Public Policy & NGOs
Here's a look at documents from public policy and non-governmental organizations
Featured Stories
Progress Michigan: Poll - 75% of Michiganders Support a Statewide Septic Code
LANSING, Michigan, April 15 -- Progress Michigan, an organization that says it holds public officials and government accountable and assist in the promotion of progressive ideas, issued the following news release:
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POLL: 75% of Michiganders Support a Statewide Septic Code
Recent polling released by Progress Michigan shows that 75 percent of Michiganders support enacting a statewide septic code. In January, state Sen. Sam Singh introduced a bill (SB 771) that would do exactly that. If the bill passes it would require the Michigan Department of Environment, Great Lakes, and Energy (EGLE)
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LANSING, Michigan, April 15 -- Progress Michigan, an organization that says it holds public officials and government accountable and assist in the promotion of progressive ideas, issued the following news release:
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POLL: 75% of Michiganders Support a Statewide Septic Code
Recent polling released by Progress Michigan shows that 75 percent of Michiganders support enacting a statewide septic code. In January, state Sen. Sam Singh introduced a bill (SB 771) that would do exactly that. If the bill passes it would require the Michigan Department of Environment, Great Lakes, and Energy (EGLE)to establish a septic system sanitary code.
"Michigan is the Great Lakes State, and we want to be able to trust that our water is clean, safe to consume, and healthy for our environment. It doesn't make sense that we are the only state without a statewide septic code, and voters are clear that needs to change," said Justin Mendoza, executive director of Progress Michigan. "Failing septic systems are not only a threat to our water systems, they are a threat to our public health."
"It is high time for Michigan to adopt a uniform septic code," said Liz Kirkwood, executive director of Flow Water Advocates. "Failing and aging systems threaten drinking water and our lakes and rivers. This legislation establishes common-sense protections that every Michigander can support -- because clean water is not optional, it's essential for our health and communities."
The poll found that septic code legislation has strong bipartisan support, as well as majority support across demographics. The bill has been referred to the Senate Committee on Natural Resources and Agriculture.
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Original text here: https://progressmichigan.org/2026/04/new-poll-75-percent-of-michiganders-support-a-statewide-septic-code/
[Category: Political]
Pinnacle Financial Partners, Farmers and Local First Responders Help Make Memphis-area Drivers Safer on the Road Through National Auto Body Council First Responder Emergency Extrication Program
PORT CHARLOTTE, Florida, April 15 -- The National Auto Body Council issued the following news release:
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Pinnacle Financial Partners, Farmers and Local First Responders Help Make Memphis-area Drivers Safer on the Road Through National Auto Body Council(R) First Responder Emergency Extrication (F.R.E.E.(TM)) Program
Pinnacle Financial Partners, Farmers Insurance and Hurst Jaws of Life(R) Hosted a First Responder Education Event in Memphis, TN, to Demonstrate How to Extricate People from Today's Advanced Vehicles on April 9, 2026
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First responders from the Memphis-area put on their rescue
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PORT CHARLOTTE, Florida, April 15 -- The National Auto Body Council issued the following news release:
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Pinnacle Financial Partners, Farmers and Local First Responders Help Make Memphis-area Drivers Safer on the Road Through National Auto Body Council(R) First Responder Emergency Extrication (F.R.E.E.(TM)) Program
Pinnacle Financial Partners, Farmers Insurance and Hurst Jaws of Life(R) Hosted a First Responder Education Event in Memphis, TN, to Demonstrate How to Extricate People from Today's Advanced Vehicles on April 9, 2026
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First responders from the Memphis-area put on their rescuegear for a hands-on demonstration of the latest techniques in emergency vehicle extrication, preparing them to provide the best response for car accident victims in the Mid-South, all thanks to Pinnacle Financial Partners, Farmers Insurance, Hurst Jaws of Life(R) and the National Auto Body Council(R) F.R.E.E.(TM) program.
Members of the first responders from these units gathered at a special NABC F.R.E.E.(TM) education and guidance program on April 9 to help ensure drivers in Memphis and the surrounding areas get the best prepared response in case of an accident.
Today's vehicles are equipped with numerous airbags, advanced technology and innovative safety systems that keep drivers safer in case of an accident. But these same safety advantages make it harder for first responders to rescue those drivers and passengers. Add to that the potential challenge presented by electric and hybrid engines, and first responders need a whole new arsenal of rescue tools and procedures.
The National Auto Body Council(R) First Responder Emergency Education (F.R.E.E.(TM)) program helps prepare local first responder teams to rescue accident victims from these late-model vehicles. The program provides education and live demonstrations on working with high-strength steel, airbags, advanced restraint systems, onboard technology and safety around alternative fuel vehicles. Since it was founded, it has provided education for more than 6,000 first responders.
Pinnacle Financial Partners provides a full range of banking, investment, trust, mortgage and insurance products and services designed for businesses and their owners and individuals interested in a comprehensive relationship with their financial institution. The firm is the No. 1 bank in the Nashville-Murfreesboro-Franklin MSA, according to 2025 deposit data from the FDIC. Pinnacle is No. 9 on FORTUNE magazine's 2025 list of 100 Best Companies to Work For(R) in the U.S., its ninth consecutive appearance and was recognized by American Banker as one of America's Best Banks to Work For 12 years in a row and No. 1 among banks with more than $10 billion in assets in 2024.
The firm began operations in a single location in downtown Nashville, TN in October 2000 and has since grown to approximately $56.0 billion in assets as of Sept. 30, 2025. As the second-largest bank holding company headquartered in Tennessee, Pinnacle operates in several primarily urban markets across the Southeast.
Additional information concerning Pinnacle, which is included in the Nasdaq Financial-100 Index, can be accessed at www.pnfp.com.
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ABOUT THE NATIONAL AUTO BODY COUNCIL(R)
The National Auto Body Council(R) is the premier organization of collision industry partners dedicated to strategic networking opportunities that positively change lives in the communities we serve. The collaborative membership of the National Auto Body Council(R) has gifted more than 3,750 vehicles valued at $67 million and provided extrication opportunities for some 7,000 First Responders in communities around the country through NABC Recycled Rides(R) and the NABC First Responder Emergency Extrication (F.R.E.E.(TM)). That effort equates to a 4:1 ROI in dollar value delivered from NABC(R) membership dollars
The NABC Changing and Saving Lives Foundation, a 501c3 organization, is committed to the goal of driving change for veterans, military members, first responders and families in need, while harnessing the power of the collective membership of the collision repair industry to positively impact communities where we live and work. As demand for NABC(R) programs like NABC Recycled Rides(R) and NABC F.R.E.E.(TM) grows, so do the needs for resources to manage these important programs. Being able to pursue grants, gifts and donations allow NABC(R) to expand these programs to serve those in need and help communities where we live and work. For more information, visit www.NationalautoBodyCouncil.org.
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Original text here: https://nationalautobodycouncil.org/press-releases/pinnacle-financial-partners-farmers-and-local-first-responders-help-make-memphis-area-drivers-safer-on-the-road-through-national-auto-body-council-first-responder-emergency-extrication-f-r-e-e/
[Category: Transportation]
Michigan League for Public Policy: League Strongly Opposes House Passage of a Bill That Threatens Michiganders' Right to Vote in State Elections
LANSING, Michigan, April 15 -- The Michigan League for Public Policy issued the following news release on April 14, 2026:
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League strongly opposes House passage of a bill that threatens Michiganders' right to vote in state elections
House Bill 4765 would create unnecessary red tape in Michigan's voter registration process and burden citizens with proving their eligibility to vote
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The Michigan League for Public Policy issued the following statement today on the passage of House Bill 4765 by the Michigan House of Representatives. The statement can be attributed to Michigan League for
... Show Full Article
LANSING, Michigan, April 15 -- The Michigan League for Public Policy issued the following news release on April 14, 2026:
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League strongly opposes House passage of a bill that threatens Michiganders' right to vote in state elections
House Bill 4765 would create unnecessary red tape in Michigan's voter registration process and burden citizens with proving their eligibility to vote
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The Michigan League for Public Policy issued the following statement today on the passage of House Bill 4765 by the Michigan House of Representatives. The statement can be attributed to Michigan League forPublic Policy President and CEO Monique Stanton.
"On the surface, this bill may look like it's about voter identification and preventing so-called voter fraud, but it's really about trying to make it more difficult for eligible citizens to exercise their right to vote in state elections. If this bill were to become law, voters who used to be able to use their standard driver's license or state i.d. to vote will be required to obtain an enhanced driver's license or present other accompanying documents, like their birth certificate or passport, in order to complete their voter registration process.
"This puts more of a burden on voters to prove their eligibility, including more of a financial burden at a time when the cost for basic needs continues to rise. We know that a considerable number of currently eligible Michigan voters will be unable to let their voices be heard at the polls as a result of this threat to democracy. Data shows that more than 60% of Michiganders do not have a valid passport, and more than 2.2 million women in Michigan do not have birth certificates with their current legal name because of name changes most often associated with marriage. It's also important to note that adoptees may be entirely blocked from accessing the documents this bill requires to vote because of state secrecy laws.
"Voter fraud has been proven again and again to be a rare occurrence in our state, and it certainly does not rise to the level of disenfranchising huge swaths of eligible voters in this reckless and irresponsible way. The Michigan Department of State conducted an extensive review of voter identification last year and came back with 15 flagged cases of potential noncitizen voters out of a total of 5.7 million ballots cast. This shows that the systems the state has in place to prevent voter fraud are already working.
"We have already seen bills like this play out terribly in other states. In addition to the additional burdens placed on voters, it will place additional responsibility on local clerks to verify documents and increase the risk of uncertainty and inconsistency in decisions during the registration process.
"This bill is nothing short of a dire threat to democratic participation in Michigan and it is coming at a time when our federal government is similarly trying to disenfranchise eligible voters. We are urging the Michigan Senate to do what is right for the citizens of our state and stop this bill from becoming law."
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The Michigan League for Public Policy, www.mlpp.org, is a nonprofit policy institute focused on opportunity for all. Its mission is to advance economic security, racial equity, health and well-being for all people in Michigan through policy change. It is the only state-level organization that addresses poverty in a comprehensive way.
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Original text here: https://mlpp.org/league-strongly-opposes-house-passage-of-a-bill-that-threatens-michiganders-right-to-vote-in-state-elections/
[Category: Political]
Maryland Senate Leadership Blocks Vote on Lead Ammunition Reform Despite Clear Majority Support
WASHINGTON, April 15 -- The Center for a Humane Economy posted the following news release on April 14, 2026:
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Maryland Senate Leadership Blocks Vote on Lead Ammunition Reform Despite Clear Majority Support
Bill Ferguson shows no leadership in addressing the largest commercial use of lead, putting at risk immense numbers of Marylanders and all wildlife in the state
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Animal Wellness Action and the Center for a Humane Economy today condemned Senate President Bill Ferguson, D-46, Baltimore, for refusing to bring House Bill 1067 to a vote before adjournment of the 2026 legislative session,
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WASHINGTON, April 15 -- The Center for a Humane Economy posted the following news release on April 14, 2026:
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Maryland Senate Leadership Blocks Vote on Lead Ammunition Reform Despite Clear Majority Support
Bill Ferguson shows no leadership in addressing the largest commercial use of lead, putting at risk immense numbers of Marylanders and all wildlife in the state
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Animal Wellness Action and the Center for a Humane Economy today condemned Senate President Bill Ferguson, D-46, Baltimore, for refusing to bring House Bill 1067 to a vote before adjournment of the 2026 legislative session,despite an overwhelming vote in the House and in the Senate committee of jurisdiction, which forecasted a similarly lopsided vote in the upper chamber. The legislation, to phase out the use of toxic lead ammunition in Maryland over the next four years, was supported by a broad coalition of public health experts, animal welfare advocates, conservationists, and hunters.
"Once again, Maryland Senate President Bill Ferguson showed a deficit of leadership in failing to address one of the most serious public health and wildlife health crises in Maryland: the lead poisoning of half a million Marylanders and countless wild animals who ingest an element known for three millennia to extinguish life," said Wayne Pacelle, president of Animal Wellness Action and the Center for a Humane Economy. "The problem is documented and the solution is right at hand: use widely available, cost-competitive non-toxic ammunition, already required under federal law for waterfowl hunting in all 50 states for the last 35 years."
HB 1067, sponsored by Del. Michele Guyton, D-42B, Baltimore County, and Del. Nick Allen, D-8, Baltimore County, passed by an overwhelming vote of 91-42 in the House of Delegates, over the objections of the NRA and extremist hunting groups that seemingly have no problem with rank-and-file hunters and their families and friends suffering the effects of lead poisoning by eating wild game meat embedded with lead fragments. Sen. Karen Lewis Young, D-3, Frederick County, sponsored the companion measure in the Senate, where it advanced out of the Education, Energy, and Environment Committee by a commanding 8-3 vote. With the leaders of the policy committees in both chambers backing the legislation, and with the Democrats holding a commanding 34-13 advantage, supporters say the bill had plenty of votes to pass and more than enough committed votes to break any filibuster.
Instead, Senate leadership declined to act after a small group of Republican senators threatened to offer amendments and consume floor time in the final hours of the session.
"This was the third straight year that Ferguson and his team balked at taking any ownership of this issue and addressing the human health and wildlife health crisis of thousands of tons of lead loads scattered over the 12,000 square miles of Maryland's lands and waterways," added Pacelle. "How many more children in hunting families must ingest lead and how many bald eagles must wither and die in Maryland to spur remedial action? Non-lead ammunition, already required by the federal government for migratory waterfowl, is available for hunting all species and it works."
A documented crisis, a proven solution
Each year, an estimated 500,000 Marylanders--including children in hunting families--consume venison contaminated with lead fragments from traditional ammunition. There is no safe level of lead exposure, according to the CDC. Aisha Dickerson, Ph.D., an epidemiologist at the Johns Hopkins School of Public Health, testified in favor of the HB 1067/SB 181, noted that "lead is a well-known toxicant that can cause a number of adverse health outcomes throughout life, including cognitive impairment, mental health symptoms, kidney damage, cardiovascular disease, and earlier age of death."
Peer-reviewed scientific studies from NIH show there can be a reduction in IQ in children who have been exposed to lead, including lead ammunition, from 5 to 7+ points impacting their ability to learn and creating behavioral issues that parents and the school systems are left to deal with. Recent research has revealed that lead fragments in game meat can be microscopic--spreading like "lead dust" throughout tissue and making contamination impossible to detect or remove. These risks extend beyond hunting households, particularly through donated venison to food banks and communities facing food insecurity.
According to a landmark study in Science in 2022, half of all bald and golden eagles continent-wide have severe levels of lead toxicity in their system. Wildlife rehabilitators in Maryland and across the country report widespread lead poisoning, with many animals dying from exposure to even small amounts. There are 600 peer-reviewed studies supporting the public health and wildlife health effects of indiscriminate lead use in hunting.
More than three decades ago, the federal government required non-toxic ammunition for waterfowl hunting nationwide--a policy that has saved millions of birds annually while maintaining strong hunting traditions. California passed legislation to ban all lead ammunition and it's been in effect for seven years for the hunting of 60 species, and there have been no glitches with implementation and no downturn in hunting participation.
HB 1067 would have built on that success with a staggered, four-year phase-in of non-lead ammunition for sport hunting in Maryland, beginning next year and fully implemented by 2031. The bill explicitly allowed continued possession, sale, and use of lead ammunition for target shooting and other lawful purposes.
Dan Ashe, former director of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and a lifelong hunter and Maryland resident, emphasized in his testimony the practical and ethical case for reform: "We know that there is no safe level of lead in any animal--human or non-human. Using ammunition that is poisoning and killing innocent bystanders and feeding lead-contaminated food to families and friends is the opposite of ethical and responsible."
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Center for a Humane Economy is a Washington, D.C.-based 501(c)(3) whose mission is to help animals by helping forge a more humane economic order. The first organization of its kind in the animal protection movement, the Center encourages businesses to honor their social responsibilities in a culture where consumers, investors, and other key stakeholders abhor cruelty and the degradation of the environment and embrace innovation as a means of eliminating both. The Center believes helping animals helps us all. Twitter: @TheHumaneCenter
Animal Wellness Action is a Washington, D.C.-based 501(c)(4) whose mission is to help animals by promoting laws and regulations at federal, state and local levels that forbid cruelty to all animals. The group also works to enforce existing anti-cruelty and wildlife protection laws. Animal Wellness Action believes helping animals helps us all. Twitter: @AWAction_News
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Original text here: https://centerforahumaneeconomy.org/maryland-senate-leadership-blocks-lead-ammunition-reform-vote/
[Category: Animals]
Justice Department Report Rewrites History to Target Civil Servants
WASHINGTON, April 15 (TNSbrep) -- Democracy Forward, an organization that says it advances democracy and social progress through litigation, policy and public education and regulatory engagement, issued the following news release on April 14, 2026:
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New Justice Department Report Rewrites History to Target Civil Servants
Report Proves to be Waste of Government Resources in Search of Crimes that Did Not Occur, Misuse of Office of Legal Policy Resources
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Following the U.S. Department of Justice's release of a 900-page report (https://www.justice.gov/opa/media/1436006/dl?inline), which is
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WASHINGTON, April 15 (TNSbrep) -- Democracy Forward, an organization that says it advances democracy and social progress through litigation, policy and public education and regulatory engagement, issued the following news release on April 14, 2026:
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New Justice Department Report Rewrites History to Target Civil Servants
Report Proves to be Waste of Government Resources in Search of Crimes that Did Not Occur, Misuse of Office of Legal Policy Resources
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Following the U.S. Department of Justice's release of a 900-page report (https://www.justice.gov/opa/media/1436006/dl?inline), which isa partisan effort to discredit career prosecutors and civil servants who have spent decades enforcing the nation's criminal civil rights laws, Democracy Forward's Red Line for Civil Rights has released a comprehensive analysis of the section focused on prosecutions for violations of the Freedom of Access to Clinic Entrances (FACE) Act of 1994. The analysis was originally published at Just Security.
The report presents itself as an investigation into alleged bias in federal law enforcement and as the basis to terminate career civil servants for doing their job of dutifully enforcing laws passed by Congress to address serious violence. Instead, it cherry picks through hundreds of deliberative internal emails, mischaracterizes the factual record, and disregards multiple court rulings and jury verdicts in districts across the country--all as part of a review led by political actors.
"There seems to be no bottom to the lows to which political leadership in the department fall. This sensationalized, false, and cherry-picked report, being used to justify the targeting of civil servants, comes up short of facts and evidence - which DOJ leaders might remember are critical to making an argument," said Skye Perryman, President and CEO of Democracy Forward. "This report purports to criticize unbalanced justice under the law, the very behavior that this administration has undertaken with pardons of people convicted by juries of their peers. It is this administration's politicized enforcement of the FACE Act, not the last, which threatens foundational democratic principles of neutrality and equal treatment under the law. We will continue using every legal tool available to uphold the rule of law."
Instead of using career investigators and staff in the Office of the Inspector General or Office of Professional Responsibility, this report was written by the Department's Office of Legal Policy, a step that limited the investigative process and the due process of those civil servants targeted by political leadership.
"Many of the convictions now being questioned were secured through grand jury indictments and unanimous jury verdicts after full judicial review. Those outcomes reflect evidence tested in court, not political bias," said Regan Rush, Director of Red Line for Civil Rights at Democracy Forward. "This report attempts to justify treating the same unlawful conduct differently depending on the target. Billed as restoring fairness and neutrality, the current administration's FACE Act enforcement does the opposite. It institutionalizes selective enforcement of federal law."
The FACE Act was passed in 1994 with bipartisan support in response to a rise in violent and extreme tactics used by anti-abortion activists, including large-scale clinic blockades and the murder and attempted murder of physicians. For decades, the FACE Act has protected access to reproductive healthcare by safeguarding patients, providers, and facilities from violence, threats of violence, vandalism, and physical obstruction. That includes not only clinics that provide abortions, but also what are known as crisis pregnancy centers, which are run by those seeking to talk women out of abortions.
The false and misleading claims are not new. In January 2025, President Trump issued pardons to 24 individuals convicted of criminal FACE Act violations and the Civil Rights Division dismissed pending civil enforcement actions. Department leadership also adopted a differential enforcement standard, pursuing FACE Act allegations when directed at places of religious worship or crisis pregnancy centers that counsel against abortions, but declining to pursue the same unlawful conduct when directed at clinics that provide abortions. Since then, the Department has enforced the FACE Act pursuant to this two-tiered approach. The report released today seeks to rewrite the historical record in an apparent attempt to justify those actions.
Taken together, the report's conclusions rest on five central claims. Each fails when measured against the actual enforcement record. Access a full analysis at redlinecivilrights.org.
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Democracy Forward Foundation is a national legal organization that advances democracy and social progress through litigation, policy, public education, and regulatory engagement. For more information, please visit www.democracyforward.org.
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Original text here: https://democracyforward.org/news/press-releases/new-justice-department-report-rewrites-history-to-target-civil-servants/
[Category: Political]
Coalition Sues Trump EPA for Failure to Implement Life-Saving National Soot Standard
NEW YORK, April 15 -- The Natural Resources Defense Council posted the following news release:
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Coalition Sues Trump EPA for Failure to Implement Life-Saving National Soot Standard
San Francisco - Seventeen health, community and environmental groups filed a lawsuit on Monday evening in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California against the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) for failing to implement the strengthened 2024 National Ambient Air Quality Standard (NAAQS) for particulate matter air pollution, commonly known as soot. EPA has estimated that the strengthened
... Show Full Article
NEW YORK, April 15 -- The Natural Resources Defense Council posted the following news release:
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Coalition Sues Trump EPA for Failure to Implement Life-Saving National Soot Standard
San Francisco - Seventeen health, community and environmental groups filed a lawsuit on Monday evening in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California against the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) for failing to implement the strengthened 2024 National Ambient Air Quality Standard (NAAQS) for particulate matter air pollution, commonly known as soot. EPA has estimated that the strengthenedstandard will prevent up to 4,500 premature deaths annually, avoid 800,000 cases of asthma symptoms and 2,000 emergency room visits, and yield up to $46 billion in net health benefits once implemented. The coalition also filed a motion for summary judgment asking the court to put the agency on a court-ordered deadline to carry out its overdue responsibility.
The following is a statement from the legal organizations representing the coalition suing the EPA for failure to implement the strengthened soot standard:
"The EPA's refusal to take even basic steps to drive compliance with the 2024 soot standard leaves one of the most dangerous forms of air pollution largely unchecked, putting the health of Americans at risk. Doctors and scientists who treat patients and study air pollution have made overwhelmingly clear that soot pollution kills and sickens people. Delaying compliance and enforcement of the standard is a choice the Trump administration is making to allow preventable health harms to worsen every day. Over and over again, this administration shows what its priority is - letting polluters off the hook. We are determined to ensure that the Trump EPA complies with the law and carries out these life-saving protections against soot pollution."
Dr. Vijay Limaye, climate and health scientist at NRDC, added:
"Protecting people from fine particle pollution requires stronger limits, the science on this is unambiguous. EPA's own analysis confirmed that strengthening the soot standard would deliver enormous public health benefits, preventing thousands of premature deaths and hundreds of thousands of cases of illness every year. Every day the Trump EPA delays implementing these protections, people from communities across the country -- our neighbors and family members -- are paying the price with their health."
Background
Soot is made up of tiny particles that lodge deep in the lungs. It results from fossil fuel combustion and other sources and causes cancer, asthma attacks, and premature deaths. In February, the EPA missed a key deadline for designating areas with soot pollution levels in violation of the 2024 standard. These designations are the first step toward bringing dangerous soot pollution levels down to safer levels and making sure areas across the U.S. are in compliance with that health-based standard.
Under the Clean Air Act, NAAQS are baseline national air quality standards for six common, harmful pollutants, including soot and ground-level ozone, also known as smog. In 2024, the EPA strengthened the soot standard based on overwhelming scientific evidence. To reduce the amount of deadly pollution in the air people breathe, the law requires the EPA to designate areas that are in violation of the standard as "nonattainment" and put them on a path to clean air, but the agency has failed to do so by the legally required deadline.
The benefits of the 2024 soot standards can be achieved through more widespread use of readily available, cost-effective technologies and practices that many states and industries have been using for decades to successfully reduce soot pollution.
Last year, EPA reversed course and asked a federal court to strike down the updated soot standard. Health, environmental, and community groups, along with a coalition of states led by California, have asked the federal court to uphold the 2024 standard. That case is pending, and the 2024 soot standard remains in effect.
On Monday evening the coalition filed a new lawsuit and moved for summary judgment. The coalition members are Alliance of Nurses for Healthy Environments, American Lung Association, American Public Health Association, American Thoracic Society, Center for Biological Diversity, Citizens for Pennsylvania's Future, Clean Air Council, CleanAIRE NC, Conservation Law Foundation, Environmental Defense Fund, Georgia Interfaith Power & Light, Michigan Environmental Council, NRDC (Natural Resources Defense Council), Northeast Ohio Community Resilience Centre, Rio Grande International Study Center, Savannah Riverkeeper, and Sierra Club. Clean Air Task Force, Earthjustice and Southern Environmental Law Center are serving as legal counsel representing many of these organizations.
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Original text here: https://www.nrdc.org/press-releases/coalition-sues-trump-epa-failure-implement-life-saving-national-soot-standard
[Category: Environment]
2026 Brady Action Awards Celebrate Visionary Leaders Fighting to End Gun Violence Through Marketing, Youth Activism, Film
WASHINGTON, April 15 -- The Brady Campaign to Prevent Gun Violence issued the following news release on April 14, 2026:
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2026 Brady Action Awards Celebrate Visionary Leaders Fighting to End Gun Violence through Marketing, Youth Activism, and Film
NEW YORK - Today, Brady, the nation's oldest gun violence prevention organization, will celebrate its annual Brady Action Awards honoring the efforts of individuals who have distinguished themselves in the movement to free America from gun violence. The evening will be emceed by Emmy Award-nominated actor, producer, and director Michael Urie of
... Show Full Article
WASHINGTON, April 15 -- The Brady Campaign to Prevent Gun Violence issued the following news release on April 14, 2026:
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2026 Brady Action Awards Celebrate Visionary Leaders Fighting to End Gun Violence through Marketing, Youth Activism, and Film
NEW YORK - Today, Brady, the nation's oldest gun violence prevention organization, will celebrate its annual Brady Action Awards honoring the efforts of individuals who have distinguished themselves in the movement to free America from gun violence. The evening will be emceed by Emmy Award-nominated actor, producer, and director Michael Urie ofAppleTV's Shrinking.
"All of this year's honorees, who span industries, ages, and perspectives, have shown innovative commitment to ending gun violence in America, and their success is evident. The United States is currently on track to have the lowest homicide rates in an entire century - the result of the gun violence prevention movement's relentless push for change, both within and outside of Washington," said Kris Brown, President of Brady. "Our Brady Action Awards show that progress doesn't happen only on Capitol Hill; it can be stoked through powerful filmmaking, thoughtful marketing campaigns, and bold community activism. No matter who occupies the White House or what party controls Congress, Brady Action Awardees are taking action, saving lives, and creating a safer America for us all."
"I'm so honored to host the 2026 Brady Action Awards," said Urie. "The great work that Brady and these honorees do day in and day out has saved countless lives. Tonight, I join them in saying 'enough is enough.'"
On the same day as the Brady Action Awards, Brady's message will extend beyond the ballroom and into the heart of New York City through a powerful IRL media activation on OUTFRONT's iconic Cube in Times Square. This high-impact creative features Brady Ambassador Award honoree Brian Monahan alongside his mother, Lynn Monahan, a former Sandy Hook Elementary School teacher, as well as advocates Fred Guttenberg and Aalayah Eastmond, both of whom lost family members to gun violence. Positioned at one of the most visible and culturally significant canvases in the world, the installation brings deeply personal stories of loss, resilience, and advocacy directly to the public, amplifying the urgency of Brady's mission.
The honorees are:
The Cookie and Kenny Misher Youth Advocacy Awards:
* Sarah Youseff, a first-year student at University of California - Irvine and a member of Team ENOUGH San Diego
Working with "PBS Student Reporting Labs" and the documentary "Run, Hide, Fight," Sarah has brought youth perspectives on gun violence to the national conversation. Sarah has organized numerous events in support of gun violence prevention efforts, but also knows that creating a safer future is about more than any single moment; it's about a long-term commitment to action, education, and mobilization.
* Layla Greten, a fourth-year student at Archbishop Spalding High School in Maryland and the chapter leader of Team ENOUGH Baltimore
Layla founded the Baltimore chapter of Team ENOUGH, Brady's youth initiative, and helped establish four additional chapters across Maryland. She has worked to engage diverse audiences and meet community needs -- whether that's by registering voters or educating people about Team ENOUGH's mission at concerts, community events, and libraries. Layla has also been instrumental to leading policy change in Maryland -- having provided testimony on multiple gun violence prevention bills, spoken in support of community violence intervention programs, and organized dozens of meetings between young people and their lawmakers.
Show Gun Safety Award:
* Joshua Seftel, Director of All the Empty Rooms
Joshua Seftel is the director of the Academy Award(R)-winning documentary, All The Empty Rooms(Netflix, December 2025). This moving film, which looks into the empty bedrooms left behind by children killed in school shootings, is more than a film; it's a call to action. We are honored to recognize its masterful and compassionate storytelling--work that jolts audiences out of the numbness surrounding gun violence in America and moves us closer to meaningful action.
Brady's Show Gun Safety Award, founded in 2023, honors those in the film and TV industry who help change hearts and minds in the fight against gun violence.
Brady Ambassador Award:
* Brian Monahan, Executive Director of the Gun Safety Alliance
Brian is an ambassador for gun violence prevention in his personal and professional lives. He grew up in Sandy Hook, CT, and his mother, Lynn Monahan, taught first grade at Sandy Hook Elementary School for 18 years. Today, Brian is a media and marketing executive who leads the retail media business for the Albertsons Companies. He has spent his entire career helping brands make smarter, data-driven connections. Thirty years ago, he co-founded one of the first digital ad agencies and has held executive roles at Walmart, Pinterest, dentsu, Interpublic, and now Albertsons Media Collective.
In 2014, he helped found the Gun Safety Alliance (GSA), a coalition of marketing industry leaders committed to offering pro bono services to gun violence prevention groups across America, and now serves as its Executive Director. GSA has supported Brady, Newtown Action Alliance, Stop Handgun Violence, Maine Gun Safety Alliance, Granite State Progress, Texas Gun Sense, Global Action Against Gun Violence, and many others.
Brian's leadership has brought global marketing expertise to the gun violence prevention movement. He connected Brady's safe firearm storage initiative -- End Family Fire, run in partnership with Ad Council -- with global ad agency dentsu. The result was an innovative, award-winning media campaign sharing real stories of people affected by firearm suicide, with life-saving messages appearing on bustops and billboards across the country. He has overseen marketing research that is proven to draw gun owners to the cause, helping break down partisan barriers. He has helped Brady's This Is Our Lane initiative reach millions of pediatricians and healthcare professionals with messages about the importance of talking to patients about firearm access. Whether website, social marketing, email marketing, PR support, public service Ads, or strategic guidance, Brian and the GSA have become a trusted resource for any organization seeking to reduce gun violence in America.
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Brady has one powerful mission -- to unite all Americans against gun violence. We work across Congress, the courts, and our communities with over 90 grassroots chapters, bringing together young and old, red and blue, and every shade of color to find common ground in common sense. In the spirit of our namesakes Jim and Sarah Brady, we have fought for over 45 years to take action, not sides, and we will not stop until this epidemic ends. It's in our hands.
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Original text here: https://www.bradyunited.org/press/2026-brady-action-awards
[Category: Political]
