More protest rallies are occurring in response to President Donald Trump's executive orders alongside Elon Musk's Department of Government Efficiency.

Many of these directives will reverse current environmental projects and stoke fears about the consequences of increased air and water pollution.

On Saturday, "Hands Off!, A National Day of Action" demonstrations will be held in defiance of Trump's actions.

Ohio Sierra Club director Ericka Copeland said the president's decisions will also weaken the state's key public-safety objectives.

"Another significant rollback is to propose the weakening of regulations around hazardous materials and safety standards for transportation," she said. "We all can remember that this was glaringly evident in the aftermath of the East Palestine train derailment a few years ago."

Copeland said she views protests as a powerful tool for raising awareness and hopes to see the momentum for pushback against Trump's policies continue beyond April 5. She advocated for lasting changes in the reinstatement of stronger environmental regulations and the expansion of clean-energy programs.

Fifty-two Ohio cities, including Akron, Cincinnati, Dayton, Springfield and Xenia, will stage public rallies.

Copeland said nearly $400 billion in incentives for underserved communities transitioning to renewable energy will also face cuts. She added that solar power, wind energy and energy-storage industries offer long-term sustainable employment opportunities and provide economic benefits to their communities.

"This administration is actively discouraging investments in sustainable industries that could create thousands of new jobs in Ohio," she said. "We're calling for a clean-energy future that includes workforce development, training programs (and) tax incentives that will help workers transition to the green economy."

The National Solar Energy Job Census reports as of 2023, Ohio ranks ninth in the nation for the number of solar jobs, at nearly 7,800.

As today begins National Farmworker Awareness Week, North Carolina boasts the sixth-largest number of farmworkers of any state.

More than 150,000 people in the Tar Heel State are farmworkers or dependents of them.

Quirina Vallejos, executive director of the North Carolina Farmworkers Project, said the issues facing farmworkers include exposure to pesticides, inadequate housing and wage theft. But Vallejos pointed out the most pressing problem remains helping farmworkers know and defend their rights.

"Even if the workers know what their rights are, it's very challenging for them to speak up for themselves, defend their own rights," Vallejos explained. "Because if they're undocumented, they're afraid of being reported to ICE, and I've heard of employers threatening that very thing in order to get people to do what they want."

Farmworkers in North Carolina help harvest numerous crops, including tobacco, cucumbers, apples and bell peppers. In 2022, the U.S. Department of Labor's National Agricultural Worker Survey found more than 40% of agricultural workers were not authorized to work in the U.S.

Vallejos argued strong enforcement of existing regulations would best help farmworkers. One sort of policy lawmakers in many states could initiate, Vallejos suggested, would be the passage of laws to protect them from extreme heat.

"Workers are out there sunrise to sunset. That's a long time to be out in the fields and not get any breaks, not have time in the shade," Vallejos contended. "Employers should be required to be educated on emergency response to heat stress and heat-induced illnesses because that would save lives."

Carolina consumers who wish to support farmworkers, Vallejos added, could try to purchase produce from companies with strong labor standards.


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Nationwide, it is estimated about one-third of Americans either adhere to Christian Nationalist ideals or sympathize with them.

Groups working for social justice in Washington state are organizing to counter what they see as a movement harmful to democracy.

Aaron Scott, author of "Bring Back Your People: Ten Ways Regular Folks Can Put a Dent in White Christian Nationalism," is the keynote speaker at this weekend's Peace and Justice Action Conference in Spokane.

It is estimated 16% of people in Washington support Christian Nationalist ideas and although it is hardly a majority, Scott said the movement should not be disregarded.

"We can't afford to say, 'Well, we're not going to really deal with that stuff, that's a side conversation,'" Scott explained. "Because clearly we are now in a moment where it is not a side conversation. It is the central conversation."

Scott noted white Christian Nationalist groups embed in rural areas, building churches and securing funds to win local elections. Their beliefs often appear as anti-immigrant and anti-LGBTQ. He pointed out the ideology thrives where voter suppression and disengagement are high and encouraged people to stay engaged in their communities.

Christian Nationalists want the U.S. to be declared a Christian nation, with laws based on their far-right values. Though the ideas can seem threatening, Scott stressed arguing with strangers is usually not an effective way to change someone's mind. Instead, he suggested having direct, thoughtful conversations within trusting relationships, reinforcing their values of honesty and compassion.

"You can do things like point to the way this person lives their lives and the values that you know they hold, and highlight, like, 'This does not seem aligned with this,'" Scott advised.

Scott, who also works with the Episcopal Church, emphasized the core of Christianity runs counter to the ideas of Christian Nationalism. He added many Christian groups recognize the movement provides cover for white supremacy and are concerned about the threat it may pose to their religious communities as well as democracy. Scott acknowledged it takes time and commitment to counter extreme ideologies.


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In a nationwide movement, Latinos are being urged to boycott retail stores tomorrow that have curtailed programs promoting fair hiring practices.

The diversity, equity and inclusion framework has been a cornerstone for many large retailers for several decades but attacks by President Donald Trump and the GOP have led such giants as Walmart, Target, McDonald's and others to scale back their DEI initiatives.

Caroline Tso Chen, associate professor of taxation at San Jose State University, said one person might not be able to make a huge difference but if 20% of people joined "Latino Freeze Day," the effect would be substantial.

"By basically telling those companies, we do not approve of what you are doing and we will take our money and we will spend it elsewhere," Tso Chen explained.

The annual purchasing power of Latinos in the U.S. continues to grow, now topping more than $3 trillion. New Mexico is among the top 10 states with the largest Hispanic/Latino buying power, which has increased due to population growth, labor force participation and educational attainment.

DEI programs have been around since the 1960s and are meant to promote the fair treatment and full participation of all people, particularly groups historically underrepresented or subject to discrimination. As an Asian woman, Tso Chen noted she knows what it is like, but added Friday's boycott would need to be just the beginning.

"You can't make this just February 28," Tso Chen stressed. "In order to make any sort-of significant economic impact to any of these retailers, it is going to have to be for an extended period of time."

The Latino Freeze Movement is encouraging supporters to find alternative ways to purchase what they need at other retailers, including local stores, swap meets, farmers markets, secondhand stores or negotiating trades.


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