WASHINGTON, Jan. 12 -- The San Luis & Delta-Mendota Water Authority, Westlands Water District, and the State Water Contractors have issued a public comment letter to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service regarding proposed changes to regulations under the Endangered Species Act (ESA). The changes focus on the process for designating critical habitat and may significantly impact water delivery and agricultural practices in California. In their letter, the Water Agencies expressed support for the U.  more

WASHINGTON, Jan. 12 (TNSLrpt) -- THE CASE FOR RAISING AUTO INSURANCE MINIMUMS - A report from American Association for Justice - January 2026 (8 pages) * * * American Association for Justice issued a report arguing that minimum auto insurance limits in 48 states and DC fail to cover modern crash costs amid soaring vehicle prices over $50,000 and repairs rendering one in five collisions total losses. Over 40,000 annual fatalities and 2 million injuries generate $340 billion in economic costs, y  more

OAKLAND, California, Jan. 10 -- The National Center for Youth Law issued the following news release: * * * California is failing its homeless students While maintaining several key education investments such as community schools, California Gov. Gavin Newsom failed to include dedicated funding for students experiencing homelessness in this year's proposed state budget, a devastating omission that leaves nearly 300,000 of the state's most vulnerable students without educational supports and se  more

WASHINGTON, Jan. 10 -- The Center for Law and Social Policy issued the following statement on Jan. 9, 2026, by President Wendy Chun-Hoon: * * * Freezing $10 Billion in Federal Funding Will Harm Children and Families This week, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) has announced the withholding of funding for Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF), the Child Care and Development Fund (CCDF) child care subsidies, and the Social Services Block Grant (SSBG) program from C  more

WASHINGTON, Jan. 12 (TNSLrpt) -- Trump's (Second) First Year: New and Emerging Threats to Reproductive Rights - A report from Center for Reproductive Rights, New York - January 2026 (4 pages) * * * Center for Reproductive Rights issued a report documenting the Trump administration's first-year assaults on reproductive healthcare, identifying three core strategies: dismantling nationwide abortion protections, restricting access in pro-choice states and undermining scientific consensus on aborti  more

WASHINGTON, Jan. 12 -- The U.S. Department of Defense, through the Naval Facilities Engineering Command Southwest, is offering a grant opportunity totaling $1.6 million aimed at monitoring federally listed beach-nesting birds on Marine Corps Base Camp Pendleton in California. This initiative focuses on preserving the California least tern (LETE) and western snowy plover (SNPL), both of which are endangered species. As mandated by the Riparian and Estuarian/Beach Biological Opinion, the project   more

SAN FRANCISCO, California, Jan. 10 -- Earthjustice issued the following news release on Jan. 9, 2026: * * * EPA Rejects Colorado's Regional Haze Plan, Including Coal Plant Retirement Dates Trump administration continues to undermine Colorado's efforts to turn the page on coal * Denver, CO --The Trump Administration's EPA today disapproved Colorado's Regional Haze State Implementation Plan, again illegally undermining the state's efforts to rein in pollution from coal-fired power plants and   more

WASHINGTON, Jan. 11 (TNSFR) -- The U.S. Department of Labor Employment and Training Administration announced that employers in California and the U.S. Virgin Islands will face reduced tax credits for 2025 due to outstanding federal advances. Under the Federal Unemployment Tax Act, states that carry debt from the Social Security Act for consecutive years are subject to a reduction in the credits employers can claim against their federal unemployment taxes. This occurs if the advances remain unpa  more

ARLINGTON, Virginia, Jan. 10 -- The Infectious Diseases Society of America issued the following joint statement on Jan. 9, 2026, by over 200 organizations: * * * IDSA and over 200 health organizations urge Congress to conduct oversight of changes to vaccine schedule Dear [Senator/Representative]: The undersigned organizations, representing health care clinicians, public health professionals, scientists, patients, and family advocates, urge you to conduct swift and robust oversight regarding   more

WASHINGTON, Jan. 9 -- Sen. Christopher Murphy, D-Connecticut, issued the following news release: * * * Murphy, 13 Senators Call On Appropriations Leadership To Defend Funding For Northeast Corridor Development, Expanded Amtrak Lines Nationwide * WASHINGTON- U.S. Senator Chris Murphy (D-Conn.), a member of the U.S. Senate Appropriations Committee, led 13 of his Democratic Senate colleagues in urging U.S. Senate Appropriations Committee leadership, including the Appropriations Subcommittee on   more

WASHINGTON, Jan. 12 -- PFLAG San Francisco has submitted a public comment letter to the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS), expressing strong opposition to a proposed rule that would prohibit the use of federal Medicaid and Children's Health Insurance Program (CHIP) funds for gender-affirming medical care for transgender and nonbinary youth. The noted nonprofit organization serves the LGBTQ+ community and emphasizes the vital importance of encouraging supportive medical practices for  more

WASHINGTON, Jan. 12 -- The Proton Group Inc., a California-based independent mortgage brokerage, has submitted a public comment letter to the Federal Housing Administration (FHA) expressing concerns about the effectiveness of the Home Equity Conversion Mortgage (HECM) programs aimed at aiding senior homeowners. In the letter, the organization highlighted a disconnect between the growing population of seniors aged 62 and older and the decline in HECM endorsements, which dropped by 59 percent sinc  more

WASHINGTON, Jan. 12 (TNSLrpt) -- ANNUAL PRIVATIZATION REPORT: LAND USE AND HOUSING - A report from Reason Foundation, Los Angeles, California - January 2026 (45 pages) * * * Reason Foundation published its Annual Privatization Report focusing on land use and housing, arguing that zoning regulations restrict property rights and drive up costs by limiting supply. The report traces U.S. zoning origins to early 20th-century efforts addressing urban overcrowding via Euclidean single-use models, lat  more

REDWOOD SHORES, California, Jan. 11 [Category: BizComputer Technology] -- Oracle, a developer of hardware and software products, posted the following news release: * * * Retailers Help Mitigate Risk with Oracle's AI-Driven Supply Chain Collaboration * Oracle today unveiled Oracle Retail Supply Chain Collaboration. The new cloud solution enables retailers to more easily navigate an increasingly unpredictable and complex supplier landscape to enhance operational oversight, efficiency, vendor c  more

STONY BROOK, New York, Jan. 9 -- The State University of New York Stony Brook University posted the following news: * * * Stony Brook University Professor Simon Birrer Recipient of Department of Energy Early Career Research Program Award... * STONY BROOK, NY - January 9, 2026 -The State University of New York at Stony Brook (Stony Brook University) Department of Physics and Astronomy in the College of Arts and Sciences Assistant Professor Simon Birrer has been awarded a U.S. Department of En  more

WASHINGTON, Jan. 12 -- The Transgender Law Center (TLC) has formally opposed a proposed rule from the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) which aims to expand the collection and use of biometric data for immigration benefit requests. In a public comment letter submitted through the federal regulations website, TLC argues that the proposed rules pose a significant threat to privacy and civil rights, particularly for transgender, intersex, and nonbinary individuals. TLC asserts that the DH  more

WASHINGTON, Jan. 12 (TNSLrpt) -- Monitoring a Changing Tobacco Product Market in the United States: Urgent Action Needed to Protect Kids from Flavored Tobacco - A report from Truth Initiative - January 2026 (52 pages) * * * Truth Initiative issued its 2025 Trends Report analyzing youth nicotine use amid a rapidly evolving market of illegal e-cigarettes, disposable vapes and oral nicotine pouches outpacing regulatory efforts. Drawing from national retail sales data (2019-2024) and ENDS survey w  more

WASHINGTON, Jan. 12 -- The Yurok Tribe, California, has submitted a public comment letter to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, expressing grave concerns over proposed rule changes to the Endangered Species Act (ESA) which they believe could jeopardize endangered and threatened species. The comments are directed at recently published regulations which may roll back essential protections outlined in the ESA, particularly concerning the designation of critical habitat. The proposed regulatory ch  more

WASHINGTON, Jan. 12 -- The Yurok Tribe, based in California, submitted a public comment letter to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service regarding a proposed rule affecting the Endangered Species Act (ESA). The Tribe contends that the rule undermines the foundational principles of the ESA and could notably reduce the involvement of Tribal and State governments in vital conservation decisions. The proposed rule, titled "Endangered and Threatened Wildlife and Plants; Interagency Cooperation Regulatio  more