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NEW YORK STATE ANNOUNCES RECOGNITION OF THE OFFICE OF MENTAL HEALTH'S CHIEF ADVOCACY OFFICER
ALBANY, New York, Oct. 10 -- The New York State Office of Mental Health issued the following news release:
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October 7, 2026
NEW YORK STATE ANNOUNCES RECOGNITION OF THE OFFICE OF MENTAL HEALTH'S CHIEF ADVOCACY OFFICER
Alliance for Rights and Recovery Selects Office of Mental Health's Chief Advocacy Officer to Receive 'Brendan Nugent Empowerment Award'
Honor Spotlights Programs Centering Individuals with Lived Experience in All Aspects of New York State's Mental Health System
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The New York State Office of Mental Health today announced that Chief Advocacy Officer Liz Breier has received
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ALBANY, New York, Oct. 10 -- The New York State Office of Mental Health issued the following news release:
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October 7, 2026
NEW YORK STATE ANNOUNCES RECOGNITION OF THE OFFICE OF MENTAL HEALTH'S CHIEF ADVOCACY OFFICER
Alliance for Rights and Recovery Selects Office of Mental Health's Chief Advocacy Officer to Receive 'Brendan Nugent Empowerment Award'
Honor Spotlights Programs Centering Individuals with Lived Experience in All Aspects of New York State's Mental Health System
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The New York State Office of Mental Health today announced that Chief Advocacy Officer Liz Breier has receivedan award from the Alliance for Rights and Recovery for her efforts to empower peers and advance their work statewide. Breier was recently presented with the 'Brendan Nugent Empowerment Award' at a ceremony during the state and national advocacy organization's annual conference in Albany, reflecting her work to continue integrating peer support and individuals with lived experience into shaping the public mental health system.
"Peer support helps to build trusted relationships with individuals connected to the mental health system, improving outcomes by promoting hope, choice, self-determination, and mutuality," OMH Commissioner Dr. Ann Sullivan said. "This award recognizes Liz's tireless advocacy and her dedication to ensuring people with lived experience have a major voice in our system of care."
In recognizing Breier, the Alliance cited her strong belief that peers are essential partners in designing, delivering, and improving behavioral health services. The organization also cited her tireless advocacy to expand opportunities for the peer workforce, create pathways for them to develop professionally, and for them to take leadership roles and influence the future of behavioral health services statewide.
"Liz Breier is one of those rare leaders who has the skill and strength to translate the principles of recovery, human rights, and peer support into pragmatic public policy advances," Alliance for Rights and Recovery CEO Harvey Rosenthal said. "She has worked tirelessly to promote a broad array of peer-led innovations, including outreach and engagement, crisis diversion, hospital-to-community transitional support, and advocacy and support services. We are pleased to honor her with this award, recognizing her dignified work and her continued partnership with the Alliance."
As OMH's chief advocacy officer, Breier oversees the Office of Advocacy and Peer Support Services, is a certified psychiatric rehabilitation practitioner, and has been dedicated to empowering individuals in creating and sustaining their personal visions of healing and wellness. Watch video of the award presentation.
Breier has played a pivotal role in shaping a service system in New York that is person-centered, collaborative, wellness-focused, and trauma-responsive. Drawing from her personal lived experience, she brings valuable expertise to her work, supporting others in their journeys toward self-determination and healing from trauma.
"I'm very honored and grateful to receive the Brendan Nugent Empowerment Award," Breier said. "I'm humbled and I don't take this lightly."
Peer specialists connect with individuals living with mental health challenges in a variety of settings, helping them set and reach goals as they recover. Overseeing OMH's Office of Advocacy and Peer Support Services, Breier plays a critical role in the recognition of peer specialists as a distinct discipline and profession.
The award is named for the late longtime advocate Brendan Nugent, an early rights and recovery movement leader. During the 1990s, he organized the first public march and demonstration led by members of the recovery community calling on policymakers to prioritize the voice of the people, in keeping with the Alliance's core principles of "Nothing About Us Without Us."
The Alliance also posthumously honored Regina Shoen with the Frances Olivero Advocacy Award for inspiring community leadership and advocacy on behalf of New Yorkers with psychiatric disabilities. Shoen, who died in March, was a dedicated peer advocate at OMH and later became the director of the Upstate Bureau of Regional Advocacy and Peer Support Services for Adults and Youth in the Office of Advocacy and Peer Support Services.
Shoen's efforts helped implement the New York Peer Advancement Network and Peer Expansion Grant and the Benefits Workforce Incentive Navigators, which have created systemic impacts throughout the state's mental health care system. In recognizing her, the Alliance noted that she "spent her life working to dismantle the stigmas that keep so many suffering in silence."
Peer specialists are playing an increasingly important role at OMH-operated facilities, with agency licensed providers, and with funded programs. The state now supports a professional certification pathway, including certified peer specialists, family peer advocates, and youth peer advocates, with these workers being a key component of OMH's workforce development efforts for Medicaid billable and non-billable services and support.
In addition to supporting peer workers at state-operated psychiatric centers, OMH is funding Peer Bridgers and providing technical assistance for this initiative at three Article 28 facilities. Peer Bridgers engage patients before they are discharged and maintain trusting relationships with them afterward, providing ongoing support within the community for up to a year following their discharge.
OMH is also funding Intensive and Sustained Engagement Team programs, a peer-led engagement approach to support people who haven't had success in the traditional mental health system and may be at risk of involuntary treatment. These teams are providing support for at least 60 individuals monthly who might not have otherwise engaged in treatment.
Also in the community, OMH now funds eight Clubhouses, peer-driven programs fostering improved community integration for volunteer members that help to reduce social isolation and promote recovery. These are non-hierarchical environments where members and staff -- who often have lived experience -- work side by side, helping to avoid hospitalizations and readmissions.
OMH's successful 'Safe Option Supports' program relies heavily on peer specialists to conduct outreach and successfully house individuals experiencing chronic homelessness. Peer workers also serve in crucial roles in their direct communities, operating recovery centers, warmlines, drop-ins, and other peer-led and peer-run programming.
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Original text here: https://content.govdelivery.com/accounts/NYOMH/bulletins/42e510f
N.J. A.G. Davenport Sues to Regain Funding for Unemployment System Improvements
TRENTON, New Jersey, Oct. 10 -- New Jersey Attorney General Jennifer Davenport issued the following news release:
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AG Davenport Sues to Regain Funding for Unemployment System Improvements
Trump Administration Unlawfully Terminated Funding for Improving Unemployment Insurance
October 9, 2026
TRENTON -- Attorney General Jennifer Davenport and a coalition of 13 other states filed a lawsuit challenging the U.S. Department of Labor's (DOL) unlawful decision to terminate millions of dollars in funding for preventing fraud and implementing improvements in New Jersey and other states' unemployment
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TRENTON, New Jersey, Oct. 10 -- New Jersey Attorney General Jennifer Davenport issued the following news release:
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AG Davenport Sues to Regain Funding for Unemployment System Improvements
Trump Administration Unlawfully Terminated Funding for Improving Unemployment Insurance
October 9, 2026
TRENTON -- Attorney General Jennifer Davenport and a coalition of 13 other states filed a lawsuit challenging the U.S. Department of Labor's (DOL) unlawful decision to terminate millions of dollars in funding for preventing fraud and implementing improvements in New Jersey and other states' unemploymentinsurance systems.
"Accessing government services shouldn't be a chore, and here in New Jersey we're working hard to make government services simpler, faster, and more reliable. But not the federal government. It is cutting off mid-stream important funding for unemployment system improvements," said Attorney General Davenport. "The people of New Jersey deserve services that work when they are needed most, not pointless disruption by the federal government."
The lawsuit, filed in the U.S. Court of Federal Claims, challenges the DOL's unlawful decision in May 2025 to terminate more than $45 million in plaintiff states' remaining grant funding that was intended to assist states in modernizing unemployment insurance system technology and implementing measures to prevent fraud.
Congress created six different interrelated grant programs as part of the American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) of 2021, amid the pandemic-related surge in unemployment claims. The goal of the program is to improve the technology used to administer states' unemployment insurance programs to better detect and prevent fraud, promote equitable access, and pay benefits in a timely fashion.
In total, the DOL awarded more than $780 million to states to modernize their unemployment insurance systems.
DOL reviewed and approved project plans under these grant programs and set multi-year agreed-upon performance periods in which the projects were to be completed. Plaintiff states directed hundreds of millions of dollars in grant funding to projects that, once completed, would increase efficiency, help prevent and detect fraud and the improper use of federal unemployment insurance funds, improve resilience when the system experiences surges in claims, and improve the customer experience.
The NJ Department of Labor and Workforce Development (NJDOL) had three ARPA UI grants terminated in May 2025:
* An ARPA Unemployment Insurance Integrity Grant for $2,609,000 beginning in Fiscal Year 2023
* An ARPA IT Modernization Grant for $11,250,000 beginning in Fiscal Year 2023
* An ARPA Unemployment Insurance Equity Grant for $6,840,000 beginning in Fiscal Year 2023
The ARPA grants were intended to improve the technical system used to make unemployment insurance claims, move it to a cloud-based system, and hire investigatory staff to identify fraud in the unemployment insurance program. With the termination of these grants, NJDOL will be unable to make critical security updates, system improvements, and program expansions.
On May 22, 2025, the Trump Administration's DOL sent letters to the affected states abruptly and unlawfully terminating each grant agreement. The termination letters stated the agreements "no longer effectuate .... priorities for its grant funding." The grant terminations rescinded unexpended funds under the grant agreements, interrupting the unemployment insurance modernization work that the DOL had approved and agreed to fund.
Consequently, approved projects were halted in the middle of the performance periods. States have had to reallocate funding from other sources, scale back project scopes or cancel projects altogether. The terminations have wasted funds and squandered opportunities to increase efficiencies for unemployment insurance system workers, employers, and administrative staff.
In its lawsuit, the coalition argues that the DOL's grant terminations breached the express terms of each of the plaintiffs' grant agreements. The terms of the grant agreements do not allow the DOL to unilaterally terminate the grant projects prior to the end of the performance period simply because the administration has changed its priorities. The coalition also argues the DOL breached the implied duty of good faith and fair dealing by wrongfully imposing new terms and conditions, relying on an erroneous and bad faith interpretation of relevant regulations, relying on an erroneous and bad faith interpretation of authorizing statutes, and by failing to provide plaintiffs with formal notice and an opportunity to object to their grant terminations.
The states are seeking money damages as part of the lawsuit.
This lawsuit was co-led by Wisconsin Attorney General Josh Kaul and Maryland Attorney General Anthony Brown. In addition to Attorney General Davenport, the attorneys general of California, Colorado, Delaware, Illinois, Maine, Michigan, New Mexico, New York, and Oregon, as well as the governors of Kentucky and Pennsylvania, joined the lawsuit.
View Complaint (http://www.njoag.gov/wp-content/uploads/2026/10/2026-1009_Complaint.pdf)
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Original text here: https://www.njoag.gov/ag-davenport-sues-to-regain-funding-for-unemployment-system-improvements/
N.H. A.G. Formella: Additional Information in Officer-Involved Shooting Investigation in Bath, N.H.
CONCORD, New Hampshire, Oct. 10 -- New Hampshire Attorney General John Formella issued the following news release:
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October 09, 2026
Additional Information in Officer-Involved Shooting Investigation in Bath, New Hampshire
Concord, NH - Attorney General John M. Formella announces additional information regarding the response by members of the Attorney General's Office and the New Hampshire State Police Major Crime Unit to an officer-involved shooting on October 8, 2026, in Bath, New Hampshire.
On Thursday evening New Hampshire State Police and local police departments responded to a report
... Show Full Article
CONCORD, New Hampshire, Oct. 10 -- New Hampshire Attorney General John Formella issued the following news release:
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October 09, 2026
Additional Information in Officer-Involved Shooting Investigation in Bath, New Hampshire
Concord, NH - Attorney General John M. Formella announces additional information regarding the response by members of the Attorney General's Office and the New Hampshire State Police Major Crime Unit to an officer-involved shooting on October 8, 2026, in Bath, New Hampshire.
On Thursday evening New Hampshire State Police and local police departments responded to a reportthat Jeanne A. Seto (age 36), was armed and driving to confront a family member with whom she had a dispute. Law enforcement located Ms. Seto's vehicle around 7:04 P.M. on Route 112 heading towards Bath. Despite commands to stop her vehicle, Ms. Seto did not comply. The resulting pursuit concluded after police deployed a spike strip, stopping Ms. Seto's vehicle just south of the intersection of Route 112 and Route 302. When troopers and an officer approached the vehicle, they found Ms. Seto armed with a handgun. During the interaction Ms. Seto suffered gunshot wounds and was then transported to an area hospital where she was later pronounced deceased. The circumstances of who fired and when are still under active investigation.
An autopsy performed by the Office of the Chief Medical Examiner concluded Ms. Seto's cause of death was multiple gunshot wounds, and her manner of death was homicide. As used by the Office of the Chief Medical Examiner, homicide is defined as the killing of one person by another.
No law enforcement officers were physically injured during this incident. Officers were wearing body worn cameras at the time of the event, and that footage is being reviewed by investigators. No further information is expected to be provided until the identity of the law enforcement officers using deadly force is/are disclosed following formal interviews, which are expected to occur sometime in the next few weeks. The exact circumstances surrounding this incident remain under active investigation.
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Original text here: https://www.doj.nh.gov/news-and-media/additional-information-officer-involved-shooting-investigation-bath-new-hampshire
Maryland Department of Labor Announces Retirement of Financial Regulation Commissioner Antonio P. Salazar
BALTIMORE, Maryland, Oct. 10 -- The Maryland Department of Labor issued the following news release:
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Maryland Department of Labor Announces Retirement of Financial Regulation Commissioner Antonio P. Salazar
BALTIMORE, MD (October 9, 2026) -- The Maryland Department of Labor today announced the upcoming retirement of Antonio P. "Tony" Salazar, who has served as the State's 23rd Commissioner of Financial Regulation since July 5, 2017. Commissioner Salazar will step down from his role leading the Office of Financial Regulation (OFR) on October 31, 2026, concluding a distinguished career in
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BALTIMORE, Maryland, Oct. 10 -- The Maryland Department of Labor issued the following news release:
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Maryland Department of Labor Announces Retirement of Financial Regulation Commissioner Antonio P. Salazar
BALTIMORE, MD (October 9, 2026) -- The Maryland Department of Labor today announced the upcoming retirement of Antonio P. "Tony" Salazar, who has served as the State's 23rd Commissioner of Financial Regulation since July 5, 2017. Commissioner Salazar will step down from his role leading the Office of Financial Regulation (OFR) on October 31, 2026, concluding a distinguished career inbanking law and financial regulation spanning more than four decades.
The OFR is Maryland's primary consumer financial protection agency. The Office is responsible for supervising all state-chartered banks, credit unions, and trust companies, as well as more than 17,000 non-depository licensees and registrants--including mortgage lenders, brokers, money transmitters, and debt management services. Under Commissioner Salazer's leadership, the OFR has significantly strengthened consumer protections and elevated Maryland's profile as a national leader in financial services policy.
"I want to extend my deep gratitude to Commissioner Salazar for his steadfast leadership and commitment to the people of Maryland over the past nine years," said Maryland Department of Labor Secretary Portia Wu. "Tony has been a true champion for financial regulation and consumer protection in Maryland--working to safeguard the assets of Maryland families and serving with expertise, dedication, and integrity. The impact of his work will be felt for decades to come."
Commissioner Salazar's leadership extended far beyond state lines. In May 2025, his national peers elected him as the Chair of the Board of Directors for the Conference of State Bank Supervisors (CSBS), the nationwide organization representing state financial regulators across all 50 states, the District of Columbia, and U.S. territories. Prior to becoming Chair, Salazar served in several key leadership roles on the CSBS Board. His national leadership brought a vital voice for Maryland in shaping state and federal financial services regulations and consumer protections.
"It has been the honor of my professional life to serve as Maryland's Commissioner of Financial Regulation," said Commissioner Salazar. "I am incredibly proud of what the Office of Financial Regulation has accomplished. Working side-by-side with our dedicated staff, we have worked tirelessly to protect consumers, support a stable, growing financial system, as well as create and implement innovative programs such as the Access to Banking Act and the Maryland Stablecoin Act. I step down knowing that our financial oversight framework is stronger, more inclusive, and well-positioned for the future."
Prior to his appointment as Commissioner in 2017, Salazar built an extensive legal career in the private and public sectors. He led the Banking and Financial Institutions practice at the law firm Davis, Agnor, Rapaport & Skalny, LLC, and served for 18 years as Deputy General Counsel of Provident Bank in Baltimore. Salazar began his legal career as an enforcement attorney with the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency.
Commissioner Salazar has also been highly active in local community leadership. He is a graduate of Leadership Howard County and Leadership Maryland, and he has served on numerous local boards, including the University of Maryland Medical System (UMMS) Board of Directors, the James Rouse Entrepreneurial Fund, and Centro de la Comunidad. He also served as a member of the Maryland Commission on Financial Education and Capability. He is looking forward to spending more time with his family, particularly his grandchildren.
Under Maryland law, the Commissioner of Financial Regulation is appointed by the Secretary of Labor, with approval from the governor, and confirmed by the Maryland State Senate. MD Labor will work closely with the Governor's Appointments Office on a search to ensure a seamless transition. An interim appointment will be made in accordance with statute.
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The Maryland Department of Labor strives to create an equitable and inclusive Maryland where all residents have the opportunities and resources to attain financial stability, reach their career potential, and contribute to their communities; where businesses have access to capital and the skilled workforce they need to succeed; where workplaces are safe and well-regulated; and where the economy is resilient and growing. For updates and information, follow MD Labor on LinkedIn, Instagram, Facebook, and visit our website.
The Office of Financial Regulation helps safeguard Marylanders' financial interests by enforcing the State's consumer financial protection laws. The Office supervises state-chartered banks and credit unions, trust companies, and state-licensed lenders, money transmitters, and other financial providers. To learn more, visit labor.maryland.gov/finance.
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Original text here: https://www.dllr.state.md.us/whatsnews/maryland-department-of-labor-announces-salazar-retirement.shtml
Gov. Newsom: California, France Build on Decade of Cooperation With New Partnership to Strengthen Clean Energy, Protect Communities, Grow Economic Opportunity
SACRAMENTO, California, Oct. 10 -- Gov. Gavin Newsom, D-California, issued the following news release:
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Oct 9, 2026
California and France build on a decade of cooperation with new partnership to strengthen clean energy, protect communities, and grow economic opportunity
Governor Newsom and French Minister Monique Barbut sign partnership to deepen cooperation on climate action, innovation, and environmental protection
What you need to know: California and France are launching a partnership to share solutions to common challenges, from wildfires and extreme heat to clean energy and transportation.
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SACRAMENTO, California, Oct. 10 -- Gov. Gavin Newsom, D-California, issued the following news release:
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Oct 9, 2026
California and France build on a decade of cooperation with new partnership to strengthen clean energy, protect communities, and grow economic opportunity
Governor Newsom and French Minister Monique Barbut sign partnership to deepen cooperation on climate action, innovation, and environmental protection
What you need to know: California and France are launching a partnership to share solutions to common challenges, from wildfires and extreme heat to clean energy and transportation.The partnership will connect government experts, researchers, and businesses to help protect communities, strengthen economic ties, and advance cleaner technologies.
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SAN FRANCISCO - Governor Gavin Newsom and Monique Barbut, France's Minister for the Ecological Transition, Biodiversity, and International Climate and Nature Negotiations, signed a letter of intent launching a new partnership to strengthen cooperation on clean energy, climate resilience, and environmental protection, while creating opportunities for research, innovation, trade, and economic development.
The partnership brings California and France together around a practical goal: sharing what works to better protect people from climate change and strengthen their economies. Both face climate-driven realities, including destructive wildfires, drought, flooding, and extreme heat.
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"California and France are working together to turn shared challenges into shared opportunities. This partnership is about practical solutions and cooperation. It's about protecting our communities from wildfire and extreme heat, strengthening our electric grids, and helping businesses bring cleaner technologies to market. By sharing expertise and connecting our researchers and businesses, we can build healthier communities and stronger economies on both sides of the world."
- Governor Gavin Newsom
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France and California face the same challenges: ever more intense wildfires, more frequent droughts and extreme heat episodes that threaten our populations. The partnership we are signing today reflects our shared determination to respond to them concretely, by turning international commitments into action on the ground and by mobilizing states, regions, researchers and businesses. In the face of the climate emergency, France and California have chosen not to give up and to act together to protect our people and safeguard the future of generations to come.
French Minister Monique Barbut
The California Environmental Protection Agency (CalEPA) will coordinate California's work, partnering with the French ministry to develop an action plan that turns shared priorities into practical cooperation.
"After another summer in which communities in both California and France faced severe climate impacts like extreme heat and wildfires, it is more important than ever to work with like-minded partners to fight climate change," said CalEPA Secretary Yana Garcia. "We are building on our history of collaboration with France to accelerate progress toward our shared climate goals, while building healthier and more resilient communities and economies."
The partnership creates a framework for exchanging expertise and developing partnerships to address these challenges, support cleaner transportation, and modernize electric grids. The partnership builds on more than a decade of California-France cooperation and their shared commitment to carbon neutrality.
Turning shared challenges into practical solutions
The partnership establishes a framework for cooperation across climate action and environmental protection. Priority areas include:
* Protecting communities from wildfire and extreme heat. California and France will share approaches to preventing and reducing wildfire impacts and heat-related illnesses, helping both partners learn from the challenges their communities face.
* Boost clean energy and strengthen electric grids. The partnership will facilitate exchanges among France's electricity transmission operator and California's energy agencies and grid operator. Cooperation will also explore artificial intelligence's impact on electricity demand and how AI can help modernize grids as well as improving energy efficiency in buildings.
* Advancing cleaner transportation. The partnership supports exchanges on reducing transportation pollution, including through high-speed rail.
* Supporting agriculture and protecting nature. Cooperation will also focus on climate-smart agriculture, agricultural technology, sustainable pest management, and nature-based solutions. Both partners share a goal of conserving 30% of their lands and coastal waters by 2030.
* Reducing pollution and waste. The partnership will support cooperation on air quality, cutting greenhouse gas emissions, including methane, and approaches that keep materials in use and reduce waste.
Connecting businesses and researchers to economic opportunity
The new partnership will promote connections among government, businesses, and researchers to support innovation, deepen trade and commercial ties, and advance economic development.
The Letter of Intent calls for exchanges of ideas between the California Governor's Office of Business and Economic Development and the Consulate General of France in San Francisco, alongside public-private partnerships focused on climate and environmental solutions, including clean energy technologies. These connections and engagements are intended to support researchers and businesses in finding partners and moving promising ideas toward practical use.
California's global climate network
California has long been a key player on the international stage -- from taking joint action on climate change to identifying new pathways and partnerships for sustained economic growth. During the Newsom administration alone, California has formed over 70 international partnerships that lay critical groundwork for our continued economic success, while prioritizing workers and businesses that benefit from these new opportunities.
Golden State and global partnerships
* Finland (2026): California and Finland signed a memorandum of understanding to deepen economic cooperation and advance clean technology, innovation, and sustainable growth. The partnership connects businesses, researchers, and governments through collaboration on quantum computing, cybersecurity, health and life sciences, aerospace, and sustainable forest-based industries.
* Spain (2026): California and Spain signed a memorandum of understanding to advance clean energy, strengthen energy security, and prepare communities for climate impacts. Cooperation spans renewable energy, electrification, battery storage, carbon markets, methane reduction, and grid reliability, with a shared commitment to protecting communities from extreme heat and wildfire and benefiting workers and businesses.
* United Kingdom (2026): California and the United Kingdom signed a memorandum of understanding to tackle climate change and promote sustainable development together. The memorandum of understanding builds on an already strong history of cooperation, and focuses on areas for collaboration including clean energy technologies, climate resilience, decarbonizing transportation, and protecting the natural environment.
* Chile (2025): California and Chile signed a memorandum of understanding regarding exchanging information, developing best practices, and cooperating on methane emissions reduction. Methane is a highly potent greenhouse gas, and the partnership between California and Chile opens up new opportunities for both partners to cooperate on methane reduction in waste, agriculture, and energy sectors.
* Colombia (2025): California and Colombia signed a partnership to advance joint efforts on forest conservation, methane reduction, climate resilience, and clean energy development. The memorandum of understanding deepens coordination on protecting the Amazon, strengthening biodiversity, and expanding nature-based climate solutions that support sustainable and equitable economic growth.
* Nigeria (2025): California signed a memorandum of understanding with Nigeria on sustainable urban transportation, green ports, low-carbon transportation fuels, climate adaptation, methane detection and abatement policies, greenhouse gas emissions and air quality, and academic exchange and university partnerships. The partnership will build upon our shared commitment to sustainable growth, accelerate the transition to zero-emission transportation, and expand opportunities for the next generation.
* Brazil (2025): California signed a memorandum of understanding with the Brazilian federal government to scale up cooperation on climate, clean energy, cutting pollution, and job-creating climate opportunities. This new partnership, announced in September 2025, will advance market-based carbon pricing programs, expand clean transportation, including zero-emission vehicles and low-carbon fuels, and strengthen air quality management through enhanced monitoring and regulatory controls. The partnership also focuses on conserving 30% of lands and coastal waters by 2030, including nature-based solutions and biodiversity protection. In 2025, California also advanced a partnership with the State of Para to strengthen cooperation on wildfire prevention and response -- enhancing forest monitoring, identifying areas most at risk, and sharing research and expertise to improve firefighting and emergency management.
* Kenya (2025): California signed a partnership focused on cutting pollution and supporting trade. The partnership advances medium- and long-term low-carbon development, policy research, development, and innovation in sustainable land use and urban planning that reduces long commutes and urban sprawl, while promoting integrated land use and transport systems.
* Noord-Holland (2024): California and Noord-Holland signed a Letter of Intent advancing next-generation air mobility -- from drones to zero-emission aircraft. Joint innovation missions are producing pilot projects that inform California's Advanced Air Mobility Implementation Plan and readiness for major global events.
* Australia (2023): California signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) with Australia that helped inform the country's first-ever vehicle carbon emissions standards through input from the California Air Resources Board. The California Public Utilities Commission and California ISO have also advised Australia on electricity market reform to better align incentives for renewable energy.
* British Columbia (2023): California and British Columbia signed a memorandum of understanding on mutual wildfire assistance that is delivering results. British Columbia sent incident management experts to support California's Palisades Fire in 2025, while CAL FIRE deployed personnel during British Columbia's 2025 fire season. These exchanges established a lasting framework for cross-border wildfire support.
* China (2023): California signed five Memoranda of Understanding (MOUs) with China's National Development and Reform Commission, the provinces of Guangdong and Jiangsu, and the municipalities of Beijing and Shanghai to advance cooperation in cutting greenhouse gas emissions, transitioning away from fossil fuels, and developing clean energy.
* Denmark (2021): California and Denmark signed a memorandum of understanding to collaborate on groundwater mapping, leak detection, and water efficiency, which has modernized California's data systems and informed key state programs, like the Airborne Electromagnetic Survey. Danish technologies and expertise have helped strengthen drought and water-supply resilience statewide.
* Mexico (Baja California & Sonora): California signed Memoranda of Understanding (MOUs) with the Mexican states of Baja California and Sonora to advance zero-emission freight corridors, clean ports, and battery manufacturing -- strengthening North American supply chains and workforce readiness. Joint forums have already produced new research collaborations and training programs advancing clean-tech.
California's clean energy leadership
Since Governor Newsom took office in 2019, California has added more than 37,000 megawatts of utility-scale clean and renewable energy to serve the California grid -- and battery storage has ramped up from fewer than 700 MW to more than 21,000 MW, helping make the grid more reliable and pushing the state further along its clean energy transition.
Batteries play a key role in California's goal of getting all of its electricity from clean sources by 2045. The most recent numbers, from the end of 2024, show real progress: 67% of retail electricity sales in the state already come from clean energy. Last year, clean energy met 100% of the state's electricity needs for at least part of the day on 279 separate days. So far in 2026, that's happened on more than nine out of 10 days during the first half of the year.
Clean energy is also good for the economy. California leads the nation in total clean energy jobs, with 552,300 workers employed across clean energy technologies, nearly twice as many as the second-ranked state, Texas, according to a 2025 report from E2. California's clean energy workforce grew by nearly 7,300 workers in 2024, outpacing job growth in the rest of the state's economy by more than three times.
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Original text here: https://www.gov.ca.gov/2026/10/09/california-and-france-build-on-a-decade-of-cooperation-with-new-partnership-to-strengthen-clean-energy-protect-communities-and-grow-economic-opportunity/
Ark. Public Safety Dept.: ASP INVESTIGATING CARROLL COUNTY HOMICIDE, SUSPECT IN CUSTODY
LITTLE ROCK, Arkansas, Oct. 10 -- The Arkansas State Police, a part of the Department of Public Safety, issued the following news:
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ASP INVESTIGATING CARROLL COUNTY HOMICIDE, SUSPECT IN CUSTODY
October 9, 2026
GREEN FOREST, Ark. -- At the request of the Carroll County Sheriff's Office, Special Agents with the Arkansas State Police (ASP) Criminal Investigation Division (CID) are investigating the death of a Green Forest man.
On Saturday, October 3, 2026, at around 3 p.m., Carroll County authorities received a 911 call from a witness who discovered the body of Kevin Rogers, 61, on the front
... Show Full Article
LITTLE ROCK, Arkansas, Oct. 10 -- The Arkansas State Police, a part of the Department of Public Safety, issued the following news:
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ASP INVESTIGATING CARROLL COUNTY HOMICIDE, SUSPECT IN CUSTODY
October 9, 2026
GREEN FOREST, Ark. -- At the request of the Carroll County Sheriff's Office, Special Agents with the Arkansas State Police (ASP) Criminal Investigation Division (CID) are investigating the death of a Green Forest man.
On Saturday, October 3, 2026, at around 3 p.m., Carroll County authorities received a 911 call from a witness who discovered the body of Kevin Rogers, 61, on the frontporch of a residence in the 3000 block of Highway 103. The caller had gone to check on Rogers' welfare after noticing his pickup truck parked at the end of a driveway on Carroll County Road 4351.
During the investigation, ASP CID Special Agents located and interviewed Rogers' girlfriend, Ashley Hunt, 32, of Green Forest. Hunt provided a statement to investigators detailing a physical altercation in which she struck him in the head with an object.
Hunt was arrested and transported to the Carroll County Detention Center, where she is being held on a charge of Second-Degree Murder.
Rogers' body has been transported to the Arkansas State Crime Laboratory, where medical examiners will determine the official cause and manner of death.
The investigation remains active, and no further details are available for release at this time.
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Original text here: https://dps.arkansas.gov/news/asp-investigating-carroll-county-homicide-suspect-in-custody/
Ariz. State Parks & Trails and Post Pigeon EDU Announce Additional Park Curriculums Now Available
PHOENIX, Arizona, Oct. 10 -- The Arizona State Parks and Trails issued the following news:
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Arizona State Parks and Trails and Post Pigeon EDU Announce Additional Park Curriculums Now Available
October 8, 2026
PHOENIX - Arizona State Parks and Trails and Post Pigeon EDU have added two new parks to the free curriculum designed to bring outdoor information, education and curiosity to Arizona kids in grades K-8 who can explore and learn about public lands and state parks inside their classrooms.
The program is now available at three parks - Kartchner Caverns State Park in Benson, Oracle
... Show Full Article
PHOENIX, Arizona, Oct. 10 -- The Arizona State Parks and Trails issued the following news:
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Arizona State Parks and Trails and Post Pigeon EDU Announce Additional Park Curriculums Now Available
October 8, 2026
PHOENIX - Arizona State Parks and Trails and Post Pigeon EDU have added two new parks to the free curriculum designed to bring outdoor information, education and curiosity to Arizona kids in grades K-8 who can explore and learn about public lands and state parks inside their classrooms.
The program is now available at three parks - Kartchner Caverns State Park in Benson, OracleState Park in Oracle, and Red Rock State Park in Sedona. While Red Rock State Park has been online since April, Kartchner Caverns and Oracle will now also offer tailored curriculum designed to introduce kids to the attributes and opportunities that make those parks unique, just in time for the fall semester.
"We are so excited to share the magic of these two incredible parks with students across Arizona," said Valerie Quirk, co-founder of Post Pigeon EDU. "Every student in Arizona, no matter where they live, should have the opportunity to discover the unbelievable natural gifts this state has to offer. We can't wait to watch this program continue to grow, and will have more parks available for classrooms to connect with soon!"
Through the free educational curriculum, students are introduced to Arizona State Parks and Trails and the importance of environmental stewardship, in addition to learning about the flora, fauna, history, and geology of the parks. Educators then engage students' curiosity through inquiry-centered activities, and Arizona State Parks and Trails rangers answer student questions in the form of personalized, asynchronous video messages. After connecting with a ranger, students are then asked to investigate how they can become environmental stewards and advocates for the green spaces in their own community. Plus, every student and educator who goes through the program will receive a free pass to visit a state park of their choice.
Students will be introduced to a variety of roles that help keep state parks running, in alignment with Arizona's Early Career and Technical Education (eCTE) K-8 standards. The curriculum introduces students to real-world career pathways in public land management, conservation, and recreation, helping the next generation of Arizonans envision their future in the workforce.
Educators will be able to sign up to participate in this free program at AZStateParks.com/Post-Pigeon.
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About Arizona State Parks and Trails
Arizona State Parks and Trails serves the communities of Arizona through stewardship, partnerships, and conservation, and acts as an economic driver for the state. Its mission is to connect people with the outdoors and history of Arizona to build a lifetime of memories. The agency manages and protects more than 30 parks and natural areas and oversees the statewide trails program, the State Historic Preservation Office (SHPO), and the Arizona Family Campout and statewide Off-Highway Vehicle programs. The agency administers more than five outdoor-related and historic preservation grant programs and manages statewide outdoor recreation planning. For more information, visit AZStateParks.com.
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Original text here: https://azstateparks.com/press/arizona-state-parks-and-trails-and-post-pigeon-edu-announce-additional-park-curriculums-now-available
