WASHINGTON, Dec. 18 -- The Food and Water Watch issued the following news release: * * * Climate, Environmental Justice Groups Walk Out of Meeting with SoCalGas * * * Los Angeles - Earlier today, members of a community-based stakeholder group that has been advising SoCalGas on the Angeles Link Project - its dubious, expensive and unsustainable foray into piping hydrogen through Los Angeles and beyond - walked out of their most recent meeting with the company. The groups also sent a letter to more PR

WASHINGTON, Dec. 19 -- The American Energy Alliance issued the following statement on Dec. 18, 2024: * * * Today, the Biden-Harris administration announced it will grant the State of California permission to move forward with its ban on gas-powered cars and light trucks. Earlier this year, our partner organization, the Institute for Energy Research, filed an amicus brief in a case challenging the legality of such a waiver. Tom Pyle, President of the American Energy Alliance, issued the follow more PR

WASHINGTON, Dec. 19 -- The Alliance for Automotive Innovation issued the following statement on Dec. 18, 2024: * * * Alliance for Automotive Innovation issued the following statement on EPA approval of California's Advanced Clean Cars II waiver. Read more: It's gonna take a miracle: California and states with EV sales requirements (https://www.autosinnovate.org/posts/papers-reports/December%202024%20Memo%20-%20California%20and%20states%20with%20EV%20sales%20requirements.pdf) John Bozzella, p more PR

WASHINGTON, Dec. 19 -- The American Lung Association issued the following news release on Dec. 18, 2024: * * * Clean truck standard also approved; standards will deliver major health benefits * * * Today, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) approved California's Clean Air Act waiver authorizing implementation of the state's Advanced Clean Cars II (ACC II) program, along with a separate program to reduce smog-forming emissions from new heavy-duty trucks. With EPA's standard practic more PR

WASHINGTON, Dec. 19 -- The American Petroleum Institute issued the following statement on Dec. 18, 2024: * * * The American Petroleum Institute (API) released the following statement today from API Vice President of Downstream Policy Will Hupman in response to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's (EPA) granting California's request for a Clean Air Act waiver for the Advanced Clean Cars II (ACC II) Light- and Medium-Duty Vehicle Standards. "Governor Newsom's extreme energy policies have  more PR

PASADENA, California, Dec. 19 -- CALSTART, an organization that says it works with member companies to build a clean transportation industry, issued the following news release on Dec. 18, 2024: Today, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) approved California's waiver for the Advanced Clean Cars II and Heavy-Duty Omnibus standards, upholding states' authority to implement and enforce stronger-than-federal protections to cut tailpipe pollution under the Clean Air Act to adopt and implement th more PR

WASHINGTON, Dec. 19 -- The Center for Biological Diversity issued the following news release: OAKLAND, Calif.-- The Center for Biological Diversity and Endangered Habitats League petitioned the California Fish and Game Commission today to list the Quino checkerspot butterfly as endangered under the California Endangered Species Act. Once common throughout much of Southern California, the Quino checkerspot butterfly, or Quino, has experienced extreme declines over the past 50 years. By the 1980 more PR

BOSTON, Massachusetts, Dec. 19 -- Ceres, a non-profit organization that is mobilizing companies and investors to take stronger action on climate change, water scarcity and global sustainability challenges, issued the following statement on Dec. 18, 2024: * * * Ceres issued the following statement after the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency approved California's implementation of the Advanced Clean Cars II policy, which will support the development of the clean light-duty vehicle market in t more PR

LOS ANGELES, California, Dec. 19 -- CodePink, a grassroots peace and social justice movement working to end U.S.-funded wars and occupations, to challenge militarism globally, issued the following news release: CODEPINK calls for the pardon of several political prisoners, activists, lawyers and other individuals who faced targeted prosecution or unjust imprisonment. President Biden has just over 30 days left in the Oval Office where he can exercise his pardon power. In recent weeks, he pardoned more PR

LOS ANGELES, California, Dec. 19 -- CodePink, a grassroots peace and social justice movement working to end U.S.-funded wars and occupations, to challenge militarism globally, issued the following news release: * * * 17-Year Veteran Disrupts House Committee on Veterans' Affairs Calling Out Its Complicity in the Genocide in Gaza * * * WASHINGTON - This morning, 17-year veteran and intelligence officer Josephine Guilbeau disrupted the House Committee on Veterans' Affairs to call out the billio more PR

LOS ANGELES, California, Dec. 19 -- CodePink, a grassroots peace and social justice movement working to end U.S.-funded wars and occupations, to challenge militarism globally, issued the following statement on Dec. 18, 2024: * * * CODEPINK's Statement on the Passage of the 2025 Pentagon Budget * * * CODEPINK is disappointed in the passage of the 2025 National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA), which allocates nearly $1 trillion in taxpayer dollars to weapons and warfare while essential servic more PR

COTATI, California, Dec. 19 -- The Animal Legal Defense Fund issued the following news release on Dec. 18, 2024: * * * JAKS Puppies has continued efforts to evade restrictions on the sale of commercially bred dogs despite agreement with the state of Iowa * * * DES MOINES, Iowa -- Today, the Animal Legal Defense Fund (ALDF) submitted a complaint letter urging Iowa's attorney general to investigate violations of a settlement agreement between the state of Iowa and JAKS Puppies, a notorious Iow more PR

HOUSTON, Texas, Dec. 19 -- Consumer Energy Alliance issued the following statement on Dec. 18, 2024: * * * * Waiver in waning days of administration forces unpopular policy on 35% of U.S. * Policy risks driving energy prices higher by increasing electricity demand * * * WASHINGTON - Consumer Energy Alliance (CEA), the leading energy and environmental advocate for families and businesses, issued the following statement after the Biden Administration approved California's request for a Clean  more PR

SAN FRANCISCO, California, Dec. 17 [Category: Environment] -- Earthjustice issued the following news release: Today, the Department of Energy (DOE) released long-awaited studies on the economic and climate impacts of exporting increasing volumes of liquefied natural gas (LNG). DOE's studies conclude that LNG exports will drive up costs for domestic households and are inconsistent with preventing extreme climate change. Moneen Nasmith, Senior Attorney at Earthjustice, released the following st more PR

WASHINGTON, Dec. 18 -- The National Women's Law Center issued the following news release on Dec. 17, 2024: The U.S. Department of Justice today agreed to a $115.8 million historic settlement on behalf of 103 current and former incarcerated women at FCI Dublin prison in northern California--the largest award ever to center on sexual abuse claims by incarcerated people. On December 6, 2024, the Federal Bureau of Prisons (BOP) settled a separate class action lawsuit brought by eight survivors form more PR

MILPITAS, California, Dec. 19 -- SEMI, an association serving the manufacturing supply chain for the electronics industry, posted the following news release from its member company DuPont: WILMINGTON, Del., Dec. 18, 2024 - DuPont (NYSE: DD) today announced it has joined the SEMI Foundation's Semiconductor PRIDE (Semiconductor Professionals for Respect, Inclusion, Diversity, and Equity) initiative as a Founding Member. Semiconductor PRIDE, which launched earlier this year, is a coalition of comp more PR

WASHINGTON, Dec. 19 (TNSres) -- Environmental Entrepreneurs issued the following news release on Dec. 18, 2024: * * * * California 1st in nation for clean energy workforce * Clean energy jobs grew 4X faster than overall CA economy * Southern CA counties among top 3 nationwide * * * Clean energy and clean vehicle companies added more than 21,600 jobs in California, bringing the total number of clean energy workers in the state to 544,600 according to the latest Clean Jobs California annual  more PR

SAN FRANCISCO, California, Dec. 18 [Category: Environment] -- Earthjustice issued the following news release: Today, Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) approved the Clean Air Act waiver for California's zero-emissions car standard, the Advanced Clean Cars II rule. The standard passed by the state in 2022 will gradually shift car sales in California to zero-emissions models meaning battery-electric, hydrogen fuel cell, and plug-in hybrid cars by 2035. In the big picture, this means that accou more PR

SAN FRANCISCO, California, Dec. 17 [Category: Environment] -- Earthjustice issued the following news release: Seattle, WA Two federal agencies jointly announced plans today to update the flawed environmental study that currently underpins management of Columbia and Snake River dams. Revising this study should lead to changes in the Columbia Basin that would help prevent extinction and restore imperiled salmon and steelhead populations to healthy and harvestable abundance. Earthjustice and the  more PR

SAN FRANCISCO, California, Dec. 17 [Category: Environment] -- Earthjustice issued the following news release: Annapolis, MD Today, the Maryland Pesticide Education Network, in partnership with Earthjustice and a broad coalition of farmers, scientists, public health experts, businesses, and advocates, petitioned the Maryland Department of Agriculture (MDA) to comply with state law by creating a comprehensive pesticide data program to increase pesticide use transparency. The petition urges MDA t more PR

WASHINGTON, Dec. 18 [Category: Environment] -- The League of Conservation Voters issued the following news release: In response to today's announcement from the Biden-Harris administration to approve the Advanced Clean Cars II (ACCII) waiver, the League of Conservation Voters (LCV) and California Environmental Voters (CEV) released the following statements: "Thanks to the Biden-Harris administration's affirmation of California's and over a dozen other states' authority to clean up their air, t more PR

SAN FRANCISCO, California, Dec. 17 [Category: Environment] -- Earthjustice issued the following news release: Today, Senator Ed Markey introduced the "All Aboard Act 2024," a transformative bill that would provide funding for states to build out new passenger rail corridors, purchase electric locomotives, install electric infrastructure, and provide workforce development and training to support America's rail workforce. The bill sets the goal of achieving entirely zero-emissions locomotives by  more PR

SAN FRANCISCO, California, Dec. 18 [Category: Environment] -- Earthjustice issued the following news release: Denver, CO Delaying the release of gray wolves into Colorado would be disastrous for the state's wolf reintroduction program and could violate state law, conservation groups said in a letter today to the Colorado Parks and Wildlife Commission. The groups urged the commission to reject a petition from the livestock industry seeking to pause the historic effort to re-establish gray wolves more PR

NEW YORK, Dec. 19 -- The NAACP Legal Defense and Educational Fund issued the following news: The group of Californians and legal advocacy organizations challenging the administration of the state's capital punishment scheme finalized its supplementary briefing in response to questions from the Supreme Court of California. The state's highest court ordered parties to respond to questions about the nature of "cruel or unusual punishment" as applied in death penalty sentences, as well as other arg more PR

SAN FRANCISCO, California, Dec. 17 [Category: Environment] -- Earthjustice issued the following news release: Today Earthjustice, on behalf of the Xerces Society for Invertebrate Conservation, petitioned the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to swiftly correct flaws in its framework for assessing pesticide risks to pollinators. Currently, the EPA only requires pesticide manufacturers to submit limited data concerning pesticide impacts on adult honey bees. The result is that the EPA vastly  more PR

SANTA MONICA, California, Dec. 18 (TNSres) -- Rand issued the following commentary on Dec. 17, 2024: * * * Looking Back on the Big Policy Stories of 2024 By Jason Matheny With a new year set to bring a new administration to Washington, RAND holds steadfast to the vital mission that's been our guiding light for more than 75 years: We improve policy and decisionmaking through research and analysis. Our work is grounded in the facts, free from partisan or commercial pressures, and pursued in t more PR

SANTA MONICA, California, Dec. 18 (TNSres) -- Rand issued the following commentary on Dec. 17, 2024: * * * UK Fleet Air Arm Centenary: Looking Ahead to the Next 100 Years By Stuart Dee and Charlotte Kleberg This year marks the centenary of the United Kingdom's Fleet Air Arm (FAA), one of the five fighting arms and the naval aviation component of the Royal Navy (RN). The FAA is instrumental in supporting the United Kingdom's global power projection ambitions through carrier strike. However, e more PR

LA JOLLA, California, Dec. 18 (TNSres) -- The Scripps Research Institute issued the following news: * * * Scripps Research scientists reveal microgravity's effects on brain cells. * * * Microgravity is known to alter the muscles, bones, the immune system and cognition, but little is known about its specific impact on the brain. To discover how brain cells respond to microgravity, Scripps Research scientists, in collaboration with the New York Stem Cell Foundation, sent tiny clumps of stem-ce more PR

WASHINGTON, Dec. 18 [Category: Environment] -- The Sierra Club issued the following news release: Waivers Will Protect Communities Across Nation from Transportation Pollution, Expand Consumer Choice Today, the EPA granted California a waiver to implement its Advanced Clean Cars II (ACC II) program. The ACC II standards protect public health by gradually phasing out the sale of new gas cars and expanding consumer choice for zero-emission vehicles. This waiver ensures that California and other st more PR

ARLINGTON, Virginia, Dec. 18 [Category: Transportation] -- The American Trucking Associations issued the following news release: American Trucking Associations President and CEO Chris Spear issued the following statement today in opposition to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's decision to grant California a waiver to enforce its Omnibus Low-NOx regulations, which impose unworkable state-by-state standards on the trucking industry that compromise the federal NOx standard adopted just tw more PR