Rights of Government Grantees

Feb 8, 2016

Top 400 Taxpayers See Tax Rates Rise, But There’s More to the Story

As Americans were gathering party supplies to greet the New Year, the Internal Revenue Service released their annual report of cumulative tax data reported on the 400 tax r...

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Feb 4, 2016

Chlorine Bleach Plants Needlessly Endanger 63 Million Americans

Chlorine bleach plants across the U.S. put millions of Americans in danger of a chlorine gas release, a substance so toxic it has been used as a chemical weapon. Greenpeace’s new repo...

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Jan 25, 2016

U.S. Industrial Facilities Reported Fewer Toxic Releases in 2014

The Toxics Release Inventory (TRI) data for 2014 is now available. The good news: total toxic releases by reporting facilities decreased by nearly six percent from 2013 levels. Howe...

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Jan 22, 2016

Methane Causes Climate Change. Here's How the President Plans to Cut Emissions by 40-45 Percent.

UPDATE (Jan. 22, 2016): Today, the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) released its proposed rule to reduce methane emissions...

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more news

Center for American Progress' Faith-Based Initiative Talking

Mar 3, 2005 by Guest Blogger

The Center for American Progress posted its Faith Based Talking Points today. Check them out.

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We Lost On WIA Yesterday...

Mar 3, 2005 by Guest Blogger

First of all, thank you to anyone who sent out a letter or made a phone call to their Representative. Staffers told our coalition members that the phone calls and letters really did make a difference. HR 27 passed yesterday, 224 to 200. The Scott Amendment to restore civil rights protections failed, 186 Aye -- 239 No. ' I'm really very proud of the work our coalition did. We had great leadership from groups like Americans United and ACLU. Now, on to the Senate!

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Bush Pushes Faith Based Initiative

Mar 1, 2005 by Guest Blogger

President George W. Bush reassured a gathering of religious and civic leaders this morning (3/1/05) that he is committed to pursuing his Faith-Based and Community Initiative to expand the role of religious organizations in the delivery of government-funded social services. "Hopefully you will be reassured that this initiative is one that has a lot of impetus, and be reassured that we want to help change America," President Bush said to some 250 guests attending the White House Faith-Based and Community Initiatives Leadership Conference in Washington, D.C.

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SBA Launches New Faith-Based Initiative Center

Feb 18, 2005 by Guest Blogger

The U.S. Small Business Administration had created a Center for Faith-Based and Community Initiatives to help religous and community based nonprofits learn about and access SBA-backed programs and loans. As part of the program, the all current grants recipients have extended theor programs to faith-based organizations that focus a significant part of their program on aiding small businesses. They are already developing workshops, training seminars and open houses in an effort to increase outreach to these groups.

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Challenge to a Religiously Based Vocational Training Program

Feb 16, 2005 by Guest Blogger

A federal lawsuit filed today by two civil liberties groups challenges taxpayer-funded religious instruction and job discrimination in a vocational training program for inmates in Bradford County, Pa.

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WIA Markup retains faith-based discrimination

Feb 16, 2005 by Guest Blogger

There was great debate today during committee markup on the WIA bill. On the Scott-Van Hollen-Woolsey amendment, debate lasted almost two hours and was very spirited. Ultimately, the amendment was defeated 19-23. Among dems, Miller was not present for the vote, and Barrow voted no.

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Bush Courts Black Evangelicals with Faith Based Intiative

Jan 27, 2005 by Guest Blogger

Interesting article on Bush's efforts with Black evangelical churches and the effect of faith-based money.

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Big Words, Empty Pockets

Jan 25, 2005 by Guest Blogger

On the Center for American Progress' website, there is a letter to Congress signed by over 60 religious leaders from 16 states. The letter calls on Congress to examine the budget as an inherently moral document and offers six specific questions that should be asked to determine whether the budget's provisions are fair, just and promote the common good. This is a critical issue at a time when President Bush's new budget calls for a slashing of social service programs, many of them the same faith-based programs that he advocated for during the election.

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Court Rules on Key Issues on Funding Faith-Based Groups

A Jan. 11 ruling by a federal district court judge in Wisconsin in a complex case challenging the federal faith-based initiative has blocked funding to a program that incorporated religious content into government funded activities, but dismissed a claim that another program discriminated against secular nonprofits in awarding subgrants. Freedom From Religion Foundation v. Towey may be appealed by both sides.

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Congress Faces First Faith-Based Issues of 2005

A Quarter of HUDÕs Budget Slashed in BushÕs Budget The Bush administration, in a drastic reversal of election promises, plans to cut $8 billion in funding at the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD), in programs often administered by faith-based organizations, resulting in a reduction of the agencyÕs $31 billion budget by almost a quarter.

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