Aug. 13 -- Earthjustice posted the following news release on Aug. 12, 2026:
* * *
Groups File Amended Lawsuit Challenging Everglades Detention Center
Florida, federal officials withheld key funding Information
-
Miami, FL -- Conservation groups filed an updated lawsuit today as part of the ongoing legal challenge over the Everglades detention center known as "Alligator Alcatraz" in the heart of Big Cypress National Preserve.
The amended lawsuit (https://earthjustice.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/08/2026.08.12-de-162-amended-and-supplemental-complaint-for-declaratory-and-injunctive-relief.pdf)shows that state and federal officials withheld crucial information from a federal appeals court proving that Florida applied for federal funding for the detention center and that the project should have undergone federal environmental reviews. The detention center was built to hold people apprehended by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE).
Today's filing comes ahead of a court hearing scheduled for 11 a.m. Friday, Aug. 14, before U.S. District Court Judge Kathleen Williams. A press conference will be held following the hearing at the Wilkie D. Ferguson, Jr. U.S. Courthouse in downtown Miami.
"Our government failed the Everglades, failed taxpayers, and failed to comply with environmental laws when they built this ICE detention center in the middle of Big Cypress National Preserve. They left a mess behind when they hurried out of Alligator Alcatraz in June, and we're advancing our lawsuit to hold them accountable for fixing the damage and owning up to the truth," said Eve Samples, executive director of Friends of the Everglades.
The now-closed Everglades Detention Center had no environmental review before construction in June 2025. The facility was built and operated in the heart of Big Cypress National Preserve, threatening the sensitive Everglades ecosystem that surrounds it with at least 20 acres of new pavement, high-intensity lighting and miles of fencing that threaten protected species, including Florida panthers.
"The court of appeals said more than once that the Florida Department of Emergency Management had not applied for federal funding," said Paul J. Schwiep of Coffey Burlington and counsel for Friends of the Everglades and the Center for Biological Diversity. "We now know this was wrong."
At the time, state and federal officials claimed the government didn't need to comply with the National Environmental Policy Act, which requires review of environmental harms before major federal projects are approved, since it was not a federally funded facility. Today's amended complaint provides detailed evidence to the contrary.
The amended legal action also includes new claims alleging federal officials violated the Endangered Species Act.
"We look forward to making our case in court," said Tania Galloni, Managing Attorney for Earthjustice's Florida office. "The National Environmental Policy Act is there for a reason -- so that ecosystems like the Everglades aren't recklessly harmed."
"This shameful stunt continues to pollute the waters where endangered Everglade snail kites hunt and force endangered panthers out of a large swath of the precious little habitat they have left," said Elise Bennett, Florida and Caribbean director and an attorney at the Center for Biological Diversity. "A lawful review under the Endangered Species Act would prevent these kinds of harms and provide measures to repair them. It would give the Everglades' most vulnerable creatures a fighting chance."
Friends of the Everglades, represented by Earthjustice and Coffey Burlington attorneys Paul Schwiep and Scott Hiaasen, along with the Center for Biological Diversity, first sued in June 2025. The Miccosukee Tribe of Indians of Florida joined the lawsuit.
On Aug. 21, 2025, two months after the detention center opened, Judge Williams ruled that state and federal agencies had ignored environmental review requirements and ordered further operation stopped as the lawsuit continued. State officials then appealed to the 11th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in Atlanta.
Today's amended complaint shows that the state withheld a federal grant application that could have played a critical role in a Sept. 4 appeals court ruling. The split appeals court panel said then it was "undisputed" that the state had not applied for federal funding and it blocked the earlier ruling to shut the facility down. Today's complaint shows the appeals court was using incorrect information in its ruling.
Friends of the Everglades obtained documents in a public records lawsuit showing that the Florida Division of Emergency Management prepared an initial federal funding application on June 24, 2025, which was sent to the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) no later than July 4, 2025. The state ultimately received millions from the federal government for funding the detention center.
Federally funded activities continue to harm endangered and threatened species and their habitat within Big Cypress. Despite significant harm to Florida panthers, Florida bonneted bats, rare shrubs called Everglades bullies, and more, federal officials failed to complete required Endangered Species Act consultations to ensure the project would not jeopardize these species' survival or destroy critical habitat needed for their recovery.
While the detention center is closed for now, neither state nor federal officials have shown that the closure is permanent. At a June 25 press conference, Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis said that if the Department of Homeland Security asked Florida to receive another 1,000 detainees, the state could resume detention operations there.
Fencing surrounding the site remains, including razor-wire and barbed-wire fencing, and electrical equipment anchored to cement pads for automatic gates. Heavy machinery and noise also continue to pose threats to Florida panthers by causing them to avoid essential primary zone and breeding habitat that they previously used and which is needed for their survival and recovery.
For nearly a year, constant industrial lighting illuminated the previously dark night sky and could be seen more than 15 miles away. These disruptive activities also harm other federally protected species, including endangered Florida bonneted bats that need to feed at night.
* * *
Additional Resources
* Related case documents & news (https://earthjustice.org/library?_case=everglades-detention-center)
* * *
About Earthjustice
Earthjustice is the premier nonprofit environmental law organization. We wield the power of law and the strength of partnership to protect people's health, to preserve magnificent places and wildlife, to advance clean energy, and to combat climate change. We are here because the earth needs a good lawyer.
* * *
Original text here: https://earthjustice.org/press/2026/groups-file-amended-lawsuit-challenging-everglades-detention-center
[Category: Environment]
Children's Health Defense Issues Commentary: 'No Guardrails' - Youth Sports Leagues Mandating Digital IDs, Selling Kids' Biometrics for Profit
FRANKLIN LAKES, New Jersey, Aug. 13 -- Children's Health Defense, an organization that says it restores and protects the health of children by eliminating exposures to environmental toxins, issued the following commentary on Aug. 12, 2026, by Suzanne Burdick, a senior reporter for The Defender:
* * *
'No Guardrails': Youth Sports Leagues Mandating Digital IDs, Selling Kids' Biometrics for Profit
National and local youth sports leagues are harvesting children's biometric data for profit while telling parents it's a requirement for their child to play, according to Michelle and Doug Bottoms. Attorney
... Show Full Article
FRANKLIN LAKES, New Jersey, Aug. 13 -- Children's Health Defense, an organization that says it restores and protects the health of children by eliminating exposures to environmental toxins, issued the following commentary on Aug. 12, 2026, by Suzanne Burdick, a senior reporter for The Defender:
* * *
'No Guardrails': Youth Sports Leagues Mandating Digital IDs, Selling Kids' Biometrics for Profit
National and local youth sports leagues are harvesting children's biometric data for profit while telling parents it's a requirement for their child to play, according to Michelle and Doug Bottoms. AttorneyGreg Glaser said the practice violates the Children's Online Privacy Protection Act.
-
The parents of a young teen who reached out to a lawyer after learning that the flag football leagues hosting their son's team tournaments required a digital ID for all players eventually succeeded in forcing the leagues to accept manual, paper-based age verification.
But the teen's mother, Michelle Bottoms, is quick to warn other parents that the collection of children's biometric data by youth sports is "literally happening all across the country."
And there are "no guardrails" when it comes to what companies can do with kids' data. "Because once they have it, someone else has it. It's not yours anymore," she said.
'No guardrails' on how companies use kids' data
It was in the fall of 2025 that Virginia residents Michelle and Doug Bottoms first discovered that the flag football leagues hosting their then-12-year-old son's team tournaments required a digital ID for all players.
Representatives of RCX Sports -- which operates NFL Flag, the NFL's flag football program -- told the Bottoms that NFL Flag had partnered with the data broker company National Sports ID (NSID).
Under the new partnership, NFL Flag required all players to upload a digital headshot and age-verification documents to the data broker before they could play in the tournaments.
Submitting their son's biometric data didn't feel right to the Bottoms. "We started tearing into the terms of service, which takes time," Doug said.
That's when Doug and Michelle discovered there were "no safeguards at all" when it came to their son's biometric data.
The terms of service agreements gave the data broker, which contracted with the sports leagues, the right to share the child's biometric data with their partners, affiliates and foreign countries.
According to Doug, the companies are creating digital ID profiles for children as a business asset, with no requirement to delete the data. The data could trade hands if and when the business is sold or merged. Parents and children don't control the data. "The companies do," he said.
"There's no guardrails on where it can go and what they can do with it -- and that's the scary part," Michelle said, "because once they have it, someone else has it. It's not yours anymore."
Industry 'racing to normalize digital IDs for children through sports participation'
As Doug and Michelle soon learned, the practice of requiring digital ID for kids' sports extends far beyond their own experience with their son.
RCX Sports has a wide reach. In addition to operating NFL Flag, it is also the youth arm for other national sports leagues, including the NBA, Women's National Basketball Association, MLS, NHL and the National Baseball League.
Attorney Greg Glaser, who handles Children's Health Defense (CHD) digital privacy lawsuits, said NFL Flag alone operates over 1,800 locally run leagues with over 585,000 youth athletes in all 50 states and Canada.
That means the collection of children's biometric data in youth sports is "literally happening all across the country," Michelle said.
For example, another tournament-hosting organization, Flag Football Life, partnered with Zorts Sports to require digital IDs for players. Zorts Sports verifies kids' IDs by scanning their faces when they show up to play, and comparing the image to the child's digital headshot submitted by the parents.
Doug called the system "dystopian." He said, "There's no other word for it, where kids are just lining up to have their faces scanned in order to check into a sporting event."
But according to the Zorts Sports website, its "Flash Face ID technology" allows for quick check-ins and roster checks, "simply by pointing the camera at each player."
Zorts Sports and NSID claim their ID and age-verification tools save coaches time.
But according to Glaser, the companies are monetizing the data they harvest from children. "The privacy policies admit to profiling children and families for 'targeted advertising strategies,'" he said.
Companies also track children's social media history and use it to market to them and their families. According to the NSID website, sport organizations that partner with the company can use the data to drive sales by running targeted ad campaigns on Google or Facebook.
Zorts has shared over $1.1 million with tournament organizers, Glaser said. "That creates a coercive financial loop, designed to get leagues to mandate the companies' platforms" in exchange for financial gain, he said.
And the issue is growing worse -- because the companies are expanding how they use the data they collect, according to Glaser, who said:
"Zorts is feeding the Flash Biometrics database, a subsidiary that advertises its facial recognition platform for government, educational institutions, financial services and large-scale events far beyond youth sports. The industry is racing to normalize digital IDs for children through sports participation."
FTC not enforcing federal law intended to protect kids' privacy
Doug and Michelle Bottoms contacted Glaser to help them secure an exemption so their son could avoid the leagues' digital ID requirement.
"The Bottoms family, backed by CHD, successfully forced these leagues to accept manual, paper-based age verification," Glaser said.
They showed that making digital ID a requirement for kids to play flag football was illegal -- because the Children's Online Privacy Protection Act (COPPA) prohibits operators from conditioning participation on the disclosure of more personal information than is reasonably necessary.
The leagues were able to manually verify the teen "without any problem," Glaser said, "But they refuse to offer this traditional and less invasive option to the general public."
On Dec. 9, 2025, Glaser filed a complaint on behalf of the Bottoms with the Federal Trade Commission (FTC).
The complaint calls on the FTC to enforce COPPA. It also asks the agency to mandate that digital IDs in youth sports leagues be voluntary and operate on an opt-in basis.
The FTC should also protect children's data by prohibiting companies from sharing children's data with company "partners," affiliates and foreign entities unless parents explicitly consent to it in an uncoerced way, according to the complaint.
The FTC confirmed that it has entered the Bottoms' complaint in its database of cases. However, the agency has not indicated that it has launched an investigation or plans to enforce COPPA, Glaser said.
When asked if and when the agency plans to take action, an FTC spokesperson told The Defender in an email that the agency "can't comment on these matters."
Using a CHD action alert, over 2,000 people so far have urged the FTC to immediately begin investigating the data broker companies and mandate voluntary "opt-in" defaults for any digital ID in youth sports, Glaser said.
"This public pressure is essential to move the FTC toward actual enforcement," he said.
FTC signals support for digital ID for children
Recent FTC actions suggest that the agency favors digital ID for children.
A Jan. 28 FTC meeting transcript shared with The Defender revealed that the FTC was considering age-verification technologies as a way to ensure that children do not access unauthorized online content.
On Feb. 25, the FTC announced it would not bring a COPPA against certain website and online service operators that collect, use and disclose personal information for the sole purpose of determining a user's age via age verification technologies.
"Age verification technologies are some of the most child-protective technologies to emerge in decades," said Christopher Mufarrige, director of the FTC's Bureau of Consumer Protection, in a press release.
The FTC isn't alone in defending age-verification technologies. In a Feb. 10 letter, 40 state attorneys general (AGs) urged federal lawmakers to support the U.S. Senate version of the Kids Online Safety Act.
On Aug. 5, the U.S. Senate Commerce Committee advanced a package of bills, including the Kids Online Safety Act, which would require government officials and agencies to devise a plan for how computers, cellphones and operating systems could verify people's age.
"The FTC's idea of a solution is tech advancement, while we really need regulation prohibiting the aggregation of children's data," Doug said.
According to Doug, the FTC should also investigate what is being done with the data of children whose parents did not know they could seek an exemption from the leagues' digital ID mandate and surrendered their child's biometric data.
"There's potentially some damage that's been done to some very innocent children who just want to play a sport," he said. "Where's their data now and how is it being used? Should there be required deletions of data, if that's even possible?" he asked.
Will Virginia's AG get involved?
On March 13, the Bottoms sent a letter to Virginia's AG office about how the leagues' practice also violates Virginia's consumer data protection law.
Virginia AG Jay Jones was not one of the 40 AGs who urged Congress to pass the Kids Online Safety Act.
The Bottoms urged the AG office's consumer protection division to coordinate with the FTC to ensure that both federal and state privacy laws are enforced.
"The safety of Virginia's children should not be the admission price for youth sports," the letter stated.
The Bottoms also asked the AG office to seek civil penalties of up to $7,500 per violation if the leagues fail to implement a permanent, non-digital opt-out for Virginia families.
"Many children and parents and families have no idea what the leagues are doing," Michelle said. That needs to stop, she said.
Doug agreed. "There's clearly powerful entities that want digital ID. Nobody voted for them."
Digital IDs should never be a requirement for access to any part of society, Doug added.
The Virginia AG office did not immediately respond to our request for comment.
* * *
Suzanne Burdick, Ph.D., is a senior reporter for The Defender based in Austin, Texas.
* * *
Original text here: https://childrenshealthdefense.org/defender/no-guardrails-youth-sports-leagues-mandate-digital-id-sell-kids-biometrics-profit/
[Category: Health Care]
CAIR-FL Calls on Florida Politicians to Renounce Anti-Muslim Hate After Mass Shooting at Mosque Thwarted
WASHINGTON, Aug. 13 -- The Council on American-Islamic Relations posted the following news release on Aug. 12, 2026:
* * *
CAIR-FL Calls on Florida Politicians to Renounce Anti-Muslim Hate After Mass Shooting at Mosque Thwarted
Now released charging document shows white supremacist suspect allegedly admired San Diego mosque shooter
-
The Florida chapter of the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR-FL) today called on politicians in that state to renounce anti-Muslim hate in the wake of an alleged plot to carry out a mass killing at a mosque, and the release of charging documents indicating
... Show Full Article
WASHINGTON, Aug. 13 -- The Council on American-Islamic Relations posted the following news release on Aug. 12, 2026:
* * *
CAIR-FL Calls on Florida Politicians to Renounce Anti-Muslim Hate After Mass Shooting at Mosque Thwarted
Now released charging document shows white supremacist suspect allegedly admired San Diego mosque shooter
-
The Florida chapter of the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR-FL) today called on politicians in that state to renounce anti-Muslim hate in the wake of an alleged plot to carry out a mass killing at a mosque, and the release of charging documents indicatingthe suspect admired the attackers who killed three at the Islamic Center of San Diego.
READ PROBABLE CAUSE AFFIDAVIT (https://www.cair.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/08/Pimienta-redacted-compressed.pdf).
Giovanni Pimienta, 19, is charged with sending, posting or transmitting a written or electronic threat to kill or do bodily harm and making a false report concerning a bomb, explosive or weapon of mass destruction or the use of a firearm in a violent manner. Charging documents reveal that he was "actively communicating with others [...] about obtaining weapons and conducting a mass shooting at a mosque."
He also reportedly published a manifesto containing "personal reflections, ideological arguments, calls for social collapse, praise of violence, and promotion of white supremacists, antisemitic, anti-Black, anti-Muslim, accelerationist viewpoints, and praising the actions of Caleb Vasquez, who perpetrated a deadly attack against the Islamic Center of San Diego."
SEE: Venice man planned mass shooting at church, wanted to attack mosque: FDLE | WFLA (https://www.wfla.com/news/sarasota-county/venice-man-planned-mass-shooting-at-church-fdle/)
In a statement, CAIR-FL said:
"Anti-Muslim is rising at an alarming rate in Florida and throughout the nation. This hate is being stoked and enabled by many influential voices in politics and the media. This hate can easily lead to acts of violence, as it almost did in this disturbing case and in San Diego. We call on elected officials in Florida to repudiate anti-Muslim bigotry and condemn all those who promote this vile, violent ideology. Elected officials should also reach out to the targeted mosque and stand in solidarity with the Florida Muslim community."
Yesterday, CAIR-FL welcomed the charges against the suspect.
SEE: CAIR-FL Welcomes Arrest for Alleged Planned Mass Shooting Targeting Mosque (https://www.cair.com/press_releases/cair-fl-welcomes-arrest-for-alleged-planned-mass-shooting-targeting-mosque/)
* * *
Original text here: https://www.cair.com/press_releases/cair-fl-calls-on-florida-politicians-to-renounce-anti-muslim-hate-after-mass-shooting-at-mosque-thwarted/
[Category: Sociological]
CAIR Calls for Hate Crime Probe of Spitting Attack Targeting Muslim Woman in Kentucky
WASHINGTON, Aug. 13 -- The Council on American-Islamic Relations posted the following news release on Aug. 12, 2026:
* * *
CAIR Calls for Hate Crime Probe of Spitting Attack Targeting Muslim Woman in Kentucky
The Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR), the nation's largest Muslim civil rights and advocacy organization, today called on local, state and federal law enforcement authorities to investigate an allegedly bias-motivated spitting attack on a Muslim woman in Kentucky as a hate crime.
The alleged victim, a worker at Golisano Children's at UK hospital in Lexington, Kentucky, who
... Show Full Article
WASHINGTON, Aug. 13 -- The Council on American-Islamic Relations posted the following news release on Aug. 12, 2026:
* * *
CAIR Calls for Hate Crime Probe of Spitting Attack Targeting Muslim Woman in Kentucky
The Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR), the nation's largest Muslim civil rights and advocacy organization, today called on local, state and federal law enforcement authorities to investigate an allegedly bias-motivated spitting attack on a Muslim woman in Kentucky as a hate crime.
The alleged victim, a worker at Golisano Children's at UK hospital in Lexington, Kentucky, whowears an Islamic head scarf (hijab), reported that she was walking back to her car yesterday after work at the hospital when she felt spit splatter felt spit splattered across my face, followed by the words, "That's how I feel about people like you." The alleged attacker then reportedly shouted that he would kill her.
The victim recorded a post-attack video of the alleged assailant. A police report has been filed.
In a statement, CAIR Research and Advocacy Director Corey Saylor said:
"No one should be subjected to an alleged hateful attack because of their faith or religious attire. We urge local, state, and federal law enforcement authorities to thoroughly investigate this incident, determine whether bias motivated the alleged attack, and hold the perpetrator accountable under applicable hate-crime laws."
"These disturbing incidents, which we believe are the result of growing anti-Muslim bigotry nationwide, underscore the need for law enforcement authorities to take anti-Muslim bias seriously and to investigate allegations of hate-motivated violence promptly and thoroughly."
Saylor noted that yesterday, CAIR's Florida chapter welcomed charges for an alleged plot to carry out a mass shooting at a mosque.
He added that CAIR's latest civil rights report - which he authored - documented 8,683 anti-Muslim bias complaints in 2025 - the highest number ever recorded by the organization since it began publishing civil rights reports in 1996.
* * *
Original text here: https://www.cair.com/press_releases/cair-calls-for-hate-crime-probe-of-spitting-attack-targeting-muslim-woman-in-kentucky/
[Category: Sociological]
