Featured Stories
Todd Blanche Confirmation a 'Stain' on the Senate and a 'Threat to Our Country'
WASHINGTON, Aug. 8 [Category: Political] -- Public Citizen issued the following news release:
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Todd Blanche Confirmation a 'Stain' on the Senate and a 'Threat to Our Country'
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WASHINGTON, D.C. -The U.S. Senate confirmed Trump lackey Todd Blanche as Attorney General roughly around 4:30am on Saturday, in a narrow vote of 50-49.
In response to the news, Public Citizen co-president Lisa Gilbert issued the following statement:
"This is a shameful day for our country - sadly one of many brought on by our lawless president and his cowardly enablers in Congress. Todd Blanche has thoroughly
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WASHINGTON, Aug. 8 [Category: Political] -- Public Citizen issued the following news release:
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Todd Blanche Confirmation a 'Stain' on the Senate and a 'Threat to Our Country'
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WASHINGTON, D.C. -The U.S. Senate confirmed Trump lackey Todd Blanche as Attorney General roughly around 4:30am on Saturday, in a narrow vote of 50-49.
In response to the news, Public Citizen co-president Lisa Gilbert issued the following statement:
"This is a shameful day for our country - sadly one of many brought on by our lawless president and his cowardly enablers in Congress. Todd Blanche has thoroughlydemonstrated why he should be disqualified from holding this post-from his efforts to shield Trump from any oversight or accountability, to his role in the shameful coverup of the Epstein scandal and his disregard for the victims, to his ongoing execution of political prosecutions of those on Trump's enemies list. His confirmation is an unmistakable stain on the record of the Senators who voted to confirm him, and a threat to the rule of law in our country.
"Moving forward, our country has to contend with an Attorney General who sees himself as a personal servant to Donald Trump instead of a public servant to the American people. If he is tasked with leading Trump's revenge agenda against his political enemies and critics, as he likely will be, we have every reason to believe he will execute this mission with eagerness and fealty. We now must work doubly as hard to hold Trump's Department of Justice accountable and prevent their abuses of power by every legal means available in our democratic system."
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Original text here: https://www.citizen.org/news/todd-blanche-confirmation-a-stain-on-the-senate-and-a-threat-to-our-country/
Statement: Consumer and Environmental Advocates Call on Utility Regulators to Reject Draft Regulations on Pipeline Safety
BALTIMORE, Maryland, Aug. 8 -- The Maryland Public Interest Research Group posted the following statements on Aug. 7, 2026:
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STATEMENT: Consumer and environmental advocates call on utility regulators to reject draft regulations on pipeline safety
Staff's proposed regulations put consumer safety and affordability at risk
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On Friday, Maryland Public Service Commission (PSC) staff submitted draft regulations implementing provisions of the 2025 Next Generation Energy Act (NGEA), which revised requirements for gas pipeline spending and the state's decade-old STRIDE law.
Advocates have been
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BALTIMORE, Maryland, Aug. 8 -- The Maryland Public Interest Research Group posted the following statements on Aug. 7, 2026:
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STATEMENT: Consumer and environmental advocates call on utility regulators to reject draft regulations on pipeline safety
Staff's proposed regulations put consumer safety and affordability at risk
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On Friday, Maryland Public Service Commission (PSC) staff submitted draft regulations implementing provisions of the 2025 Next Generation Energy Act (NGEA), which revised requirements for gas pipeline spending and the state's decade-old STRIDE law.
Advocates have beencritical of the Commission's delay in enforcing the law, which went into effect more than a year ago. In June, the Maryland Office of People's Counsel even went so far as to file an appeal challenging the PSC on its failure to enforce. Advocates have also questioned the need for regulations, arguing that the Commission never issued regulations for the original STRIDE law, and now worry the draft filed by staff may undermine the law's consumer protections, resulting in increased safety risk and cost.
The draft regulations were submitted as new research shows that gas utilities' pipe replacement programs are failing to deliver safety improvements and evidence suggests aggressive replacement programs are themselves a source of safety risk. The PSC now has the opportunity to accept or revise the regulations.
In response to the draft regulations, legislative leaders and advocates issued the following statements:
"More than a year ago, the legislature passed the Next Generation Energy Act, which included my Ratepayer Protection Act, to ensure gas customers in Maryland can heat their homes safely and affordably," said Delegate Elizabeth Embry (District 43). "Thanks to the support of my colleagues in Annapolis and Governor Moore, the PSC has both the legal right and the legislative directive to require gas pipeline work to prioritize safety and be cost effective. The PSC must finalize stronger regulations to deliver relief to ratepayers."
"Marylanders continue to struggle with unaffordable heating bills while corporate utilities are seeing record profits," said Delegate Dylan Behler (District 30A), who sponsored the 2026 Break STRIDE Act, to repeal the STRIDE law. "I'm committed to taking swift, urgent action to stop wasteful spending on gas pipelines and require BGE and WGL to prioritize safety over profits."
"STRIDE has been a disaster for Maryland gas customers. Costing us billions of dollars without demonstrating proper risk mitigation," said Maryland PIRG Senior Advisor Emily Scarr. "Thanks to the leadership of the General Assembly, gas utilities are now legally required to demonstrate that gas pipeline replacement programs are prioritizing safety and are cost effective, including considering alternatives to replacement. Unfortunately staff's draft regulations appear to disregard both the intent and the letter of the law. The good news is, the PSC supported the new law - now we're counting on them to enforce it."
"The Next Generation Energy Act was designed to curb this spending and lower energy bills for consumers." said Senior Policy Analysis Bryan Dunning at the Center for Progressive Reform. "These draft regulations, however, miss the mark and undermine the intent of the law as relates to STRIDE. Worse, they do not even address the protections in law for broader gas infrastructure spending. We're calling on the Public Service Commission to fully implement the NGEA as lawmakers intended."
More Background:
Since the passage of the 2014 STRIDE Act, Maryland gas utilities have dramatically increased gas pipeline spending, resulting in skyrocketing gas rates with little evidence of safety improvements. Recent research from the Future of Heat Initiative (FoHI) reveals Baltimore Gas & Electric (BGE) and Washington Gas are among the top 10 spenders nationwide to replace just one mile of gas pipes. In December 2025, research from Maryland PIRG revealed BGE's Operation Pipeline has failed to measurably improve safety and is driven by profits. The FoHI analysis not only supports this finding, but argues gas pipeline replacement programs nationwide have increased the risk of gas safety incidents due to increased excavation work.
Maryland gas customers continue to struggle with mounting bills driven by this pipeline spending. According to the Maryland Office of People's Counsel, if BGE and Washington Gas complete their planned $7 billion on STRIDE-related spending, it will cost customers $40 billion to pay back over time, accounting for profits and interest. Already, this spending has caused BGE gas customers to pay $2 in gas delivery charges for every $1 they spend on gas. Beginning August 1, more than 500,000 Washington Gas customers will see their monthly bills rise thanks in part to a request to roll over STRIDE-related spending to their general rate base after the PSC approved a $38.1 million rate hike.
Since the passage of the NGEA, which went into effect on June 1, 2025, Maryland's gas utilities have made little efforts to rein in gas pipeline spending in order to bring down energy bills. Earlier this year, the PSC allowed both BGE and WGL to proceed with planned 2026 STRIDE spending without complying with the NGEA, prompting a lawsuit by the Maryland Office of People's Counsel. In May, the Commission also delayed finalizing rules to end gas line extension allowances (LEAs), an outdated policy that allows utilities to charge existing customers for new gas connections, putting nearly $1 billion in expected savings for BGE and Washington Gas customers at risk over the next decade.
See comments filed by Maryland PIRG Foundation on the draft regulations (https://pirg.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/84/2026/08/MDP-RM-95-Response-to-draft-regulations.pdf) for more information.
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Original text here: https://pirg.org/maryland/media-center/statement-consumer-and-environmental-advocates-call-on-utility-regulators-to-reject-draft-regulations-on-pipeline-safety/
[Category: Political]
Save the Children Urges Administration to Preserve the Core Promise of Head Start While Pursuing Practical Improvements
WESTPORT, Connecticut, Aug. 8 -- Save the Children, an organization that says it is giving children a healthy start in life, opportunity to learn and protection from harm, posted the following news release on Aug. 7, 2026:
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Save the Children Urges Administration to Preserve the Core Promise of Head Start While Pursuing Practical Improvements
FAIRFIELD, Conn. -- Save the Children and its political advocacy arm, Save the Children Action Network (SCAN), today expressed concern that the Administration's proposed changes to the Head Start Program Performance Standards could weaken the comprehensive
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WESTPORT, Connecticut, Aug. 8 -- Save the Children, an organization that says it is giving children a healthy start in life, opportunity to learn and protection from harm, posted the following news release on Aug. 7, 2026:
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Save the Children Urges Administration to Preserve the Core Promise of Head Start While Pursuing Practical Improvements
FAIRFIELD, Conn. -- Save the Children and its political advocacy arm, Save the Children Action Network (SCAN), today expressed concern that the Administration's proposed changes to the Head Start Program Performance Standards could weaken the comprehensivefederal framework that has helped millions of children enter school healthy, safe and ready to learn for more than six decades.
As one of the nation's largest nonprofit providers of Head Start and Early Head Start services in rural America, Save the Children supports thoughtful efforts to modernize the program, reduce unnecessary administrative burdens, and give local providers greater flexibility to meet the needs of children and families. But flexibility should strengthen Head Start, not diminish the consistent standards and comprehensive services that have made it one of America's most successful investments in young children.
Since 2011, Save the Children has been leading Head Start and Early Head Start programs in rural communities across Arkansas, Indiana, Louisiana, North Carolina, Oklahoma and Tennessee. These programs provide comprehensive services for children and their families, including quality early learning, nutritious meals and snacks, developmental and health screenings, medical referrals, family engagement, and supports for parents to pursue their education, training and employment.
"For more than 60 years, Head Start has opened doors of opportunity for millions of children," said Mark Shriver, Special Advisor to the President & CEO of Save the Children U.S. and Executive Director of SCAN. "Every child deserves the chance to begin school healthy, supported and ready to learn, regardless of their family's income or ZIP code. We welcome efforts to make Head Start work better for children and providers, but we should not weaken the foundation that has made the program so successful."
Save the Children is particularly concerned that significantly reducing federal performance standards could create wide disparities in the quality and availability of services, depending on where children live. Families in rural America often have few alternatives for early childhood education, health care, developmental services and family support. In many communities, Head Start serves as essential infrastructure that connects children with opportunities and families with critical resources.
"As an organization that works alongside children and families every day, we know firsthand that Head Start's strength comes from its comprehensive approach," said Arvelis Byrd, Executive Director of Head Start at Save the Children. "Children benefit from caring teachers, healthy meals, developmental screenings, safe learning environments and strong family partnerships working together. Those are not separate services, they are the building blocks that help children thrive."
Save the Children believes there are meaningful opportunities to improve Head Start by simplifying administrative requirements, strengthening the early childhood workforce, streamlining grant administration, and providing providers with greater operational flexibility. The organization intends to submit detailed comments during the public comment period, outlining practical recommendations drawn from its experience operating Head Start and Early Head Start programs in rural communities.
"The goal should be a stronger, more effective Head Start that reaches more children while preserving the high-quality services families count on," Byrd said. "We look forward to working with the Administration, Congress and partners across the country to ensure Head Start continues delivering on its promise for this generation of children and the next."
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Save the Children believes every child deserves a future. Since our founding more than 100 years ago, we've been advocating for the rights of children worldwide. In the United States and around the world, we give children a healthy start in life, the opportunity to learn and protection from harm. We do whatever it takes for children - every day and in times of crisis - transforming the future we share. Our results, financial statements and charity ratings reaffirm that Save the Children is a charity you can trust. Follow us on Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, X and YouTube.
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Original text here: https://www.savethechildren.org/us/about-us/media-and-news/2026-press-releases/preserve-core-promise-of-head-start
[Category: Sociological]
Reward Reaches $10,000 in Deadly Seattle Cat-Dumping Case: PETA Seeks Answers
NORFOLK, Virginia, Aug. 8 -- People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals issued the following news release:
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Reward Reaches $10,000 in Deadly Seattle Cat-Dumping Case: PETA Seeks Answers
Seattle - PETA is offering a reward of up to $5,000 for information leading to the arrest and conviction on cruelty-to-animals charges of the person(s) responsible for reportedly abducting and killing a cat on June 30. According to reports, the cat's body was found inside a dumpster near Northeast 59th Street and Roosevelt Way Northeast. Security cameras captured an unidentified white man with a beard wearing
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NORFOLK, Virginia, Aug. 8 -- People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals issued the following news release:
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Reward Reaches $10,000 in Deadly Seattle Cat-Dumping Case: PETA Seeks Answers
Seattle - PETA is offering a reward of up to $5,000 for information leading to the arrest and conviction on cruelty-to-animals charges of the person(s) responsible for reportedly abducting and killing a cat on June 30. According to reports, the cat's body was found inside a dumpster near Northeast 59th Street and Roosevelt Way Northeast. Security cameras captured an unidentified white man with a beard wearinga gray baseball cap, dark jacket, and brown cargo pants carrying who was believed to be the cat in the University District during the early morning hours. The condition of the cat's body has reportedly led authorities to believe the animal was tortured before being killed. PETA's reward, combined with those offered by two local shelters, brings the total reward now up to $10,000.
Anyone with information is urged to contact Seattle Animal Control at 206-386-7387 and reference case 9600346.
"Someone knows the man in the surveillance footage and may know something that could help find the person responsible for what may have been a terrifying, painful experience for this cat," says PETA Founder Ingrid Newkirk. "PETA is urging anyone with information about this case to come forward immediately and reminding everyone that the safest place for cats is indoors."
In addition to enduring violence and abuse at the hands of cruel and intolerant people, cats allowed to roam or live outdoors are at risk of contracting parasites or potentially fatal diseases, being attacked by predators or run over by cars, and encountering other hazards. PETA notes that cats kept indoors need to be physically and mentally stimulated with a view of the outdoors, toys, climbing structures, scratching posts, cat TV, and other enrichment. PETA offers a catio-building guide as well as a "cat guardian's bible" written by PETA Founder Ingrid Newkirk that's full of tips and available for purchase here.
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PETA--whose motto reads, in part, that "animals are not ours to abuse in any 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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Original text here: https://www.peta.org/media/news-releases/reward-reaches-10000-in-deadly-seattle-cat-dumping-case-peta-seeks-answers/
[Category: Animals]
Human Rights Watch Issues Commentary: Technology Expands ICE's Capacity for Abuse
NEW YORK, Aug. 8 [Category: International] -- Human Rights Watch issued the following commentary by intern in Washington advocacy Connor Swenson:
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Technology Expands ICE's Capacity for Abuse
Surveillance and Profiling Tech Raises Rights Concerns
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Representatives Delia Ramirez and Hank Johnnson, both members of US Congress, held a shadow hearing on US Immigration and Customs Enforcement's (ICE) use of technology on July 15.
Witnesses at the hearing detailed how the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) is building an increasingly vast network of interconnected data collection and processing
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NEW YORK, Aug. 8 [Category: International] -- Human Rights Watch issued the following commentary by intern in Washington advocacy Connor Swenson:
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Technology Expands ICE's Capacity for Abuse
Surveillance and Profiling Tech Raises Rights Concerns
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Representatives Delia Ramirez and Hank Johnnson, both members of US Congress, held a shadow hearing on US Immigration and Customs Enforcement's (ICE) use of technology on July 15.
Witnesses at the hearing detailed how the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) is building an increasingly vast network of interconnected data collection and processingsystems. ICE reportedly relies on surveillance platforms, facial recognition tools, iris scanners, and spyware-all developed by private companies-to identify and track individuals and cross-reference with sensitive data held in federal, state, and commercial databases.
Witnesses expressed concern that this data would then be used to profile and intimidate people in ways that chill protest, limit access to essential services, and undermine rights to privacy, nondiscrimination, due process, and free expression.
Human Rights Watch documented surveillance of observers and protesters by ICE agents during immigration operations in Minnesota in December 2025 and January 2026. This research included cases of agents driving to observers' own homes, raising serious concerns about intimidation and how ICE agents seemingly have access to observers' addresses and other personal data. Journalists reported ICE agents appearing to scan Minnesota residents' faces with Mobile Fortify, a DHS application that reportedly compares face and fingerprint scans against data held on government databases.
ICE's use of surveillance technology and their expanded access to personal data could increase the agency's ability to identify and monitor specific individuals, risking further instances of wrongful targeting, racial profiling, and family separation across immigrant communities. It could also lead to privacy rights violations.
Congress has dramatically expanded funding for immigration enforcement in recent weeks. These additional resources for ICE risk continued or expanded use of surveillance and profiling technology without safeguards or redress.
As ICE increasingly uses technology for surveillance and profiling, Congress should play a critical role to ensure that there are protections and safeguards in place to try to limit further abuse.
Congress should ensure rights-compliant use of technology by federal agencies, including by requiring that any use of surveillance technology comply with international human rights law and standards. Congress should also adopt a strong federal data protection law and update federal privacy law to regulate government agencies' and private companies' collection, analysis, and sharing of personal data.
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Original text here: https://www.hrw.org/news/2026/08/06/technology-expands-ices-capacity-for-abuse
Human Rights Watch Issues Commentary: Ethiopia's Growing Assault on Independent Media
NEW YORK, Aug. 8 [Category: International] -- Human Rights Watch issued the following commentary by Mausi Segun, executive director in the Africa Division:
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Ethiopia's Growing Assault on Independent Media
Addis Standard Editor Detained, Newsroom Raided
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Ethiopian authorities are intensifying their assault on media freedom in the country.
On August 1, unidentified security personnel detained Yonas Kedir, the editor-in-chief of Addis Standard, and questioned him for 24 hours about the independent news outlet's reporting before releasing him, according to a statement by the outlet. The
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NEW YORK, Aug. 8 [Category: International] -- Human Rights Watch issued the following commentary by Mausi Segun, executive director in the Africa Division:
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Ethiopia's Growing Assault on Independent Media
Addis Standard Editor Detained, Newsroom Raided
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Ethiopian authorities are intensifying their assault on media freedom in the country.
On August 1, unidentified security personnel detained Yonas Kedir, the editor-in-chief of Addis Standard, and questioned him for 24 hours about the independent news outlet's reporting before releasing him, according to a statement by the outlet. Thefollowing day, security and intelligence officials raided the outlet's offices, damaging and confiscating equipment.
Addis Standard has been through this before. Four months ago, men in plainclothes seized the outlet's managing editor, Million Beyene, and held him incommunicado for nearly two weeks before releasing him without charge. The authorities have yet to publicly explain his detention.
In February, the government's media regulatory body, the Ethiopian Media Authority, revoked Addis Standard's operating license for alleged repeated violations of the media laws. The outlet is challenging the decision in court.
The government's harassment of Addis Standard reflects a broader campaign by Ethiopian authorities to silence independent media and deter reporting it deems too critical or sensitive. In the past year, authorities have arbitrarily arrested scores of journalists, holding some incommunicado, while media outlets and journalists have had their accreditation or licenses revoked. The Ethiopian Media Authority has also alleged repeated violations of media laws by independent broadcasters Arts TV and Ahadu FM, and on July 31 issued "final written warnings," threatening that further action could include suspension or revocation of their licenses.
The repeated targeting of Addis Standard, together with regulatory threats against other independent broadcasters, often on vague national security or national interest grounds, points to an increasingly hostile environment for independent media in Ethiopia that had worsened prior to the country's June elections and has continued to deteriorate.
Earlier concerns that the Ethiopian government might use the elections as a pretext to further restrict independent media proved to be well-founded. It seems the government has now set in motion a machinery of repression that it has little inclination to stop.
Despite the shrinking space for independent media, Ethiopia's international partners have so far remained silent. They should publicly condemn the government's latest attacks and press the authorities to respect media freedom and ensure journalists can report without fear of arbitrary detention, intimidation, or reprisals.
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Original text here: https://www.hrw.org/news/2026/08/06/ethiopias-growing-assault-on-independent-media
Campaign for Tobacco-Free Kids: Reporting Reveals Big Tobacco Threatened Spain With Multibillion-Dollar Suit to Block Lifesaving Plain Packaging for Cigarettes
WASHINGTON, Aug. 8 -- The Campaign for Tobacco-Free Kids issued the following statement on Aug. 7, 2026, by Smita Baruah, executive vice president of global tobacco control:
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New Reporting Reveals Big Tobacco Threatened Spain with Multibillion-Dollar Suit to Block Lifesaving Plain Packaging for Cigarettes
Investigative reporting from Spain has revealed that the world's largest tobacco companies including Philip Morris International and British American Tobacco threatened the Spanish government with a multibillion-dollar lawsuit if the country moved forward with plans to require plain packaging
... Show Full Article
WASHINGTON, Aug. 8 -- The Campaign for Tobacco-Free Kids issued the following statement on Aug. 7, 2026, by Smita Baruah, executive vice president of global tobacco control:
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New Reporting Reveals Big Tobacco Threatened Spain with Multibillion-Dollar Suit to Block Lifesaving Plain Packaging for Cigarettes
Investigative reporting from Spain has revealed that the world's largest tobacco companies including Philip Morris International and British American Tobacco threatened the Spanish government with a multibillion-dollar lawsuit if the country moved forward with plans to require plain packagingon cigarettes. The alarming report reveals once again that tobacco companies will stop at nothing to protect cigarette sales and derail measures that save lives.
According to El Pais, Mesa Del Tabaco, a tobacco association formed in part by Philip Morris and comprised of the world's leading tobacco companies, was behind the threats to the Spanish government. The Spanish government has since backed down on plans to implement standardized packaging for cigarettes.
Pioneered more than a decade ago by Australia, plain packaging requires that cigarettes be sold in packs of uniform size, color and shape and prohibits any branding or content used by the tobacco industry to make cigarettes look appealing. Nearly 30 countries have since followed Australia's lead and require plain packs. Evidence shows that the measure is highly effective and is recommended as part of effective implementation of the WHO Framework Convention on Tobacco Control to reduce the attractiveness of tobacco packaging and increase the noticeability of health warnings.
Tobacco giants like Philip Morris claim to be "moving away" from cigarettes, yet the latest news from Spain shows this couldn't be further from the truth. The reality is that tobacco companies leave no stone unturned in efforts to protect and drive cigarette sales. The news from Spain also follows reporting from The Guardian which found Philip Morris has launched a new global ad campaign to boost sales for Marlboro cigarettes - a far cry from a company concerned with health.
For years, tobacco companies have tried to have it both ways - they claim to be concerned with health, while working tirelessly to sell a product that kills up to half of all its users and is responsible for more than 7 million deaths each year.
Spain should not only move forward with its plans for plain packaging, but should do so knowing that tobacco companies have lost every single court challenge they have mounted against this measure. In the face of such blatant tobacco industry interference, governments must stand strong and continue implementing measures that reduce tobacco use and create a healthier future for all.
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Report link: https://elpais.com/sociedad/2026-08-04/las-tabacaleras-amenazaron-al-gobierno-con-pedir-indemnizaciones-multimillonarias-si-aprobaba-el-empaquetado-generico.html
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Original text here: https://www.tobaccofreekids.org/press-releases/2026_08_07_new-reporting-reveals-big-tobacco-threatened-spain-with-multibillion-dollar-suit-to-block-lifesaving-plain-packaging-for-cigarettes
[Category: Political]
