OAKLAND, California, May 13 -- Positive Women's Network-USA issued the following news: * * * #HIVResists: April 2026 Monthly Policy Update Content Warning: many of these updates include information about harmful attacks on Black, Indigenous and people of color (BIPOC) and LGBTQ+ folks. Hot Topic Voter Suppression Voting will not solve all political problems or transform oppressive systems. It is, nevertheless, a tool that can demonstrate our community's power and is a crucial part of holding elected officials accountable. Collective advoc more PR

WASHINGTON, May 12 -- Sen. John Barrasso, R-Wyoming, issued the following news release: * * * Barrasso Calls on Senate to Fix America's Costly, Complex, and Cumbersome Permitting Process * "America is a nation of builders. We are not a nation of waiters. It's time for America's permitting process to get out of the way." WASHINGTON, D.C. - Senate Majority Whip John Barrasso (R-Wyo.) today discussed the challenges facing American builders because of the costly, complex, and cumbersome permitting process. Senator Barrasso previewed his leg more PR

NEW YORK, May 12 -- Baruch College posted the following news: * * * Baruch College Announces Class of 2026 Valedictorian and Salutatorian * Left to right: Class of 2026 Valedictorian Farah Haq and Salutatorian Kylie Jones. Baruch College named Farah Haq and Kylie Jones, respectively, as the Valedictorian and Salutatorian for the Class of 2026. Both students were honored for their academic achievement, leadership in community engagement, and communication skills. Haq will deliver the valedictory address at Baruch's Commencement Ceremon more PR

NEW YORK, May 13 -- The Catholic League for Religious and Civil Rights, an organization that defends the right of Catholics to participate in American public life without defamation or discrimination, issued the following commentary on May 12, 2026, by President Bill Donohue: * * * TRUMP'S RELIGIOUS LIBERTY PANEL UNDER ATTACK Ever since President Trump announced on May 1, 2025 that he wanted a Religious Liberty Commission to make recommendations on how to protect our most important freedom, critics have tried to discredit it. The same is tru more PR

GREENWOOD, South Carolina, May 13 -- Lander University issued the following news: * * * Chief Justice Honors Lander with Historic Proclamation Karen Petit As the United States looks to celebrate the 250th anniversary of the signing of the Declaration of Independence, leaders of South Carolina's three branches of government have co-signed a joint proclamation that honors America's founding ideals. Limited copies of the joint proclamation are being made available to the state's public agencies and institutions of higher education. Lander Uni more PR

WASHINGTON, May 12 (TNSLrpt) -- The Congressional Research Service issued the following In Focus white paper (No. IF10119) by Asian affairs specialist Susan V. Lawrence: Here are excerpts: * * * China Primer: U.S.-China Relations Introduction The second Trump Administration has shifted the framing of U.S. policy toward the People's Republic of China (PRC, or China) away from that of the first Trump and Biden Administrations. Rather than portraying the United States and China as engaged in strategic competition, the second Trump Administrat more PR

WASHINGTON, May 11 -- Rep. Troy Carter, D-Louisiana, issued the following news release: * * * Congressman Carter Convenes First in a Series of Town Hall Meetings Focused on Voting Rights and Redistricting in Louisiana * NEW ORLEANS, LA - Tonight, Congressman Troy A. Carter, Sr. (D-LA) convened a Voting Rights Town Hall discussion at Dillard University in New Orleans, Louisiana. Congressman Carter was joined by Mayor Helena Moreno, New Orleans City Council President JP Morrell, Members of the New Orleans City Council, Members of the Orleans  more PR

WASHINGTON, May 11 -- Sen. John Cornyn, R-Texas, issued the following news: * * * Cornyn Applauds Pres. Trump's Nomination of Kasdin Mitchell as District Judge for the Northern District of Texas in Dallas * WASHINGTON - U.S. Senator John Cornyn (R-TX) released the following statement after President Trump nominated Texan Kasdin Mitchell to be a U.S. District Judge for the Northern District of Texas - Dallas Division: "I applaud President Trump for nominating Kasdin Mitchell to serve as a federal judge for the Northern District of Texas,"  more PR

WASHINGTON, May 12 -- The Federal Communications Commission issued the following news release on May 11, 2026: * * * GOMEZ CALLS ON DISNEY TO FIGHT CENSORSHIP, EXPOSES DOUBLE STANDARD IN FCC TARGETING In First Communication to Disney's New CEO, FCC Commissioner Describes What Appears to Be Entrapment While Encouraging the Company to Stand Firm * FCC Commissioner Anna M. Gomez today sent a letter to Walt Disney Company CEO Josh D'Amaro documenting the record of this Administration's campaign of censorship and control against Disney, calling more PR

WASHINGTON, May 11 -- Rep. Shomari C. Figures, D-Alabama, issued the following news release: * * * Figures Statement on Supreme Court's Decision in Alabama Redistricting Case * WASHINGTON - Today, Congressman Shomari C. Figures (AL-02) issued the following statement after the U.S. Supreme Court lifted the injunction preventing Alabama from using discriminatory district maps: " This is an incredibly unfortunate decision by the Supreme Court that not only continues their trend of breaking from the norms and precedents set by the Court, but  more PR

PLANO, Texas, May 12 [Category: Sociological] -- The First Liberty Institute, an organization that says it is dedicated to defending liberty for all Americans, issued the following news release: * * * Former Navy Seals Fight for the Rights of School-Age Children's Religious Liberty * Charleston, WV -On behalf of former U.S. Navy SEALS who successfully won the battle against the Biden Administration and the Department of Defense from enforcing its unconstitutional vaccine mandate, First Liberty Institute filed an "friend of the court" brief  more PR

WASHINGTON, May 13 -- Rep. Jared Huffman, D-California, ranking member of the House Natural Resources Committee, sent a follow-up letter to TotalEnergies regarding its failure to respond to a congressional request for documents involving the U.S. Department of the Interior and offshore wind leases. * * * Here is the text of the letter: April 29, 2026 M. Patrick Pouyanne Chairman & CEO Total Energies Tour Coupole - 2, place Jean Millier 92078 Paris La Defense Cedex France Dear M. Pouyanne: On April 6, 2026, we requested documents and  more PR

WASHINGTON, May 12 (TNSletter) -- The House Ways and Means Chairman, Rep. Jason Smith, R-Missouri, sent a letter to Mara Verheyden-Hilliard, Co-Founder and Executive Director of the Partnership for Civil Justice Fund regarding concerns about China-linked financing associated with U.S. tax-exempt standing. * * * May 4, 2026 Ms. Mara Verheyden-Hilliard Co-Founder and Executive Director Partnership for Civil Justice Fund 617 Florida Ave NW Washington, D.C. 20001 Dear Ms. Verheyden-Hilliard: This letter responds to the Partnership for Civi more PR

NEW YORK, May 12 [Category: Union] -- The AFL-CIO International Alliance of Theatrical Stage Employees posted the following news release: * * * IATSE Warns: Weakening the Voting Rights Act Harms Working People and Our Communities * WASHINGTON, D.C. - The International Alliance of Theatrical Stage Employees (IATSE) condemns the recent decision issued by the Supreme Court affecting Section 2 of the Voting Rights Act (VRA) of 1965. The Voting Rights Act is a landmark federal law enacted to prohibit discrimination in voting and to protect equal more PR

WASHINGTON, May 12 [Category: Political] -- The Campaign Legal Center posted the following news release: * * * Missouri Supreme Court Leaves Map that Cracks Kansas City in Place for 2026 * JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. -A decision was issued today by the Missouri Supreme Court in Wise v. State, a case addressing the new congressional map enacted in 2025 that splits Kansas City across three congressional districts. The Court also issued a ruling in a separate case addressing the effect of a referendum on the new map. Campaign Legal Center, the ACLU  more PR

WASHINGTON, May 12 -- Rep. Seth Moulton, D-Massachusetts, issued the following news release: * * * Moulton Joins Protecting Reproductive Freedom Act as Original Cosponsor * WASHINGTON, D.C. - Congressman Seth Moulton (MA-06) joined the Protecting Reproductive Freedom Act as an original cosponsor, reaffirming support for protecting access to medication abortion and defending the authority of the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to regulate safe and effective medications based on science, not politics. Congressman Moulton previously cospo more PR

ONEONTA, New York, May 12 -- Hartwick College issued the following news release: * * * New Book by Hartwick Professor Explores Abortion Opinion After Dobbs * Hartwick College Professor Laurel Elder continues to bring nationally recognized political research into the classroom and broader public conversation with the release of the new book "Not Going Back: Public Opinion on Abortion in Post-Dobbs America", published May 8 by Temple University Press. Elder, who serves as chair of Hartwick's Department of Political Science, Law and Internat more PR

WASHINGTON, May 12 [Category: Political] -- Public Citizen issued the following news release: * * * No Kings Joins "All Roads Lead to the South" National Protest This Saturday Against Attacks on Voting Rights * This Saturday, "All Roads Lead to the South", the No Kings coalition, faith leaders, movement organizations, and community members from across the country will gather in Alabama, sacred ground in the fight for civil rights, to confront a coordinated assault on our right to vote and demand a future where every vote counts and every co more PR

CARLISLE, Pennsylvania, May 12 -- Pennsylvania State University Dickinson School of Law posted the following news: * * * Penn State Dickinson Law students honored for public interest and pro bono work at Miller Center Banquet * CARLISLE, PA-The second annual Miller Center Banquet, which recognizes Penn State Dickinson Law students who performed pro bono and public service work, took place on April 8 at the Carlisle Country Club. The evening included a stirring keynote address by Pennsylvania Supreme Court Chief Justice Debra Todd; a tribu more PR

WASHINGTON, May 13 -- The Peterson Institute for International Economics issued the following commentary on May 12, 2026, by senior research staffer Monica de Bolle: * * * The Lula-Trump meh meeting: Three hours, lunch, and a working group President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva met with President Donald Trump for nearly three hours on May 7. On paper it was the most substantive US-Brazil engagement in years. Yet there was no joint statement after the session, no tariff rollback, no memorandum on critical minerals, no security framework, and no  more PR

WASHINGTON, May 13 -- Rep. Jamie Raskin, D-Maryland, ranking member of the House Judiciary Committee, sends letter to Acting Attorney General Todd W. Blanche regarding potentially illegal payout to former National Security Adviser Michael Flynn. * * * Here is the text of the letter: April 6, 2026 The Honorable Todd W. Blanche Acting Attorney General U.S. Department of Justice 950 Pennsylvania Avenue, NW Washington, DC 20530 Dear Acting Attorney General Blanche: Your Department of Justice (DOJ) is poised to pay out more than a million  more PR

WASHINGTON, May 11 -- Rep. Terri Sewell, D-Alabama, issued the following news release: * * * Rep. Sewell Statement on Supreme Court Ruling Allowing Alabama to Proceed with Suppressing Black Representation * Washington D.C. -U.S. Rep. Terri Sewell (AL-07) released the following statement regarding the ruling by the U.S. Supreme Court allowing the State of Alabama to proceed with suppressing Black representation: "Today's decision by the Supreme Court to allow Alabama to move forward with its discriminatory congressional map is a stunning d more PR

WASHINGTON, May 12 [Category: Political] -- Reproductive Freedom for All (formerly the NARAL Pro-Choice America) posted the following news release: * * * Reproductive Freedom for All on Makary's Resignation as Supreme Court Weighs Sweeping National Mifepristone Restrictions * Washington, DC - Food and Drug Administration (FDA) Commissioner Marty Makary's resignation today is the latest sign of instability and political turmoil inside the FDA at a moment when abortion access nationwide-and the political fallout surrounding it-hangs in the ba more PR

WASHINGTON, May 12 -- Sen. Elizabeth Warren, D-Massachusetts, ranking member of the Senate Banking, Housing and Urban Affairs Committee, led a group of 30 co-signers in a letter asking Housing and Urban Development Secretary Scott Turner to explain a policy that would rescind the long-held disparate impact framework under the Fair Housing Act of 1968. * * * Here is the text of the letter: April 29, 2026 The Honorable Scott Turner Secretary U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development 451 7th Street SW Washington, DC 20410 Dear Sec more PR

WASHINGTON, May 12 -- Sen. Ron Wyden, D-Oregon, ranking member of the Senate Finance Committee, issued the following letter. * * * May 7, 2026 Mr. Richard B. Handler Chief Executive Officer Jefferies Financial Group Inc. 20 Madison Avenue New York, New York 10022 Dear Mr. Handler: I write regarding recent reports that investment banks and other brokerage firms, including Jefferies Financial Group Inc., are purchasing the rights to tariff refunds from American small businesses at steep discounts. On February 20, 2026, the Supreme Cour more PR

NEW YORK, May 13 -- The Toy Association issued the following news on May 12, 2026: * * * Tariff Updates on CAPE Refunds & Section 122 Ruling The Toy Association is sharing several trade developments of interest to toy industry importers and members monitoring U.S. tariff litigation, previously provided to members via email on May 8 and 11: IEEPA Refunds Toy Association members have begun receiving tariff refunds deposited into their bank accounts, as of May 11. The initial refunds appear to relate to tariffs that were paid on imports into  more PR

BROWNSVILLE, Texas, May 12 -- The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley posted the following news: * * * The Making of a Miracle: UTRGV graduate turns personal adversity into passion for public service * CLASS OF 2026 RIO GRANDE VALLEY, TEXAS - MAY 12, 2026 - Miracle Linnea Sanchez will graduate Saturday, May 16, with a bachelor's degree in philosophy and a pre-law concentration, bringing her one step closer to her childhood dream of becoming an attorney. Sanchez's path was shaped by early exposure to the legal system through her stepfa more PR

WASHINGTON, May 12 -- Sen. Katie Britt, R-Alabama, issued the following news release: * * * U.S. Senators Katie Britt, Colleagues Seek End Taxpayer-Funded Abortions, Urge SCOTUS to Protect Women and Babies From Dangerous Abortion Drug * U.S. Senator Katie Britt (R-Ala.) joined Senator Marsha Blackburn (R-Tenn.), Chairman of the Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions Committee Bill Cassidy (R-La.), and 16 of their Senate colleagues in introducing the Title X Abortion Provider Prohibition Act to ban federal Title X family-planning gran more PR