Public Policy & NGOs
Here's a look at documents from public policy and non-governmental organizations
Featured Stories
Progress Virginia: Advocacy Organizations Express Strong Support in Defending Immigrant Rights With the Virginia Community Safety & Trust Agenda
EARLYVILLE, Virginia, Feb. 7 -- Progress Virginia, an advocacy organization that combines online organizing and communications with earned media strategies, issued the following news release on Feb. 5, 2026:
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Advocacy Organizations Express Strong Support in Defending Immigrant Rights with the Virginia Community Safety & Trust Agenda
To Governor Spanberger, Speaker Scott, Senator Lucas, Senator Surovell, and Delegate Torian and all Virginians:
The undersigned organizations write to express our profound gratitude and support for Governor Spanberger's historic actions in rescinding the previous
... Show Full Article
EARLYVILLE, Virginia, Feb. 7 -- Progress Virginia, an advocacy organization that combines online organizing and communications with earned media strategies, issued the following news release on Feb. 5, 2026:
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Advocacy Organizations Express Strong Support in Defending Immigrant Rights with the Virginia Community Safety & Trust Agenda
To Governor Spanberger, Speaker Scott, Senator Lucas, Senator Surovell, and Delegate Torian and all Virginians:
The undersigned organizations write to express our profound gratitude and support for Governor Spanberger's historic actions in rescinding the previousadministration's mandates that forced our state agencies into federal immigration enforcement. By moving to eliminate 287(g) agreements at the state level, Governor Spanberger has taken a monumental step toward restoring the 'Virginia way' of community-focused policing. We the undersigned organization express our support for leaders in the General Assembly to build upon this executive leadership by enacting already advancing legislation to ensure these safeguards codified into law for all Virginians through the Virginia Community Safety & Trust Agenda.
During the first Trump administration, Liliana Cruz Mendez, a CASA member from Falls Church, attended a routine ICE check-in with her attorney and fully complied with all requirements. She never came home. Despite receiving a pardon from Governor Terry McAuliffe for a years-old traffic conviction stemming from a broken taillight stop, ICE detained and deported this mother of two U.S. citizen children to El Salvador in 2017. The message to immigrant communities was unmistakable: compliance does not protect families from separation.
Today, the consequences of this broken system are becoming deadly. On January 7, 2026, in Minneapolis, Renee Nicole Good, a 37-year-old U.S. citizen and mother of three, was shot and killed during an ICE operation. Alex Pretti was killed on January 24, 2026, also in Minneapolis, shot multiple times by United States Border Patrol agents. Here in Virginia, 24-year-old Josue Castro Rivera died on I-264 in Norfolk on October 26, 2025, running into traffic during an ICE operation where he was struck and killed. These tragedies reveal a system that endangers public safety rather than protecting it.
Across Virginia, immigrant residents are making a dangerous calculation: they remain silent about crimes rather than risk deportation. Victims of domestic violence hesitate to call for help. Offenders exploit this fear and operate with impunity in communities that are afraid to report them. Law enforcement leaders have repeatedly warned against this outcome. The Major Cities Chiefs Association has affirmed that police cannot effectively serve communities when residents fear them as immigration agents.
Current practices also expose Virginia localities to serious legal and financial risk. ICE detainers are not warrants--they are administrative requests asking local jails to hold individuals beyond their release date without judicial approval. Federal courts have repeatedly ruled that honoring these detainers violates the Fourth Amendment. Virginia localities face nearly $1 million annually in direct detention costs alone, with potential legal liability that has cost jurisdictions like Los Angeles County $14 million in settlements. This is money that should fund schools, roads, and first responders.
While we celebrate Governor Spanberger's swift action to end state-level 287(g) agreements, we recognize that many local-level agreements and informal collaboration practices remain. Governor Spanberger has shown the way forward; now, the General Assembly must finish the job. We urge our leaders to support measures that restore a permanent, clear boundary between local police and federal immigration enforcement across every jurisdiction in the Commonwealth. By requiring judicial warrants for civil arrests and restricting the use of local resources for federal civil priorities, we can ensure that the vision of safety and trust championed by the Governor becomes the permanent reality for every neighborhood in Virginia by enacting the Community and Safety Trust agenda..
All Virginians must be able to access hospitals, schools, and workplaces without fear of coercion or intimidation. We support legislation that establishes accountability mechanisms, codifies protections for students and workers, limits access to immigration enforcement at schools, restricts the sharing of personal data with federal authorities, and prohibits employers from using immigration threats as coercion. It also ensures that sensitive locations remain safe spaces for all community members.
By requiring judicial warrants and ending unconstitutional detainer practices, Virginia protects taxpayers from costly civil rights lawsuits while ensuring constitutional governance. Local resources should fund local priorities--not subsidize federal civil enforcement or defend against Fourth Amendment violation claims.
We also urge our leaders to oppose any "mandatory notification" legislation that would violate principles of local autonomy and poison the trust between our residents and local law enforcement. Such measures would make victims and witnesses afraid to come forward, undermining the very public safety goals they claim to advance.
Liliana Cruz Mendez and thousands like her are our neighbors, coworkers, and community members. They stock grocery shelves, care for the elderly, and keep our economy running. When they live in fear of routine police interactions, we all lose. Clear boundaries benefit everyone: local police focus on crime, federal agencies handle civil immigration enforcement, and Virginia taxpayers are not forced to fund unconstitutional detentions.
Families should not be torn apart for complying with the law. Communities should not be afraid to call the police when crimes occur. Taxpayers should not bankroll unconstitutional practices. No one else should die during immigration operations on Virginia's highways.
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SIGNATORY ORGANIZATIONS
ACLU of Virginia
CASA
Freedom Virginia
New Virginia Majority
Planned Parenthood Advocates of Virginia
Progress Virginia
Repro Rising Virginia
SEIU Virginia 512
SEIU Virginia State Council
Working Families Party
32BJ SEIU
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Original text here: https://progressva.org/press-release/advocacy-organizations-express-strong-support-in-defending-immigrant-rights-with-the-virginia-community-safety-trust-agenda/
[Category: Political]
NY Legislators Introduce Strongest Data Center Moratorium Bill in the Country
WASHINGTON, Feb. 7 [Category: Science] -- The Food and Water Watch posted the following news release on Feb. 6, 2026:
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NY Legislators Introduce Strongest Data Center Moratorium Bill in the Country
Bill Would Pause Data Center Development Pending Statewide Environmental Review
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Albany, NY - Today State Senator Liz Krueger and Assemblymember Anna Kelles introduced legislation (S.9144) to establish a temporary moratorium on the siting and permitting of new data centers in New York State.
Across the United States and increasingly in New York, data-center development has accelerated at a
... Show Full Article
WASHINGTON, Feb. 7 [Category: Science] -- The Food and Water Watch posted the following news release on Feb. 6, 2026:
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NY Legislators Introduce Strongest Data Center Moratorium Bill in the Country
Bill Would Pause Data Center Development Pending Statewide Environmental Review
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Albany, NY - Today State Senator Liz Krueger and Assemblymember Anna Kelles introduced legislation (S.9144) to establish a temporary moratorium on the siting and permitting of new data centers in New York State.
Across the United States and increasingly in New York, data-center development has accelerated at apace that has outstripped existing planning, regulatory, and environmental review frameworks. Large-scale facilities place substantial new demand on the electric grid, driving up electricity costs for residential and commercial ratepayers, increasing reliance on fossil-fuel "peaker" plants during periods of peak demand, and complicating compliance with state greenhouse gas reduction requirements. Many data centers also rely on significant water withdrawals and discharge large volumes of heated or chemically treated wastewater, raising concerns for local water quality and aquatic ecosystems. The rapid turnover of data center equipment is also increasing electronic waste, and with New York already running out of landfill space, this could accelerate capacity loss and drive up trash disposal costs for households and businesses statewide.
The legislation responds to these documented and emerging impacts by creating a temporary, three-year pause on new data-center development while the Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) completes a comprehensive environmental impact statement evaluating the industry's current and projected effects on energy use, electricity rates, water resources, air quality, greenhouse gas emissions, and electronic waste. DEC will also be required to establish regulations to mitigate these negative impacts. At the same time, the bill requires the Public Service Commission (PSC) to report on the cost impacts of data centers on all other ratepayers, and issue any orders necessary to ensure those costs are fully borne by data center developers, not regular New Yorkers and other businesses.
This pause is intended to ensure that New York fully understands the cumulative impacts of this rapidly expanding industry and can establish clear, enforceable, data-driven standards so that any future development complies with existing environmental and climate law and proceeds in a manner that protects public health and environmental resources, and does not raise energy costs for New Yorkers.
In December more than 50 New York groups joined the call for a full moratorium on the approval and construction of new data centers, citing massive and unsustainable energy and water consumption, and skyrocking utility costs for families and small businesses. The effort was coordinated by the environmental group Food & Water Watch, the first organization in the country to call for a full nationwide moratorium.
"Massive data centers are gunning for New York, and right now we are completely unprepared. When one of these energy-guzzling facilities comes to town they drive up utility prices and have significant negative impacts on the environment and the community - and they have little to no positive impact on the local economy. New Yorkers are suffering from an affordability crisis and a climate crisis, and data centers are going to make both of those much harder to deal with. It's time to hit the pause button, give ourselves some breathing room to adopt strong policies on data centers, and avoid getting caught in a bubble that will burst and leave New York utility customers footing a huge bill," said Senator Liz Krueger.
"Data centers are expanding rapidly across the country and in New York, often with significant demands on our electric grid, water resources, and waste systems, and with real consequences for energy bills and climate pollution. New York already has strong environmental and climate laws, but those laws only work if we take the time to understand cumulative impacts and regulate accordingly. This legislation creates a responsible pause so the state can complete a comprehensive assessment and put clear, data-driven standards in place, ensuring that any future development is aligned with our climate goals and the long-term health and economic stability of New Yorkers," said Assemblymember Anna Kelles.
"Data Centers are straining our energy grid, polluting our environment, and abusing our resources without any regulations or oversight. We cannot afford more data centers until we have clear guidelines for energy consumption and a comprehensive understanding of their environmental impacts. I'm proud to co-prime sponsor this legislation with Senator Liz Krueger and Assembly Member Anna Kelles to create a moratorium on new data center construction to protect New Yorkers and our environment," said Senator Kristen Gonzalez.
"As an environmental justice advocate and a member of the Committee on Environmental Conservation, I support the legislation introduced by Senator Krueger and Assemblymember Kelles to establish a statewide moratorium on new data centers in New York. Data centers are being built rapidly and with little meaningful oversight, despite the serious strain they place on our energy system, water resources, and local communities. These facilities increase pollution, drive up electricity costs, and threaten farmland and natural land, while disproportionately impacting low-income communities and Black, Brown, and Indigenous communities that have long faced environmental injustice. New Yorkers deserve accountability and transparency before our climate goals, public health, and quality of life are put at further risk," said Assemblymember Jessica Gonzalez-Rojas.
"We know enough about data centers to be certain that the unfettered expansion of this aggressive industry is one of the biggest environmental and social threats of our generation. This expansion is rapidly increasing demand for dirty energy, straining water resources, and raising electricity rates for families and small businesses. New Yorkers are paying the price while Big Tech rakes in the riches. This strongest-in-the-nation moratorium bill is logical, it's timely, and it will deliver the results we need," said Eric Weltman, senior New York organizer at Food & Water Watch.
"The proliferation of data centers and their insatiable appetite for ratepayer subsidies, excessive water use, noise pollution, and regulatory secrecy, must stop. New York State can show the nation how to regulate data centers in a way that protects consumers' wallets, the public's hearing, and the environment's most precious resource, water. NYPIRG applauds Sen. Krueger and Assm. Kelles for this legislation," said Blair Horner, senior policy advisor at NYPIRG.
"Worldwide, water conservation, energy experts, and ratepayer protection groups are sounding the alarm on data centers - there are massive costs to these facilities, and under the current business-as-usual model, we the people will be footing this bill. And not just financially - we'll be paying for them with our clean air, water, and soil when these facilities drive up gas use, dump their e-waste here, and pollute our water for their cooling purposes. I thank Senator Krueger and Assemblymember Kelles for working to ensure our state has time to enact necessary protections for our communities against the harms that come with rampant extraction," said Avni Pravin-Buck, deputy director of Alliance for a Green Economy.
"The data center build-out represents a massive transfer of New York's land, water, and energy to a handful of tech corporations. While Big Tech uses our resources to build an industry meant to replace human labor, working-class New Yorkers are being forced to foot the bill through higher electric rates and a strained grid. NYC DSA supports this moratorium because we must prioritize human needs and public power over the speculative profits of billionaires. We need a pause to ensure our state's resources are used for the public good, not corporate expansion," said Katherine Jin, organizer with New York City DSA.
"Communities across New York are being inundated with data centers at a faster pace than we can imagine. These facilities pose a real threat to the environment and public health of residents, especially when communities are denied the transparent information and resources they need to understand the risks and protect themselves. I commend Senator Krueger and Assemblymember Kelles for listening to New Yorkers. This bill not only safeguards our shared future here in New York, but sets a powerful precedent for states across the nation," said Yvonne Taylor, vice president of Seneca Lake Guardian.
"At a time when New York State should be leading the rapid transition to solar and wind energy generation while also ending further buildout of fossil fuel infrastructure, the permitting of data centers with massive energy needs will only feed into the fossil fuel industry's narrative that to keep this technology running we have to put a pause on dealing with climate change for now. The pause should be the one put on the data centers - not renewable energy projects," said Michael Richardson, campaigns director at Third Act New York.
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Original text here: https://www.foodandwaterwatch.org/2026/02/06/ny-legislators-introduce-strongest-data-center-moratorium-bill-in-the-country/
LULAC CONDEMNS RACIST HATE SPEECH BY DONALD TRUMP, DEMANDS ACCOUNTABILITY AND NATIONAL REJECTION OF BIGOTRY
WASHINGTON, Feb. 7 -- LULAC, the League of United Latin American Citizens, issued the following news release:
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LULAC CONDEMNS RACIST HATE SPEECH BY DONALD TRUMP, DEMANDS ACCOUNTABILITY AND NATIONAL REJECTION OF BIGOTRY
Nation's oldest and largest Latino civil rights organization calls out dehumanizing rhetoric, rejects "humor" as a pretext for racism, and urges Americans to speak out against hate.
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The League of United Latin American Citizens (LULAC) unequivocally condemns the vile and racist social media post circulated by President Donald Trump depicting former President Barack Obama
... Show Full Article
WASHINGTON, Feb. 7 -- LULAC, the League of United Latin American Citizens, issued the following news release:
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LULAC CONDEMNS RACIST HATE SPEECH BY DONALD TRUMP, DEMANDS ACCOUNTABILITY AND NATIONAL REJECTION OF BIGOTRY
Nation's oldest and largest Latino civil rights organization calls out dehumanizing rhetoric, rejects "humor" as a pretext for racism, and urges Americans to speak out against hate.
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The League of United Latin American Citizens (LULAC) unequivocally condemns the vile and racist social media post circulated by President Donald Trump depicting former President Barack Obamaand former First Lady Michelle Obama in dehumanizing, offensive imagery. This act was not satire, humor, or political commentary. The content was hate speech, plain and simple, intended to demean, degrade, and inflame. Such conduct from the highest elected leader in the United States represents a dangerous erosion of moral character and further normalizes racism as acceptable public discourse. Sharing offensive content is beneath the dignity of the president, reflects upon the American people, and is an insult to every person who believes in basic decency.
"There is no joke here, no ambiguity, and no excuse," said Roman Palomares, LULAC National President and Chairman of the Board. "This was a deliberate act of racial provocation, and the effort by Trump allies and surrogates, including the disgraceful attempt to rationalize this at a White House press briefing, only compounds the harm. Passing hate along as 'humor' does not absolve responsibility; it spreads it." LULAC calls on the American public to reject this poison unequivocally and to contact their elected officials to demand accountability and condemnation of racist rhetoric in all its forms. Silence enables hate. Leadership requires confronting it. This moment demands that we, as Americans, speak out, clearly, publicly, and without apology, against racism masquerading as political speech.
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About League of United Latin American Citizens (LULAC)
The League of United Latin American Citizens (LULAC) is the nation's oldest and largest Latino civil rights organization. Founded in 1929, LULAC is committed to advancing the rights and opportunities of Latino Americans through advocacy, community building, and education. With a growing network of councils nationwide, LULAC remains steadfast in its mission to protect and empower millions of Latinos, contributing daily to America's prosperity. For more information about LULAC and its initiatives, please visit https://lulac.org/.
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Original text here: https://lulac.org/news/pr/LULAC_CONDEMNS_RACIST_HATE_SPEECH_BY_DONALD_TRUMP_DEMANDS_ACCOUNTABILITY_AND_NATIONAL_REJECTION_OF_BIGOTRY/
[Category: Political]
Human Rights First Brings Transnational Repression Case Against Egypt for Attack on Two American Brothers, Including a Minor, in Midtown Manhattan
WASHINGTON, Feb. 7 -- Human Rights First issued the following news:
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Human Rights First Brings Transnational Repression Case Against Egypt for Attack on Two American Brothers, Including a Minor, in Midtown Manhattan
New York, NY -- Human Rights First, with co-counsel Ballard Spahr, has filed a lawsuit against Egypt on behalf of two American brothers--including a minor--who were beaten by Egyptian security agents in New York City in an attack caught on video in broad daylight.
On August 20, 2025, 22-year-old Yasin El Sammak and his minor brother, A.E.,(1) went with a friend to the Egyptian
... Show Full Article
WASHINGTON, Feb. 7 -- Human Rights First issued the following news:
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Human Rights First Brings Transnational Repression Case Against Egypt for Attack on Two American Brothers, Including a Minor, in Midtown Manhattan
New York, NY -- Human Rights First, with co-counsel Ballard Spahr, has filed a lawsuit against Egypt on behalf of two American brothers--including a minor--who were beaten by Egyptian security agents in New York City in an attack caught on video in broad daylight.
On August 20, 2025, 22-year-old Yasin El Sammak and his minor brother, A.E.,(1) went with a friend to the EgyptianMission to the UN to protest the closing of Egypt's Rafah border crossing with Gaza. The friend tried to put a cheap metal chain around the Mission's doors in a symbolic protest as the brothers watched from a public sidewalk, separated from the Mission by barricades. Egyptian agents immediately came out, forcing the friend to drop the chain and run.
The agents were unable to catch the friend, so they turned on the brothers. An agent hit Yasin with the dropped chain. Another grabbed the then-15-year-old A.E. and pushed him toward the Mission, forcibly pinning him against a wall.
Then, agents dragged Yasin and A.E. into the Mission, where they repeatedly hit Yasin with the chain and tried to suffocate him with a scarf he wore, holding A.E. to keep him from helping his brother.
"In Egypt, the government can attack protestors without any legal consequence, and the agents probably thought they were beyond the law, especially when they dragged our clients into a diplomatic building," said Joshua Colangelo-Bryan, special counsel for Human Rights First. "But, here, we can hold Egypt accountable for beating people who were standing on a public sidewalk in midtown Manhattan just to express an opinion."
After attacking Yasin and his brother, the agents told police that they had been assaulted, leading the police to arrest our clients. Due to these criminally false reports, Yasin and his teenage brother were arrested and forced to spend the night in jail separated from each other, before being charged. The District Attorney's Office has since dropped all charges in light of the clear video evidence.
Our lawsuit seeks to hold Egypt accountable for its acts of violence against Yasin and his minor brother and for the physical and emotional injuries the two sustained due to that violence.
"No government has the right to use violence to silence dissent on American soil," said Rushmi Bhaskaran, partner with Ballard Spahr. "Under U.S. law, Egypt may not act with impunity. We are honored to partner with Human Rights First to hold Egypt accountable for its brazen acts of violence."
Human Rights First has long called attention to the Egyptian government's blatant disregard for human rights, including its transnational repression, i.e., importing oppressive practices from Egypt to the U.S. Last year, Human Rights First called on the U.S. government to impose targeted financial and visa sanctions on a senior Egyptian official and a U.S. company with ties to the Egyptian government for their apparent involvement in the bribery of former U.S. Senator Robert Menendez.
Now, through this case, Egypt must be held accountable for its attack on two American citizens on American soil.
We also call on the U.S. government to press Egypt to waive any immunity from prosecution that the involved agents may have had. If those agents have left the United States, the State Department should ban them from re-entering the country.
[1] As required by the Federal Rules of Civil Procedure, we identify A.E. in the litigation solely by initials.
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Original text here: https://humanrightsfirst.org/library/human-rights-first-brings-transnational-repression-case-against-egypt-for-attack-on-two-american-brothers-including-a-minor-in-midtown-manhattan/
[Category: Sociological]
Clean Air Task Force: U.S. Lawmakers Urge EU to Maintain Strong Methane Import Standards
BOSTON, Massachusetts, Feb. 7 -- Clean Air Task Force, an organization that says it works to safeguard against the impacts of climate change by catalyzing the development and deployment of low-carbon energy and other climate-protecting technologies, issued the following news:
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U.S. lawmakers urge EU to maintain strong methane import standards
A group of U.S. Members of Congress has urged the European Union to preserve its Methane Regulation, showing strong support for new rules slated to reduce global emissions.
In a letter to European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen and Energy
... Show Full Article
BOSTON, Massachusetts, Feb. 7 -- Clean Air Task Force, an organization that says it works to safeguard against the impacts of climate change by catalyzing the development and deployment of low-carbon energy and other climate-protecting technologies, issued the following news:
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U.S. lawmakers urge EU to maintain strong methane import standards
A group of U.S. Members of Congress has urged the European Union to preserve its Methane Regulation, showing strong support for new rules slated to reduce global emissions.
In a letter to European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen and EnergyMinisters of EU Member States, the lawmakers argue that the EU should not grant undue exemptions for U.S. operators if U.S. methane standards fall short in accuracy or enforcement, and don't meet the standards set in the EU. They also call on the EU to retain the regulation's current timelines, scope, and penalties for noncompliance, and to avoid blanket grandfathering of U.S. contracts.
Under the EU Methane Regulation, imported oil and gas must meet transparency and performance requirements. Granting regulatory equivalency would determine whether U.S. exporters can rely on domestic rules instead of complying directly with EU standards.
Jonathan Banks, Global Director, Methane Pollution Prevention at Clean Air Task Force, said:
"This letter underscores a growing transatlantic and global consensus that maximizing methane reductions demonstrates the kind of action that global consumers increasingly are factoring into their purchasing decisions.
U.S. companies that have already invested in methane measurement and emissions management have a competitive advantage that many are seeking to highlight. Strong, enforceable standards like the EU Methane Regulation reward that investment and provide the certainty serious producers need."
The European Union is one of the world's largest importers of fossil fuels. Roughly 85.6 percent of natural gas consumed in the EU was supplied by imports in 2024, almost half of which originated in the United States, by far the leading supplier of LNG to the EU. That gives the EU significant influence over methane management practices across global energy supply chains.
Methane is a highly potent greenhouse gas, trapping more than 80 times as much heat as carbon dioxide during its first 20 years in the atmosphere. Because it is short-lived, reducing methane emissions delivers climate benefits quickly. Available technologies can substantially reduce methane from oil and gas operations, making methane mitigation one of the fastest opportunities to slow near-term warming while reducing waste of natural gas.
The EU Methane Regulation (Regulation (EU) 2024/1787) entered into force in 2024. It establishes binding requirements for methane measurement and reporting, leak detection and repair, limits on routine venting and flaring, and transparency obligations for oil and gas placed on the EU market, including imports. The full legal text is available here (https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/?uri=CELEX:32024R1787).
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About Clean Air Task Force
Clean Air Task Force (CATF) is a global nonprofit organisation working to safeguard against the worst impacts of climate change by catalysing the rapid development and deployment of low-carbon energy and other climate-protecting technologies. With 30 years of internationally recognised expertise on climate policy and a fierce commitment to exploring all potential solutions, CATF is a pragmatic, non-ideological advocacy group with the bold ideas needed to address climate change. CATF has offices in Boston, Washington D.C., and Brussels, with staff working virtually around the world. Visit catf.us and follow @cleanaircatf.
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INFODOC: https://www.epw.senate.gov/public/_cache/files/c/1/c1ea370d-d5e5-4e7a-84d6-c534abecdb27/3278E7269337FD3E7EFE33E872B4F6387B0A7D755B4AC32414DCE819540896BA.26.02.05-bicameral-eu-methane-emission-regulation-letter-final.pdf
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Original text here: https://www.catf.us/2026/02/u-s-lawmakers-urge-eu-to-maintain-strong-methane-import-standards/
[Category: Environment]
Center for Reproductive Rights: Arizona Court Strikes Down Abortion Restrictions as Unconstitutional
NEW YORK, Feb. 7 -- The Center for Reproductive Rights issued the following news release on Feb. 6, 2026:
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Arizona Court Strikes Down Abortion Restrictions as Unconstitutional
Court rules that multiple Arizona abortion restrictions violate 2024 voter-approved constitutional amendment protecting abortion rights
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Today, an Arizona state court permanently blocked several burdensome and medically unnecessary abortion restrictions, including a law forcing patients to make two separate trips to their health care provider and wait at least 24 hours before getting care, as well as a ban on the
... Show Full Article
NEW YORK, Feb. 7 -- The Center for Reproductive Rights issued the following news release on Feb. 6, 2026:
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Arizona Court Strikes Down Abortion Restrictions as Unconstitutional
Court rules that multiple Arizona abortion restrictions violate 2024 voter-approved constitutional amendment protecting abortion rights
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Today, an Arizona state court permanently blocked several burdensome and medically unnecessary abortion restrictions, including a law forcing patients to make two separate trips to their health care provider and wait at least 24 hours before getting care, as well as a ban on theuse of telemedicine for abortion. The court ruled that these and other restrictions violate the state's new constitutional amendment protecting the right to abortion. This decision will significantly expand abortion access in the state, allowing patients to get time-sensitive care in their communities.
The restrictions struck down today include:
* Laws forcing providers to relay, and patients to receive, biased and inaccurate information about abortion in person, and then wait at least 24 hours before being able to obtain care -- requiring two separate trips to a provider. Patients are often unable to get time-sensitive care for days, if not weeks, because of these restrictions.
* Laws banning abortion as an option for patients with fetal diagnoses, forcing doctors to turn their patients away if they even suspect someone's reason for seeking care is due to a fetal condition.
* A prohibition on the use of telemedicine for medication abortion, despite ample evidence that this is a safe and effective form of care.
In his decision, Judge Gregory Como ruled that abortion restrictions that override patient autonomy and have no medical justification cannot stand: "The Challenged Laws' universal suppression of medical judgment and choice [...] renders them invalid in all circumstances."
In November 2024, Arizona voters overwhelmingly approved Proposition 139, the Arizona Abortion Access Act, to enshrine the fundamental right to abortion in the state constitution. Soon after, Arizona health care providers challenged and successfully struck down the state's 15-week abortion ban. Today's ruling represents yet another landmark victory to expand abortion access in the state, including by allowing Arizonans to finally receive abortion pills by mail. These medically unnecessary restrictions have long made it harder, if not impossible, for Arizonans to get abortion care in the state. Despite voter-approved protections for abortion, state lawmakers are currently attempting to undermine this constitutional right by pushing legislation to restrict access to care.
Quotes from plaintiffs and attorneys:
"This is a relief. For the first time in a long time, my patients will not have to jump through hoops to get the care they need," said Dr. Paul Isaacson, OB-GYN and co-owner of the Family Planning Associates Medical Group. "I became an OB-GYN to provide compassionate care to my patients, but these restrictions have stood in the way of that. Finally, I can help patients as they decide what's best for themselves without interference from the state."
"The court made clear today that the power to make health care decisions should be in patients' hands, not politicians'," said Dr. William Richardson, OB-GYN and owner of Choices Women's Center. "For years, I've seen Arizonans from rural communities struggle to find the means to make two separate trips to my clinic. I'm thrilled to now be one step closer to offering my patients evidence-based care via telemedicine."
"This is a major victory for the Arizonans who showed up to protect their right to abortion. Thanks to them and the dedicated health care providers in this case, we are even closer to making that right a reality in the state," said Caroline Sacerdote, senior attorney at the Center for Reproductive Rights. "No one should be forced to wait for time-sensitive care or listen to disinformation about abortion. Anti-abortion lawmakers in Arizona want to override the will of the people, but we refuse to let them."
"As a physician, I am relieved that I no longer will be forced by Arizona's restrictions to undermine my patients' decisions," said Dr. Laura Mercer, OB-GYN and Arizona Medical Association Board Member At-Large. "My patients will no longer be forced to make additional unnecessary visits for care, nor will I be required to give them disinformation that stigmatizes abortion. And as an Arizonan, I am proud that the abortion protections we fought so hard to win are bringing reproductive freedom closer to reality.."
"The court's decision to block these stigmatizing, medically baseless restrictions enables Arizonans to access abortion without politics standing in the way," said Rebecca Chan, staff attorney for the ACLU Reproductive Freedom Project. "This ruling brings us many steps closer to realizing the promise of Arizona's constitution: that every Arizonans' freedom to make decisions about their pregnancy is respected and supported."
"When voters approved Prop. 139, we recognized abortion as a fundamental right. Today's decision makes that vote tangible: it removes harmful legislative roadblocks that interfered with patients' private healthcare decisions," said Lauren Beall, staff attorney for the ACLU of Arizona. "Together we celebrate this victory for bodily autonomy throughout our state."
This case was brought by Dr. Paul A. Isaacson, M.D., Dr. William Richardson, M.D., and the Arizona Medical Association represented by the Center for Reproductive Rights, the American Civil Liberties Union, and ACLU of Arizona.
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Original text here: https://reproductiverights.org/news/arizona-court-strikes-down-abortion-restrictions-as-unconstitutional/
[Category: Health Care]
A Better Wisconsin Together: Lazar Gets Donation From Out-of-State Lawyer at Center of Plot to Overturn Roe V. Wade
MONONA, Wisconsin, Feb. 7 -- A Better Wisconsin Together, a state-based research and communications hub for progressives, posted the following news release on Feb. 6, 2026:
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Lazar Gets Donation from Out-of-State Lawyer at Center of Plot to Overturn Roe v. Wade
Lazar's campaign for Wisconsin Supreme Court recently received over $1,000 from Misha Tseytlin
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MADISON, Wis. - A campaign finance report filed this week shows that Judge Maria Lazar's campaign for Wisconsin Supreme Court recently received over $1,000 from Misha Tseytlin, an out-of-state right-wing lawyer who played a key role
... Show Full Article
MONONA, Wisconsin, Feb. 7 -- A Better Wisconsin Together, a state-based research and communications hub for progressives, posted the following news release on Feb. 6, 2026:
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Lazar Gets Donation from Out-of-State Lawyer at Center of Plot to Overturn Roe v. Wade
Lazar's campaign for Wisconsin Supreme Court recently received over $1,000 from Misha Tseytlin
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MADISON, Wis. - A campaign finance report filed this week shows that Judge Maria Lazar's campaign for Wisconsin Supreme Court recently received over $1,000 from Misha Tseytlin, an out-of-state right-wing lawyer who played a key rolein the plot to overturn Roe v. Wade.
"Just a few months ago, Maria Lazar said that overturning Roe v. Wade was 'very wise,' and now the anti-abortion extremists who orchestrated it are rewarding her," said Lucy Ripp, communications director at A Better Wisconsin Together.
Reporting from The New York Times Magazine shows that Tseytlin was intimately involved in plans to overturn abortion rights in the aftermath of Donald Trump's 2016 election.
According to the Times' reporting, at a 2016 gathering sponsored by The Federalist Society and right-wing court puppet master Leonard Leo, "There was no reason to think overturning Roe was impossible now, Tseytlin believed ... And Tseytlin had an idea of how to do just that."
Tseytlin's donation to Lazar's campaign comes as Lazar has been desperately trying to backtrack on public statements and hide her anti-abortion record from Wisconsinites.
"No matter how hard Maria Lazar tries to bury her anti-abortion extremism from Wisconsinites, the facts don't lie," said Ripp. "This certainly raises concerns about what Lazar's agenda would be on our state's highest court, and on whose behalf she'd be working."
Ripp also noted that Lazar's anti-abortion record also earned her endorsements from two of Wisconsin's most radical anti-abortion groups, Pro-Life Wisconsin and Wisconsin Right to Life.
Pro-Life Wisconsin's agenda includes banning all abortions in Wisconsin with no exceptions. They also support amending the Wisconsin constitution to, as experts have said, ban IVF and most common forms of birth control.
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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/lazar-gets-donation-from-out-of-state-lawyer-at-center-of-plot-to-overturn-roe-v-wade/
[Category: Economics]
