RALEIGH, North Carolina, Dec. 24 -- Appalachian Voices issued the following news release on Dec. 23: A coalition of racial justice, housing, low-income and conservation groups today sent a letter to Governor Roy Cooper urging him to institute an immediate emergency moratorium on housing evictions and electricity, gas and water shutoffs to prevent further infections and deaths from Covid-19. With the end of Executive Order 171 (Assisting North Carolinians at Risk of Eviction) on December 31, hu  more

BOONE, North Carolina, Dec. 24 (TNSRep) -- Appalachian Voices issued the following news release: A one-year extension of the excise tax that funds the Black Lung Disability Trust Fund is included in the 2021 omnibus spending bill. This is the second year in a row that a one-year extension has been included in the spending bill on the brink of expiration. The one-year extension comes as a great relief to Black Lung Associations and other advocates. Over the last year and a half, legislation to   more

ARLINGTON, Virginia, Dec. 23 -- The Conservation Fund issued the following news release: One of the most famous vistas on the Appalachian Trail (A.T.), McAfee Knob, has been given additional protection with the acquisition of three tracts of land near Roanoke. This effort, led by the Appalachian Trail Conservancy (ATC), The Conservation Fund and the Roanoke Appalachian Trail Club (RATC), will add almost 600 acres of permanently protected land to the area. These acquisitions will help preserve   more

LOS ANGELES, California, Dec. 23 (TNSPer) -- Equality California issued the following statement: * * * Governor Gavin Newsom announced Tuesday morning that he will appoint California Secretary of State Alex Padilla to serve as California's next U.S. senator, filling the vacancy that will occur when Vice President Elect-Kamala Harris is sworn in on January 20. Padilla will be the first Latino to represent California in the United States Senate. Equality California, the nation's largest statewi  more

KANSAS CITY, Missouri, Dec. 24 -- The Journal of Rural Health, a journal that says it features rural health research, policy discussion and education information from the National Rural Health Association, published research articles, including the following topics, in its Winter 2021 edition: Original Article: * Rural/Urban Differences in the Predictors of Opioid Prescribing Rates Among Medicare Part D Beneficiaries 65 Years of Age and Older * Community Attitudes Toward Opioid Use Disorder a  more

WASHINGTON, Dec. 22 -- Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Kentucky, issued the following news release: U.S. Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY) led the Senate to pass the Fiscal Year 2021 government-funding bills that deliver necessary resources to provide for our national defense, continue important federal programs, and benefit Kentucky families and communities. As a senior member of the Senate Appropriations Committee, Senator McConnell secured the Kentucky priorities in the  more

RALEIGH, North Carolina, Dec. 24 -- The North Carolina Justice Center issued the following news on Dec. 23: A coalition of racial justice, housing, low-income, and conservation groups today sent a letter to Governor Roy Cooper urging him to institute an immediate emergency moratorium on housing evictions and electricity, gas, and water shutoffs to prevent further infections and deaths from COVID-19. With the end of Executive Order 171 (Assisting North Carolinians at Risk of Eviction) on Decemb  more

WASHINGTON, Dec. 23 (TNSRep) -- The National Collegiate Athletic Association issued the following news: The St. Francis Brooklyn women's basketball head coach had 254 impermissible communications and 11 impermissible contacts with three student-athletes from her prior university and provided impermissible inducements to those same student-athletes, according to an agreement released by the Division I Committee on Infractions. The college, the coach and the NCAA enforcement staff also agreed t  more

ALBANY, New York, Dec. 22 (TNSRep) -- Earthworks issued the following news release on Dec. 21: A coalition of environmental organizations released an analysis revealing that, despite New York's ban on fracking, oil and gas liquid waste is permitted for deicing of roads for 33 different cities, towns, and private entities. This practice is ongoing despite New York's recently adopted law that closes a loophole that once exempted oil and gas waste from being classified as hazardous waste. Oil and   more

BALTIMORE, Maryland, Dec. 24 -- The National Labor Relations Board issued the following decision (Case No. 05-RD-268864) by Region 5 Director Sean R. Marshall: TRANSDEV SERVICES, INC.,/1 Employer, and AMIR DAOUD, Petitioner, and OFFICE AND PROFESSIONAL EMPLOYEES INTERNATIONAL UNION, LOCAL 2, AFL-CIO, CLC, Union. DECISION AND ORDER Amir Daoud ("Petitioner") filed the petition herein with the National Labor Relations Board ("Board") under Section 9(c) of the National Labor Relations Act, as ame  more

WASHINGTON, Dec. 22 -- President-elect Joe Biden and Vice President-elect Kamala Harris Transition Team issued the following readout of Treasury Secretary-designate Janet Yellen and Deputy Treasury Secretary-designate Wally Adeyemo's meeting with community development financial institutions and minority depository institutions CEO's on Dec. 21: * * * Treasury Secretary-designate Janet Yellen and Deputy Treasury Secretary-designate Wally Adeyemo met with a group of Presidents and CEOs represent  more

WASHINGTON, Dec. 23 -- Rep. Marcy Kaptur, D-Ohio, issued the following news release: Congresswoman Marcy Kaptur (D-OH), Chairwoman of the House Appropriations Subcommittee on Energy and Water Development and Related Agencies, released the following statement after the House passed her 2021 Energy and Water Development Appropriations bill. The legislation funds the Department of Energy, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Department of the Interior programs, and other related agencies. The bill was pa  more

WASHINGTON, Dec. 23 -- Rep. Tim Ryan, D-Ohio, issued the following news release on Dec. 22: Congressman Tim Ryan today voted in support of a long-awaited COVID-19 relief bill that will accelerate the distribution of safe vaccines to as many Americans as possible as soon as possible, support our small businesses and assist all Americans in providing for their families and helping to ensure their financial security. The COVID-19 relief bill was passed as part of the House Appropriations bill fund  more

WASHINGTON, Dec. 23 -- Rep. Terri Sewell, D-Alabama, issued the following news release: U.S. Rep. Terri Sewell (AL-07) voted in favor of H.R. 133 and the Fiscal Year 2021 Omnibus funding bill Monday to provide hospitals, workers, and families relief from the COVID-19 pandemic and ensure the government is funded through fiscal year 2021. "It's been more than eight months since Republicans have met Democrats at the negotiating table to provide our families, small businesses, frontline health car  more

WASHINGTON, Dec. 22 -- Rep. David Trone, D-Maryland, issued the following news release: Congressman David Trone (MD-06) voted in favor of H.R. 133, a bill that includes funding for the federal government for Fiscal Year 2021, a $900 billion coronavirus relief package, as well as additional legislative provisions Trone secured to provide critical relief to struggling families, frontline workers, and small businesses. This bipartisan, bicameral legislation will now head to the Senate and then the  more

WASHINGTON, Dec. 22 -- Sen. Roy Blunt, R-Missouri, issued the following news release on Dec. 21: U.S. Senator Roy Blunt (Mo.), Chairman of the Appropriations Subcommittee on Labor, Health and Human Services, Education, and Related Agencies (Labor/HHS), today announced key priorities that were included in the fiscal year 2021 Labor/HHS funding bill. The bill is the product of bipartisan, bicameral negotiations and is part of the larger government funding bill Congress will consider shortly. "Th  more

WASHINGTON, Dec. 23 -- Sen. John Boozman, R-Arkansas, issued the following news release: U.S. Senator John Boozman (R-AR), chairman of the Senate Appropriations Military Construction, Veterans Affairs, and Related Agencies (MilCon-VA) subcommittee, secured provisions in the omnibus that stand to deliver benefits to the Natural State. "Congress has an obligation to fund the government. Passing the appropriations bills ensures we are investing in programs that support the needs of Americans. I'm  more

WASHINGTON, Dec. 22 -- Sen. Shelley Moore Capito, R-West Virginia, issued the following news release: U.S. Senator Shelley Moore Capito (R-W.Va.), a member of the Senate Appropriations Committee, tonight issued the following statements after voting in favor of the Fiscal Year (FY) 2021 omnibus appropriations bill, which includes all 12 appropriations measures and legislation to provide targeted coronavirus relief. ON THE OMNIBUS FUNDING PACKAGE: "These funding bills are full of provisions bene  more

WASHINGTON, Dec. 24 -- Sen. Benjamin Cardin, D-Maryland, issued the following news release: U.S. Senator Ben Cardin (D-Md.), Ranking Member of the Senate Environment and Public Works Transportation and Infrastructure Subcommittee, lauded the final Fiscal Year 2021 appropriations package that avoids a government shutdown and provides robust investments in multimodal transportation infrastructure for Maryland and the nation. "Keeping Marylanders moving takes more than a one-size-fits-all approa  more

WASHINGTON, Dec. 22 -- Sen. Joe Manchin, D-West Virginia, issued the following news release on Dec. 21: U.S. Senator Joe Manchin (D-WV) released the following statement on the passage of the year-end spending package that includes COVID-19 emergency relief funding, a comprehensive energy package, designation of the New River Gorge National Park and Preserve and additional West Virginia priorities. "Late tonight Congress passed a year-end spending package that contains long overdue COVID-19 eme  more

WASHINGTON, Dec. 23 -- Sen. Richard C. Shelby, R-Alabama, issued the following news release on Dec. 22: U.S. Senator Richard Shelby (R-Ala.), chairman of the Senate Appropriations Committee and its subcommittee on defense, today voted to pass a comprehensive appropriations package containing all 12 Fiscal Year 2021 (FY21) spending bills and roughly $900 billion in additional COVID-19 relief for struggling Americans and businesses. The legislation, the Consolidated Appropriations Act of 2021, wa  more

WASHINGTON, Dec. 24 -- Sen. Chris Van Hollen, D-Maryland, issued the following news release on Dec. 23: U.S. Senator Chris Van Hollen (D-Md.), a member of the Senate Appropriations Committee, released the following statement regarding provisions to benefit Maryland within the bipartisan coronavirus relief and omnibus package passed by the House and Senate that awaits President Trump's signature. The legislation includes all 12 Fiscal Year 2021 (FY21) spending bills and roughly $900 billion in a  more

CHARLESTON, West Virginia, Dec. 24 -- Sen. Shelley Moore Capito, R-West Virginia, issued the following joint op-ed with Sen. Joe Manchin, D-West Virginia, published in the Beckley Register-Herald: * * * U.S. Senators Shelley Moore Capito (R-W.Va.) and Joe Manchin (D-W.Va.) penned a joint op-ed for the Beckley Register-Herald highlighting the passage of their bill to redesignate the New River Gorge a National Park and Preserve. The bill passed as part of the year-end omnibus package that passed  more

WASHINGTON, Dec. 23 -- Sen. Tim Kaine, D-Virginia, issued the following news release on Dec. 21: U.S. Senators Mark R. Warner and Tim Kaine applauded Senate passage of the bipartisan, bicameral spending bill to fund federal programs crucial to Virginia and keep the federal government open through 2021. The legislation also includes comprehensive measures to help Americans amid the ongoing economic and public health crisis caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. Following today's Senate passage, the bi  more

WASHINGTON, Dec. 23 -- Sen. Mark Warner, D-Virginia, issued the following news release on Dec. 21: U.S. Senators Mark R. Warner and Tim Kaine applauded Senate passage of the bipartisan, bicameral spending bill to fund federal programs crucial to Virginia and keep the federal government open through 2021. The legislation also includes comprehensive measures to help Americans amid the ongoing economic and public health crisis caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. Following today's Senate passage, the   more

RICHMOND, Virginia, Dec. 23 -- The Virginia Cooperative Extension issued the following news: Elizabeth McClanahan, a former justice on the Supreme Court of Virginia who now serves as president and dean of the Appalachian School of Law, has been named CEO of the Virginia Tech Foundation. The foundation manages the university's endowment, has an extensive real estate portfolio, and encourages economic development by fostering connections between Virginia Tech and numerous partners. McClanahan h  more