Saturday - November 23, 2024
Public Policy Tipoffs Involving California Newsletter for Thursday November 21, 2024 ( 23 items )  

'Leaking Havoc': 50% of Northern California Supermarkets Surveyed Found Emitting Super Pollutant Greenhouse Gases
WASHINGTON, Nov. 21 (TNSres) -- Green America issued the following news release: * * * New Investigation: Climate-Polluting Leaks Detected at Safeway, Walmart and Other Major CA Retailers * * * The Environmental Investigation Agency (EIA), Green America and YouthPower Climate Action released a new report, Leaking Havoc in Northern California, investigating leaks of hydrofluorocarbon (HFC) used in refrigeration at major supermarkets in the Bay Area and Sacramento. The organizations visited Sa  more

AJPH Supplement Reviewing US COVID-19 Response Highlights Need for Improved Strategies to Protect Vulnerable Populations
SAN DIEGO, California, Nov. 21 -- The American Journal of Public Health issued the following news release: The U.S. saw more COVID-19-related deaths than any other country in the world. Many of those deaths were found in vulnerable populations, especially among communities of color. A new supplement, Protecting Vulnerable Populations against COVID-19, published in the American Journal of Public Health with the Morehouse School of Medicine reiterates the need for the public health community to   more

ATA Urges Truck Manufacturers to Partner with Industry on Emissions Goals
ARLINGTON, Virginia, Nov. 20 [Category: Transportation] -- The American Trucking Associations issued the following news release: Today, American Trucking Associations President and CEO Chris Spear called upon the nation's heavy-duty truck and engine manufacturers to abandon their agreement with California regulators to abide by the state's increasingly untenable and unachievable zero-emission vehicle regulations. "By strong-arming our industry into unachievable targets and timelines void of o  more

Common Sense Media and OpenAI Launch Free AI Training Course for K-12 Educators
SAN FRANCISCO, California, Nov. 21 -- Common Sense Media issued the following news release on Nov. 20, 2024: * * * "ChatGPT Foundations for K-12 Educators" Helps Teachers Safely and Effectively Navigate AI, Generative AI, and ChatGPT in the Classroom * * * Common Sense Media and OpenAI today launched "ChatGPT Foundations for K-12 Educators," a free course designed to help teachers understand and responsibly implement the basics of AI into their work in the classroom. Free for all educators a  more

Earthjustice Statement on Nomination of Chris Wright to Lead Energy Department
SAN FRANCISCO, California, Nov. 20 [Category: Environment] -- Earthjustice issued the following news release: Earthjustice President Abigail Dillen issued the following statement after President-elect Donald Trump announced Chris Wright as his nominee for Secretary of the Department of Energy: "Putting a fossil fuel executive and noted climate denier in charge of one of the federal agencies tasked with helping us meet our climate goals tells us exactly what we're up against with this administ  more

EPRI, TVA Complete World's Largest Renewable Diesel-Powered Combustion Turbine Demonstration
PALO ALTO, California, Nov. 21 -- The Electric Power Research Institute issued the following news release on Nov. 20, 2024: Johnsonville, TN - Nov. 20, 2024 -- Today, EPRI and the Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA) announced the successful demonstration of renewable diesel as a combustion turbine fuel for power generation. The demonstration---the first U.S. test and the largest conducted in the world---was performed on a 76-megawatt dual-fuel natural gas/diesel unit at TVA's Johnsonville site in   more

Equality California: Statement on Orange Unified School Board Rescinding Anti-LGBTQ+ Policy
LOS ANGELES, California, Nov. 21 -- Equality California issued the following statement on Nov. 20, 2024: * * * Equality California released a statement from Executive Director Tony Hoang following the newly-elected Orange Unified School District Board of Education's decision to rescind a dangerous forced outing policy that put LGBTQ+ students in harm's way: "We are thrilled to see the new pro-equality majority on the Orange Unified School Board take decisive action to support the well-being o  more

HACU announces new chair, officers, members of its Governing Board
SAN ANTONIO, Texas, Nov. 20 [Category: Education] -- The Hispanic Association of Colleges and Universities issued the following news release: SAN ANTONIO The Hispanic Association of Colleges and Universities has announced the new chair of its Governing Board, four new members, and officers. HACU Governing Board members serve two-year terms with the opportunity to be re-elected for a second term. The appointments were ratified by HACU membership on November 2, 2024, in Aurora, Colorado. Juan S.  more

International Association of Plumbing & Mechanical Officials: Castle Rock, Colorado, Adopts Water Demand Calculator for Residential Water Supply Pipe Sizing
ONTARIO, California, Nov. 20 -- The International Association of Plumbing and Mechanical Officials issued the following news release: Castle Rock, Colorado -- The Castle Rock, Colorado, town council has approved the adoption of IAPMO's Uniform Plumbing Code (UPC(R)) Appendix M -- the Water Demand Calculator(R) -- as an alternative methodology for sizing water pipes in single- and multifamily buildings. The Castle Rock Town Code has been amended to require the use of the Water Demand Calculator   more

Mifflin Square Park Reimagined: Community Hub Updated With Help From Trust for Public Land, SEAMAAC
SAN FRANCISCO, California, Nov. 21 -- The Trust for Public Land issued the following news release: Trust for Public Land (TPL), in partnership with SEAMAAC (Southeast Asian Mutual Assistance Associations Coalition), is thrilled to announce the opening of Phase 1 of Mifflin Square Park, a vibrant space whose redesign is driven by community members and strong resident participation. A ribbon-cutting ceremony will take place on November 20 at 9:30am, where local leaders, residents, and supporters  more

National Health Advocacy Group Reminds Consumers the Likely Source of E. Coli in Carrots Linked to Outbreak is the Meat Industry
WASHINGTON, Nov. 20 [Category: Health Care] -- Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine issued the following news release: Amid a multistate E. coli outbreak that has killed one and sickened 39 and is linked to a California-based carrot grower that is recalling some of its products, a national health advocacy group reminds consumers the origin of the infection is likely the animal agriculture industry. Livestock operations and animal waste are the sources of many foodborne bacteria, inclu  more

Pro Audio Unites Around Expanded Brands, Opportunities at the NAMM Show
CARLSBAD, California, Nov. 21 -- The National Association of Music Merchants issued the following news release: * * * NAMM expands exhibit offerings for pro audio experiences at The 2025 NAMM Show * * * Anaheim, California, will be the home of the global pro audio community when it gathers at The 2025 NAMM Show, held January 21-25 in Anaheim, California. NAMM (The National Association of Music Merchants), the largest global not-for-profit music trade organization, has maximized the show's ex  more

Rand Issues Commentary to National Interest: Understanding Climate Migration
SANTA MONICA, California, Nov. 20 (TNSres) -- Rand issued the following excerpts of a commentary on Nov. 16, 2024, to the National Interest: * * * Understanding Climate Migration By Shelly Culbertson Representatives from countries around the world are convened in Baku, Azerbaijan, through Friday (November 22) for the United Nations Climate Change Conference, commonly known as the COP29, for ongoing talks on carbon emission reductions and the mitigation of climate-change-induced droughts, hea  more

Rand Issues Commentary: UK's Digital Veteran Card - An Opportunity to Improve Service Access
SANTA MONICA, California, Nov. 20 (TNSres) -- Rand issued the following commentary on Nov. 20, 2024: * * * The UK's Digital Veteran Card: An Opportunity to Improve Service Access By Mary Keeling and Edward Bryan Earlier this month, the UK Government announced that it plans to introduce a digital Veteran Card in 2025. This is a major step towards improving access to services for former Service personnel. Following the launch of Veteran Cards, in early 2024, this additional development seeks t  more

Rand: Larger Pay Increases and Better Benefits Could Support Teacher Retention
SANTA MONICA, California, Nov. 20 (TNSres) -- Rand issued the following news release on Nov. 20, 2024: Larger pay increases and better benefits could help keep K-12 teachers in the teacher workforce, finds a new, nationally representative RAND survey (https://www.rand.org/pubs/research_reports/RRA1108-13.html). U.S. teachers reported modest pay increases between the 2022-2023 and 2023-2024 school years, only $2,000 on average and well below their desired increase of $16,000. Black teachers and  more

Recording Academy: 2025 Producers & Engineers Wing Grammy Week Celebration to Honor Five-Time Grammy Winner Jimmy Douglass
SANTA MONICA, California, Nov. 21 -- The Recording Academy issued the following news release: * * * Event Will Acknowledge 'The Senator's' Contributions to Music and Recognize the Year-Round Work of the Recording Academy's P&E Wing * * * On Wed, Jan. 29, 2025, the Recording Academy(R) Producers & Engineers Wing(R) will honor producer, engineer, mixer, and five-time GRAMMY(R) winner Jimmy Douglass at its annual GRAMMY Week Celebration. Also known as "The Senator," Douglass' prolific career sp  more

Sanford Burnham Prebys: Decoding and Debugging Biological Programs for a Healthier Future
LA JOLLA, California, Nov. 21 (TNSres) -- Sanford Burnham Prebys issued the following news release: * * * New Sanford Burnham Prebys scientist Alessandro Vasciaveo aims to leverage computational expertise to deepen understanding of diseases and develop innovative solutions for improving health by integrating experimental biology with advanced machine learning. * * * Alessandro Vasciaveo, PhD, has fond memories of being introduced to computers and programming through his father's Apple II. "  more

Southern Border Communities Coalition Files Supreme Court Amicus in Barnes Vs. Felix to Urge End to Excessive Use of Force by Law Enforcement
WASHINGTON, Nov. 21 -- Robert F. Kennedy Human Rights issued the following news release on Nov. 20, 2024: Today, the Southern Border Communities Coalition took its fight for dignity and human rights to the U.S. Supreme Court by filing an amicus curiae ("friend of the court") brief in a major police shooting case, Barnes v. Felix, to hold law enforcement including Customs and Border Protection (CBP), accountable for decades of unchecked killings and abuse. Represented by the University of Calif  more

SRI, University of Houston Receive $3.6M to Develop a Microreactor to Convert Carbon Dioxide to Methanol Using Renewable Energy
MENLO PARK, California, Nov. 20 -- SRI International issued the following news: * * * By recycling carbon dioxide into methanol, this science supports U.S. climate goals and helps reduce greenhouse gases. * * * An innovative project that promises to transform sustainable fuel production was selected to receive $3.6 million from the U.S. Department of Energy's (DOE) Advanced Research Projects Agency-Energy (ARPA-E). Led by SRI, the project, entitled "Printed Microreactor for Renewable Energy   more

SWC Commends US for Vetoing Anti-Israel Resolution at UN Security Council for Failing to Include Call to Immediately Release All 101 Israeli Hostages
LOS ANGELES, California, Nov. 21 -- The Simon Wiesenthal Center issued the following news on Nov. 20, 2024: The Simon Wiesenthal Center today commended the White House for vetoing a UN Security Council resolution condemning Israel. "We now urge President Biden to order the release of all armaments promised to Israel," said Rabbi Abraham Cooper, SWC Director of Global Social Action. "It is no coincidence that the Security Council vote comes on the heels of a bill introduced in the US Senate,   more

The Midwest Does Not Need Dirty Hydrogen
SAN FRANCISCO, California, Nov. 20 [Category: Environment] -- Earthjustice issued the following news release: Chicago Today, the U.S. Department of Energy awarded $22.2 million the first part of a potentially $1 billion award in funding for the Midwest Hydrogen Hub (MachH2). In response, Lauren Piette, senior attorney at Earthjustice, released the following statement: "MachH2 has not meaningfully engaged frontline communities or provided transparent plans for producing green hydrogen. We know  more

World Vision International: Listen to the Future in East Africa
MONROVIA, California, Nov. 21 -- World Vision International issued the following news release on Nov. 20, 2024: Today, on International Children's Day 2024, World Vision East Africa reaffirms our commitment and promise to the well-being of the most vulnerable. As this year's theme aptly urges us to, "Listen to the Future," we reenergize our ministry to them. How we protect, educate, nurture, and empower them in the present will significantly shape the future they will inherit. Today, children   more

World Vision: World Children's Day - Children and Young People's Futures and Well-Being are at Risk Due to Dire Impact of Climate Change in the Middle East
MONROVIA, California, Nov. 21 (TNSres) -- World Vision International issued the following news release: On World Children's Day, global aid agency, World Vision, is raising the alarm about the dire effects that climate change is having on children and young people in the Middle East, many of whom are already impacted by violence, conflict and displacement. * Children and young people told us they are concerned about climate change's impact on the quality of their education, their ability to re  more