EUGENE, Oregon, March 2 -- The Western Environmental Law Center issued the following news release with 28 organizations: Twenty-nine environmental and civic organizations sent a letter to Gov. Lujan Grisham urging her to line-item veto parts of House Bill 252 that would create an oil and gas severance tax exemption for "stripper well properties" for the costs of complying with the state's 2021 methane waste rule and 2022 ozone precursor rule. If signed into law, this bill would perversely give   more

PORTLAND, Oregon, March 2 -- The American Forest Resource Council issued the following news release on March 1, 2024, with California Forestry Association and Associated California Loggers: An effort to reduce wildfire risks on the Los Padres National Forest and protect nearby communities can proceed after the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals today ruled in favor (https://amforest.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/03/Tecuya_order_030124.pdf) of the U.S. Forest Service's Tecuya Ridge Shaded Fuelbreak Pr  more

PORTLAND, Oregon, Feb. 27 -- The Chronic Disease Coalition issued the following agency statement on Feb. 26, 2024: * * * First things first: What is a Prescription Drug Affordability Board (PDAB)? As the nonpartisan National Conference of State Legislatures (NCSL) describes them in a 2022 article, "These nongovernmental agencies are tasked with identifying drugs with the highest cost and the highest usage in the state and looking for ways to reduce state spending." If you're managing a chronic  more

SALEM, Oregon, March 1 -- The Drug Policy Alliance issued the following news release on Feb. 29, 2024: Today, the Oregon House of Representatives voted to pass House Bill (HB) 4002, which recriminalizes drug possession and doubles down on the failed approach of arresting and jailing people for drug possession. The bill is a disappointing setback for the hard-won progress achieved through Measure 110 -- the state's pioneering drug decriminalization law overwhelmingly approved by voters in 2020.   more

WASHINGTON, March 1 (TNSres) -- The Gerontological Society of America issued the following news release : An innovative Oregon Health & Science University (OHSU) research program that enlists older Black adults to walk through and reminisce about historically Black neighborhoods in Portland -- which now look very different after rapid change through gentrification -- may help improve cognitive function, a new study finds. The OHSU project has gained wide interest since its 2016 launch, with si  more

PORTLAND, Oregon, March 1 (TNScapv) -- The Mercy Corps issued the following joint statement on Feb. 29, 2024, with 16 organizations: * * * In light of the ongoing humanitarian catastrophe in Gaza and the Israeli advance on Rafah, the last refuge for more than 1.5 million Palestinian civilians, the undersigned aid organisations are deeply concerned about the current and potential future suspension of funding for the United Nations Relief and Works Agency (UNRWA). The suspension of funding by do  more

WASHINGTON, Feb. 29 -- American Rivers issued the following news release on Feb. 28, 2024: American Rivers today announced that Oregon and California's Klamath River is the 2024 River of the Year, celebrating the biggest dam removal and river restoration in history. American Rivers also announced the recipients of the 2024 River Champion Awards - leaders who have been instrumental in the ongoing restoration of the Klamath. The awardees are: Yurok Tribe, Karuk Tribe, Klamath Justice Coalition, B  more

PORTLAND, Oregon, March 1 -- The Mercy Corps issued the following statement on Feb. 29, 2024: * * * Statement from Mercy Corps CEO Tjada D'Oyen McKenna: "I am once again trying to find the words to describe my horror at the unnecessary loss of life in Gaza as at least a hundred people are reportedly killed and many more injured at a food distribution in Gaza City today. As always in this crisis, there are claims and counterclaims. But what is clear is that more innocent people have been kille  more

PORTLAND, Oregon, March 2 -- The Mercy Corps issued the following statement on March 1, 2024, with six organizations: * * * In light of the ongoing humanitarian catastrophe in Gaza and the Israeli advance on Rafah, the last refuge for more than 1.5 million Palestinian civilians, the undersigned aid organisations are deeply concerned about the current and potential future suspension of funding for the United Nations Relief and Works Agency (UNRWA). The suspension of funding by donor states to t  more

PORTLAND, Oregon, Feb. 29 -- The Mercy Corps issued the following statement on Feb. 28, 2024, with six organizations on Feb. 28, 2024: The UN Security Council (UNSC) has received a stark warning of the consequences of inaction regarding the crisis in Gaza, as the UN warns at least 576,000 people in the Gaza Strip are facing famine-like conditions as a result of the conflict in its latest report released to the Council. The Security Council, meeting under the auspices of Resolution 2417, receiv  more

PORTLAND, Oregon, March 2 -- The National Psoriasis Foundation issued the following news release on March 1, 2024: The National Psoriasis Foundation is excited to announce that the Psound Bytes(TM) podcast has reached 200,000 listens across the more than 200 episodes aimed at giving those living with psoriatic disease the confidence, resources, and strategies they need to thrive. In 2019, NPF launched the Psound Bytes(TM) podcast, where individuals can obtain psoriatic disease information in a  more

SALEM, Oregon, March 1 -- The Oregon School Boards Association issued the following news on Feb. 29, 2024: Education advocates pressed legislative leaders this week to provide additional funding for summer programs. A crucial summer learning bill moved forward Wednesday, although with a significantly reduced allocation. The Joint Ways and Means Education Subcommittee amended House Bill 4082 to provide $30 million for summer programs from an existing Student Success Act account. The initial bil  more

SANTA MONICA, California, March 2 (TNSres) -- Rand issued the following commentary on March 1, 2024: * * * Not Enough to Just Replace Lead Pipes By Sara Hughes In recent years lead-contaminated drinking water has been experienced in Flint, Chicago, Denver, New York, Pittsburgh, Detroit, and Portland, Oregon. The latest water quality challenge is happening on St. Croix, one of the U.S. Virgin Islands. Between October 2023 and January 2024, residents of St. Croix were directed to drink bottle  more

PORTLAND, Oregon, March 1 -- Vet Voice Foundation issued the following statement on Feb. 29, 2024: * * * Yesterday, U.S. Senators Jeff Merkley and Sherrod Brown introduced the Protecting American Households from Rising Energy Costs Act. The introduced legislation would lower prices for American families by banning the export of crude oil and liquified natural gas (LNG) to the United States' major adversaries: China, Russia, North Korea, and Iran. In response, Vet Voice Foundation CEO, Janessa  more