WASHINGTON, Jan. 11 -- The National Immigration Forum issued the following news release: Gov. Greg Abbott became the first governor to refuse refugee resettlement in his state this fiscal year. The decision comes in response to President Trump's executive order requiring states and localities to consent to refugee resettlement. Texas resettled more refugees than any other state in 2018. So far, 42 governors -- including 19 Republicans -- have consented to resettling refugees. In 2015 alone, r  more

IRVING, Texas, Jan. 7 -- The National Football Foundation and College Hall of Fame issued the following news release: The NFL Playoffs got off to an exciting start this past weekend with the Wild Card Round. Entering the weekend, 15 past NFF National Scholar-Athletes appeared on rosters or practice squads of teams in the postseason. Here is how they fared: Houston Texans 22, Buffalo Bills 19 (OT) Houston Max Scharping (Northern Illinois - 2018) became a starter on the Texans' offensive line   more

HOUSTON, Texas, Jan. 11 -- The American Civil Liberties Union of Texas issued the following news release: The ACLU of Texas announced the appointment of Sarah Labowitz as its new policy director. Labowitz brings a strong track record of achievements in human rights and public policy to the role and the fight to protect Texans' civil rights. In 2013, she co-founded the NYU Stern Center for Business and Human Rights, where her research and advocacy focused on labor rights protections for low-wag  more

HOUSTON, Texas, Jan. 10 -- The American Federation of Teachers issued the following news release: Statement from Zeph Capo, president of the Houston Federation of Teachers and Texas AFT, and Randi Weingarten, president of the American Federation of Teachers, on Travis County District Court Judge Catherine Mauzy's ruling that temporarily blocks Texas from taking control of the Houston Independent School District: Capo said: "We're thrilled that the judge sees the harm that would be caused to H  more

WASHINGTON, Jan. 8 -- The American Association of Port Authorities issued the following news release: The American Association of Port Authorities (AAPA) ... the unified and recognized voice of America's seaports ... is lauding the announcement made yesterday by the U.S. Department of Transportation's Maritime Administration (MARAD) that it is awarding a total of $7.5 million to nine U.S. marine highway projects. The funding, provided by MARAD's America's Marine Highway Program, will go towards  more

DALLAS, Texas, Jan. 9 -- The American Gem Trade Association issued the following news: Intercolor USA, Inc. was founded in 1980 by two brothers, Benjamin and Daniel Hackman, who were inspired to bring their family's tradition of colorful jewelry to a wider market. Alan joined in 1981 and David in 1984. Over the past 40 years, the four brothers have made their mark on the international jewelry community, providing high-quality colored gemstones with a proven track record of outstanding customer  more

DALLAS, Texas, Jan. 9 -- The American Heart Association issued the following news release on Jan. 6: The resources needed to treat fulminant myocarditis - severe, inflammation of the heart that develops rapidly - are outlined in a new Scientific Statement (Statement) from the American Heart Association on how best to reduce fatalities from this rare condition. The Statement is published today in the Association's premier cardiovascular journal Circulation. Fulminant myocarditis, often caused b  more

DALLAS, Texas, Jan. 8 -- The American Heart Association issued the following news release: * * * - Boys, blacks and teens living in urban and rural areas among those least likely to think contents of e-cigarette products are harmful, according to new research from the American Heart Association's Tobacco Center of Regulatory Science * * * Teenagers' gender, sexual orientation, household income and their parents' level of education are among factors that impact whether they believe that nicot  more

DEARBORN, Michigan, Jan. 10 -- The American Human Rights Council issued the following news release: The Department of Homeland (DHS) recently announced that it intends on starting a pilot program of collecting DNA samples at two ports of entry: Detroit and the Eagle Pass Port of Entry in southwestern Texas. DNA will be collected from individuals between ages 14-79, who are arrested and processed or detained. AHRC understands that there are real security needs at the border. However, AHRC is de  more

WASHINGTON, Jan. 8 -- The Center on Budget and Policy Priorities issued the following news release: About 1.3 million veterans live in households that participate in SNAP (formerly food stamps), CBPP analysis of data from the Census Bureau's American Community Survey finds/1 In every state, thousands of low-income veterans use SNAP to help put food on the table. Florida has the largest number of veterans participating in SNAP (116,000), followed by Texas (97,000) and California (94,000) . In Or  more

ELKHART, Indiana, Jan. 11 -- The Church World Service issued the following statement by President and CEO Rev. John L. McCullough in response to the announcement from Texas Gov. Greg Abbott that Texas will block refugees from being resettled in the state: * * * - Governor Abbott should immediately reverse decision, continue state tradition to welcome refugees * * * "Governor Abbott's decision is cruel, harmful and a rejection of the values of Texas communities. Texas has long been a leading  more

HOUSTON, Texas, Jan. 10 -- Consumer Energy Alliance issued the following news release on Jan. 9: Consumer Energy Alliance applauds the White House Council on Environmental Quality for taking this first and important step towards modernizing the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA). Over the past 40 years, NEPA has become synonymous with uncertainty, delay, and wasted investment. The delay and dollars lost in the NEPA process is time that American families and small businesses are not worki  more

JEFFERSON, Louisiana, Jan. 9 -- Ochsner Health System issued the following news release on Jan. 7: * * * - Ochsner's clean-label king cake now available in stores and online * * * Mardi Gras revelers can indulge in the season's most beloved sweet treat without busting their New Year's resolutions, thanks to the Eat Fit King Cake. On sale in select stores throughout Louisiana and Texas and available for purchase online now, the Eat Fit King Cake is gluten free, grain free, low carb, sugar-fre  more

IRVING, Texas, Jan. 11 -- The Electronic Security Association issued the following news on Jan. 10: Cookie-cutter training solutions will not work to meet the needs of today's employers. With a tight labor market making retention a priority, proper onboarding and training programs could be the difference between making 2020 a fantastic year or a flop from a staffing perspective. For this reason, ESA created and launched its Training as a Service (TaaS) program, which is the electronic security   more

CHICAGO, Illinois, Jan. 10 -- The American Bar Foundation issued the following news release: The Fellows of the American Bar Foundation (ABF) will present a CLE Research Seminar, "Speaking for the Dying: Life, Death and Law," from 2-3:30 p.m. on Friday, Feb. 14 at the JW Marriott Hotel in Austin, TX. This seminar is one of several events hosted by the Fellows of the ABF during the 2020 American Bar Association (ABA) Midyear Meeting, which takes place from Feb. 12-15 in Austin, Texas. The recen  more

PUEBLO, Colorado, Jan. 9 -- The Professional Bull Riders issued the following news: Ahead of the 2020 WinStar World Casino and Resort PBR Global Cup USA, presented by Monster Energy, the final riders set to defend home soil as members of Team USA Eagles and Wolves at the event akin to the "Olympics of bull riding" have been announced. The fourth edition of the PBR Global Cup, the only nation vs. nation bull riding competition, will make its second stop at AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas, on F  more

DALLAS, Texas, Jan. 11 -- The American Heart Association issued the following news release: * * * - Journal of the American Heart Association Report * * * One-year survival was similar for adults with severe heart failure who received a heart transplant from a donor with hepatitis C compared to those who received hearts from donors who did not have hepatitis C, according to new research published in the Journal of the American Heart Association, the open access journal of the American Heart   more

SILVER SPRING, Maryland, Jan. 11 -- The Hebrew Immigrant Aid Society issued the following news release: This afternoon, Texas Governor Greg Abbott announced that he will not provide consent to allow refugee resettlement to continue in Texas. This makes Abbott the first governor to block resettlement since President Trump signed an executive order giving state and local officials authority to block refugee resettlement in their jurisdictions. To date, 42 governors, including 19 Republicans, have  more

DALLAS, Texas, Jan. 11 -- The Hispanic Heritage Foundation issued the following news release: The Hispanic Heritage Foundation (HHF) announced the recipients of the Dallas Regional Hispanic Heritage Youth Awards (see names below). Local high school seniors will be honored for their leadership in the classroom and community during a ceremony at the Latino Cultural Center. Oak Farms Dairy Performance Hall. 2600 Live Oak Street, Dallas, TX 75204, on January 16, 2020 from 6:00 pm to 8:00 pm. Now i  more

HIGH POINT, N.C., Jan. 9 -- The Home Furnishings Association issued the following news release: Howell Furniture, Brakenridge Furniture, Greg Crowley of Crowley Furniture & Mattress and Joe Bright of Dunk & Bright Furniture have won the Home Furnishings Association's top awards for 2019. Each award was being presented in the recipient's flagship store, beginning January 6. Howell Furniture, based in Beaumont, Texas, is the HFA's Retailer of the Year in the category of 50 or more employees. It  more

HOUSTON, Texas, Jan. 11 -- The Houston Symphony issued the following news on Jan. 10: Finnish conductor John Storgards returns to the Houston Symphony to conduct Tchaikovsky's Pathetique and internationally recognized violinist Vadim Gluzman in the program Tchaikovsky's "Pathetique" at 8 p.m. Jan. 17 & 18 and 2:30 p.m. Jan. 19. This performance marks the North American premiere performances of Midnight Sun Variations, a new work dedicated to Storgards by Finnish composer Outi Tarkiainen. Violi  more

DALLAS, Texas, Jan. 9 -- 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, including the following topics, in its January 2020 edition: Reviews: * Evolution of a New Class of Antihypertensive Drugs * Investigation and Treatment of High Blood Pressure in Youn  more

WASHINGTON, Jan. 11 -- The Interfaith Immigration Coalition issued the following news: Texas Governor Greg Abbott became the first governor of any state to align with President Trump's discriminatory Executive Order 13888 and declare that Texas will no longer welcome refugees. Katie Adams, Domestic Policy Advocate at United Church of Christ and Co-Chair of the Interfaith Immigration Coalition, responded: "Threaded through our sacred scripture is the ever-present message to love our neighbor a  more

SOUTHLAKE, Texas, Jan. 7 -- The International Aircraft Dealers Association the following news release: The International Aircraft Dealers Association (IADA) experienced significant progress in 2019 in several important areas, along with robust growth, as it advanced the organization's commitment to transparency and integrity in used aircraft transactions. Central to IADA's initiatives in 2019 was a focus on self-regulating the industry to make transactions more ethical and seamless for buyers a  more

NEW YORK, Jan. 11 -- The International Rescue Committee issued the following news release: The International Rescue Committee (IRC) responds to the state of Texas withdrawing from the US refugee resettlement program. The IRC currently has two resettlement offices in the state, Dallas and Abilene, and has resettled refugees in Texas since 1975. Jennifer Sime, Senior Vice President of Resettlement, Asylum and Integration at the International Rescue Committee - "Gov. Abbott's decision to opt out  more

NEW YORK, Jan. 9 -- Lambda Legal issued the following news release on Jan. 7: Lambda Legal filed a federal lawsuit challenging New York State's policy categorically prohibiting transgender minors from correcting the sex designation on their birth certificates - a critically important document for transgender people seeking to navigate through life with accurate government documents. The minor challenging the policy - identified anonymously by his initials M.H.W. - is a 14-year-old transgender   more

WASHINGTON, Jan. 6 -- The Leukemia and Lymphoma Society issued the following joint statement: Twenty-four organizations representing millions of patients strongly support the petitions filed by state attorneys general and by the U.S. House of Representatives that seek expedited U.S. Supreme Court review of last month's Texas v. United States ruling. The coalition issued the following statement: "Our organizations, representing millions of individuals and families affected by chronic and serio  more

WASHINGTON, Jan. 11 -- The League of United Latin American Citizens issued the following statement: Sindy Benavides, National Chief Executive Officer of the League of United Latin American Citizens (LULAC), issued the following statement in honor of Benny Martinez, a respected and highly-esteemed LULAC social justice leader for more than six decades. Mr. Martinez passed away Sunday, December 31, 2019, in the Rio Grande Valley, his beloved home in Texas. "Benny Martinez was a Korean combat vete  more

MANHATTAN, New York, Jan. 9 -- Moms Demand Action for Gun Sense in America, a campaign of Everytown for Gun Safety, issued the following news on Jan. 8: On Thursday, Jan. 9, volunteers with the Texas chapter of Moms Demand Action for Gun Sense in America will attend and testify at the House Mass Violence Prevention and Community Safety Select Committee hearing in El Paso. If you'd like to connect with a Texas Moms Demand Action volunteer ahead of the hearing, please reach out. For decades, th  more

IRVING, Texas, Jan. 10 -- The National Football Foundation and College Hall of Fame issued the following news release: * * * - College football's 150th season made extra special with numerous tributes and events. * * * The National Football Foundation (NFF) & College Hall of Fame saluted all of those who played a role in the celebration of college football's sesquicentennial season behind the leadership of The College Football 150th Anniversary (CFB150) non-profit, chaired by Pac-12 Commissi  more

WASHINGTON, Jan. 7 -- The National League of Cities issued the following news release: The National League of Cities has elected new leaders for its Member Councils, which represents the variety of communities that make up NLC membership. Individuals were elected during the 2019 City Summit conference in San Antonio, Texas. "Our Councils are an important part of how NLC ensures that we are representing the diversity of our cities, towns, and villages," said NLC President Joe Buscaino, councilm  more

DALLAS, Texas, Jan. 11 -- The American Heart Association issued the following news release: * * * - The American Heart Association and US Lacrosse join to combat sports related emergencies * * * In its commitment to be a global force for longer, healthier lives, the American Heart Association(R) unveiled its new lifesaving training kit at LaxCon 2020, January 10 - 12 in Philadelphia at the Pennsylvania Convention Center. The Association and US Lacrosse, the national governing body of men's a  more

LEXINGTON, Kentucky, Jan. 7 -- The National Tour Association issued the following news release: Entering a new year, NTA members also have two new leaders: Catherine Prather, CTP, stepped into the role of NTA president on Jan. 1, and Jim Warren, CTP, of Anderson Vacations became board chair at Travel Exchange '19 last month in Fort Worth, Texas. Prather, who has worked at NTA Headquarters since 1994, previously served as executive vice president. She also was the association's interim presiden  more

HILL COUNTY, Texas, Jan. 8 -- People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals issued the following news release: PETA has obtained recent U.S. Department of Agriculture reports revealing multiple violations of federal law at Huse's Processing slaughterhouse near Malone. In response, the group sent a letter calling on the U.S. attorney for the Western District of Texas to review these violations of the Humane Methods of Livestock Slaughter Act and, as appropriate, file criminal charges against the f  more

WASHINGTON, Jan. 11 -- Protect Our Care issued the following statement: Last month, the Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals ruled in favor of the Trump administration and Republicans in Texas vs. United States, striking down as unconstitutional the ACA's individual mandate and remanding to the lower court judge a final decision on what parts of the ACA should be eliminated - the very judge who has already ruled the entire law unconstitutional. If President Trump and Republicans have their way, 20 m  more

WASHINGTON, Jan. 7 -- Protect Our Care issued the following news: Last month, the Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals ruled in favor of the Trump administration and Republicans in Texas vs. United States, striking down as unconstitutional the ACA's individual mandate and remanding to the lower court judge a final decision on what parts of the ACA should be eliminated - the very judge who has already ruled the entire law unconstitutional. If President Trump and Republicans have their way, 20 million   more

WASHINGTON, Jan. 9 -- Protect Our Care issued the following news: * * * - Day 2 of Protect Our Care's 11 Days of Action on the Consequences of the Trump-Texas Lawsuit Highlights Protections for Pre-Existing Conditions * * * Last month, the Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals ruled in favor of the Trump administration and Republicans in Texas vs. United States, striking down as unconstitutional the ACA's individual mandate and remanding to the lower court judge a final decision on what parts of th  more

WASHINGTON, Jan. 4 -- The Service Employees International Union issued the following news release: When the Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals ruled the Affordable Care Act's individual mandate unconstitutional last month in Texas v. Azar, working people united in SEIU pledged to fight back in 2020. 19 Democratic state attorneys general and the Kentucky governor have asked the U.S. Supreme Court to hear the case and end healthcare uncertainty for millions of Americans. "The Fifth Circuit's ruling   more

SAN ANTONIO, Texas, Jan. 10 -- Southwest Research Institute issued the following news release: Less than two years before launch, scientists associated with NASA's Lucy mission, led by Southwest Research Institute, have discovered an additional small asteroid that will be visited by the Lucy spacecraft. Set to launch in 2021, its 12-year journey of almost 4 billion miles will explore the Trojan asteroids, a population of ancient small bodies that share an orbit with Jupiter. This first-ever mi  more

NASHVILLE, Tennessee, Jan. 10 -- The American Farm Bureau Federation issued the following news release: The American Farm Bureau Federation will present awards to state Farm Bureaus at the organization's 101st Annual Convention later this month in Austin, Texas. The awards recognize excellence in implementation of outstanding member programs and membership achievement in 2019, as well as financial support of the American Farm Bureau Foundation for Agriculture. The Awards of Excellence will be   more

SANTA CLARA, California, Jan. 6 -- Teach For America issued the following news release: * * * - Grant will help Teach For America Bay Area recruit and develop STEM educators for high-need schools in Santa Clara County. * * * Teach For America Bay Area has received a three-year, $450,000 grant from the Texas Instruments Foundation to recruit and train a diverse cohort of STEM (science, technology, engineering, and math) educators to teach students at high-need schools in Santa Clara County, C  more

SAN ANTONIO, Texas, Jan. 9 -- Texas Biomedical Research Institute issued the following news release: New technology employing single cell genome sequencing of the parasite that causes malaria has yielded some surprising results and helps pave the way for possible new intervention strategies for this deadly infectious disease, according to Texas Biomedical Research Institute Assistant Professor Ian Cheeseman, Ph.D. Dr. Cheeseman was Principal Investigator of a three-year study published in the J  more

AUSTIN, Texas, Jan. 11 -- The Texas Freedom Network issued the following news release: Texas Freedom Network President Kathy Miller called out Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton for issuing an opinion that suggests state law bars government employees from having charitable donations to Planned Parenthood deducted from their paychecks. "Ken Paxton's opinion doesn't come even close to passing the sniff test for credibility," Miller said. "He simply has a problem with Texans making personal decisi  more

AUSTIN, Texas, Jan. 11 -- The Texas Association of School Boards issued the following news release: Governor Greg Abbott has declared January School Board Recognition Month to honor the more than 7,200 locally elected trustees in Texas. These unpaid volunteers work closely with the community to support the success of public education, oversee the district superintendent, and attend trainings to encourage constant growth, all to ensure students have the best schools possible. The Texas Associati  more

HOUSTON, Texas, Jan. 9 -- The Houston Association of Realtors issued the following news release: Low mortgage interest rates, healthy employment growth and a stable supply of homes created fertile ground for the Houston real estate market, which blossomed to record levels in 2019. Single-family home sales for the full year surpassed 2018's record volume by nearly five percent. December delivered the year's strongest percentage increase in single-family home sales. However, as 2020 gets underway  more

AUSTIN, Texas, Jan. 9 -- Texas Independent Producers and Royalty Owners Association issued the following news release: The Texas Independent Producers & Royalty Owners Association (TIPRO) released the next edition of its "State of Energy Report" series entitled A Decade of the Permian Basin. The new TIPRO report explores trends in the Permian Basin over the past 10 years with an emphasis on employment, demographics, businesses and oil and natural gas production. TIPRO's "State of Energy Report"  more

WASHINGTON, Jan. 7 -- The Retail Industry Leaders Association issued the following news release: The Retail Industry Leaders Association (RILA) is pleased to announce Blake Harden has joined the association as its new vice president of international trade. Harden brings extensive trade experience to the role. She joins RILA after serving three years at the Committee on Ways and Means, Subcommittee on Trade where she worked as trade counsel to ranking member Kevin Brady (R-Texas). Prior to her   more

KANSAS CITY, Missouri, Jan. 8 -- United Soccer Coaches issued the following news: United Soccer Coaches and USA Today High School Sports released the first boys' and girls' winter season soccer polls on Tuesday. Lee (San Antonio, Texas) jumped five spots from the preseason poll to sit atop the boys' poll, while Doral Prep Academy (Doral, Fla.) is No. 2 with a 10-0-0 record. Montgomery (Santa Rosa, Calif.) is sitting in third at 10-0-0, while St. Paul's School (Covington, La.) sits in the No.4   more

DALLAS, Texas, Jan. 8 -- The University of Texas's Southwestern Medical Center issued the following news: Providing multidisciplinary team consults for HIV patients while they are hospitalized to help address social and medical barriers reduces future infection rates and boosts participation in follow-up care, results from a study on how to reengage patients show. A multidisciplinary inpatient team of HIV medical specialists, HIV case managers, and transitional care nurses assigned to help pat  more

DALLAS, Texas, Jan. 7 -- The University of Texas's Southwestern Medical Center issued the following news: UTSW experts: Gaps in clinical whole exome sequencing at major commercial labs indicative of larger issue Children who undergo expansive genetic sequencing may not be getting the thorough DNA analysis their parents were expecting, say experts at UT Southwestern Medical Center. A review of clinical tests from three major U.S. laboratories shows whole exome sequencing routinely fails to ade  more

DALLAS, Texas, Jan. 11 -- The University of Texas's Southwestern Medical Center issued the following news: * * * - Survey of more than 40 UT Southwestern patients reveals positive outcomes * * * Patients who received Mohs surgery to treat the most serious form of skin cancer, melanoma, reported a 95 percent long-term satisfaction rate with their results, according to a new study by UT Southwestern Medical Center dermatologists. The study, published in Dermatologic Surgery, is the first to p  more

BALTIMORE, Maryland, Jan. 11 -- World Relief issued the following news release: Governor Greg Abbott of Texas officially withheld his consent to resettle refugees in Texas in FY2020. Unlike previous years, the refugee ceiling for FY2020 was announced at the end of September paired with an executive order requiring both state and local authorities to consent to resettle refugees in their jurisdictions. Consenting to resettle refugees does not guarantee that refugees will be resettled in those ar  more