SAN FRANCISCO, California, May 17 -- Muslim Advocates posted the following news release: In an unwavering assertion of people's rights to find safety and a better life, a federal judge has approved a major agreement that provides a clear visa reconsideration process, including waived application fees, to nearly 25,000 community members from Iran, Libya, North Korea, Somalia, Syria, Venezuela, and Yemen who were harmed by the Trump administration's Muslim Ban. As a result of former President Tr  more

SAN FRANCISCO, California, May 17 -- Consumer Action issued the following news release on May 16, 2024: The Supreme Court ruled today that the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau's (CFPB) independent funding is what Congress intended and is constitutional. The 7-2 decisive decision in the case Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) v. Community Financial Services Association of America (CFSA) rejects payday lenders' goals to defund and defang the Consumer Bureau. The CFPB is funded the s  more

LOS ANGELES, California, May 18 (TNSfact) -- Consumer Watchdog issued the following fact sheet on Feb. 2024: * * * Oil Wells Harm Communities More than 2.7 million Californians live within 3,200 feet of an existing operational oil or gas well. One in five Californians, more than 7 million people live within one mile. Independent research shows oil well drilling and production within two and a half miles of oil and gas wells in California exposes residents to levels of air pollutants linked to  more

LOS ANGELES, California, May 18 -- Consumer Watchdog issued the following news release on May 16, 2024: In a consumer alert video released today Consumer Watchdog warns that a low-benefit, high-cost, FAIR Plan-like policy is the best homeowners can hope to get from Insurance Commissioner Ricardo Lara's deal with the insurance industry. Consumer Watchdog Executive Director Carmen Balber says in the video: "California Insurance Commissioner Ricardo Lara cut a deal with the insurance industry, on  more

PALO ALTO, California, May 17 -- The Electric Power Research Institute issued the following news release: EPRI, in collaboration with Southern Company and Storworks, has recently completed testing of a pilot concrete thermal energy storage (CTES) system at Alabama Power's Ernest C. Gaston Electric Generating plant (Gaston) marking the largest such pilot in the world. The technology was developed by Storworks. The 10-megawatt hour electric (MWhe) energy storage solution is charged using heat fr  more

WASHINGTON, May 17 -- The Food and Water Watch issued the following statement on May 16, 2024: * * * Today, the Department of Water Resources (DWR) announced a new benefit-cost analysis for the unnecessary Delta Conveyance Project. The analysis showed that the Project will allegedly create "billions of dollars in benefits for California communities," and revealed that the Project could cost $20 billion. In response, Food & Water Watch's California Director Chirag Bhakta issued the following   more

WASHINGTON, May 17 -- The Food and Water Watch issued the following statement: * * * House Republicans released a draft Farm Bill today, in advance of a House Agriculture Committee Markup scheduled for May 23. The draft legislation includes several policies to boost Big Ag profits and factory farms at the expense of consumers, farmers and the environment, by: Removing animal welfare protections: The draft includes The EATS Act, dangerous legislation to preempt state regulation of the factory   more

SANTA MONICA, California, May 17 (TNSres) -- Rand issued the following excerpts of a commentary to Defense News on May 16, 2024: * * * The Future of Army Watercraft - What Are the Takeaways from the Voyage to Gaza? By Christopher G. Pernin and Joslyn Fleming When the U.S. Army's largest watercraft, LSV-1, cast off for Gaza in early March, it marked the start of a momentous journey. This voyage, followed by the deployment of several additional ships loaded with equipment to establish a pier a  more

SANTA MONICA, California, May 17 (TNSres) -- Rand issued the following commentary to The Hill on May 16, 2024: * * * How Western Nuclear Inaction Could Embolden the Kremlin By William Courtney The Kremlin might be emboldened by the weak pushback from the United States and NATO against its heightened nuclear saber-rattling, increasing nuclear dangers. NATO allies might explore more effective ways to reduce these risks. In February 2023 when Russia launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine,  more

OAKLAND, California, May 17 -- Transgender Law Center, a 501(c)3 non-profit that works to change law, policy, and attitudes so that all people can live safely, authentically, and free from discrimination regardless of their gender identity or expression, issued the following news release: The U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of California on Tuesday dismissed a lawsuit filed by an anti-transgender group against the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation (CDCR) chall  more

MONROVIA, California, May 17 -- World Vision International issued the following statement on May 16, 2024, with 19 organizations: * * * This year marks both the 25th anniversary of the UN Security Council's adoption of the protection of civilians (POC) in armed conflict agenda, and the 75th anniversary of the 1949 Geneva Conventions. Rather than an opportunity to mark progress in strengthening POC in conflict, the Security Council must reckon with the reality of the shocking civilian toll of   more

LOS ANGELES, California, May 18 -- The Young Invincibles, an advocacy organization, issued the following news release on May 17, 2024: Tuesday, Governor Gavin Newsom released his detailed May Budget Revision for the proposed 2024-2025 California state budget, which faces a budget deficit. In this proposal, Governor Newsom significantly reduced and delayed funding in key issue areas that affect young adults, including higher education, workforce and finance, and health care. In efforts to balan  more