This Week in Policy & Public Interest News: 14 Stories You Need to See

A roundup of the week's most newsworthy policy and public interest press releases from PR Newswire, including Fourth of July safety for people and animals.

NEW YORK, June 30, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- With thousands of press releases published each week, it can be difficult to keep up with everything on PR Newswire. To help journalists covering the policy and public interest industries stay on top of the week's most newsworthy and popular releases, here's a roundup of stories from the week that shouldn't be missed.

The list below includes the headline (with a link to the full text) and an excerpt from each story. Click on the press release headlines to access accompanying multimedia assets that are available for download.

1. American Pyrotechnics Safety & Education Foundation Urges Families to Celebrate Safely this Fourth of July
   "It is important that families take the time to plan their fireworks celebrations by selecting a safe location, one that has a flat surface and is located away from structures and free of debris. Additionally, make certain to read and follow all instructions for use and keep spectators at a safe distance," said Julie L. Heckman, Executive Director of the American Pyrotechnics Safety & Education Foundation (APSEF).
2. Lowe's Reveals 100 Impact Projects for 2023 Lowe's Hometowns Program, Addressing Needs in Communities Nationwide
   Projects range from housing and community centers to first responder facilities and outdoor spaces, including a project nominated by music icon Lionel Richie in his hometown of Tuskegee, Alabama.
3. Ring and Petco Love Lost Announce Integration Ahead of Busy July 4th Weekend to Simplify Reuniting Lost Pets
   The app's new feature uses patented image-recognition technology to locate a missing pet in a local shelter or in the care of a good Samaritan, helping pets make it safely home where they belong. The new feature serves as a vital resource during this upcoming July 4th holiday weekend, as more pets go missing during this time of year than any other and animal shelters are inundated with lost pets.
4. New National Survey Finds Pandemic-Driven Shifts in Gen Z Priorities for Education and Work Persist
   While the number of Gen Z high school students considering four-year college has decreased by more than 10 percentage points over the course of the pandemic (and 20 points total since its peak in 2020 shortly after the pandemic began), those considering pathways such as community college, career and technical education (CTE) or on-the-job training have increased 3-5 percentage points since 2020.
5. Dolly Parton's Imagination Library Celebrates 200 Millionth Book Milestone
   The early childhood book-gifting program mails a high-quality, free book each month to children from birth to age five and is now excited to celebrate with every child/family enrolled in the program and its Local Program Partners.
6. Bain & Company study shows 85% of business leaders view social issues as "urgent" concerns for their companies
   Karthik Venkataraman, a partner in Bain's Diversity, Equity, & Inclusion practice, said, "The leaders in this space have found ways to directly tie their social efforts to the commercial logic of their businesses, opening new opportunities for value creation by better serving all of their stakeholders. They see a symbiotic relationship between the concepts of 'doing well' and 'doing good.'"
7. 27 to 29 June, Paris - World Leaders & Scientists to Discuss: Basic Research Can Pioneer New Approaches to Global Challenges
   "Fundamental Life Science Meets Climate, Environment, and Sustainability," invites world leaders and scientists to forge new partnerships and propose systems-level approaches to solve global challenges. The events contribute toward the U.N. International Year of Basic Sciences for Sustainable Development.
8. Understood.org Launches the "Wired Differently" Radio Campaign to Empower the 70 Million Americans With Learning and Thinking Differences
   "Wired Differently" will help individuals and families explore three key areas: finding answers, finding community, and discovering what thriving looks like to them.
9. New Research Finds One in Four Americans Do Not Hold a Positive Outlook on the State of Nutrition Equality in the U.S. - And They Are Looking for Action
   The study found that most Americans (60%) do not eat what they would describe as very nutritious foods, due to significant economic and physical barriers. Those surveyed believe these gaps have a ripple effect, impacting their families, communities and the country at-large, where diet-related diseases currently lead to more than one million preventable deaths annually.
10. Most Apps and Online Platforms Used by Kids Are Likely Sharing and Selling Their Data, According to a New Report from Common Sense Media
    An analysis of the privacy policies of over 200 popular apps and online platforms found that nearly three-quarters are monetizing kids' and families' personal information in some way.
11. The Brady Hunter Foundation Launches Juneteenth Scholarship Fund and Donates to The Campaign Against Hunger
    "Juneteenth is not only an opportunity to reflect on our past, but to commit ourselves to a more just and equitable future. With the formation of The Brady Hunter Scholarship Fund and this donation to The Campaign Against Hunger, we are helping build that future," said New York City Mayor Eric Adams.
12. National Report Outlines Trends in K12 School Safety Based on Nearly Sixty Thousand Uses of Incident Response Technology in Spring 2023
    "When you establish a culture of safety, your staff feels trusted to act when something doesn't look right. They're empowered to resolve situations, whether through additional campus help or 911," said Brent Cobb, CEO of CENTEGIX.
13. American Dream Defined by Comfort, Happiness and Freedom, Say Small Business Owners in GoDaddy Study
    Just under two-thirds (62%) of American small business owners are confident they will achieve what they perceive as the American Dream, with male business owners showing more confidence than female (71% vs. 55%) and Millennials reporting themselves as the most confident generation (66%).
14. National Safety Council Analysis: Nearly 620 People May Lose Their Lives on America's Roads this Independence Day Weekend
    People can be safer on the roads by buckling up, slowing down, wearing a seat belt, and by driving free of distraction and impairment, as data show 39% of fatalities during the Independence Day holiday period involve an alcohol-impaired driver, one of the highest percentages among all the major holidays.

Read more of the latest policy-related releases from PR Newswire and stay caught up on the top press releases by following @PRNpolicy and @prnedu on Twitter.

Helping Journalists Stay Up to Date on Industry News

These are just a few of the recent press releases that consumers and the media should know about. To be notified of releases relevant to their coverage area, journalists can set up a custom newsfeed with PR Newswire for Journalists.

Once they're signed up, reporters, bloggers and freelancers have access to the following free features:

• Customization: Create a customized newsfeed that will deliver relevant news right to your inbox. Customize the newsfeed by keywords, industry, subject, geography, and more.
• Photos and Videos: Thousands of multimedia assets are available to download and include with your next story.
• Subject Matter Experts: Access ProfNet, a database of industry experts to connect with as sources or for quotes in your articles.
• Related Resources: Read and subscribe to our journalist- and blogger-focused blog, Beyond Bylines, for media news roundups, writing tips, upcoming events, and more.

About PR Newswire and PR Newswire for Journalists

For more than 65 years, PR Newswire has been the industry leader with the largest, most comprehensive distribution network of print, radio, magazine, television stations, financial portals and trade publications. PR Newswire has an unparalleled global reach of more than 200,000 publications and 10,000 websites and is available in more than 170 countries and 40 languages.

PR Newswire for Journalists (PRNJ) is an exclusive community that includes over 20,000 journalists, bloggers and influencers who are logging into their PRNJ accounts specifically looking for story ideas. PR Newswire thoroughly researches and vets this community to verify their identity as a member of the press, blogger or influencer. PRNJ users cover more than 200 beats and verticals.

SOURCE PR Newswire