Featured Stories
Scouting America Launches Competitive Gaming Merit Badge at the National Jamboree
IRVING, Texas, July 25 -- Scouting America (formerly the Boy Scouts of America) issued the following news release on July 24, 2026:
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Scouting America Launches Competitive Gaming Merit Badge at the National Jamboree
New merit badge connects teamwork, leadership, digital citizenship, and technology skills through the rapidly growing world of competitive gaming
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Scouting America today announced the launch of the Competitive Gaming merit badge at the National Jamboree, introducing Scouts to the exciting world of esports while emphasizing teamwork, communication, leadership, sportsmanship,
... Show Full Article
IRVING, Texas, July 25 -- Scouting America (formerly the Boy Scouts of America) issued the following news release on July 24, 2026:
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Scouting America Launches Competitive Gaming Merit Badge at the National Jamboree
New merit badge connects teamwork, leadership, digital citizenship, and technology skills through the rapidly growing world of competitive gaming
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Scouting America today announced the launch of the Competitive Gaming merit badge at the National Jamboree, introducing Scouts to the exciting world of esports while emphasizing teamwork, communication, leadership, sportsmanship,and responsible digital engagement.
The new merit badge reflects Scouting America's commitment to preparing young people for success in a rapidly evolving digital world. Through hands-on learning and competitive play, Scouts will explore the fundamentals of organized gaming, online safety, technology, strategy development, and the skills necessary to thrive both in and out of competition.
"Competitive gaming has become a global platform for collaboration, innovation, and skill development," said Ryan Moon, director of new programs at Scouting America. "The Competitive Gaming merit badge gives Scouts an opportunity to engage in an activity they are passionate about while learning critical life skills such as teamwork, communication, resilience, and ethical decision-making."
The merit badge debuted during the National Jamboree in West Virginia, where Scouts from across the country have the opportunity to participate in interactive activities, educational sessions, and competitive gaming experiences designed to highlight the badge's requirements and learning objectives.
The Competitive Gaming Merit Badge focuses on key areas including:
* Teamwork and effective communication
* Leadership and strategic thinking
* Digital citizenship and online safety
* Healthy gaming habits and wellness
* Technology and gaming systems
* Sportsmanship and ethical competition
* Career exploration within the gaming and technology industries
As esports continues to grow as a competitive, educational, and career-oriented field, the merit badge offers Scouts a structured way to understand the opportunities and responsibilities associated with gaming.
"Scouting has always evolved to reflect the interests and future opportunities facing young people," said Roger Krone, president and CEO of Scouting America. "By introducing the Competitive Gaming merit badge, we are meeting Scouts where they are while reinforcing the values that have defined Scouting for generations."
The National Jamboree provides an ideal setting for the merit badge launch, bringing together thousands of Scouts and leaders for one of the organization's premier events focused on adventure, leadership, innovation, and personal growth.
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About Scouting America
Scouting America provides the nation's foremost youth program of character development and values-based leadership training, which helps young people be "Prepared. For Life.(R)" Scouting America welcomes all of America's youth into its programs. Our goal is to give them fantastic experiences in the outdoors, and elsewhere, where they can grow with us in a safe environment. More than 130 million Americans have been through our programs since our founding, and nearly 1 million youth are served by 477,000 dedicated adult volunteers in local councils throughout the country. To learn more about Scouting America's mission, or to sign your child up for Scouting, visit www.BeAScout.org.
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Original text here: https://www.scoutingnewsroom.org/press-releases/scouting-america-launches-competitive-gaming-merit-badge-at-the-national-jamboree/
[Category: Sociological]
Save the Sound Applauds New Proposed Air Monitoring Requirement for Brookfield Compressor Station; Highlights New Carbon Monoxide Concerns
NEW HAVEN, Connecticut, July 25 -- Save the Sound issued the following news release on July 24, 2026:
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Save the Sound applauds new proposed air monitoring requirement for Brookfield compressor station; highlights new carbon monoxide concerns
Public hearing and comment critical to protect environment
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Save the Sound is pleased by the announcement Friday that the Connecticut Department of Energy and Environmental Protection has opened a new public comment period on Iroquois Gas Transmission System, L.P.'s proposed expansion of its Brookfield Compressor Station. Save the Sound is also pleased
... Show Full Article
NEW HAVEN, Connecticut, July 25 -- Save the Sound issued the following news release on July 24, 2026:
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Save the Sound applauds new proposed air monitoring requirement for Brookfield compressor station; highlights new carbon monoxide concerns
Public hearing and comment critical to protect environment
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Save the Sound is pleased by the announcement Friday that the Connecticut Department of Energy and Environmental Protection has opened a new public comment period on Iroquois Gas Transmission System, L.P.'s proposed expansion of its Brookfield Compressor Station. Save the Sound is also pleasedthat DEEP has proposed adding air monitoring requirements for the Brookfield compressor station. However, Save the Sound is concerned that DEEP is also revising carbon monoxide emissions limits in a way that increases, rather than decreases, the impact to public health.
The new comment period allows Save the Sound and any other concerned residents to petition for an adjudicatory hearing challenging the permit.
Save the Sound first petitioned for an adjudicatory hearing more than ten months ago under the previous notice. Read more about the project and Save the Sound's concerns in the September 17, 2025 press release.
"We're encouraged that the Governor and DEEP have indicated they will require air quality monitoring," said Jessica Roberts, Connecticut staff attorney at Save the Sound. "But the state of Connecticut can't protect its residents, keep its air clean, and meet its greenhouse gas reduction obligations if it keeps allowing expansions of gas infrastructure without appropriate safeguards."
In a formal response issued Friday afternoon, DEEP replied to previous public comments. This response to comments will be available on DEEP's Adjudications website shortly as an attachment to the Hearing Officer Report for this matter. In addition, DEEP provided revised draft permits, which require Continuous Emissions Monitoring Systems for nitrogen oxides at the site and raise the emissions limit for carbon monoxide.
"Requiring more consistent and advanced air quality monitoring is a critical step for transparency and public health, but we remain deeply concerned about this project's impacts, including its carbon monoxide emissions," said Roberts. "Brookfield already has elevated levels of ozone, which worsens asthma and bronchitis and can damage airways. Expanding the Brookfield Compressor Station to supply gas to New York needlessly burdens Connecticut residents, degrading their air quality and threatening their health and safety."
DEEP's notice of the 30-day public comment period can be viewed here. This notice also contains links to the revised draft permits for Iroquois. Save the Sound encourages all concerned Connecticut residents to look for more information and to submit comments.
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Original text here: https://www.savethesound.org/2026/07/24/press-release-save-the-sound-applauds-new-proposed-air-monitoring-requirement-for-brookfield-compressor-station-highlights-new-carbon-monoxide-concerns/
[Category: Environment]
Pharma Looks to Cash in on Psychedelics as Patients Seek Alternatives to Psychotropic Drugs for Depression
FRANKLIN LAKES, New Jersey, July 25 -- 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 news:
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Pharma Looks to Cash in on Psychedelics as Patients Seek Alternatives to Psychotropic Drugs for Depression
Eli Lilly's multibillion-dollar acquisition of a company that makes experimental psychedelic therapies marks the largest investment yet by a drugmaker in psychedelic medicine as a treatment for depression. But pharma's entry into the market raises questions about patents,
... Show Full Article
FRANKLIN LAKES, New Jersey, July 25 -- 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 news:
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Pharma Looks to Cash in on Psychedelics as Patients Seek Alternatives to Psychotropic Drugs for Depression
Eli Lilly's multibillion-dollar acquisition of a company that makes experimental psychedelic therapies marks the largest investment yet by a drugmaker in psychedelic medicine as a treatment for depression. But pharma's entry into the market raises questions about patents,profits and the future of psychedelic therapy.
by Henrick Karoliszyn, DSW
Eli Lilly's multibillion-dollar acquisition of AtaiBeckley marks the largest pharmaceutical investment yet in psychedelic medicine, signaling a new phase for an industry once relegated to the margins of scientific research.
The deal, valued at approximately $2.8 billion upfront with up to $1 billion in additional milestone payments, gives Lilly control of AtaiBeckley's experimental psychedelic therapies, including BPL-003, a fast-acting nasal spray containing N,N-dimethyltryptamine (DMT) being studied for treatment-resistant depression.
AtaiBeckley announced in October 2025 that the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) granted BPL-003 Breakthrough Therapy designation, a status intended to accelerate development of treatments for serious conditions when early evidence suggests substantial improvement over existing options.
"Millions of people are still searching for relief and desperately need a therapy that works," said Dr. Carole Ho, president of Lilly Neuroscience. Advancing AtaiBeckley's therapies, she said, gives Lilly "a real chance to change that."
The company's purchase comes as pharmaceutical companies increasingly move into a field that has attracted growing scientific interest but remains controversial because of questions surrounding commercialization, access, intellectual property -- and whether corporate development will preserve the therapeutic models that shaped psychedelic research.
A turning point for psychedelic medicine
The Lilly-AtaiBeckley acquisition follows another major pharmaceutical investment in the sector. In 2025, AbbVie agreed to acquire Gilgamesh Pharmaceuticals' experimental depression treatment Bretisilocin (GM-2505) in a deal worth up to $1.2 billion.
Bretisilocin targets the brain's 5-HT2A serotonin receptor, the same receptor involved in the effects of classic psychedelics such as psilocybin and LSD.
Together, the deals suggest that major drugmakers increasingly view psychedelic compounds as a potential new category of mental health treatments.
Rayyan Zafar, Ph.D., a neuropsychopharmacologist at Imperial College London and member of the Centre for Psychedelic Research and Neuropsychopharmacology group, said the Lilly acquisition could help move psychedelics closer to popular medical use by making them "de-risked" for mental health utilization.
Pharmaceutical investment could extend past drug development by encouraging dialogue about insurance coverage and healthcare infrastructure needed to deliver new treatments, Zafar said.
"Beyond psychedelic clinical trials, it could also help stimulate broader discussion around reimbursement pathways and stimulate other public healthcare systems to begin preparing for rollout," he added.
A new business opportunity -- and new concerns
The pharmaceutical industry's interest in psychedelics comes as companies search for new treatments in a mental health market full of patients who have not responded adequately -- or have been harmed by -- existing medications.
It also positions pharmaceutical giants to cash in.
Richard C. Deth, Ph.D., professor of pharmacology at Nova Southeastern University in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, said Lilly's acquisition appears designed to establish a foothold in an emerging financial space.
"Clearly Lilly is buying to create a position in anticipation of an expanding market for these types of compounds," Deth said.
Drugwatch senior writer Terry Turner said pharmaceutical companies are entering the field because of both commercial opportunity and unmet medical need.
"With Big Pharma companies, profit is always part of it, no question," Turner said. "And there is a gold rush going on with psychedelics right now."
He added that the combination of increased government attention, scientific interest and patients seeking alternatives has created momentum for the industry.
"Add all that up, and you've got a perfect storm pushing psychedelics from the lab into mainstream mental health care," Turner said.
'Enormous financial incentive to build intellectual property around psychedelics'
A central concern surrounding the pharmaceutical industry's entrance into psychedelics is how companies will protect their investments and build exclusive trademarks around substances that often exist in nature -- and what that means for patients.
Experts say companies generally cannot patent naturally occurring psychedelics in their original forms. However, they will seek intellectual property protections for modified compounds, delivery systems, manufacturing methods and specific medical uses.
Shannon Hughes, Ph.D., co-founder of Elemental Psychedelics, said patent strategies are central to the pharmaceutical business model.
"They're clearly trying to patent certain psychedelics," Hughes said. "Drug analogs of MDMA, DMT, LSD and psilocybin are being patented. Pharma companies wouldn't enter the psychedelic business if they couldn't patent the molecule."
Hughes said naturally occurring compounds such as psilocybin and DMT cannot typically be patented in their natural state, so companies must create new intellectual property around pharmaceutical versions.
"Commercialization hinges on monopolization," Hughes said. "Without patents, major pharmaceutical firms would not invest billions into late-stage clinical trials."
She pointed to the BPL-003 nasal spray as an example of how companies are creating proprietary psychedelic medicines.
"AtaiBeckley's lead candidates -- such as BPL-003, an intranasal synthetic form of 5-MeO-DMT, and VLS-01, a buccal film of DMT -- are specifically engineered, patented drug products designed to create defensible market monopolies," Hughes said.
Brag Burge, founder of Integration Communications, a public relations firm specializing in psychedelic organizations, told The Defender pharmaceutical companies are not looking to control the substances themselves but to take over a multi-faceted approach to applying them.
"The commercial strategy is generally not to claim ownership over a naturally occurring psychedelic itself, but to patent new compounds, synthesis processes, formulations, delivery systems, combinations, and specific medical uses," he said.
"There is an enormous financial incentive to build intellectual property around psychedelics, especially if that intellectual property can produce a treatment that is easier to manufacture, administer, insure or scale."
How will pharma alter the psychedelic experience?
The development of pharmaceutical psychedelics may also change how these substances are experienced.
Unlike traditional psychedelic experiences, which may last several hours and often involve extensive preparation and integration, some new compounds are designed to shorten the duration of the psychedelic state to fit within existing healthcare systems.
The Multidisciplinary Association for Psychedelic Studies (MAPS), a nonprofit launched four decades ago to advocate for beneficial uses of psychedelic substances and marijuana, told The Defender they fear the overall healing potential for psychedelics could be lost in the Lilly-like takeovers.
"It's good because a traditional pharma company sees value in the substances and the research being done in the psychedelic ecosystem," the group said in a statement to The Defender. "It's worrisome because we see therapy being left behind, and just the psychedelics being their main interest. So we can wait and see what and how they roll it out, but be ready to put pressure on them if it ends up being something far from the therapy-assisted focus we've researched and supported."
Hughes said the psychedelic experience itself could also be altered with Big Pharma involvement.
"Pharmaceutical development of psychedelic molecules inherently removes the psychedelic ingredient from its natural biological context (the plant, fungus, or animal) as well as from its cultural context of use," she said.
"This extraction from context changes how we interact with the drug and how its effects are experienced. It may even change the effects themselves, as what we consider to be the psychedelic ingredient might also be dependent on the myriad other known and unknown compounds that make up the plant system."
She added:
"This is an experiment that we've done over and over, and generally the outcomes do not go in our favor. We extracted nicotine from the tobacco plant -- both the chemical of nicotine and its traditional cultural and contextual use as a medicine -- and we put it into the hands of industry.
"The outcome is addiction and chronic illness. We extracted opium from the poppy, and cocaine from the coca leaf. Might we be repeating this pattern by extracting or synthesizing psilocybin from the psilocybin-containing mushroom, and so on with other psychedelics?"
Altering psychedelic compounds could create unintended consequences
Researchers and companies developing psychedelic medicines emphasize that controlled pharmaceutical formulations may improve consistency and safety.
Critics argue that changing the compounds or shortening psychedelic experiences could introduce new risks.
Turner said early trials of BPL-003 have reported mostly mild to moderate side effects, including nausea, temporary blood pressure increases and nasal irritation.
However, he said some risks may become apparent only after widespread use.
"As far as severe side effects go, you don't often find out what those may be until a pharmaceutical is on the market for a while and a large number of people have been taking it," Turner said.
Hughes said altering psychedelic compounds could create unintended consequences.
"We also don't understand the entourage effects involved in the whole plant or fungus," she said. "Removing one ingredient that we think is 'the' important ingredient and using it in isolation can absolutely create unforeseen risks and side effects."
She said shorter, more intense psychedelic experiences could create additional challenges.
"Shortened, hyper-intense psychedelic experiences can lead to acute distress, disorientation or destabilization if a patient is discharged too quickly without adequate psychological preparation, grounding and relational support," Hughes said.
Burge said researchers should continue evaluating not only whether psychedelic medicines work, but how they work and what elements of the experience contribute to outcomes.
"Every psychedelic has side effects, meaning effects beyond the main outcome being sought," Burge said.
He noted that the subjective psychedelic experience itself can be part of the therapeutic process.
"Some researchers and companies describe hallucinations as an unwanted side effect, while others believe the subjective experience -- including visions, emotions, memories and changes in perspective -- might be central to how psychedelic therapy works," Burge said.
A $7 billion market by 2032?
Despite ongoing debate, investors and analysts expect the psychedelic medicine sector to expand.
Bloomberg estimates the psychedelic-treatment market could reach approximately $7 billion in annual sales by 2032.
In recent years, Johnson & Johnson's Spravato (esketamine) nasal spray became the only FDA-approved psychedelic-derived medicine for treatment-resistant depression.
First approved in 2019 for use with an oral antidepressant, the drug received expanded FDA approval in January 2025 as the first and only standalone (monotherapy) treatment for adults with treatment-resistant depression.
Spravato reported $468 million in first-quarter 2026 sales, up 46% year over year.
Meanwhile, other psychedelics have shown promise for treating mental health issues.
Compass Pathways reported positive six-month Phase 3 trial data showing its investigational synthetic psilocybin treatment, COMP360, delivered quick and lasting benefits for patients with treatment-resistant depression, reinforcing results from an earlier trial.
The company said 39% of patients receiving the 25-milligram dose achieved a clinically meaningful reduction in depression symptoms by week six after two doses and maintained that benefit through at least week 26.
COMP360 also continued to demonstrate a generally well-tolerated safety profile with no new safety findings, the company said.
Compass said the results strengthen its rolling New Drug Application with the FDA, with final submission expected in the fourth quarter of 2026. If approved and rescheduled by the Drug Enforcement Administration, the company expects to launch COMP360 in the first half of 2027.
At the same time, lawmakers continue to advance legislation related to psychedelic substances as interest grows in their potential use for treating mental health conditions, including post-traumatic stress disorder and depression.
President Donald Trump signed an executive order in April directing federal agencies to accelerate the review of certain psychedelic therapies, including ibogaine.
While several states have approved research funding, pilot programs or regulated therapeutic access, federal law continues to classify most psychedelics as Schedule I controlled substances.
The FDA did not respond to requests for comment.
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Henrick Karoliszyn, DSW, is an investigative reporter for The Defender.
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Original text here: https://childrenshealthdefense.org/defender/big-pharma-cash-in-psychedelics-alternative-treatment-depression-psychotropic-drugs/
[Category: Health Care]
Human Rights Watch Issues Commentary: Uganda's Military Forcibly Disappears Opposition Politician
NEW YORK, July 25 [Category: International] -- Human Rights Watch issued the following commentary on July 23, 2026, by Horn of Africa Director Laetitia Bader:
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Uganda's Military Forcibly Disappears Opposition Politician
Political Opponents, Critics Face Arrests
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It has been 13 days since armed soldiers seized Muwanga Kivumbi, a deputy president for the National Unity Platform, Uganda's main opposition party. He has not been heard from since and the authorities have yet to account for his whereabouts.
On July 10, the day after a court released Kivumbi on bail on politically related
... Show Full Article
NEW YORK, July 25 [Category: International] -- Human Rights Watch issued the following commentary on July 23, 2026, by Horn of Africa Director Laetitia Bader:
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Uganda's Military Forcibly Disappears Opposition Politician
Political Opponents, Critics Face Arrests
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It has been 13 days since armed soldiers seized Muwanga Kivumbi, a deputy president for the National Unity Platform, Uganda's main opposition party. He has not been heard from since and the authorities have yet to account for his whereabouts.
On July 10, the day after a court released Kivumbi on bail on politically relatedterrorism charges, armed plainclothes and uniformed soldiers dragged him from his car at a police roadblock on the outskirts of Kampala and drove off with him to an unknown location. A victim of an enforced disappearance at the hands of Ugandan soldiers, his safety and life remain at risk as long as the military are holding him beyond the protection of the law.
Kivumbi's family filed a habeas corpus application this week, asking the authorities to immediately release him, but a judge declined to do so and instead ordered the government to "conclude investigations" into his disappearance and provide a response within a week. During the proceedings, the police denied they are holding Kivumbi.
Kivumbi had been detained in prison since January 22, 2026, when authorities arrested him, Jolly Jackline Tukamushaba, and Lina Zedriga Waru, two other deputy presidents from the opposition party, following the January 14 general elections. The authorities released Tukamushaba and Waru after holding them incommunicado for several days, but charged Kivumbi with terrorism for allegedly orchestrating and executing "a violent attack" on a police station and a polling station, an accusation he denied, and remanded him to prison before his release on bail on July 9.
Ugandan security agencies regularly re-arrest people shortly after courts have granted them bail or acquitted them on politically related charges.
Kivumbi's enforced disappearance is one of several unlawful detentions of government critics and opponents in recent weeks by the Ugandan military and a crime under international law. An enforced disappearance occurs when state authorities or their agents detain a person and refuse to acknowledge the detention or reveal the person's fate or whereabouts, placing them outside the protection of the law, as has happened in Kivumbi's case. He, like other victims of enforced disappearances, is at a heightened risk of torture and other grave abuses.
The Ugandan authorities should immediately disclose Kivumbi's whereabouts, release him, and end their assault on political opposition and criticism.
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Laetitia Bader is the Horn of Africa director at Human Rights Watch. She has investigated conflict related abuses, including abuses against children and internally displaced persons in Somalia, and focused on issues of political repression, including mistreatment of political detainees. Before joining Human Rights Watch she worked on the rights of human rights defenders in the East and Horn of Africa region and worked at the United Nations High Commission for Refugees (UNHCR) in Uganda. She holds a master's in international affairs from Columbia University's School of International and Public Affairs (SIPA) and Sciences-Po in Paris, specializing in human rights, and holds a bachelor's in history from University College London (UCL). She is bilingual in French and English, and speaks Italian and Spanish.
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Original text here: https://www.hrw.org/news/2026/07/23/ugandas-military-forcibly-disappears-opposition-politician
Environment America Research & Policy Center Statement: Plug-in Solar Takes Step Forward With First National Safety Certification
WASHINGTON, July 25 -- Environment America Research and Policy Center issued the following statement on July 24, 2026:
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STATEMENT: Plug-in solar takes step forward with first national safety certification
Certification of micro-inverters brings plug-in solar closer to being widely available
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DENVER - Two companies, Hoymiles and APSystems, recently announced that their micro-inverters for plug-in solar systems were certified as complying with national product safety standards. The certification was done by the nationally recognized testing laboratory, CSA Group. The inaugural safety standard
... Show Full Article
WASHINGTON, July 25 -- Environment America Research and Policy Center issued the following statement on July 24, 2026:
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STATEMENT: Plug-in solar takes step forward with first national safety certification
Certification of micro-inverters brings plug-in solar closer to being widely available
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DENVER - Two companies, Hoymiles and APSystems, recently announced that their micro-inverters for plug-in solar systems were certified as complying with national product safety standards. The certification was done by the nationally recognized testing laboratory, CSA Group. The inaugural safety standardfor plug-in solar, UL 3700, was adopted in December of 2025.
Micro-inverters convert energy from solar panels (direct current or DC) into electricity that can be used to power appliances in a home (alternating current or AC).
As of July 2026, no whole-system plug-in solar kit (sold in one box that includes a panel, inverter and plug) has received UL 3700 certification from a nationally recognized testing laboratory.
In response, Johanna Neumann, senior director of the Campaign for 100% Renewable Energy at Environment America Research & Policy Center, released this statement:
"Many Americans would prefer to harness the rays of the sun in their backyard to help power their homes, rather than paying utility companies for power generated by burning fossil fuels many miles away.
"America is now one step closer to a national safety certification for plug-in solar kits. I hope it is a matter of months, not years until Americans can go to a store, buy a solar kit and plug it in at home with the same ease and peace of mind as plugging in a toaster."
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Original text here: https://environmentamerica.org/center/media-center/statement-plug-in-solar-takes-step-forward-with-first-national-safety-certification/
[Category: Environment]
EBC Rhode Island Chapter Announces New Chapter Vice Chair
BROOKLINE, Massachusetts, July 25 -- The Environmental Business Council of New England issued the following news:
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EBC Rhode Island Chapter Announces New Chapter Vice Chair
EBC is pleased to announce that Christian F. Capizzo, Senior Counsel with EBC Member Adler Pollock & Sheehan, P.C., is now leading the EBC Rhode Island Chapter as Vice Chair. Please join EBC in welcoming Christian to this position. The Vice Chair meets routinely with the Chapter Chair and Leadership Team members to identify topics for future EBC programs.
Christian Capizzo, Senior Counsel, Adler Pollock & Sheehan,
... Show Full Article
BROOKLINE, Massachusetts, July 25 -- The Environmental Business Council of New England issued the following news:
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EBC Rhode Island Chapter Announces New Chapter Vice Chair
EBC is pleased to announce that Christian F. Capizzo, Senior Counsel with EBC Member Adler Pollock & Sheehan, P.C., is now leading the EBC Rhode Island Chapter as Vice Chair. Please join EBC in welcoming Christian to this position. The Vice Chair meets routinely with the Chapter Chair and Leadership Team members to identify topics for future EBC programs.
Christian Capizzo, Senior Counsel, Adler Pollock & Sheehan,100 Westminster Street, 16th Floor, Providence, RI 02903, (401) 274-7200 | capizzo@apslaw.com
Christian's Bio:
Recognized for his ability to unify disparate groups and facilitate change, Christian concentrates his practice in the areas of environmental and energy law, land use and public sector/governmental services. With over 25 years of experience, Christian guides clients through the complex ever-changing world where energy/environmental regulations and business intersect.
Christian handles a diverse range of complex environmental matters including enforcement, regulatory and compliance issues, renewable energy projects including large scale solar and offshore wind projects, real estate development, state and federal environmental enforcement actions, environmental due diligence associated with mergers and acquisitions, environmental remediation including brownfields, coastal/waterfront violations, permitting and waterfront property rights. He represents clients before the Rhode Island Coastal Resources Management Council, the Rhode Island Department of Environmental Management, the Rhode Island Public Utilities Commission, the Rhode Island Energy Facility Siting Board, as well as before the town/city zoning boards, planning boards and conservation commissions in towns and municipalities across New England.
Christian also represents landowners and project developers in real estate transactions, renewable energy development deals, and financing transactions associated with these projects. He plays an integral role evaluating and mitigating environmental risks relating to development projects and business transactions, as well as providing key strategy on renewable energy projects.
Prior to joining the firm, Christian served in the Rhode Island Attorney General's Office where he had a proven track record of successfully litigating high profile criminal and civil cases. He led the State's Environmental Crimes Task Force, handling litigation on environmental issues impacting Rhode Island. Christian worked closely with the Rhode Island Department of Environmental Management and the Coastal Resources Management Council, serving as outside legal counsel handling enforcement matters, drafting legislation, and negotiating diverse environmental matters. Christian has also worked closely with the U.S. Department of Justice, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, U.S. Coast Guard, U.S. Fish and Wildlife, U.S. Department of Agriculture and various state agencies and attorney generals throughout the United States.
Christian is nationally recognized for developing and implementing environmental and energy training programs and is a sought-after presenter on a myriad of topics with a focus on emerging and complex energy and environmental issues and trends.
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Original text here: https://ebcne.org/news/ebc-rhode-island-chapter-announces-new-chapter-vice-chair-2/
[Category: Environment]
Americans for Tax Reform: EU Hits Google With a $1 Billion Fine
WASHINGTON, July 25 -- Americans for Tax Reform posted the following commentary on July 23, 2026, by Jack Sepulvado:
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EU Hits Google with a $1 Billion Fine
In the latest episode of its digital tax craze, the EU forces Google to pay Euros890 million ($1 billion) under the Digital Markets Act (DMA). By targeting one of the world's largest tech companies, Europe sends a message innovation is not welcome.
On July 23, the EU announced that Google had violated the DMA by giving preferential treatment to its own services. This meant that Google advertised its own services more frequently. Instead
... Show Full Article
WASHINGTON, July 25 -- Americans for Tax Reform posted the following commentary on July 23, 2026, by Jack Sepulvado:
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EU Hits Google with a $1 Billion Fine
In the latest episode of its digital tax craze, the EU forces Google to pay Euros890 million ($1 billion) under the Digital Markets Act (DMA). By targeting one of the world's largest tech companies, Europe sends a message innovation is not welcome.
On July 23, the EU announced that Google had violated the DMA by giving preferential treatment to its own services. This meant that Google advertised its own services more frequently. Insteadof Google's fast, well-integrated hotels, flights, shopping, services, users will now be prompted utilize third-party products. Ironically, this results in higher prices for users. For example, when Google cannot display travel plans through Google Flights--directly linked to airline websites--users must navigate intermediaries that impose an extra fee on top of the flight ticket.
The EU also found that Google had violated "anti-steering" measures by not sufficiently informing users of alternative app stores on Google Play. To comply with the DMA, Google will have to devote significantly more content on its own app store to lower-quality alternatives with slower services. A similar rule limiting Google's use of AI on Google Play lowers protections for consumers from malicious online activity.
The DMA limits large tech companies' ability to innovate by allowing competitor products and services to operate with their devices. Since taking effect in 2023, this has taken a toll on Europe's access to new technology. For example, Apple withheld the launch of Apple Intelligence in Europe over fears of the DMA's interoperability requirements. While the rest of the world enjoyed cutting-edge tech, Europe was stuck with second-rate services.
The DMA is detrimental to Europe's economic growth. The Computer and Communications Industry Association estimated that the Act would deprive the economy of Euros114 billion every year as a result of degraded personalization features and higher transaction costs.
The DMA is one part of Europe's targeting of digital commerce. The other is the onslaught of digital services taxes (DST) that also fall disproportionately on U.S. companies, costing them nearly $3 billion per annum. By using high revenue threshold, these taxes only apply to American tech firms, such as Meta, Apple, and Microsoft. The Tholos Foundation confirmed that the vast majority of DST-paying firms in Spain and Tukey were American and that U.S. firms generated over 90% of the UK's DST revenue.
These exorbitant costs are unlikely to remain with the targeted companies, though. Firms pass the burden onto consumers through higher marketplace fees, advertising charges, and app store commissions. In practice, this makes DSTs a hidden tax on digital activity and the consumers who rely on it, not just on corporate revenue.
As the saying goes, "American innovates, China imitates, and Europe regulates." As long as EU lawmakers are focused on denying their people access to new technology, Europe's economy will continue to plateau. The Trump Administration must act now to put an end to European looting of successful American companies.
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Original text here: https://atr.org/eu-hits-google-with-a-1-billion-fine/
[Category: Political]
