Environmental Social Governance. March 2021

 ESG Agenda May Lead The SEC Down Long, Litigious Path

The U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission has been talking tough when it comes to companies' ESG disclosures, but developing new regulations to address the issue is a likely yearslong task, while any enforcement actions taken in the interim could bring a wave of litigation that puts the agency at the mercy of the courts, experts told Law360.

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Your Community? Community Coping With COVID-19: Role of the Black Boston COVID-19 Coalition, Thu, Mar 18, 2021 at 2:30 PM

Boston has taken a lead.  Chicago, D.C., New Orleans, San Francisco, Oakland, Atlanta, Houston, Los Angeles, Toronto (CA), Caribbean, other vulnerable communities lead your communities to address not just the current COVID-19 crisis but disasters, emergencies, climate change, and future crisis that affect your community, your culture, your heritage.

 

Build\construct your coalition of nonprofit, faith-based, public health, corporate, private-sector and other community entities.  Build your community imperative coalition.

BEMA International

 ____________________________  

The Black Boston COVID-19 Coalition (BBCC) and
 
Center for Community Health Education Research and Service (CCERS)
 
Present
 
Community Coping With COVID-19: Role of the Black Boston COVID-19 Coalition Tickets, Thu, Mar 18, 2021 at 2:30 PM | Eventbrite
  

This panel will feature discussions on equitable access to COVID-19 vaccines and treatments with the Black Boston COVID-19 Coalition About this Event CCHERS will conclude our series on Race, Racism, and Research: COVID-19 in Medical Mecca with a fifth session featuring discussions about community equity with the Black Boston COVID-19 Coalition. Our panelists will discuss topics such as the COVID-19 vaccine rollout; vaccine distrust and hesitancy among communities of color; as well as solutions that will help to ensure equitable access and distribution of COVID-19 vaccines, treatments and resources. The session will be moderated by Sen. Dianne Wilkerson, a former MA Senator and Co-Founder of the Black Boston COVID-19 Coalition, and features: Priscilla Flint Banks - Vice President and Co-Founder of Black Economic Justice Institute Marty Martinez - City of Boston's Chief of the Health and Human Services Cassandra M. Pierre, MD, MPH, MSc - Assistant Professor of Medicine at Boston University School of Medicine, Medical Director of Public Health Programs and Acting Hospital Epidemiologist at Boston Medical Center

 
  
 

Black Emergency Managers Association International                                 Washington, D.C.  20020                                                                                  bEMA International

Community\Civil Society Imperative.  The impacts of climate change are increasing the frequency and intensity of disasters  Individuals, families, and communities must take a proactive approach and behaviors to save lives, their  communites, their culture and heritage. Cooperation, Collaboration, Communication, Coordination, Community engagement, and  Partnering (C5&P)            A 501 (c) 3 organization

 
 

  

Study of mosquito protein could lead to treatments against life-threatening viruses

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Study of mosquito protein could lead to treatments against life-threatening viruses

03/10/2021 09:45 AM EST

Protein AEG12 strongly inhibits the family of viruses that cause yellow fever, dengue, West Nile, and Zika.

Cuba to Immunize its Entire Population with Local Vaccines During 2021

 

By Alejandra Garcia on March 9, 2021 Cuba is getting closer every day to achieve what no other country in Latin America and very few nations worldwide have achieved: immunizing its entire population against COVID-19 with its own vaccines by 2021. While the region focuses its efforts on importing vaccines developed by major multinational corporations, amid slow and unequal vaccination processes, Cuba has allocated its own modest resources to produce an antidote that has already yielded five different vaccines. Read More

Attys Seek $202M Fees In $641M Flint Tainted-Water Deal

Plaintiffs' attorneys who sued Michigan over the Flint water crisis are seeking $202 million in attorney fees, nearly 32% of a proposed $641 million deal that will provide compensation for minors exposed to lead-tainted water, adults without attorneys and others, according to a motion for fees filed Monday in federal court.

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Press Release: Groups Call for Immediate Implementation of Emergency Relief for BIPOC Farmers and Ranchers on Final Passage of American Rescue Plan

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

March 9, 2021

For More Information contact: ​Rural Coalition Executive Director Lorette Picciano at lpicciano@ruralco.org or 703-624-8869; Rural Coalition Chairperson John Zippert, at jzippert@aol.com or 205-657-0273, or North Carolina Association of Black Lawyers Land Loss Prevention Project Executive Director Savonala Horne, Esq. at savi@landloss.org or 919-682-5969; or Rudy Arredondo, President, National Latino Farmers & Ranchers Trade Association at latinofarmers@live.com or 301-366-8200.

Groups Call for Immediate Implementation of Emergency Relief for Black Indigenous People of Color (BIPOC) Farmers and Ranchers on Final Passage of American Rescue Pla

On behalf of the many organizations who support the groundbreaking Emergency Relief for Farmers of Color Act, we congratulate Senator Reverend Raphael Warnock (D-GA), Senator Cory Booker (D-NJ), Senator Ben Ray Luján (D- NM), Senate Agriculture Chairwoman Debbie Stabenow (D-MI), Senator Patrick Leahy (D-VT), Senator Amy Klobuchar (D-MN), Senator Sherrod Brown (D-OH), Senator Kirsten Gillibrand (D-NY), House Agriculture Chairman David Scott (D-GA) and all others who won inclusion of this historic relief in the final COVID Emergency Budget Reconciliation Package. We urge all members of the US House to vote for final passage of the full package in the US House of Representatives.

“After decades of inequitable treatment by USDA, this bill is a critical step to mitigating years of discrimination, neglect and limited services by USDA that have been compounded by the coronavirus pandemic,” said Rural Coalition Chairperson John Zippert. “We strongly urge all members of the US House to quickly complete final passage of the full Emergency Budget Reconciliation Package which is critical for all rural communities. And we urge the US Department of Agriculture to work swiftly to speed the debt relief and targeted technical assistance that this nation’s Black, Indigenous and People of Color producers intensely need in the face of this pandemic.”

Rudy Arredondo, President of the National Latino Farmers and Ranchers Trade Association noted that “We are glad to see that this Congress, with a long history of providing generous debt and disaster relief to the agriculture sector has finally opened the door to the farmers who did not benefit from the kinds of federal assistance other producers received and require to survive. At long last, this nation will extend the relief this diverse sector of producers deserves to support their families, contribute to their communities and transfer farmland and the farming vocation to future generations.”

“This emergency assistance for Black, Indigenous and People of Color (BIPOC) farmers is a long time in coming. Passage of this omnibus bill will finally provide relief on the scale needed to address the cumulative impact of continuing discrimination and reverse the persistent decline of BIPOC farmers and the disruption of their local food economies, said Savonala Horne, Esq., director of the North Carolina Association of Black Lawyers Land Loss Prevention Project. “This well-timed relief also benefits rural communities burdened by the COVID-19 Pandemic. We stand ready to work with Secretary Vilsack and the USDA to swiftly and wisely implement these programs in a manner that speeds relief and constructs the support structure needed to ensure success.”

“The American Rescue Plan Act of 2021 signifies an important first step in addressing the invisibility and interminable racism experienced by black farmers and other underrepresented farmers. Although many black farmers and landowners are now prematurely deceased or no longer viable farmers, many black families across our nation still have hope that their children and grandchildren will become successful landowners, farmers, entrepreneurs, and more,” stated Gary R. Redding, chairperson of the Concerned Citizens of Tillery. “The Black Farmers and Agriculturalists Association, a member of the Rural Coalition and led by Gary R. Grant, hope that the Act’s debt relief funds, grants, education and training, and other forms of assistance will not be undermined and weakened like the New Deal Farm Project of the 1930s. Many of the children and grandchildren of black farmers are still paying for debts that were created by racism at USDA. We will continue to be united for the survival and viability of black farmers and other underrepresented farmers.”

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The Rural Coalition, born of the civil rights and anti-poverty rural movements, has worked for 30 years to assure that diverse organizations from all regions, racial, and ethnic groups and by gender have the opportunity to work in solidarity on the issues that affect them all. The foundation of this work is strong local, regional and national organizations that work to assure the representation and involvement of every sector of this diverse fabric of rural peoples. To learn more visit: http://ruralco.org

National Latino Farmers & Ranchers Trade Association
1029 Vermont Avenue, NW, Suite 601
Washington, DC 20005
Office: 202-628-8833
Email: latinofarmers@live.com
Twitter: @NLFRTA
www.NLFRTA.org

Nuclear Testing - Part 1 Historical Discussion. Tuesday, March 9, 2021 12-1pm EST

 

HDIAC Webinar Historical Discussion of the Trinity Nuclear Weapons Test: A Two-Part Series   Tomorrow, Tuesday, March 9 & Wednesday, March 10, 1200 - 1300 EST Join HDIAC tomorrow, Tuesday, March 9 & Wednesday, March 10, 1200 - 1300 EST for a two-part webinar series titled “Historical Discussion of the Trinity Nuclear Weapons Test.” Please register in advance for the webinar at: https://www.anymeeting.com/PIID=E052DE83804E3B The Trinity test of July 16, 1945 was arguably history’s greatest scientific experiment. It represented not only the capstone of the Manhattan Project, but the culmination of decades of discovery in physics, chemistry, metallurgy, and other scientific fields. The technology tested at Trinity would later be used to help bring history’s deadliest conflict, World War II, to an abrupt and victorious conclusion. In this two-part series, Mr. Carr follows up on his 18 February webinar “Introduction to U.S. Nuclear Testing: 1945 - 1992” by discussing the scientific discovery and technological innovation that are part of Trinity’s legacy. Presenter: Mr. Alan B. Carr started his career at the Los Alamos National Laboratory in 2003 after completing his graduate work at Texas Tech University. As an historian, he has appraised thousands of sets of records held by Laboratory organizations for historical value. Over the years, Alan has produced several publications pertaining to the Manhattan Project, nuclear weapons testing, and the Laboratory’s development during the Cold War years. He has lectured for numerous professional organizations and has been featured as a guest on many local, national, and international radio and television programs. He currently serves as a Program Manager and the Senior Historian for the Los Alamos National Laboratory. Alternative Live Streams: Facebook: https://r.hdiac.org/facebook Twitter: https://r.hdiac.org/twitter YouTube: https://r.hdiac.org/youtube For Webinar Assistance: https://support.hdiac.org/ Learn More In Case You Missed It HDIAC Webinar Recording and Slides Now Available Introduction to U.S. Nuclear Testing: 1945 - 1992   Presenter: Mr. Alan B. Carr started his career at the Los Alamos National Laboratory in 2003 after completing his graduate work at Texas Tech University. As an historian, he has appraised thousands of sets of records held by Laboratory organizations for historical value. Over the years, Alan has produced several publications pertaining to the Manhattan Project, nuclear weapons testing, and the Laboratory's development during the Cold War years. He has lectured for numerous professional organizations and has been featured as a guest on many local, national, and international radio and television programs. He currently serves as a Program Manager and the Senior Historian for the Los Alamos National Laboratory. View the Recording and Slides

Crisis Communications. Is Facebook the right tool or the wrong tool to use for crisis communications? Class March 11, 2021

 

The Social Media Conundrum

Is Facebook the right tool or the wrong tool to use for crisis communications?

Find out in a free Master Class on Crisis Communications this Thursday, March 11th at 1 p.m. CST.

Use this link to claim your seat. Your free registration is paid for by SituationHub.com

The topic is the Social Media Conundrum.

Let's ruffle some feathers and have a frank... I mean REALLY frank conversation about using Facebook for crisis communications.

We have two special guests:

The first is Jay Baer CSP. CPAE. Jay content marketing expert, best-selling author, and Hall of Fame Speaker who really understands the algorithms of Facebook.

Our second guest is Katie Kothmann Haby, CCC, the Member Relations and Communications Supervisor at Medina Electric Cooperative. Katie was in "the big freeze" and her electric company was forced to shut off power to thousands of homes by ERCOT in Texas. Would you like to see what ugly looks like on Facebook during a crisis? Check out the Medina Facebook page, read the ugly comments, then study the profiles of the people who are making those comments.

I'll be leading the Master Class. I'm Crisis Communications Expert Gerard Braud, CSP, Fellow IEC. In the early days of social media I warned of the pitfalls of Facebook during a crisis. When most PR people were saying "Facebook provides transparency," I was preaching that your website is "the most transparent" place to communicate in a crisis.

What do you think? This will be a lively discussion.

And as pre-work, make sure you watch the Netflix show, The Social Dilemma. Key elements of this program will play into our discussion.

Sign up here for our next free Master Class on Crisis Communications Thursday, March 11th at 1 p.m. CST.

SPACE. Women in Space. SSPI-WISE. March 2021

 SSPI-WISE is a new initiative of SSPI - engaging the women of our illustrious industry in the work of ensuring that space and satellite is welcoming to talent without regard to gender.  

The meetings have been open to women only, but on Monday, March 8 at 10AM ET, we will host a celebration of International Women's Day and it is open to all!  We invite women AND men to join us in celebrating women.  The international hashtag for the day is #ChooseToChallenge - we invite all to challenge ourselves to thinking about and creating inclusion for women in our industry. 

SSPI-WISE hashtag is #SSPIWISE - we'll be celebrating on social media all day!  (That includes the launch of our next podcast in our RISK series: The Risk of Being a Woman.  Not to be missed! SSPI Podcast)

7AM PT | 10AM ET | 3PM GMT | 7PM Dubai | 11PM Singapore | 12AM Tokyo | 2AM Sydney

Our topic is Networking

Presented by the "Networking and Swag" Working Group of SSPI-WISE, the event features a robust program exploring tips and best practices for Networking. We #ChooseToChallenge ourselves to expand our networking skills as we hear insights from not one, but TWO keynote speakers:

Elodie Viau European Space Agency Director of Telecommunications and Integrated Applications		Tina Ghataore President at Mynaric USA

You don't want to miss it!

Register today! https://www.sspi.org/events/sspi-wise-international-womens-day-celebration

NEW ORLEANS NOHSEP Director Collin Arnold Returns to Duty March 8, 2021

 

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE  March 8, 2021 Contact: LaTonya Norton For Media Inquiries Only communications@nola.gov (504) 658-4962

NOHSEP Director Collin Arnold Returns to Duty NEW ORLEANS — Collin Arnold, Director of the New Orleans Office of Homeland Security and Emergency Preparedness (NOHSEP), today returned to duty after completing a 60-day suspension. "I am very grateful today to be returning to public service and to get back to the important job of pandemic response and hurricane preparedness. I've used the time of my suspension to work on challenges in my personal and professional life. I want to thank my family, friends, colleagues, and City leadership who have shown me an incredible amount of support," said Director Arnold. "This past year has been trying for me, just as it has been for so many. I encourage anyone who is feeling the weight of stress during these difficult times to seek help. You can find free resources at ready.nola.gov/assistance/#distress."   # # #

Opioid Litigation Is Prying Open Vaults Of Big Pharma Secrets March 2021

 

Analysis

Opioid Litigation Is Prying Open Vaults Of Big Pharma Secrets

In an unveiling with few historical parallels, major pharmaceutical corporations are poised to settle sweeping opioid litigation by agreeing to publicize millions of pages of internal documents illustrating how they marketed and sold narcotic painkillers amid a dire addiction epidemic, according to lawyers and court records.

4 documents attached | Read full article »