By Greg Hernandez for Yes! Magazine.Broadcast version by Suzanne Potter for California News Service reporting for the Yes! Magazine-Public News Service Collaboration When Lisa Chilton, 65, leaves her studio apartment, she often encounters several young people hanging out near the entrance of the five-story senior housing complex she has called home since 2021. .
Members of the Mormon Environmental Stewardship Alliance in Utah are applauding the Environmental Protection Agency s final rule that sharply reduces emissions of methane and other air pollution from oil and natural-gas operations. Soren Simonsen, treasurer and board member with the Alliance, says clean air is fundamental to life, and that the health of the climate is directly related to overall well-being. He added his group is very appreciative of all the work that has gone into what he calls a "thoughtful rule," which helps address methane emissions. .
Coming into the new year, Columbia Riverkeeper is supporting efforts by the Cowlitz Tribe and Yakama Nation to restore salmon migration throughout the Lewis River. Fish passages would enable migration around dams and access to blocked habitats, essential for salmon and steelhead recovery in the culturally vital Lewis River basin. Miles Johnson, legal director with Columbia Riverkeeper, said he s optimistic about a future of thriving fish and river wildlife. .
Ohio lawmakers are considering a proposal that would implement a statewide refundable child tax credit. Regional food banks say the bill would help more families meet basic needs and reduce strain on local food pantries struggling to meet demand amid persistent inflation. Sarah Kuhns, advocacy and engagement manager with the Ohio Association of Foodbanks, said eight in 10 Ohioans are relying on food banks because of high prices, and are being forced to choose between groceries and paying for such basic needs as utilities, medication and transportation. .
In observance of Martin Luther King Junior Day, there s a call to action to address the persistent wage disparity between Black women and their counterparts in the United States. Black women were paid, on average, 64% of what white men were paid in 2021 - according to the U.S. Census Bureau. .