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VFW Demands VA Rescind Disability Rating Rule Change

KANSAS CITY, Missouri, Feb. 20 -- The Veterans of Foreign Wars of the U.S., a veterans service organization, issued the following news release:

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VFW Demands VA Rescind Disability Rating Rule Change

VFW National Commander calls VA response 'dismissive and unacceptable'

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The Veterans of Foreign Wars of the United States (VFW) is demanding that the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) immediately rescind its interim final rule changing how disability ratings are evaluated, warning that the policy threatens to unfairly reduce benefits for disabled veterans.

In a letter sent yesterday, the ... Show Full Article KANSAS CITY, Missouri, Feb. 20 -- The Veterans of Foreign Wars of the U.S., a veterans service organization, issued the following news release: * * * VFW Demands VA Rescind Disability Rating Rule Change VFW National Commander calls VA response 'dismissive and unacceptable' * The Veterans of Foreign Wars of the United States (VFW) is demanding that the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) immediately rescind its interim final rule changing how disability ratings are evaluated, warning that the policy threatens to unfairly reduce benefits for disabled veterans. In a letter sent yesterday, theVFW raised serious concerns about the rule's broad impact on veterans with musculoskeletal injuries, chronic pain and mental health conditions, as well as VA's decision to bypass the traditional notice-and-comment process. The VA's response, the VFW said, failed to address those concerns.

"The VA's response to the well-articulated concerns raised by so many has been dismissive and unacceptable," said VFW National Commander Carol Whitmore. "Disabled veterans should never be forced to choose between following their doctor's orders and protecting their earned benefits. This interim rule puts that stability at risk, and it must be withdrawn."

The rule directs VA adjudicators to evaluate veterans based on their level of functioning while on medication, rather than the true underlying severity of their service-connected conditions in a shift that contradicts long-standing court precedent and risks penalizing veterans who follow prescribed treatment.

"VA's disability compensation system exists to compensate veterans for the average impairment in earning capacity resulting from service-connected conditions," said Whitmore. "It should not penalize veterans for seeking treatment, nor should it sidestep the system of judicial accountability Congress deliberately put in place."

Since the creation of judicial review in 1988, veterans law has evolved through a constructive dialogue between the courts, Congress and VA. If the Department disagrees with judicial interpretation, the appropriate response is engagement through the rulemaking process or legislative clarification, not the use of emergency procedures to bypass public input while casting binding precedent as an obstacle.

The VFW believes that invoking "good cause" to avoid notice-and-comment procedures, particularly where the rule materially affects earned disability compensation, undermines transparency and risks eroding confidence in the veteran-centric, non-adversarial benefits system Congress intended.

"Congress created judicial review of VA decisions to ensure accountability, uniformity and fidelity to the law," said VFW General Counsel John Muckelbauer. "When Congress established the United States Court of Veterans Appeals, which is now the Court of Appeals for Veterans Claims, it did so to end decades of unchecked administrative decision-making and to provide veterans with an independent forum for review. Judicial oversight is not a disruption; it is a statutory safeguard."

In addition to rescinding the rule, the VFW is calling on VA to restore the prior evaluation standard pending full regulatory review; and engage Congress and stakeholders in a transparent process that respects judicial precedent and protects veterans' earned benefits.

The VFW will continue to submit formal comments, consult with Congress and evaluate all available options to ensure the integrity of the veterans benefits system is preserved.

To submit your comment to the Federal Register, calling to rescind this rule change, click here (http://www.regulations.gov/commenton/VA-2026-VBA-0067-0001).

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Original text here: https://www.vfw.org/media-and-events/latest-releases/archives/2026/2/vfw-demands-va-rescind-disability-rating-rule-change

[Category: National Defense]

Renewed Fighting in Ethiopia Risks Widespread Civilian Harm

NEW YORK, Feb. 20 -- Physicians for Human Rights issued the following news release on Feb. 19, 2026:

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Renewed Fighting in Ethiopia Risks Widespread Civilian Harm

As regional actors gather for the 39th African Union (AU) Summit in Addis Ababa this week, they must press for an end to the violence.

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Recent accounts of escalating conflicts across Ethiopia, including drone strikes, heavy fighting, and extrajudicial killings, risk causing immediate and severe health harms to affected communities, including a recurrence of widespread sexual and reproductive violence, said Physicians for Human ... Show Full Article NEW YORK, Feb. 20 -- Physicians for Human Rights issued the following news release on Feb. 19, 2026: * * * Renewed Fighting in Ethiopia Risks Widespread Civilian Harm As regional actors gather for the 39th African Union (AU) Summit in Addis Ababa this week, they must press for an end to the violence. * Recent accounts of escalating conflicts across Ethiopia, including drone strikes, heavy fighting, and extrajudicial killings, risk causing immediate and severe health harms to affected communities, including a recurrence of widespread sexual and reproductive violence, said Physicians for HumanRights (PHR) and the Organization for Justice and Accountability in the Horn of Africa (OJAH).

Renewed clashes have been reported between the Ethiopian National Defense Force and regional and ethnic armed groups in the country's Tigray, Amhara, and Oromia regions. PHR and OJAH are receiving reports that renewed fighting and the risk of further grave violations, including conflict-related sexual and reproductive violence, are driving people to leave the Tigray region in recent days. Health care workers in the Amhara region have reported already seeing impacts of the ongoing fighting in their communities. For example, in November 2025, a drone attack on a health facility in the North Wollo zone in the Amhara region resulted in multiple civilian casualties.

"Reported attacks in Tigray, Amhara, Afar, and Oromia regions, and escalation of threats between Ethiopia and Eritrea, put civilians back in the crosshairs with dire consequences for their health and human rights. The international community allowed serious violations of human rights and international humanitarian law to happen with impunity during the last conflict in northern Ethiopia. We must ensure that this does not happen again," said Lindsey Green, PHR's deputy director of research.

In Echoes of Violence, OJAH recorded extensive and widespread atrocities that occurred during the war between the Ethiopian government (with support from Eritrea and regional militias) and the Tigray regional government from November 2020 to November 2022, including mass killings, forced displacement, and attacks on civilians by both Ethiopian and Eritrean forces. In You Will Never Be Able to Give Birth: Conflict-Related Sexual and Reproductive Violence in Ethiopia, PHR and OJAH documented widespread conflict-related sexual and reproductive violence in the Tigray, Amhara, and Afar regions, even following the November 2022 Cessation of Hostilities Agreement, where survivors continue to lack access to essential services, including health care, rehabilitative, and mental health services. They are also routinely deprived of access to justice mechanisms necessary to seek redress for the violence they have experienced.

The ongoing crisis for survivors of these violations and their communities is exacerbated by reports of continued civilian harm, including sexual violence, in the Amhara region, as well as ongoing limitations on transportation, banking, and telecommunications, and restrictions on humanitarian aid halting reconstruction efforts in Tigray. The Ethiopian government also continues to increase restrictions on civil society organizations in advance of the June 2026 national elections. Additional reports of escalating regional tensions between Ethiopia and Eritrea, and of Ethiopia hosting a training camp for the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) paramilitary group from Sudan, all raise concerns about the potential for regional conflict.

"Three years after the Pretoria Agreement on the Cessation of Hostilities, the lack of meaningful dialogue between the conflicting parties, weak engagement of regional and international actors, and insignificant progress made on the adherence to international human rights law and protection of civilians appear to be leading Ethiopia and the broader Horn of Africa down a new path of war. Given the persistent pattern of conflict-related human rights abuses in the region, we are deeply concerned about the impact of another war on the civilian population," said OJAH's executive director.

Health professionals scarred by the war and blockade-related shortages from the Tigray conflict told OJAH that they have a persistent fear and an overwhelming sense of helplessness about the prospect of renewed fighting. With limited supplies and no assurance of resupply, they are increasingly forced to withhold non-emergency care to preserve what remains for potential mass casualties should full-scale war resume in northern Ethiopia. The brief interruption of flights to the Tigray region following short clashes late last month serves as a critical reminder of how quickly conflict can disrupt services essential for the well-being of civilians.

As international and regional actors gather for the 39th African Union (AU) Summit in Addis Ababa and the 61st session of the UN Human Rights Council (HRC) in Geneva, they must press Ethiopia and Eritrea to stop the violence. They must also prioritize consistent and transparent human rights monitoring, including regular reporting by the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights, and support the reestablishment of an independent investigative mechanism to ensure documentation for future accountability efforts. Most urgently, provision of humanitarian aid and health care must be delivered immediately to affected communities, many of whom have already experienced egregious acts of violence and now risk further grave harm.

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Physicians for Human Rights (PHR) is a New York-based advocacy organization that uses science and medicine to prevent mass atrocities and severe human rights violations. Learn more here (https://phr.org/about/).

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Original text here: https://phr.org/news/renewed-fighting-in-ethiopia-risks-widespread-civilian-harm/

[Category: Political]

Protect Our Care: MAHA Betrayal - To Appease Trump's Chemical Company Donors, RFK Jr. Flip-Flops - Touting Potentially Harmful Pesticide He Once Railed Against

WASHINGTON, Feb. 20 -- Protect Our Care issued the following news:

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MAHA Betrayal: To Appease Trump's Chemical Company Donors, RFK Jr. Flip-Flops - Touting Potentially Harmful Pesticide He Once Railed Against

HHS Secretary Kennedy is facing accusations of hypocrisy and betrayal of the so-called MAHA movement today after unequivocally defending Donald Trump's late-night executive order invoking the Defense Production Act to bring back production of glyphosate, the key ingredient in Roundup herbicide that has been repeatedly linked to cancer.

Kennedy -- a 'well-known' opponent of pesticides ... Show Full Article WASHINGTON, Feb. 20 -- Protect Our Care issued the following news: * * * MAHA Betrayal: To Appease Trump's Chemical Company Donors, RFK Jr. Flip-Flops - Touting Potentially Harmful Pesticide He Once Railed Against HHS Secretary Kennedy is facing accusations of hypocrisy and betrayal of the so-called MAHA movement today after unequivocally defending Donald Trump's late-night executive order invoking the Defense Production Act to bring back production of glyphosate, the key ingredient in Roundup herbicide that has been repeatedly linked to cancer. Kennedy -- a 'well-known' opponent of pesticidesfor years who "blam[ed] them for America's chronic disease epidemic" - was even part of a legal team on one of the largest lawsuits against an agribusiness that produced glyphosate. Just last month, a 2000 study that found that glyphosate wasn't a human health risk was retracted by the scientific journal that published it a quarter century ago, citing "serious ethical concerns regarding the independence and accountability of the authors."

As Reuters notes, manufacturer Bayer is "facing claims over Roundup from approximately 65,000 plaintiffs in U.S. state and federal courts. The plaintiffs say they developed non-Hodgkin lymphoma and other forms of cancer after using the weedkiller, either at home or on the job." Indeed, a scientific review released in November 2025 detailed new findings that "continue to provide consistent, coherent and compelling evidence that glyphosate and GBFs are a cause of non-Hodgkin lymphoma in humans exposed to these agents."

"This was one of the few issues where Secretary Kennedy actually embraced credible science," said Kayla Hancock, Director of Public Health Watch, a project of Protect Our Care. "But RFK Jr. tossed out his years of anti-pesticide advocacy and conviction like a used tissue to stay in the good graces of Donald Trump, who cares more about making his chemical company donors happy than protecting the public's health. This makes it clear, Secretary Kennedy has no problem selling out his supposed value if there's a quick buck to be made for special interest donors, or political points to be scored."

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Original text here: https://www.protectourcare.org/maha-betrayal-to-appease-trumps-chemical-company-donors-rfk-jr-flip-flops-touting-potentially-harmful-pesticide-he-once-railed-against/

[Category: Health Care]

Michigan League Endorses Invest In MI Kids Ballot Proposal

LANSING, Michigan, Feb. 20 -- The Michigan League for Public Policy issued the following news release on Feb. 19, 2026:

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League endorses Invest In MI Kids ballot proposal

New analysis shows proposal would support K-12 students and improve tax equity in Michigan

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The Michigan League for Public Policy issued the following statement today on the Invest In MI Kids ballot proposal and the current weeks of action, Feb. 14-28. A new analysis from the Institute on Taxation and Economic Policy (ITEP) shows that the ballot proposal would boost public education in Michigan while creating a fairer ... Show Full Article LANSING, Michigan, Feb. 20 -- The Michigan League for Public Policy issued the following news release on Feb. 19, 2026: * * * League endorses Invest In MI Kids ballot proposal New analysis shows proposal would support K-12 students and improve tax equity in Michigan * The Michigan League for Public Policy issued the following statement today on the Invest In MI Kids ballot proposal and the current weeks of action, Feb. 14-28. A new analysis from the Institute on Taxation and Economic Policy (ITEP) shows that the ballot proposal would boost public education in Michigan while creating a fairertax system. The statement can be attributed to Michigan League for Public Policy President and CEO Monique Stanton.

"We hope to see the Invest In MI Kids proposal make it on to this November's ballot because it's a win-win for Michigan. It would help support Michigan students at a time when our state continues to be ranked in the bottom 10 nationally in education. At the same time, the proposal would ensure the wealthiest Michiganders, who currently pay the lowest share of income toward state and local taxes, are paying their fair share. The proposal would raise more than $1 billion a year for Michigan's K-12 public schools, which would help support smaller class sizes, better access to career and technical education, and stronger teacher recruitment and retention.

"Invest in MI Kids is a commonsense solution that will effectively address decades of disinvestment in our public education system and create brighter futures for the students walking through the doors of our public schools today and in the years to come. And despite arguments made to the contrary, this is not a small business tax. That claim is categorically false. In fact, only the top half-percent of earners in the state will see a tax increase if this proposal is approved. More than 99% of us, including many local bookstore owners, restaurant and coffee shop owners, and child care providers, won't see any change to their taxes from this proposal. Right now, we're working with partners around the state to get this proposal in front of voters in November. We are confident that Invest In MI Kids will build a stronger state for all of us by improving outcomes for the next generation of Michiganders."

Additional Information

Learn more about Invest In MI Kids at https://investinmikids.org/.

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The Michigan League for Public Policy, www.mlpp.org, is a nonprofit policy institute focused on opportunity for all. Its mission is to use data to educate, advocate and fight for policy solutions that undo historic and systemic racial and economic inequities to lift up Michiganders who have been left out of prosperity. It is the only state-level organization that addresses poverty in a comprehensive way.

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Original text here: https://mlpp.org/league-endorses-invest-in-mi-kids-ballot-proposal/

[Category: Political]

ICIRR Statement on Gov. Pritzker's FY27 Proposed Budget

CHICAGO, Illinois, Feb. 20 -- The Illinois Coalition for Immigrant and Refugee Rights issued the following statement on Feb. 19, 2026:

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ICIRR statement on Gov. Pritzker's FY27 proposed budget

In response to the Governor's budget proposal, ICIRR executive director Lawrence Benito issued the following statement:

"ICIRR applauds Governor Pritzker's focus on affordability in the upcoming fiscal year, especially in the face of draconian cuts that weaponize the federal budget against cities and states for their welcoming policies. The Governor's proposal is a good start that includes investments ... Show Full Article

FFRF Action Fund: 'Theocrat' Leads Ten Commandments Bill in Tennessee

MADISON, Wisconsin, Feb. 20 -- FFRF Action Fund, an organization that says it develops and advocates for legislation, regulations and government programs to preserve the constitutional principle of separation between state and church, posted the following news:

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'Theocrat' leads Ten Commandments bill in Tennessee

The FFRF Action Fund names Tenn. state Rep. Michael Hale as its "Theocrat of the Week" for leading legislation to post the Ten Commandments in the state's public schools.

House Bill 47 would allow Tennessee's public schools to display the Ten Commandments alongside the Declaration ... Show Full Article MADISON, Wisconsin, Feb. 20 -- FFRF Action Fund, an organization that says it develops and advocates for legislation, regulations and government programs to preserve the constitutional principle of separation between state and church, posted the following news: * * * 'Theocrat' leads Ten Commandments bill in Tennessee The FFRF Action Fund names Tenn. state Rep. Michael Hale as its "Theocrat of the Week" for leading legislation to post the Ten Commandments in the state's public schools. House Bill 47 would allow Tennessee's public schools to display the Ten Commandments alongside the Declarationof Independence, the U.S. Constitution and the Bill of Rights. The bill passed the Republican-led House in a 75-17 vote last week and is now headed to the Tennessee Senate.

Hale's bill doesn't outright require all schools to display the Ten Commandments or historically significant founding documents, but it does provide school boards the option to do so. "Local school leaders know their communities and classrooms best, and this bill gives them the autonomy to decide whether to acknowledge and display these documents for educational purposes, while ensuring they have legal protection if they do," Hale said.

Hale has argued that the bill, which enables religious doctrine to be displayed in public school classrooms, "aligns with the principles we have." As evidence, he cited the Declaration of Independence's references to God and the Pledge of Allegiance's inclusion of "under God." Notably, the Declaration of Independence's references to "Nature's God," "Creator," and "Divine Providence" do not endorse Christianity. Thomas Jefferson, the Declaration's author, was a Deist and was opposed to orthodox Christianity and the supernatural. And the "under God" phrase was added to the pledge during the Red Scare McCarthy era as a display of piousness.

While defending his bill, Hale absurdly argued that students could refuse to look at the Ten Commandments when they walked by the sectarian displays. Under that argument, students would also be ignoring documents such as the U.S. Constitution, the Declaration of Independence and the Bill of Rights. To preserve the rights of all students, regardless of their religion or nonreligion, the Ten Commandments, whichever version schools would be permitted to use, should not be included in displays honoring historically significant founding documents.

Legislation authorizing the posting of religious doctrine in secular public schools violates the First Amendment's Establishment Clause, which states, "Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion." Students who do not ascribe to Christianity should not feel out of place because of religious displays in their secular public school.

FFRF Action Fund urges the Tennessee Legislature to reject Hale's unconstitutional bill and to keep religious dogma out of its public schools. Hale is doing his state a huge disservice through his theocratic efforts.

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FFRF Action Fund is a 501(c)(4) organization that develops and advocates for legislation, regulations and government programs to preserve the constitutional principle of separation between state and church. It also advocates for the rights and views of nonbelievers, endorses candidates for political office, and publicizes the views of elected officials concerning religious liberty issues.

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Original text here: https://ffrfaction.org/theocrat-leads-ten-commandments-bill-in-tennessee/

[Category: Sociological]

Catholic League Issues Commentary: Nothing Is More Countercultural Than Lent

NEW YORK, Feb. 20 -- 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 on Feb. 18, 2026, by President Bill Donohue:

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NOTHING IS MORE COUNTERCULTURAL THAN LENT

We live in a world where self-absorption reigns supreme. Accordingly, the concept of self-denial is incomprehensible to most, and an anathema to others. Yet this is what Lent means. It is the most countercultural idea in America, and indeed in the entire Western world. That's ... Show Full Article NEW YORK, Feb. 20 -- 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 on Feb. 18, 2026, by President Bill Donohue: * * * NOTHING IS MORE COUNTERCULTURAL THAN LENT We live in a world where self-absorption reigns supreme. Accordingly, the concept of self-denial is incomprehensible to most, and an anathema to others. Yet this is what Lent means. It is the most countercultural idea in America, and indeed in the entire Western world. That'sbecause we've lost our moorings, which are grounded in Christianity.

The dominant culture celebrates self-indulgence, not self-denial. Drug users are only one example.

The streets of New York abound in smoke--the sweet smell of marijuana is everywhere. This is also true in many urban areas, as the pace of legalization quickens. Some, like the editorial board of the New York Times, which supported legalization, are now shocked to learn that a record number of Americans are hooked on drugs, jamming hospitals and driving recklessly. Habitual users are psychotic, functioning like zombies. Their non-stop vomiting should be a wake-up call, but it isn't. This is the cost of "liberation."

The dominant culture also celebrates gambling, yielding similar results.

We not only can bet on games, we can bet on each play. Bookies have been replaced by phones, and allegiance to the home team is waning as the only thing that matters is winning. Some ballparks, like the home of the Washington Commanders, even have betting stations for fans too bored to simply watch the game. A growing number of young men are addicted to gambling, finding themselves deeper in debt. This is the cost of "liberation."

Many young women chose sex to satisfy their craving for self-indulgence. If they wind up pregnant, they find their "solution" at a Planned Parenthood clinic. Young promiscuous men are just as irresponsible, looking to medical technology to rid themselves of their self-induced diseases. This is the cost of their "liberation."

Self-denial is admittedly not easy, and it is more difficult in societies that glamorize self-indulgence. But it is a virtue that actually does liberate.

One way to show someone that we love them is by making sacrifices that redound to their benefit. Making sacrifices requires a degree of self-denial, giving up something to aid someone else. Mother Teresa could not have comforted those in her employ without great sacrifice, and it was her capacity for self-denial that allowed her to prevail.

Like any virtue, self-denial atrophies if it is not practiced, the results of which are inauspicious for everyone. A society that views self-denial as oppressive is nurturing narcissism, not selflessness. Yet that is what we are doing, led, as always, by the ruling class.

Self-indulgence is not only self-destructive, it is ultimately anti-social. We are all affected by those who allow their appetites and passions to conquer them, and that is why it is incumbent on those who occupy mantles of moral authority--clergy, parents and teachers--to welcome Lent, regardless of their religious convictions.

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Original text here: https://www.catholicleague.org/nothing-is-more-countercultural-than-lent/

[Category: Sociological]

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