Donna Brutkoski

Immigration authorities ordered a Panton man to an ICE check-in. 200 friends decided to join him Juan De La Cruz and his family feared the worst when he showed up for a check-in with immigration officials in St. Albans Tuesday. But the Panton resident will be allowed to stay in Vermont while his ...

Juan De La Cruz and his family feared the worst when he showed up for a check-in with immigration officials in St. Albans Tuesday. But the Panton resident will be allowed to stay in Vermont while his asylum case is pending.
www.vermontpublic.org/local-news/2...

Brandon is ready!

I remember seeing Amish families when we visited Kennedy Space Center in the 80s!

As a teen I worked in a local grocery store, which by law could pay new hires a “training wage” below minimum for the first 90 days. But I and others went on getting that wage for well over 90 days — until an anonymous correspondent (my dad) mailed the owner a copy of the relevant state law.

I’m sorry, but you know nothing whatsoever about the building trades market (among other things) if you think all weatherization needed in all low-income homes in all cold-weather states could magically “get done” in six months and render all future heating assistance unnecessary forever.

Would be happy to read! But gotta say, sweat equity is great, but some people physically can’t do it and you have to have a plan for them (I’m open to the answer to this being “tap into community volunteer programs,” btw). And none of this can happen INSTEAD OF meeting people’s immediate heat needs.

Please show me where I said weatherization isn’t the far better solution. Of course it is! We need very ambitious goals. But WHILE that is happening, people also need to not have their homes rendered unlivable by burst pipes because they had no money for fuel.

I would rather have a home where I can afford at least some heating while I am waiting for needed repairs and weatherization to add to my comfort. That’s why integrating these interventions (not sacrificing one for the other) is very important.

First of, many states have already started! But unless you want to clarify here, you’re saying “no money for fuel, only for weatherization,” and that’s a recipe for things like old people dying of pneumonia in their freezing houses because they had to wait 18 months for a contractor to be free.

To be clear! I’m an enthusiastic proponent of weatherization. But it can’t happen INSTEAD OF heating assistance, because that’s life or death stuff. It has to be fully integrated WITH heating assistance.

Yeah … was also wondering in that case what we’d do to keep people warm while waiting for all that work to get done (which takes time, lining up contractors etc).

You're making it sound like all LIHEAP funds go only to buy heating fuel, when states can and do spend as much as 25% of their funds on weatherization: liheapch.acf.hhs.gov/wxview.htm

Except that abolishing the monarchy was never an official position of the Lib Dems. Which means that just like every speech she ever gave or move she ever made once she became a professional politician, this speech wasn't meant as a legitimate political argument. It was meant to get her attention.

District of Columbia home rule - Wikipedia

Yes. But what you
don’t seem to be aware of is that if Congress wishes to do so, it can take away all of DC citizens’ LOCAL representation as well. Imagine having no say whatsoever in how your city is run or who runs it. That was how DC was governed until the 1970s. en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Distric...

Do you live in the District of Columbia? If not, do you understand how few rights the Americans who live there have, and how willing the MAGA regime will be to use its (sadly entirely legal and constitutional, btw) power to take away the rest, ie the home rule DC residents fought for for decades?

A little good trouble with @scullybully.bsky.social and friends 🤩🍁🥞

And, of course, sign up to join us on Wednesday, Jan. 29, to hear what's happening in the Mountain West! ➡️ raponline-org.zoom.us/webinar/regi...

@regassistproj.bsky.social @clasp-ngo.bsky.social

Looking forward to a great discussion next week! ICYMI, check out our recap of December's panel covering heat pump adoption efforts in the Northeast: www.raponline.org/blog/educati...

YouTube video by Regulatory Assistance Project RAP Unplugged: Louisa Eberle

📽️ OUT TODAY: 🎬 Our third "RAP Unplugged" video! Today's episode features Senior Associate Louisa Eberle. Louisa, who joined RAP in 2024, discusses her varied background. She also talks about the importance of RAP's work in the United States, as well as globally. youtu.be/byyT3NkTUVk?...

Title card for upcoming webinar: "Federal Dollars, State Policies and Heat Pumps: The Future of Heat in the Mountain West." Jan. 25, 2025, 2 p.m. (EST) Moderated by Vivian Cox and Raphael Breit Virtual Event

WEBINAR ALERT: Our regional heat pump adoption series with @clasp-ngo.bsky.social continues with a great panel from the Mountain West states. Sign up and join us on Wednesday, Jan. 29! raponline-org.zoom.us/webinar/regi...

Opportunities for Integrating Electric and Gas Planning - Regulatory Assistance Project Achieving the benefits of integrated planning will require process reforms.

Out this week: "Opportunities for Integrating Electric and Gas Planning," — a collaboration with Berkeley Lab.

As electricity demand in buildings continues to rise, opportunities — and challenges — for electric and natural gas planning are emerging. More here: www.raponline.org/knowledge-ce...

Modeling the Future of Low-Emissions Space and Water Heat A model rule for reducing emissions from appliances offers states a tool that can help drive adoption of cleaner alternatives.

In October, we collaborated with NESCAUM to publish an updated model rule for reducing emissions of nitrogen oxides (NOx) and other GHGs from space and water heating.

In the first of a two-part blog series, Raphael Breit reviews the key features of the model rule: www.raponline.org/blog/modelin...

#Heatpumps are giving consumers an affordable and clean heating/cooling solution in the Midwest, the Northeast, and across the U.S., and we've been hosting some great discussions with the regulators, utility representatives and advocates who are helping to make that happen.

Join us tomorrow at 2 pm!

And BTW in case you missed our great discussion with our Midwestern friends, you can check it out here: www.raponline.org/multimedia/f...

Our last U.S. webinar of the year upcoming after Thanksgiving. Sign up to join us! raponline-org.zoom.us/webinar/regi...

9 energy-climate starter packs:
1)Power go.bsky.app/RwCBCab
2)Media go.bsky.app/2TNd1Ya
3)Solutions go.bsky.app/Aa1sErQ
4)Science go.bsky.app/7Mbnoge
5)Legal go.bsky.app/R4ZUdPE
6)Women go.bsky.app/AGCURBf
7)Nuclear go.bsky.app/5EJY58V
8)EVs go.bsky.app/R4ZUdPE
9)Southeast go.bsky.app/AZ6Xw1U

It's 10 p.m. Do You Know Where Your Electric Vehicles Are? This paper takes a closer look at ways to encourage EV owner participation in utility-managed charging programs.

🔌 🚗 NEW POLICY BRIEF:

Charging EVs at the right time is the smart way to manage the grid — but more EV owners need to be encouraged to do so. We took a closer look at how to increase participation in utility-managed charging programs. www.raponline.org/knowledge-ce...

Join us on Wednesday! (And click through to read this excellent thread about our latest report and the many benefits of flexible EV charging! 💪 🚗 🔌 )

24/7 Carbon-Free Electricity Transition Tariffs: A Regulatory Tool for Accelerating Decarbonization Taking decarbonization to the next level will require new targeted policies to drive investments in resources and infrastructure and to improve operating practices.

As the urgency to decarbonize our #electricgrid intensifies, leaders recognize the need for innovative solutions. Enter the 24/7 carbon-free electricity transition tariff — a new tool to accelerate the shift to cleaner, #renewableenergy. bit.ly/3vpIGNF