Public Policy & NGOs
Here's a look at documents from public policy and non-governmental organizations
Featured Stories
Taiwan FDA Drops Animal Test Recommendation for Digestive Health Claims Following PETA Push
NORFOLK, Virginia, Jan. 21 -- People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals issued the following news release:
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Taiwan FDA Drops Animal Test Recommendation for Digestive Health Claims Following PETA Push
Taipei - In another important win for animals, the Taiwan Food and Drug Administration (TFDA) no longer recommends that companies conduct cruel experiments on animals to establish dubious claims about digestion for marketing food and beverage products sold in Taiwan. This move comes after the TFDA heard from PETA and more than 25,000 PETA supporters.
The agency had recommended that experimenters
... Show Full Article
NORFOLK, Virginia, Jan. 21 -- People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals issued the following news release:
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Taiwan FDA Drops Animal Test Recommendation for Digestive Health Claims Following PETA Push
Taipei - In another important win for animals, the Taiwan Food and Drug Administration (TFDA) no longer recommends that companies conduct cruel experiments on animals to establish dubious claims about digestion for marketing food and beverage products sold in Taiwan. This move comes after the TFDA heard from PETA and more than 25,000 PETA supporters.
The agency had recommended that experimentersforce-feed rats, starve them for 24 hours, jam tubes into their intestines, tie off part of their stomachs, and take their digestive fluids before killing and dissecting them.
The policy change is the latest in a series of regulatory revisions that PETA pressure has forced the agency to make. Animals are no longer drowned, shocked, sickened, and more so that Taiwan-based companies can say their products are anti-fatigue, lower blood pressure, promote bone and tooth health, or other marketing claims. The TFDA also now prioritizes internationally recognized, non-animal tests to assess safety for health food.
"Like all other thinking, feeling beings, rats don't deserve to be tormented, mutilated, and killed in experiments just so companies can make claims about food and beverages," says PETA Asia President Jason Baker. "PETA celebrates this compassionate move and calls on companies still experimenting on animals to take note and transition to human-relevant research."
Following discussions with PETA, dozens of food and beverage companies--including some major companies in Taiwan--have committed to end (or never start) experiments on animals. PETA is calling on Taiwan Sugar Corp. to follow suit.
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PETA--whose motto reads, in part, that "animals are not ours to experiment on"--points out that Every Animal Is Someone and offers free Empathy Kits for people who need a lesson in kindness. For more information, please visit PETA.org or follow PETA on X, Facebook, or Instagram.
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Original text here: https://www.peta.org/media/news-releases/taiwan-fda-drops-animal-test-recommendation-for-digestive-health-claims-following-peta-push/
[Category: Animals]
Read the Newest Research From NCFR's Journals
ST. PAUL, Minnesota, Jan. 21 -- The National Council on Family Relations issued the following news:
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Read the Newest Research From NCFR's Journals
New JMF & FR Issues, Plus New Articles Jan. 11-17
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Keep up with the latest research from NCFR's three scholarly journals -- Journal of Marriage and Family (JMF), Family Relations: Interdisciplinary Journal of Applied Family Science (FR), and Journal of Family Theory & Review (JFTR).
Newest Journal Issues:
JMF February 2026 issue (https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/toc/17413737/2026/88/1): Includes articles on families and incarceration, partnered
... Show Full Article
ST. PAUL, Minnesota, Jan. 21 -- The National Council on Family Relations issued the following news:
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Read the Newest Research From NCFR's Journals
New JMF & FR Issues, Plus New Articles Jan. 11-17
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Keep up with the latest research from NCFR's three scholarly journals -- Journal of Marriage and Family (JMF), Family Relations: Interdisciplinary Journal of Applied Family Science (FR), and Journal of Family Theory & Review (JFTR).
Newest Journal Issues:
JMF February 2026 issue (https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/toc/17413737/2026/88/1): Includes articles on families and incarceration, partneredrelationship dynamics, parenthood and parenting, coparenting, and more.
FR February 2026 issue (https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/toc/17413729/2026/75/1): Features articles on family education programs, older adults and families, coparenting, education and research, health and family, family finances and resources, and more.
JFTR December 2025 special issue (https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/toc/17562589/2025/17/4): This special issue, themed "Theorizing and Doing Critical Intersectional Family Science" and guest edited by NCFR Fellow April L. Few-Demo, Ph.D., and NCFR members Veronica R. Barrios, Ph.D., and Dana A. Weiser, Ph.D., "invited interdisciplinary scholars to consider how intersectionality has evolved and expanded, to examine tensions and challenges with applying an intersectional lens, and to address how intersectionality has been utilized in pedagogy, research, and praxis."
New Early-View Articles Published Online (Jan. 11-17):
Family Relations:
* Legitimacy of parental authority in emerging adulthood: Effects of support, demands, and psychological control -- Carlos Mellado
* I walk in the way of my ancestors: American Indian/Alaska Native reunification with tribe -- Ashley L. Landers, Morgan J. Hamilton, Sandy White Hawk
* "Do we not matter?!": A qualitative exploration of vicarious racism stress in married Black Americans -- Tia M. Dickerson
* Couples counseling in digital society: The case of modern China -- Wei Zhang, Xiang Hu, Keying Xiong, Liliia Pankratova, Chengyan Zhu
* Children's voices on parental visits in long-term foster care -- Celine Cannaert, Lieselot De Wilde
Journal of Marriage and Family:
* Intergenerational Estrangement in Germany: Same-Gender Relationships Predict Reduced Closeness to Fathers but Not Mothers -- Anne R. Vogel, Elisabeth R. Geller, Melanie S. Fischer
NCFR member journal subscribers can access articles by logging into their NCFR account (https://my.ncfr.org/).
Learn more about NCFR's scholarly journals prior to submitting your manuscript.
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Original text here: https://www.ncfr.org/news/read-newest-research-ncfrs-journals
[Category: Sociological]
People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals: Iditarod Damned in New White Paper Detailing Health Dangers for Dogs in Sled Race
NORFOLK, Virginia, Jan. 21 (TNSrpt) -- People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals issued the following news release:
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Iditarod Damned in New White Paper Detailing Health Dangers for Dogs in Sled Race
Wasilla, Alaska - In less than two months, the notorious Iditarod dog-sled race will begin, with hundreds of dogs forced to pull mushers approximately 1,000 miles through biting winds, blinding snowstorms, freezing temperatures, and treacherous ice. More than 150 dogs have died in the race, including three young dogs in 2024 and a dog in a late stage of pregnancy in 2025. A new white paper
... Show Full Article
NORFOLK, Virginia, Jan. 21 (TNSrpt) -- People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals issued the following news release:
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Iditarod Damned in New White Paper Detailing Health Dangers for Dogs in Sled Race
Wasilla, Alaska - In less than two months, the notorious Iditarod dog-sled race will begin, with hundreds of dogs forced to pull mushers approximately 1,000 miles through biting winds, blinding snowstorms, freezing temperatures, and treacherous ice. More than 150 dogs have died in the race, including three young dogs in 2024 and a dog in a late stage of pregnancy in 2025. A new white papercompiled by PETA and released today is the first in-depth collection of peer-reviewed studies ever released, and offers damning evidence of long-distance endurance racing's harmful impact on dogs' health, including that dogs are forced to run even when they're injured or ill, and that many of the dogs are left with lasting ailments, including misshapen hearts, stomach ulcers, persistent lung damage, and orthopedic injuries.
Previous studies about dog-sled racing revealed that the dogs used have a 61 percent higher rate of stomach erosions or ulcers and may not show symptoms of serious conditions until they become life-threatening, at which point they may bleed internally, vomit, or simply die. A leading cause of death for dogs used in the Iditarod is aspiration pneumonia (inhaling their own vomit). Recent findings outlined in the white paper include:
* Dogs used in endurance racing develop conditions such as "athletic heart syndrome," in which their hearts become misshapen, affecting blood flow, and "sled dog myopathy," in which their muscles break down and release protein into their bloodstreams, putting their hearts, kidneys, and other organs at risk.
* The development of gastritis (inflammation of the stomach lining) among these dogs is so common that administering daily medication to reduce their stomach acid is now standard racing practice. Even so, many dogs still end up with painful digestive conditions, including stomach lesions and diarrhea. Many of them also ingest gravel, straw, and other "foreign materials" during races.
* One study found that more than half the dogs used in an over 1,000-mile race were hurt or became ill during the race, and that more than 40 percent of those dogs were still forced to finish.
* Dogs used in sled races face additional hazards from being constantly kept outdoors, where they're exposed to harsh weather, prolonged tethering, and disease or parasite infections from crowded, dirty dog yards.
"Myriad research shows dogs used for races like the Iditarod suffer and die, with mushers pushing exhausted, injured, and ailing dogs past their breaking points and chaining the survivors up like old equipment when they're no longer needed," says PETA President Tracy Reiman. "PETA's white paper presents firm evidence of the toll taken on dogs' bodies, and we urge every sponsor and spectator backing the Iditarod to reconsider."
Major sponsors, including Alaska Airlines, Chrysler, Coca-Cola, ExxonMobil, Jack Daniel's, and Wells Fargo, have all dropped their support for the race after learning from PETA how dogs suffer and die.
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PETA--whose motto reads, in part, that "animals are not ours to use for entertainment or abuse in any other way"--points out that Every Animal Is Someone and offers free Empathy Kits for people who need a lesson in kindness. For more information, please visit PETA.org or follow PETA on X, Facebook, or Instagram.
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REPORT: https://www.peta.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/01/peta-iditarod-white-paper.pdf
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Original text here: https://www.peta.org/media/news-releases/iditarod-damned-in-new-white-paper-detailing-health-dangers-for-dogs-in-sled-race/
[Category: Animals]
New Jersey LCV Applauds Governor Sherrill's Day-One Executive Actions to Lower Energy Costs and Accelerate Clean Energy
TRENTON, New Jersey, Jan. 21 -- New Jersey League of Conservation Voters, an organization that says it works to elect environmentally responsible candidates to state and local offices, issued the following news release:
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New Jersey LCV Applauds Governor Sherrill's Day-One Executive Actions to Lower Energy Costs and Accelerate Clean Energy
On her first day in office, Governor Mikie Sherrill signed a comprehensive package of executive orders aimed at providing immediate financial relief to New Jersey families and modernizing the state's energy grid. The actions include a day-one energy price
... Show Full Article
TRENTON, New Jersey, Jan. 21 -- New Jersey League of Conservation Voters, an organization that says it works to elect environmentally responsible candidates to state and local offices, issued the following news release:
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New Jersey LCV Applauds Governor Sherrill's Day-One Executive Actions to Lower Energy Costs and Accelerate Clean Energy
On her first day in office, Governor Mikie Sherrill signed a comprehensive package of executive orders aimed at providing immediate financial relief to New Jersey families and modernizing the state's energy grid. The actions include a day-one energy pricefreeze and new directives to fast-track renewable energy deployment and grid efficiency.
Allison McLeod, Interim Executive Director of the New Jersey League of Conservation Voters, released the following statement:
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 are particularly encouraged by the Governor's actions to speed the development of solar energy and battery storage. These are two of the fastest, most affordable tools we have to bring energy online and stabilize our grid. While taking some pragmatic steps to lower emissions and increase efficiencies in the near term with our existing fleet, New Jersey is continuing to lay the groundwork for a truly clean energy future.
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.
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Original text here: https://www.njlcv.org/news/new-jersey-lcv-applauds-governor-sherrills-day-one-executive-actions-lower-energy-costs-and
[Category: Political]
Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints: Locations Announced for Temples in Hawaii and Arizona
SALT LAKE CITY, Utah, Jan. 21 -- The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints issued the following news release:
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Locations Announced for Temples in Hawaii and Arizona
Kahului Hawaii Temple
The First Presidency of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints has announced the location of the Kahului Hawaii Temple.
This temple will be constructed on a 7.6-acre site located along Kuikahi Drive next to an existing meetinghouse at 1300 Maui Lani Parkway, Kahului, Hawaii. Plans call for a single-story temple of 19,000 square feet and an accompanying ancillary building. This will be the
... Show Full Article
SALT LAKE CITY, Utah, Jan. 21 -- The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints issued the following news release:
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Locations Announced for Temples in Hawaii and Arizona
Kahului Hawaii Temple
The First Presidency of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints has announced the location of the Kahului Hawaii Temple.
This temple will be constructed on a 7.6-acre site located along Kuikahi Drive next to an existing meetinghouse at 1300 Maui Lani Parkway, Kahului, Hawaii. Plans call for a single-story temple of 19,000 square feet and an accompanying ancillary building. This will be thecity's first temple and the first on the island of Maui.
Hawaii is home to more than 76,000 Latter-day Saints in over 140 congregations.
Besides the Kahului Hawaii Temple, there are three additional temples announced, under construction or in operation in Hawaii: Honolulu, Kona, and Laie.
The Kahului Hawaii Temple was announced in October 2023 by President Nelson.
"Spending more time in the temple builds faith," he said. "There you are drawn closer to the Savior and given greater access to His power. There you are guided in solving the problems in your life, even your most perplexing problems."
Flagstaff Arizona Temple
The location of the Flagstaff Arizona Temple has also been announced.
The temple will be built on a 10.43-acre site at the southwest corner of Butler Ave. and S. Fourth St., Flagstaff, Arizona. Plans call for an 18,850-square-foot, single-story temple and an accompanying ancillary building.
Nearly 445,000 Latter-day Saints reside in Arizona, in over 900 congregations.
In addition to the Flagstaff Arizona Temple, there are eight temples announced, under construction or in operation in the state. They are the Gilbert, Mesa, Phoenix, Queen Creek, Snowflake, The Gila Valley, Tucson and Yuma Temples.
President Russell M. Nelson announced the Flagstaff Arizona Temple in April 2025.
"Regular worship in the house of the Lord increases our capacity for both virtue and charity," he said. "Thus, time in the temple increases our confidence before the Lord. Increased time in the temple will help us prepare for the Second Coming of our Savior, Jesus Christ."
Latter-day Saints worship in temples for several reasons: to feel God's love and peace, to learn more about God's plan for His children and the gospel of Jesus Christ, to make promises with God and with one's husband or wife, and to unite families in this life and the next through sacred ordinances.
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Original text here: https://newsroom.churchofjesuschrist.org/article/locations-announced-for-temples-in-hawaii-and-arizona
[Category: Religion]
Call on Netflix to Stream 'Plastic People' Now
WASHINGTON, Jan. 21 -- The Plastic Pollution Coalition issued the following news:
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Call on Netflix to Stream "Plastic People" Now
Call on Netflix to stream "Plastic People: The Hidden Crisis of Microplastics" now so more people can see this important film.
Plastic People is focused on the growing issue of plastic pollution and its significant effects on human health. Directed by award-winning director Ben Addelman and author and science journalist Ziya Tong, "Plastic People" introduces viewers to numerous experts, including Plastic Pollution Coalition (PPC) Scientific Advisor Sedat Gundogdu,
... Show Full Article
WASHINGTON, Jan. 21 -- The Plastic Pollution Coalition issued the following news:
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Call on Netflix to Stream "Plastic People" Now
Call on Netflix to stream "Plastic People: The Hidden Crisis of Microplastics" now so more people can see this important film.
Plastic People is focused on the growing issue of plastic pollution and its significant effects on human health. Directed by award-winning director Ben Addelman and author and science journalist Ziya Tong, "Plastic People" introduces viewers to numerous experts, including Plastic Pollution Coalition (PPC) Scientific Advisor Sedat Gundogdu,who uncover the alarming prevalence of microplastics in the environment and our bodies. Tong undergoes health testing experiments that show the pervasiveness of microplastics in everything--from the food we eat to the air we breathe. Addelman and Tong challenge viewers to face the truth of our dependency to plastic and reconsider our relationship with this dominant product by issuing an urgent call to action.
The solutions we need exist today. With the support of a committed team and partners, the documentary has created a meaningful outreach campaign igniting conversations and motivating real-world solutions. It premiered at the 2024 SXSW Festival in Austin, Texas, and its launch featured a panel with Addelman, PPC Co-Founder and CEO Dianna Cohen, Rick Smith of Canadian Climate Institute, and Diane Wilson of San Antonio Bay Estuarine Waterkeeper. The film has subsequently been screened at film festivals and events in Canada, Europe, and the U.S.
With your help, "Plastic People" could be made available on Netflix, reaching an even wider audience.
Call on Netflix to stream Plastic People now (https://help.netflix.com/en/titlerequest)
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Original text here: https://www.plasticpollutioncoalition.org/blog/2026/1/20/call-on-netflix-to-stream-plastic-people-now
[Category: Industrial Materials]
Americas Society/Council of the Americas: Americas Quarterly's New Issue - History Lessons About the Trump Doctrine in the Region
NEW YORK, Jan. 21 -- The Americas Society/Council of the Americas issued the following news release on Jan. 20, 2026:
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Americas Quarterly's New Issue: History Lessons about the Trump Doctrine in the Region
The magazine looks at the return of Washington's "big stick" diplomacy in Latin America and what can we learn from the old heavy-handed approach.
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"As the old adage goes: History doesn't always repeat itself, but it does sometimes rhyme," writes Brian Winter, the author of the cover story of Americas Quarterly's new issue. "Today, President Donald Trump's actions in Venezuela, Mexico
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NEW YORK, Jan. 21 -- The Americas Society/Council of the Americas issued the following news release on Jan. 20, 2026:
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Americas Quarterly's New Issue: History Lessons about the Trump Doctrine in the Region
The magazine looks at the return of Washington's "big stick" diplomacy in Latin America and what can we learn from the old heavy-handed approach.
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"As the old adage goes: History doesn't always repeat itself, but it does sometimes rhyme," writes Brian Winter, the author of the cover story of Americas Quarterly's new issue. "Today, President Donald Trump's actions in Venezuela, Mexicoand elsewhere have prompted comparisons to the more interventionist era of the 19th and 20th centuries, raising questions about what--if anything--history can teach us about what might happen next."
Winter, AQ's editor-in-chief, writes in his article that Trump's policy of interventionism in the region is nothing new, citing examples like Theodore Roosevelt's direct occupation and financial control of Caribbean and Central American countries; Lyndon Johnson's deployment of more than 20,000 troops into the Dominican Republic in 1965 or George H.W. Bush's military operation in Panama to depose of President Manuel Noriega in 1989. However, there are some differences between the current Trump doctrine and the activism of the 19th and 20th century toward the region. Instead of being driven by moralizing ambitions, Trump seems driven by "a comparatively narrow view of U.S. interests," like the need to reduce the flow of drugs and unauthorized migration into the United States, as well as his desire to contain the influence of China in the Americas.
Winter's article, titled "We've Been Here Before," also says that history has taught us to not expect consistency: "doctrines" should be taken with a grain of salt as presidents have often contradicted themselves or changed course. A final history lesson, concludes Winter, is that there's always backlash after interventionism, as it helped fuel the rise of leaders from Fidel Castro to Juan Peron, Daniel Ortega, and Hugo Chavez.
A 2026 Snapshot of Latin America and the Caribbean
Emilie Sweigart, editor at Americas Quarterly, tracks key indicators and political and economic trends to watch in Latin America's 10 largest economies, as well as Guyana and Venezuela after the Trump administration captured the latter country's leader Nicolas Maduro.
Suriname's President Prepares for an Oil Boom
The country's first female president, Jennifer Geerlings-Simons, who took the helm in July 2025, is set to oversee the world's latest oil bonanza, but faces a country in crisis. "If we don't prepare properly, we will inevitably suffer a resource curse," she told Jason Pinas, a journalist based in Suriname.
The Unfulfilled Promises of Colombia's Peace Process
Maria Victoria Llorente, the executive director of the Fundacion Ideas para la Paz think tank in Bogota, writes about why the deal has fallen far short of expectations and what it says about the country today.
Venezuela's Democratic Opportunity
"Today, even with vestiges of the old regime still in place and a difficult road ahead, Venezuela may be facing a generational opportunity," writes Susan Segal, president and CEO of Americas Society/Council of the Americas, who highlights in her article that achieving a successful outcome will require determined leadership, supported by the United States and other partners, to restore rule of law and basic governance.
Also in this issue:
AQ cover Trump
* Vanessa Rubio, professor of practice at the School of Public Policy at the London School of Economics and senior advisor at McLarty Associates, reports on Mexico facing critical decisions on state-owned companies, fiscal deficit, and the nation's low productivity.
* AQ's company profile focuses on Agrosmart, a Brazilian company that uses artificial intelligence as well as climate and soil sensors to help farmers navigate decisions on planting, irrigation and crop care. Freelance journalist Flavia Mantovani writes about the challenges and opportunities of this startup that aims to lead in the agricultural technology market in the region.
The full issue is available at americasquarterly.org
View the PDF (https://americasquarterly.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/01/AQ-Issue-1-2026_The-Trump-Doctrine.pdf).
To request interviews with the authors, or to request publication permission, please contact AS/COA Media Relations at mediarelations@as-coa.org
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Original text here: https://www.as-coa.org/articles/americas-quarterlys-new-issue-history-lessons-about-trump-doctrine-region
[Category: Sociological]
