WASHINGTON, April 2 -- The AFSCME (American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees - AFL-CIO) issued the following news release, dated March 31: * * * - From health care workers updating wills before work to recycling masks and wearing garbage bags for gowns, AFSCME leaders detailed stories from the front lines - and solutions including what is needed in a fourth congressional stimulus package to address the short- and long-term needs of communities and front-line workers. * * *   more

PORTLAND, Oregon, April 3 -- The Mercy Corps issued the following statement: Colombia is in the midst of a 19-day quarantine to curb the spread of COVID-19. The quarantine is already having severe economic ramifications, particularly for the hundreds of thousands of Venezuelan migrants and refugees who are now unable to earn an income in the informal work sector. Hugh Aprile, Mercy Corps' Country Director in Colombia, explains: "The immediate economic crisis spurred by COVID-19 in Colombia thr  more

PORTLAND, Oregon, April 3 -- The Mercy Corps issued the following statement by Regional Director for Africa Sean Granville-Ross: Although the COVID-19 crisis is yet to reach Africa at the levels being seen in Europe, we already know that due to the vulnerability of some African countries, ongoing conflicts, as well as the climate crisis, the continent will require a unique and large-scale approach to overcome the pandemic. "One-fifth of Africa's population, nearly 250 million people, doesn't h  more

PORTLAND, Oregon, April 3 -- The Mercy Corps issued the following news release: As confirmed cases of the novel coronavirus surpass more than a million, time is running out to protect tens of millions who are already incredibly vulnerable and living in crisis. Those fleeing conflict, communities without access to health care and clean water, and families currently struggling to provide basic essentials to their loved ones are most at risk from the effects of this pandemic. While COVID-19 conti  more

WASHINGTON, April 3 -- The Natural Products Association issued the following news release: Natural Products Association (NPA) submitted comments for the record regarding the Oregon Department of Justice's proposed rule that would restrict health claims for nutritional supplements. The proposed rule is duplicative of federal law, would confuse consumers, raise costs for taxpayers, and do nothing to protect public health. "If the COVID-19 pandemic has taught us anything, it is that nutritional s  more

PORTLAND, Oregon, April 1 -- Medical Teams International issued the following news release: Medical Teams is looking for a new agency to visually tell our brand story in our U.S. office environments. This design implementation will occur in our headquarters in Portland, OR and our office in Seattle, WA. We are seeking an agency partner that has experience building a nonprofit or related organization's brand story through office design, shares our values, and has experience with both design con  more

EUGENE, Oregon, April 3 -- The Western Environmental Law Center issued the following news release on April 1: A large coalition of New Mexico community, faith, tribal, and environmental advocates welcomed the New Mexico Public Regulation Commission's (PRC) decision to approve Public Service Company of New Mexico's (PNM) request to abandon or exit the San Juan Generating Station and use low-interest bonds through the Energy Transition Act (ETA) to finance its remaining investment in the plant.   more

EUGENE, Oregon, April 3 -- The Western Environmental Law Center issued the following news release on April 3: A coalition of groups yesterday appealed to the U.S. Bureau of Land Management to suspend a proposal to sell public lands for fracking in light of the COVID-19 crisis and the economic collapse of the oil and gas industry. In a formal administrative appeal (also called a "protest"), WildEarth Guardians, the Center for Biological Diversity, the Chaco Alliance, Living-Rivers-Colorado Rive  more