Foundations
News releases, reports, statements and associated documents from U.S. foundations.
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VICTORY: Speech Rights of 150,000 Students to Be Restored as Los Angeles Community College District Settles Lawsuit, Will Abandon Pierce College's Tiny Free Speech Zone
PHILADELPHIA, Pennsylvania, Dec. 13 -- The Foundation for Individual Rights in Education issued the following news release:
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- Student was told he could not hand out copies of the U.S. Constitution outside his college's tiny "free speech zone"
The largest community college district in the country has agreed to settle a lawsuit filed last year after an administrator told a student his First Amendment rights were restricted to a tiny "free speech zone."
On Wednesday, the Los Angeles Community College District board of trustees agreed to open the main areas of Los Angeles Pierce College to
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PHILADELPHIA, Pennsylvania, Dec. 13 -- The Foundation for Individual Rights in Education issued the following news release:
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- Student was told he could not hand out copies of the U.S. Constitution outside his college's tiny "free speech zone"
The largest community college district in the country has agreed to settle a lawsuit filed last year after an administrator told a student his First Amendment rights were restricted to a tiny "free speech zone."
On Wednesday, the Los Angeles Community College District board of trustees agreed to open the main areas of Los Angeles Pierce College tostudent expression. The board also agreed to revoke an unconstitutional, district-wide policy that declared all property on its nine campuses to be "non-public forums" and therefore subject to severe speech restrictions. Roughly 150,000 students attend classes at LACCD.
Student Kevin Shaw's lawsuit was the first in the Foundation for Individual Rights in Education's Million Voices Campaign, which aims to free the voices of one million students by striking down unconstitutional speech codes across the country. As part of the settlement, the district agreed to pay $225,000 in attorneys' fees.
"More than two years ago, administrators wrongly told Kevin he was not allowed to hand out copies of the U.S. Constitution in the center of his public college campus," said FIRE Director of Litigation Marieke Tuthill Beck-Coon. "He's been standing up for his First Amendment rights every day since, and in the process has vindicated the rights of every student in the district.
U.S. Supreme Court Asked to Hear Case Challenging Forced Union Affiliation As Violation of First Amendment
SPRINGFIELD, Virginia, Dec. 13 -- The National Right to Work Legal Defense Foundation issued the following news release:
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- Minnesota home-based personal care providers argue being forced under SEIU union monopoly 'representation' violates their freedom to associate
Today, with free legal aid from National Right to Work Legal Defense Foundation staff attorneys, a group of Minnesota home-based home care providers filed a petition asking the U.S. Supreme Court to review a case challenging a Minnesota state law used to force tens of thousands of home care providers under union monopoly "representation."
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SPRINGFIELD, Virginia, Dec. 13 -- The National Right to Work Legal Defense Foundation issued the following news release:
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- Minnesota home-based personal care providers argue being forced under SEIU union monopoly 'representation' violates their freedom to associate
Today, with free legal aid from National Right to Work Legal Defense Foundation staff attorneys, a group of Minnesota home-based home care providers filed a petition asking the U.S. Supreme Court to review a case challenging a Minnesota state law used to force tens of thousands of home care providers under union monopoly "representation."The providers, who work at home caring for disabled family members as part of a state-run Medicaid program, oppose union affiliation.
The case's lead plaintiff, Teri Bierman, filed the suit with seven other home care providers to challenge a 2013 Minnesota state law used by the Service Employees International Union (SEIU) Healthcare Minnesota to force home care providers to associate with it as a condition of providing care under the state Medicaid program.
Teri Bierman and the other home care providers provide critical care to their family members who receive state assistance to help pay for their care. Bierman provides care at home for her daughter, who suffers from cerebral palsy and requires care throughout the day. The other plaintiffs in the case care for children diagnosed with severe autism, epilepsy, Rubenstein-Taybi syndrome, or other significant disabilities. Like the other plaintiffs, Bierman receives aid from a Minnesota program similar to Medicaid, which provides funds to families to care for disabled relatives.
On August 27, 2014, the SEIU "won" a controversial mail-in unionization vote for Minnesota caregivers. Even though only 13 percent of the state's 27,000 home care providers indicated support for SEIU affiliation, that was enough for the state to impose the union's monopoly representation onto every provider, because of the small number of ballots returned. Caregivers who didn't vote or voted against the union were then forced to accept the SEIU's "representation."
Bierman v. Dayton asks the Supreme Court to declare unconstitutional under the First Amendment's free association guarantee the unions' monopoly bargaining privileges, by which a union forces its representation on individuals receiving state funds who do not consent to the representation.
By asking the Court to declare monopoly bargaining a violation of the First Amendment, Foundation staff attorneys seek to build off two recent Foundation-won Supreme Court decisions. In the 2014 Harris v. Quinn decision, the Court applied exacting First Amendment scrutiny to rule that providers like the Bierman plaintiffs cannot be required to pay union fees.
Next, in the June 2018 Janus v. AFSCME decision, the Court declared that forced union fees for all public sector employees violate the First Amendment and opened the door to further cases seeking to uphold workers' rights to freedom of speech and freedom of association. In his opinion for the majority, Justice Samuel Alito wrote for the Court that "designating a union as the employees' exclusive representative substantially restricts the rights of individual employees."
Both Harris and Janus were argued by National Right to Work Foundation staff attorney William Messenger, who is also the lead attorney in Bierman v. Dayton. Bierman now asks the Supreme Court, for the first time, to apply the same First Amendment standard to forced association as it has already applied to forced subsidies of union speech.
"If the Supreme Court agrees to hear Bierman, these home care providers will be one step closer toward ending an unconstitutional scheme that forces them to associate with a union they oppose as a condition of state assistance in providing care for their sons and daughters," said Mark Mix, President of the National Right to Work Legal Defense Foundation. "Forcing individuals under union monopoly representation flies in the face of the First Amendment's protection of freedom of association. This case gives the High Court the opportunity to apply to Big Labor's coercive exclusive representation powers the legal standards it laid out in Janus and Harris."
Twenty-Three Latino Organizations Sign Letter Urging Acting EPA Administrator Wheeler to Stop Harmful Rollback of Oil and Gas Pollution Protections
ALEXANDRIA, Virginia, Dec. 13 -- The Hispanic Access Foundation issued the following news release:
In a joint letter (https://d3n8a8pro7vhmx.cloudfront.net/greenlatinos/pages/19/attachments/original/1544648232/Latinx_Community_Sign_On_Letter_on_EPA_Methan_Rollback_.pdf?1544648232) to Acting Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Administrator Andrew Wheeler, led byGreenLatinosandHispanic Access Foundation, 23 Latino organizations urged the EPA to stop its harmful rollback of the New Source Performance Standards - commonsense methane pollution protections finalized in 2016 that limit the release
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ALEXANDRIA, Virginia, Dec. 13 -- The Hispanic Access Foundation issued the following news release:
In a joint letter (https://d3n8a8pro7vhmx.cloudfront.net/greenlatinos/pages/19/attachments/original/1544648232/Latinx_Community_Sign_On_Letter_on_EPA_Methan_Rollback_.pdf?1544648232) to Acting Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Administrator Andrew Wheeler, led byGreenLatinosandHispanic Access Foundation, 23 Latino organizations urged the EPA to stop its harmful rollback of the New Source Performance Standards - commonsense methane pollution protections finalized in 2016 that limit the releaseof toxic air pollution from oil and gas operations.
In the letter, signers affirm the important role that federal methane limits play in protecting the health of vulnerable communities of color and helping combat climate change. The current standards help protect them and other vulnerable communitiesthat face disproportionate impacts of climate change and poor air quality from oil and gas operations.
"We know there are readily available and cost-effective solutions to cut toxic air pollution from oil and gas developments that protect our health but also mitigate the impacts of climate change on Latinxs and all Americans. Gutting these protections is a step in the wrong direction. Acting Administrator Wheeler must carry out his agency's mission to protect Americans' public health and leave in place current federal methane standards that are already working," said GreenLatinos CEO Mark Magana.
The letter emphasizes how the U.S. Latino community is particularly vulnerable to the negative effects of methane pollution: 1.81 million Hispanic individuals lived within a half mile of an oil and gas facility as of 2015. The letter also explains that air quality is a great concern for Latino communities given that many Latinos live, work, play, or study in areas violating national air quality standards. In addition, in the short term, methane has over 80 times the warming power than carbon dioxide, a major driver of climate change.
"Weakening the 2016 New Source Performance Standards will negatively impact the public health of Latinos and all Americans living in communities near oil and gas developments. That is why Hispanic Access Foundation and GreenLatinos, along with more than 23 organizations, are asking the EPA to maintain and fully implement the methane protections and reject any proposals to weaken or roll these standards back," said Hispanic Access Foundation CEO Maite Arce.
Recent studies have shown significant support for climate action among U.S. Latinos:a Latino Decisions poll study from November 2018 found that 81 percent of Latinos surveyed said it is "very" and "extremely important" that Congress take an aggressive stance on climate change. Furthermore, a September 2017 Yale University study found that 74 percent of Latinoswould like President Trump and his administration -- including the EPA -- to do more to address climate change. This letter also comes on the heels of the release of the fourth National Climate Assessment - a report released by the Trump administration - showing the urgent need to act on climate.
The full text of the letter is here (https://d3n8a8pro7vhmx.cloudfront.net/greenlatinos/pages/19/attachments/original/1544648232/Latinx_Community_Sign_On_Letter_on_EPA_Methan_Rollback_.pdf?1544648232), and below is a comprehensive list of signing organizations:
* Hispanic Access Foundation
* GreenLatinos
* Hispanic Federation
* Verde
* National Hispanic Medical Association
* Ocean Futures Society
* Mujeres de la Tierra
* Earth Ethics, Inc.
* Nuestra Tierra Conservation Project
* Sachamama
* Southern Utah Wilderness Alliance
* Juntos: Our Air, Our Water - CVNMEF
* The City Project
* Nature for All
* The Praxis Project
* The CLEO Institute
* Chispa, LCV
* Rose Foundation for Communities & the Environment
* Racially Just Utah
* EcoMadres
* PROTEGETE
* Center for Civic Policy
* Voto Latino
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Acting Administrator Andrew Wheeler
U.S. Environmental Protection Agency
1200 Pennsylvania Avenue NW
Washington, DC 20460
Re: Oil and Natural Gas Sector: Emission Standards for New, Reconstructed, and Modified Sources Reconsideration; Docket ID No. EPA-HQ-OAR-2017-0483
Acting EPA Administrator Andrew Wheeler
We, the undersigned organizations, who are deeply invested in the public health and environmental well-being and justice of Latinxs communities write to express our support of maintaining the 2016 New Source Performance Standards for the oil and gas industry, which provides regulations under the Environmental Protection Agency's (EPA) Clean Air Act to help combat climate change and reduce air pollution that harms public health.
The reduction of harmful air pollution and actions to combat climate change under the 2016 New Source Performance Standards would directly improve the health and well-being of Latinx communities across the country who are among the first and worst impacted by climate change and unhealthy air quality, both of which are exacerbated by pollution from the oil and gas industry.
The EPA's mission is to "protect human health and the environment," however we believe 1 that the current proposal seeks to do the opposite by putting the interests of the oil and gas industry ahead of human health and the environment as it seeks to "significantly decrease unnecessary burdens on domestic energy producers."2 Latinx communities across the country know first-hand the burdens that the oil and gas industry impose on our communities with the pollution released by their work.
When natural gas, primarily in the form of methane, is released into the air, so too are harmful pollutants such as benzene and other ozone-forming pollutants, which are linked to cancer and chronic illnesses and that have a disproportionate impact on the health and well-being of our communities. As of 2015, 1.81 million Latino individuals lived within a half mile of an oil and gas facility--those within this half mile radius have cause for concern about potential health impacts from oil and gas toxic air pollution. The air in many Latinx communities violates air quality standards for ozone. Poor air quality results in 750,000 summertime asthma attacks in children and 500,000 missed school days. Among adults, this pollution results in 2,000 asthma related emergency room visits and 600 hospital admissions and 1.5 million reduced activity days.3
Additionally, the EPA's current methane rule helps Latinxs and Americans across the country who are experiencing the devastating impacts of climate change that are exacerbated by pollution from the oil and gas industry. A recent Latino Decisions poll study found that more than half of Latinos (65 percent) say they have personally experienced the effects of climate change within the last five years.4 A Yale University study found that 74 percent of Latinos would like to see President Trump and his administration, including the EPA, do more to address climate change.5 Climate change is destroying our communities and homes whether it be intense flooding due to hurricanes in Texas and North Carolina or the more than 3,000 deaths due to the impacts of Hurricane Maria to the American people of Puerto Rico.
This is why addressing methane pollution from the oil and gas industry is so important. Solutions to cut methane emissions are readily available and highly cost effective, and they will help save a valuable American energy source while protecting our health and mitigating the impacts of climate change on Latinxs and all Americans.
Weakening these common sense, cost-effective oil and gas pollution standards will hurt the communities where these developments exist and ignore the EPA's responsibility to protect the health and safety of American families. We call on EPA to maintain and fully implement the 2016 New Source Performance Standards and reject any proposals to weaken or roll back these standards.
Sincerely,
GreenLatinos
Hispanic Access Foundation
Hispanic Federation
Verde
National Hispanic Medical Association
Ocean Futures Society
Mujeres de la Tierra
Earth Ethics, Inc.
Nuestra Tierra Conservation Project
Sachamama
Southern Utah Wilderness Alliance
Juntos: Our Air, Our Water - CVNMEF
Study Confirms Known Association Between Lupus and Cancer Risk
WASHINGTON, Dec. 13 -- The Lupus Foundation of America issued the following news release:
New research published in Arthritis Research & Therapy evaluates the link between lupus and cancer risk, supporting the data from earlier studies. The study entitled, The risks of cancer development in systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) patients: a systematic review and meta-analysis, indicates an association between SLE and increased risk for several cancers (blood, gastrointestinal and lung), decreased risk for prostate cancer and cutaneous melanoma, and no effect on some others. The analysis reveals that
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WASHINGTON, Dec. 13 -- The Lupus Foundation of America issued the following news release:
New research published in Arthritis Research & Therapy evaluates the link between lupus and cancer risk, supporting the data from earlier studies. The study entitled, The risks of cancer development in systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) patients: a systematic review and meta-analysis, indicates an association between SLE and increased risk for several cancers (blood, gastrointestinal and lung), decreased risk for prostate cancer and cutaneous melanoma, and no effect on some others. The analysis reveals thatamong common types of cancer (in people without lupus), including breast, uterus, ovarian, pancreatic, colorectal and brain, there is no significant association. This should remind people living with lupus to be mindful of their health, but there is no cause for alarm.
The 16 cancer types linked to lupus include non-Hodgkin's lymphoma, Hodgkin's lymphoma, leukemia, multiple myeloma, cervix, vagina/vulva, renal, bladder, esophagus, gastric, hepatobiliary, lung, oropharynx, larynx, non-melanoma skin, and thyroid cancers. The cancer risk is found in both genders; for some cancers, the increase in risk is small, others more significant.
"The lupus community is already aware of the increased cancer risk and diligently screens for cancers as part of routine care," said Anca D. Askanase, MD, MPH, Director, Columbia University Lupus Center at Columbia University College of Physicians and Surgeons and Lupus Foundation of America, Medical-Scientific Advisory Council member. "The study results are not novel nor unexpected, just more precise. There is no need to re-evaluate the long-term cancer surveillance practices nor reassess current treatment regimens in lupus patients."
"What's important is that physicians and people with lupus continue to be vigilant," added Dr. Askanase. "People with lupus should focus on eliminating known lifestyle risks for cancer, such as alcohol and smoking."
Q1 2019 Equipment Leasing & Finance Industry Snapshot Now Available
WASHINGTON, Dec. 13 -- The Equipment Leasing and Finance Foundation issued the following news release:
The Equipment Leasing & Finance Foundation has released the Q1 2019 Equipment Leasing & Finance Industry Snapshot, an indispensable resource for industry participants to incorporate into executive briefings and presentations. The presentation slide deck summarizes the current conditions of the U.S. economy and equipment finance industry with clear, easy-to-digest charts and short narratives of key trends.
Among the range of details in the new release:
* The U.S. economy expanded at a 3.5 percent
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WASHINGTON, Dec. 13 -- The Equipment Leasing and Finance Foundation issued the following news release:
The Equipment Leasing & Finance Foundation has released the Q1 2019 Equipment Leasing & Finance Industry Snapshot, an indispensable resource for industry participants to incorporate into executive briefings and presentations. The presentation slide deck summarizes the current conditions of the U.S. economy and equipment finance industry with clear, easy-to-digest charts and short narratives of key trends.
Among the range of details in the new release:
* The U.S. economy expanded at a 3.5 percentannualized rate in Q3 2018, easing slightly, but still robust.
* Consumer spending and private inventories were the strongest drivers of growth in Q3.
* Top economic headwinds include increased trade pressures and global credit tightening.
* Business investment slowdown, oil sector uncertainty, continued housing sector weakness and the return to divided government are among additional factors to watch for impact on the economy.
* In October, Monthly Leasing and Finance Index (MLFI-25) new business volume grew at a 6 percent rate compared to year-ago levels. However, NBV may weaken over the next six months.
Prepared by Keybridge Research and updated quarterly, the snapshot is available for free download at https://www.leasefoundation.org/industry-resources/industry-snapshot/
Points of Light Seeks the Most Community-Minded Companies in the United States
ATLANTA, Georgia, Dec. 13 -- Points of Light (formerly the Points of Light Institute) issued the following news release:
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- The Civic 50 Annual Survey Recognizes Leaders in Community Building and Corporate Citizenship
Today, Points of Light opens The Civic 50 survey, an annual initiative that recognizes the 50 most community-minded companies in the United States. Now in its seventh year, The Civic 50 serves to recognize stronger corporate commitment to community through engagement, volunteerism, and social impact strategies.
Participation in The Civic 50 survey is open to companies with
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ATLANTA, Georgia, Dec. 13 -- Points of Light (formerly the Points of Light Institute) issued the following news release:
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- The Civic 50 Annual Survey Recognizes Leaders in Community Building and Corporate Citizenship
Today, Points of Light opens The Civic 50 survey, an annual initiative that recognizes the 50 most community-minded companies in the United States. Now in its seventh year, The Civic 50 serves to recognize stronger corporate commitment to community through engagement, volunteerism, and social impact strategies.
Participation in The Civic 50 survey is open to companies withrevenue of $1 billion or higher, that are prioritizing community-building, enhancing corporate citizenship, and delivering innovative employee volunteer programs.
"Points of Light recognizes the key role that businesses play as leaders in their communities and stewards of resources," said Natalye Paquin, president and CEO, Points of Light. "We're proud to continue working with leading companies in understanding how they continue to prioritize their impact on doing social good through their investments. As we see each year, the momentum is growing for more and more companies to focus on this work."
The Civic 50 serves as a roadmap, to view trends over time, and help see changes and leaders in corporate service. Honorees from The Civic 50 in 2018 are leading in prioritizing community-building and corporate citizenship. Findings from last year's survey show:
* 70 percent have taken national leadership positions on public education or policy efforts, while employees have volunteered more than 13 million hours.
* Employee volunteer program participation is increasing, with 100 percent supporting individual and group volunteer recognition.
* 60 percent measure employee engagement as a business outcome.
A technical assistance webinar will be held on the survey launch day, Thursday, Dec. 13, at 12 p.m. Applications will be accepted Dec. 13, 2018, through March 15, 2019. Results will be announced at the Points of Light Conference in June. Visit Civic50.org to register for the technical assistance webinar and participate in the survey.
The Civic 50 survey is an initiative of Points of Light and is powered by True Impact, a web-based measurement tool and benchmarking network for the charitable sector.
For more information, visit Civic50.org or email civic50@pointsoflight.org
ABOUT POINTS OF LIGHT
Points of Light, the world's largest organization dedicated to volunteer service, mobilizes millions of people to take action that is changing the world. Through affiliates in 250 cities across 37 countries and partnerships with thousands of nonprofits and corporations, Points of Light engages 5 million volunteers in 20 million hours of service each year. We bring the power of people where it's needed most. For more information, visit http://www.pointsoflight.org.
ABOUT TRUE IMPACT
True Impact provides web-based tools and consulting support to help organizations measure the social, financial and environmental return on investment (ROI) of their programs and operations. For more information, visit http://www.TrueImpact.com.
Civilian Aide to the Secretary of the Army Presents at IA Brown-Bag
FORT LEAVENWORTH, Kansas, Dec. 13 -- The Command and General Staff College Foundation issued the following news release:
Civilian Aide to the Secretary of the Army (CASA) Michael D. Hockley led a discussion on the CASA program in the 5th Interagency Brown-Bag lecture of the 2019 academic year on Dec. 12, in the Arnold Conference Room of the Lewis and Clark Center, home of the U.S. Army Command and General Staff College.
During his presentation Hockley provided information on the history of the CASA program and outlined how The Honorable (Dr.) Mark T. Esper, Secretary of the Army, uses his Civilian
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FORT LEAVENWORTH, Kansas, Dec. 13 -- The Command and General Staff College Foundation issued the following news release:
Civilian Aide to the Secretary of the Army (CASA) Michael D. Hockley led a discussion on the CASA program in the 5th Interagency Brown-Bag lecture of the 2019 academic year on Dec. 12, in the Arnold Conference Room of the Lewis and Clark Center, home of the U.S. Army Command and General Staff College.
During his presentation Hockley provided information on the history of the CASA program and outlined how The Honorable (Dr.) Mark T. Esper, Secretary of the Army, uses his CivilianAides across the country to keep the public informed, advise him on regional issues, and to tell the Army's story to the civilian populace in the various CASA regions around the country.
Hockley is a law partner with Spencer Fane, LLP, in Kansas City. His practice concentrates on litigation, environmental law, and renewable energy. He serves in leadership roles in a variety of civic, professional, and business organizations to include founding trustee and chair of the Command and General Staff College Foundation; past chair, United Way of Greater Kansas City Board of Trustees; treasurer, board of regents, American College of Environmental Lawyers; and member, board of directors, Armed Forces Bank NA. He was named amongst the Best Lawyers in America as Kansas City Environmental Lawyer of the Year in 2012, 2016, and 2018, and received the Ben Craig Distinguished Service Award from the Overland Park Rotary Club in 2014.
Hockley graduated from the United States Military Academy in 1973 and the University of Nebraska College Of Law in 1980. He served for 28 combined years as an active duty and reserve Army officer. He was sworn in as the Civilian Aide to the Secretary of the Army for Kansas (East) in April 16, 2018.
The InterAgency Brown-Bag Lecture Series is co-hosted by the CGSC Foundation's Simons Center with the U.S. Army Command and General Staff School (CGSS). The lecture series is an extracurricular, interagency topic-focused series that is intended to help enrich the CGSS curriculum. The CGSC Foundation and the Simons Center have received support for all brown-bag lectures in academic year 2019 from First Command Financial Services in Leavenworth, Kansas. The presentations are scheduled each month.- See the full schedule.
All lectures in the InterAgency Brown-Bag Lecture Series are free and open to the public. As the series moniker states, the lecture series is conducted in the traditional "brown-bag lunch" format. - Attendees are welcome to bring their own lunches into the conference room. Members of the public coming to the lectures from off-post will need to add extra time to check-in at the Fort Leavenworth visitor center. - For gate information, see the Fort Leavenworth homepage.
