Author: sHq_LoGiNz
OAKLAND, Calif., March 11, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — BKF is pleased to announce the acquisition of Lotus Water, a highly respected water resources and climate resilience engineering firm. United by a shared commitment to creating a more resilient water future, together, we are Stronger by Design. This strategic acquisition strengthens BKF’s water‑focused capabilities and positions the combined organization to better serve public agencies, utilities, and communities facing increasingly complex water and climate challenges.
Lotus Water is widely recognized for its specialized expertise in stormwater management, flood resilience, climate adaptation, green infrastructure, and integrated water systems planning. Its multidisciplinary team of civil and urban planners brings deep experience serving public utilities, municipalities, private and institutional clients, design professionals, and large urban infrastructure programs. By joining BKF, Lotus Water adds advanced technical depth and resilience-focused services that complement BKF’s broad civil, infrastructure, and environmental engineering practices. Together, the combined organization is sharpening its focus with a clear priority: to lead the industry in sustainable, resilient design that prepares communities, protects our watersheds, and strengthens infrastructure into the future.
“Water resilience is one of the defining infrastructure challenges of our time,” said Peter Wijsman, Executive Vice President of Infrastructure Solutions at BKF. “By bringing Lotus Water into BKF, we are intentionally building a premier water resources platform, one that combines deep technical experience, innovative thinking, and the scale required to help communities and utilities adapt to climate change, protect critical infrastructure, and plan confidently for the future. This acquisition accelerates our ability to lead in the water market and innovate solutions that are both resilient and enduring.”
“The acquisition creates a significantly larger and more experienced water resources practice, expanding BKF’s capacity to pursue larger and more complex projects while continuing to deliver first-class outcomes. Lotus Water’s established presence in California and the Pacific Northwest also supports BKF’s strategic growth in key West Coast markets,” says Greg Hurd, President and CEO of BKF.
The clients of both firms will benefit from a more comprehensive suite of services, combining BKF’s operational scale, geographic reach, and multidisciplinary expertise with Lotus Water’s leadership in water resilience, policy development, advanced modeling, nature-based solutions, and innovative design approaches. Lotus Water will operate as a critical part of BKF’s Water Resources practice, maintaining its strong technical culture and focus on sustainable solutions while gaining access to expanded resources and opportunities for growth.
Immediately following the acquisition, Lotus Water will operate as a standalone legal and operating entity within the BKF family of companies.
About BKF
With over 110 years in business, BKF is a leading planning, engineering, surveying, and construction management firm specializing in the Transportation, Water, Development, and Government Markets across the western United States.
About Lotus Water
Lotus Water specializes in integrated water resources engineering and climate resilience planning, delivering sustainable solutions rooted in technical excellence and environmental stewardship. Lotus serves a variety of public and private clients on the most challenging water and infrastructure issues, including working directly with all the major cities on the West Coast of the United States and Canada.
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SOURCE BKF
Curriculum Associates, LLC, an educational assessment, instruction and support services company, allegedly discriminated against an employee by failing to provide job opportunities within the company after she took maternity leave.
ORANGE, Calif., March 11, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — The Los Angeles employment law attorneys, at Blumenthal Nordrehaug Bhowmik De Blouw LLP, filed a class action complaint alleging that Curriculum Associates, LLC violated the California Labor Code. The Curriculum Associates, LLC class action lawsuit, Case No. 30-2025-01534071-CU-OE-CXC, is currently pending in the Orange County Superior Court of the State of California. A copy of the Complaint can be read here.
According to the lawsuit filed, employees of Curriculum Associates, LLC allegedly (a) failed to pay minimum wages, (b) failed to pay overtime wages, (c) failed to provide legally required meal and rest periods, (d) failed to provide accurate itemized wage statements, (e) failed to reimburse for required expenses, and (f) failed to pay sick wages, all in violation of the applicable Labor Code sections listed in California Labor Code Sections 201-203, 226, 226.7, 233, 246, 510, 512, 1194, 1197, 1197.1, 2802, and the applicable Wage Order(s), and thereby gives rise to civil penalties as a result of such alleged conduct.
The Complaint further alleges the named Plaintiff was discriminated against and denied an internal job opportunity due to her recent pregnancy and maternity leave. Plaintiff returned to work in or around June of 2025. Once she returned from leave, Plaintiff applied for a new job title within the company. However, Plaintiff was denied this job opportunity. Within the State of California there exists a substantial and fundamental public policy, set forth in the California Government Code §12900 et seq., which forbids discrimination based on one taking pregnancy disability leave.
For more information about the class action lawsuit against Curriculum Associates, LLC, call (800) 568-8020 to speak to an experienced California employment attorney today.
Blumenthal Nordrehaug Bhowmik De Blouw LLP is an employment law firm with offices located in San Diego, San Francisco, Sacramento, Los Angeles, Riverside and Chicago that dedicates its practice to helping employees, investors and consumers fight back against unfair business practices, including violations of the California Labor Code and Fair Labor Standards Act. If you need help in collecting unpaid overtime wages, unpaid commissions, being wrongfully terminated from work, and other employment law claims, contact one of their attorneys today.
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Media Contact
Nicholas De Blouw
Blumenthal Nordrehaug Bhowmik De Blouw LLP
(800) 568-8020
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SOURCE Blumenthal Nordrehaug Bhowmik De Blouw LLP
Leading researchers join esteemed global community of fellows
PHILADELPHIA, March 11, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — The global ocean faces major threats—from illegal fishing to vanishing coastal habitats to plastic pollution. Now, a new cohort of scientists will work to bridge the knowledge gaps hindering effective ocean protections.
The Pew Charitable Trusts announced today that seven fellows—based in Australia, the United States, Canada, Japan, and Thailand—will receive $150,000 grants over three years to pursue conservation-focused research aimed at strengthening ocean health and the communities that depend on it. Their work includes tracing illegal and unreported fisheries with advanced genetic techniques, improving reef restoration in Southeast Asia, mapping climate resilient kelp forests, testing local-based incentives for marine conservation, rethinking fisheries governance in East Asia, analyzing the impacts of harmful algal blooms, and developing open-source technology to classify nanoplastic pollution.
This year’s fellows’ cohort also includes the first recipient of the Pew-Gerstner Fellowship in Ocean Plastics Research, which supports research on solutions to marine plastic pollution; and the second recipient of the Pew-Hoover Fellowship in Marine and Biomedical Science, which fosters innovative research at the intersection of the two fields.
“These fellows are tackling some of the ocean’s toughest challenges with creativity and immense dedication,” said Leo Curran, project director for the Pew Fellows Program in Marine Conservation. “Their work shows what’s possible when science, technology, and communities come together to protect our seas.”
The 2026 fellows join a distinguished community of more than 200 Pew marine fellow alumni dedicated to advancing ocean science and promoting the sustainable use of marine resources. The Pew Fellows Program in Marine Conservation supports midcareer scientists and other experts selected by an international panel of leaders in marine science and conservation. Alumni form an active community that promotes collaboration and knowledge sharing worldwide.
“Seeing these scientists turn their ideas into action is what excites me most,” said Angela Bednarek, Pew’s director of scientific advancement. “They’re exploring new approaches, testing innovative tools, and working closely with communities and policymakers, bringing research to life in ways that could shape how we care for the oceans.”
The 2026 fellows are:
Suchana Apple Chavanich, Ph.D.
Chulalongkorn University, Thailand
Suchana Apple Chavanich will develop and apply innovative methods to advance reef restoration in Southeast Asia, a region with some of the world’s richest coral diversity. Working in Thailand, Chavanich will refine techniques for producing new corals through sexual propagation and banking frozen coral sperm and eggs—critical methods for preserving the genetic health of restored populations.
Andrés Cisneros-Montemayor, Ph.D.
Simon Fraser University, Canada
Andrés Cisneros-Montemayor will develop a replicable framework to identify the social connections that shape markets in the ocean economy, facilitating the design and implementation of local-scale incentives for conservation. Working with three fishing communities in Sonora, Mexico, Cisneros-Montemayor will apply this framework, conducting field interviews and community engagement workshops to map and understand the layered interactions that influence economic decision-making.
Win Cowger, Ph.D.
Pew-Gerstner Fellow in Ocean Plastics Research
Win Cowger will enhance the capabilities of Open Specy, an open-source tool he developed to help researchers worldwide classify and analyze different types of plastic pollution. He will build a robust reference library and develop new algorithms to improve the identification of nanoplastics, small microplastics, and plastic leachates in the marine environment.
Nur Arafeh-Dalmau, Ph.D.
University of Queensland, Australia
Nur Arafeh-Dalmau will collaborate with partners in California, Mexico, Peru, and Argentina to identify and map resilient kelp forest ecosystems. Using satellite imagery, ecological surveys, and environmental DNA, Arafeh-Dalmau will analyze biodiversity patterns in persistent kelp forests and test their resilience to marine heat waves.
Matthew Gribble, Ph.D.
Pew-Hoover Fellow in Marine and Biomedical Science
University of California, San Francisco, United States
Matthew Gribble will apply an advanced statistical technique called a hidden Markov model to better understand the dynamics of toxin-producing algal blooms. His work will focus on southeast Alaska, where Alaska Native communities have been repeatedly affected by harmful algal blooms, and Andalucia, Spain. Gribble will determine how often areas have been exposed to algal blooms in the past, supporting insights into the health effects of harmful algal toxin exposure.
Shaili Johri, Ph.D.
Stanford University, United States
Shaili Johri will use advanced genetic tools to strengthen seafood traceability and combat illegal fishing. By analyzing fine-scale differences in individual animals’ DNA, her research will help pinpoint the geographic origins of traded species. Focusing on reef sharks, Johri will develop low-cost, rapid, and accurate genetic and visual identification methods to identify shark fishing hot spots across the Western Indian Ocean and detect instances of illegal fishing.
Namhee Kwon, Ph.D.
Kansai University, Japan
Namhee Kwon will analyze the effectiveness and limitations of existing agreements in managing shared fish stocks, with the goal of identifying institutional and legal reforms that are both politically viable and ecologically sustainable. Focusing on agreements among South Korea, Japan, and China, Kwon will examine the legal architecture of each agreement, obligations under the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea, and implementation of these agreements within each country’s domestic system.
Elham Khatami, 202-540-6711, ekhatami@pewtrusts.org
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SOURCE The Pew Charitable Trusts
ATLANTA, March 11, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — Graphic Packaging Holding Company (NYSE: GPK), a global leader in sustainable consumer packaging, today announced that Jeffrey Stafeil has joined its Board of Directors. Mr. Stafeil is currently Chief Executive Officer of RESRG Automotive and a member of its board of directors.
Mr. Stafeil has held a range of leadership positions across the global automotive supply and industrial manufacturing sectors over the past 30 years. Prior to joining RESRG Automotive, he served as Chief Financial Officer of Tenneco Automotive and Adient plc. Earlier in his career, Mr. Stafeil was Chief Executive Officer of DURA Automotive Systems LLC, and Chief Financial Officer of Visteon Corporation and Metaldyne LLC. He began his career in accounting and consulting.
Graphic Packaging Chairman of the Board Philip Martens said of the appointment: “Jeff brings exceptional depth of experience as both a Chief Executive Officer and former Chief Financial Officer across a range of complex, multi-national manufacturing companies. As we move past a period of heavy investment, execution and performance are the standards against which we will be measured, and Jeff will bring highly relevant perspective and expertise to the Board.”
President and Chief Executive Officer of Graphic Packaging Robbert Rietbroek added: “Jeff’s focus on operational excellence and his commitment to customer service are an outstanding complement to our business priorities. I look forward to partnering with Jeff as we work to maximize the value of this exceptional company for the benefit of all of our stakeholders.”
Contact Information
Media: Comms@Graphicpkg.com
Investors: Investor.Relations@Graphicpkg.com
About Graphic Packaging Holding Company
Graphic Packaging designs and produces consumer packaging made primarily from renewable or recycled materials. An industry leader in innovation, the Company is committed to reducing the environmental footprint of consumer packaging. Graphic Packaging operates a global network of design and manufacturing facilities serving the world’s most widely recognized brands in food, beverage, foodservice, household, and other consumer products. Learn more at www.graphicpkg.com.
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SOURCE Graphic Packaging Holding Company
The United States has made tangible progress connecting homes to high-speed internet, yet there are still gaps to be filled. BEAD, the Broadband Equity, Access and Deployment Program, was created to make sure every American has reliable broadband, especially in underserved or unserved communities. Thanks to the U.S. Department of Commerce’s National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA), which oversees the $42.5 billion BEAD program, and strong state execution, momentum is real.
And as more homes gain connectivity, BEAD has a chance to finish the job by closing the last gap: In too many rural communities, service drops the moment people walk out their door. These mobile dead zones are not just inconvenient. They hold back local economies, create real safety risks and maintain the digital divide, even as BEAD makes historic strides on in-home access.
BEAD offers the opportunity to permanently close both mobile and remaining in-home service inequities. The state of Louisiana, for instance, through ConnectLA, is using this program to deliver high-speed broadband to every resident — while saving taxpayers more than $850 million through BEAD funding.
As part of the Louisiana Local Fiber Consortium, T-Mobile will help bring America’s Best Mobile Network to more than 66,000 locations, cutting the state’s mobile coverage gaps in half. Louisiana has shown what’s possible, and it offers a strong, practical model.
A Tipping Point
In December 2025, NTIA shared that its Benefit of the Bargain state application process saved taxpayers $21 billion. That’s a big win and a strong sign the program is being managed effectively. Now, Administrator Arielle Roth and NTIA are asking, “How will we use these savings?”
Original BEAD funding = $42.5 billion
After Benefit of the Bargain process = $21 billion savings for American Taxpayers
Smart Decision-Making
Once home internet needs are met, NTIA can empower states to leverage remaining BEAD dollars to close rural mobile dead zones, extending BEAD’s impact for the communities it was designed to serve. That fits directly within BEAD’s mission to support scalable, next-generation infrastructure, and it aligns with NTIA’s focus on long-term value including today’s 5G, tomorrow’s 6G and AI adoption. And as the nationwide leader in 5G, T-Mobile is using AI-powered 5G Advanced to set the path toward 6G with AI-RAN.
Mobile connectivity is critical to how people live and work today. It keeps businesses running, students learning, farms productive, commercial drivers connected and first responders reachable. In rural America, reliable mobile service is not a bonus. It is a basic need. And yet, there are still coverage gaps where over 3 million Americans still lack even 4G connectivity. To get ahead, we can’t leave people behind.
With the momentum NTIA has built through BEAD, we can get there. Our analysis shows that about 6,000 more mobile macro sites could extend 5G coverage to roughly 99% of Americans, including key rural roads.
About 6,000 new mobile macro sites and roughly $8 billion could deliver 5G
coverage to about 99% of the U.S. population for the next decade.
That is why we propose a disciplined approach: allow targeted mobile funding under BEAD, capped at around $8 billion. Upwards of $13 billion in funding will remain once these defined coverage benchmarks are achieved. Build what is needed, deliver the coverage and then step back. That is what responsible stewardship looks like.
BEAD has already transformed fixed wireless access nationwide, thanks to strong leadership from the Department of Commerce and NTIA. With the same disciplined approach to mobile infrastructure, it can finish the job on connecting underserved areas. This isn’t about expanding the program. It’s about finishing it.
Closing remote mobile gaps delivers real benefits, from jobs and stronger public safety to more resilient communities in times of crisis. Most importantly, it gives Americans in rural areas the reliable service they need.
T-Mobile’s mission is to be the best in the world at connecting our customers to their world. Let’s keep working to get rural America fully connected, at home and on the move.