Public Policy & NGOs
Here's a look at documents from public policy and non-governmental organizations
Featured Stories
Protect Our Care: Hospital Crisis Watch - American Health Care in Free Fall as 700 Providers at Risk or Closing Amid Trump-GOP Medicaid Cuts
WASHINGTON, Jan. 24 -- Protect Our Care issued the following news:
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Hospital Crisis Watch: American Health Care in Free Fall as 700 Providers at Risk or Closing Amid Trump-GOP Medicaid Cuts
Protect Our Care's Hospital Crisis Watch Map Now Tracks 700 Providers at Risk or Closing Due to the Trump-GOP Health Care Crisis
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While billionaires and big corporations bask in the GOP-engineered bonanza of wealth created for the top 1%, the American health care system is in free fall. In Kansas, 30 hospitals are in immediate danger of vanishing from their communities. In Pennsylvania, 12 to 14 hospitals
... Show Full Article
WASHINGTON, Jan. 24 -- Protect Our Care issued the following news:
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Hospital Crisis Watch: American Health Care in Free Fall as 700 Providers at Risk or Closing Amid Trump-GOP Medicaid Cuts
Protect Our Care's Hospital Crisis Watch Map Now Tracks 700 Providers at Risk or Closing Due to the Trump-GOP Health Care Crisis
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While billionaires and big corporations bask in the GOP-engineered bonanza of wealth created for the top 1%, the American health care system is in free fall. In Kansas, 30 hospitals are in immediate danger of vanishing from their communities. In Pennsylvania, 12 to 14 hospitalsare set to disappear. In Colorado, 70 percent of hospitals report running on unsustainable margins. Nationwide, over 700 hospitals, maternity wards, nursing homes, and other critical providers are at risk of cutting services or shutting down altogether. This is a full-blown health care crisis -- one sparked by Donald Trump and congressional Republicans gutting Medicaid to bankroll billionaire tax breaks.
At the ballot box in November, voters won't forget who caused this tidal wave of provider closures. As rural hospitals shut down, clinics shutter, and birthing centers close their doors, voters will remember exactly who put billionaire giveaways ahead of working people's health care.
National Coverage
Business Insider: Hundreds of America's Rural Hospitals Have Vanished. Maps Show Closures by State.
MedCity News: Navigating Uncertainty: Hospitals Confront Medicaid Cuts
Axios: Medical Groups Sound Alarm on Emergency Care for Kids
WebProNews: America's Rural Hospitals Closing Fast, Sparking Health Deserts
MedicalXPress: GOP Cuts Will Cripple Medicaid Enrollment, Warns CEO of Largest Public Health Plan
Arkansas
Becker's Hospital Review: Arkansas Hospital to File for Bankruptcy
California
San Francisco Chronicle: 'Not What My Patients Deserve': Medicaid Cuts, Layoffs Plunge East Bay Hospital System Into Disarray
San Francisco Chronicle: Opinion: Death Spared My Brother-In-Law From the Impossible Realities of Trump's Medicaid Cuts
KQED: 'I'd Be Left Alone': Medicaid Cuts Put Disabled Patients' In-Home Care at Risk
Bakersfield Now: Analysts Find GOP Medicaid Cuts in BBB Hurt Rural Healthcare
Colorado
KKCO 11 News: Colorado Hospitals Face Financial Crisis as 70% Report Unsustainable Margins
Georgia
WABE: Kemp, Georgia Legislature Signal Health Care Isn't Priority as Federal Aid Losses Mount
Georgia Public Broadcasting: New Report Outlines Role of Medicaid in Georgia and How Policymakers Can Prepare for Federal Cuts
11 Alive: Medicaid, ACA Cuts Could Hit Vulnerable
Idaho
Inlander: Rural Hospitals Juggle Long-Term Budget Cuts With Short-Term Cash Infusions Under New Federal Health Policy
Idaho News 6: Idaho Caregivers Warn Medicaid Cuts Would Devastate Home Care; Lawmakers Say Flexibility Is Limited
Illinois
KWQC: Rural Illinois Hospitals Warn of Service Cuts Without State Funding
25 News Now: Illinois Medicaid Program Faces Looming Funding Crisis Due to Federal Changes
25 News Now: East Peoria Nursing Home Weeks Away From Closing Its Doors
Indiana
Indiana Daily Student: Greene County Hospital Shutters Ob Services, Leaving More Rural Hoosiers Without Care
South Bend Tribune: Rural Hospitals Face Uncertainty as Funding Questions Persist
Iowa
MeidasTouch News: Rural Iowa Clinics Are Shutting Down Due to Trump's Budget; It Could Mean Trouble for House Republicans
Akron Hometowner: Britton Chiropractic & Rehab Clinic Set to Close in Akron
Kansas
Hays Post: Haysmed Faces Economic Pressures, Operating at a Loss
Hays Post: Why 30 Hospitals in Kansas and 12 in Missouri Are at Risk of Closure
Mississippi
Star-Herald: Funding Uncertainty Puts Mississippi's Rural Hospitals and Economies at Risk
Mississippi Free Press: Thousands of Mississippians Could Lose Medicaid, CHIP Coverage Under Trump's Big Beautiful Bill
Nebraska
1011 NOW: Nebraska Hospital Leaders Warn Mounting Financial Challenges and Medicaid Cuts Could Affect Care Access
New Hampshire
NH Business Review: NH Rural Health Care Faces Challenges Despite New Grant
New York
WWNY: North Star Lays off 100 Employees Amid Ongoing Uncertainty
North Carolina
The Chronicle: Medicaid Cuts Could Cause Duke Health to Lose Hundreds of Millions. Here's How
Ohio
Logan Daily News: Hospital Taking Steps to Address Viability Concerns
Oklahoma
The Oklahoman: Advocates Say Grants for Rural Hospitals Won't Make Up for Medicaid Cuts
Pennsylvania
Pittsburgh Post-Gazette: Study: A Dozen More Pennsylvania Hospitals Could Face Closure by 2030
Pocono Record: Report: Pa. Hospitals Face Increasingly Precarious Financial Future
Pittsburgh Post-Gazette: 'Couldn't Find a More Perfect Clinic': How Former Patients of a Shuttered UPMC Methadone Center Are Faring
Pittsburgh Business Times: Hospital Association Warns of Widespread Closures Across Pennsylvania as Margins Turn Negative
Philadelphia Business Journal: Up to 14 Pennsylvania Hospitals Face Closure Risk, Report Warns
Pennsylvania Independent: After a Year of Trump, Costs Are Rising for Pennsylvanians
TribLIVE: Pa. Gets $193M From Federal Rural Health Fund Amid Warnings It Won't Offset Medicaid Cuts
Virginia
WHSV: Sen. Kaine Visits Harrisonburg Clinic to Discuss Rural Health Care
West Virginia
Charleston Gazette-Mail: 'It Won't Be Enough': Justice Talks Rural Healthcare Funding in Wake of Medicaid Cuts
Rhode Island
WPRI: Future Still Unclear for Roger Williams, Fatima Hospitals With No Deal in Place
South Dakota
Mitchell Republic: Douglas County Leaders Work to Preserve Local Senior Care After Corsica Nursing Home Closure
Dakota News Now: Douglas County Task Force Remains Hopeful to Find Solution for Nursing Home
Washington
Inlander: Rural Hospitals Juggle Long-Term Budget Cuts With Short-Term Cash Infusions Under New Federal Health Policy
Wisconsin
Wisconsin Examiner: Wis. Hospital Funding Uncertain; Dem Lawmakers Call On U.S. Rep. Derrick Van Orden to Help
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Original text here: https://www.protectourcare.org/hospital-crisis-watch-american-health-care-in-free-fall-as-700-providers-at-risk-or-closing-amid-trump-gop-medicaid-cuts/
[Category: Health Care]
National Parks Conservation Association: Park Advocates Condemn Erasure of America's History at Independence National Historical Park
WASHINGTON, Jan. 24 -- The National Parks Conservation Association issued the following news release:
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Park Advocates Condemn Erasure of America's History at Independence National Historical Park
Forcing the Park Service to dismantle the President's House exhibit is an insult to the memory of the enslaved people who lived there and to their descendants.
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Following an administration order to inventory and remove history and science it deems inappropriate for national parks, the National Park Service, acting under duress, has dismantled the President's House exhibit at Independence National
... Show Full Article
WASHINGTON, Jan. 24 -- The National Parks Conservation Association issued the following news release:
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Park Advocates Condemn Erasure of America's History at Independence National Historical Park
Forcing the Park Service to dismantle the President's House exhibit is an insult to the memory of the enslaved people who lived there and to their descendants.
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Following an administration order to inventory and remove history and science it deems inappropriate for national parks, the National Park Service, acting under duress, has dismantled the President's House exhibit at Independence NationalHistorical Park in Philadelphia.
The President's House exhibit, which explored the lives of enslaved people at President George Washington's residence in Philadelphia, was developed collaboratively by the National Park Service, City of Philadelphia, and key community leaders.
More than two-thirds of America's national park sites are devoted to protecting history and culture. The Park Service is one of the country's largest repositories of American history, protecting millions of historic artifacts and landmarks. The agency is mandated by law to preserve, protect, and interpret American history. The administration's order threatens that mandate.
Ed Stierli, Senior Mid-Atlantic Regional Director for the National Parks Conservation Association, issued the following statement on the dismantling of the President's House exhibit:
"Few stories are more integral to the fabric of this country than the story of American independence, and there is nowhere better to learn that story than Independence National Historical Park. But being proud of our independence does not mean we should hide the mistakes of our past. National parks should help us grapple with the truths, complexities, and contradictions of our history.
"Forcing the Park Service to dismantle the President's House exhibit is an insult to the memory of the enslaved people who lived there and to their descendants. It reverses years of collaborative work by the National Park Service, City of Philadelphia, and community members, and sets a dangerous precedent of prioritizing nostalgia over the truth. Our history is the beating heart of our national parks, and Americans will not stand for it being erased."
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About the National Parks Conservation Association: Since 1919, the nonpartisan National Parks Conservation Association (NPCA) has been the leading voice in safeguarding our national parks. NPCA and its more than 1.9 million members and supporters work together to protect and preserve our nation's most iconic and inspirational places for future generations. For more information, visit www.npca.org.
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Original text here: https://www.npca.org/articles/11288-park-advocates-condemn-erasure-of-america-s-history-at-independence
[Category: Environment]
League of Conservation Voters: This Week in Climate Action - Jan. 23, 2026
WASHINGTON, Jan. 24 [Category: Environment] -- The League of Conservation Voters posted the following news wrap up, This Week in Climate Action - Jan. 23, 2026:
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Your weekly resource to learn what the environmental movement is saying about the news of the day and the political fight of our generation. This week, we're covering state officials making good on campaign promises to lower energy bills, and efforts from the federal government to pollute our air and water.
Be sure to follow LCV on Facebook, Instagram, BlueSky, and TikTok.
QUOTES OF THE WEEK:
"Too many working families are
... Show Full Article
WASHINGTON, Jan. 24 [Category: Environment] -- The League of Conservation Voters posted the following news wrap up, This Week in Climate Action - Jan. 23, 2026:
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Your weekly resource to learn what the environmental movement is saying about the news of the day and the political fight of our generation. This week, we're covering state officials making good on campaign promises to lower energy bills, and efforts from the federal government to pollute our air and water.
Be sure to follow LCV on Facebook, Instagram, BlueSky, and TikTok.
QUOTES OF THE WEEK:
"Too many working families arebeing put to an impossible choice of either keeping the lights on or paying for the mortgage or groceries. Meanwhile, the utility monopolies are making record profits while jacking up rates. It's unacceptable."
- Representative Josh Riley (NY-19) on launching the Congressional Lowering Utility Bills Caucus.
"It would set a terrible and dangerous precedent for Congress to roll back protections for any of our treasured public lands with little oversight or notice, because Republicans have decided they'd rather pillage them for profit. Some places are worth protecting. This pristine, one-of-a-kind place is one of them."
-Representative Jared Huffman (CA-02), Natural Resources Committee Ranking Member, on the House's vote to overturn protections against toxic mining in the Minnesota Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness.
"Not in the last 60 years has the right to vote been so under threat and under attack."
- Vermont State Senator Kesha Ram Hinsdale, Chittenden County Democratic Senate Majority Leader, on Vermont Democrats' urgent need to enshrine a voting rights act into state law.
TOP NEWS IN ENERGY AFFORDABILITY
STATE NEWS
STATE LEADERS DELIVER ON CAMPAIGN PROMISES: In their first few days in office, newly elected governors in New Jersey and Virginia and utility commissioners in Georgia took decisive action to lower energy costs, hold utilities accountable for rising prices, and to expand clean energy initiatives. New Jersey Governor Mikie Sherrill signed two executive orders to freeze electricity rates and accelerate clean energy solutions that lower costs for New Jersey families, while Virginia Governor Abigail Spanberger pledged to rejoin the Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative (RGGI). In Georgia, Dr. Alicia Johnson and Peter Hubbard were sworn into the Public Service Commission and are immediately working to focus their efforts on utility rate relief. The swift actions of these newly elected leaders reflects the clear message from voters last November, who supported candidates ready to address high energy costs and push for clean energy solutions.
OUR TAKE: LCV Vice President of State Policy and Advocacy Bill Holland said, "These rapid, immediate actions to address costs follow the clear message from voters last November. They supported clean energy champions who were ready to address high energy costs and build more clean affordable energy. With overwhelming results in key races like Virginia and New Jersey Gubernatorial elections and Georgia's Public Service Commission, voters rejected the Trump Administration's policies that ban clean energy and prop up dirtier, more expensive sources.
"In just their first days in office we are already seeing new leaders deliver on election promises for real action to lower bills, build more clean energy, and take on utilities raising rates."
NEW JERSEY LCV TAKE: New Jersey LCV Interim Executive Director Allison McLeod said, "Governor Sherrill is wasting no time in delivering on her promise to make New Jersey more affordable for New Jersey's working families. By taking strong executive actions on her first day, she is taking a holistic approach to the energy crisis: providing an immediate rate freeze for families while simultaneously clearing the path for the long-term clean energy solutions that will permanently lower rates.
"We look forward to working closely with the Governor to build on this momentum. We know clean energy like solar is the cheapest form of energy available, the fastest to deploy and can create high-quality, local union jobs right here in our communities. Today's actions prove that we can protect our environment and the pocketbooks of working families at the same time."
VALCV TAKE: Virginia League of Conservation Voters Executive Director Michael Town said, "Governor-elect Spanberger is wasting no time delivering on her promises to cut energy costs for Virginians. The agenda she laid out today goes a long way toward getting more clean, affordable energy online, holding utilities and big corporations accountable, and cutting energy bills. We look forward to working with lawmakers to pass this ambitious agenda in the coming legislative session as part of a larger effort aimed at securing a clean, affordable energy transition that puts Virginians first."
GCV TAKE: Georgia Conservation Voters Executive Director Brionte McCorkle said, "The message of this election is unmistakable: Georgians demand an end to utility bill rate hikes and corporate politics as usual on the PSC. Georgia Conservation Voters and our affiliated entities invested over $3 million in these elections, marking our largest investment ever because we had to make sure voters knew the stakes at the ballot box - from utility bills to corporate polluters."
NATIONAL NEWS
HOUSE DEMOCRATS LAUNCH CONGRESSIONAL LOWERING UTILITY BILLS CAUCUS: Representative Josh Riley (NY-19) and more than a dozen House Democrats are launching a new Congressional Lowering Utility Bills Caucus to address rising electricity, gas, and water costs nationwide. The caucus aims to focus on legislative strategies to rein in utility monopolies and reduce energy costs for consumers.
CLIMATE ATTACKS FROM THE TRUMP ADMINISTRATION AND CONGRESS
HOUSE OVERTURNS PROTECTIONS FOR BOUNDARY WATERS FROM TOXIC MINING: The House passed a Congressional Review Act (CRA) resolution of disapproval to overturn popular protections for the headwaters of the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness, Voyageurs National Park, and the surrounding Superior National Forest from toxic copper-nickel sulfide ore mining. Republicans are trying to use the CRA for purposes outside of its statutory text; this illegitimate resolution is the first time a public lands withdrawal has been challenged through the CRA.
OUR TAKE: LCV Conservation Program Director America Fitzpatrick said, "The Trump administration and its Republican allies in Congress are once again prioritizing polluter profits over people by attempting to sell off our treasured public lands to foreign mining interests. Rolling back protections that safeguard the headwaters of the Boundary Waters, the most visited wilderness area in the country, ignores decades of science and hundreds of thousands of public comments from across the country that shaped and supported safeguards for this beloved place. The use of the CRA to unwind a withdrawal and strip these protections from toxic mining would not only cause irreparable harm to the surrounding ecosystems, but would set a dangerous precedent for Congress to target public lands withdrawals as rules under the CRA. We cannot allow this administration to ignore science and democracy to destroy our public lands for the benefit of Big Polluters."
CONSERVATION MINNESOTA TAKE: Conservation Minnesota Executive Director Paul Austin said, "The Boundary Waters are part of who we are as Minnesotans-a place where generations have learned to paddle, fish, and fall in love with clean water and wild spaces. Protecting them means protecting our shared heritage. The Boundary Waters wilderness area is also an economic engine for Minnesota, generating $1.1 billion annually, including 17,000 jobs across the tourism industry. Sulfide-ore copper and nickel mining carries far greater risks to water quality than traditional iron mining, and those risks are simply too high for a place this special. We have a responsibility to protect the Boundary Waters for generations to come."
LCV RELEASES MEMO ON HOW TRUMP'S COAL OBSESSION IS DRIVING UP OUR COSTS: LCV released a memo detailing how the Trump administration is driving up energy costs by forcing outdated and expensive coal plants to stay open. These plants were scheduled to retire due to their high operating costs, frequent breakdowns, and crumbling infrastructure, but the administration plans to prop them up with millions of taxpayer dollars, ignoring the public's demands for affordable, clean energy.
OUR TAKE: LCV Senior Director of State Climate and Equity Policy Lashelle Johnson and LCV Vice President of Federal Policy Matthew Davis said, "We know that clean sources like wind and solar are now the fastest and cheapest way to get more energy onto the grid. As energy demand ramps up significantly, blocking wind projects, cutting clean energy tax incentives, and pulling dedicated funding have dramatically reduced the supply of new energy, making prices continue to rise. This latest coal plant campaign is their most egregious example yet. Holding these dilapidated dying plants open costs us millions, all while we could be connecting and building more clean, affordable energy. The public needs to see the coordination. They must understand the corruption. And they have to know who is to blame."
ICYMI: STATE NEWS
VIRGINIA LEGISLATURE SENDS RESTORATION OF RIGHTS TO THE BALLOT: The Virginia Legislature passed resolutions in both chambers to send a constitutional amendment to the voters this fall that would restore the right to vote to returning citizens. Virginia is the only state that permanently and automatically bans anyone with a felony conviction from voting and requires them to individually petition the governor to get their voting rights restored. This law is a remnant of Jim Crow, aimed at diminishing the rights and powers of Black Virginians.
VALCV TAKE: Virginia LCV Chief Program and Communications Officer Lee Francis said, "Passage of these amendments is a huge step forward for a healthier democracy in Virginia as we work toward ending more than a century of constitutionally enshrined disenfranchisement in the Commonwealth. We look forward to working to get this ballot measure across the finish line this Fall and securing a democracy that works for all Virginians."
VERMONT LEGISLATURE INTRODUCES STATE VOTING RIGHTS ACT : This week, Senate Democrats introduced a state Voting Rights Act to codify voting rights into state law and protect Vermonters from Trump's attempts to disenfranchise large swaths of eligible voters. Vermont Conservation Voters led the charge on getting the VRA drafted and introduced. The bill, S. 298, is sponsored by 18 of the state's 30 state senators, and includes tripartisan support.
VCV TAKE: Vermont Conservation Voters Political Director Justin Marsh said, "Environmental protection and voting rights are inseparable. By passing a state Voting Rights Act, Vermont can once again show that democracy and environmental leadership go hand in hand. Because when more people can safely and fairly participate in elections, we make better decisions for our climate, our communities, and future generations."
ICYMI: NATIONAL NEWS
LCV, ENVIRONMENTAL GROUPS CALL ON CONGRESS TO HOLD ZELDIN ACCOUNTABLE: LCV joined Mom's Clean Air Force and 197 additional organizations to call on Congress to hold EPA Administrator Lee Zeldin accountable for abandoning EPA's mission to protect public health and the environment.
COALITION TAKE : From the letter, "Our organizations are concerned that EPA is pursuing an aggressive deregulatory agenda that has resulted in a massive increase in health-damaging air pollution, toxic chemicals, and climate-heating greenhouse gases. These actions put our children's lives in danger and will harm the health of people in the U.S. for generations.
"EPA's only job is to protect human health and the environment. Congress has tasked EPA with clear mandates to achieve this goal through laws like the Clean Air Act and the Clean Water Act. We urge you to exercise your oversight authority to ensure that EPA fulfills its core mission, including by calling for EPA Administrator Zeldin to testify before Congress.
NEW ON THE POWER SOURCE BLOG AND SOCIALS:
ON THE BLOG : Trump's first year has been full of broken promises and attacks on the environment and the health, safety, and financial well-being of our communities... all to benefit his Big Oil and Gas buddies. Learn about the shocking ways Trump has prioritized polluters over people, and one way you can stand up to this administration, now on The Power Source Blog.
ON OUR SOCIALS: Last year was bad, but the Trump administration is already giving 2025 a run for its money by announcing that the value of human life is now (checks notes)...$0 ? 2027 is gonna be our year, for real.
COMING UP:
JANUARY 30: Partial government shutdown funding deadline.
FEBRUARY 16: President's Day.
FEBRUARY 17: Lunar New Year.
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Original text here: https://www.lcv.org/media-center/this-week-in-climate-action-january-23-2026/
Earthjustice: New York State Budget Lacks Bold Action on Energy and Climate
SAN FRANCISCO, California, Jan. 24 -- Earthjustice issued the following news release on Jan. 23, 2026:
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New York State Budget Lacks Bold Action on Energy and Climate
Governor misses opportunity to lead on cutting energy costs and protecting climate and public health
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Albany, N.Y. -- This week, New York Governor Kathy Hochul released her SFY2027 Executive Budget proposal (https://www.governor.ny.gov.mcas.ms/sites/default/files/2026-01/FY2027ExecutiveBudgetBook.pdf).
The following statement can be attributed to Liz Moran, New York policy advocate for Earthjustice:
"New Yorkers can't
... Show Full Article
SAN FRANCISCO, California, Jan. 24 -- Earthjustice issued the following news release on Jan. 23, 2026:
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New York State Budget Lacks Bold Action on Energy and Climate
Governor misses opportunity to lead on cutting energy costs and protecting climate and public health
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Albany, N.Y. -- This week, New York Governor Kathy Hochul released her SFY2027 Executive Budget proposal (https://www.governor.ny.gov.mcas.ms/sites/default/files/2026-01/FY2027ExecutiveBudgetBook.pdf).
The following statement can be attributed to Liz Moran, New York policy advocate for Earthjustice:
"New Yorkers can'tafford business as usual anymore. Our state's dependence on gas is driving energy costs higher and higher, but the Governor's proposed budget falls short of what's needed to tackle this challenge. The Governor acknowledges the need for affordable clean energy and meaningful environmental protections in the face of dangerous federal rollbacks and continues funding for important programs like Empower+ and the Environmental Protection Fund. But this budget fails to advance the bold policies and investments New Yorkers desperately need for affordable clean energy and environmental protection. We are prepared to work with the Governor and the legislature to ensure the 2026 session provides the leadership this moment calls for on energy affordability and environmental and public health protections."
Here's Earthjustice's initial assessment of the SFY2027 Executive Budget:
* Sustainable Future Program -- Disappointingly, the Governor neglected to include an additional $1 billion towards the Sustainable Future Program, which provides key funding for energy affordability and climate measures. As the federal government cuts funding and basic clean air protections, and in the absence of regulations to implement New York's climate law, maintaining this program to cut energy costs and invest in clean energy technologies is especially important. Earthjustice urges the Legislature to include at least $1 billion for this program in their respective one-house budgets.
* Excelsior Power -- The Governor's proposal includes $33 million for a new program to incentivize grid flexibility through the adoption of smart thermostats and other technologies. According to the Governor's State of the State Address, this program would give utility customers who opt to have smart meters installed credits of $25 per month; however, this program has not been detailed in any of the Governor's budget bills. Earthjustice is supportive of this concept; however, we urge the Governor and Legislature to detail the program in program text within the budget.
* EmPower+ Program -- Earthjustice urges the Governor and the Legislature to include at least $200M for EmPower+ in the SFY2027 budget. As the Governor rightfully notes, EmPower+ is a critical, and oversubscribed, program that helps low and moderate-income households reduce their energy costs and make their homes more comfortable while cutting emissions. We are pleased to see the Governor propose an increase of $50 million in funding towards this program, but given the severity of the energy affordability crisis and the popularity of this program, far more is needed.
* State Environmental Quality Review Act (SEQRA) reform for housing -- Environmental review under State Environmental Quality Review Act (SEQRA) remains a critical tool to highlight and mitigate potential environmental harms from various projects. Earthjustice agrees SEQR should not hold up housing development in the circumstances set forward by the Governor, or the narrow set of beneficial infrastructure projects outlined like new parks and green stormwater management. But we must get the details right, and changes to SEQRA must remain narrow and protective. Earthjustice looks forward to working with the Governor and Legislature to strike the right balance.
* Environmental Protection Fund (EPF) -- Earthjustice applauds the Governor for her inclusion of $425 million for EPF, which provides critical funding to protect New York's precious air, water, and land while creating thousands of good jobs and boosting our economy. We urge the legislature to support this funding in their respective one-house budgets, and note the particular importance of maintaining funding for the Climate Resilient Farming and Agricultural Non-Point Source Control programs.
* Clean Water Infrastructure Act (CWIA) funding -- We are pleased that funding was maintained for the CWIA however, despite the Governor's messaging, the program did not receive any additional funding. The CWIA, which has been funded at $500 million annually for nearly a decade, provides funding for numerous essential and oversubscribed programs. It has been estimated that New York has over $80 billion in drinking and wastewater infrastructure needs alone, which doesn't include the many other important programs that receive funding from the CWIA, like lead service line replacements and treatment technology for PFAS. The legislature should place as much as possible of the $250 million the Governor set aside for new water infrastructure into the CWIA.
* EV Charging Sales Tax -- We welcome the proposal to exempt commercial EV charging from sales tax, which will further enhance the overall financial benefits of EVs over combustion cars.
* Solar in public schools -- The Governor is right to identify the urgent need -- and enormous untapped opportunity -- of greening New York Public Schools. We support the Governor's proposal to adjust the School Building Aid rules to include renewable energy projects. We encourage the Legislature to take this further by including $1 billion for the Sustainable Future Program and allocating, at a minimum, another $50 million for Green Schools funding.
* Tackling Utility Costs -- We applaud the Governor for taking steps to protect more tenants from utility shutoffs, and appreciate her acknowledgment that more must be done to protect consumers from skyrocketing utility bills and hold utilities accountable. As Earthjustice continues to evaluate these proposals, we encourage the Governor and Legislature to consider measures such as a Utility Intervenor and a Utility Intervenor Fund, a model that has been successful in other states that would enable ratepayers to have a voice in rate cases. Additionally, New York must do more to enforce its policy for the Energy Affordability Program and adopt policies to avoid unnecessary spending on costly fossil fuel infrastructure, which is the main driver of rate increases.
* Data Centers -- Though the Governor discussed the importance of making data centers pay their fair share for their astronomical energy and electric infrastructure demands to prevent other ratepayers from being saddled with higher costs, no policy was included in her budget proposal to tackle this. Earthjustice looks forward to working with the Legislature to pass legislation that addresses data centers before they become New York's next energy affordability and environmental crisis.
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Additional Resources
* About the Northeast Office (https://earthjustice.org/office/northeast)
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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.
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Original text here: https://earthjustice.org/press/2026/new-york-state-budget-lacks-bold-action-on-energy-and-climate
[Category: Environment]
Earthjustice: Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument Under Attack From Utah Members of Congress
ARLINGTON, Virginia, Jan. 24 -- The Consumer Technology Association issued the following news release:
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Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument Under Attack from Utah Members of Congress
Threatens to bring chaos to a crown jewel of the nation's public lands system and upend public land protection as we know it
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Washington, D.C. -- Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument is under attack from Utah members of Congress. In July 2025, Rep. Celeste Maloy (R-UT-02) secretly requested an opinion from the Government Accountability Office about whether Congress can overturn the current
... Show Full Article
ARLINGTON, Virginia, Jan. 24 -- The Consumer Technology Association issued the following news release:
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Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument Under Attack from Utah Members of Congress
Threatens to bring chaos to a crown jewel of the nation's public lands system and upend public land protection as we know it
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Washington, D.C. -- Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument is under attack from Utah members of Congress. In July 2025, Rep. Celeste Maloy (R-UT-02) secretly requested an opinion from the Government Accountability Office about whether Congress can overturn the currentGrand Staircase-Escalante Monument Management Plan -- a maneuver that would upend the monument's management. Last week, the GAO released an opinion that Congress can interfere and undo the plan.
With GAO's opinion in hand, Utah's federal delegation (Senators Lee & Curtis, Representatives Owens, Moore, Maloy, and Kennedy) is expected to introduce a bill under the Congressional Review Act. If both chambers of Congress pass the bill, called a "resolution of disapproval" by simple majority votes, the Monument Management Plan will be eliminated and the Bureau of Land Management will be barred from issuing another plan that is "substantially the same" in the future.
Introducing a bill to strike at the heart of the Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument will represent a clear escalation of use of the CRA to attack the nation's wildest public lands. As the first CRA attack on a national monument, this action threatens to upend public land protection. Though this Congress is the first to use the CRA to overturn BLM resource management plans, using it to eliminate a national monument management plan goes much further: resource management plans cover multiple-use lands, but national monuments are not multiple-use lands and were specifically designated to elevate conservation over extraction.
Beloved by Utahns and Americans, the monument was established in 1996 to protect the incredible geological, ecological, and paleontological resources within its 1.9 million-acre boundaries in southern Utah. A crown jewel of the nation's public lands system, it was the first monument managed by the BLM and was the first unit in the agency's now-robust and expansive "National Conservation Lands" program.
President Trump illegally reduced the monument in 2017, and it has been reported that he is again considering eliminating protections for Grand Staircase-Escalante. These unprecedented attacks are being harshly criticized by conservation organizations and members of the Grand Staircase-Escalante Inter-Tribal Coalition.
"This is a direct assault by Utah politicians on one of the crown jewels of America's system of federal public lands," said Steve Bloch, legal director at the Southern Utah Wilderness Alliance. "Any attempt to leverage this obscure federal law against the monument is an effort to thwart the will of millions of Americans who have repeatedly stood up in support of Grand Staircase-Escalante, its wild red rock landscape, and its irreplaceable cultural and fossil resources. Republicans are currently attempting to use the CRA to remove protections for the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness -- neither landscape should be under attack and we encourage all Americans to contact their members of Congress and speak out in opposition."
"The Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument offers people the freedom to experience the very best of our nation's public lands," said Axie Navas, director of designation campaigns at The Wilderness Society. "We stand ready to defend our national monuments so that future generations may inherit these irreplaceable landscapes."
"Utah politicians are at it again, doing whatever they can to erode protections for our public lands," said Tom Delehanty, senior attorney at Earthjustice. "The monument management plan was created by local officials, Tribes, and communities working together to provide certainty in how this national treasure is managed and protected. Now Utah's elected officials want to flush that effort down the toilet -- a situation that benefits no one."
"The Utah delegation knows that our national monuments are well-loved by Americans and protecting them is overwhelmingly popular among Utahns regardless of party affiliation," said Tim Peterson, cultural landscapes director at the Grand Canyon Trust. "The public would not stand for legislation that gets rid of Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument outright, so they're trying to eliminate the commonsense management plan that affords day-to-day protections to the monument. We can't let that happen."
"Using the Congressional Review Act to unravel Grand Staircase Escalante's management plan is an assault on a national treasure," said Bobby McEnaney, director of land conservation at NRDC. "It would wipe out years of science and public input and lay the groundwork to make additional attacks on Grand Staircase easier. Americans overwhelmingly support this monument. Congress must reject this assault on our conservation values and honor its commitment to Tribes, local communities, and future generations."
"No one ought to mistake this effort as isolated-it's part of a concerted effort to destroy the Bureau of Land Management's ability to manage public lands, so that privatizing or industrializing them are the only viable options," said Chris Hill, CEO of the Conservation Lands Foundation. "Going after BLM's first national monument sends the signal that the rest of the 30 monuments and all of the National Conservation Lands that BLM oversees are in the crosshairs, and we know from experience that the public will fight like never before to keep these places protected."
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About Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument & the Monument Management Plan
Since its establishment, heightened protections for the monument's geology, paleontology, wildlife, plant communities, and ancestral sites have succeeded in preserving these unique values for generations to come, and local communities on the monument's doorstep have benefited as well. Nearly 30 years later, the numerous benefits of protecting Grand Staircase-Escalante are clear: the monument preserves a remarkable ecosystem at the landscape level and sets the stage for future discovery about human, paleontological, and geological history on the Colorado Plateau.
On December 4, 2017, President Trump ignored millions of public comments and unlawfully eliminated large swaths of the monument, slashing it by 47 percent - roughly 900,000 acres. On October 8, 2021, President Biden signed a proclamation restoring Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument to its full, original boundaries. In 2023, BLM began developing a new management plan for the full monument. As a part of that work, the BLM engaged in extensive outreach to Tribal Nations, the state of Utah, local governments, stakeholders (including outfitters and guides, ranchers, local utilities), and the public. During the planning process, BLM received overwhelming support from throughout Utah and the nation for a holistic, conservation-based management plan worthy of this remarkable place.
In August 2023, a Federal District Court Judge in Utah dismissed lawsuits brought by the state of Utah and others challenging President Biden's use of the Antiquities Act to restore the boundaries of Grand Staircase-Escalante and Bears Ears National Monuments. The state and other plaintiffs quickly appealed that decision to the Tenth Circuit Court of Appeals, which held oral argument on September 26, 2024, and may issue a decision at any time. Conservation organizations intervened on behalf of the United States to defend President Biden's restoration of the monuments, as have four Tribal Nations.
National monuments are overwhelmingly popular. Seventy-five percent of Utah voters support the President's ability to protect public lands as national monuments. Three in four Utah voters, including a majority of Republicans, want to keep Grand Staircase-Escalante as a national monument.
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About the Congressional Review Act
The CRA is a federal statute enacted in March 1996 that requires federal agencies to submit "rules" to Congress for a mandatory review period "before they may take effect." If Congress votes to overturn, or "disapprove," the rule, it "may not be reissued in substantially the same form. . . ." The BLM has long maintained that its land management plans are not "rules" subject to the CRA. Other federal land management agencies, including the U.S. Forest Service and National Park Service, have similarly not submitted their land management plans to Congress under the CRA.
However, emboldened by a series of non-binding Government Accountability Office (GAO) opinions, Republican members of Congress have embraced the novel theory that federal land management plans are in fact "rules" subject to the CRA. This year, Congress has passed six CRA resolutions overturning previously finalized land management plans or other types of public lands management decisions. The GAO issued a decision regarding the Grand Staircase-Escalante Monument Management Plan on January 15, 2026.
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Additional Resources
* Related case documents & news (https://earthjustice.org/library?_case=national-monument-defense)
* About the Policy and Legislation Team (https://earthjustice.org/office/policy-and-legislation/)
* About the Rocky Mountain Office (https://earthjustice.org/office/rocky-mountain)
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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.
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Original text here: https://earthjustice.org/press/2026/grand-staircase-escalante-national-monument-under-attack-from-utah-members-of-congress
[Category: Environment]
Advocates Ask Congress to Investigate FBI's Search of Washington Post Reporter
SILVER SPRING, Maryland, Jan. 24 -- Demand Progress posted the following news release on Jan. 23, 2026:
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Advocates Ask Congress to Investigate FBI's Search of Washington Post Reporter
Washington, D.C. -- On Friday, Demand Progress and 16 other press freedoms, human rights, and civil liberties groups asked Congress to investigate the FBI's unprecedented raid of a Washington Post reporter's home. In a letter sent to House and Senate committee leadership, the organizations warned that the FBI's search possibly violates federal law and raises the possibility that the government is trying to
... Show Full Article
SILVER SPRING, Maryland, Jan. 24 -- Demand Progress posted the following news release on Jan. 23, 2026:
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Advocates Ask Congress to Investigate FBI's Search of Washington Post Reporter
Washington, D.C. -- On Friday, Demand Progress and 16 other press freedoms, human rights, and civil liberties groups asked Congress to investigate the FBI's unprecedented raid of a Washington Post reporter's home. In a letter sent to House and Senate committee leadership, the organizations warned that the FBI's search possibly violates federal law and raises the possibility that the government is trying tothreaten the press, uncover whistleblowers and chill newsgathering activities. In addition to launching an oversight investigation, the letter also asks Congress to obtain and disclose the government's warrant materials, including any associated affidavits, and authorization paper trail related to the search of the reporter's home.
"By raiding Hannah Natanson's home and seizing her devices, the government threatened bedrock principles of our Constitution and a free society," said Demand Progress Policy Director Emily Peterson-Cassin. "Congress has a responsibility to investigate whether the government is undermining the First Amendment and a free press by targeting and threatening a reporter like this."
"Congressional intervention is necessary because the FBI's January 14, 2026 raid of Natanson's home represents a perilous escalation in the executive branch's use of law enforcement powers against the free press and a citizenry that depends on fearless newsgathering," stated the letter. "While the Department of Justice has publicly justified this intrusion as a necessary step in a classified leaks investigation involving federal contractor Aurelio Perez-Lugones, the available facts suggest a far more disturbing motive: the weaponization of legal process to engage in a fishing expedition into more than 1,000 confidential sources cultivated by Natanson inside the federal workforce."
The groups behind the letter include American Society of Journalists and Authors, Amnesty International USA, Defending Rights & Dissent, Demand Progress, Democratic Messaging Project, Freedom of the Press Foundation, Journalism & Women Symposium (JAWS), National Press Photographers Association, PEN America, People For the American Way, Public Citizen, Radio Television Digital News Association, Reporters Without Borders (RSF), Society of Professional Journalists, The Association of Foreign Press Correspondents in the USA and The Media and Democracy Project.
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INFODOC: https://demandprogress.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/01/Coalition-Letter-to-Congress-Regarding-FBI-raid-of-WaPo-Reporter-2026-01-23.pdf
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Original text here: https://demandprogress.org/advocates-ask-congress-to-investigate-fbis-search-of-washington-post-reporter/
[Category: Sociological]
A Better Wisconsin Together: Wisconsin Republicans Could've Helped Lower Your Property Taxes This Week. They Didn't.
MONONA, Wisconsin, Jan. 24 -- A Better Wisconsin Together, a state-based research and communications hub for progressives, posted the following news release:
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Wisconsin Republicans Could've Helped Lower Your Property Taxes This Week. They Didn't.
Republican lawmakers caused this problem, and it's on them to fix it
pat snyder with his hand on his forehand
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Just weeks before legislative Republicans in Wisconsin pack up and go on a 10-month taxpayer funded vacation, the State Assembly and Senate had a clear opportunity this week to address the record-high property tax increases sweeping
... Show Full Article
MONONA, Wisconsin, Jan. 24 -- A Better Wisconsin Together, a state-based research and communications hub for progressives, posted the following news release:
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Wisconsin Republicans Could've Helped Lower Your Property Taxes This Week. They Didn't.
Republican lawmakers caused this problem, and it's on them to fix it
pat snyder with his hand on his forehand
*
Just weeks before legislative Republicans in Wisconsin pack up and go on a 10-month taxpayer funded vacation, the State Assembly and Senate had a clear opportunity this week to address the record-high property tax increases sweepingacross the state. They chose not to.
According to A Better Wisconsin Together Communications Director Lucy Ripp, Republican lawmakers caused this problem, and it's on them to fix it. Recent reporting confirms that Wisconsinites' property tax bills are skyrocketing thanks directly to Wisconsin Republicans' chronic refusal to adequately fund local public schools.
Now, Wisconsin has a $2.5 billion budget surplus, which constituents, Governor Evers, and Democrats alike have urged the Republicans who control our legislature to use in providing much needed relief to Wisconsin families as costs soar.
"After decades of creating and perpetuating the problem, Republican lawmakers now have the time, resources, and responsibility to deliver meaningful property tax relief to constituents," said Ripp. "Instead, they've done nothing, and still plan to end their work only a couple months into the year."
According to an analysis by the non-partisan Legislative Fiscal Bureau, plans proposed last year by Gov. Evers and legislative Democrats would have all but eliminated the projected property tax increases. Yet, Republicans voted to deny local schools any increase in state general school aid and scaled back desperately needed increases in special education aid.
In just the last two years, Wisconsin school districts have been forced to go to referendums in 96 of the 99 state Assembly districts.
"Republicans' longstanding and continuing refusal to support public education is unacceptable," Ripp said. "Wisconsin students, teachers, and taxpayers shouldn't have to keep paying the price for Republicans' partisan political antics."
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A Better Wisconsin Together is a state-based research and communications hub for progressives and is an affiliate of ProgressNow.
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Original text here: https://abetterwisconsin.org/wisconsin-republicans-couldve-helped-lower-your-property-taxes-this-week-they-didnt/
[Category: Economics]
