Featured Stories
Statement From NFHA's President and CEO Lisa Rice on Gale V. King's 2026 Alvaro L. Martins Heritage Award
WASHINGTON, Oct. 16 [Category: Real Estate] -- The National Fair Housing Alliance posted the following news release:
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10/14/2026
Statement from NFHA's President and CEO Lisa Rice on Gale V. King's 2026 Alvaro L. Martins Heritage Award
WASHINGTON, D.C.--National Fair Housing Alliance President and CEO Lisa Rice released the following statement congratulating Gale V. King on receiving the Executive Leadership Council's 2026 Alvaro L. Martins Heritage Award.
"On behalf of the National Fair Housing Alliance, I congratulate Gale V. King on receiving the Executive Leadership Council's 2026
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WASHINGTON, Oct. 16 [Category: Real Estate] -- The National Fair Housing Alliance posted the following news release:
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10/14/2026
Statement from NFHA's President and CEO Lisa Rice on Gale V. King's 2026 Alvaro L. Martins Heritage Award
WASHINGTON, D.C.--National Fair Housing Alliance President and CEO Lisa Rice released the following statement congratulating Gale V. King on receiving the Executive Leadership Council's 2026 Alvaro L. Martins Heritage Award.
"On behalf of the National Fair Housing Alliance, I congratulate Gale V. King on receiving the Executive Leadership Council's 2026Alvaro L. Martins Heritage Award. This recognition honors a career defined by leadership, service, and a commitment to expanding opportunity for others.
It is fitting that Ms. King should receive this honor named for Mr. Alvaro Martins, a distinguished pioneer, leader, and humanitarian. Throughout her remarkable career, she has broken many barriers, paved the way for others, reached back to pull forward the many people she has mentored, and given generously out of her own blessings.
Ms. King has made a lasting contribution to fair housing and fair lending. During her tenure at Nationwide, she helped advance policies, products, and training that strengthened fair housing practices and broadened access for consumers and communities. She also helped build a strong partnership between Nationwide and NFHA, demonstrating how corporate leadership can play an important role in advancing civil rights and creating more just and inclusive society.
NFHA was proud to recognize Ms. King with our Edward W. Brooke and Walter F. Mondale Fair Housing Award in 2023. Her continued commitment to this work, alongside her leadership in business and service to her community, exemplifies the kind of impact that extends well beyond a single role or organization.
We are grateful for Ms. King's partnership and congratulate her on this well-deserved honor."
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About the National Fair Housing Alliance
The National Fair Housing Alliance (NFHA) leads a coalition that works to build inclusive, well-resourced, and resilient communities; expand equitable opportunities; and end housing discrimination.
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Original text here: https://nationalfairhousing.org/statement-from-nfhas-president-and-ceo-lisa-rice-on-gale-v-kings-2026-alvaro-l-martins-heritage-award/
Pennsylvania Chamber of Business and Industry: Survey - Allegheny County Paid Leave Mandate Will Raise Prices, Cut Jobs, and Drive Businesses Away
HARRISBURG, Pennsylvania, Oct. 16 (TNSrpt) -- The Pennsylvania Chamber of Business and Industry issued the following news release:
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October 15, 2026
Survey: Allegheny County Paid Leave Mandate Will Raise Prices, Cut Jobs, and Drive Businesses Away
New survey of nearly 400 Allegheny County businesses finds 83% expect a negative financial impact, while majorities anticipate higher costs, reduced hiring, and damage to the county's business climate.
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PITTSBURGH - Allegheny County's proposed paid parental leave mandate would discourage new hiring, push business investment outside the county's
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HARRISBURG, Pennsylvania, Oct. 16 (TNSrpt) -- The Pennsylvania Chamber of Business and Industry issued the following news release:
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October 15, 2026
Survey: Allegheny County Paid Leave Mandate Will Raise Prices, Cut Jobs, and Drive Businesses Away
New survey of nearly 400 Allegheny County businesses finds 83% expect a negative financial impact, while majorities anticipate higher costs, reduced hiring, and damage to the county's business climate.
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PITTSBURGH - Allegheny County's proposed paid parental leave mandate would discourage new hiring, push business investment outside the county'sborders, and drive up consumer prices, according to a new survey of 392 businesses operating in the county.
The October survey, prepared by Pittsburgh-based research firm CorCom Inc., found that 83 percent of respondents expect the proposed ordinance to have a negative financial impact on their organizations, and one-third of businesses said they would move future or existing operations outside Allegheny County.
The proposal would require organizations with 15 or more employees to provide 12 weeks of paid leave for all employees following the birth, adoption, or placement of a child, among other reasons.
The findings raise concerns about the cost of and potential impacts of imposing a uniform mandate on employers across industries and sizes, including those already operating on tight margins.
"This survey shows employers are concerned about the real-world consequences of this proposal, including higher costs for consumers, fewer job opportunities, and investment shifting elsewhere," Luke Bernstein, president and CEO of the Pennsylvania Chamber of Business and Industry, said. "Allegheny County leaders should take these concerns seriously before advancing a policy that could weaken the region's economic competitiveness.
"Pennsylvania is finally moving in the right direction because we have strengthened our overall business climate," Bernstein added. "Recent reforms, including improving our tax code and permitting process, are helping us attract investment, create jobs, and reverse population declines that have challenged the state and region for decades. We need to build on that momentum, not take a step backward. Allegheny County should be focused on making it easier for businesses to invest, hire, and grow, not adding new mandates that make those decisions more difficult. A strong Allegheny County and a strong City of Pittsburgh are essential to the success of the region and Commonwealth as a whole."
"Allegheny County competes for investment, talent, and job creation within a highly regional and national marketplace," Stefani Pashman, CEO of the Pittsburgh Regional Alliance, said. "Policies like this that materially increase employer cost structures -- particularly when not matched by neighboring jurisdictions with whom we are competing -- will raise hurdles for our ability to both attract businesses as well as persuade companies to stay and expand. The feedback in the survey reflects just that point."
Employers anticipate higher prices and fewer jobs
The survey found that businesses expect the proposed mandate to affect both their workforces and their operating decisions.
Among the key findings:
* 83 percent of respondents expect a negative financial impact to their organizations, with 63 percent rating the financial impact as "very negative."
* 55 percent expect to raise prices to accommodate the proposal.
* 40 percent expect to reduce hiring of new full-time employees, while 23 percent expect to reduce hiring of part-time employees.
* 33 percent said they would be more likely to open future locations outside Allegheny County, while 32 percent said they would move existing operations outside the county.
* 29 percent anticipate relocating employees outside Allegheny County.
* 24 percent expect to eliminate full-time positions and 15 percent expect to eliminate part-time positions.
* 18 percent expect to close one or more locations in the county, while 14 percent say the proposal could force them to cease all operations
The anticipated effects come as regional leaders seek to attract new employers, retain existing businesses, and expand economic opportunity across southwestern Pennsylvania.
Businesses warn of damage to the region's competitiveness
Respondents also expressed concern about the proposal's potential effect on Allegheny County's reputation as a place to do business.
Among those surveyed, 86 percent expect the ordinance to have a negative impact on retaining businesses currently operating in the county. Another 85 percent anticipate a negative effect on attracting new businesses, while 79 percent expect damage to regional and national perceptions of doing business in Allegheny County. Eighty-one percent also anticipate a negative effect on selling business offices or real estate.
The survey suggests the proposed mandate could affect employers' location decisions beyond the immediate cost of providing leave, particularly for organizations that operate across county lines.
The survey was conducted online in October 2026 and included 392 businesses operating in Allegheny County. Respondents represented a range of organization sizes and industries. Surveys were disseminated with assistance from the Pennsylvania Chamber of Business and Industry and other associations and trade groups operating in the county.
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The Pennsylvania Chamber of Business and Industry is the state's largest broad-based business association, with its statewide membership comprising businesses of all sizes and across all industry sectors. The PA Chamber is The Statewide Voice of BusinessTM.
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REPORT: https://corcom-inc.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/10/2026-10-Allegheny-County-Article-XXIV-Paid-Leave-Survey-Report-Booklet.pdf
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Original text here: https://www.pachamber.org/media/28823/survey_allegheny_county_paid_leave_mandate_will_raise_prices_cut_jobs_and_drive_businesses_away/
[Category: Business]
New Report: North Carolinians Face Growing Health Risks as U.S. EPA Weakens Pollution Safeguards
WASHINGTON, Oct. 16 (TNSrpt) [Category: Environment] -- Environmental Protection Network issued the following news release:
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New Report: North Carolinians Face Growing Health Risks as U.S. EPA Weakens Pollution Safeguards
October 15, 2026
New Report: North Carolinians Face Growing Health Risks as U.S. EPA Weakens Pollution Safeguards
Informed by former EPA experts and NC environmental organizations, the analysis details how federal rollbacks will leave North Carolinians more exposed to PFAS, coal ash, pollution from animal agriculture waste, and pesticides.
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RALEIGH, NC -- A new state-focused
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WASHINGTON, Oct. 16 (TNSrpt) [Category: Environment] -- Environmental Protection Network issued the following news release:
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New Report: North Carolinians Face Growing Health Risks as U.S. EPA Weakens Pollution Safeguards
October 15, 2026
New Report: North Carolinians Face Growing Health Risks as U.S. EPA Weakens Pollution Safeguards
Informed by former EPA experts and NC environmental organizations, the analysis details how federal rollbacks will leave North Carolinians more exposed to PFAS, coal ash, pollution from animal agriculture waste, and pesticides.
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RALEIGH, NC -- A new state-focusedreport warns that North Carolinians are now facing even greater health risks due to recent U.S. EPA actions that are weakening protections as the state already grapples with some of the nation's most serious pollution threats--PFAS "forever chemicals," coal ash, animal agriculture waste, and pesticide challenges.
The report--North Carolina Left Exposed: How EPA Rollbacks Are Increasing Pollution Risks and Shifting More of the Burden to North Carolina Families--was informed by former EPA experts living in North Carolina and organizations working across the state to address these pollution challenges. It was released today by the Environmental Protection Network (EPN), a nonpartisan nonprofit bringing together former EPA leaders and staff, some of the nation's top experts on pollution and human health, who volunteer their expertise to advise policymakers and the public on the health implications of industrial pollution and appropriate regulatory safeguards.
Developed by EPN with guidance from volunteers of its North Carolina Action Network--a state-focused effort connecting former EPA experts with local partners--the report details how federal delays, weakened standards, and rollbacks leave North Carolina more vulnerable to four major sources of pollution. These rollbacks transfer more responsibility for public protection to state regulators and local governments while leaving families to bear more of the health and financial costs. Alongside the report, EPN and its North Carolina Action Network are launching a statewide petition asking the state's congressional delegation to use its oversight and budget authority to ensure the EPA does its job and puts public health first.
"When the EPA weakens federal protections and enforcement of public health standards, North Carolinians pay the price in their health and their pocketbooks," said Laura McKelvey, former EPA Group Leader for the Community and Tribal Programs Group in the Office of Air Quality Planning and Standards (OAQPS). "Federal rollbacks shift the financial and health burdens onto state regulators, taxpayers, and everyday families. While our state works to protect its people, North Carolina cannot replace federal standards and enforcement alone. We are rallying North Carolinians behind this petition to send an unmistakable message to Congress: use your authority to ensure the EPA restores its core mission and keeps our families safer, not sicker."
The report outlines EPA actions and associated health risks across four major pollution threats:
* PFAS "Forever Chemicals" Water Pollution from Industry Waste: Industrial discharges continue to contaminate drinking-water supplies in North Carolina, including releases from the Chemours facility into the Cape Fear River. The report points to several EPA proposals that could allow PFAS to remain in drinking water longer--including proposals to delay compliance with PFOA and PFOS drinking water standards until 2031 and eliminate federal limits for other PFAS, including GenX, as well as EPA's failure to release a completed PFNA health assessment. These actions could delay treatment or remove federal protections for communities exposed to PFAS linked to cancer, liver damage, and reproductive harm.
* Coal Ash Water, Air, and Soil Pollution from Coal Power Generation: Despite state-level cleanup mandates, EPA's delay of stronger power plant wastewater protections, proposed weakening of coal ash safeguards, and repeal of stronger air-emission requirements, and federal incentives and orders to keep aging coal plants open past planned retirements threaten groundwater, rivers, and regional air quality with heavy metals like arsenic, lead, and mercury. Exposure increases cancer risks, reproductive harm, neurological damage, and respiratory illness, especially for workers and nearby private well users.
* Water and Air Pollution from Animal Agriculture Waste: Concentrated Animal Feeding Operations (CAFOs) in eastern North Carolina--many located near low-income communities and where people of color live--continue to pollute waterways and air through large open-air liquid waste lagoons and the spraying of animal waste onto fields. EPA is now compounding those risks by proposing to leave more water bodies near CAFOs without federal protection from the Clean Water Act, stalling efforts to evaluate air emissions hazards from these operations, and eliminating federal tools and scientific expertise used to identify neighborhoods already facing unusually high levels of pollution. Exposure to this pollution increases risks of kidney disease, anemia, lower birth weights, cancer, and respiratory impacts.
* Pesticide Exposure from Crop Agriculture: Farmworkers, applicators, and rural well owners face elevated risks from toxic agricultural chemicals. The report cites EPA delays in restricting harmful pesticides, approval of PFAS-containing pesticides on food crops, and federal actions prioritizing glyphosate production despite concerns about cancer risks. Exposure to harmful pesticides is also linked to neurological harm, hormone disruption, and reproductive complications.
The report also highlights growing pollution risks from AI data centers. In August, North Carolina approved permits for 645 diesel engines supporting Amazon's massive Richmond County data center. An NC State researcher found that the separate permit applications understated the project's combined potential emissions, raising concerns about local air quality.
But the pollution risks extend well beyond data center sites. EPN's recent national report, The Hidden Health Costs of AI Data Centers, cites research projecting that under a high-growth scenario, data-center-related air pollution could contribute to 1,300 premature deaths, 600,000 asthma symptom cases, and $20.9 billion in annual public-health costs nationwide by 2028. More than 90% of the modeled health impacts come from power plants supplying electricity, not on-site generators. The burden is also unevenly distributed, with estimated health costs per household in the hardest-hit counties reaching seven times the national average. These projections do not account for recent federal pollution safeguard rollbacks, which could make the health burden even greater.
"North Carolinians have a unique understanding of the deadly risks posed by Forever Chemicals in the air and water. Delays and rollbacks in basic federal protections like drinking water standards for PFAS leave North Carolina families exposed to more water pollution and the resulting health hazards," said Stephanie Bishop Schweickert, Director of Environmental Health Campaigns at NC Conservation Network.
"North Carolina communities are already living with the cumulative impacts of decades of pollution--from PFAS contamination and coal ash to CAFOs and pesticides. Now our communities have an additional burden of AI Data Centers, bringing in further PFAS pollution," said Rania Masri, Director of Organizing and Policy Co-Director at NC Environmental Justice Network.
"It is the EPA's duty to regulate pollution and hold polluters accountable. EPN's North Carolina Left Exposed report empowers residents to learn about pollution sources and their impacts--like contributing to poor air quality--while providing actionable steps to safeguard community health. When the EPA doesn't protect people from poor air quality--from coal plants and vehicles--children suffer the most. Children in North Carolina deserve to breathe clean air, which means strong federal safeguards must be put in place, not rolled back," said Ashley Hillard, North Carolina Field Organizer for Moms Clean Air Force.
To address these compounding risks, the report calls on EPA to restore and enforce pollution safeguards and on Congress to use its oversight and budget authority to ensure the agency has the staff and resources needed to protect public health. Without effective federal safeguards, North Carolina families can be left facing higher out-of-pocket costs for bottled water, home filtration systems, private well testing, medical bills, and missed days of work and school.
Read the full North Carolina Left Exposed report at SaferNotSicker.org.
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ABOUT THE ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION NETWORK
The Environmental Protection Network is a nonpartisan organization comprising more than 800 former EPA scientists, toxicologists, chemists, biologists, engineers, and policy analysts-- many of whom spent decades as career experts inside the agency. They assessed cancer and developmental risks, studied links between pollution and fertility and chronic disease, investigated contaminated communities, and brought enforcement actions to hold corporate polluters accountable. EPN was founded in 2017 to serve as an independent voice promoting science-based policies that protect families' health.
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ABOUT EPN'S NORTH CAROLINA ACTION NETWORK
EPN's North Carolina Action Network connects former EPA experts living in the state with local advocates and partner organizations. The Network's volunteers bring technical expertise and local perspective to environmental health issues affecting North Carolina, helping communities understand how federal EPA decisions affect them.
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REPORT: https://safernotsicker.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/10/EPN-At-Risk-Report-North-Carolina-1.pdf
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Original text here: https://www.environmentalprotectionnetwork.org/new-report-north-carolinians-face-growing-health-risks-as-u-s-epa-weakens-pollution-safeguards/
Catholic League Issues Commentary: NYC's Phony Interest in Street Safety
NEW YORK, Oct. 16 -- The Catholic League for Religious and Civil Rights, an organization that defends the right of Catholics to participate in American public life without defamation or discrimination, issued the following commentary by President Bill Donohue:
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NYC's Phony Interest in Street Safety
Beginning with New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio, the Marxist millionaire, there has been a steady war declared on horse-drawn carriages in Central Park. Now city lawmakers, led by Mayor Zohran Mamdani, the Marxist millionaire, are set to pass a bill that will ban this industry for good. They
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NEW YORK, Oct. 16 -- The Catholic League for Religious and Civil Rights, an organization that defends the right of Catholics to participate in American public life without defamation or discrimination, issued the following commentary by President Bill Donohue:
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NYC's Phony Interest in Street Safety
Beginning with New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio, the Marxist millionaire, there has been a steady war declared on horse-drawn carriages in Central Park. Now city lawmakers, led by Mayor Zohran Mamdani, the Marxist millionaire, are set to pass a bill that will ban this industry for good. Theyare doing it in the name of animal rights and street safety.
The evidence shows that humans, not horses, are endangered on New York City streets.
Here are the results of an assignment I gave my staff.
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Fatalities
Year ... E-Bikes ... Horse Carriages
2026 (as of 9/30) ... 30 ... 1
2025 ... 21 ... 0
2024 ... 13 ... 0
2023 ... 47 ... 0
2022 ... 15 ... 0
Total (Last 5 Years) ... 126 ... 1
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Serious Injuries
Year ... E-Bikes ... Horse Carriages
2026 (as of 6/30) ... 738 ... 2
2025 ... 901 ... 3
2024 ... 2,882 ... 0
2023 ... 3,668 ... 0
2022 ... 3,625 ... 0
Total (Last 5 Years) ... 11,814 ... 5
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In 2026, through September, 30 people have been killed by e-bikes in New York City. One has died in an accident involving a horse-drawn carriage. The disparity is even greater when we consider serious injuries: it's nearly 12,000 to 5. Not even close.
It's not just e-bikes that are killing and maiming New Yorkers--there is a whole range of motor-driven vehicles that are endangering people.
In other words, it is a lie to say that horse-driven carriages are a human safety issue in New York City--the real danger is those who are driving these power-driven vehicles. They should be banned outright--not horses.
October 15th, 2026
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Original text here: https://www.catholicleague.org/nycs-phony-interest-in-street-safety/
[Category: Sociological]
Better Wisconsin Together: Endorsement From Radical Anti-Abortion Group Deals Major Blow to Tom Tiffany's Effort to Run From His Record
MONONA, Wisconsin, Oct. 16 -- A Better Wisconsin Together, a state-based research and communications hub for progressives, posted the following news release:
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New Endorsement From Radical Anti-Abortion Group Deals Major Blow to Tom Tiffany's Effort to Run From His Record
Wisconsin Right to Life's most recent endorsement of Congressman Tiffany comes as he's trying desperately to hide his anti-abortion record from the people of Wisconsin
October 15, 2026
MADISON, Wis. - One of Wisconsin's most radical anti-abortion groups has officially endorsed Congressman Tom Tiffany in his run to be
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MONONA, Wisconsin, Oct. 16 -- A Better Wisconsin Together, a state-based research and communications hub for progressives, posted the following news release:
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New Endorsement From Radical Anti-Abortion Group Deals Major Blow to Tom Tiffany's Effort to Run From His Record
Wisconsin Right to Life's most recent endorsement of Congressman Tiffany comes as he's trying desperately to hide his anti-abortion record from the people of Wisconsin
October 15, 2026
MADISON, Wis. - One of Wisconsin's most radical anti-abortion groups has officially endorsed Congressman Tom Tiffany in his run to beWisconsin's next governor, according to a list of Fall 2026 endorsed candidates recently posted to Wisconsin Right to Life's website. Wisconsin Right to Life, which takes credit for bringing about some of the nation's most restrictive abortion laws, also endorsed Tiffany in 2010, 2012, 2016, 2020, and 2022.
A Better Wisconsin Together notes that Wisconsin Right to Life's most recent endorsement of Congressman Tiffany comes as he's trying desperately to hide his anti-abortion record from the people of Wisconsin who, according to polling, overwhelmingly support legal abortion access.
A news report from Oct. 14 accuses Congressman Tiffany of being among GOP politicians "walking back" their stances on abortion, and he even deleted the section on abortion off of his website in the weeks leading up to announcing his run for governor.
What, exactly, is Congressman Tiffany hiding? Perhaps it's:
* His backing of a nation-wide abortion ban with NO exceptions, that reports say could "make getting an abortion legally tantamount to committing murder," lead to criminal charges against both patients and doctors, and also threaten access to fertility treatments like in vitro fertilization (IVF).
* His co-sponsorship of a federal abortion ban in 2021;
* His vote in favor of a state abortion ban;
* Or his vote against protecting women's access to birth control.
"Despite his best efforts to deceive Wisconsinites, Congressman Tiffany's endorsements and public record continue to prove he's an anti-abortion extremist whose views are wildly out of step with the people of Wisconsin," said Lucy Ripp, communications director at A Better Wisconsin Together.
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A Better Wisconsin Together is a state-based research and communications hub for progressives and is an affiliate of ProgressNow.
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Original text here: https://abetterwisconsin.org/new-endorsement-from-radical-anti-abortion-group-deals-major-blow-to-tom-tiffanys-effort-to-run-from-his-record/
[Category: Economics]
Animal Welfare Institute: Mexico Eviscerates Vaquita Protections
WASHINGTON, Oct. 16 -- The Animal Welfare Institute issued the following news release:
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Mexico Eviscerates Vaquita Protections
World's Most Endangered Marine Mammal at Greater Risk of Extinction
October 15, 2026
Mexico City--Mexico weakened protections yesterday for the critically endangered vaquita porpoise, opening vast new areas in the Upper Gulf of California to the deadly gillnet fishing that has caused the vaquita's precipitous decline.
Scientists estimate that only about 10 vaquitas remain, down from nearly 600 animals in 1997. Mexico's new rules eviscerate protections, adopted
... Show Full Article
WASHINGTON, Oct. 16 -- The Animal Welfare Institute issued the following news release:
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Mexico Eviscerates Vaquita Protections
World's Most Endangered Marine Mammal at Greater Risk of Extinction
October 15, 2026
Mexico City--Mexico weakened protections yesterday for the critically endangered vaquita porpoise, opening vast new areas in the Upper Gulf of California to the deadly gillnet fishing that has caused the vaquita's precipitous decline.
Scientists estimate that only about 10 vaquitas remain, down from nearly 600 animals in 1997. Mexico's new rules eviscerate protections, adoptedin September 2020, which were not fully implemented and would have significantly improved the vaquita's chance of recovery.
"With only a handful of vaquita left, it's absolutely shocking that the government is gutting protections rather than stepping up to help these little porpoises," said Alex Olivera, Mexico representative at the Center for Biological Diversity. "Instead of ramping up enforcement, Mexico is normalizing illegal fishing that the government has been unable or unwilling to stop. These new rules open most of the vaquita's remaining habitat to the gear that kills them. Vaquitas don't follow maps, and scientists have repeatedly seen the porpoises outside the only area where the gillnet ban is currently enforced. It's heartbreaking because if this isn't reversed it will almost certainly lead to the vaquita's tragic extinction, which could've been prevented."
Vaquitas face one primary threat: They become entangled and drown in gillnets used to catch shrimp and totoaba, a large, endangered fish whose swim bladder is trafficked primarily to Asia for enormous profits.
Mexico's new regulations reduce the area where gillnets were prohibited by approximately 86%, removing the gillnet ban from thousands of square kilometers of the vaquita's historical habitat. The new regulations also establish a vessel transit corridor approximately 350 meters wide through the "Zero Tolerance Area," where both fishing and vessel traffic had been prohibited. These changes undermine enforcement efforts to prevent illegal gillnet fishing and totoaba trafficking.
"The use of gillnets in vaquita habitat is incompatible with the species' survival, let alone recovery," said Zak Smith, a senior attorney at NRDC (Natural Resources Defense Council). "Mexico's poor management of gillnet fishing drove the vaquita to near extinction. Now, its choice to allow the use of gillnets in more of the vaquita's habitat narrows the possibility of the species' survival and may seal the vaquita's sad fate."
The new regulations also create opportunities for potentially harmful fishing activity in and around vaquita habitat. They allow authorized gillnet fishing outside the newly reduced gillnet prohibition area, establish a Special Use Area where fishing by free diving or hookah is permitted, and shorten the nighttime fishing prohibition by three hours.
Although the regulations call for the implementation of satellite vessel tracking, this requirement will not take effect for another 12 months. These changes will increase fishing pressure in areas important to the survival of the critically endangered vaquita.
"Mexico's new regulations will expedite the extinction of the vaquita. The rules entirely contradict what should be done to save a critically endangered species," said DJ Schubert, senior wildlife biologist with the Animal Welfare Institute. "Rather than strengthening enforcement and retaining an ample protected area for the species, the new regulations will protect vaquita in only a fraction of its historic range and allow deadly gillnets to be used in vaquita habitat, potentially jeopardizing the future existence of the species. Mexico should reverse these rollbacks, strengthen on-the-water enforcement, and maintain protections that reflect the vaquita's real, shifting distribution and facilitate population recovery."
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About AWI and Partners
The Animal Welfare Institute (awionline.org) is a nonprofit charitable organization founded in 1951 and dedicated to alleviating animal suffering caused by people. We seek to improve the welfare of animals everywhere: in agriculture, in commerce, in our homes and communities, in research, and in the wild. Follow us on Facebook, Instagram, Threads, Bluesky, and LinkedIn for updates and other important animal protection news.
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The Center for Biological Diversity is a national, nonprofit conservation organization with more than 1.8 million members and online activists dedicated to the protection of endangered species and wild places.
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NRDC (Natural Resources Defense Council) is an international nonprofit environmental organization with more than 3 million members and online activists. Established in 1970, NRDC uses science, policy, law and people power to confront the climate crisis, protect public health and safeguard nature. NRDC has offices in New York City, Washington, D.C., Los Angeles, San Francisco, Chicago, Beijing and Delhi (an office of NRDC India Pvt. Ltd).
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URL: The Center for Biological Diversity
URL: Natural Resources Defense Council
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Original text here: https://awionline.org/news/mexico-eviscerates-vaquita-protections/
[Category: Animals]
350.org: U.S. Inflation Rises to 3.7% as Energy Price Shock Hits Household Budgets
BOSTON, Massachusetts, Oct. 16 [Category: Energy] -- 350.org, an organization that works to end the age of fossil fuels and build a community-led renewable energy, posted the following news release:
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October 15, 2026
US inflation rises to 3.7% as energy price shock hits household budgets
US inflation rose to 3.7% in September, up from 3.4% in August, according to the latest Consumer Price Index figures(opens in a new tab) released by the Bureau of Labor Statistics. Prices increased by 0.6% over the month, exceeding economists' expectations, as the economic fallout from the Iran war continued
... Show Full Article
BOSTON, Massachusetts, Oct. 16 [Category: Energy] -- 350.org, an organization that works to end the age of fossil fuels and build a community-led renewable energy, posted the following news release:
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October 15, 2026
US inflation rises to 3.7% as energy price shock hits household budgets
US inflation rose to 3.7% in September, up from 3.4% in August, according to the latest Consumer Price Index figures(opens in a new tab) released by the Bureau of Labor Statistics. Prices increased by 0.6% over the month, exceeding economists' expectations, as the economic fallout from the Iran war continuedto drive up energy costs and put further pressure on household budgets.
Gasoline prices surged by 9.1% in September, accounting for more than half of the monthly rise in inflation. But the impact extends well beyond the pump, with higher costs affecting transport, healthcare, clothing and other everyday essentials. The figures underline how dependence on fossil fuels leaves households exposed to geopolitical shocks and volatile energy markets.
Candice Fortin, US Campaigns Manager at 350.org, said:
"What we are witnessing is fossilflation - real, direct and hitting people where it hurts: their pockets. When dependence on fossil fuels leaves household budgets at the mercy of war and volatile global markets, it is ordinary people who pay the price for an energy system built around fossil fuels. Rising gas prices are squeezing household budgets, and the impacts are spreading across the economy, making everyday life more expensive at a time when many families are already struggling to get by.
"We cannot keep asking households to absorb the costs while fossil fuel companies benefit from market volatility. Governments must accelerate a fair transition to affordable, homegrown renewable energy, so people have greater energy security and are no longer held hostage to the next fossil fuel crisis."
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Original text here: https://350.org/press-release/us-inflation-rises-to-37-as-energy-price-shock-hits-household-budgets/
