DUM AND DUMMER
Sens. Cruz, Manchin introduce bill opposing gas stove ban

ITS A LIE, THERE IS NO BAN

Sens. Ted Cruz, R-Texas, and Joe Manchin, D-W.Va., introduced legislation that would prohibit the government from banning gas stoves. File photo by A.J. Sisco/UPI | License Photo

Feb. 2 (UPI) -- Leaders from both sides of the U.S. political spectrum joined forces on Thursday to try to bar the federal government from banning gas-fired stoves, saying it was an example of federal overreach.

Richard Trumka Jr., a commissioner of the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission, said in January that gas stoves are a "hidden hazard," potentially releasing anything from carbon monoxide to formaldehyde into people's homes.

U.S. Sens. Joe Manchin, D-W.Va., and Ted Cruz, R-Texas, introduced legislation that would prohibit the safety commission from receiving federal funds to regulate new or existing gas stoves or for classifying stoves as a hazardous product.

The text of the two-page bill was published first by NBC.

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Both leaders were quoted by the network as saying any proposal to limit consumer options was an example of federal overreach.

Manchin was quoted as saying the government has "no business" dictating how people cook at home, while Cruz said it was an example of some of the fringe proposals offered by what he considers his more liberal counterparts on the opposite side of the political spectrum."

Make no mistake, radical environmentalists want to stop Americans from using natural gas," Cruz said. "The Consumer Product Safety Commission's proposed ban on gas stoves is the latest egregious scaremongering by the far left and their Biden administration allies."

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About 35% of households in the United States use indoor gas stoves. As much as 13% of current childhood asthma in the country can be attributed to some of the chemicals associated with gas stove use, according to government statistics.

Samples, meanwhile, taken from the Boston area found at least 21 hazardous air pollutants, including benzene, toluene, ethylbenzene, xylene and hexane that could be linked to gas stoves.

Eric Lebel, a senior scientist with PSE Healthy Energy in Oakland, Calif., said the risks, however, may carry some caveats.

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"There are many other compounding sources of nitrogen dioxide," Lebel said. "If you live next to a freeway, that's a big source of nitrogen dioxide. So it's hard to know how much of an issue that gas stoves are, in terms of the total impact on health concerns like asthma."

The White House is on the record as saying no plans exist to ban gas stoves, and the Consumer Product Safety Commission has said it wants to study the risks, but has no short-term plans to pursue a moratorium.

US Labor Department launches campaign to educate workplaces on rights of nursing mothers


The Department of Labor is launching an effort to inform workplaces of new protections for nursing mothers under the Providing Urgent Maternal Protections for Nursing Mothers Act.

File Photo by Draw/Shutterstock

Feb. 2 (UPI) -- The United States Department of Labor announced a new effort to alert workplaces of the rights afforded to nursing mothers under new legislation.

"Research shows women of color and women rural communities suffer significantly higher rates of maternal mortality and morbidity than their white and urban counterparts," reads the text of a press release from the Labor Department Thursday.

The Providing Urgent Protection for Nursing Mothers Act or "PUMP Act" requires workplaces to provide time and a private space for nursing mothers to pump breastmilk.

The legislation is designed to beef up protections under the Fair Labor Standards Act, which already has provisions requiring employers to allow employees to pump breastmilk.

The PUMP Act extends protections to millions of women who previously weren't covered under the FLSA, allows women to take legal action against workplaces that do not comply, and specifies that employers must pay employees for time they spend pumping breastmilk.

The Labor Department's Wage and Hour division is in charge of enforcing the PUMP Act and has launched a website to explain worker protections under the legislation.

Menstrual symptoms hurt workplace productivity, study finds


Nearly half of American women report taking days off from work due to menstrual symptoms, according to a new study that found digital health apps could help workplace productivity. Photo by unknownuserpanama/Pixabay

Feb. 2 (UPI) -- Nearly half of American women report taking days off from work due to menstrual symptoms, according to a new study that found digital health apps could help workplace productivity.

The University of Virginia School of Medicine Health survey found that 45.2% of women reported menstrual symptoms that impacted their work. Those symptoms included reduced energy, mood and lack of concentration.

"This study demonstrates that menstrual symptoms have a significant effect on women's lives," Dr. Jennifer Payne, the study's senior author and director of the Reproductive Psychiatry Research Program at the University of Virginia School of Medicine, said in a statement.

"I think these results demonstrate just how resilient women are -- they are able to continue to work and be productive despite the significant impact that menstrual symptoms have," Payne added.

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Researchers tracked responses from 1,867 women who used the Flo app, which helps women track their menstrual cycle and symptoms, as 91% of the women reported cramps, 85% reported fatigue and 81% reported bloating.

According to the study, many of the women who reported menstrual symptoms said they did not feel supported by their workplace, with 49.7% saying they did not feel comfortable talking freely about their cycle with their manager

Researchers found those women, who used digital health interventions such as the Flo app, were better equipped to manage their period symptoms. More than half of the women surveyed in the study said the app helped them prepare for and be aware of their body's signals.

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According to the study, the app users said they were 18% to 25% less likely to report that their menstrual symptoms affected their work productivity. They were also 12% to 16% less likely to take days off.

"Organizations would do well to pay attention to this study and promote environments where women can feel comfortable in addressing needs surrounding the menstrual cycle," Payne said.

"Women are already doing the hard work of coping with menstrual symptoms on a monthly basis. Digital interventions geared toward minimizing women's symptoms and maximizing coping skills are one way organizations can support their women employees."

Lawmakers gather to celebrate 30th anniversary of Family and Medical Leave Act

Vice President Kamala Harris speaks in the East Room of the White House Thursday at an event marking 30 years since the Family and Medical Leave Act.

Photo by Bonnie Cash/UPI | License Photo

Feb. 2 (UPI) -- Lawmakers gathered Thursday to mark the 30th anniversary of the Family and Medical Leave Act, a landmark piece of legislation U.S. President Joe Biden said affords "dignity and security" to millions of families.

Former President Bill Clinton returned to DC to help Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris celebrate the occasion in the East Room of the White House.

"Let us be clear, in America in the 21st century, every worker should be able to take time off to care for themselves or the people they love," Harris said in opening remarks.

"When they are able, our entire nation benefits," she said. "Consider for example, women are 40% more likely to need family or medical leave because they are more likely to take on caregiving responsibilities, and studies have shown that when women receive the leave ... they are more likely then to stay in the workforce, which means a stronger economy, raising wages for workers overall."

In his remarks, the president thanked the lawmakers who had advocated for the Family Medical Leave Act, citing by name former President Clinton and his wife, Hillary Rodham Clinton, whom he said was "as tenacious an advocate as there ever was for this law."

"Because of the years of work and tenacious advocacy of many of you who are here today," the FML Act has provided "dignity and security for millions of families," Biden said. "Because, finally, finally, for the first time in history, the majority of working Americans [can] take time off work, care for somebody they love, to care for themselves, without fear of losing their job."

Former President Clinton spoke, recounting the feedback he's received since his administration make the act into law in 1993.

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"After all these years, I still have more people mention the Family Leave Act to me than any other specific things I did," Bill Clinton said. "And no one talks about what gets all the press coverage -- you know, the political process, how long did it take, who got derailed, what went up, what went down."

Bill Clinton introduced healthcare advocate Natasha Jackson, who shared her personal story of losing her job because of a lack of protections like those in the Family and Medical Leave Act.

"When I was three months pregnant, and the only woman working at a local rental furniture company, I asked my employer if I could do less heavy lifting. I thought it would be an easy ask. Instead I lost my job," said Jackson.

"I was our primary bread-winner at the time, we had just made a down payment on a house, but without my income we had to back out of all of it. We then ended up homeless and needing emergency public housing, all in a matter of months," Jackson said.

"I have two daughters and I also have nieces and I am so grateful that they and millions of workers won't have to choose between starting a family and keeping their jobs," she said.

Biden also touted recent legislation granting further protections to workers, including women who are nursing.

"I'm proud to say that under our administration we've made additional progress. In December, as we mentioned earlier, we passed the Pregnant Workers Fairness Act," Biden said. "We filled an important gap in federal protection by requiring employers to make reasonable accommodations for pregnant women and new moms, like letting them have water breaks, bathroom breaks, sit down to work breaks."

"This event is a moment to recognize the difference that the Family and Medical Leave Act has made and continues to make for millions of Americans, ensuring that they can take up to 12 weeks of leave to care for a new child, a sick family member, or themselves, without risk of losing their jobs or health insurance," Gender Policy Council Director Jennifer Klein, said in a phone call with reporters marking the 30th anniversary of the Family and Medical Leave Act.

"We'll continue to fight efforts by Republicans in Congress to strip away the historic funding for childcare secured in the year-end omnibus bill, or to use critical policies for working families as bargaining chip," she continued.

At the White House Daily Press Briefing Thursday Klein outlined the legacy of the Family and Medical Leave Act.

"The Family and Medical Leave Act came about after years of work by advocates and members of Congress, including support by President Biden as a senator and from an historic number of women trailblazers in Congress," Klein said.

USDA announces $9.4 million for plans to limit waste in landfills


The U.S. Department of Agriculture announced an investment into the Compost and Food Waste Reduction program that furthers the American Rescue Plan’s climate change directive. File Photo by Stokpic/Pixabay

Feb. 2 (UPI) -- The U.S. Department of Agriculture announced an investment into the Compost and Food Waste Reduction program that furthers the American Rescue Plan's climate change directive.

The USDA is investing $9.4 million into CFRW agreements, which are granted to local and municipal governments that exercise efforts to limit waste in landfills and promote sustainable practices. The agreements are funded with American Rescue Plan dollars.

"These Compost and Food Waste Reduction projects play important roles in building resilient, local food systems, including strong food recovery networks and food waste reduction solutions that benefit farmers and communities," said Terry Cosby, chief of USDA's Natural Resources Conservation Service.

"With an estimated 4% of U.S. greenhouse gas emissions attributable to uneaten food, local strategies and tools like these are important climate solutions."

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The USDA has been supporting composting and food waste reduction activities in this way since 2020, contributing to projects across the United States. Farmers, community gardeners and communities at large have benefitted from the projects through CFRW cooperative agreements.

Among the recipients of funding is the Miami-Dade County 2022 pilot project that will scale up three local composting companies. The aim of the project is to increase the capacity of the companies by 50% in one year, according to the USDA.

A Tuscon, Ariz., pilot project will build composting infrastructure for the Tucson Unified School District in 2022 and provide education to students about food reclamation and the economic benefits of composting. The USDA said the infrastructure will soil health and support the school district's community garden which provides nutritious food for members of the larger community.

Michigan's second-largest city gets powered by its waste stream

A waste-to-energy facility in Michigan's second-largest city is keeping trash out of area landfills. Photo courtesy of Kent County Department of Public Works.

Feb. 2 (UPI) -- New leadership is taking over operations at a facility that can supply one of Michigan's most populated cities with gas sourced from the decomposition of organic waste, partners announced Thursday.

Vicinity Energy established a new partnership with the public works department in Kent County to operate a new waste-to-energy facility in Grand Rapids, Mich. The company is taking over operations at a facility that keeps an estimated 190,000 tons of waste from going into landfills each year and yields enough energy to power 11,000 homes in the area.

Grand Rapids is the second-largest city after Detroit, with a population in the greater metropolitan area of around 1 million people.

Vicinity estimates that customers receiving the gas would have an annual carbon footprint that's 38% less than those that rely on more conventional forms of power.

Characterized as a renewable form of energy, companies are looking to utilize the decomposition of organic matter such as the manure from the cattle industry and waste that would normally wind up in a landfill to yield a substitute for conventional natural gas.

Decomposition of organic matter results in the release of natural gas in the form of methane, which can be purified to remove harmful compounds and increase its potency. That product can then be put through conventional pipelines for delivery to end users.

Though advancing along with the transition away from conventional fossil fuels, county officials said they've utilized this form of energy for more than 30 years.

"We're continuing to invest in the waste-to-energy facility, and this new partnership with Vicinity will ensure it operates safely and efficiently for years to come," Dar Baas, the director of the Kent County Department of Public Works, said.

HUD awards $315 million to cities to address homelessness


Secretary of Housing and Urban Development Marcia Fudge announced $315 million in grants to cities across the country to help address homelessness. File Photo by David Maxwell/UPI | License Photo

Feb. 2 (UPI) -- The Department of Housing and Urban Development announced $315 million in grants to help cities across the country address homelessness.

The funds will help 46 cities and localities expand housing options, expand healthcare services and provide for short and long-term rental assistance. HUD is seeking to reduce homeless by 25% over the next three years.

"Homelessness is a crisis, and it is solvable. Housing with supportive services solves homelessness. That's why, for the first time the federal government is deploying targeted resources to meet the needs of people experiencing homelessness in unsheltered settings or in rural areas," said HUD Secretary Marcia L. Fudge. "With these grants and vouchers, HUD is filling this gap and giving communities the resources and tools to improve housing and health outcomes for people on the streets, in encampments, under bridges, and in rural areas."

Chicago will receive a $60 million grant to help strengthen homeless outreach and provide access to permanent housing. Dallas plans to use its $22.8 million grant grant to invest in the expansion of homeless street outreach, permanent housing options, supportive services, and overall system improvements.

Los Angeles and Miami will receive grant money to help transition people to interim and permanent housing, while the state of North Carolina will be given money to address rural homelessness across seven counties.

HUD also announced that the 105 municipalities, states, and tribes who have joined the House America Initiative, have collectively housed more than 100,000 households experiencing homelessness and added over 40,000 affordable housing units into development.

PG&E to be arraigned on involuntary manslaughter charges over Zogg fire

PG&E will be arraigned on involuntary manslaughter charges Feb. 15, according to the Shasta County, Calif. District Attorney's Office. The charges are related to the company's role in allegedly causing the Zogg wildfire that killed four people. Pictured is the Dixie fire near the PG&E Rock Creek Power House July 21, 2021. PG&E said then its equipment may have sparked the Dixie fire. 

Photo by Peter DaSilva/UPI | License Photo

Feb. 2 (UPI) -- Pacific Gas & Electric Co. will go to trial on involuntary manslaughter and other charges stemming from the deadly 2020 Zogg wildfire in California, according to the Shasta County District Attorney's Office.

PG&E will be arraigned Feb. 15.

"Following a 7-day preliminary hearing, Pacific Gas and Electric (PG&E) was held to answer today for multiple felony and misdemeanor criminal charges for its role in starting the Zogg fire in 2020," the Shasta County District Attorney's Office said in a statement posted on Facebook. "In the Zogg fire, four people died, over 200 structures burned, and more than 50,000 acres were consumed in Shasta and Tehama Counties. Among the charges PG&E is facing are four counts of involuntary manslaughter and three counts of recklessly starting a fire."

Prosecutors filed 11 felony criminal charges and 20 misdemeanors against PG&E in September of 2021 for the fire that left four people dead and burned some 56,000 acres.

In June 2022, PG&E pleaded not guilty to four involuntary manslaughter charges from the Zogg fire in Shasta County.

Shasta County District Attorney Stephanie Bridgett told reporters at the time that a PG&E electrical line sparked the fire when a tree fell on it.

In 2020 PG&E pleaded guilty to 84 counts of involuntary manslaughter in the 2018 Camp Fire in California. The company admitted then that its neglected equipment sparked that fire.

PG&E filed for bankruptcy in 2019 as they were being investigated for the role PG&E played in wildfires that killed dozens of people.

'Risky gamble:' NDP urges Alberta government to end fixation with pulling out of CPP

Story by The Canadian Press • 


EDMONTON — Alberta's Opposition leader says Premier Danielle Smith’s government needs to end its fixation with pulling the province out of the Canada Pension Plan.


'Risky gamble:' NDP urges Alberta government to end fixation with pulling out of CPP© Provided by The Canadian Press

NDP Leader Rachel Notley says her party would not pursue an Alberta Pension Plan, which the United Conservative government has been studying for almost three years without resolution.

Notley says the idea does not make economic sense and is opposed by a majority of Albertans, adding the government needs to release its long-promised report into the pros and cons of Alberta going it alone on pensions.

“We are very concerned that this UCP government is sitting on a self-interested report that they are hiding from Albertans because they don’t want this to be an election issue, but they still plan to go ahead with it should they get elected,” Notley told reporters Thursday.

“If this UCP government is continuing to toy with this risky gamble to undermine the security of Albertans’ pensions, then they have an obligation to come clean on that.”

Alberta voters head to the polls May 29.

Smith's office said work continues on a third-party analysis of an Alberta pension plan.

“While the initial analysis looks favourable, the Office of the Chief Actuary of Canada recently tabled updated asset figures for the CPP, and the third-party expert authoring the report requires additional time to update its findings,” spokeswoman Becca Polak said in a statement.


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Polak stressed the report would only be the first step and Albertans would have the final say.

“The government of Alberta will not replace the CPP with an Alberta Pension Plan unless Albertans first vote to do so in a provincewide referendum," she said. "It's Albertans' pension — it must be Albertans’ choice.”

The report stems from a May 2020 Fair Deal panel report urging Alberta explore the idea as a way to help assert itself more within Confederation.

The panel reported that given Alberta's young population, a separate pension plan could be a multibillion-dollar net benefit. The panel recommended the idea be explored even though 42 per cent of the respondents in its survey thought it was a good idea.

In response, then-premier Jason Kenney ordered a review into the feasibility of such a plan. In March 2021, Kenney said work on the report was almost done and his government was just weeks away from announcing next steps.

Smith, taking over from Kenney in October, asked Toews to continue with the pension report. In December she said she hoped a referendum might be possible with the May election, but has since said that likely won’t happen.

She has said Albertans are over-contributers to CPP and need to explore an alternative that could leave more money in the hands of Alberta seniors.

The Alberta pension plan is among a suite of measures being explored by Smith’s government as a way to carve out more independence for Alberta within Confederation.

The province is also researching its own provincial police force to replace the RCMP and tax revenue collecting agency.

In December, the Alberta Chambers of Commerce conducted a survey that suggested a majority of business owners believe leaving CPP for an Alberta plan would disadvantage them over the next three to five years.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Feb. 2, 2023

Dean Bennett, The Canadian Press

Australia's new $5 banknote will not feature British monarchy


The Australian government said Thursday that it will replace the British monarch on its $5 banknote with an First Australians design. File Photo by Paul Miller/EPA

Feb. 2 (UPI) -- Australia announced Thursday that the image of King Charles III will not be included in a redesign of its $5 bill, the last of the Commonwealth's banknotes to feature the British monarchy.

The Reserve Bank of Australia said in a statement that it will replace the portrait of Queen Elizabeth II with a design "that honors the culture and history of the First Australians."

The design for the new banknote will be decided in consultation with the country's indigenous population known as First Australians and will take several years to be designed and printed, it said, adding the other side of the note will continue to feature the Australian Parliament.

"This decision by the Reserve Bank Board follows consultation with the Australian government, which supports this change," it said.

Treasure Jim Chalmers told reporters during a press conference that the monarch will continue to be present on Australia's coins.

"This decision ... is an opportunity to strike a good place here," he said. "The monarch will still be on the coins but the 5$ note will say more about our history, and our heritage and our country, and I see that as a good thing."

The new design will include a First Australian design instead of a person, he said.

The announcement comes after the British queen died in September at the age of 96 following years of serving as head of the Commonwealth, which includes 54 countries.

The Royal Australian Mint has said that it intends to announce the design of the first King Charles III coins soon with plans for them to be released prior to the end of the year.

"Naturally, existing Australian legal tender coins bearing the Queen's effigy will remain in circulation and remain legal tender forever," it said in a release late last year.

The last 5$ note depicting the queen was issued on Sept. 1, 2016.