Public Policy & NGOs
Here's a look at documents from public policy and non-governmental organizations
Featured Stories
SAFE: Removing Penalties From Fuel Economy Program Is a Gift to OPEC
WASHINGTON, June 14 -- SAFE, an organization that says it unites military and business leaders to develop and advocate for policies that improve America's energy security by curtailing dependence on oil and promoting responsible use of domestic energy resources, issued the following statement on June 13, 2025:
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Removing Penalties from Fuel Economy Program Is a Gift to OPEC
Washington, DC-As oil prices rise on geopolitical risks, efficient vehicles are more important than ever
The Senate Commerce Committee has released reconciliation language that would remove all financial penalties from
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WASHINGTON, June 14 -- SAFE, an organization that says it unites military and business leaders to develop and advocate for policies that improve America's energy security by curtailing dependence on oil and promoting responsible use of domestic energy resources, issued the following statement on June 13, 2025:
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Removing Penalties from Fuel Economy Program Is a Gift to OPEC
Washington, DC-As oil prices rise on geopolitical risks, efficient vehicles are more important than ever
The Senate Commerce Committee has released reconciliation language that would remove all financial penalties fromfuel economy standards, which have been foundational to the nation's energy security since the 1970's. This program--originally enacted in response to the OPEC oil embargo--has saved trillions of gallons of gasoline over its lifetime and made our economy less oil intensive, today saving multiple millions of barrels of oil per day.
On the importance of the program and compliance enforcement, SAFE Founder and CEO Robbie Diamond gave the following statement:
"American consumers and businesses hate paying more for fuel, but that's what this action achieves. Eliminating all efficiency rules for cars and trucks is not energy dominance...it's ceding market share on the global oil market to Russia, Venezuela, and OPEC, while undoing the auto industry's hard-fought gains on building advanced drivetrains on all sizes of vehicles.
True energy security is producing more oil and energy domestically and consuming less per dollar of GDP--which is why even Saudi Arabia has vehicle efficiency rules. Needlessly wasting one of our most precious resources, petroleum, is bad for consumers and businesses, and will only increase our balance of payments and make our auto industry less competitive. We urge the Senate to stop this disastrous rollback, that would bring us back to the energy policies of the 1970s."
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About SAFE
SAFE is an action-oriented, nonpartisan organization committed to transportation, energy, and supply chain policies that advance the economic and national security of the United States, its partners, and allies. Since 2004, SAFE has worked with its Energy Security Leadership Council--a peerless coalition of current and former Fortune 500 CEOs and retired 4-star admirals and generals--to support secure, resilient, and responsible energy solutions. Learn more at SecureEnergy.org.
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Original text here: https://secureenergy.org/statement-removing-penalties-from-fuel-economy-program-is-a-gift-to-opec/
[Category: Energy]
NYCLU Statement on No Kings Day
NEW YORK, June 14 [Category: Law/Legal] -- New York Civil Liberties Union issued the following news release:
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NYCLU Statement on No Kings Day
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NEW YORK CITY - Today the New York Civil Liberties Union joined New Yorkers at No Kings Day events across the state. In response, NYCLU Executive Director Donna Lieberman issued the following statement:
"As the wannabe king squanders millions on a military parade today to emulate dictators and intimidate critics, We the People are resolute. We will stand up to the Trump regime, take on Project 2025, and defend our freedoms.
"We will not stand
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NEW YORK, June 14 [Category: Law/Legal] -- New York Civil Liberties Union issued the following news release:
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NYCLU Statement on No Kings Day
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NEW YORK CITY - Today the New York Civil Liberties Union joined New Yorkers at No Kings Day events across the state. In response, NYCLU Executive Director Donna Lieberman issued the following statement:
"As the wannabe king squanders millions on a military parade today to emulate dictators and intimidate critics, We the People are resolute. We will stand up to the Trump regime, take on Project 2025, and defend our freedoms.
"We will not standby and let him hijack our courts, schools, and universities. We won't be silent as he tries to defund Medicare and our government. We will not stand by and let the racist-in-chief turn back the clock on equal rights - for Black people, women, or the LGBTQ and immigrant communities. We won't let him demonize immigrants, separate families, upend our neighborhoods, or use his cruel deportation crusade as an excuse to call up troops to occupy our cities.
"The New York Civil Liberties Union is marching today to stand up for equal justice for everyone in this country, citizen and non-citizen alike. To stand for the people who are hurting. For the soul and values of our nation. For our right to believe what we believe, say what we think, and peacefully protest the policies of this or any other government.
"We will not bend the knee to a wannabe king. We will bend the arc of history back toward justice."
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Original text here: https://www.nyclu.org/press-release/nyclu-statement-on-no-kings-day
LDF Condemns Politically Motivated Shootings of Minnesota State Officials ...
NEW YORK, June 14 [Category: Law/Legal] -- The NAACP Legal Defense and Educational Fund posted the following news:
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LDF Condemns Politically Motivated Shootings of Minnesota State Officials...
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Minnesota State Representative, and former Speaker of the Minnesota House, Melissa Hortman and her husband were shot and killed this weekend in their homes by a gunman who presented himself as a law enforcement official. Minnesota State Senator John Hoffman and his wife were also shot in their home, leaving them in critical condition, and have since undergone surgery.
The shootings took place
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NEW YORK, June 14 [Category: Law/Legal] -- The NAACP Legal Defense and Educational Fund posted the following news:
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LDF Condemns Politically Motivated Shootings of Minnesota State Officials...
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Minnesota State Representative, and former Speaker of the Minnesota House, Melissa Hortman and her husband were shot and killed this weekend in their homes by a gunman who presented himself as a law enforcement official. Minnesota State Senator John Hoffman and his wife were also shot in their home, leaving them in critical condition, and have since undergone surgery.
The shootings took placejust north of Minneapolis. They are being investigated as targeted acts of political violence.
In response, LDF President and Director Counsel Janai Nelson issued the following statement:
"Political hate and violence have been given unprecedented platform and permission in a climate of increased political polarization, hateful and divisive rhetoric in political forums, and disrespect of opponents' and their constituents as evidenced by events as recent as this past week where a sitting U.S. Senator was forcibly removed and handcuffed while conducting official business, and a U.S. Representative was told to "shut up" by a colleague in a congressional hearing. It cannot go on.
"Violence, as well as hate-filled, inciteful rhetoric, have absolutely no place in political discourse, civil society, or any part of our democracy.
"LDF wholeheartedly condemns these horrific acts. We stand with the victims of these heinous crimes and extend our deepest sympathies to the family and loved ones of Representative Hortman and her husband."
Founded in 1940, the Legal Defense Fund (LDF) is the nation's first civil rights law organization. LDF's Thurgood Marshall Institute is a multi-disciplinary and collaborative hub within LDF that launches targeted campaigns and undertakes innovative research to shape the civil rights narrative. In media attributions, please refer to us as the Legal Defense Fund or LDF. Please note that LDF has been completely separate from the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) since 1957 -- although LDF was originally founded by the NAACP and shares its commitment to equal rights.
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Original text here: https://www.naacpldf.org/press-release/ldf-condemns-politically-motivated-shootings-of-minnesota-state-officials-and-calls-on-elected-officials-to-denounce-political-violence-and-model-civility/
In NCLA Amicus Win, Supreme Court Revives Innocent Family's Suit Over FBI's Wrong-House Raid
WASHINGTON, June 14 -- The New Civil Liberties Alliance issued the following news release:
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In NCLA Amicus Win, Supreme Court Revives Innocent Family's Suit over FBI's Wrong-House Raid
Washington, DC (June 13, 2025) - The U.S. Supreme Court unanimously reversed the Eleventh U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals' dismissal of Martin v. United States, an Atlanta family's Federal Tort Claims Act (FTCA) suit against the government for a wrong-house raid in 2017. FBI agents invaded the home of Trina Martin and her family, shackling her partner on the floor and holding a half-naked Ms. Martin at gunpoint,
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WASHINGTON, June 14 -- The New Civil Liberties Alliance issued the following news release:
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In NCLA Amicus Win, Supreme Court Revives Innocent Family's Suit over FBI's Wrong-House Raid
Washington, DC (June 13, 2025) - The U.S. Supreme Court unanimously reversed the Eleventh U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals' dismissal of Martin v. United States, an Atlanta family's Federal Tort Claims Act (FTCA) suit against the government for a wrong-house raid in 2017. FBI agents invaded the home of Trina Martin and her family, shackling her partner on the floor and holding a half-naked Ms. Martin at gunpoint,while she expressed concern for her seven-year-old son's safety elsewhere in the house. One big problem: the FBI SWAT team had knocked down the door of the wrong home, on the wrong street, because the agent in charge had failed to verify its clearly marked address. The Justices remanded the case to the Eleventh Circuit for reconsideration. As NCLA's amicus curiae brief urged, the Eleventh Circuit should ultimately rule on remand that the FTCA does not shield the government from liability when federal law enforcement officers raid the wrong house.
Ms. Martin and her family filed FTCA claims against the government for assault, battery, and false imprisonment, as well as Fourth Amendment claims against the individual FBI agents. The Eleventh Circuit below upheld the district court's dismissal of the case, concluding that the agents' actions violated no "clearly established" law. It ruled that the family suffered harm resulting from an agent's "discretionary act" (i.e., failing to check the house address), warranting total governmental immunity and no path to relief for the Martin family. The Eleventh Circuit also determined that the Supremacy Clause of the Constitution could shield the FBI and its agents from FTCA suits. NCLA's amicus brief forcefully argued that the Eleventh Circuit's mode of inquiry--which departed from the analytical process employed by all sister circuits--was inconsistent with the language and intent of the FTCA. Congress amended the FTCA in 1974 expressly to ensure that innocent people subjected to wrong-house raids and similar abuses by federal law enforcement officers would have a cause of action to sue.
By expanding the FTCA's discretionary-function exception to encompass wrong-house raids such as this one, the Eleventh Circuit's decision effectively nullified the 1974 law. As Justice Sotomayor underscored in her concurrence (joined by Justice Jackson), "Courts ... should not ignore the existence of the [1974 amendment], or the factual context that inspired its passage, when construing the discretionary-function exception. ... [A]ny interpretation should allow for liability in the very cases Congress amended the FTCA to remedy."
Today's Supreme Court ruling does not decide whether the "discretionary function" exception applies in this case, an issue that the Court ordered the Eleventh Circuit to resolve, but the Justices found that the Supremacy Clause is not a defense the government may invoke in FTCA lawsuits. Justice Gorsuch explained in his opinion for the Court: "The FTCA is the 'supreme' federal law addressing the United States' liability for torts committed by its agents. It supplies the 'exclusive remedy' for damages claims arising out of federal employees' official conduct."
NCLA released the following statements:
"The Supreme Court rightly held that innocent civilians should not be stripped of any meaningful remedy when they suffer abuse at the hands of federal law enforcement. The Martin family deserves their day in court. On remand, NCLA trusts that the Eleventh Circuit will carefully evaluate what qualifies as 'reasonable' law enforcement--and recognize that a trained FBI agent who fails to check a clearly marked house number before commencing a raid because 'it was dark outside' does not qualify."
-- Casey Norman, Litigation Counsel, NCLA
"Law enforcement officers should not be able to evade accountability for entering the wrong house and terrorizing an innocent family in the middle of the night when Congress intentionally provided for redress in cases against the federal government in such circumstances. Thankfully, the Supreme Court's decision reaffirms that the Eleventh Circuit was wrong to preclude relief in this case and others like it."
-- Jenin Younes, Litigation Counsel, NCLA
"All too often, court-created doctrines are used to reduce the government's liability to people whose civil liberties it has violated. Congratulations to our friends at the Institute for Justice for convincing the Supreme Court to clip the wings of such a doctrine in this case--at least where Congress had explicitly created a cause of action to sue."
-- Mark Chenoweth, President, NCLA
For more information visit the amicus page here.
ABOUT NCLA
NCLA is a nonpartisan, nonprofit civil rights group founded by prominent legal scholar Philip Hamburger to protect constitutional freedoms from violations by the Administrative State. NCLA's public-interest litigation and other pro bono advocacy strive to tame the unlawful power of state and federal agencies and to foster a new civil liberties movement that will help restore Americans' fundamental rights.
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Original text here: https://nclalegal.org/press_release/in-ncla-amicus-win-supreme-court-revives-innocent-familys-suit-over-fbis-wrong-house-raid/
[Category: Law/Legal]
GreenLatinos: Rolling Back Progress: EPA Begins Dismantling Climate and Air Toxics Protections
WASHINGTON, June 14 -- GreenLatinos, an organization that says it convenes a coalition of Latino leaders committed to addressing national, regional and local environmental, natural resources and conservation that affect the health and welfare of the Latino community, issued the following news release on June 13, 2025:
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Rolling Back Progress: EPA Begins Dismantling Climate and Air Toxics Protections
GreenLatinos condemns the repeal of both the Carbon Power Plant Rules and the Mercury and Air Toxics standards, putting polluter profits over the health, safety, and economic stability of frontline
... Show Full Article
WASHINGTON, June 14 -- GreenLatinos, an organization that says it convenes a coalition of Latino leaders committed to addressing national, regional and local environmental, natural resources and conservation that affect the health and welfare of the Latino community, issued the following news release on June 13, 2025:
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Rolling Back Progress: EPA Begins Dismantling Climate and Air Toxics Protections
GreenLatinos condemns the repeal of both the Carbon Power Plant Rules and the Mercury and Air Toxics standards, putting polluter profits over the health, safety, and economic stability of frontlinecommunities.
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WASHINGTON -- Earlier this week, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), under Administrator Lee Zeldin, announced its intent to repeal the Carbon Pollution Standards for power plants and the Mercury and Air Toxics Standards (MATS). Both rules are critical public health and climate safeguards that have already begun reducing dangerous pollution across the country.
Finalized just last year after more than 1 million Americans submitted comments in support, the carbon pollution standards were projected to cut power sector emissions by 75% below 2005 levels by 2035. This is critical to slowing the rate of climate change as power plants are a major source of climate warming pollution. MATS have already cut mercury pollution by 90%, protecting families from neurotoxins that can cause irreversible brain damage to infants and children.
Now, these protections are under attack as part of the Trump administration's polluter-first agenda, prioritizing industry profits over public health and environmental safety.
Following this action, GreenLatinos Climate Justice and Clean Air Director Irene Burga issued the following statement.
"These reckless rollbacks prioritize polluter profits over our health, our livelihoods, and our future. They will drive up energy bills, force more missed days of work due to illness, exacerbate climate-fueled extreme weather and deepen financial strain for families already struggling to make ends meet. Latino communities--already disproportionately affected by rising energy costs and extreme heat--will once again bear the brunt of this harmful decision."
These protections were working--cutting toxic pollution from coal and gas plants that fuels asthma, heart disease, and climate disasters. Repealing them, along with the mercury and air toxics rules, is a deliberate choice to let industries pollute freely while frontline and working-class communities pay the price.
GreenLatinos stands with the millions of people who fought for these protections. We won't stay silent while the EPA trades our clean air and public health for corporate gain.
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About GreenLatinos
GreenLatinos (NOTE: GreenLatinos is ONE WORD) is an active comunidad of Latino/a/e leaders, emboldened by the power and wisdom of our culture, united to demand equity and dismantle racism, resourced to win our environmental, conservation, and climate justice battles, and driven to secure our political, economic, cultural, and environmental liberation.
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Original text here: https://www.greenlatinos.org/rolling-back-progress-epa-begins-dismantling-climate-and-air-toxics-protections/
[Category: Environment]
CALSTART Applauds California and Coalition of States for Clean Cars and Trucks Leadership
PASADENA, California, June 14 -- CALSTART, an organization that says it works with member companies to build a clean transportation industry, issued the following news release on June 12, 2025:
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CALSTART Applauds California and Coalition of States for Clean Cars and Trucks Leadership
In response to the latest attack on California's clean transportation programs, state leaders are taking decisive and united action, Today, California Attorney General Bonta- joined by ten other attorneys general - filed a lawsuit challenging Congress's effort that revoked California's long-standing authority
... Show Full Article
PASADENA, California, June 14 -- CALSTART, an organization that says it works with member companies to build a clean transportation industry, issued the following news release on June 12, 2025:
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CALSTART Applauds California and Coalition of States for Clean Cars and Trucks Leadership
In response to the latest attack on California's clean transportation programs, state leaders are taking decisive and united action, Today, California Attorney General Bonta- joined by ten other attorneys general - filed a lawsuit challenging Congress's effort that revoked California's long-standing authorityto set its own vehicle pollution standards (from Colorado, Delaware, Massachusetts, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, Oregon, Rhode Island, Vermont, and Washington). Simultaneously, Governor Newsom issued a bold Executive Order affirming and expanding California's commitment to advance clean transportation progress despite federal attacks.
In response to these mutually-reinforcing actions, CALSTART's Head of Policy Trisha DelloIacono, issued the following statement:
"California, and its allied states are once again showing the nation what true climate leadership looks like. In response to federal overreach, eleven attorneys general - from states across the country - have united to defend their authority in court. At the same time California is doubling down with bold executive action to accelerate clean transportation progress and strengthen the state's leadership in advancing vehicle innovation Together, these state leaders are making it clear: they will not retreat from their commitments to economic competitiveness, job creation, and climate resilience.
Governor Newsom's Executive Order sends a strong signal: California is not backing down - it's moving faster. Importantly, the Executive Order prioritizes funding for state incentive programs to deploy more clean transportation solutions across the state. It also steers state vehicle purchases to manufacturers that continue to comply with clean vehicle regulations and directs state agencies to provide recommendations on additional actions to further the state's clean vehicle transition. These actions build on California's decades-long legacy of environmental and economic leadership.
We applaud these states for their forward-looking, resolute efforts to help ensure that the adoption of cleaner technologies continues at the pace needed to strengthen our economy and address the climate crisis. Strong state leadership is essential to accelerating the shift away from fossil fuels, diversifying our energy options, and advancing an industry that delivers cleaner air, economic growth and technological innovation. Today's actions mark a pivotal moment in clean transportation history. These actions are a necessary and clear reflection of states stepping up and asserting their leadership."
BACKGROUND:
California continues to lead the way in the transition to zero-emission vehicles (ZEVs). The state has surpassed 2 million ZEVs sold, with clean vehicles making up 26% of new passenger sales. In the commercial sector, adoption is expanding rapidly: over 52,500 zero-emission trucks (ZETs) have been deployed nationwide, with nearly 10,000 added in the second half of 2024 according to CALSTART's Zeroing in on Zero Emission Trucks report. And growth is expanding beyond early-adopter states, with Maryland (439%), Georgia (247%), and New Mexico (141%) experiencing the largest increases in ZET deployments during 2024, highlighting the widening geographic reach of adoption.
And in a significant milestone for charging infrastructure, California now boasts more than 48% public and shared private EV chargers than the number of gasoline nozzles. The California Energy Commission (CEC) estimates there are about 120,000 gas nozzles in the state, compared to 178,000 public and shared private chargers.
About CALSTART
A mission-driven industry organization focused on transportation decarbonization and clean air for all, CALSTART has offices in New York, Michigan, Colorado, California, Florida, and Europe. CALSTART is uniquely positioned to build the national clean transportation industry by working closely with its more than 240 member companies and building on the lessons learned from the major programs it manages for the State of California. CALSTART manages more than $1 billion in vehicle incentive and technical assistance programs in the United States and is leading a global effort to build the zero-emission commercial vehicle market.
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Original text here: https://calstart.org/applauds-coalition-of-states-for-clean-cars-and-clean-trucks-leadership/
[Category: Environment]
ADC Statement on Israel's Unprecedented and Unprovoked Attacks on Iran
WASHINGTON, June 14 -- The American-Arab Anti-Discrimination Committee issued the following news release:
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ADC Statement on Israel's Unprecedented and Unprovoked Attacks on Iran
The American-Arab Anti-Discrimination Committee (ADC) condemns Israel's unprecedented, reckless, and illegal military aggression against Iran, actions that threaten to plunge the Middle East into catastrophic warfare. Once again, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has sabotaged peace efforts in the region, severely jeopardizing current U.S. diplomatic negotiations with Iran and regional stability. The Administration
... Show Full Article
WASHINGTON, June 14 -- The American-Arab Anti-Discrimination Committee issued the following news release:
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ADC Statement on Israel's Unprecedented and Unprovoked Attacks on Iran
The American-Arab Anti-Discrimination Committee (ADC) condemns Israel's unprecedented, reckless, and illegal military aggression against Iran, actions that threaten to plunge the Middle East into catastrophic warfare. Once again, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has sabotaged peace efforts in the region, severely jeopardizing current U.S. diplomatic negotiations with Iran and regional stability. The Administrationis allowing Israel to drag the United States into yet another regional conflict, with severe consequences both abroad and domestically. This directly contradicts President Trump's own campaign promises to end America's endless wars.
Israel's targeted assassination campaign against Iranian military leaders, prominent scientists, and academics once again displays its unrestrained use of psychological terror, further destabilizing regional security and undermining global peace pleas. Israel, who has the largest nuclear arsenal in the region and who refuses to become party to non-proliferation treaties, is a rogue state determined to drag the United States into a constant state of war.
These aggressive acts are not what the American people desire. A May 2025 poll by the University of Maryland showed that 69% of Americans, including two-thirds of Republicans, prefer a negotiated agreement to military action against Iran's nuclear program. Last year, a poll by the Chicago Council on Public Affairs found that whether facing an attack by Iran or neighboring countries, majorities of Americans now oppose using U.S. troops to defend Israel.
We urge President Trump and leaders of both political parties in Congress to immediately halt all weapons transfers to Israel. The global community has consistently rejected Israel's pattern of reckless militarism, and the United States must decisively align itself with international consensus by ending its unconditional support of Israel's endless wars and aggression.
Summer is the peak tourism season in the Middle East, a time when many U.S. citizens travel to the region to visit family and loved ones. Given Israel's ongoing attacks on Iran, Lebanon, Syria, and Yemen, we urge the Administration to take immediate measures to guarantee the safety of American citizens in the region and provide any necessary assistance for their safe evacuation and return home.
ADC calls for immediate de-escalation, restraint, and diplomatic engagement from all parties involved to prevent further loss of innocent lives and to restore peace and stability to an increasingly volatile region. The ADC implores President Trump to exercise sound judgment and prioritize America's interests by unequivocally condemning Netanyahu's unprovoked acts of war, and steer U.S. policy toward responsible diplomacy and respect for international law.
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Original text here: https://adc.org/adc-statement-on-israels-unprecedented-and-unprovoked-attacks-on-iran/
[Category: Sociological]
