Featured Stories
Refugees International Condemns Planned U.S. Deportation of Afghans via Pakistan
WASHINGTON, Nov. 1 [Category: International] -- Refugees International, a humanitarian organization that says it advocates for lifesaving assistance, human rights and protection for displaced people, issued the following news:
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Refugees International Condemns Planned U.S. Deportation of Afghans via Pakistan
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Please see below statement from Director for the Americas and Europe Dr. Yael Schacher:
"The Trump administration is gathering Afghans from around the country to a detention facility in Louisiana in preparation for their deportation to Afghanistan via Pakistan as early as Monday.
An
... Show Full Article
WASHINGTON, Nov. 1 [Category: International] -- Refugees International, a humanitarian organization that says it advocates for lifesaving assistance, human rights and protection for displaced people, issued the following news:
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Refugees International Condemns Planned U.S. Deportation of Afghans via Pakistan
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Please see below statement from Director for the Americas and Europe Dr. Yael Schacher:
"The Trump administration is gathering Afghans from around the country to a detention facility in Louisiana in preparation for their deportation to Afghanistan via Pakistan as early as Monday.
Anadministration official said "we don't really care what happens to them," which is the basis of current policies denying asylum seekers fair hearings, detaining them and long time residents under inhumane conditions, and deporting refugees to danger in their home countries or third countries.
The administration's approach is completely untethered from the interests of the American people, who overwhelmingly support the U.S. as a country of refuge, especially for Afghans. As with many of this administration's shady third country deportation agreements, we lack details about the deal with Pakistan, but we know that the plane will be landing in a country that has engaged in mass forced expulsions to Afghanistan.
In Afghanistan under Taliban rule, Afghans associated with the United States face targeted persecution and women face both social and literal death.
Refugees International demands a halt to this and future flights that violate United States obligations against non-refoulement and promise to provide protection to refugees."
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Original text here: https://www.refugeesinternational.org/statements-and-news/refugees-international-condemns-planned-u-s-deportation-of-afghans-via-pakistan/
Wildlife Society: Wind Turbines Have Killed 18M Bats Since 1981
BETHESDA, Maryland, Oct. 31 -- The Wildlife Society, a wildlife conservation organization, posted the following news:
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Wind turbines have killed 18M bats since 1981
Large-scale analysis reveals the conditions in which turbines are most deadly for flying mammals
October 30, 2026
Windmills have killed an estimated 18 million bats in four and a half decades in the lower 48 states.
"In recent years, since 2021, 1.5 million fatalities may be occurring annually," said Charles Labuzzetta, a quantitative ecologist with the U.S. Geological Survey.
These wind-energy developments are particularly
... Show Full Article
BETHESDA, Maryland, Oct. 31 -- The Wildlife Society, a wildlife conservation organization, posted the following news:
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Wind turbines have killed 18M bats since 1981
Large-scale analysis reveals the conditions in which turbines are most deadly for flying mammals
October 30, 2026
Windmills have killed an estimated 18 million bats in four and a half decades in the lower 48 states.
"In recent years, since 2021, 1.5 million fatalities may be occurring annually," said Charles Labuzzetta, a quantitative ecologist with the U.S. Geological Survey.
These wind-energy developments are particularlydeadly when placed near rivers, mineshafts or karst formations, or in the Appalachian Mountains. Policymakers can use the data to inform permitting decisions.
Four decades of bat deaths
A number of studies have looked at bat deaths in individual areas. In a study published recently in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, Labuzzetta led a team that analyzed data on bat fatalities from wind turbines in the lower 48 states from 1981 to 2024.
They used statistics, which included actual carcasses reported at wind farms, to estimate the number of deaths across all wind farms, many of which are never discovered or reported by wind facility staff.
The team estimated that some 18.7 million bats were killed in collisions in that time period. From 2021, the number was about 1.5 million per year.
"The bat fatalities are far more alarming than we thought," said TWS CEO Ed Arnett, who studied bat fatalities at wind facilities for eight years at Bat Conservation International. He said this research corroborates his own work from more than a decade ago on bat fatality numbers.
These numbers were roughly comparable to the number of bats killed by white-nose syndrome (WNS), though turbines usually affect migratory species more, while WNS is more deadly for cave-roosting species.
"The magnitude of total fatalities might be the same," Labuzzetta said.
In some areas, the turbine data reflected the impact of that disease. Co-author Bethany Frid, a supervisory biologist at the USGS and a coordinator for the North American Bat Monitoring Program, said that certain species were killed less in some areas after WNS reached the area--likely because populations of those species had taken a hit from the disease in those areas.
What bat species do wind turbines affect the most?
Rather than just looking at numbers overall, this new study also looked at species-level impacts. They found that, as other studies have shown, migratory species strike turbines more than cave-dwelling species.
The three species killed the most were hoary bats (Lasiurus cinereus), silver-haired bats (Lasionycteris noctivagans) and eastern red bats (L. borealis)--all species that range widely across the contiguous U.S.
Species listed on the U.S. Endangered Species Act also showed up dead at some turbines, though numbers were often lower. Species like northern long-eared bats (Myotis septentrionalis) and Indiana bats (M. sodalis) were among listed species, as were tricolored bats (Perimyotis subflavus), currently proposed for listing.
What turbine areas are the deadliest for bats?
The team also found that certain areas were worse than others in terms of bat strikes. Consistent with other research, they found that areas in the Appalachian Mountains were particularly high risk for bat deaths. Turbines near mine shafts or karst formations conducive to caves also had a high fatality rate, as bats often use these areas to roost. Finally, riverside turbines were particularly deadly, as they see a lot of bat activity. "Water is an important resource for not just drinking but foraging as well," Frid said.
The team also found that turbines that swept close to the ground were associated with more fatalities for certain species like hoary bats, silver-haired bats, Seminole bats (L. seminolus), little brown bats (Myotis lucifugus) and tricolored bats. Turbines with longer blades that swept through more airspace were associated with more fatalities for species like hoary bats, big brown bats (Eptesicus fuscus), eastern red bats, silver-haired bats and evening bats (Nycticeius humeralis).
"There may be differences in how various species move through the airspace and in how much their flight paths overlap with the area swept by the turbine blades, influenced by factors such as ground clearance and total rotor swept area," said Labuzzetta, though he added more data is needed to verify this.
Finally, the researchers found that curtailment efforts involving turning turbine blades parallel to the wind and slowing them down during low wind-speed periods when bats are more likely to fly helped to reduce collision-related deaths for some species, such as hoary bats.
Arnett said this research proves curtailment works to reduce bat strikes. He added that the results support the industry's broad-scale implementation of curtailment strategies to mitigate bat deaths.
One way to improve the rollout of such strategies is to have better economic analysis of planned wind developments that take curtailment into account, Arnett said. That will give a better idea of how much turbine energy is reduced if they are turned off during the riskiest times for bat strikes, allowing companies and utilities to factor those mitigation costs into their agreements and economic projections.
Using their findings, the team created risk maps that highlighted these hot spots for bat strikes. Policymakers--and the wind industry--could use the maps to decide on better wind energy placement.
"The ability to predict these sites ahead of build-out has always eluded us," Arnett said. But, he said, this study gives a better roadmap for balancing mitigation--including avoidance of some sites--and sustainable wind power.
Article by Joshua Rapp Learn, Associate Editor
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Original text here: https://wildlife.org/wind-turbines-have-killed-18m-bats-since-1981/
[Category: Environment]
Protect Borrower: 'Weingarten V. McMahon' - Major Class Action Lawsuit Launched Against Education Secretary Over Student Loan Crisis
WASHINGTON, Oct. 31 -- Protect Borrowers (formerly Student Borrower Protection Center) issued the following news release:
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'Weingarten v. McMahon': Major Class Action Lawsuit Launched Against Education Secretary Over Student Loan Crisis
Trump Administration Deliberately Mishandled Public Service Loan Forgiveness Program, Leaving Over 90,000 Borrowers in the Lurch
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October 30, 2026 | WASHINGTON, D.C. -- A landmark class action lawsuit filed today in federal court documents how Education Secretary Linda McMahon has systematically prevented tens of thousands of public service workers from
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WASHINGTON, Oct. 31 -- Protect Borrowers (formerly Student Borrower Protection Center) issued the following news release:
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'Weingarten v. McMahon': Major Class Action Lawsuit Launched Against Education Secretary Over Student Loan Crisis
Trump Administration Deliberately Mishandled Public Service Loan Forgiveness Program, Leaving Over 90,000 Borrowers in the Lurch
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October 30, 2026 | WASHINGTON, D.C. -- A landmark class action lawsuit filed today in federal court documents how Education Secretary Linda McMahon has systematically prevented tens of thousands of public service workers fromsecuring millions in debt relief they are owed under federal law.
The nationwide suit, Weingarten v. McMahon (https://www.aft.org/sites/default/files/media/documents/2026/Weingarten_v_Dept_of_Education_Case_No_26-cv-03826_ECF_1_Complaint.pdf), lays bare the gross mismanagement of the buyback and other key provisions of the Public Service Loan Forgiveness program by McMahon and her Department of Education. Tens of thousands of borrowers have applied for debt relief, but their applications are stuck in limbo, with no updates for months on end.
The case, filed Friday in federal District Court for the District of Columbia, is brought as a class action and is seeking relief for all similarly situated borrowers, not just the named plaintiffs.
"Secretary McMahon has flagrantly ignored her responsibility to help teachers, nurses and first responders under the buyback provision her department pledged to implement," said AFT President and lead plaintiff Randi Weingarten. "Instead of processing applications in good faith, she has left 90,000 dedicated public employees in the lurch, forcing them further into debt while their applications gather dust. This lawsuit demands that McMahon stop stalling and do her job-to help, rather than hurt, the people she is sworn to serve."
McMahon has made it her "final mission" to "put herself out of a job" by abolishing the department she runs. She has hobbled its key functions by trying to move them elsewhere, adding to the red tape and bureaucratic dysfunction she claims to want to eliminate.
PSLF is a bipartisan loan forgiveness plan signed into law by President George W. Bush. It enables qualifying public service workers--among them teachers, nurses, and first responders--to discharge their student loan balances after 120 monthly repayments.
In recent years, following changes to federal repayment plans and during the COVID-19 pandemic, loan servicers and the department often placed borrowers into forbearance or deferment for several months at a time. Under the buyback provision, borrowers can elect to pay now the amount that they would have paid during those months, have them retrospectively credited to their 120-payment total, and then have their remaining debt discharged. This opportunity builds on PSLF account review opportunities negotiated by AFT as part of a previous legal settlement.
However, the suit alleges that as a direct result of Secretary McMahon's mismanagement, those applications have been shelved, with little or no communication with borrowers about when they might be processed. Because borrowers can only apply for a buyback when they have already worked in public service for ten years, the department's actions are all that is standing between these borrowers and having their outstanding loan balances-often totaling hundreds of thousands of dollars-from being forgiven through PSLF. By April of this year, the buyback backlog had reached nearly 90,000, from the previous total of 49,000 a year earlier, with the department refusing to give an updated processing timeline.
The complaint also details a raft of other PSLF issues, including the department clawing back previously granted PSLF credit: In August, some borrowers saw their PSLF counts mysteriously drop, some by 15 months or more. The department initially dismissed the error, then admitted that some earlier waiver and account-adjustment credits were being purposely rolled back. The complaint details how, in addition to the department clawing back PSLF credits, it has withheld, without explanation, recently earned qualifying payments.
"I've dedicated my career to improving the lives of children in my community. I did everything right to earn relief from my student debt," said Elizabeth Schoepflin, a speech-language pathologist, AFT member and co-plaintiff from New York. "Meanwhile, the Department of Education has ripped away the loan forgiveness credit I earned without any explanation. Every month this drags on is another payment I shouldn't have to make. I kept my end of the deal. It's time for the Department to keep theirs."
The suit cites repeated violations of the Administrative Procedure Act. Plaintiffs are seeking permanent injunctive relief compelling the department to comply with its statutory obligations under the Higher Education Act to forgive the loans of all borrowers who satisfy the PSLF requirements.
"PSLF is not a handout. It is a commitment to people who dedicate their careers to public service," said David Petley, a co-plaintiff and associate AFT member from Oregon. "As a rural Oregon hospital pharmacist, I have seen firsthand how this program helps bring skilled professional public servants to communities that need them. But now, after 10+ years of public service, I have waited a year and a half for a response to my PSLF buyback request, with no information about when it will be resolved. I am expected to keep making more expensive monthly payments in the meantime. That is unacceptable. Public servants deserve better."
"The teachers, nurses, and public service workers of this country deserve the debt relief Congress promised to them, and AFT will fight to deliver on that promise," said Protect Borrowers Senior Counsel Laura C. Dismore. "AFT is, once again, stepping up to hold Linda McMahon accountable in court for her blatant flouting of the law. From President Trump on down, this Administration is so focused on destroying what's left of the Department of Education--and blaming borrowers for the consequences--that it has lost sight of its basic obligation to the American people: lower costs and fix the economy. Public service workers and the communities they serve deserve better than more dysfunction and broken promises. The law guarantees public service workers certain rights, and we will enforce those rights wherever and whenever they are violated."
Weingarten is the lead named plaintiff alongside AFT members and public service workers.
"This is our third case in less than 2 years against the Trump administration and AFT will not stop fighting until every teacher, nurse and public worker get the loan forgiveness they were promised," she added. "People who dedicate their careers to serving the public should be helped by the federal government-instead, Secretary McMahon has waged a war on affordability and retied the Gordian knot we forced Betsy DeVos to unravel. That's why we're suing again."
Today's filing marks AFT's eighth lawsuit over a decade to protect student loan borrowers from predatory loan servicers and politicians determined to make it harder for young people to pay for college. The case is effectively a successor suit to Weingarten v. DeVos, settled in October 2021, that gave denied applicants a path to re-review through a PSLF reconsideration process that was ultimately codified by the Biden-era Education Department, leading to over one million public workers receiving $78 billion in loan forgiveness. In AFT v. McMahon, filed in March 2025, the union sued after McMahon blocked access to more affordable repayment plans. In November 2025, the AFT joined the National Council of Nonprofits to restore access to PSLF for work that the administration disagreed with politically.
Weingarten v. McMahon seeks to be certified as a class action to represent the interests of borrowers across the country with pending buyback applications, whose PSLF credits have been clawed back, or whose recent payments are not being counted toward PSLF. All plaintiffs and the proposed class of borrowers are represented by Protect Borrowers and Berger Montague.
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Original text here: https://protectborrowers.org/weingarten-v-mcmahon/
[Category: Financial Services]
Finseca: NAILBA Honors Industry Leaders at NAILBA 45, Presenting Douglas Mooers Award to Bill Shelow
WASHINGTON, Oct. 31 -- Finseca, a professional community for financial advisors, issued the following news release:
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NAILBA Honors Industry Leaders at NAILBA 45, Presenting Douglas Mooers Award to Bill Shelow
Washington, D.C. (October 30, 2026) - NAILBA (National Association of Independent Life Brokerage Agencies), a community of Finseca, recognized leaders across independent life brokerage at NAILBA 45 in Orlando on Friday, October 23. The evening's honors included the 2026 Douglas Mooers Award for Excellence for Bill Shelow, President and CEO of LIBRA Insurance Partners; the newly renamed
... Show Full Article
WASHINGTON, Oct. 31 -- Finseca, a professional community for financial advisors, issued the following news release:
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NAILBA Honors Industry Leaders at NAILBA 45, Presenting Douglas Mooers Award to Bill Shelow
Washington, D.C. (October 30, 2026) - NAILBA (National Association of Independent Life Brokerage Agencies), a community of Finseca, recognized leaders across independent life brokerage at NAILBA 45 in Orlando on Friday, October 23. The evening's honors included the 2026 Douglas Mooers Award for Excellence for Bill Shelow, President and CEO of LIBRA Insurance Partners; the newly renamedWarren H. May Chairman's Award for Joslyn Druvenga of CBS Brokerage; the Kathy Deren Excellence in Life Insurance Underwriting Award for TJ Doan of Pacific Life; and the ID Twenty Awards recognizing industry leadership.
Bill Shelow Receives NAILBA's Highest Honor
Established in 1986, the Douglas Mooers Award for Excellence is NAILBA's highest honor, recognizing individuals whose leadership and service have advanced independent life brokerage as a distribution system.
"Bill has spent his career making independent distribution work better for everyone in it, from the carrier to the agent to the family buying the policy," said Warren May, NAILBA leader. "He built LIBRA on the belief that independent agencies are stronger together, and our whole profession is better for it."
Shelow has spent his career strengthening independent distribution and helping agencies grow. Before becoming President and CEO of LIBRA Insurance Partners, formed in 2020 through the combination of LifeMark Partners and BRAMCO Financial Resources, he served as President of Duncan Financial Group and CEO of Atlantic Financial Group. Earlier, he spent 25 years with Harleysville Insurance, including as President and Chief Operating Officer of Harleysville Life.
Joslyn Druvenga Receives the Warren H. May Chairman's Award
NAILBA presented the Warren H. May Chairman's Award to Joslyn Druvenga of CBS Brokerage. Formerly known as the Chairman's Award, the honor has been renamed to recognize Warren H. May and his contributions to NAILBA and the independent brokerage community.
"Leadership is never a solo effort, and throughout my time as Chairman, Joslyn has been the person beside me every step of the way," said Chad Druvenga, NAILBA Chairman. "She has been a trusted partner, a steady source of perspective, and someone who genuinely cares about people and looks for ways to make a difference without ever seeking recognition. That's what makes it so fitting that she is the first recipient of the Warren H. May Chairman's Award. Warren has always led through relationships, service, humility, and a commitment to others. Joslyn embodies those same qualities in the way she supports people and gives of herself. I can't imagine a more meaningful first recipient, and I'm incredibly proud to recognize her."
TJ Doan Receives the Kathy Deren Excellence in Life Insurance Underwriting Award
TJ Doan, Vice President, Head of Underwriting Operations and Assistant Chief Underwriter at Pacific Life, received the 2026 Kathy Deren Excellence in Life Insurance Underwriting Award. Sponsored by Nationwide, the award recognizes exceptional talent, professionalism, and innovation in underwriting.
"Underwriting is where the promise we make to families becomes real, and TJ has spent his career making that process sharper, faster, and more focused on the people it serves," said Warren May, NAILBA leader. "He has earned the respect of carriers and distribution partners alike, and he represents exactly the kind of excellence this award was created to honor."
Doan brings more than 20 years of experience to the role and previously held underwriting leadership positions at Nationwide and State Farm.
NAILBA Recognizes 2026 ID Twenty Honorees
The 2026 ID Twenty Awards, sponsored by Coventry, recognized 18 professionals advancing independent distribution:
* Bill Atlee, iPipeline
* Stacy Greene, John Hancock
* Patti Bell, Principal
* Wendy Boglioli, BuddyIns
* Christopher Bottaro, Valmark Financial Group
* Rick Buteau, LIBRA Insurance Partners
* Kim Carpenter, Ash Brokerage
* Jane DeMuth, Crump
* Colin Devine, C. Devine & Associates
* Joslyn Druvenga, CBS Brokerage
* Lee Duncan, Alliance Group
* Eric Griffin, The Cason Group
* Tiffany Gross, Diversified Brokerage Services
* Ian Levinsky, Pathwork
* Simon Liu, East & Ocean Group
* Nick May, Principal
* Lee-Ann Prickett, Experior Financial Group
* Kathleen West, Simplicity Group
NAILBA congratulates all award recipients and thanks Coventry and Nationwide for supporting recognition of excellence across independent distribution and the underwriting profession.
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About NAILBA, a Finseca Community
The National Association of Independent Life Brokerage Agencies (NAILBA) is the voice of independent brokerage distribution. Through advocacy, education, and networking, NAILBA advances the growth and success of independent brokerage professionals and the insurance profession as a whole.
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Original text here: https://www.finseca.org/nailba-honors-industry-leaders-at-nailba-45-presenting-douglas-mooers-award-to-bill-shelow/
[Category: Financial Services]
Earthjustice: Court Rules to Keep Block on Destructive Mining Development in Mojave National Preserve
SAN FRANCISCO, California, Oct. 31 -- Earthjustice issued the following news release:
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October 30, 2026
Court Rules to Keep Block on Destructive Mining Development in Mojave National Preserve
Colosseum Mine operations to remain closed as lawsuit proceeds
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Los Angeles, CA -- A federal district court ruled late yesterday to maintain the block it put on new mining operations in the Mojave National Preserve by Dateline Resources Ltd. The preliminary injunction was granted in August to the National Parks Conservation Association, represented by Earthjustice, in National Parks Conservation
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SAN FRANCISCO, California, Oct. 31 -- Earthjustice issued the following news release:
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October 30, 2026
Court Rules to Keep Block on Destructive Mining Development in Mojave National Preserve
Colosseum Mine operations to remain closed as lawsuit proceeds
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Los Angeles, CA -- A federal district court ruled late yesterday to maintain the block it put on new mining operations in the Mojave National Preserve by Dateline Resources Ltd. The preliminary injunction was granted in August to the National Parks Conservation Association, represented by Earthjustice, in National Parks ConservationAssociation v. Department of the Interior. Today's ruling upholds its August decision, rejecting requests by the Department of Interior and Dateline Resources to suspend the injunction.
The lawsuit was filed earlier this year to challenge the Department of Interior's decision to allow the Australian company to proceed with industrial mining activities at Colosseum Mine on national park land, in violation of federal laws that protect America's national parks from mining impacts.
Dateline Resources has been working to reopen the Colosseum Mine, decommissioned in 1993, increasing industrial development at the site prior to the preliminary injunction order. This activity has already caused documented damage to the national park landscape, with areas stripped of vegetation, new road construction and expansion, and restricted public access.
As the court stated, the preliminary injunction "was entered to protect the public interest in preventing irreparable environmental injury," and it has stopped further grading, new drilling activity, bulldozing of sensitive habitat, and road development. The injunction will remain in effect while the lawsuit continues. The court rejected the mining company's arguments about possible discovery of minerals, calling them "speculation."
Mojave National Preserve was established by Congress in 1994 and protects one of the largest desert preserves in the world. Covering 1.6 million acres of diverse desert habitat, the national park site is the third-largest unit of the National Park System in the contiguous United States.
Statement from Chance Wilcox, California Desert Associate Director at the National Parks Conservation Association:
"Our national parks are not places for industrial mining. They are irreplaceable landscapes shared by the American people and deserving of protection. The court has reaffirmed that bulldozing, drilling, and grading cannot destroy Mojave National Preserve while this lawsuit continues, and that is now very clear. Our parks were never meant for private profit, and that's a legacy worth defending."
Statement from Greg Loarie, Earthjustice attorney:
"This ruling reinforces our conviction that the Trump administration has failed to uphold federal laws written to protect our national park lands for the public to enjoy. Drilling and bulldozing of sensitive habitat must remain on hold while this case proceeds."
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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/court-rules-to-keep-block-on-destructive-mining-development-in-mojave-national-preserve
[Category: Environment]
COP17 Put Forth a Clearer Picture of the Biodiversity Crisis--but Not the Ambition to Solve It
BRONX, New York, Oct. 31 [Category: Environment] -- The Wildlife Conservation Society issued the following news release:
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COP17 Put Forth a Clearer Picture of the Biodiversity Crisis--but Not the Ambition to Solve It
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WCS: The Yerevan Pathway and other conference outcomes fall short of what is needed to halt nature's decline and meet the world's 2030 biodiversity goals
"We are in the midst of a biodiversity crisis, and timidity will not save nature- we need fewer speeches and more commitments that together build a global response commensurate with the threats nature faces." Dr. Susan
... Show Full Article
BRONX, New York, Oct. 31 [Category: Environment] -- The Wildlife Conservation Society issued the following news release:
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COP17 Put Forth a Clearer Picture of the Biodiversity Crisis--but Not the Ambition to Solve It
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WCS: The Yerevan Pathway and other conference outcomes fall short of what is needed to halt nature's decline and meet the world's 2030 biodiversity goals
"We are in the midst of a biodiversity crisis, and timidity will not save nature- we need fewer speeches and more commitments that together build a global response commensurate with the threats nature faces." Dr. SusanLieberman, Vice President of International Policy, Wildlife Conservation Society
See WCS Policy Statements and Announcements From CBD CoP17 HERE
CBD CoP17 Official Documents HERE
YEREVAN, ARMENIA, October 31, 2026 -- The UN Biodiversity Conference (CBD COP17), with nearly 200 governments participating, put forth a clearer picture of the global biodiversity crisis and the gaps that must be closed to meet the world's 2030 targets. But the Yerevan Pathway and the conference's other outcomes do not deliver the new level of ambition needed to put the world on track, the Wildlife Conservation Society (WCS) said today.
Said Dr. Susan Lieberman, WCS Vice President for International Policy: "COP17 was well organized by the Government of Armenia and provided a great platform for sharing, networking, and learning.
"But the negotiations themselves ended up weak on ambition. We are in the midst of a biodiversity crisis, and timidity will not save nature-we need strong outcomes for wildlife and wild places, not only outputs and great speeches.
"This meeting should have been a turning point, not just a stocktake. Success required governments to commit the political will and financing needed to reverse biodiversity loss. That means protecting and restoring ecological integrity, respecting the rights and leadership of Indigenous Peoples and local communities, and reducing the drivers of decline. With just four years until 2030, we cannot afford another conference that diagnoses the crisis without accelerating the cure.
"The Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework from 2022 remains a vital and ambitious global agreement. If all of the targets are delivered, as governments committed, then nature will indeed be on the path to recovery. COP17 has clarified the challenge; now governments must summon the political will, resources and resolve to meet it. We applaud the Armenian Government, the CBD Secretariat, and many governments and partners for a keeping the momentum moving toward achieving the 2030 goals and targets. But 'good enough' should never be acceptable."
Said Alfred DeGemmis, WCS Director of International Policy: "This year's UN biodiversity summit was the crash after several years of sugar-rushed optimism about global biodiversity targets. The obstructionist politics of the climate talks have entered the biodiversity negotiations, and identifying transformative actions will require ambitious leaders willing to spend political capital."
The first global review of the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework underscored urgency. While countries have made progress in developing national biodiversity targets and plans, fewer than half of the national targets are on track. Current ambition also falls short of the goal to conserve at least 30 percent of land and sea by 2030, while gaps in finance, capacity and data continue to impede progress. The review of the targets provides an important basis for action. The test now is whether governments use it to change course and accelerate implementation.
WCS Assessment of Key COP17 Outcomes:
Yerevan Pathway: Governments completed the global review of collective progress, adopting a decision that included a forward-looking 'Yerevan Pathway.' However, the final version largely refers to previously agreed text and is often imprecise on practical steps to close the implementation gap. Positive developments include the inclusion of language on ecosystem monitoring and subsidy reform, which are both critical to reversing biodiversity loss.
30x30 and Biodiversity Outcomes: Collectively, governments are inching toward the global goal terrestrially and making significant progress in coastal waters-and some have made outstanding progress. However, the long-term goal is to successfully halt and reverse biodiversity loss, and to ensure that protected and conserved areas are effectively and equitably managed. The CoP adopted an updated program of work on protected areas that presents an opportunity to refocus on reversing biodiversity loss.
30x30 and the OECM Action Hub: WCS welcomes the launch of the Yerevan Global OECM Action Hub as a positive step toward advancing other effective area-based conservation measures (OECMs). The Hub must contribute to real progress toward 30x30, alongside the expansion of protected areas, and that all protected and conserved areas must be effectively and equitably managed and deliver measurable biodiversity outcomes.
Climate and Biodiversity Synergies: WCS came to COP17 hoping for concrete steps to address the interlinked climate and biodiversity crises: stronger synergy among the Rio Conventions and a roadmap to help countries coordinate action under the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework and the Paris Agreement. High-level events convened by the CBD COP16, UNCCD COP16, and UNFCCC COP31 presidencies reinforced the urgency and showcased integrated action already underway.
Unfortunately, the COP17 outcomes are too timid. The COP17 decision merely encourages countries to begin applying a set of voluntary guidelines, which will be negotiated further before COP18. This "kicking the can down the road" falls far short of what is needed at a time when climate change poses a significant threat to biodiversity ecosystems, and the loss and degradation of ecosystems is driving emissions and reducing the capacity of people and nature to adapt.
And where will CBD CoP18 be? Delegates voted for CoP18 to be in Quito, Ecuador, in 2028.
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Original text here: https://newsroom.wcs.org/News-Releases/articleType/ArticleView/articleId/26802/COP17-Put-Forth-a-Clearer-Picture-of-the-Biodiversity-Crisisbut-Not-the-Ambition-to-Solve-It.aspx
Better Wisconsin Together: MAGA Billionaire Bucks Continue to Prop Up MAGA Candidates in State Legislative Races
MONONA, Wisconsin, Oct. 31 -- A Better Wisconsin Together, a state-based research and communications hub for progressives, posted the following news release:
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MAGA Billionaire Bucks Continue to Prop Up MAGA Candidates in State Legislative Races
Billionaires are bidding to buy the entirety of Wisconsin's state government, from governor on down to the state legislature
October 30, 2026
MADISON, Wis. - The billionaire and special interest-fueled Republican Party of Wisconsin (RPW) and the state Senate and Assembly Republican campaign committees continue to flood legislative races with direct
... Show Full Article
MONONA, Wisconsin, Oct. 31 -- A Better Wisconsin Together, a state-based research and communications hub for progressives, posted the following news release:
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MAGA Billionaire Bucks Continue to Prop Up MAGA Candidates in State Legislative Races
Billionaires are bidding to buy the entirety of Wisconsin's state government, from governor on down to the state legislature
October 30, 2026
MADISON, Wis. - The billionaire and special interest-fueled Republican Party of Wisconsin (RPW) and the state Senate and Assembly Republican campaign committees continue to flood legislative races with directtransfers and in-kind contributions to their MAGA candidates. In total, 14 candidates in closely watched state legislative races have taken in nearly $17.2 million in direct contributions, transfers, and in-kind contributions from CERS, RACC and the RPW between January 1 of 2025 and October 26, 2026.
Over that same time, just three MAGA billionaires, Dick and Elizabeth Uihlein and Diane Hendricks, have doled out a total of $24,753,500 to the Committee to Elect a Republican Senate (CERS) and the Republican Assembly Campaign Committee (RACC). The RPW has taken over $60.79 million from the three. And on top of it all, the trio has also made $368,000 in direct contributions to MAGA candidates.
"Billionaires are bidding to buy the entirety of Wisconsin's state government, from governor on down to the state legislature," commented A Better Wisconsin Together spokesperson Mike Browne. "And we've seen all too often how the MAGA politicians benefiting from these billionaires' bucks have been willing to sell us out to benefit them."
The latest round of state campaign finance reports, disclosing fundraising through October 26 of this year, continue to show that MAGA candidates in high profile races are relying on RACC and CERS, the state legislative campaign committees, and the RPW to fund their campaigns. The following chart breaks down the amounts of direct contributions from, transfers-in, and in-kind contributions they've received since January 1 of 2025:
CANDIDATE ... DISTRICT ... AMOUNT FROM BILLIONAIRES, RPW, AND CERS/RACC
Mike Roberts ... Senate District 5 ... $212,331.15
Sen. Howard Marklein ... Senate District 17 ... $2,054,269.18
Jim Croft ... Senate District 21 ... $2,665,091.13
Michele Magadance Skinner ... Senate District 31 ... $1,105,183.52
Dylan Pfaffenbach ... Assembly District 21 ... $364,653.64
Rep. Shannon Zimmerman ... Assembly District 30 ... $1,481,625.48
Rep. Todd Novak ... Assembly District 51 ... $1,232,992.95
David Daniels ... Assembly District 53 ... $1,073,330.26
Rep. Bob Donovan ... Assembly District 61 ... $1,487,643.42
Rep. Pat Snyder ... Assembly District 85 ... $1,557,625.19
Rep. Ben Franklin ... Assembly District 88 ... $1,527,616.45
Bobby Lindsey ... Assembly District 89 ... $1,364,587.33
Rep. Clint Moses ... Assembly District 92 ... $871,083.00
Keith Purnell ... Assembly District 94 ... $175,062.69
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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/maga-billionaire-bucks-continue-to-prop-up-maga-candidates-in-state-legislative-races/
[Category: Economics]
