WASHINGTON, April 21 [Category: Political] -- The NAACP posted the following news release: * * * "Weaponized by Dangerous Forces": NAACP Warns as DOJ Targets Southern Poverty Law Center * Following the U.S. Department of Justice's unprecedented indictment of the Southern Poverty Law Center (SPLC), NAACP President and CEO Derrick Johnson issued a stark warning about the administration's escalating efforts to criminalize civil rights advocacy and attack organizations that protect people from hate, violence, and discrimination.  "Trump's DOJ more PR

PHILADELPHIA, Pennsylvania, April 23 -- The American Civil Liberties Union of Pennsylvania issued the following news release on April 22, 2025: * * * State Senate Passes Bill Banning Transgender Students from School Sports Just Weeks Before May Primaries HARRISBURG -- Today, the state Senate passed Senate Bill 1293, legislation that would ban participation in school sports by transgender students in public schools and state-funded universities and colleges. The bill, nearly identical to House Bill 972 that former Governor Tom Wolf vetoed in  more PR

WASHINGTON, April 22 [Category: Political] -- America First Legal, a civil rights organization, posted the following news release: * * * America First Legal Partners with Coalition of States to Defend President Trump's Election Integrity Executive Order * America First Legal (AFL) is partnering with a coalition of 12 states to intervene in two federal lawsuits challenging President Trump's recent executive order aimed at strengthening election integrity, verifying citizenship in federal elections, securing ballots, and restoring public conf more PR

WASHINGTON, April 22 [Category: Political] -- America First Legal, a civil rights organization, posted the following news release: * * * America First Legal Petitions the U.S. Postal Service to Secure Mail-In Ballots, Reinforcing President Trump's Executive Order to Protect Federal Election Integrity * America First Legal (AFL) has filed a petition for rulemaking with the U.S. Postal Service (USPS), urging it to adopt common-sense security standards for every mail-in and absentee ballot used in federal elections. AFL's petition directly s more PR

WASHINGTON, April 22 -- British Ambassador Archie Young, interim deputy permanent representative to the United Nations, reaffirmed the commitment to an inclusive political process during a meeting of the U.N. Security Council in New York. Young welcomed a milestone agreement on a unified budget as a vital step toward improving economic governance and rebuilding trust across political divides. He called for the protection of sovereign resources through sanctions and urged Libyan stakeholders to respect the independence of the National Oil Corp more PR

NEW YORK, April 23 (TNSxrep) -- Morgan Stanley, a multinational financial services corporation, issued the following news release on April 22, 2026: * * * Bullishness Remains Steady as Geopolitical and Energy Concerns Rise, Morgan Stanley Wealth Management Pulse Survey Finds As uncertainty rises, investors keep a close watch on their portfolios * Morgan Stanley Wealth Management today announced the results of its quarterly retail investor pulse survey: * Bullish sentiment holds. More than half of investors (55%) remain bullish this quarte more PR

WASHINGTON, April 22 -- Sen. Maria Cantwell, D-Washington, issued the following news release: * * * Cantwell, Colleagues Warn USPS That Complying With Trump's Mail-In Voting Executive Order Would Be "A Blatant Violation of the Constitution" * 04.22.26 Trump's order would ban the USPS from sending ballots to voters not included on his administration's own list of "eligible" voters; States, not the feds, are tasked with overseeing elections, Senators remind USPS leadership in letter WASHINGTON, D.C. - Today, U.S. Senator Maria Cantwell (D more PR

WASHINGTON, April 22 -- Rep. Sean Casten, D-Illinois, issued the following news release: * * * Casten Proposes Measure to Protect Ballot Access for Overseas Service Members * Washington, D.C. -Today, Congressman Sean Casten (IL-06) introduced the Military Voter Overseas Technical Enhancement (VOTE) Act, legislation to eliminate the bureaucratic hurdles that often hinder American servicemembers' ability to vote while overseas on active duty. "Our service members defend our democracy abroad; they shouldn't have to fight to participate in it more PR

NEW YORK, April 22 [Category: Law/Legal] -- The American Civil Liberties Union, an organization that works to defend and preserve the individual rights and liberties guaranteed by the Constitution and laws of the U.S., posted the following news release: * * * Civil Rights Groups Sue Alaska Division of Elections for Sharing Unredacted Voter Registration List * ANCHORAGE - Today, the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) of Alaska, with Electronic Privacy Information Center (EPIC) and the ACLU Voting Rights Project, filed a lawsuit challengin more PR

WASHINGTON, April 21 [Category: Political] -- The Campaign Legal Center posted the following news release: * * * CLC Releases Statement on Trump Administration Indictment of Civil Rights Organization On April 21, 2026, the U.S. Department of Justice under the Trump administration announced the indictment of the Southern Poverty Law Center. Trevor Potter, president of the nonpartisan nonprofit Campaign Legal Center, released the following statement in response: "Civil rights organizations like the Southern Poverty Law Center play a critical more PR

WASHINGTON, April 23 -- Rep. Tom Cole, R-Oklahoma, chairman of the House Appropriations Committee, issued the following news release on April 22, 2026: * * * Committee Approves FY27 Financial Services and General Government Appropriations Act Today, the House Appropriations Committee met to consider the Fiscal Year 2027 Financial Services and General Government Appropriations Act. The measure was approved by the Committee with a vote of 34 to 28. Financial Services and General Government Subcommittee Chairman Dave Joyce (R-OH) said, "The H more PR

WASHINGTON, April 22 -- Rep. Rich McCormick, R-Georgia, issued the following news release: * * * Congressman McCormick Introduces the Make DC Square Again Act * Washington, D.C. - Today, Rep. Rich McCormick (R-GA) introduced the Make DC Square Again Act to undo the unconstitutional 1846 retrocession of Arlington County and the City of Alexandria from the District of Columbia to Virginia. This will restore DC's original boundaries established by the Residence Act of 1790. Article I, Section 8, Clause 17 of the U.S. Constitution, commonly r more PR

WASHINGTON, April 21 -- The Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee posted the following news release: * * * DCCC Chair Statement on Passage of Virginia Redistricting Referendum * Today, DCCC Chair Suzan DelBene released the following statement after Virginians voted to pass the redistricting referendum in response to Donald Trump and House Republicans' unprecedented mid-decade gerrymandering scheme: "Tonight's result is a victory for every American who wants fair representation in Congress, a massive rebuke of Donald Trump and Republ more PR

PASAY CITY, Philippines, April 23 -- The Philippines Department of Foreign Affairs issued the following news release: * * * DFA-OVS, COMELEC-OFOV Expands Access to Overseas Voting Services Through Foreign Service Posts' Field and Mobile Registration Activities The Department of Foreign Affairs - Overseas Voting Secretariat (DFA-OVS), in partnership with the Commission on Elections - Office for Overseas Voting (COMELEC-OFOV), reaffirms its commitment to expanding access to overseas voting services for Filipinos worldwide. This initiative is  more PR

WASHINGTON, April 22 -- Sen. Richard J. Durbin, D-Illinois, issued the following news release: * * * Durbin, Duckworth Join Letter Demanding USPS Uphold Federal Law Over President Trump's Illegal Executive Order To Restrict Mail-In Voting * April 22, 2026 WASHINGTON - U.S. Senate Democratic Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL) and U.S. Senator Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) joined U.S. Senators Chuck Schumer (D-NY), Gary Peters (D-MI), Alex Padilla (D-CA), and 32 of their Democratic colleagues in demanding the U.S. Postal Service (USPS) uphold existing federa more PR

WASHINGTON, April 22 (TNSLrpt) -- The Congressional Research Service issued the following report (No. R44243) on April 21, 2026, entitled "Electing the Speaker of the House of Representatives: Frequently Asked Questions" by Congress and legislative process specialist Valerie Heitshusen. Here are excerpts: * * * SUMMARY Current practice for electing a Speaker, either at the start of a Congress or in the event of a vacancy (e.g., death or resignation), is by roll call vote, during which Members state aloud the name of their preferred candidat more PR

NEW YORK, April 22 [Category: International] -- Human Rights Watch posted the following news: * * * Ethiopia: Persecution of Tigrayans Unrelenting * * Authorities and security forces in Ethiopia's contested Western Tigray Zone are arbitrarily detaining ethnic Tigrayans and severely restricting their movements, employment, and access to services. * The Ethiopian government and their international partners seem determined to ignore the treatment of Tigrayans as effectively second-class citizens. * The Ethiopian government should end th more PR

DOVER, Delaware, April 23 -- Gov. Matt Meyer, D-Delaware, issued the following news release on April 22, 2026: * * * Governor Meyer Establishes Election Security Task Force in Delaware Governor Matt Meyer today signed Executive Order 19, establishing the Delaware Task Force on Free, Fair, and Secure Elections. This is a coordinated effort focused on election security, to reinforce public confidence in Delaware's electoral process, and safeguard Delaware from unconstitutional federal interference. "The U.S. Constitution is clear: elections  more PR

WASHINGTON, April 22 -- Rep. Rosa DeLauro, D-Connecticut, ranking member of the House Appropriations Committee, issued the following statement on April 21, 2026, at the markup of the fiscal 2027 financial services and general government funding bill: * * * Thank you Chairman Cole and Chairman Joyce. And I want to start here today, by speaking for a moment about my friend the Ranking Member, Mr. Hoyer. I have served with Steny Hoyer since my first day in office. Throughout it all he has been a thoughtful partner, an honest broker, and an unt more PR

NEW YORK, April 22 [Category: International] -- Human Rights Watch posted the following commentary by European Union Director for Advocacy Philippe Dam: * * * EU's Relations with Ethiopia Ignore Grim Human Rights Reality European Union Partnership Commissioner Jozef Sikela announced on April 21 the resumption of EU's direct budget support to the Ethiopian government: the final step towards normalizing relations with the country. The move comes as Ethiopia's dire human rights situation has deteriorated ahead of June 1 national elections.  more PR

NEW YORK, April 22 [Category: International] -- Human Rights Watch posted the following news: * * * Hungary: Top EU Court Rules Anti-LGBT Law Unlawful * (Budapest) - The Court of Justice of the European Union (CJEU) ruling on April 21, 2026, against Hungary 's 2021 anti-LGBT law is an important rejection of efforts to stigmatize lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) people, Human Rights Watch said today. The court found that the 2021 law, which attempts to stigmatize LGBT people under the guise of "child protection," breaches EU la more PR

BALTIMORE, Maryland, April 23 -- Johns Hopkins University issued the following news: * * * Survey: U.S. adults agree health care is a right and eliminating health inequities is a priority Johns Hopkins research examining public sentiment on the U.S. health care system highlights more consensus than divergence on reform priorities * A majority of U.S. adults agrees that health care is a right, not a privilege, and that the nation should aim to eliminate health inequities for everyone, according to a new report from the Institute for Policy  more PR

WASHINGTON, April 22 -- Sen. Angus S. King Jr., I-Maine, issued the following news release: * * * King, Colleagues Push Back Against Executive Order Positioning USPS as Elections Regulator * WASHINGTON, D.C. -U.S. Senators Angus King (I-ME) and 37 of his Senate colleagues are demanding the United States Postal Service (USPS) uphold existing federal law - and its own rulemaking and commitments - to best protect Americans' constitutional right to vote. In a letter to the Postmaster General and Board of Governors of the USPS, the Senators dema more PR

NEW YORK, April 22 [Category: Law/Legal] -- The NAACP Legal Defense and Educational Fund posted the following news: * * * Landmark State Voting Rights Laws Move Forward in CA Senate * Two-Thirds Of Voters Say Democracy is Under Attack Democracy advocates celebrated this week as the Senate Standing Committee on Elections and Constitutional Amendments passed Senate Bills 1164 and 1360 by Senator Sabrina Cervantes (D-Riverside). The timely legislative action, sponsored by the California Democracy Partnership, updates the landmark California  more PR

WASHINGTON, April 22 (Rep.) -- House Democratic Leader Hakeem Jeffries, D-New York, issued the following news release: * * * LEADER JEFFRIES ON NPR: "WE'RE THANKFUL TO THE PEOPLE OF VIRGINIA WHO, BY VOTING YES, HAVE STOPPED THE MAGA POWER GRAB" * Today, House Democratic Leader Hakeem Jeffries appeared on NPR's Morning Edition, where he made clear that Democrats will continue to push back on Republican extremism and their attempts to rig the midterm elections. MICHEL MARTIN: More on what this result in Virginia could mean for the Democrats more PR

WASHINGTON, April 22 -- Rep. Hakeem Jeffries, D-New York, issued the following news release: * * * LEADER JEFFRIES ON NPR: "WE'RE THANKFUL TO THE PEOPLE OF VIRGINIA WHO, BY VOTING YES, HAVE STOPPED THE MAGA POWER GRAB" * Today, House Democratic Leader Hakeem Jeffries appeared on NPR's Morning Edition, where he made clear that Democrats will continue to push back on Republican extremism and their attempts to rig the midterm elections. MICHEL MARTIN: More on what this result in Virginia could mean for the Democrats, we're joined by House Mi more PR

BATON ROUGE, Louisiana, April 22 -- Louisiana Attorney General Liz Murrill issued the following news: * * * Louisiana Attorney General Liz Murrill Joins Missouri in Coalition to Defend Executive Order on Election Integrity * Louisiana Attorney General Liz Murrill joined Missouri and 10 other states in a motion to intervene to defend a presidential executive order that would allow access to resources that would verify voter-registration lists against lawfare from left-wing activists. On March 31, 2026, President Trump issued Executive Orde more PR

WASHINGTON, April 22 -- George Washington University posted the following news: * * * Media Tip Sheet: Virginia Redistricting Results * WASHINGTON (April 22, 2026) - On Tuesday, Virginia voters approved a redistricting plan that now could lead to Democrats gaining four additional seats in the U.S House in November's midterm elections. The constitutional amendment will allow the use of new districts to be drawn by Virginia's General Assembly. Republicans are arguing that it is unfair to gerrymander Virginia's districts to favor Democrats, wh more PR

WASHINGTON, April 22 -- Sen. Ron Wyden, D-Oregon, issued the following news release: * * * Merkley, Wyden, Democratic Colleagues Demand USPS Uphold Federal Law Over President Trump's Illegal Executive Order to Restrict Vote by Mail * Washington, D.C. - Oregon's U.S. Senators Jeff Merkley and Ron Wyden joined over 30 of their Senate Democratic colleagues in demanding the United States Postal Service (USPS) uphold existing federal law over the executive order signed by President Trump. "The Constitution provides no role for the President in more PR

WASHINGTON, April 21 [Category: Political] -- The NAACP posted the following news release: * * * NAACP Celebrates Virginia's Vote to Defend the Country * RICHMOND, VA -On Tuesday, April 21, Virginia voters approved the redistricting referendum, delivering a decisive victory for democracy, accountable government, and the protection of Virginia's voting power.  The NAACP celebrates this historic outcome and extends its deepest gratitude to the voters of Virginia, who once again showed up for themselves, for their communities, and for the fu more PR

WASHINGTON, April 22 -- Sen. Alex Padilla, D-California, issued the following news release: * * * Padilla, Peters, Durbin Lead Bill to Kill Trump's Executive Order Restricting Vote By Mail, Presses USPS on Unconstitutional EO * WASHINGTON, D.C. -After leading the fight to defeat the SAVE Act in the Senate, U.S. Senator Alex Padilla (D-Calif.) is pressing forward to protect our elections by introducing the Absentee and Mail Voter Protection Act (Absentee MVP Act) with Senators Gary Peters (D-Mich.), and Dick Durbin (D-Ill.) to block Presiden more PR

WASHINGTON, April 23 -- Sen. Gary Peters, D-Michigan, ranking member of the Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee, issued the following news release on April 21, 2026: * * * Peters, Padilla, Durbin, Schumer Lead Democratic Colleagues in Demanding USPS Uphold Federal Law Over President Trump's Illegal Executive Order to Restrict Vote by Mail U.S. Senators Gary Peters (D-MI), Ranking Member of the Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee, Alex Padilla (D-CA), Ranking Member of the Senate Rules and Administrati more PR

WASHINGTON, April 22 -- The Peterson Institute for International Economics issued the following commentary on April 21, 2026, by senior fellow Jacob Funk Kirkegaard: * * * What Orban's ouster in Hungary means for Europe A remarkable political event just took place in Hungary. Opposition leader Peter Magyar and his Tisza party defied the odds, and long-term incumbent Prime Minister Viktor Orban's blatant attempts at election chicane and media rigging, to win an overwhelming electoral victory, securing a two-thirds majority in the incoming Hun more PR

SPRINGFIELD, Virginia, April 22 -- The National Right to Work Legal Defense Foundation posted the following news release: * * * Reed & Perrine Lawn Products Workers Escape Union After Fighting Frivolous Union Delay Tactics * After workers requested union removal vote in 2024, union bosses blocked the vote for a year and a half using specious allegations Manalapan Township, NJ (April 22, 2026) - After a year-and-a-half delay caused by frivolous union legal tactics, employees at Reed & Perrine Lawn Products (a division of The Andersons, Nas more PR

WASHINGTON, April 21 [Category: Political] -- Reproductive Freedom for All (formerly the NARAL Pro-Choice America) posted the following news release: * * * Reproductive Freedom for All Celebrates Virginians Voting to Protect Fair Elections * Today, Virginia voters approved a ballot measure to temporarily redraw Virginia's congressional maps-a critical step to protect fair elections. The vote comes as Donald Trump and his allies pressure Republican-controlled states across the country to manipulate maps in their favor ahead of the 2026 midte more PR

WASHINGTON, April 23 -- Rep. Rosa L. DeLauro, D-Connecticut, ranking member of the House Appropriations Committee, issued the following news release on April 22, 2026: * * * Republicans Advance Partisan Giveaway for Billionaires and Big Corporations Today, Republicans on the House Appropriations Committee pushed through the fiscal year 2027 Financial Services and General Government funding bill on a party-line vote. The bill overwhelmingly benefits billionaires, big corporations, and the well-connected at the expense of the working class, th more PR

WASHINGTON, April 22 -- The Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee posted the following news release: * * * REUTERS: "Tom Barrett tapped into voter frustration over high gas prices... Now the Republican is on the defensive on that same issue" * "Christine Waugh-Fleischmann, who spends up to $200 a week on gas for drives to see her grandchildren, said after discussions with Republican friends about inflation she believes the district can be flipped." New reporting highlights how once again, Tom Barrett failed on his central campaign p more PR

NEW YORK, April 22 [Category: Law/Legal] -- The NAACP Legal Defense and Educational Fund posted the following news: * * * SAVE Act Successfully Stalled in Senate as a Result of Tireless Advocacy on Behalf of American Voters * The Safeguard American Voter Eligibility (SAVE) America Act, a dangerous attempt to impose onerous and discriminatory obstacles for voters at the risk of disenfranchising millions, has currently failed to move forward in the U.S. Senate. The Legal Defense Fund (LDF) and partners will continue to monitor legislative act more PR

WASHINGTON, April 23 -- Stand Up America, an organization was born in 2016 as a digital-first grassroots community working to resist what they say is Donald Trump's corruption, racism and his threats to democracy, issued the following statement on April 21, 2026: * * * VIRGINIANS PASS REDISTRICTING AMENDMENT, STRIKE BACK AGAINST TRUMP'S 2026 POWER GRAB RICHMOND, VA -- Tonight, Virginia voters passed an amendment to protect fair representation and push back on a nationwide effort by Donald Trump to rig election maps ahead of the 2026 election more PR

LONDON, England, April 22 [Category: Union] -- The University and College Union issued the following news: * * * Strike ballot opens at Edinburgh's Queen Margaret University * UCU members at Queen Margaret University (QMU) are being balloted from today for strike action in a dispute over jobs, working conditions and changes to working practices. Staff at QMU are being asked if they are willing to take strike action and action short of strike against cuts to the staffing budget and the employer's refusal to rule out compulsory redundancies more PR

WASHINGTON, April 22 -- Rep. Steny Hoyer, D-Maryland, ranking member of the House Appropriations Subcommittee on Financial Services and General Government, issued the following opening remarks on April 21, 2026, at the markup of the fiscal 2027 financial services and general government funding bill: * * * Thank you very much, Mr. Chairman. There will [not be], unfortunately, the same unanimity that we had on the last bill. There is a huge constituency for the last bill. Democrats and Republicans both committed to supporting our veterans. This more PR

ALBUQUERQUE, New Mexico, April 22 -- The University of New Mexico posted the following news: * * * UNM announces Open Enrollment period for 2026-27 benefits plan year * The University of New Mexico's open enrollment to revise and update individual benefits for active employees is now available through May 15, 2026. Open Enrollment provides eligible employees the opportunity to review, update or make changes to their benefits for the upcoming fiscal year. All changes will take effect July 1, 2026, and remain in place through June 30, 2027. more PR

NEW YORK, April 23 -- A Better Balance, a legal advocacy organization, issued the following statement on April 22, 2026: * * * Virginia Delivers on Paid Leave, Setting National Example on Affordability in a Midterm Year Today, Virginia finalized the creation of a statewide paid family and medical leave program. With this news, Virginia became the 15th state with a paid family and medical leave program as well as the first Southern state to enact paid leave for all of its workers. The following is a statement from A Better Balance President more PR

BLACKSBURG, Virginia, April 23 -- Virginia Tech issued the following news: * * * Expert looks ahead after Virginia voters approve new congressional districts Virginia voters by a narrow margin passed a referendum allowing congressional districts to be gerrymandered in a manner that heavily favors Democrats, as a counter to Republican-skewed gerrymandering in other states that was encouraged by President Donald Trump. However, the Virginia Supreme Court could still rule the redistricting unconstitutional, and even if it stands, questions rema more PR

WASHINGTON, April 21 [Category: Political] -- The Human Rights Campaign posted the following news release: * * * Virginians Pass Key Redistricting Initiative; HRC President Kelley Robinson: "Virginians just put anti-democracy, anti-freedom lawmakers on notice" * HRC PAC-endorsed ballot initiative will combat anti-democratic gerrymandering in Republican-led states by temporarily redrawing Virginia's congressional districts. WASHINGTON -Today, the Human Rights Campaign PAC (HRC), the nation's largest lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and more PR

WASHINGTON, April 22 -- Sen. Peter Welch, D-Vermont, issued the following news release: * * * Welch Joins Democratic Colleagues in Demanding USPS Uphold Federal Law Over President Trump's Illegal Executive Order to Restrict Vote by Mail * WASHINGTON, D.C. - U.S. Senator Peter Welch (D-Vt.), a member of the Senate Judiciary Committee,joined U.S. Senators Gary Peters (D-Mich.), Ranking Member of the Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee, Alex Padilla (D-Calif.), Ranking Member of the Senate Rules and Administration Committee, a more PR

LONDON, England, April 23 -- PEN International issued the following news: * * * Writers Under Siege: Defying Silence - PEN International Case List 2026 "When literary heritage and expression are attacked, our capacity to develop the narratives and ideas necessary to understand and address the world's seemingly intractable challenges is diminished, resulting in a cost borne by us all." Ma Thida, Chair of PEN International Writers in Prison Committee * Today, on World Book Day, PEN International launches Writers Under Siege: Defying Silence more PR