Foundations
Here's a look at documents from U.S. foundations
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U.S. FDA Approves Blenrep for the Treatment of Relapsed/Refractory Multiple Myeloma
NORTH HOLLYWOOD, California, Oct. 24 -- The International Myeloma Foundation issued the following news on Oct. 23, 2025:
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U.S. FDA Approves Blenrep for the Treatment of Relapsed/Refractory Multiple Myeloma
On Thursday, October 23, 2025, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) announced its approval of Blenrep(R) (belantamab mafodotin-blmf)-- "a B-cell maturation antigen (BCMA)-directed antibody and microtubule inhibitor conjugate -- with bortezomib and dexamethasone for adults with relapsed or refractory multiple myeloma who have received at least two prior lines of therapy, including
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NORTH HOLLYWOOD, California, Oct. 24 -- The International Myeloma Foundation issued the following news on Oct. 23, 2025:
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U.S. FDA Approves Blenrep for the Treatment of Relapsed/Refractory Multiple Myeloma
On Thursday, October 23, 2025, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) announced its approval of Blenrep(R) (belantamab mafodotin-blmf)-- "a B-cell maturation antigen (BCMA)-directed antibody and microtubule inhibitor conjugate -- with bortezomib and dexamethasone for adults with relapsed or refractory multiple myeloma who have received at least two prior lines of therapy, includinga proteasome inhibitor and an immunomodulatory agent."
According to the FDA, full prescribing information for Blenrep will be posted on Drugs@FDA.
"Prescribing information includes a Boxed Warning for the risk of ocular toxicity, including corneal epithelium changes resulting in vision deterioration. Among those receiving belantamab mafodotin-blmf in DREAMM-7, ocular toxicity occurred in 92% of patients, including Grade 3 or 4 in 77%, with 83% requiring dosage modification due to ocular toxicity," states the FDA.
Additionally, GSK announced via a press release that the approval is supported by data from the DREAMM-7 phase III trial. "In patients who had two or more prior lines of therapy (3L+), including a PI and an IMID, Blenrep in combination demonstrated a clinically meaningful 51% reduction in the risk of death [HR 0.49, 95% confidence interval (CI): 0.32-0.76] and a tripled median progression-free survival (PFS) of 31.3 months [95% CI: 23.5-NR)] versus 10.4 months [95% CI: 7.0-13.4] for a daratumumab-based triplet (DVd) [HR 0.31, 95% CI: 0.21-0.47]. The safety and tolerability profiles of the Blenrep combination were broadly consistent with the known profiles of the individual agents," GSK further stated.
IMF Scientific Advisory Board Member and Chief Medical Officer of the Winship Cancer Institute of Emory University in Atlanta, GA, Dr. Sagar Lonial said: "With the approval of Blenrep, we now have a community-accessible BCMA-targeting agent with the potential to improve outcomes for patients following two or more prior lines of treatment, where options are limited. This approval marks an important advance in the US relapsed/refractory treatment landscape."
Because of the risk of ocular toxicity, belantamab mafodotin-blmf is available only through a Risk Evaluation and Mitigation Strategy (REMS), called the BLENREP REMS, according to the FDA.
"This updated REMS helps ensure safe and appropriate use of Blenrep while reducing paperwork and improving communication between healthcare providers and eye specialists," states GSK.
GSK also offers Together with GSK, an optional support program for all U.S. patients prescribed Blenrep.
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Original text here: https://www.myeloma.org/news-events/multiple-myeloma-news/fda-approves-blenrep-rrmm
Report: State and Local Governments Have $6.1 Trillion in Debt
LOS ANGELES, California, Oct. 24 (TNSrep) -- The Reason Foundation issued the following news on Oct. 23, 2025:
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Report: State and local governments have $6.1 trillion in debt
State and local debt is over $100 billion in 16 states and exceeds $50 billion in 27 states. California's state and local governments have over $1 trillion in debt.
By Mariana Trujillo, Managing Director and Jordan Campbell, Managing Director
State and local governments had $6.1 trillion in debt at the end of 2023, a new Reason Foundation analysis finds. On a per capita basis, state and local debt amounts to approximately
... Show Full Article
LOS ANGELES, California, Oct. 24 (TNSrep) -- The Reason Foundation issued the following news on Oct. 23, 2025:
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Report: State and local governments have $6.1 trillion in debt
State and local debt is over $100 billion in 16 states and exceeds $50 billion in 27 states. California's state and local governments have over $1 trillion in debt.
By Mariana Trujillo, Managing Director and Jordan Campbell, Managing Director
State and local governments had $6.1 trillion in debt at the end of 2023, a new Reason Foundation analysis finds. On a per capita basis, state and local debt amounts to approximately$18,400 per American. This state and local debt is in addition to the $38 trillion national debt.
Of the $6.1 trillion in state and local debt, $2.66 trillion is held by state governments, $1.4 trillion by municipalities, $1.27 trillion by school districts, and $757 billion by counties.
Reason Foundation's State and Local Government Finance Report (https://govfinance.reason.org/) finds that $1 trillion is owed by California's state and local governments, most in the country.
New York's state and local debt is the second-highest in the nation, at $798 billion, followed by Texas's $550 billion in state and local debt, Illinois's $407 billion, New Jersey's $310 billion, and Florida's $242 billion.
Additionally, Massachusetts, Pennsylvania, Ohio, Washington, Michigan, Georgia, Maryland, Connecticut, North Carolina, and Colorado each have more than $100 billion in state and local government debt.
At the end of 2023, the most recent year for which complete data is available, 48 of the 50 states had at least $10 billion in total debt.
Only Vermont ($8.8 billion) and South Dakota ($5.9 billion) had less than $10 billion in state and local debt.
State and local government debt includes both short- and long-term obligations--from salaries due at the end of this month to bonds maturing decades from now. The $6.1 trillion in liabilities includes $1.5 trillion in public pension obligations, and $958 billion for retiree health care obligations,
In per capita terms, New York's state and local debt is the highest in the nation. New York's state government, cities, counties, and school districts hold debt of $39,491 per resident. This is more than double the national average of about $18,400, according to Reason Foundation's analysis.
In addition to New York, four other states had per capita state and local debt exceeding $30,000 per resident at the end of 2023: Connecticut ($34,592), New Jersey ($33,338), Illinois ($31,783), and Hawaii ($30,399).
Massachusetts, California, Alaska, North Dakota, Delaware, Wyoming, and Maryland also had state and local liabilities of over $20,000 per resident.
Texas ranked next highest, 13th overall, with $18,872 in debt per Texan. Florida ranked 32nd, with $11,217 per person.
State and local debt was lowest in Idaho, Indiana, South Dakota, Tennessee, and Oklahoma, where the liabilities were less than $7,500 per resident at the end of 2023.
State and local government long-term debt
About 80% of state and local debt is long-term, meaning it is due in more than a year. This long-term debt category consists of bonds, loans, and notes (41% of the total), unfunded public pension liabilities (32%), unfunded retiree health care benefits (20%), and accrued leave payouts (2%).
Nationally, state and local governments reported $4.9 trillion in long-term debt at the end of 2023, Reason Foundation's State and Local Government Finance Report (https://govfinance.reason.org/) finds. On a per capita basis, long-term debt amounts to approximately $14,700 in state and local debt for every person in the United States.
California, New York, Texas, Illinois, and New Jersey hold the largest long-term debt totals. Together, these five states account for $2.5 trillion, over half of the national total of $4.9 trillion in long-term liabilities.
There are 14 states where long-term state and local debt exceeds $100 billion, and 36 states where it is more than $20 billion.
In per capita terms, New York reported the most state and local long-term debt, at $31,369 per New Yorker, followed closely by New Jersey's long-term state and local debt of $31,064 per person.
State and local long-term debt exceeds $20,000 per person in Connecticut ($30,998), Illinois ($28,291), Hawaii ($26,271), Massachusetts ($24,520), and California ($20,280).
Texas ranked 10th, with $15,818 per capita in long-term debt, and Florida ranked 30th, with $8,926 per Floridian.
Idaho, South Dakota, Indiana, Oklahoma, and Tennessee have the lowest long-term debt, with each state having less than $5,200 per resident.
State and local government pension debt
Unfunded public employee retirement liabilities, also known as public pension debt, form when governments set aside fewer assets than required to fulfill promised benefits.
Nationally, state and local governments reported $1.5 trillion in pension debt, or 32% of long-term liabilities, at the end of 2023. On a per capita basis, this state and local public pension debt amounts to approximately $4,600 per American.
California carries the most total state and local public pension debt in the nation, with $269 billion in unfunded liabilities.
Illinois ($228 billion in unfunded liabilities) reported the second most public pension debt in the country.
New Jersey ($98 billion in pension debt), Texas ($96 billion), Pennsylvania ($70 billion), New York ($63 billion), and Florida ($62 billion) all had unfunded pension liabilities exceeding $60 billion at the end of 2023.
These top seven states account for more than half of the nation's state and local pension debt.
In per capita terms, Illinois has the most unfunded pension liabilities: $17,786 per resident.
Connecticut ($12,997) and New Jersey ($10,601) were the two other states with public pension debt exceeding $10,000 per capita.
Massachusetts, Alaska, Kentucky, and Hawaii are the next highest, with each state's per capita pension debt reaching over $7,000 per person, well above the national average of about $4,600.
California, despite its large aggregate pension burden, ranks only 8th in per capita pension debt, with $6,796 per resident.
Texas ranks 29th in per capita public pension debt, at $3,277 per resident, and Florida ranks 33rd, with $2,868 per resident.
Two states, Washington and South Dakota, reported no public pension debt in 2023.
State and local government OPEB debt
Other post-employment benefits (OPEB) primarily consist of unfunded retiree health care promised to public employees. Unlike pension benefits, most governments have not pre-funded these obligations, leaving other post-employment benefits (OPEB) almost entirely unfunded.
Nationally, state and local governments report $958 billion in OPEB debt, which accounts for 20% of their long-term liabilities. On a per capita basis, OPEB debt equals about $2,900 per American.
New York reports the largest aggregate OPEB debt among its state and local governments in the country. With $303 billion in OPEB debt at the end of 2023, New York is responsible for about one-third of the nation's aggregate OPEB debt.
California has the second-highest OPEB debt, with over $147 billion, followed by New Jersey ($98 billion) and Texas ($77 billion).
Eleven other states have at least $10 billion in OPEB debt.
In per capita terms, New York again ranks first, with $15,017 in OPEB debt for each New Yorker.
New Jersey follows with $10,599 per capita OPEB debt, Delaware with $8,448 per capita, Connecticut with $6,657, and Massachusetts with $6,308.
California ranks 8th, at $3,712 per resident. Texas ranks 10th, at $2,649, and Florida ranks 29th, at $689.
Alaska, Ohio, Utah, Idaho, and South Dakota report OPEB debt of less than $110 per resident.
State and local outstanding bonded debt
Bonds, loans, and notes represent the portion of state and local liabilities explicitly borrowed in credit markets. Unlike pensions or OPEB, which accumulate as estimated unfunded promises, these instruments are contractual debt obligations with fixed repayment schedules.
Nationally, state and local governments report $2 trillion in outstanding bonds, loans, and notes, which represents 41% of their long-term liabilities. On a per capita basis, this equals $6,100 per resident.
California leads with the largest stock of outstanding bonds and loans, totaling $334 billion across state and local issuers.
Texas owes $287 billion in outstanding bonds and loans, followed by New York ($197 billion), Illinois ($98 billion), and Florida ($81 billion).
Together, these five states account for about half of all outstanding municipal bonds and loans.
The per capita rankings differ significantly. Hawaii owes $14,295 per Hawaiian in bonds and loans.
Connecticut and Massachusetts follow, owing more than $10,000 per resident. Texas, New York, and North Dakota, with more than $9,000 per resident, are next.
Montana, Wyoming, Idaho, and Alabama each have less than $2,000 of bonded debt per resident.
Reason Foundation's State and Local Government Finance Report (https://govfinance.reason.org/) totals the liabilities of each state government, as well as the cities, towns, counties, and school districts within each state. This report covers all 50 state governments, over 2,000 county governments, 8,000 municipal governments, and 10,000 school districts, which serve 331 million Americans nationwide.
All figures in the State and Local Government Finance Report (https://govfinance.reason.org/) are sourced from the financial reports of state and local governments, most often their annual comprehensive financial reports. The data is from the 2023 fiscal year, the most recent year for which complete data are available. Nevada and a handful of cities and counties across the country have not reported 2023 data. Therefore, the data reported for 2022 was used. Despite a thorough review, data collection at this scale can result in discrepancies. Please alert us if you identify any errors.
For personalized reports on municipal entities or more detailed information on assets, liquidity, and solvency, please visit the GovFinance Dashboard (https://govfinance.reason.org/).
If you have any questions or would like to discuss this data more, please email Mariana Trujillo at mariana.trujillo@reason.org or Jordan Campbell at jordan.campbell@reason.org.
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Related:
Report ranks every state's total debt, from California's $497 billion to South Dakota's $2 billion (https://reason.org/transparency-project/gov-finance-2025/state/)
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Mariana Trujillo is managing director of government finance at Reason Foundation.
Jordan Campbell is managing director of government finance and senior quantitative analyst at Reason Foundation.
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Original text here: https://reason.org/transparency-project/gov-finance-2025/
Men's Wellness Summit: Identity, Wellness, and Faith
CHICAGO, Illinois, Oct. 24 -- The AIDS Foundation of Chicago issued the following news on Oct. 23, 2025:
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Men's Wellness Summit: Identity, Wellness, and Faith
By Livvie Avrick, Digital Communications Manager
On October 2nd, in honor of National Gay Men's HIV/AIDS Awareness Day, AFC hosted its first-ever Men's Wellness Summit in partnership with Pride in the Pews, Project Vida, UBtheCURE, and Faith in Action. Held at Shine Bright Community Center on Chicago's Southside, this day-long summit focused on the intersection of identity, wellness, and faith.
Roundtables and workshops led by
... Show Full Article
CHICAGO, Illinois, Oct. 24 -- The AIDS Foundation of Chicago issued the following news on Oct. 23, 2025:
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Men's Wellness Summit: Identity, Wellness, and Faith
By Livvie Avrick, Digital Communications Manager
On October 2nd, in honor of National Gay Men's HIV/AIDS Awareness Day, AFC hosted its first-ever Men's Wellness Summit in partnership with Pride in the Pews, Project Vida, UBtheCURE, and Faith in Action. Held at Shine Bright Community Center on Chicago's Southside, this day-long summit focused on the intersection of identity, wellness, and faith.
Roundtables and workshops led bytop professionals and experts covered a range of topics, including destigmatizing mental health care, understanding and identifying physical health priorities, and discovering how spirituality or faith can be a powerful tool for dismantling health disparities.
According to Dr. Ulysses Burley, founder of UBtheCURE, a consulting company working at the intersection of faith, health, and human rights, research tells us that only about 10-20% of modifiable health outcomes are achieved in clinical settings. The other 80-90% are impacted by the structural conditions in which people are born, live, and work. "What's often left out of the research and clinical conversation is the impact of faith on health outcomes," said Burley. "For people of color in particular, faith and spirituality play an outsized role in our relationship to our health and wellness."
The summit was born from deep community engagement -- particularly listening sessions and ongoing work with same-gender-loving men of color through various programs, explained Dr. Cynthia Tucker, AFC's SVP of Community Partnerships and Special Projects. There was a clear desire and need to create space and dialogue where men could feel affirmed in both their LGBTQ+ identity and their faith, since traditional religious institutions may not always feel the most welcoming.
Pride in the Pews, one of the summit's partners, was founded to create an affirming space for Black LGTBQ+ individuals within the context of the Black Church. "We view religion as a social determinant of health--one that profoundly shapes access to care, community, and life-affirming resources," said Reverend Don Abram. "The summit created an invaluable space to explore how faith can serve as a bridge to healing. I was proud that our contribution helped equip leaders to transform their institutions into places where all of us can flourish in mind, body, and spirit."
The room was filled with more than 40 engaged participants, and you could sense excitement among everyone. "When we create collaborative spaces where identity, wellness, and faith can coexist, we offer more than healing--we offer belonging," said Tucker.
During lunch, participants were treated to a special screening and discussion of Second Glance Productions' new health docuseries, "It's Not You, It's Me: Chicago."
Another key feature of the summit was the resource center, which offered mini massages, B12 shots, access to a therapist and counselor, and information on PrEP and other wellness resources. Participants were engaged in rich, holistic conversations about health, wellness, and relationships.
"The Men's Wellness Summit was evidence to the power of community, where same-gender-loving men of color could be seen, heard, and spiritually affirmed," said Tucker. Plans are already underway to host more summits like this one in the future.
Thank you to Wellness Home and ViiV Healthcare for their contributions to this summit.
Thank you to our presenters:
Cynthia Tucker, Dr. P.H., AFC; Ulysses Burley, MD, UBtheCure; Sanford E. Gaylord, MPA, Gaylord Consulting; Travis Gayles, MD, PhD, President and CEO, Howard Brown Health Center; Rev. Don Abrams, Pride In the Pews; Douglas Maclin, EdD, MBA, MS, Chicago Black Gay Men's Caucus; Myron Krys (Dr. M.K.), PhD, M.Div.; Rev. Charles Straight, Faith In Action; Maurice Brownlee, DBA, "Dr. MO", CEO & President, Wellness Homes of Chicago, and Maleness; Phill Wilson, Activist, Community Organizer and Policy Maker; Anthony Williams, Second Glance Productions; Rev. Don Abrams Damien Craddock, Jr.; Joel Jackson, Director of Inclusion and Equity Strategies at the University of Chicago Medicine
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Original text here: https://www.aidschicago.org/mens-wellness-summit-identity-wellness-and-faith/
IMF's Outlook - Not Great
DETROIT, Michigan, Oct. 24 -- The Foundation for Economic Education posted the following commentary:
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IMF's Outlook: Not Great
The West slows while Asia takes the lead.
By Jake Scott
The IMF's October 2025 update to its World Economic Outlook delivers a modest upward revision, but lurking behind this seemingly optimistic shift are deeper currents shifting global growth and capital flows.
The Fund, originally forecasting in July that global growth would sit at 3% in 2025, now projects 3.2% for 2025, and 3.1% in 2026. A small upgrade on the face of it, yet it is worth remembering that
... Show Full Article
DETROIT, Michigan, Oct. 24 -- The Foundation for Economic Education posted the following commentary:
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IMF's Outlook: Not Great
The West slows while Asia takes the lead.
By Jake Scott
The IMF's October 2025 update to its World Economic Outlook delivers a modest upward revision, but lurking behind this seemingly optimistic shift are deeper currents shifting global growth and capital flows.
The Fund, originally forecasting in July that global growth would sit at 3% in 2025, now projects 3.2% for 2025, and 3.1% in 2026. A small upgrade on the face of it, yet it is worth remembering thatthe global economy exceeds $100 trillion, meaning even a fraction of a percent represents significant value.
More importantly, the slight upgrade in percentage reflects two contrasting forces: the flip side of higher trade tensions under President Trump's tariff policy, and a (perhaps temporary) surge in private-sector investment around artificial intelligence.
The US tariff escalation, promised by Donald Trump in the 2024 election campaign and delivered since, has been more muted than many feared. The IMF notes that stronger-than-expected supply-chain resilience, rerouted trade flows, and the absence of widespread retaliation have cushioned the blow. Though adjustments to global trade flows have been blunted by the tariffs, in many ways this has left the United States playing catch-up rather than leading global economic changes.
In particular, the Fund emphasizes that resisting retaliatory tariffs provided an upside of roughly 0.3 to 0.4 percentage points to global output compared with earlier forecasts. Meanwhile, AI-related investment is acting as a near-term growth driverespecially in the USthough the Fund warns this may be a speculative boom more than a long-term productivity surge. As FEE has pointed out elsewhere, the resource-intensive AI industry ballooning now might burst before it achieves maturity.
Yet, even with the improved forecast, the IMF stresses that the world economy remains on a lower-growth path than in prior decades. The muted impact of tariffs so far carries two lessons: businesses are adapting more swiftly by front-loading imports and shifting sourcing; and the costs of protectionism may arrive with a lag.
The IMF cautions that the full effect "has yet to materialise." Inflation pressures remain uneven. It also warns of "rising odds of disorderly correction" in financial markets, given stretched valuations, elevated debt, and the links between regulated and non-bank financial institutions.
Beyond these cyclical risks, the deeper story is geographical. As North American and European growth stagnates, emerging economies (particularly across Southeast Asia) are becoming increasingly attractive to investors seeking higher returns and lower tariff exposure. The fact that $100 billion has been invested in the region is testament to this. India, for example, is projected to expand by 6.6% in 2025, making it one of the few major economies with consistent momentum despite global headwinds.
The current IMF scenario reinforces that trend. With tariffs proving less disruptive than anticipated, companies and investors are accelerating their pivot from the old Western axis toward the new Asian one.
Multinationals are shifting procurement and manufacturing hubs toward ASEAN economies such as Vietnam, Thailand, and Malaysia, where supply-chain risk and tariff exposure are relatively lower. Investors, meanwhile, are seeking equity and infrastructure opportunities that capture regional growth and demographic advantages. As growth expectations cool in the US and Europe, Asia's relative resilience stands out.
The AI investment boom, too, is increasingly transnational. South-East Asian economies are positioning themselves as regional nodes within the AI ecosystem, offering a combination of talent, low-cost infrastructure, and pro-innovation policy.
This means that as Europe and North America grapple with tariffs, inflation, and slower expansion, Asia absorbs a growing share of the upside. The result is not simply cyclical strength but a gradual structural shift in the geography of growthone that recasts Southeast Asia from peripheral to pivotal in global capital markets.
The IMF's numbers hardly suggest a world economy in full recovery. Yet the very fact that forecasts have been revised up, rather than down, reveals a more adaptive global system. Trade is diversifying, technology is investing in itself, and capital is finding new routes around old bottlenecks. As the IMF's managing director Kristalina Georgieva remarked, the world has "shown more resilience than expected." The center of gravity is shifting, and Southeast Asia continues to emerge as the clearest beneficiary of that global rebalancing.
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Jake Scott
Dr Jake Scott is a political theorist specialising in populism and its relationship to political constitutionality. He has taught at multiple British universities and produced research reports for several think tanks.
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Original text here: https://fee.org/articles/imfs-outlook-not-great/
WLF Urges Supreme Court to End Confusing "Stream of Commerce" Rule for Personal Jurisdiction
WASHINGTON, Oct. 23 [Category: Law/Legal] -- The Washington Legal Foundation issued the following news release:
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WLF Urges Supreme Court to End Confusing "Stream of Commerce" Rule for Personal Jurisdiction
Washington Legal Foundation (WLF) today urged the U.S. Supreme Court to review (and ultimately reverse) a California state court's decision to exercise personal jurisdiction over Audi AG, a German company with no relevant ties to California.
The case arises from a products liability suit by California plaintiffs against Audi and Volkswagen Group of America. The latter company, unlike
... Show Full Article
WASHINGTON, Oct. 23 [Category: Law/Legal] -- The Washington Legal Foundation issued the following news release:
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WLF Urges Supreme Court to End Confusing "Stream of Commerce" Rule for Personal Jurisdiction
Washington Legal Foundation (WLF) today urged the U.S. Supreme Court to review (and ultimately reverse) a California state court's decision to exercise personal jurisdiction over Audi AG, a German company with no relevant ties to California.
The case arises from a products liability suit by California plaintiffs against Audi and Volkswagen Group of America. The latter company, unlikeAudi, is an American corporation that markets and sells vehicles to authorized dealerships, including in Californiabut it takes no direction from Audi itself. Despite Audi's lack of tangible connections to the state, the California court denied Audi's efforts to dismiss itself from the case. That state-court decision relied on a stray statement from a 45-year-old Supreme Court case that merely placing a product in the general "stream of commerce" provides jurisdiction.
As WLF's amicus brief explains, however, the "stream of commerce" theory produces absurd results and deprives the business community of predictability. Indeed, twice in the past 40 years, the Supreme Court has mustered four votes to eliminate this confusing rule. WLF's brief contends that the third time should be the charmand this "incoherent aphorism" should be replaced with the "coherent rubric" that state courts can assert personal jurisdiction only over companies that knowingly cause the distribution of their products into the state.
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Original text here: https://www.wlf.org/2025/10/23/communicating/wlf-urges-supreme-court-to-end-confusing-stream-of-commerce-rule-for-personal-jurisdiction/
New Welfare Proposal Could Help Thousands Back to Work Through Focused Support
LONDON, England, Oct. 23 -- The Health Foundation posted the following news release:
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New welfare proposal could help thousands back to work through focused support
A new briefing (https://www.health.org.uk/node/33166) from the Health Foundation calls for urgent reform to the UK's welfare system to address the growing number of working-age people who have fallen out of the labour market due to ill health.
The paper, Putting Work Rehabilitation at the Heart of Welfare Reform, outlines proposals to ensure the government's proposed 'unemployment insurance' benefit is a catalyst for tackling
... Show Full Article
LONDON, England, Oct. 23 -- The Health Foundation posted the following news release:
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New welfare proposal could help thousands back to work through focused support
A new briefing (https://www.health.org.uk/node/33166) from the Health Foundation calls for urgent reform to the UK's welfare system to address the growing number of working-age people who have fallen out of the labour market due to ill health.
The paper, Putting Work Rehabilitation at the Heart of Welfare Reform, outlines proposals to ensure the government's proposed 'unemployment insurance' benefit is a catalyst for tacklinglong-term economic inactivity. It is published ahead of the final report from Sir Charlie Mayfield's Keep Britain Working review, which examines how employers and the state can work together to prevent people from leaving work due to ill health.
8.7 million working-age adults now report work-limiting health conditions. The welfare system is poorly equipped to support rehabilitation or timely returns to work. People can be left for months before they receive practical support to return to work, yet the longer people are out of the work the harder it is for them to get back. And with 300,000 people with a health condition leaving the labour market every year, the welfare system is under increasing pressure.
A new unemployment insurance benefit, part of the government's welfare reform agenda, offers a vital opportunity to reorient the system toward early intervention and recovery. This paper builds on the insights from the Health Foundation's Commission for Healthier Working Lives.
Key features the briefing argues will need to be in place to ensure the new benefit will prevents people from leaving the workforce due to their health include:
* Providing adequate financial support until people recover - ideally replacing 60-80% of prior earnings (up to median pay) - to enable meaningful participation in rehabilitation.
* Embedding a dedicated caseworker model to provide early, tailored support that helps people manage their health and return to work.
* Maintaining a connection with the labour market through rapid support and a focus on rehabilitation and work returns, rather than moving towards long term incapacity benefits.
For such an approach to be successful, an integrated and proactive statutory sickness absence regime is required with employers acting earlier to prevent staff exiting the workforce due to their health.
Modelling shows around 70,000 people with health-related work limitations would benefit from the new insurance scheme at any given time. Higher benefit payments, at 60% of pay up to the median wage would increase spend by an estimated pound sterling0.9bn a year but costs could be offset by reducing the numbers of people moving onto incapacity benefits.
12 months of additional benefit payments would be repaid within a year for each person re-entering employment instead of moving onto long term incapacity benefits, with savings building over time. The Office for Budget Responsibility estimates suggest that each person in-work and in good health can save the exchequer pound sterling17,000 a year in lower benefit spend, higher tax revenues and lower health care costs. A focus on rehabilitation offers a sustainable way to reducing the health-related benefits bill.
Sam Atwell, Policy and Research Manager, at the Health Foundation, said:
'This is a moment to shift from a system that passively manages ill health to one that actively supports recovery, rehabilitation and getting people back into work. The proposed unemployment benefit could be the foundation of a health-supporting welfare system, which is needed more than ever given rising working age ill-health.
'To make 'unemployment insurance' work, the government must expand access to early, work-focused rehabilitation and ensure people have an adequate income while they recover from sickness.'
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Original text here: https://www.health.org.uk/press-office/press-releases/new-welfare-proposal-could-help-thousands-back-to-work-through-focused-support
Green Budget Coalition proposes federal budget focus on green progress and protecting what Canada values
VANCOUVER, British Columbia, Oct. 23 -- The David Suzuki Foundation posted the following news release:
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Green Budget Coalition proposes federal budget focus on green progress and protecting what Canada values
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# Recommendations advance six of the Prime Minister's seven priorities while tackling environmental crises head-on
OTTAWA | TRADITIONAL, UNCEDED TERRITORY OF THE ALGONQUIN ANISHINAABEG PEOPLE Amidst a backdrop of uncertainty and change, the Green Budget Coalition (GBC), comprising organizations with over one million members and supporters, has released a set of recommendations
... Show Full Article
VANCOUVER, British Columbia, Oct. 23 -- The David Suzuki Foundation posted the following news release:
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Green Budget Coalition proposes federal budget focus on green progress and protecting what Canada values
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# Recommendations advance six of the Prime Minister's seven priorities while tackling environmental crises head-on
OTTAWA | TRADITIONAL, UNCEDED TERRITORY OF THE ALGONQUIN ANISHINAABEG PEOPLE Amidst a backdrop of uncertainty and change, the Green Budget Coalition (GBC), comprising organizations with over one million members and supporters, has released a set of recommendationsfor the 2025 federal budget which focuses on protecting what Canada values and making progress to secure a safe and healthy future.
"Investing in our environment means investing in our health and our economy," said Robb Barnes, Green Budget Coalition chair, and climate program director for the Canadian Association of Physicians for the Environment. "In times of uncertainty, we must safeguard what matters most to Canadiansclean air, safe water, stable climate, and thriving communitieswhile making progress on building the economy we need."
The Green Budget Coalition's five feature recommendations for Budget 2025 address:
1\. Preserving federal environmental capacity
2\. East-West electricity grid based on renewables
3\. Climate resilient housing
4\. Delivering on Canada's nature commitments
5\. Permanently funding Chemicals Management Plan
In addition to these five feature recommendations, the Coalition is encouraging swift action on a wide array of interrelated proposals, including sustainable finance, industrial carbon pricing, fossil fuel subsidies, public transit, electric vehicles, climate adaptation, nature-positive agriculture, and freshwater.
The Green Budget Coalition has been discussing versions of these recommendations with key federal political and department officials since July, including senior officials in the Finance Department and the Prime Minister's Office over the last few weeks.
The Green Budget Coalition comprises twenty of Canada's largest environmental and conservation organizations. Together, these groups have more than a million members and supporters, and decades of experience solving Canada's biggest environmental challenges.
For the detailed document, please see Recommendations for Budget 2025 and Budget 2026, which includes on page 6 a table showing the alignment of the Coalition's feature recommendations with the Prime Minister's seven mandate letter priorities.
See below for quotes from more Green Budget Coalition members.
Contact info for the Green Budget Coalition's lead spokespeople:
Robb Barnes, chair, Green Budget Coalition; and climate program director, Canadian Association of Physicians for the Environment, (613) 276-5753, robb@cape.ca
Andrew Van Iterson, manager, Green Budget Coalition; 613-296-3263, avaniterson@naturecanada.ca
About the Green Budget Coalition :
The Green Budget Coalition, active since 1999, brings together 20 leading Canadian environmental and conservation organizations to present an analysis of the most pressing issues regarding environmental sustainability in Canada and to make recommendations to the federal government regarding strategic fiscal and budgetary opportunities.
The Green Budget Coalition's members are:
Alliance of Canadian Land Trusts, Canadian Association of Physicians for the Environment, Canadian Parks and Wilderness Society, Canadian Wildlife Federation, David Suzuki Foundation, Ducks Unlimited Canada, Ecojustice Canada, Ecology Action Centre, Equiterre, Friends of the Earth Canada, International Conservation Fund of Canada, International Institute for Sustainable Development, Nature Canada, Nature Conservancy of Canada, Pembina Institute, Pollution Probe, West Coast Environmental Law Association, Wildlife Habitat Canada, WWF-Canada, and Y2Y Canada.
Quotes from Green Budget Coalition members:
Lisa Gue, national policy manager, David Suzuki Foundation, said: "Prime Minister Carney has promised a budget that will 'build a stronger Canada.' A healthy environment is foundational. Federal funding for nature, climate action and pollution prevention are investments in Canada's long-term resilience and prosperity, and support the well-being of people in Canada. With several current important environmental initiatives in need of new funding, we're looking to Budget 2025 to confirm the resources needed to deliver results."
Dr. Melissa Lem, family physician and president of the Canadian Association of Physicians for the Environment, said : "As physicians, we see firsthand how choices about the environment directly translate into health benefits or harms, and healthcare savings or costs. That's why CAPE is adding our voice to the Green Budget Coalition in calling on the government to move forward, not backward, on environmental progress. Investments in areas like a clean electricity grid, climate-resilient housing, nature, and protecting people from toxic chemicals and environmental injustices will pay dividends for our health."
Maggy Burns, executive director, Ecology Action Centre, said: "Whether we're talking about energy poverty rates in the Maritimes, increased wildfire risk on the West Coast or anything in between, Canadians are struggling. The crises we face - from affordability and the economy to biodiversity loss and climate change - are all connected. So too are the solutions. If Prime Minister Carney truly wants to build a stronger Canada, the 2025 budget must facilitate the funding needed to protect the ecosystems we rely on, ensure the resilience of our communities and move Canada toward an affordable, clean energy future."
Muhannad Malas, director of law reform, Ecojustice, said : "As Canadians witness economic and environmental crises converging, the federal government must put people, communities and our environment at the forefront of this year's budget. Communities at the frontline of climate and toxic pollution, and critical federal investments that protect life-giving ecosystems must not be sacrificed to serve the interests of polluting industries and wealthy corporations. "The upcoming federal budget will have lasting impacts on the kind of future that we need to build. It is crucial that the federal government upholds its progress on protecting ecosystems that communities rely on, accelerating nature restoration, reducing climate emissions and safeguarding people from toxic chemicals by prioritizing the renewal of federal investments in these areas."
Sandra Schwartz, national executive director, CPAWS, said: "Canadians are deeply connected to the land, waters and ocean that shape their lives. They aren't just scenic backdrops they're sources of food, culture, recreation, communities and economic prosperity. Canada doesn't need to choose between development and environmental protection. We need leadership that understands they are inseparable. We need clear assurances that nature is being treated not just as a holiday destination but as a vital economic asset that belongs in the budget."
Emily McMillan, executive director, Nature Canada, said : "Listening to the voices of those who speak for nature is the moral responsibility of every elected official in this country. With our GBC partners we have been working hard to make sure that voice is heard. Nature defines what it is to be Canadian in a critical moment for our national identity. The investments we make to protect and restore it will be the legacy we pass to the next generation of Canadians."
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Original text here: https://davidsuzuki.org/press/green-budget-coalition-proposes-federal-budget-focus-on-green-progress-and-protecting-what-canada-values/
