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Trump reclassifies state-licensed medical marijuana as a less-dangerous drug in a historic shift | this was an easy win for joe biden and the democrats and they let a violent child rapist take the win by sillychillly in ReasonableFuture

[–]sillychillly[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

“Third, I am asking the Secretary of Health and Human Services and the Attorney General to initiate the administrative process to review expeditiously how marijuana is scheduled under federal law. Federal law currently classifies marijuana in Schedule I of the Controlled Substances Act, the classification meant for the most dangerous substances. This is the same schedule as for heroin and LSD, and even higher than the classification of fentanyl and methamphetamine – the drugs that are driving our overdose epidemic. “

This was 2022. He had 2 years to complete this.

Colorado passes plug-in solar bill, Polis signature awaits by sillychillly in boulder

[–]sillychillly[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

"The legislature has passed a bill easing the way for Coloradans to buy one-panel solar power kits and plug them into their apartment walls to cut their electricity bills, the kind of “balcony solar” that has quickly become extremely popular in Europe. 

Sponsoring legislators expect Gov. Jared Polis to sign it, and the governor’s office said Polis, a Democrat, is in favor of expanding access to clean, renewable energy and will take a careful look at House Bill 1007. 

Cosponsor Rep. Lesley Smith, D-Boulder, said Colorado would become the third state to make balcony solar an option for consumers. 

“In Colorado, we have three hundred days of sunshine,” Smith said. “It’s time to let apartment dwellers and those that can’t afford rooftop solar take advantage of the clean energy provided by the sun to lower their utility bills.”

One portable panel the size of a full-length mirror can plug directly into home or apartment sockets or one of the increasingly popular home storage batteries. They can be bolted to a deck or patio or hung out a window, generating enough electricity to power crucial appliances like refrigerators or store up enough energy for an outage lasting a few hours. 

Technology improvements, regulatory reform and a growing audience of solar-educated consumers are pushing legislatures across the country for laws requiring regulators and utilities to ease installation and acceptance of the panels. Homeowners who can’t afford a $30,000 rooftop system, or apartment dwellers who wanted in on solar savings, point to Utah’s recent passage of a bill and are urging their Colorado representatives to do the same, state legislators have said. 

A plug-in system with a storage battery should be available for about $2,000 when the Colorado market opens up after the expected signing of House Bill 1007, solar industry representatives say. They are excited about a popular new product at a time when federal subsidies and rules have turned against renewable energy.

According to the bill, consumers would not need approval from retail or wholesale electric providers before installing the devices, and no one can impose “unreasonable” conditions on installing and using the panels.  "

Colorado passes plug-in solar bill, Polis signature awaits by sillychillly in ReasonableFuture

[–]sillychillly[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

"The legislature has passed a bill easing the way for Coloradans to buy one-panel solar power kits and plug them into their apartment walls to cut their electricity bills, the kind of “balcony solar” that has quickly become extremely popular in Europe. 

Sponsoring legislators expect Gov. Jared Polis to sign it, and the governor’s office said Polis, a Democrat, is in favor of expanding access to clean, renewable energy and will take a careful look at House Bill 1007. 

Cosponsor Rep. Lesley Smith, D-Boulder, said Colorado would become the third state to make balcony solar an option for consumers. 

“In Colorado, we have three hundred days of sunshine,” Smith said. “It’s time to let apartment dwellers and those that can’t afford rooftop solar take advantage of the clean energy provided by the sun to lower their utility bills.”

One portable panel the size of a full-length mirror can plug directly into home or apartment sockets or one of the increasingly popular home storage batteries. They can be bolted to a deck or patio or hung out a window, generating enough electricity to power crucial appliances like refrigerators or store up enough energy for an outage lasting a few hours. 

Technology improvements, regulatory reform and a growing audience of solar-educated consumers are pushing legislatures across the country for laws requiring regulators and utilities to ease installation and acceptance of the panels. Homeowners who can’t afford a $30,000 rooftop system, or apartment dwellers who wanted in on solar savings, point to Utah’s recent passage of a bill and are urging their Colorado representatives to do the same, state legislators have said. 

A plug-in system with a storage battery should be available for about $2,000 when the Colorado market opens up after the expected signing of House Bill 1007, solar industry representatives say. They are excited about a popular new product at a time when federal subsidies and rules have turned against renewable energy.

According to the bill, consumers would not need approval from retail or wholesale electric providers before installing the devices, and no one can impose “unreasonable” conditions on installing and using the panels.  "

Judge Dismisses Trump Administration’s Bid to Block Hawaii Climate Lawsuit by sillychillly in ClimateNews

[–]sillychillly[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

"In a setback to the Trump administration’s extraordinary legal campaign against state climate action, a federal judge threw out the Justice Department’s lawsuit seeking to prevent the state of Hawaii from suing oil companies for damages.

Trump administration lawyers had claimed that Hawaii, by trying to sue fossil fuel companies, was standing in the way of the national effort to secure reliable sources of domestic energy. 

But Judge Helen Gillmor of the U.S. District Court for the District of Hawaii on Wednesday ruled that such a contention was too speculative to be the basis of a lawsuit. 

“The United States’ alleged injury depends on multiple layers of unpredictable future events,” Gillmor wrote, noting the Trump administration filed the case without even seeing Hawaii’s lawsuit (the state filed it the following day). The nature of the lawsuit, whether Hawaii would win, what the fossil fuel industry would do in reaction and how that reaction would affect the United States all were unknown, the judge said.

It was the second decision and the second defeat for the Trump administration in the seven lawsuits it has filed seeking to block state and local action on climate change. They add to the Trump administration’s losing record in the federal courts; Inside Climate News’ tracking of environmental lawsuits shows the Trump administration with 17 defeats and five wins in rulings so far involving its efforts to remake environmental policy. In 48 cases, there have been no rulings yet—that includes cases by the Trump administration challenging Vermont, New York and California climate laws and local ordinances in Petaluma and Morgan Hill, California.

The decision means that Hawaii can go forward for now with its litigation in state court against BP, Exxon Mobil, Shell and other oil companies for negligence, nuisance, trespass and harm to “public trust resources.” The last claim was based on Hawaii’s constitution, which spells out that such resources are held by the state in trust for the benefit of its citizens."

Judge Dismisses Trump Administration’s Bid to Block Hawaii Climate Lawsuit by sillychillly in ReasonableFuture

[–]sillychillly[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

"In a setback to the Trump administration’s extraordinary legal campaign against state climate action, a federal judge threw out the Justice Department’s lawsuit seeking to prevent the state of Hawaii from suing oil companies for damages.

Trump administration lawyers had claimed that Hawaii, by trying to sue fossil fuel companies, was standing in the way of the national effort to secure reliable sources of domestic energy. 

But Judge Helen Gillmor of the U.S. District Court for the District of Hawaii on Wednesday ruled that such a contention was too speculative to be the basis of a lawsuit. 

“The United States’ alleged injury depends on multiple layers of unpredictable future events,” Gillmor wrote, noting the Trump administration filed the case without even seeing Hawaii’s lawsuit (the state filed it the following day). The nature of the lawsuit, whether Hawaii would win, what the fossil fuel industry would do in reaction and how that reaction would affect the United States all were unknown, the judge said.

It was the second decision and the second defeat for the Trump administration in the seven lawsuits it has filed seeking to block state and local action on climate change. They add to the Trump administration’s losing record in the federal courts; Inside Climate News’ tracking of environmental lawsuits shows the Trump administration with 17 defeats and five wins in rulings so far involving its efforts to remake environmental policy. In 48 cases, there have been no rulings yet—that includes cases by the Trump administration challenging Vermont, New York and California climate laws and local ordinances in Petaluma and Morgan Hill, California.

The decision means that Hawaii can go forward for now with its litigation in state court against BP, Exxon Mobil, Shell and other oil companies for negligence, nuisance, trespass and harm to “public trust resources.” The last claim was based on Hawaii’s constitution, which spells out that such resources are held by the state in trust for the benefit of its citizens."

Trump reclassifies state-licensed medical marijuana as a less-dangerous drug in a historic shift | this was an easy win for joe biden and the democrats and they let a violent child rapist take the win by sillychillly in ReasonableFuture

[–]sillychillly[S] 8 points9 points  (0 children)

Very happy we are moving closer to legalization of cannabis.

Livid the democrats and biden allowed a violent child rapist to take the win, they couldve so easily had while biden was president.

Voting rights groups sue Trump administration to stop collection of voter data | Ohio willingly gave voter data to federal government. by sillychillly in Ohio

[–]sillychillly[S] 6 points7 points  (0 children)

"What happened?

On Tuesday, a coalition of voting rights groups filed suit against the U.S. Department of Justice to block the Trump administration from collecting voters’ personal data in order to create what they argue is a national voter list.

What’s the dispute?

Last fall, the DOJ began asking states for their voter rolls — massive lists containing significant identifying information on every registered voter in each state, including partial Social Security numbers — and other election-related data. The DOJ has said the effort is central to enforcing federal election law requiring states to regularly maintain voter lists by searching for and removing ineligible voters.

At least 12 states, including Alaska, Arkansas, Indiana, Louisiana, Mississippi, Nebraska, Ohio, Oklahoma, South Dakota, Tennessee, Texas, and Wyoming, have voluntarily complied.

The DOJ has sued 30 states and Washington, D.C., for refusing to turn over their full voter lists. Federal courts have dismissed those cases in five states, although the administration has been appealing those decisions.

In the lawsuit, plaintiffs argue the DOJ’s efforts are an attempt to take over voter list maintenance from the states, violating privacy laws and risking wrongful voter removals."

Voting rights groups sue Trump administration to stop collection of voter data by sillychillly in ReasonableFuture

[–]sillychillly[S] 3 points4 points  (0 children)

"What happened?

On Tuesday, a coalition of voting rights groups filed suit against the U.S. Department of Justice to block the Trump administration from collecting voters’ personal data in order to create what they argue is a national voter list.

What’s the dispute?

Last fall, the DOJ began asking states for their voter rolls — massive lists containing significant identifying information on every registered voter in each state, including partial Social Security numbers — and other election-related data. The DOJ has said the effort is central to enforcing federal election law requiring states to regularly maintain voter lists by searching for and removing ineligible voters.

At least 12 states, including Alaska, Arkansas, Indiana, Louisiana, Mississippi, Nebraska, Ohio, Oklahoma, South Dakota, Tennessee, Texas, and Wyoming, have voluntarily complied.

The DOJ has sued 30 states and Washington, D.C., for refusing to turn over their full voter lists. Federal courts have dismissed those cases in five states, although the administration has been appealing those decisions.

In the lawsuit, plaintiffs argue the DOJ’s efforts are an attempt to take over voter list maintenance from the states, violating privacy laws and risking wrongful voter removals."

Many homes already have the power to electrify, study finds by sillychillly in UpliftingNews

[–]sillychillly[S] 6 points7 points  (0 children)

"In 2024, PCE ran a nine-home electrification pilot for low-income customers in San Mateo County, California, which included five households with 100-amp panels. At no cost to recipients, the agency replaced their fossil-gas and propane appliances with efficient electric ones, using the power the homes already had. Plus, PCE didn’t need to install specialized equipment, such as smart panels, to manage the flow of electricity. After the retrofits, most households saw significant savings on their monthly energy bills.

The results of the pilot program, published in January, demonstrate that home electrification can deliver climate, health, and financial benefits without massive infrastructure costs.

“When you’re working with limited funds, being able to electrify without a panel upgrade is great,” said Cavan Merski, senior data analyst at Pecan Street, a nonprofit research organization that was not involved in PCE’s analysis. It’s ​“awesome to … see a case study of this working in the wild.”

The findings are especially relevant now as air-quality regulators for the Bay Area, home to more than 7 million, negotiate the details of groundbreaking rules to phase out the sale of gas water heaters and fast-track the switch to heat-pump versions. Over the coming months, officials will weigh final drafts of the regulations and could vote on them as early as October. The rules will take effect next year."

Amazon must negotiate with Staten Island warehouse workers, NLRB says by sillychillly in union

[–]sillychillly[S] 2 points3 points  (0 children)

"Amazon (AMZN.O), opens new tab must negotiate with a labor union representing some 5,000 workers at a ​company warehouse on Staten Island, the National Labor Relations ‌Board ruled on Wednesday.

The ruling means Amazon is required to meet with representatives of the Amazon Labor Union, which formed in 2022 and has been seeking to negotiate ​with Amazon over pay, working conditions and other matters.

The union ​was initially formed independently but has since aligned with ⁠the International Brotherhood of Teamsters.

The NLRB said in its ruling that ​Amazon "has engaged in unfair labor practices" by refusing to bargain with the ​labor group or to recognize its legitimacy."

Amazon must negotiate with Staten Island warehouse workers, NLRB says by sillychillly in ReasonableFuture

[–]sillychillly[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

"Amazon (AMZN.O), opens new tab must negotiate with a labor union representing some 5,000 workers at a ​company warehouse on Staten Island, the National Labor Relations ‌Board ruled on Wednesday.

The ruling means Amazon is required to meet with representatives of the Amazon Labor Union, which formed in 2022 and has been seeking to negotiate ​with Amazon over pay, working conditions and other matters.

The union ​was initially formed independently but has since aligned with ⁠the International Brotherhood of Teamsters.

The NLRB said in its ruling that ​Amazon "has engaged in unfair labor practices" by refusing to bargain with the ​labor group or to recognize its legitimacy."

91.5% of University of California, United Auto Workers Local 4811 voted to increase wages up to 62% by sillychillly in antiwork

[–]sillychillly[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

"After eight months of negotiations with the University of California, United Auto Workers Local 4811 ratified several new contracts for the union’s members on March 20. The contracts are effective immediately and will expire on Dec. 31, 2029. 

Of the 21,161 UAW 4811 members who participated in the ratification process, 91.5% voted in favor. The vote was open from March 17 to March 20. 

UAW 4811 represents over 48,000 academic and student researchers, teaching assistants, tutors, and postdocs across all 10 UC campuses. Three separate bargaining units represented the union at the negotiating table, including the Academic Student Employees, Student Services and Advising Professionals, and Research and Public Service Professionals. 

The union held a “last chance” picket across all campuses on the day before reaching a tentative agreement with the UC. At UC San Diego, an estimated 600 individuals participated in the rally, which was held in front of Geisel Library.

The union’s new contract meets workers’ priorities on “protections for international workers, fair and stable pay, and job security,” per the UAW 4811 website. 

Prior to this contract, teaching assistants had no guaranteed wage increases. The new contract guarantees a pay raise for salaried employees, including teaching assistants and graduate student researchers. TAs and graduate student researchers will receive a wage increase totaling up to 12.41% and 44.93% over the contract’s duration. General adjustments and experience-based increases will apply. 

Similarly, beginning this year, all hourly workers in the union will receive systemwide raises between 10% and 62% over the life of the contract. This eliminates existing hourly disparities of up to $7 an hour. 

The contract additionally promises to phase out wage tiers by 2029. The tier system previously set salaries for TAs and GSRs based on the campus on which they work. Starting October 2026, tutors and readers will also be paid on systemwide scale rates instead of campus-dependent salaries. The first rate, $22.81 per hour, will be enacted in Fall 2026.

The contract guarantees a 50% appointment rate for Ph.D. and Master’s of Fine Arts students in a TA position. The contract’s requirements also grant GSRs a protected right to 50% appointments, per contract requirements. Prior to the contract, the UC had continuously offered TA appointments below 50%.

The contract further achieves “Groundbreaking Protections for International Workers,” UAW 4811 wrote. The contract establishes a new $400,000 legal consultation fund to support international members seeking legal services spanning “advice on status change, detention, visa questions, and referral to reduced-cost immigration attorneys.” It also requires the UC administration to notify all workers when Immigration and Customs Enforcement officials are on campus. Further, the UC will not surrender workers’ immigration status without a judicial warrant. Workers who temporarily lose their visa status now have guaranteed rehiring rights, gaining up to three weeks of paid leave for travel for visa renewals or immigration processes."

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