Public Policy
News releases, reports, statements and associated documents from public policy organizations whose goal it is to influence the debate Washington.
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Will Justice Kavanaugh Make SCOTUS Cafeteria Pro-Life?
WASHINGTON, Oct. 15 -- People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals issued the following news release:
As the newest member of the Supreme Court, Justice Brett Kavanaugh is required to serve on the court's Cafeteria Committee, prompting PETA to send a letter urging him to create a "pro-life" dining hall by overhauling the menu with vegan meals that no animal had to suffer and die for and that also cut human premature mortality rates. To help, PETA is offering to send the justices copies of its free vegan starter kit.
"Going vegan is a simple way to promote respect for all," says PETA President
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WASHINGTON, Oct. 15 -- People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals issued the following news release:
As the newest member of the Supreme Court, Justice Brett Kavanaugh is required to serve on the court's Cafeteria Committee, prompting PETA to send a letter urging him to create a "pro-life" dining hall by overhauling the menu with vegan meals that no animal had to suffer and die for and that also cut human premature mortality rates. To help, PETA is offering to send the justices copies of its free vegan starter kit.
"Going vegan is a simple way to promote respect for all," says PETA PresidentIngrid Newkirk. "PETA is asking Justice Kavanaugh to look out for the well-being of animals and his fellow justices by changing the cafeteria selections to healthy and humane animal-free meals."
PETA, whose motto reads, in part, that "animals are not ours to eat," notes that the number of Americans--of both parties--who identify as vegan has increased by 600 percent since 2014.
For more information, please visit PETA.org.
PETA's letter to Justice Kavanaugh follows.
October 12, 2018
Justice Kavanaugh
The Supreme Court of the United States
Dear Justice Kavanaugh,
I'm writing on behalf of our 6.5 million members and supporters worldwide, including hundreds in Washington, D.C., where our office is just up the street from the White House. May I urge you to set a precedent? This may not strike you as the most important decision that you could make, but it would have a positive impact on both animals and human health. In your position on the court's Cafeteria Committee, you could make a sound judgment on the merits of pro-life eating by offering predominately vegan food selections on the cafeteria menu--and perhaps even come up with an added incentive for justices to choose plant-based options that's within your jurisdiction. Allow me to present our case.
As you may know, leading health experts, including a few from Yale, agree that eating plant-based foods is the single best way to enjoy a longer, healthier life. According to the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics, vegans reduce their risk of diabetes by 62 percent, their chance of being hospitalized for a heart attack by 33 percent, their risk of heart disease by 29 percent, and their risk of developing cancer by 18 percent. A vegan diet can also decrease the risk of suffering from obesity, since vegans are about 18 percent thinner and 10 to 20 pounds lighter, on average, than their meat-eating counterparts. Everyone knows of Justice Ginsburg's tough workout regimen, but there is no argument: A vegan diet can actually reverse heart disease and dissolve arterial plaque without exercise.
Everyone who goes vegan also spares animals the horrors of factory farms and slaughterhouses, where the conditions are usually illegal, although seldom prosecuted. Piglets are castrated, and steers' horns are burned out of their heads without painkillers--but female animals suffer even more. They are exploited for their reproductive systems: Mother cows are restrained in what farmers call a "rape rack" to be artificially inseminated via a man's hand reaching up inside them, and their beloved calves are taken away from them within hours of birth so that humans can drink the cow's breastmilk, instead of letting the calf suckle. Chickens are kept crammed into tiny cages so that their cholesterol-laden eggs can be used in recipes or served whole.
With so many vegan foods--such as Tofurky's Deli Slices, So Delicious' coconut milk yogurt, and Beyond Meat's Beyond Burger--readily available (and yes, there are also many brands of vegan beer), it's a crime to consume products derived from abused animals. We would gladly send free copies of our vegan starter kits to help lengthen the terms of your fellow justices as well as the lives of animals, court staff, and the public. Thank you for your consideration.
Very truly yours,
Ingrid E. Newkirk
President
Roswell Park's Dr. Kunle Odunsi Elected to the National Academy of Medicine
BUFFALO, New York, Oct. 15 -- The Roswell Park Cancer Institute issued the following news release:
Kunle Odunsi, MD, PhD, Deputy Director of Roswell Park Comprehensive Cancer Center, has been elected to the National Academy of Medicine -- a distinguished lifetime designation that is considered one of the highest honors in health and medicine. The election of new members recognized for their outstanding professional achievements and commitment to service was announced today at the Academy's annual meeting, "Cancers: Can We Beat The Odds," held in Washington, D.C.
"We are so very proud of Kunle,
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BUFFALO, New York, Oct. 15 -- The Roswell Park Cancer Institute issued the following news release:
Kunle Odunsi, MD, PhD, Deputy Director of Roswell Park Comprehensive Cancer Center, has been elected to the National Academy of Medicine -- a distinguished lifetime designation that is considered one of the highest honors in health and medicine. The election of new members recognized for their outstanding professional achievements and commitment to service was announced today at the Academy's annual meeting, "Cancers: Can We Beat The Odds," held in Washington, D.C.
"We are so very proud of Kunle,and honored to work alongside him," says Candace S. Johnson, PhD, President and CEO of Roswell Park. "He has earned this incredible distinction through his unwavering dedication to cancer patients and his many achievements in moving cancer research forward."
The Academy, formerly the Institute of Medicine, is an independent body that aims to improve health for all by advancing science, accelerating health equity, and providing independent, authoritative, and trusted advice nationally and globally. "To carry out our work," the organization notes, "we harness the talents and expertise of accomplished, thoughtful volunteers and undertake meticulous processes to avoid and balance bias. Our foundational goal is to be the most reliable source for credible scientific and policy advice on matters concerning human health."
Members are elected by their peers based on their contributions to the advancement of the medical sciences, health care and public health. Dr. Odunsi is the first Roswell Park physician in the center's 120-year history to be elected to the National Academy of Medicine (NAM), and one of only three living NAM members in Western New York. In announcing his appointment, the Academy recognized Dr. Odunsi "for identifying key mechanisms of immune suppression within the ovarian tumor microenvironment, pioneering studies to re-engineer mature T cells and hematopoietic stem cells for adoptive T-cell therapy, and implementing multi-institutional immunotherapy trials using novel strategies that he developed, to impact outcome and quality of life of ovarian cancer patients."
"This wouldn't have been possible without the supportive, transdisciplinary and collaborative environment at Roswell Park," says Dr. Odunsi, who also serves as Chair of Gynecologic Oncology, M. Steven Piver Professor of Gynecologic Oncology, and Executive Director of the Center for Immunotherapy at the Buffalo-based cancer center. "I am humbled by this honor and so grateful to my extraordinary teams from the gynecologic oncology clinical program and the Center for Immunotherapy, with whom I work every day. And I owe an enormous debt to the patients I have been privileged to work with, and from whom I have learned so much."
On staff at Roswell Park since 2001, Dr. Odunsi followed a medical degree from the University of Ife, Ile-Ife, Nigeria with postgraduate training in obstetrics and gynecology at the Rosie Maternity and Addenbrookes Hospitals, University of Cambridge, UK; a research fellowship and doctoral studies in molecular oncology at the Imperial Cancer Research Fund Laboratories, Weatherall Institute of Molecular Medicine, John Radcliffe Hospital, Oxford, UK; residency training in obstetrics and gynecology at Yale University School of Medicine; and a clinical fellowship in gynecologic oncology at Roswell Park. He is a Fellow of both the Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists, in the UK, and the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists.
Dr. Odunsi was among the authors of a NAM study published in 2016: "Ovarian Cancers: Evolving Paradigms in Research and Care." He also spoke about immunotherapy for ovarian cancer at the NAM Annual Meeting in Washington.
Public Citizen Issues Statement on Independent Monitors for Corporate Wrongdoers Policy
WASHINGTON, Oct. 15 -- Public Citizen issued the following statement by President Robert Weissman:
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On Friday, Oct. 12, Assistant Attorney General Brian Benczkowski gave a speech announcing a policy placing new limits on the use of independent monitors for corporate wrongdoers. The policy is expected to decrease the number of corporate violators that the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) requires to be supervised by a monitor.
"A corporate lawyer who big business previously paid handsomely to defend corporate wrongdoers is weakening enforcement against such wrongdoers from the inside.
"Assistant
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WASHINGTON, Oct. 15 -- Public Citizen issued the following statement by President Robert Weissman:
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On Friday, Oct. 12, Assistant Attorney General Brian Benczkowski gave a speech announcing a policy placing new limits on the use of independent monitors for corporate wrongdoers. The policy is expected to decrease the number of corporate violators that the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) requires to be supervised by a monitor.
"A corporate lawyer who big business previously paid handsomely to defend corporate wrongdoers is weakening enforcement against such wrongdoers from the inside.
"AssistantAttorney General Brian Benczkowski, a former Bush DOJ official, in 2009 joined the corporate criminal defense firm Kirkland & Ellis and worked for a litany of corporate criminals and violators including BP, HSBC, Valeant Pharmaceuticals and Volkswagen. He rejoined the DOJ earlier this year to oversee the agency's criminal division.
"Now Benczkowski has issued a memo instructing federal prosecutors to consider the "financial burden" to be imposed when requiring a corporate criminal to undergo supervision by an independent monitor. The memo places new limits on a practice - which Benczkoswki says is used in about a third of corporate enforcements - that already was too-often a weak substitute for stronger enforcement.
"The memo states:
""In general, the Criminal Division should favor the imposition of a monitor only where there is a demonstrated need for, and clear benefit to be derived from, a monitorship relative to the projected costs and burdens. Where a corporation's compliance program and controls are demonstrated to be effective and appropriately resourced at the time of resolution, a monitor will likely not be necessary."
"A poor substitute for actual enforcement of the law, monitors typically fail to live up to their modest assigned role. They commonly lack the authority and independence needed to prevent further corporate violations. Now Benczkowski aims to shrink even this fig leaf for inadequate enforcement against corporate wrongdoers.
"To top it all off, if a corporate violator wants to complain about the monitor, Benczkowski emphasizes the DOJ is "here to listen."
"When he was appointed, we raised concerns about Benczkowski's revolving-door affiliations. But even we did not anticipate that he would explicitly adopt the viewpoint of corporate criminal defendants in his DOJ post. But that's exactly what he did in announcing the new policy.
"No doubt a DOJ willing to bend over backwards to help the corporations it was supposed to be prosecuting would have been a dream come true for Benczkowski when he was a corporate lawyer. Now Assistant AG Benczkowski is on the inside, making corporate lawyers' dreams come true."
Port of San Diego Highlights Diversity Efforts, Releases Annual Equal Opportunity Program Report
WASHINGTON, Oct. 15 -- The Port of San Diego issued the following news release:
The Port of San Diego is committed to a 21st Century Port culture of diversity and inclusion, and a new report describes the most recent year of results from the Port's Equal Opportunity Program.
The Board of Port Commissioners was presented with the Equal Opportunity Program Annual Report at a regular meeting on October 9, 2018. The report provides an overview of activities and statistical data during the 2017-2018 fiscal year under contracting, diversity and inclusion, and the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA).
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WASHINGTON, Oct. 15 -- The Port of San Diego issued the following news release:
The Port of San Diego is committed to a 21st Century Port culture of diversity and inclusion, and a new report describes the most recent year of results from the Port's Equal Opportunity Program.
The Board of Port Commissioners was presented with the Equal Opportunity Program Annual Report at a regular meeting on October 9, 2018. The report provides an overview of activities and statistical data during the 2017-2018 fiscal year under contracting, diversity and inclusion, and the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA).The data is collected and analyzed in order to identify opportunities to attract a diversity of businesses and job applicants; to foster and retain an engaged and committed workforce; and to provide access for all. Fiscal Year 17/18 marks the 28th year of the Equal Opportunity Program at the Port, to enhance diversity efforts that existed prior to the inception of the formalized program.
"The Port of San Diego is a great example of how our region's rich diversity is among our greatest strengths," said Port Chairman Rafael Castellanos. "We are always working to be more inclusive, and we encourage our diverse community to apply for jobs and participate in contracting opportunities with the Port."
The Port's vision is to be a 21st Century Port which is defined as "an innovative, global seaport courageously supporting commerce, community and the environment."
"We embrace the power of diversity to help us achieve our strategic goals. In hiring and in contracting, we want to select people and businesses who are talented, with diverse backgrounds and experiences that can contribute positively to our culture," said Port CEO Randa Coniglio. "That's exactly why one of my priorities is building a company-wide culture of leadership, focused on putting others first and embracing diversity and inclusion."
As part of becoming a 21st Century Port, the Port's leadership team has implemented "others-focused leadership," which is defined as serving the needs of other people. The Equal Opportunity Program is one example of how the Port demonstrates its commitment to diversity and inclusion. Diversity and inclusion principles are codified in Board Policies 359 (Equal Opportunity Contracting), 361 (Equal Opportunity and Nondiscrimination) and 362 (Americans with Disabilities Act); and are embedded in programs including the Port's Accessibility Advisory Committee, its annual Summer Student Worker Program, the Tidelands Activation Program sponsorships, and the newly formed Diversity and Inclusion Committee.
Highlights of the Equal Opportunity Program Report for Fiscal Year 17/18:
* The Board of Port Commissioners awarded $54.2 million in contracts for public works and services. Of that, $21.3 million (39.4 percent) went to small businesses, which exceeds the State of California's goal of 25 percent; and $15.6 million (28.8 percent) went to minority/women/veteran-owned businesses, exceeding statewide goals of 23 percent.
* The Port workforce is diverse, with 37.8 percent women, 43.6 percent minority and 13 percent veteran employees.
* The Port participated in 93 outreach events specifically to support diversity in contracting, employment and the Americans with Disabilities Act.
* The Port's Accessibility Advisory Committee reviewed nine projects and provided feedback to maximize access through Universal Design principles.
* The Port gained Elite Member status in the San Diego Regional Chamber of Commerce's Honor Roll program as an employer who hires and supports veterans.
* The Port was named Public Agency of the Year as a Community Partner for Inclusion and Participation in Equal Opportunity from the Black Contractors Association of San Diego.
* The Port developed and distributed a Gender Transition Policy for employees and implemented gender-neutral restrooms.
* The Port implemented a committee to enact a Diversity & Inclusion Strategic Plan.
For more information about the Equal Opportunity Program, please contact Program Manager Shirley Hirai at shirai@portofsandiego.org.
Philanthropist Pledges $500,000 to The Massry Family Children's Emergency Center at Albany Med
ALBANY, New York, Oct. 15 -- Albany Medical Center issued the following news release:
Albany Med has received a $500,000 gift commitment from local philanthropists Dennis and Margaret Sullivan for the new Massry Family Children's Emergency Center at Albany Med. The pediatric emergency department, which opened July 31, is the only one in northeastern New York and western New England.
"It's a given that advanced, leading-edge medical technology comes with a big price tag. But perhaps more importantly, my decision to give has been the result of meeting with many Albany Med professionals. Beyond
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ALBANY, New York, Oct. 15 -- Albany Medical Center issued the following news release:
Albany Med has received a $500,000 gift commitment from local philanthropists Dennis and Margaret Sullivan for the new Massry Family Children's Emergency Center at Albany Med. The pediatric emergency department, which opened July 31, is the only one in northeastern New York and western New England.
"It's a given that advanced, leading-edge medical technology comes with a big price tag. But perhaps more importantly, my decision to give has been the result of meeting with many Albany Med professionals. Beyondtheir technical knowledge, the common thread that I've observed is their passion and sense of urgency in their mission," said Sullivan.
Sullivan spent most of his 30-year career in the financial services industry. He is a CPA and received his MBA from Columbia University. Before retiring and relocating to the Capital Region, he was the chief accounting officer for Prudential Financial. Margaret Sullivan is the director of Saratoga Springs City School District's school lunch program.
The Sullivans are longtime donors to Albany Med; earlier this year they pledged $500,000 to the Bernard & Millie Duker Children's Hospital. They have also supported the Fund for Albany Med, and Journeys, Albany Med's pediatric palliative care program.
In honor of the Sullivans' recent pledge to the Massry Center, the Nurses Station on the first floor of the facility has been named for them.
"Dennis and Margaret Sullivan have been committed to giving back to their community. This most recent generous pledge, along with many gifts given over the years, are so appreciated by all of us at Albany Med. They are vital to helping us in our daily work--that of serving the patients who have entrusted us with their care," said James J. Barba, Albany Med president and CEO.
Overall, community donors have contributed close to $19 million to the pediatric emergency department.
The Massry Center, which is located adjacent to the adult Emergency Department on the Albany Med campus, is open year-round, round-the-clock, and is designed specifically for the needs of children to age 18. It offers access to the full range of pediatric specialists at the children's hospital, and is staffed by the region's only physicians who are specially trained in pediatric emergency medicine.
PPR Virus Poses Threat to Conservation
NEW YORK, Oct. 15 -- The Wildlife Conservation Society issued the following news release:
A team of conservationists from the Royal Veterinary College, WCS, Food and Agricultural Organization of the United Nations, University of Veterinary Medicine, Vienna published a letter in this week's edition of the journal Science on the threat of the virus peste des petits ruminants (PPR) to conservation.
PPR is a viral disease of sheep and goats, of great significance to the livelihood of rural communities, biodiversity conservation, and national and global economies. Repeated mass mortality events in
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NEW YORK, Oct. 15 -- The Wildlife Conservation Society issued the following news release:
A team of conservationists from the Royal Veterinary College, WCS, Food and Agricultural Organization of the United Nations, University of Veterinary Medicine, Vienna published a letter in this week's edition of the journal Science on the threat of the virus peste des petits ruminants (PPR) to conservation.
PPR is a viral disease of sheep and goats, of great significance to the livelihood of rural communities, biodiversity conservation, and national and global economies. Repeated mass mortality events inwild steppe and mountain ungulates of the Middle East and eastern Asia is raising significant concerns about the conservation impact of this virus.
The mass mortality of over two-thirds of the critically endangered Mongolian saiga in 2017 is a dramatic illustration of the threat of PPR to wildlife. The situation is particularly bleak for the saiga antelope, as this is the second known mass mortality event due to infectious disease in less than two years, effectively reversing decades of conservation efforts to limit the impact of other threats, such as poaching for horn and meat.
Mass mortality events in saiga are linked to changes in climate, spillover of pathogens from livestock, and resource scarcity due to increasing competition with livestock for forage. The impact of livestock diseases on other wild ungulates is likely under-appreciated due a lack of systematic surveillance.
The authors say there is an urgent need to explicitly include wildlife protection as an objective of the PPR global eradication campaign.
Growing human and livestock populations put increasing pressure on natural resources; a better integration of rural development and conservation strategies is a critical challenge of our time.
To better understand this disease, Science for Nature and People Partnership SNAPP Steppe Health is gathering a diverse group of animal health and conservation professionals to measure and mitigate the impact of pathogens, such as PPR virus, at the livestock/wildlife interface.
See the full letter here (http://science.sciencemag.org/content/362/6411/165.2/tab-pdf).
Earthjustice Issues Statement on Financial Barrier Regarding Demonstration
WASHINGTON, Oct. 15 -- Earthjustice issued the following statement by Senior Legislative Representative Blaine Miller-McFeeley:
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In response to a National Parks Service (NPS) proposal to force the public to pay fees for demonstrations at the National Mall, Memorial Parks and President's Park, 85 environmental, civil rights, and other advocacy organizations released a letter calling the move an attempt to place "a financial barrier that precludes equal opportunity and access, dissuading and prohibiting Americans from demonstrating."
In August, NPS issued a proposed rulemaking to revise its
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WASHINGTON, Oct. 15 -- Earthjustice issued the following statement by Senior Legislative Representative Blaine Miller-McFeeley:
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In response to a National Parks Service (NPS) proposal to force the public to pay fees for demonstrations at the National Mall, Memorial Parks and President's Park, 85 environmental, civil rights, and other advocacy organizations released a letter calling the move an attempt to place "a financial barrier that precludes equal opportunity and access, dissuading and prohibiting Americans from demonstrating."
In August, NPS issued a proposed rulemaking to revise itsprotest permitting process at the iconic Washington-based sites, which, as the letter notes, have been home to major civil rights, human rights, environmental, and other protests throughout the country's history, including the March on Washington and Martin Luther King, Jr.'s 1963 "I Have a Dream" speech. Advocates contend that NPS's move would infringe on the First Amendment guarantee that Congress "shall make no law ... abridging the freedom of speech."
"Many of our iconic national parks are more than just treasured natural spaces -- they've been gathering places for voices of dissent to challenge our country to live up to its highest ideals. At a time when many believe democracy is facing unprecedented threats in this country, it is more important than ever that we preserve the ability to speak out and protest for all. Earthjustice is proud to call on NPS to defend the bedrock principles of our system of self-government."
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The full text of the letter is available below (https://www.documentcloud.org/documents/5002211-Letter-to-NPS-Opposing-Protest-Fees-on-National.html):
