COLUMBUS, Ohio, June 25, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — Heating, Air-conditioning, & Refrigeration Distributors International (HARDI), Plumbing, Heating, Cooling Contractors – National Association (PHCC), and Air Conditioning Contractors of America (ACCA) today announced they have filed a challenge to parts of the Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) Technology Transitions Reconsideration Rule. The amended provisions increase demand for hydrofluorocarbon (HFC) refrigerants in the supermarket, retail food, and cold storage sectors as the supply is being reduced by law, violating the American Innovation and Manufacturing (AIM) Act and threatening to destabilize the refrigerant market. HARDI, PHCC, and ACCA represent wholesale distributors and contractors in the heating, ventilation, air conditioning, and refrigeration industry.

“For the EPA to completely abandon the timelines for transitioning to next-generation products proposed by industry in 2021 misses the mark,” said Talbot Gee, CEO of HARDI. “The final reconsideration rule’s treatment of commercial refrigeration is legally flawed, economically reckless, and directly at odds with the AIM Act. The EPA ignored industry data and over a decade of industry work to prepare for this transition, in violation of the AIM Act’s requirements. HARDI will always push back on agencies that violate the law in writing regulations affecting our industry.”

The joint petitioners strongly oppose the decision to extend deadlines for major commercial refrigeration applications, thereby allowing the continued manufacture of new systems using high-GWP refrigerants. The AIM Act requires a statutory phasedown of HFC supply across the economy, meaning quantities will continue to decline, while the final rule increases demand for refrigerants.

“PHCC members are working hands-on and helping customers navigate refrigerant changes every day,” said Cindy Sheridan, CEO of PHCC. “Allowing legacy refrigerants to be used longer in new commercial refrigeration systems creates confusion for the contractors who install and service this equipment and hurts consumers. The EPA’s own analysis projects a 12- to 24-percent increase in U.S. refrigerant prices by 2029 as a result of these delays, since the AIM Act will continue reducing the supply of these older refrigerants to support the domestic production of next-generation refrigerants.”

By allowing extended use of legacy HFCs in retail food refrigeration and cold storage, the final rule reduces the availability of refrigerants for other sectors, such as residential air conditioning.

“While ACCA appreciates EPA eliminating the install deadline for R-410A split-system equipment, the rule’s delayed refrigeration transition will significantly increase the demand for the limited supply of HFC refrigerants and will drive up costs for contractors and their customers,” said Martin Hoover, Interim President and CEO of ACCA. “This change will also increase pressure for a rushed transition to highly flammable A3 refrigerants and encourage a patchwork of state regulations.”

The joint petitioners support EPA’s decision to provide relief from the installation prohibition for existing split-system residential and light commercial air conditioners and heat pumps, a policy the organizations have long advocated for to prevent stranded inventory and avoid disruption for distributors, contractors, builders, and consumers.

The joint petitioners believe the final rule’s rationale rests on the false premise that the original Technology Transitions Rule had already increased grocery consumers’ costs. The commercial refrigeration restrictions at issue had not yet taken effect when EPA proposed the reconsideration rule and could not have been responsible for higher grocery prices.

The trade associations emphasized that the original Technology Transitions Rule applied to new equipment and did not require grocery stores, cold storage operators, or other businesses to replace existing systems. Existing equipment could continue to be used and serviced.

About HARDI: https://hardinet.org/about/

About PHCC: https://www.phccweb.org/about/

About ACCA: https://www.acca.org/about-acca

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SOURCE HARDI

MADISON, S.D., June 25, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — Organizations are rolling out AI faster than they can govern it, and some of the sharpest minds in financial security are about to gather in one room to do something about it. SBS CyberSecurity has named the featured speakers for its inaugural Converge Cyber + AI Conference, headlined by KnowBe4 CISO advisor Erich Kron and social-engineering expert Brian Brushwood. Set for October 6–7, 2026, in Omaha, Nebraska, the two-day event will feature 23 planned sessions across governance, technical, and AI tracks. It’s designed for the security teams, executives, and governance, risk, and compliance (GRC) leaders ready to move from AI experimentation to secure implementation.

Built for financial institutions, fintechs, and other regulated organizations, Converge trades lecture-first programming for workshops, panels, and interactive formats. Attendees can join AI labs, a live capture-the-flag (CTF) tournament, and a lockpick village where they explore physical security. It’s open to any organization working to build a secure, AI-enabled business.

“The lineup tells you what Converge is really about,” said SBS CyberSecurity President and Co-Founder Jon Waldman. “We brought in some of the best security practitioners, from a national leader in human risk to a former FDIC executive to the engineers writing the code, because they are living in this space right alongside us. But Converge isn’t just about listening to great talks. It’s about the experience. We’ve built it to be interactive, whether that’s engaging directly with speakers, collaborating with peers, working through hands-on sessions, or spending time in our AI labs and CTF challenges. The goal is for people to leave with real connections and a clearer sense of how to apply what they’ve learned when they get back to work.”

Among the featured speakers, two will anchor the program with keynotes. Kron, a CISSP-ISSAP and former security manager for the U.S. Army’s 2nd Regional Cyber Center, opens the conference with a human-centered look at why security’s hardest problem is the people using the technology. Brushwood, host of the YouTube channel Scam Nation and a longtime translator of cons and social engineering for mainstream audiences, closes it.

“I’m absolutely thrilled to be speaking at Converge,” Brushwood said. “From the moment I heard about it, I was excited both by the focus on cutting-edge, boots-on-the-ground topics and by the commitment to usable takeaways. This is a must-not-miss event!”

Additional featured speakers bring firsthand experience setting policy and responding to incidents:

Michael Benardo, a 35-year FDIC veteran and former head of its Anti-Money Laundering and Cyber Fraud Branch, on cyber governance and where boards still fall shortTim Leonard, CIO of Commercial Bank of Texas, on wiring a personal AI command center from off-the-shelf partsChad Knutson, SBS CEO and co-founder, on executive decision-making during live incidents, deepfake and voice-cloning fraud, and AI governance that doesn’t stall innovation

The conference arrives at a useful moment for banks and credit unions. Examiners are starting to build AI into their expectations, yet many institutions still lack a clear picture of where AI is already in use across their environments and how to govern it. Previewed sessions, such as “From FFIEC to AI: What Examiners Will Expect Next,” are designed to close that gap with guidance leaders can defend.

Additional speakers and the full session schedule will be announced in the coming weeks. Registration is open at converge.sbscyber.com, where attendees can view the agenda and reserve a seat. Passes are $599, and a discounted room block is available at the DoubleTree by Hilton Omaha Downtown.

About SBS CyberSecurity: SBS CyberSecurity is focused on empowering your cybersecurity decisions. We provide robust risk management programs, IT audit services, and cybersecurity testing solutions, enabling you to protect your organization. For more information, visit sbscyber.com.

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SOURCE SBS CyberSecurity

Tenth stop of CIEE’s nationwide tour celebrated exceptional host employers and other community leaders of BridgeUSA in Michigan

MACKINAC ISLAND, Mich., June 25, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — The Council on International Educational Exchange (CIEE) was in historic Mackinac Island this week for the tenth stop on its nationwide BridgeUSA Celebration Tour that spotlights how international exchange programs powered by the U.S. Department of State are making America safer through diplomacy, stronger through global collaboration, and more prosperous through innovation and shared opportunity.

In picturesque Mackinac Island, CIEE honored supporters of the BridgeUSA Intern-Trainee program, which gives U.S. host organizations access to diverse, globally minded talent. CIEE also celebrated champions of the BridgeUSA Summer Work Travel program, which brings international college students to live and work in America during their university summer break, helping seasonal employers expand and extend the tourism season by an average of 50 days, contributing billions of dollars to the American economy each year.

BridgeUSA Makes America Safer and Stronger

BridgeUSA is one of America’s most powerful public diplomacy tools. By connecting future global leaders with American communities, it fosters mutual understanding, strengthens international relationships, and creates lifelong advocates for the United States around the world.

BridgeUSA Makes America More Prosperous

BridgeUSA Summer Work Travel participants enable thousands of local businesses to extend the duration of their peak-season sales surge, which, in turn, allows local businesses to employ more Americans for a longer seasonal period.

About the CIEE BridgeUSA Celebration Tour

In 2025, the CIEE BridgeUSA Celebration tour visited: family-favorite Kentucky Kingdom, stunning Yellowstone National Park, majestic Big Sky, Montana, beloved Myrtle Beach, and historic San Antonio. The 2026 leg of the tour kicked off with a March visit to premier ski destination Park City. Future stops include fun-filled Wisconsin Dells in August and vibrant Ocean City, Maryland, in September.

If you are interested in participating in a future CIEE BridgeUSA Celebration event, please reach out to Carye Duffin, CIEE Senior Vice President of External Affairs, at CDuffin@ciee.org.

About CIEE:

CIEE builds bridges between different people, different countries, and different cultures. For nearly 80 years, we have helped young people participate in high-quality international exchange and study abroad programs that bring the world together. Since 1947, CIEE has supported more than 1.5 million student exchanges for participants from more than 140 countries. We change lives, our alumni change the world. Learn more at ciee.org. 

Media Contact: Leslie Taylor, ltaylor@ciee.org, (207) 553-4274

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SOURCE Council on International Educational Exchange (CIEE)