News Releases

  • University Protests

    “During the hearing, you were asked about the political views of specific professors and encouraged to take disciplinary action, including termination, against them. Such clear retaliation for First-Amendment protected speech would be prohibited at a state institution. Although Columbia University is a private institution not governed by the First Amendment, the role of state actors — in this case members of Congress — in instigating the action would raise serious First Amendment concerns. Even if the First Amendment could not be found to apply, it would still be a serious breach of norms of academic freedom.”


  • UAW Launching Union Wave?

    “In two prior union elections in Chattanooga, the UAW was unable to move the needle enough to win, losing the first time, 626-712, and on a second try in 2019, 776-833. The U.S. remained the only country in the world where Volkswagen workers were non-union. Things began to change in 2022, when Volkswagen expanded the plant to produce the all-electric ID.4. In the process, the company hired over 2,000 new workers. With labor shortages throughout the manufacturing sector, many of the workers hired by Volkswagen were much younger and more diverse. Some had even moved from more pro-union parts of…


  • Billions More for Israel as It Attacks West Bank

    Jarrar, advocacy director at Democracy for the Arab World Now (DAWN), said: “Members of Congress should understand that approving more military aid could subject them to personal liability for aiding and abetting an ongoing genocide in Gaza.”


  • International Civilian Aid Flotilla to “Break the Siege of Gaza”

    The International Freedom Flotilla Coalition recently released a statement: “International Civilian Aid Flotilla to Break the Siege of Gaza” that it “will sail in mid April with multiple vessels, carrying 5,500 tons of humanitarian aid and hundreds of international human rights observers to challenge the ongoing illegal Israeli blockade of the Gaza Strip. This is an emergency mission as the situation in Gaza is dire, with famine setting in in northern Gaza, and catastrophic hunger present throughout the Gaza Strip as the result of a deliberate policy by the Israeli government to starve the Palestinian people. Time is critical as…


  • Race-Based Kidney Tests

    Medical school activists are sounding the alarm over the EDUCATE Act, a bill that aims to remove Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion curricula and ban race-based admission mandates at medical schools.


  • Government Compelling Private Universities to “Pledge of Allegiance” to Israel; Universities Disciplined Students for Rallies

    “What we are seeing now is only the latest manifestation of a longstanding campaign to try to redefine the term ‘anti-Semitism’ — to take it away from the dictionary meaning that worked very well for a long time, and to turn it into something else. Under the new definition, anti-Semitism includes criticism of Zionism and of the policies and actions of Israel. … Congress should not be involved in overseeing private universities, or even public universities, because they’re state-managed, not managed by the federal government. And yet, suddenly, Congress was inserting itself into issues on campus with a clear disciplinary…


  • “Terrifying” “Make Everyone A Spy” Amendment Provokes Outrage

    “As we have said for months, the Make Everyone A Spy provision is recklessly broad and a threat to democracy itself. It is simply stunning that the administration and House Intelligence Committee do not have a single answer for how frighteningly broad this provision is. While the Department of Justice wants us to believe that this is simply about addressing data centers, that is no justification for exposing cleaning crews, security guards, and untold scores of other Americans to secret Section 702 directives, which are issued without any court review. Receiving one can be a life-changing event, and Jim Himes…


  • NSA, Palantir “Feed Israel’s Killing Machine in Gaza”

    “Now, with Israel’s ongoing war in Gaza, critical information from NSA continues to be used by Unit 8200, according to a number of sources, to target tens of thousands of Palestinians for death — often with U.S.-supplied 2,000-pound bombs and other weapons. And it is extremely powerful data-mining software, such as that from Palantir, that helps the IDF to select targets.”


  • “Iran’s Attack and Prospects for Regional War”

    “Yesterday’s attack failed to inflict any serious damage on Israel. This was no accident. Iran expected this result. It warned the U.S. in advance of its plans. Unlike Israel, [the Iranian government] exercised calculated restraint.” The Iranian government told the U.S. government “through back-channels what it intended. It negotiated an understanding with the U.S. about what the latter would do in response. … Israel will counter-attack. The only question is whether it will be symbolic or full-force. The latter would demand an Iranian response. And not the restrained one of yesterday. Then, we would be right back where we started, when Israel initiated…


  • Potential Medicaid Cuts in New York State Budget

    New York Gov. Kathy Hochul proposed major Medicaid cuts to this year’s state budget that would impact the state’s Health Homes program.


  • Judicial Nominees: How Should the Senate Proceed?

    NATHAN NEWMAN Newman is chair of the Judicial Nominations Committee of the National Lawyers Guild. He said today: “With the changeover in control of the Senate, there is now the chance for a counterbalance to Bush’s attempt to pack the federal courts with right-wing appointees…. The loss by the Republicans of control of the Judiciary…

  • Beyond the Bush Daughters: Alcohol Policies Under Attack

    While many have focused on the specifics of President Bush’s daughter Jenna being charged with underage drinking at an Austin restaurant last week, some specialists in alcohol policies are urging a shift in public focus — to scrutinize key roles of the alcohol industry. The following policy analysts are available for interviews: LAURIE LEIBER Leiber…

  • Education Spending: Beyond the Rhetoric

    This evening, Laura Bush is scheduled to give the keynote address to the Reach Out and Read national conference in Cambridge, Massachusetts. The following analysts on education policy are available for interviews: EDWARD KEALY Executive director of the Committee for Education Funding, a coalition of over 100 educational organizations, Kealy said this afternoon: “The president…

  • Bush on Public Lands: After the Photo-Op

    Today’s newspapers include pictures of President Bush as he spoke about the importance of public lands in front of some of the world’s oldest trees. The following policy critics are available for interviews: CHAD HANSON Executive director of the John Muir Project, Hanson said today: “George W. Bush’s speech from Sequoia National Park rings hollow.…

  • Bush in California: Energy Blame Game?

    President Bush’s meeting with California Gov. Gray Davis today brings heightened attention to energy issues. Critics assert that the White House still fails to address key factors. Among those available for interviews: MINDY SPATT Media director of The Utility Reform Network in California, Spatt said today: “California is facing economic disaster due to a failed…

  • The Senate: Looking Ahead

    The following policy analysts are available for interviews about implications of the Senate shakeup: LARRY AGRAN Agran is the mayor of Irvine, California. He said today: “It’s unwise to expect too much from the national Democratic Party. Instead of organizing nationwide against Bush’s outrageous $1.6 trillion tax-cut bonanza for the rich, the Democrats folded like…

  • Tax Cut: Who Benefits?

    ROBERT McINTYRE McIntyre is director of Citizens for Tax Justice, which has the only computer model outside the government capable of a detailed analysis of the effects of the proposed tax cuts. CTJ has a series of reports on its website, including the newly released “Distributional Effects of the Senate Finance Committee-Passed Version of the…

  • Responses to Mitchell Report on Mideast

    ALLEGRA PACHECO An American/Israeli Jewish human rights lawyer who represents Palestinians in the West Bank, Pacheco is now a Peace Fellow at the Bunting Institute at Harvard/Radcliffe. She said today: “In calling for the end of the building of settlements on occupied territory, the Mitchell report is calling for Israel to stop an illegal act.…

  • Implications of New Census Data on Rise of Single-Parent Families

    New census data released today show an increase in single-parent families. “The portion of the country’s total 105.5 million households that were headed by single fathers with children living there doubled in a decade, to 2 percent,” the Associated Press reports. AP added that “single-mother homes made up 7 percent of all households in 2000,…

  • Energy Policy: Analysts Available

    With President Bush announcing proposals for a national energy policy today, the following analysts are available for interviews: MINDY SPATT Media director of TURN, The Utility Reform Network, Spatt said today: “Many outside California don’t understand why deregulation has failed. The generators (like Reliant, Dynegy, Mirant) and traders (like Enron and Williams), which control our…

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