Being a PR professional today means bringing news outlets and consumers closer to companies than they've ever come before. It's a social media-powered age wherein people examine the organizations they do business with. This often now means ensuring the company's values come through loud and clear.
Corporations that act in a socially responsible manner make better connections with young individuals who have grown up with clear lines of communication to brands and often seek out companies who give back. Embracing campaigns that are all about giving back, then reinforcing those efforts with top-notch PR outreach, can ensure that the business becomes not just a part of consumers' lives but a valued one.
It's essential to look beyond the idea of corporate citizenship as an element outside of a company's central business efforts. Adweek contributor Matt Walker recently explained that it's possible to make a clear connection between what the organization does and the positive effect it has on communities. Organizations who deepen the thought they put into social efforts can end up permanently associating their brand with the good work they are contributing to the community.
Firms that truly realize the potential inherent in such programs can walk away with long-term reputation enhancements. Walker gave an example of one such event: Massive consumer products company Procter & Gamble helped 45,000 families, who were recovering from disasters. P&G helped the families do their laundry, and with the clean clothes, they feel a sense of getting back to their normal life again after their displacement. P&G tied the effort in with its brand of Tide detergent, scoring a PR coup and favorable coverage all around.
Sometimes, companies don't have the internal means to engage in social responsibility programs. That doesn't mean they can't help out, however. Canadian Business contributor Paul Klein suggested alliances between big businesses and smaller, more agile firms. For example, bigger businesses with more resources can help fund entrepreneurs to achieve a common goal to improve the community.
Keeping up with PR demands of such a program would naturally be more complicated than promoting one run by just by a single organization; however, a well-equipped PR department or agency can double the impact of a collaborative effort. Perfecting the messaging behind this type of effort could prove to be a perfect use case for media monitoring, determining how sources in the region are covering the campaign and adjusting the story and outreach accordingly.
Speaking of PR and communication necessities, it is clear that just as positive corporate citizenship is an enabler of connections between brands and their young audiences, problems with corporate social responsibility programs can dent this relationship. Havas Worldwide research highlighted the most proactive and socially conscious 20 percent of consumers, explaining that 7 in every 10 of these global citizens now perform research on brands before buying and two-thirds avoid firms they deem negative.
PR departments with effective media intelligence strategies and tools will naturally be better prepared to deal with this rising and influential consumer segment than organizations without. Negative coverage, no matter where in the world it begins, can spread quicker today than ever before. By monitoring and analyzing media of all types and from numerous regions, PR departments can ensure the brand gets to tell its side of the story with maximum warning. Getting ahead of problematic reports is especially important due to the potential psychological impact. If an organization defining itself by good work is disparaged without providing a counter-argument, it could lose its hard-won credibility.
The age of corporate social responsibility is ripe with opportunity for PR departments to increase their importance to their organizations. The age of the faceless corporation is coming to an end driven by the need to know what brands do with their resources and whether they are interested in leaving the world a better place. A well-executed and managed PR strategy is integral to becoming a responsible, modern corporate entity, yet even the greatest philanthropic efforts can have a negligible effect on branding if they aren't promoted effectively. A well-executed PR plan will ensure that the community and those that care most about social responsibility will be in the know well before they even hop onto their computers to do some digging.
Gary Cohn, president and COO of Goldman Sachs, knows a thing or two about regulatory risk. After all, the financial services industry faces constant scrutiny—and headline-generating enforcement actions—for violations of anti-money laundering, anti-bribery and corruption and a host of other regulations. But you might also find it interesting that Mr. Cohn has said, “If you don’t invest in risk management, it doesn’t matter what business you’re in, it’s a risky business.” We touched on the subject in last week’s blog post about how globalization has led to elevated compliance risk. Today we’re taking a look at three industries that aren’t generally considered ‘high risk,’ but have encountered problems just the same.
When reports surfaced that modern slavery was rampant within the Thai fishing industry, immediately, calls went out to boycott grocery stores and restaurants that may have sourced products acquired using forced labor. And it wasn’t just activists leading the charge. New Jersey Republican Congressman Chris Smith, a member of the House Foreign Relations Committee, said, “All of us may find ourselves eating a slave-made product without knowing it, but once we know it, we all have a moral obligation, I believe, to make a personal decision to boycott it.” Not surprisingly, consumers raised their voices in protest too.
After all, consumers are paying more attention to where their food comes from these days. Organic food has moved from fad-status to a widely-embraced preference. Consumers have raised expectations on companies to meet ethical and environmental standards, demonstrating a clear preference for ethically-sourced products, according to a Nielsen survey. As a result, if consumers learn that the shrimp, chocolate, coffee or tea they’re enjoying comes from slave labor, they tend to blame the brand they know best, not some nameless third-party far along the supply chain.
Last month, models strutted down runways in New York City and Paris and celebrities mingled with designers in a grand celebration of fashion. But style comes at a cost, and we’re not just talking about high fashion price tags. The fashion supply chain travels a long, often convoluted, path—and government bodies, non-governmental organizations (NGOs) and consumers are looking more closely at what takes place in the journey from concept to closet.
CNBC reported in August that “Ten of the world’s 12 biggest garment-exporting countries hold a high or extreme risk of slaves working in their supply chains.” The risk starts early—in the growing and harvesting of cotton, for example. Check out this Anti-Slavery International video produced for its “Cotton Crimes” campaign. From there, forced labor takes place in yarn and spinning mills, then garment factories—all in an effort to produce fast, inexpensive fashions for consumers in the U.S., Europe and elsewhere. Modern slavery laws—like the UK Modern Slavery Act passed last year or the 2010 California Transparency in Supply Chains Act will likely be joined by additional laws as nations around the world try to bring an end to practices that disproportionately impact the most vulnerable people: women, children and people displaced by war or poverty.
Not surprisingly, forced labor is also viewed as a potential indicator of other corrupt practices, such as bribery of government officials like health and safety inspectors, immigration authorities and others. This opens the door to potential Foreign Corrupt Practice Act (FCPA) investigations. But that’s not the only bribery and corruption risk. When it comes to gift-giving and hospitality in luxury fashion industry, even giving away free samples can be construed as a bribe. The financial fallout from such breaches are significant. Just two years ago, Avon entered a deferred prosecution agreement over FCPA violations by Avon China, paying a total of $135,013,013.00 in criminal and regulatory penalties. And the damage to reputations cannot be ignored either; in the age of social media, revelations about forced labor have prompted consumer protests and sweeping changes in how companies like Nike and H&M conduct third-party screenings to mitigate risk.
The tech industry hasn’t escaped third-party risk either. Components in smartphones, tablets and TVs, use materials that come from a well-documented, high-risk industry: mining. As a result, the potential for forced labor in the distant reaches of the tech supply chain is high. And the picture that is painted when bad actions come to light isn’t pretty. Amnesty International business & human rights researcher Mark Dummett says, “The glamourous shop displays and marketing of state of the art technologies are a stark contrast to the children carrying bags of rocks, and miners in narrow manmade tunnels risking permanent lung damage.” A comprehensive third-party compliance and risk management can make a huge difference, but it must be an ongoing effort.
Recently, Bloomberg reported, “Apple Inc. has reached what it’s calling a milestone in supply-chain transparency, saying it’s now auditing 100 percent of its suppliers for the use of conflict minerals linked to violent militia groups in the Democratic Republic of the Congo.” The process took five years—and a great deal of determination—to achieve results, which may be why “Only a handful, such as chipmaker Intel Corp. and tantalum capacitor maker Kemet Corp., have been able to say they sell conflict-free products,” said Bloomberg. Plus, as pointed out earlier, the presence of forced labor indicates a bribery and corruption risk as well. What’s the answer? It may not be simple, but companies must implement robust compliance programs—and use their economic muscle to enforce them—while also mitigating risk with deeper due diligence and ongoing monitoring to help ensure that bad actions aren’t taking place further along the supply chain.
Around the globe, countries have declared October 18 Anti-Trafficking Day or Anti-Slavery Day to increase awareness into the ongoing plight of men, women and children impacted by modern slavery. As such, it is an ideal day to look at how companies can—and in some cases, are required to—mitigate the risk of modern slavery in their supply chains.
In 2015, almost 78,000 victims of human trafficking were identified globally according to the 2016 Trafficking In Persons report by the U.S. State Department. Compared to the 2016 Global Slavery Index estimate that there are currently 45.8 million people in modern slavery, this would mean that currently less than 0.2% of victims are identified. The staggering difference in numbers only serves to highlight that modern slavery remains a major concern; victim identification and reporting need improvement; and governments, non-governmental organizations, companies and individuals all need to do more to prevent human trafficking and exploitation.
The business sector has the unique ability to eradicate modern slavery by protecting the people working in their operations and supply chains. The impact the private sector can make is vast; take the estimate of the International Labour Organisation (ILO) that there are 150 million migrant workers around the world and the fact that migrant workers have been identified as particularly vulnerable to forced labor. While certain industries have greater ‘visible’ vulnerability to modern slavery, no industry is immune. U.S. Secretary of State John F. Kerry said, “If there is a single theme to this year’s Trafficking in Persons (TIP) Report, it is the conviction that there is nothing inevitable about trafficking in human beings. That conviction is where the process of change really begins—with the realization that just because a certain abuse has taken place in the past doesn’t mean that we have to tolerate that abuse in the future or that we can afford to avert our eyes. Instead, we should be asking ourselves—what if that victim of trafficking was my daughter, son, sister, or brother?”
In response to modern slavery, expectations are changing. Following the adoption of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) centered on economic, social, and environmental development by world leaders at the UN General Assembly in September 2015, in September 2016 Alliance 8.7 was launched. This global, multi-stakeholder alliance has committed to eradicating forced labor, modern slavery, human trafficking and child labor by 2030, in line with and strengthening action on Sustainable Development Goal 8.7, one of the three anti-trafficking elements of the SDGs. Alliance 8.7 will focus on accelerating timelines, conducting research and sharing knowledge, driving innovation, and increasing and leveraging resources.
At the high level launch event in New York, the role of business was reiterated: Linda Kromjong, Secretary-General of the International Organisation of Employers (IOE) which is globally recognized as the voice of business, spoke about the serious commitment of the business community to the issue. She addressed the responsibilities and challenges for employers to better understand and identify the risk of labor exploitation at different levels of their business operations, particularly with regard to their supply chains. The response to this call to action? Companies must implement due diligence and ongoing monitoring to better identify modern slavery risk—which nearly always goes hand-in-hand with bribery and corruption risk—to achieve the Alliance 8.7 goals.
This month also coincides with another key moment related to anti-slavery and the role of the private sector: any business operating in the UK that must comply with the 2015 Modern Slavery Act by publishing a modern slavery and human trafficking statement for greater transparency. In May Ergon analyzed the first 239 statements published of which 69 percent were by UK companies and 31 percent by companies based elsewhere in the world. Although not a hard deadline, the UK Government’s Guidance “encourages organizations to report within six months of the organization’s financial year end.” Read our white paper on the UK Modern Slavery Act.
As of October 1, the UK Modern Slavery Act statement registry by the Business & Human Rights Resource Centre included 700 statements, from 24 countries and 28 sectors. With an estimate of at least 12,000 companies needing to publish a statement, clearly many businesses have yet to publish their statement.
The Act with its global reach is intended to create a ‘race to the top’ amongst business. Already we see the media and other stakeholders praising businesses taking a lead (e.g. John Lewis, Intel and Ford), whereas we can expect that shareholders, investors, NGOs and others will scrutinize businesses that do not publish a statement or one that is perceived as a ‘tick box exercise’ focused on compliance with legislation rather than any concrete action.
Since 2012, companies conducting business in California have a similar standard to meet. The California Transparency in Supply Chains Act requires companies of a certain size to disclose its anti-slavery and human trafficking initiatives to enable consumers to see if a business manages its supply chain responsibly.
We encourage you to commit to tackling modern slavery in your business and supply chains and put an action plan in place, so next year at Anti-Slavery Day you can show you have taken steps towards ending this crime, can be recognized as a leader and most importantly, you will know you have made a difference to people’s lives. As Guy Ryder, ILO Director-General has said, “Together we can end the intolerable.”
The world of fundraising is rapidly evolving along with the demographics of donor prospects. You may or may not be surprised to learn that Millennials and Gen Xers now constitute more than two-thirds of the U.S. workforce. Though estimates suggest that Millennials won’t take the lead with charitable giving until 2030, it’s imperative that fundraisers pay close attention to what motivates this generation of donors to give.
Watch our most recent Webinar on the changing philanthropy landscape on YouTube.
Over the past decade there has been a shift in the distribution of wealth among generations. Young tech titans have emerged from the technology and telecommunications boom and accumulated an aggregated net worth of $800 billion. The Chan Zuckerberg initiative, launched by the founder of Facebook and his wife, is a key example of how this redistribution has translated to the world of philanthropy. Chan and Zuckerberg committed an astonishing $3 billion over the next 10 years to help cure, prevent and manage all disease in our children’s lifetime. Although most Millennials and Gen Xers do not have the ability to donate such large sums, they do have an enormous impact on the future philanthropic landscape.
Millennials and Gen Xers share a deep-rooted desire to commit time and resources toward social initiatives. An astounding 84% of Millennials donated to various charities in 2014, averaging annual gifts of $481. Gen Xers are similarly generous, gifting $465 annually. Blackbaud notes that children’s charities are more popular than any other cause, trailed by religious-based and health-related causes.
Millennials and Gen Xers tend to follow two giving patterns. The first is impulse-driven – whether it’s donating a couple of dollars at the grocery store checkout or giving change to the Salvation Army bell ringer. The second is a tendency to support issues with social visibility. A recent example is the Ice Bucket Challenge sponsored by the ALS Association. Many people did not plan to support ALS last year. However, the non-profit raised $115 million through a viral marketing campaign launched through social media. The ALS campaign is a powerful testament to the power of peer influence via social media.
A new media launch is a PR masterclass. No matter the field you promote in, you can draw inspiration and information from observing how movies, television shows and online media offerings present themselves. With the recent launch of fall TV shows in the U.S., there are plenty of great examples to choose from, each teaching a slightly different lesson.
In fact, this may be the most interesting crop of fall television shows since the beginning of the medium because of the changing nature of television. With the rise of dedicated streaming platforms that can launch their own shows at any time, what does it mean to promote a TV program? How are programmers pursuing coverage and buzz, and how can their methods apply to your day-to-day operations?
As a savvy promoter in your chosen industry, you likely know the news sources that are expected to pick up on your company or client's products and promote them. But what if this laser focus is limiting your reach?
The fall TV season brought a reminder that media outlets are willing to periodically expand their coverage and intentionally highlight items that normally fall outside their purview. In a prime example, sports and entertainment site The Ringer spent a week spotlighting shows that don't get much attention from the types of reviewers who make up the crop of cultural critics, calling the series "Airing In Plain Sight." Now, network stalwarts "Survivor" and "Grey's Anatomy" are prominently displayed on a site that normally focuses on new or cutting-edge TV.
PR professionals should take the lesson to heart and ensure their media monitoring can cover a huge variety of media sources, even outside of the ones that normally cover the industry in question. Great opportunities for outreach could crop up in new and unexpected places.
You're always ready to launch a heavy push for a new product or campaign, but how are you at keeping up momentum for something that's been around for a while?
Television seasons are important sources of renewal. When new episodes of existing series start airing, it's a chance to get new viewers on board, especially in this age of binge watching. All people need is an exciting hook and the essential knowledge of what they've missed. So when you're scrolling through TV Guide's recaps of 50(!) returning programs, ask yourself what you can do to re-engage your own audience. When attention has faded, the time is ripe to reintroduce the world to a product or a new irresistible hook.
One of the hottest TV news stories this fall comes from a show that won't air until next year and isn't part of the U.S. network lineup. That said, the deafening media coverage means it earns a mention: That show is "The Great British Bake Off."
The hit competition has jumped ship from U.K. state broadcaster the BBC to commercial network Channel 4, and the story has held twists, turns and an important PR lesson. The whole story could have been a PR disaster for the BBC, with the high-rated show leaving their network. However, the national network weathered a few days of doubt and, according to The Guardian, the channel has retained 3 of 4 main presenters from the show and may launch a new program with them - before the Bake Off name gets off the ground at Channel 4.
The BBC has taken control of the narrative, with sources speaking with The Guardian to confirm that it is possible that the channel will keep the beloved hosts within its own lineup and to reassure the audience at home that it can launch its own program.
Now, with the news source reporting that some fans are angry at Paul Hollywood, the one host who did not remain with the BBC, and Channel 4 up for questioning by Parliament over its programming practices, it appears the BBC is not the channel in crisis. Staying the course and offering reassuring comments to media can defuse tricky situations.
Television is more than a source of entertainment, it's also great for inspiration. Organizations that run their PR departments with the flair of a network's flagship program roll-out stand to gain immensely from the coverage they reap, no matter the industry.
As Election Day nears, Democrats seem on track to regain some of the ground they have lost to Republicans in statehouses during the Obama years. But celebrations by the victors, whether Democrats or Republicans, are likely to be muted as states confront troublesome accumulated problems on health care, pensions, immigration and other issues.
No matter who wins the presidency – and Hillary Clinton is solidly ahead in most polls – states will seek more flexibility from the new administration in dealing with “the tangled web of Medicaid,” says Scott Pattison, executive director of the National Governors Association. Medicaid, the federal-state program that provides health care for the poor and disabled, is in most state budgets the second costliest item after education, and costs are rising. States want room to innovate to reduce costs and improve care, Pattison said.
The Obama administration has been gradually heading in this direction, issuing waivers to six states that allow them latitude in expanding Medicaid. Most recently, Washington Gov. Jay Inslee (D) announced a $1.1 billion federal grant for a five-year demonstration project that includes prevention of conditions such as diabetes, treatment for mental illness, increased home care and support for unpaid care givers. An additional $375 million was earmarked for reducing the costs of Apple Health, as Medicaid is called in the Evergreen State.
The biggest challenge both for states and the new administration in Washington, D.C. will be dealing with a range of growing problems that beset the Affordable Care Act, better known as Obamacare. Echoing congressional Republicans, GOP presidential nominee Donald Trump, has promised to scrap Obamacare and start over. Republicans generally favor increased tax credits, greater use of health savings accounts and allowing insurance companies to sell policies across state lines.
Campaign rhetoric aside, repeal of Obamacare is a non-starter. Even in the unlikely event that Republicans controlled both houses of Congress and the White House, Democrats could block repeal with a Senate filibuster. Reform, rather than repeal, is a more viable option. Health care experts have warned that the Affordable Care Act, despite success in enrolling 20 million previously uninsured people since 2014, is on shaky ground as the fourth open enrollment season begins Nov. 1, a week before Election Day. Consumers face higher premiums and fewer choices as major insurers such as Aetna, Humana and UnitedHealth have withdrawn from many of the exchanges that sell Obamacare policies. “...Mr. Obama’s signature domestic achievement will almost certainly have to change to survive,” Robert Pear wrote in the New York Times. “The two [political] parties agree that for far too many people, health plans in the individual insurance market are still too expensive and inaccessible.”
The nature of the changes could be influenced by November ballot initiatives in Colorado and California. Amendment 69 in Colorado would create ColoradoCare, a single-payer government-run plan dear to the hearts of liberals and long the norm in the United Kingdom, Canada and Scandinavia. Martha P. King, health program group director for the National Conference of State Legislatures, says that other states could take their cue from the voting results on this ballot measure.
Polls show Amendment 69, which would be financed by a 10 percent income tax increase, heading for defeat. But because of its ballot wording, Amendment 69 may not be a fair test of voter sentiment on universal health care. It begins with an off-putting question: “Shall state taxes be increased $25 billion annually in the first full fiscal year…?”
Proposition 61 in California would prevent drug companies from charging state health programs more than the negotiated price paid by the Department of Veterans Affairs. This measure, put on the ballot by the AIDS Healthcare Foundation, leads in polls despite opposition from the California Medical Association and a television advertising blitz from pharmaceutical companies, which have raised more than $86 million to defeat it. Drug prices are a contentious issue in the Obamacare debate; advocates are pushing a similar proposal in Ohio that could reach the ballot in 2017. Other states that use the initiative process may follow suit if Proposition 61 passes.
States will also face increased pressure in the coming year to reform public pension systems. Because of insufficient contributions and weak investment performance, unfunded state liabilities for public pensions ballooned by 40 percent to $1.75 trillion through the 2017 fiscal year, according to Moody’s Investors Service. Moody’s found in a recent report that half of all states did not put enough money into their retirement systems in 2015 to curb the growth of unfunded liabilities. Overall, state pension funds earned just a median 0.52 percent on investments in fiscal 2016 versus an average assumed rate of 7.5 percent, Moody’s said.
The need to make up for pension shortfalls has led to credit-rating cuts in Illinois and New Jersey and several cities, most prominently Chicago. Pension fund shortfalls in California contributed to the bankruptcies of the cities of Stockton, San Bernardino and Vallejo.
In California, as in many other states, public pensions have long been considered a vested right that could not be altered. But in August a California appellate court opened the door to changes when it found that “reasonable” pension cuts were allowable. Without defining “reasonable,” the court upheld a lower court decision in which Marin County, a wealthy area north of San Francisco, redefined employees’ retirement benefits to prevent pension “spiking,” which boosts compensation at the end of an employee’s career to increase benefits.
The Marin Association of Public Employees said it will ask the California Supreme Court to overturn the decision, which both the union and pension-reform advocates see as a crucial change in pension law. Although the decision has no legal impact beyond California, it could inspire local governments in other states to seek changes in pension benefits.
On another front, states will again be left to their own devices in dealing with immigration issues. Although the Supreme Court has held that immigration is a federal responsibility, Congress repeatedly has declined to step up to the plate. Prospects are dim for a comprehensive immigration reform bill, which the Senate passed and the House rejected in 2013. And although immigration, with Trump as the catalyst, has been a sensitive – some would say demagogic – issue in the current presidential campaign, it’s a muted one in states with large numbers of Latino voters. California, home to an estimated 2.4 million unauthorized immigrants, has in many respects become an immigrant haven. Most California law enforcement agencies no longer inform federal authorities when an unauthorized immigrant is apprehended for a misdemeanor. These immigrants can get driver’s licenses and receive in-state tuition at public colleges. Their children are eligible for health coverage and under a law signed recently by Gov. Jerry Brown (D), adults can enroll for Obamacare, although unlike citizens they receive no subsidy.
In Arizona, once considered hostile to unauthorized immigrants, an agreement signed in September by the state and the National Immigration Law Center, banned the practice of allowing police to demand the papers of people suspected of being in the country illegally. This practice, the result of a 2010 state law, was considered odious by immigration activists, business leaders and several city governments. It ignited national boycotts that economically harmed the Grand Canyon State.
Many other thorny issues will confront state governments after the end of the long and divisive political campaign. In facing these challenges, states will be swimming upstream against what Scott Pattison of the NGA calls an “undercurrent of economic concern that has been reflected in relatively cautious budget projections.” Memories of the 19-month Great Recession that ended in 2009 linger in the states, where revenues did not return to normal for four or more years.
Now, despite a relatively healthy domestic economy, 30 states reported lower-than-expected revenues in the first quarter of the fiscal year that began in July. Is this a harbinger of economic downturn? State budget officials don’t know the answer to this question, but they’re not inclined to wild spending in the year ahead.
Most states effectively bar unauthorized immigrants from obtaining a driver’s license by requiring a Social Security number for doing so. But 10 states allow undocumented immigrants to obtain a driver’s license with a foreign passport or birth certificate, or proof of state residency. And 20 states let undocumented immigrants pay in-state tuition rates at public colleges, while six states prohibit that practice.
Source: New York Times, National Conference of State Legislatures
Along with 156 statewide ballot measures that will be considered in 35 states on Nov. 8 (see Citizen Initiatives Push Ballot Measures Left This Year in the Oct. 14 issue), numerous local ballot measures will also be contested. Among the more notable of them are proposed soda taxes in three California cities - San Francisco, Oakland and Albany - and Boulder, Colorado.
The proposed measure in San Francisco, Proposition V, would impose a tax of one cent-per-ounce on soft drinks and other sugar-sweetened beverages, including sports drinks, iced teas, juices and energy drinks. The tax would be paid by distributors rather than retailers, and diet drinks, milk and natural fruit and vegetable juices that have no added sugar would be exempt.
Supporters of Prop. V, some of whom liken a soda tax to other “sin” taxes like those on alcohol and tobacco that generate revenue while discouraging unhealthy habits, say the measure will reduce the consumption of beverages that contribute to the nation’s obesity and diabetes epidemics. And they cite a recent study showing that consumption of soda and other sugary beverages dropped 21 percent in low-income neighborhoods of the nearby city of Berkeley in the months after a new penny-an-ounce soda tax took effect there last year, while consumption in San Francisco and Oakland during the same period increased 4 percent. The study also found that the consumption of bottled or tap water increased 63 percent in Berkeley, while water consumption increased only 19 percent in San Francisco and Oakland.
“Not only was the drop in sugary drink consumption in Berkeley greater than we expected, the apparent shift to less harmful products like water is a very good sign,” said Kristine Madsen, an associate professor of public health at the University of California, Berkeley and the senior author of the soda tax study.
But other studies have found that soda taxes haven’t significantly reduced caloric intake and may have increased the consumption of beer in some households. And opponents of Prop. V also argue the tax would be passed along to retailers and ultimately to consumers in the form of higher grocery prices, effectively making the measure a grocery tax.
A lot is at stake for the nation’s $169 billion non-alcoholic beverage industry, with other cash-strapped localities closely watching the outcome of the four soda-tax measures, as well as a legal challenge to a soda tax scheduled to take effect in Philadelphia next year. The American Beverage Association has spent $30.8 million and Coca-Cola and Pepsi have spent $4.7 million and $2.1 million respectively fighting the measures. The biggest spenders in support of the measures are the philanthropic foundations of former New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg and Laura and John Arnold, prompting some to refer to the contests as the battle between billionaires and big soda. (STATELINE.ORG, BERKELEY NEWS, VOX, BALLOTPEDIA.ORG)
Over 80 local governments, including Los Angeles County and the City of San Francisco, will ask voters next month to approve sales-tax increases, the highest number ever recorded. Some of the measures would provide funding for roads and other projects, but most would simply provide additional revenue to shore up budgets and avoid spending cuts.
Although the state’s economy overall is flourishing, thanks to a thriving tech industry and a housing market that has rebounded from the Great Recession, local government revenues haven’t kept pace with that economic development or even kept up with rising pension and other costs, largely because of the property-tax limits California voters approved in 1978 with Proposition 13.
“Like a lot of midsized communities in California, we are struggling with staffing our essential services,” said Brent Weaver, vice mayor of Redding, which has placed Measures D and E on the ballot, authorizing a half-percent increase in the sales tax and allowing the revenue derived from it to be used to augment police, fire and other public safety services respectively. “We have been really struggling the last several years trying to grow our economy.”
Most of the sales tax measures, which don’t tie the tax to a specific purpose - or split the tax from the allocation of its proceeds like Redding’s two measures - will require a simple majority to pass. The sales tax measures in nine cities that are targeted at a specific purpose, however, will need a two-thirds vote for approval. But the impact of any of the measures that should happen to pass would be softened somewhat by the expiration of a temporary quarter-percent increase in the state sales tax in January. (BLOOMBERG, CITY OF REDDING)
The Kentucky Retirement System board’s investment committee has reached “a general agreement” on a three-year plan to withdraw about $1.5 billion - roughly 10 percent of its $14.9 billion in total assets - it has invested in hedge funds. Public pensions in California and other states have already begun divesting from such funds, which attempt to earn a profit regardless of market conditions by using a combination of investments including stocks, real estate and other sometimes risky assets. The KRS committee will formally vote on the divestment plan on Nov. 2, and a vote by the full board will come on Dec. 1. (LEXINGTON HERALD-LEADER)
NEVADA Gov. Brian Sandoval (R) signed legislation passed in special session (SB 1 a) that will increase the hotel room tax in Clark County to help fund a $1.9 billion, 65,000-seat stadium in Las Vegas. The action clears the way for the National Football League’s Oakland Raiders to move to the city. (LAS VEGAS REVIEW-JOURNAL, LEXISNEXIS STATE NET)
Investments in hedge funds have cost the NEW YORK State Common Retirement Fund - the third-largest in the nation, with over $178 billion in assets - $3.8 billion over the last eight years, including $1 billion in fees to fund managers. (REUTERS)
NORTH CAROLINA officials estimate that Hurricane Matthew has caused $1.5 billion in damage to over 100,000 homes, businesses and public buildings in the state. (REUTERS)
- Compiled by KOREY CLARK
Ohio voters who were removed from the state’s voter rolls due to inactivity will be allowed to vote in the November general election by provisional ballot, according to a U.S. District Court ruling last week. That decision comes a little less than a month after the U.S. 6th Circuit Court of Appeals ruled that Ohio’s practice of canceling the voter registrations of those who haven’t voted in two consecutive elections violated federal law.
At least 846,391 registrations were canceled for that reason between 2010 and 2014, according to the U.S. Election Assistance Commission.
“Our main concern was to protect the integrity of the election by not having to reinstate deceased voters, those who moved out of state, or are otherwise ineligible,” Secretary of State Jon Husted said in a statement.
“Our biggest concern was to make sure that voters who were illegally purged from the voter rolls will be able to cast their ballots in November and we believe this ruling largely resolves that,” countered Mike Brickner, senior policy director for the ACLU of Ohio.
Husted said his office would fully comply with the court’s ruling and “continue to focus on the important work of administering a smooth election.” (CLEVELAND.COM, ATLANTIC)
Arkansas’ Supreme Court has disqualified a measure aimed at legalizing casinos in Boone, Miller and Washington counties from the state’s November ballot and ordered election officials not to count any votes cast for the measure (Issue 5) on ballots that have already been printed. The justices ruled that the ballot measure’s title failed to inform voters that it contradicted a federal restrictions on gambling in the state. And due to the omission of that information, the measure’s title “does not honestly and accurately reflect what is contained in the proposed Amendment,” wrote Associate Justice Karen R. Baker. She added that “voters are entitled to a ballot title that is honest, impartial, and intelligible and will give them a fair understanding of the issues presented.” (ASSOCIATED PRESS)
VIRGINIA’s online voter registration system slowed down last Monday - the last day to register to vote in time for the Nov. 8 election - to the point of being “completely unresponsive” at times, due to “an unprecedented activity level,” according to a post on the state’s Department of Elections Facebook page. State election officials attributed the spike in web traffic to postings by Facebook and Google alerting users in the state about the impending registration deadline. (VIRGINIAN-PILOT [NORFOLK])
Judges in GEORGIA and NORTH CAROLINA ordered election officials in those states to extend voter-registration deadlines in some counties due to Hurricane Matthew, which forced some government offices to temporarily close and thousands of residents to evacuate. FLORIDA and SOUTH CAROLINA also extended their registration deadlines because of the hurricane. (ABC NEWS)
In an effort to fight his state’s ongoing epidemic of opioid abuse and deaths, Vermont Gov. Pete Shumlin (D) proposed limiting the prescription of painkiller medications.
Under his plan, doctors would have to consider the severity and duration of a patient’s pain when prescribing opioid meds. Doctors prescribing for procedures producing moderate pain, for instance, would be limited to authorizing no more than a dozen pills. More intricate procedures, or cases where a patient is in chronic pain, would be eligible for larger prescriptions. Prescription providers would also have to discuss the risks of opioid use with their patients and provide them with information about the drugs. All first-time opioid prescriptions would require the patient to sign off on having received this information and giving their consent to take the drugs.
In a statement, Shumlin said such measures are critical if states are to reduce opioid addiction.
“Vermont, and the rest of America, will not get a handle on the opiate and heroin addiction crisis until we confront head-on the source of the problem: FDA-approved opiates that are handed out like candy,” he said, adding: “Vermont doctors and providers have been on the leading edge of curbing the irrational exuberance with which opiates are handed out. These proposed limits will solidify that progress and help Vermont continue to lead the nation when it comes to combating this crisis.”
The new limits are subject to a public comment period and approval by lawmakers. Shumlin said it was critical for elected officials to take the lead in tackling the opioid abuse epidemic.
“We didn’t have a heroin crisis in America before OxyContin was approved and started being handed out like candy,” he told reporters. “If politicians would lead a more rational conversation about how we manage pain in America, we could fix the majority of this problem with a click of our fingers.” (ABC NEWS, NEW YORK TIMES, VERMONT GOVERNOR’S OFFICE)
New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo (D) proposed new regulations that would require parole boards to consider both an inmate’s personal needs as well as his or her risk to the public before being released.
“Confidence in the criminal justice system is paramount and these new regulations will help increase transparency, fairness and accountability in the parole process,” Cuomo said in a statement. “Opening up the Parole Board’s decision making and instituting these new commonsense guidelines will help ensure the work of those trying to rehabilitate their lives does not go unrecognized, and that those who still present a public threat remain behind bars.”
That process includes requiring parole officials to consider a prisoner’s age at the time of the crime and to weigh that person’s demonstrated growth and maturity since the time of the offense when considering individuals serving a maximum life sentence for crimes committed when they were under the age of 18.
The proposed regulations are now open for public comment. (NEWS10 ABC [ALBANY], NEW YORK GOVERNOR’S OFFICE)
Saying the law was unclear, a LOUISIANA judge rejected an attempt by Gov. John Bel Edwards (D) to force the state Attorney General Jeff Landry (R) to okay legal contracts that include anti-discrimination language to protect LGBT people. Edwards said he would appeal. (SHREVEPORT TIMES)
MARYLAND Gov. Larry Hogan (R) said that only certain charter and other specialty schools and school districts that traditionally have weather-related closings will be eligible for waivers from his earlier edict that Old Line State schools start classes after Labor Day. Some lawmakers and education officials have intimated they might seek legislation to block the governor’s actions. (WASHINGTON POST)
Reacting to a rash of more than 340 wildfires exacerbated by intense drought conditions, ALABAMA Gov. Robert Bentley (R) issued a no-burn order barring outside fires across the Heart of Dixie. The order bars campfires, bonfires, trash or debris fires and all other open burning. Violators face fines up to $500 and up to six months in jail. (ALABAMA GOVERNOR’S OFFICE, INSURANCE JOURNAL)
WYOMING Gov. Matt Meade (R) announced the creation of a new task force to coordinate efforts between the public and private sectors to bolster the state’s outdoor recreation industry. The task force is expected to have a report with recommendations ready within a year. (CASPER STAR-TRIBUNE)
-- Compiled by RICH EHISEN
A federal court rules that the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency has not adequately considered potential job losses when establishing regulations governing the coal and other industries. Judge John Preston Bailey of the District Court for the Northern District of WEST VIRGINIA said the EPA has a duty to track the potential job losses and shifts in employment from regulations written under the federal Clean Air Act. The EPA is considering an appeal (THE HILL [WASHINGTON D.C.])
The KENTUCKY Supreme Court rules that local municipalities do not have the authority to set their own minimum wage standards. The ruling, which stems from a 2014 decision by the city of Louisville to raise its minimum wage to $10.10, could result in thousands of workers in that locale receiving a pay cut (LEXINGTON HERALD-LEADER).
The FLORIDA Supreme Court rules that death penalty verdicts must be unanimous. The ruling strikes down a Sunshine State law that allowed for capital punishment verdicts when just 10 of 12 jurors agree. It is yet to be determined how or if the ruling will impact the 386 people currently on the state’s death row. State Attorney General Pam Bondi (R) is weighing an appeal (MIAMI HERALD).
The U.S. 5th Circuit Court of Appeals rules that law enforcement can legally, without warrant, swipe credit cards and gift cards taken from a detained person to reveal the information encoded on the magnetic stripe. The ruling came in the case of two TEXAS men arrested for a traffic violation who were subsequently found to have 143 stolen gift cards in their possession (ARS TECHNICA).
MASSACHUSETTS Gov. Charlie Baker (R) signs HB 4364, which requires that Bay State law enforcement agencies retain rape kits – which contain forensic evidence of an alleged assault – be kept for at least 15 years. Current law requires the kits be kept for only six months. The new law goes into effect in 90 days (BOSTON GLOBE).
A federal judge in TEXAS reaffirms that a temporary injunction barring federal officials from enforcing a school directive on transgender bathrooms applied to every state in the nation. The Obama administration was seeking to have the ruling limited to Texas and the 12 other states that sued to block the directive from taking effect (AUSTIN AMERICAN-STATESMAN).
A federal judge rules that a MISSISSIPPI law banning the state’s Medicaid program from spending money with any health care provider that offers abortions is unconstitutional. U.S. District Judge Daniel P. Jordan III said the law violates the “free-choice-of-provider” provision of federal law (ASSOCIATED PRESS).
Citing legal precedent is part and parcel to most any lawsuit. But one might think that a savvy legal beagle would avoid citing decisions more infamous than laudable. When it comes to Kansas Solicitor General Steven McAllister, one would be wrong. As Vox reports, McAllister recently cited the U.S. Supreme Court’s mindnumbingly awful ruling in the 1857 Dred Scott v. Sandford case to bolster a current abortion law case meandering through the federal court system. Yes, the ruling that effectively barred citizenship for people “of African descent” because said folks were “beings of an inferior order, and altogether unfit to associate with the white race, either in social or political relations.” In a case dealing with abortion law. From a legal standpoint, citing cases that bolster yours is a perfectly fine idea; from a human standpoint we’d argue that citing this specific one is a pretty bad one.
If you believed this awful campaign season couldn’t get any worse, I have news for you – it can always be worse. Earlier this year an activist artist group began placing statues of a bloated, naked Donald Trump in New York City. Now, as the New York Daily News reports, someone last week took a similar tack against Hillary Clinton, placing an equally corpulent nude statue of her on a Manhattan sidewalk. But while the statue of the GOP candidate drew mostly a few laughs before being removed, at least one observer of the Hillary statue was not amused at all. As video for the story shows, the woman managed to knock the large caricature to the ground and then fended off multiple attempts to raise it again. Let us hope this is the end of all violence - visual or physical – related to this ugly, ugly election.
Speaking of elections plagued by a bloviating blowhard – no, not that one – we hear that former major league pitcher Curt Schilling is planning to challenge U.S. Senator Elizabeth Warren of Massachusetts in 2018. For non-sports fans, Schilling was one of the greatest pitchers of his era, helping get the Phillies, Diamondbacks and Red Sox to the World Series. Alas, Schilling’s post-athletic career has been marked more by epic failures like having his video game company go broke after Rhode Island officials awarded it $75 million ($49 million actually received) in public funds as incentive to move there from the Bay State. He also has made numerous headlines for getting fired from his cushy ESPN job for a long series of social media rants that critics call racist, sexist and xenophobic. Great. But, wait! As the Washington Post reports, he still needs to get permission from his wife, Shonda. Here’s hoping she does us all a solid and just says no.
And then there is this: the campaign video from Texas County Commissioner Gerald Daugherty. In an election season most people will desperately be trying to forget, this is one you will want to remember and maybe even share with your friends...who actually won’t want to disown you for sending it their way. Whatever side of the aisle you are on, I think we can agree that Daugherty, a Republican from Austin, has done the near impossible: made us smile about politics.
-- By RICH EHISEN
Both undergraduate and graduate students rely on credible, accessible and diverse content to complete their coursework. In our journey to deliver a new research solution that’s uniquely aligned to their needs, we discovered a few key pain points students face when completing a research assignment. We’ve presented a few of these discoveries below, along with testimonials from the students themselves about what would make for an ideal research experience.
While some of these struggles may sound familiar, the bottom line is that digital natives require a guided research experience with relevant information that’s easy to share with classmates. And this is precisely what we will offer with our new academic research solution. Check out this video to learn more.
A guided, personalized research experience fulfills digital natives’ expectations for finding relevant information quickly. And, it fits their experience--after all, that’s how Amazon helps them shop and Netflix helps them decide what to binge-watch next. A tool that supports personalization will help students avoid wasting time with irrelevant search returns and more quickly discover pertinent information.
Learn more from Appalachian College of Pharmacy student Tyler Jauss
A major road block students face when completing research is narrowing down and filtering their results. The internet contains countless websites and databases filled with endless information that can be daunting to process. Students are seeking a platform that can clearly identify a starting point for their research amidst the vast amount of data that’s available.
Learn more from University of Dayton student Rachel Armstrong
Learn more from Binghamton University student Liam Hayes
Group projects have become the norm in college. Students often collaborate to find the most creative and in-depth content related to their project. Students need a database that can connect them with their classmates in order to share relevant content and minimize duplicate efforts.
Learn more from University of Dayton student Monica Deal