AUSTIN, Texas, March 13 -- The American Civil Liberties Union of Texas issued the following statement on March 11, 2021: * * * State Representative Jessica Gonzalez and Senator Jose Menendez filed legislation today that would ensure non-discrimination for the LGBTQ+ community in employment, housing, and public accommodations. The following statement can be attributed to Adri Perez, policy and advocacy strategist for the ACLU of Texas: "All Texans deserve to be treated equally under the law.   more

AUSTIN, Texas, March 13 -- The American Civil Liberties Union of Texas issued the following statement: * * * Thirteen state senators have filed a senate bill - SB 7 - that would ban 24-hour voting, eliminate drive-thru voting, reduce early voting hours, and prevent counties from using stadiums and convention centers as polling places. The bill also cruelly targets voters with disabilities or those who need assistance to vote by imposing new burdensome and unnecessary requirements. The follow  more

FORT WORTH, Texas, March 8 -- The Allied Pilots Association issued the following news release: The Allied Pilots Association (APA), representing the 15,000 pilots of American Airlines, expressed its gratitude to Congress for approving the American Rescue Plan Act of 2021. President Biden, who has been emphasizing the need for additional COVID-19 relief, is expected to sign the bill into law. The relief package includes $14 billion in aid for U.S. airlines. "Thanks to the American Rescue Plan   more

FORT WORTH, Texas, March 12 -- The Allied Pilots Association issued the following news release on March 11, 2021: The Allied Pilots Association (APA), representing the 15,000 pilots of American Airlines, issued the following statement today regarding the American Rescue Plan Act of 2021 that President Biden signed into law this afternoon. "We are deeply grateful to President Biden and Congress for the much-needed support the legislation provides to our nation's airline industry," said Capt. Er  more

IRVING, Texas, March 11 -- The American Association for Respiratory Care issued the following news: By Addie Schiefer, Communications Specialist RTs have been running a hundred miles an hour for a whole year now due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Many places are feeling the burden of too many patients and not enough staff. Quality patient care is always a top priority for our members. But how does an RT continue to give excellent patient care when it feels like they're giving 120 percent 100 percen  more

FORT WORTH, Texas, March 11 -- The American Association of Petroleum Landmen issued the following news: The American Association of Professional Landmen announced the election of the 2020-21 AAPL Executive Committee at its 66th Annual Meeting held virtually June 18, 2020. Due to the impact of COVID-19 on the economy, AAPL's board of directors voted to eliminate an in-person event and registration fee to provide the 2020 Virtual Annual Meeting Professional Development and Land Conference as a co  more

SAN ANTONIO, Texas, March 10 -- The American Payroll Association issued the following statement by Director of Government Relations Alice P. Jacobsohn: * * * The APA Government Relations Task Force Subcommittee on Federal Issues asked congressional leaders to adopt a phased approach if and when the federal minimum wage is increased. A phased approach will allow payroll managers and their employers time to update their systems and implement the changes. Payroll Impacts The APA did not take a   more

SAN ANTONIO, Texas, March 12 -- The American Payroll Association issued the following news: On March 11, President Biden signed the American Rescue Plan Act of 2021, which provides and extends emergency COVID-19-related relief. The legislation creates another round of economic impact payments of $1,400 per person and extends unemployment insurance benefits. Key Payroll Provisions The key payroll provisions are as follows: * Expansion of tax credits, originally created by the Families First C  more

COLLEGE PARK, Texas, March 12 -- The Association for the Sciences of Limnology and Oceanography issued the following news: The Association for the Sciences of Limnology and Oceanography is pleased to announce the selection of Rosie Gradoville and Rita Franco-Santos as ASLO's newest Raelyn Cole Editorial Fellows. The Raelyn Cole Editorial Fellowship, which began in 2017, is a unique opportunity for early-career aquatic scientists to gain expertise in scientific publishing, including open-access   more

DALLAS, Texas, March 11 (TNSPer) -- Baylor Scott and White Health issued the following news release: Baylor Scott & White Health has strengthened its leadership team with the addition of three healthcare industry veterans. "With these appointments, Baylor Scott & White is adding three exceptional leaders to our lineup during a critical time in healthcare. Each will have vital roles in extending our legacy of caring for our communities and our people," said Jim Hinton, chief executive officer.   more

AUSTIN, Texas, March 10 -- The American Cancer Society Cancer Action Network issued the following news release: Late last week, Sen. Joan Huffman and Sen. Judith Zaffirini filed bill SB 1028 that would ensure insurance coverage of colorectal screenings for men and women across Texas starting at the age of 45 and would remove cost-sharing for a follow-up colonoscopy following a positive stool based screening test which would align with the American Cancer Society (ACS) recommended screening guid  more

DALLAS, Texas, March 9 -- Circulation, a journal from the American Heart Association, published research articles, including the following topics, in its March 9, 2021 edition: Original Research Articles: * Gestational Diabetes History and Glucose Tolerance After Pregnancy Associated With Coronary Artery Calcium in Women During Midlife * Variation in the Proportion of Adults in Need of Blood Pressure-Lowering Medications by Hypertension Care Guideline in Low- and Middle-Income Countries * Em  more

MEADOWBROOK, Pennsylvania, March 11 -- Cooper University Health Care issued the following joint news release on March 10, 2021, with Redeemer Health: Cooper University Health Care and Redeemer Health today announced a new partnership creating an integrated cancer program at Holy Redeemer Hospital that will be overseen by MD Anderson Cancer Center at Cooper. In September 2013, Cooper partnered with MD Anderson Cancer Center, one of the nation's leading cancer centers, to create MD Anderson at C  more

IRVING, Texas, March 9 -- The Electronic Security Association issued the following news: In 2019 there were approximately 7.5 million unfilled jobs, many in high skill, high demand trades and professions. Many of our members know firsthand the difficulty they had in finding qualified people to fill thousands of open jobs just in electronic security. Then COVID hit and government-mandated shutdown orders followed. The economy crashed and at one point 40 million people were out of work. That all  more

IRVING, Texas, March 9 -- The Electronic Security Association issued the following news: As commercial will see more doors reopen this year -- even if modified in terms of limited numbers of people inside spaces, the wearing of masks, moving to a hybrid physical-digital experience, etc. -- courage is being restored as the world is learning how to safely function during a pandemic, with hopes of it ending soon. "Restaurants have reduced hours and occupancy, and businesses have shifted presence   more

IRVING, Texas, March 9 -- The Electronic Security Association issued the following news: COVID was the catalyst that caused a slowdown of the fire market, however, toward the end of 2020, the market began to bounce back. Throughout 2021, the fire market is expected to keep improving and realize improved stability. "The industry has adapted well in the face of the changes that 2020 brought, and with the political climate stabilizing and progress being made toward normalization, we could expect   more

IRVING, Texas, March 9 -- The Electronic Security Association issued the following news: The old saying "elections have consequences" is never more accurate than this year as we look at the monumental legislation being churned out by Congress in early 2021. Titled the "American Rescue Plan Act of 2021", H.R. 1319 is a $1.9 Trillion package ostensibly designed to address the ongoing COVID pandemic, but in true Washington, D.C. fashion it contains many items unrelated to COVID that reflect the g  more

AUSTIN, Texas, March 9 -- Environment Texas issued the following statement: * * * Environment Texas Executive Director released the following statement in response to Speaker Phelan's announcement of seven priority bills to respond to the winter storm outages. "While the text for each bill is not yet available to read, the Speaker's package of bills to respond to the blackout includes some important measures, including HB 12 (Raymond, to study a statewide emergency alert system) and HB 14 (Go  more

AUSTIN, Texas, March 13 -- Environment Texas issued the following news release: Environment Texas Research & Policy Center, TexPIRG Education Fund and more than 130 additional groups from coast-to-coast sent Austin-based Whole Foods CEO John Mackey a letter Thursday calling on him to commit to a concrete and verifiable plan to reduce the company's plastic footprint. This letter comes on the heels of a Greenpeace report released last week that found that the chain was failing on its policies and  more

AUSTIN, Texas, March 13 -- The Environment Texas Research and Policy Center issued the following news release: Environment Texas Research & Policy Center, TexPIRG Education Fund and more than 130 additional groups from coast-to-coast sent Austin-based Whole Foods CEO John Mackey a letter Thursday calling on him to commit to a concrete and verifiable plan to reduce the company's plastic footprint. This letter comes on the heels of a Greenpeace report released last week that found that the chain   more

GAINESVILLE, Texas, March 8 -- The American Civil Liberties Union of Texas issued the following news release on March 6, 2021: The ACLU of Texas today submitted a letter to the Cooke County Attorney expressing concerns about the prosecution of a Gainesville man in violation of his constitutionally protected right to free speech. In September 2020, Joel Luis Najera of Gainesville made a $10 contribution to a fundraising page for Progressive Rights Organizers of Gainesville, a group of racial ju  more

HOUSTON, Texas, March 11 (TNSRes) -- The Houston Association of Realtors issued the following news release: The deadly and disruptive winter storm that left many Houston-area homes without power and water even after mild temperatures returned did little to chill local real estate in February. While the freak weather event delayed some closings due to plumbing-related repairs and property damage, sales of single-family homes rose for a ninth straight month. The increase was also achieved despite  more

HOUSTON, Texas, March 11 -- The Houston Symphony issued the following news: The Houston Symphony is announcing guest artists and conductors appearing in the 2021-22 Season. Andres Orozco-Estrada's final season as Music Director brings the Colombian-born, European conductor to Houston for five concert weeks, two of them featuring guest performances by pianists Emanuel Ax and Yefim Bronfman. Other classical luminaries appearing in the 2021-22 Season include soprano Renee Fleming; violinists Augus  more

WASHINGTON, March 12 -- The Human Rights Campaign issued the following news release on March 11, 2021: Alphonso David, president of the Human Rights Campaign, responded to the news that the Texas 5th Circuit Court of Appeals ruled in Tarrant County Community College v. Sims, that Texas's state law prohibiting employment discrimination on the basis of sex also provides protections against discrimination for LGBTQ workers. The favorable decision provides state-level protections for LGBTQ workers   more

DALLAS, Texas, March 11 -- Hypertension, a peer-reviewed journal from the American Heart Association that says it presents reports on clinical and laboratory investigations in the field of blood pressure regulation and the pathophysiological mechanisms underlying hypertensive diseases, published research articles on the following topics in its April 2021 edition: Reviews: * Data Sharing Under the General Data Protection Regulation: Time to Harmonize Law and Research Ethics? * Effect of Sleep  more

NEW YORK, March 12 -- Lambda Legal issued the following news release on March 11, 2021: Lambda Legal today thanked Texas State Rep. Jessica Gonzalez and State Sen. Jose Menendez for filing comprehensive non-discrimination legislation (HB 3860 and SB 1540) that will protect all Texans - including LGBTQ Texans - from discrimination in the workplace, housing and public accommodations. "An LGBTQ+ person can get married on Sunday and the very same day get kicked out of a restaurant, told to vacate   more

HOUSTON, Texas, March 11 -- Consumer Energy Alliance issued the following news release on March 10, 2021: Consumer Energy Alliance (CEA), the leading voice for sensible energy and environmental policies for families and businesses, issued the following statement today following the confirmation of President Biden's nominee, Michael Regan, to serve as Administrator of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency: "We congratulate Administrator Regan on his confirmation and applaud President Biden f  more

AUSTIN, Texas, March 13 -- LIBRE Initiative issued the following statement on March 12, 2021: * * * The LIBRE Initiative - TX, a group committed to empowering the Hispanic community announced its support for Senate Bill 28 and House Bill 3279, two bills recently introduced in the Legislature. These measures, would among other things, expand educational freedom in the state by removing unnecessary barriers limiting the operation of charters schools. The bills would also allow for greater custo  more

COLLEGE STATION, Texas, March 13 -- Limnology and Oceanography Journal - Methods, a journal that says it deals with problems in the aquatic sciences from the Association for the Sciences of Limnology and Oceanography, published research articles on the following topics in its March 2021 edition: Evaluations of Existing Methods: * Fluorometer optical path interference via zooplankton phototaxis: Implications for high-frequency data collection New Methods: * Automatic plankton image classifi  more

HOUSTON, Texas, March 10 -- Memorial Hermann Health System issued the following news release: As part of its role as a state-designated COVID-19 vaccination distribution hub, Memorial Hermann Health System is proud to announce the launch of a digital COVID-19 Vaccination Request Form. Eligible members of the community can now use this online tool to register for the opportunity to receive a COVID-19 vaccine from Memorial Hermann. In Texas, vaccination is currently available to the state's Phas  more

WASHINGTON, March 10 (TNSRep) -- The National Association of Regulatory Utility Commissioners issued the following news release: In response to the February extreme cold weather event in Texas, resulting in significant electric outages across the Electric Reliability Council of Texas system, the National Regulatory Research Institute has published a new paper in its Insights series: "Regulatory Questions Engendered by the Texas Energy Crisis of 2021." Authors Carl Pechman, PhD, and Elliott Net  more

AUSTIN, Texas, March 13 -- The National Health Law Program issued the following news release on March 12, 2021: Yesterday afternoon, a state court declined to block the Texas Health and Human Services Commission's scheme to remove Planned Parenthood from its Medicaid program. The ruling jeopardizes the health and well-being of low-income Texans who rely on Planned Parenthood for a wide range of health care services. The ruling comes on the heels of the Biden administration's executive order t  more

NEW YORK, March 12 (TNSGra) -- The Network for Teaching Entrepreneurship issued the following news release: Network for Teaching Entrepreneurship (NFTE) announced today that it has been awarded a $600,000 grant from American Student Assistance(R) (ASA), a national nonprofit that helps foster student understanding of career and education pathways. NFTE intends to use the unrestricted funds to support the rapid expansion of its entrepreneurial education curriculum in Florida, Texas, Georgia, and   more

MADISON, Wis., March 11 (TNSJou) -- The Soil Science Society of America issued the following news release: In the dry air and soil of Texas' Southern High Plains, improving soil health can be tough. We usually think of healthy soil as moist and loose with lots of organic matter. But this can be hard to achieve in this arid area of Texas. Lindsey Slaughter, a member of the Soil Science Society of America, set out with her fellow researchers to test a solution that kills two birds with one stone  more

SAN ANTONIO, Texas, March 13 -- Southwest Research Institute issued the following news release: The U.S. Department of Energy awarded a three-year, $5.25 million contract to Southwest Research Institute to continue developing its cutting-edge connected and automated vehicle (CAV) technologies to help passenger vehicles operate more efficiently and reduce energy consumption and carbon emissions. The project is the second phase of the Advanced Research Projects Agency-Energy's (ARPA-E's) Next-Ge  more

SAN ANTONIO, Texas, March 10 -- Southwest Research Institute issued the following news release: Look up to the night sky just before dawn, or after dusk, and you might see a faint column of light extending up from the horizon. That luminous glow is the zodiacal light, or sunlight reflected toward Earth by a cloud of tiny dust particles orbiting the Sun. Astronomers have long thought that the dust is brought into the inner solar system by a few of the asteroid and comet families that venture in   more

WASHINGTON, March 12 -- The Texas Association of Broadcasters issued the following news: Jody Rose, longtime News Director/Operations Manager at KLVT-AM Levelland, has resigned to take a position with Hockley County. Rose, a Hockley County resident for more than 45 years and a graduate of Levelland High School, has served as KLVT News and Operations Manager for over 20 years under former owners Paul Beane and Monte Spearman, as well as under the current ownership of Tania Moody and Cute Boots   more

WASHINGTON, March 10 -- The Texas Association of Broadcasters issued the following news: Texas lawmakers are scrambling to beat this Friday's regular bill filing deadline, the 60th day of the 140 day 87th Texas Legislature. More than 4,000 bills and resolutions have been filed this session and TAB expects another 2,000 bills to be filed by week's end. TAB is part of the Transparent and Accountable Government (TAG) Coalition which also includes the Freedom of Information Foundation of Texas, Te  more

WASHINGTON, March 10 -- The Texas Association of Broadcasters issued the following news: Leaders in the Texas House of Representatives last week began introducing multiple measures intended to address the catastrophic failure of the state's electrical grid last month which prompted water shortages that are still plaguing many communities. The raft of measures introduced by a bipartisan group of lawmakers includes one specifically protecting broadcast facilities from rolling blackouts, and more   more

SAN ANTONIO, Texas, March 12 -- Texas Biomedical Research Institute issued the following news release: Texas Biomedical Research Institute (Texas Biomed) received two Department of Defense's (DoD) Defense Health Agency subcontracts to assess the efficacy of surface coating and aerosolized decontamination technologies to combat SARS-CoV-2 and other respiratory pathogens on surfaces and in the air. The $4.6 million contracts, of which Texas Biomed will receive $1.95 million, are aimed at identify  more

AUSTIN, Texas, March 10 -- The Texas Public Interest Research Group issued the following news release: A bill that the state House Judiciary and Civil Jurisprudence Committee debated about Tuesday could put millions of Texans at risk on the road. House Bill 19, introduced by Rep. Jeff Leach, would alter state laws concerning citizens' rights following a crash with a commercial vehicle. The bill would essentially shield careless corporations from the consequences of their actions when they put f  more

AUSTIN, Texas, March 13 -- The Texas Public Interest Research Group issued the following statement: * * * Senate State Affairs Chairman Bryan Hughes unveiled the text Friday for SB 7, his election integrity and security bill. The bill is cosponsored by 13 out of 18 Senate Republicans. The bill includes several harmful provisions that would further restrict access to the ballot for eligible voters. Data shows that the biggest problem in Texas isn't that people are voting illegally. After 22,2  more

BEAUMONT, Texas, March 13 -- USA Rice Federation issued the following news: Congratulations to Dr. Michael "Mo" Way on his retirement last month from the Texas A&M AgriLife Beaumont Research and Extension Center after a stellar career spanning 39 years. While his official title was "research entomologist," Way wore many more hats serving the Texas, U.S., and international rice industries. He received his Ph.D. under Dr. Al Grigarick at the University of California, Davis, prior to joining the f  more