Latest news with #Goodrich
Yahoo
09-05-2025
- General
- Yahoo
It's Military Spouse Appreciation Day: Here's What Three Military Spouses Want You to Know
Many people understand the hard work, bravery and selflessness that members of the military dedicate to their service. But not as many understand the scope of the sacrifice their spouses make behind the scenes to support the service members they love. In honor of Military Spouse Appreciation Day on May 9, PEOPLE spoke with a few military spouses on the invisible struggles they face. "We take on the role of maintaining equilibrium amidst war," said Allison Goodrich, whose spouse has served in the Marine Corps for 17 years. Military spouses are tasked with managing "the mental load of war," Goodrich said. She described the anxiety of managing a household while checking the news, wondering if their spouse is safe. "When you see the news, whether it's combat, a tragic aviation crash, or whispers of what's to come, the first person who absorbed that news was a military spouse," Goodrich said. "The fear of the knock at the door," as Kristy Willis called it, compounds on top of the stress of running a household alone. Willis' spouse has served Army Special Operation Command for 24 years. "We have seen this happen to those close to us and have grieved these losses, which makes the fear even more relevant and constantly felt," Willis said. And even on a more day-to-day level, these spouses are often raising families alone for long stretches of time, often in a new or unfamiliar location where they don't have built-in networks. This is true of Katie Moore, whose husband, Nick, has served in the Navy for 20 years. They've been stationed on the East Coast for the entirety of Nick's service, 3,000 miles away from their family. This isolation isn't uncommon for military spouses, and it can put them in difficult situations — like putting a new neighbor as an emergency contact on their child's school forms. "In any other circumstance, I would never place a complete stranger on such an important form," Moore said. "But when you're a military spouse, isolated from family and support systems, sometimes a name, any name, is your only option." Other military spouses constantly move around, making it difficult to put down roots anywhere. "Always needing to live in constant transition has been hard for me," Willis said. But these unchangeable circumstances don't stop military spouses from taking charge of their own lives. "Military spouses run their homes, communities, small businesses and America's classrooms," Willis said. "There is so much more to these women than what most take the time to see." Goodrich, Willis and Moore have all sought the support of the Station Foundation, which gives support to not just members of the Special Operations Forces as they reintegrate back into civilian life, but to their families as well. "I saw the need firsthand in my own home. And when I finally lifted my head and looked around, I realized I wasn't alone." said Shannon Stacy, the director of programs at the Station Foundation. Stacy founded the organization with her husband, who served in the special forces. Stacy found that there wasn't space for military spouses to share their stories, especially those whose partners were in the special forces. "The situations they've lived through — things most people never have to face — stay buried. Imagine being in your twenties, helping your friend choose an urn for her husband who didn't make it home," Stacy said. "The emotional toll runs deep." Even beyond supporting impactful programs like the Station, there are plenty of ways to assist a military spouse in your life. "You can invite a military family over for breakfast during a deployment, plan an outdoor movie night with your neighbors, offer to swap childcare duties for an afternoon so a military spouse can get to an appointment, drop off flowers on a holiday, offer the kids a ride to school, bring a meal, mow your neighbor's lawn, or bring the trash cans in," Goodrich suggested. Small but meaningful ways to thank those in the military and their spouses for their service. Read the original article on People
Yahoo
08-05-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Apache Stronghold asks federal judge to halt action on copper mine until high court rules
Grassroots group Apache Stronghold asked the U.S. District Court in Phoenix on May 7 to temporarily block the Trump administration from moving ahead with plans that would help clear the way for Resolution Copper to take ownership of Oak Flat and begin extracting copper a site considered sacred to Apache and other Native peoples. Attorneys for the group argued in the hearing that if the government issues a final environmental impact statement and the land exchange is finalized before the U.S. Supreme Court decides if it will hear the case this fall, it would be too late to reverse and return the land to the U.S. Forest Service. The hearing was the latest turn in an ongoing struggle over a small plot of land in the mountains at the heart of an ongoing national debate about the conflict between First Amendment religious rights, public lands oversight and a 150-year-old mining law's relevance in the 21st century. The mining company argued that formally blocking the environmental review wasn't necessary because the government's schedule would still give the Supreme Court time to decide if it would take Apache Stronghold's longstanding lawsuit to stop the swap of other environmentally sensitive lands for Oak Flat. Judge Steven P. Logan, who heard Apache Stronghold's case in 2021 and rejected the group's call to stop the land swap, again oversaw the hearing. Logan said he would issue a decision no later than 5 p.m. May 14. Land transfer 'is the point of no return' The judge had some strong questions for all three parties. He asked Luke Goodrich, vice president and senior counsel at Becket, if Resolution would have the right to exclude Apaches after the transfer is done. "Yes," Goodrich replied. "There is no legal recourse, no binding obligation on Resolution's part to reserve waters, trees or sacred spaces. "All Religious Freedom Restoration Act rights will expire." Goodrich said his firm had serious questions over the merits of the case, including why the government was rushing to reissue the environmental impact statement. "There is an imminent loss of federally protected rights if the land exchange happens," he said. "At the moment of the land swap, the regulatory ability of the government to affect access (to the property) ceases." Goodrich also pointed out that the court would not be able to rescind the exchange retroactively. Resolution Copper wants to extract copper from Oak Flat, a campground that is part of the Tonto National Forest in Miami, Arizona. The method of extraction the mining company wants to use will eventually create a giant sinkhole on land sacred to the Apache. "Once it happens, it's done and the court can't act any longer," he said. "The transfer is the point of no return." Sacred lands: Indigenous people find legal, cultural barriers to protect sacred spaces off tribal lands A 20-year struggle over a small campground Also known as Chi'chil Biłdagoteel, "the place where the Emory oak grows," Oak Flat is at the heart of a dispute over what should happen to the 2,200-acre site about 60 miles east of Phoenix. Naelyn Pike, 25, a citizen of the San Carlos Apache tribe, speaks to protestors at Oak Flat about the importance of environmental protections. Pike and members of Apache Stronghold, gathered to discuss possible actions by the federal government. A federal agency that oversees and supports permits for public lands projects added Resolution Copper's proposed mine east of Phoenix to a new priority list on April 18, along with nine other mining projects. It is part of the administration's push to increase domestic production of critical minerals through an executive order issued March 20. The list was posted in the wake of an announcement by the U.S. government on April 17 that it would reissue the final environmental impact statement 60 days later, or June 16. When the document is published, a 60-day window opens to complete the land swap and transfer the site to Resolution. The Mining Law of 1872 opened federal lands to mineral extraction. U.S. citizens are entitled to explore and purchase mineral deposits on public lands designated as open for mining claims. It's the foundation of mineral extraction laws and hasn't been significantly changed in its 153-year history. In December 2014, Congress authorized the U.S. Forest Service to trade the site, currently a campground amid big Emory oaks, other trees and plants, for parcels of environmentally sensitive private land owned by Resolution, a company owned by British-Australian mining corporations Rio Tinto and BHP. Members and supporters of Apache Stronghold, a grassroots advocacy group opposing a land swap that would open Oak Flats to mining, listen to speakers talk about the importance of environmental protections and give updates on the group's legal challenges. Resolution plans to extract the copper ore using a method known as block cave mining, in which tunnels are drilled beneath the ore body and then collapsed, leaving the ore to be moved to a crushing facility. Eventually, the ground would subside, leaving behind a crater about 1,000 feet deep and nearly 2 miles across where Oak Flat and its religious and environmental significance now stand. The U.S. Forest Service published the final environmental impact statement and draft decision for the copper mine and land swap five days before the end of the first Trump administration in January 2021. The land deal could have been finalized within 60 days of that action. Apache Stronghold filed for an emergency injunction April 24 in response to a letter from the administration to the U.S. Supreme Court on April 18 that it intended to issue the final environmental impact statement 60 days later, as soon as June 16. The high court has been debating since late 2024 if it would accept the case. Necessary minerals: Why can't the US mine and refine all its copper? What to know about new Trump order Resolution was granted permission to join the lawsuit in 2023. After being turned down by the federal district court and the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals, Apache Stronghold appealed to the Supreme Court in 2024. The high court has continued to consider the case, but as of May 5, has not yet decided if it will hear the group's appeal. Resolution Copper, whose attorneys also participated in the hearing, said before the hearing it understands and respects that not everybody approves of the mine. However, a spokesperson said the company has been consulting with tribes and communities for almost a decade. "The information collected and the two-way dialogue with Native American tribes and communities in a co-design approach has significantly reshaped the project," he said. "The company has agreed to forego portions of the ore body and major facilities have been completely relocated to avoid dozens of areas of cultural significance and hundreds of ancestral sites, medicinal plants, seeps and springs." Apache Leap has been placed in permanent protection, and Oak Flat campground will remain open and accessible for decades, he said. Resolution officials detail site costs Logan asked Victoria Peacey, Resolution Copper's president and general manager to clarify the firm's assertion that it was spending about $11 million a month in carrying costs, and if it would be paying those costs after construction commences. Peacey said the current figure was to maintain the two tunnels the company has already drilled, to maintain and shore up older tunnels from the mine's Magma Mine days, to wrap up rehabilitating waste piles in and around Superior and repurposing at least one site into a water treatment plant for the town, and for payroll for Resolution's current 400-employee roster. She said most of those employees are local to Arizona's Copper Triangle, including San Carlos Apache members, and include biologists, cultural resource specialists, technicians and engineers. She said some of those costs, such as keeping the major mine shafts clear, would be incurred through the mine's anticipated 40-year lifespan. And some costs, like lighting, she said, would actually increase. The judge asked Julia Morgan, attorney for the U.S. government, if the high court had reviewed any petition as many times as Apache Stronghold's, but then ended up refusing to deliberate the case. Morgan said she wasn't aware of any. Logan then asked both parties to list their opponents' strongest arguments and state their counterarguments. Goodrich said the biggest argument would be the large copper deposit — estimated to be about 40 billion pounds — but Congress also passed legislation affirming Native people's right to practice their religions. He said Apache Stronghold is just asking for a halt to the land swap process until the Supreme Court decides if they will take the case. "If the Supreme Court says no the government loses nothing." He asked Morgan, the attorney for the government, what she felt was Apache Stronghold's main argument and the government's counterargument. "The Stronghold's argument is the surface destruction, the ultimate destruction of lands that will disrupt their religious practice," she said. "However, that harm won't occur in the next 14 days or 30 days." Morgan added that the harm to the land won't occur before the courts are done deliberating, "thus there is no need for an injunction" to halt the land swap process. After the hearing, a Resolution spokesperson said the mine is vital to securing America's energy future, infrastructure needs and national defense with a domestic supply of copper and other critical minerals. "We are encouraged by the significant community support for the project, which has the potential to become one of the largest copper mines in America, add $1 billion a year to Arizona's economy and create thousands of local jobs in a region where mining has played an important role for more than a century." "(The government) knows that the Apache people are still today engaging in sacred practices there that they can't engage in anywhere else," Goodrich said after the hearing. "And yet it told the court today it wants to rush ahead with a mine that will completely swallow Oak Flat in a crater and end centuries of Apache religious practices forever." "Today, I heard Resolution Copper say that they spent $11 million (a month) to maintain the assets," said Naelyn Pike of Apache Stronghold. "My religion, my way of life, my culture, is not an asset. It is our way of life that we've had since time immemorial, and it is priceless." Debra Krol reports on Indigenous communities at the confluence of climate, culture and commerce in Arizona and the Intermountain West. Reach Krol at Follow her on X @debkrol. Coverage of Indigenous issues at the intersection of climate, culture and commerce is supported by the Catena Foundation. This article originally appeared on Arizona Republic: Apache Stronghold asks judge to halt action on Resolution copper mine
Yahoo
04-04-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
VT maple sugarmaker discusses possible tariff impacts
EDEN, Vt. (ABC22/FOX44) – With likely just a few weeks left until warmer weather arrives permanently, this sugaring season presented more problems than usual for the folks at Goodrich's Maple Farm. Owner and longtime maple sugarmaker Glenn Goodrich said Thursday afternoon that the main thing causing them issues this sugaring season is the weather, which has been colder and snowier than a typical winter in their neck of the Northeast Kingdom. But, the other factor that could become more prevalent and problematic for them as time passes: The trickle down impacts of tariff decisions made by the Trump Administration. This week, President Trump announced a ten percent blanket tariff on all countries worldwide, and common maple trade partner Canada is among those getting taxed at a higher rate. The administration dealt a 25 percent tariff on our neighbors to the north earlier this year, and Canada has since struck back with reciprocal tariffs against the U.S. When it comes to those effects, Goodrich said he hasn't noticed much of a change at the local level just yet. But when the impacts eventually are felt at their main sugarhouse, he thinks there'll be both negative and positive to talk about. '100 years from now when we're reading about the four years you're talking about, what are we going to read about? Will it be good things or bad things? And we don't know until it's over,' said Goodrich. As for the potential repercussions on the horizon, Goodrich said much of the syrup making equipment they use, and also sell to other sugarmakers, is made in Quebec. He also noted that this is normally the time of year when they're getting ready to purchase new equipment. 'Possibly, new equipment that often gets ordered in the months of April and May could become an issue,' Goodrich said. 'We just don't know yet how bad that's going to be.' But as for the parts they get that are made in the U.S., Goodrich said those manufacturers will benefit from the tariffs, as the country could become more self-reliant. 'It's going to help those manufacturers, the U.S. based manufacturers, because they've been fighting a very unequal exchange rate for quite a long time now,' Goodrich said. 'The Canadian exchange rate is very steep.' Furthermore, Goodrich said Canadian-produced maple syrup that's shipped into the U.S. will now cost more at grocery stores, and he's hoping that will lead to more people buying his product. But at the same time, he acknowledged this could also lead to less people buying maple syrup in general, as anticipated higher grocery bills may lead to people cutting out the nonessentials. 'Maple syrup is a product that people, most people, really enjoy,' Goodrich said. 'But to call it a necessity food, it is not. If our prices go too high, people will make other alternative choices.' Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
30-03-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Washington County Republican Party elects new chair during reorganization meeting
GRAY, Tenn. (WJHL)—On Saturday morning, the Washington County Republican Party gathered to vote on the members who will lead their group for the next two years. The vote took place at the party's biennial reorganization meeting, which allowed the group to elect the people they felt would best represent them. Over 400 people were in attendance, all happy to be surrounded by those on the same page. 'Most republicans, I think, are on the same level that we share the same ideals and values,' member Paul Miller said. 'And so I'm really excited and looking forward to see what's going to happen in the next two years.' This year, the party elected Danielle Goodrich chair. She received 223 votes, beating her opponent, Todd Fowler, by five votes. Miller said he felt confident in Goodrich's ability to lead. 'I think she's going to be a good voice for us, a good chair,' Miller said. 'Because she's trying to be kind of, take the state politics that we're seeing from Trump into the local with his transparency.' Goodrich is the first female chair elected in at least eight years. But she said winning this position is about more than her gender. 'I mean, as a role model for my daughter, I think that's great,' Goodrich said. 'But I really think it comes down to, you know, who's the best for the job and who do the people have confidence to put in. And I don't think it really has to do with gender as much as who the people have confidence in. And I'm just elated that the people have confidence in me, and I will do my very best and work my tail off to get everything done that we said that we would.' While in her position, Goodrich said she aims to be open and honest with the party. 'We want people to be informed,' she said. 'So we want people to know all the republican candidates are on the ballot, and we want the people to know what they stand for.' Both Goodrich and Miller said being active in local politics, like the Republican party, is just as important as being active in state and national elections. 'I mean, this is our community,' Goodrich said. 'This is where I'm raising three of my children. And I want to be able to hand down freedom for them to do the same.' 'Of course, the presidential elections are important,' Miller said. 'But our local stuff is very important. So I think our voice is really the loudest here at the local level.' Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
18-03-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
Scientists sound the alarm over concerning chemicals lurking in common products: 'They shouldn't be exposed in the first place'
One University of Michigan scientist says that per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances, also known as "forever chemicals" or PFAS, can cause changes in cells that can lead to cancer, even at relatively low levels of exposure. Jackie Goodrich, a research associate professor of environmental health sciences at UM's School of Public Health, has been assessing the effects of PFAS on firefighters, who are exposed to these chemicals in their uniforms and firefighting foams, and children. Her work, which was summarized in the Toledo Blade, specifically focuses on how PFAS can cause changes within a human body cell. For instance, PFAS may deactivate tumor suppressor genes while also turning on genes that promote cancerous processes and cell growth, Goodrich said. They can also disrupt hormone signaling, harm cells, and modify the immune system. In her studies on firefighters and newborns, Goodrich has observed such changes at exposure levels near the median for the U.S. population. Meanwhile, people who are more heavily exposed at their work or residence can experience PFAS levels that are around 50 to 500 times greater than what she has observed in firefighters, putting them at greater risk for "bigger, more dramatic changes," she said. Goodrich's ongoing research adds to a growing knowledge base on the health impacts of PFAS. For example, one study found that exposure to PFAS can alter the expressions of certain genes within the brain. Another paper tied these chemicals to an increased risk of cardiovascular diseases in postmenopausal women. Most Americans have been exposed to PFAS and have it in their blood, according to the Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry. For instance, one study found that more than 20% of Americans may be exposed to PFAS-laced tap water, and it can also be found in everyday household items like water-resistant clothing and non-stick cookware. According to Goodrich, "It shouldn't be up to consumers and workers to have to avoid PFAS; they shouldn't be exposed in the first place." Though the Blade article notes that PFAS can linger in the environment for thousands of years, scientists have identified a few ways to break them down in water. In fact, one University of Illinois team discovered a way to remove the full spectrum of PFAS from water in a single process. In the meantime, governments have started to form legislation to reduce PFAS exposure. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, for example, estimates its plans will "reduce PFAS exposure for approximately 100 million people and prevent thousands of premature deaths, tens of thousands of serious illnesses, including cancers and liver and heart impacts in adults, and immune and developmental impacts to infants and children." Do you worry about having toxic forever chemicals in your home? Majorly Sometimes Not really I don't know enough about them Click your choice to see results and speak your mind. You can help reduce your exposure by looking for PFAS-free brands, opting for nonstick cookware, and limiting your purchases of stain- or water-resistant clothing. Join our free newsletter for weekly updates on the latest innovations improving our lives and shaping our future, and don't miss this cool list of easy ways to help yourself while helping the planet.
