Public Policy & NGOs
Here's a look at documents from public policy and non-governmental organizations
Featured Stories
Western Watersheds Project: Federal Court Sends Decision Authorizing Domestic Sheep Grazing In Bighorn Sheep Habitat Back to the Forest Service to Complete a New Analysis
HAILEY, Idaho, April 11 -- The Western Watersheds Project posted the following news release on April 9, 2026:
* * *
Federal Court Sends Decision Authorizing Domestic Sheep Grazing In Bighorn Sheep Habitat Back to the Forest Service to Complete a New Analysis
The U.S. Forest Service ignored crucial data in its creation of the Wishbone Allotment on the Rio Grande National Forest, and must reassess risk of disease transmission to sensitive wild sheep
*
DENVER -- On Friday, a Colorado federal judge reinforced a major conservation victory for bighorn sheep conservation on the Rio Grande National
... Show Full Article
HAILEY, Idaho, April 11 -- The Western Watersheds Project posted the following news release on April 9, 2026:
* * *
Federal Court Sends Decision Authorizing Domestic Sheep Grazing In Bighorn Sheep Habitat Back to the Forest Service to Complete a New Analysis
The U.S. Forest Service ignored crucial data in its creation of the Wishbone Allotment on the Rio Grande National Forest, and must reassess risk of disease transmission to sensitive wild sheep
*
DENVER -- On Friday, a Colorado federal judge reinforced a major conservation victory for bighorn sheep conservation on the Rio Grande NationalForest. The court granted a motion to remand the decision to create the Wishbone Allotment back to the U.S. Forest Service, requiring thorough assessment before domestic sheep grazing can be authorized on the allotment.
Last spring, the 10th Circuit Court of Appeals found that the Forest Service unlawfully disregarded scientific evidence and arbitrarily altered the results of its disease 'Risk of Contact' modeling when it approved domestic sheep grazing on the Rio Grande National Forest near Creede, Colorado in 2018. The 10th Circuit sent the case back to the Colorado District Court to determine the appropriate remedy. The Forest Service had approved the creation of the Wishbone domestic sheep allotment in close proximity to bighorn sheep core habitats despite concluding in 2013 and 2015 that contact with domestic sheep posed a high level of disease risk to the area's bighorn sheep populations. The remand ensures that domestic sheep will remain off of the allotment unless the Forest Service can prove it's safe for bighorns, which is unlikely.
"Bighorn sheep on public land should be safe from the risk of lethal disease from domestic sheep, and federal agencies can't ignore the reality on the ground," said Delaney Rudy, Colorado Director for the Western Watersheds Project. "The court's remand affirms the Forest Service's responsibility to ensure commercial livestock grazing doesn't imperil native wildlife."
This contact is dangerous because of two deadly pathogens, Mannheimia haemolycta and Mycoplasma ovipneumoniae, that domestic sheep carry and transmit to bighorn sheep. Once a wild sheep is infected through contact with a domestic sheep, they carry that pathogen back to their herd and even to other herds, which can lead to catastrophic, all-age die-offs. There are currently at least seven bighorn herds in Colorado that are experiencing population collapse due to illnesses from domestic sheep.
"Bighorn sheep are core to Colorado's identity and living symbols of rugged, wild landscapes," said Laurie Rule, senior attorney at Advocates for the West, who represented conservation organizations in the lawsuit. "We're glad the court agreed that sending back the Forest Service decision authorizing domestic sheep grazing on the Wishbone Allotment is the correct remedy for the multiple legal violations found by the 10th Circuit. It's also the right thing to do so that we don't lose decades of progress to conserve a Western icon."
The Forest Service itself has recognized disease as "the greatest concern for bighorn sheep population persistence [in] the Rio Grande National Forest." Bighorn sheep on the Rio Grande National Forest are designated as a species of conservation concern, a designation that requires all agency actions to be analyzed for their potential impact to bighorn sheep and to maintain bighorn sheep population viability.
"This order from the court reinforces what should have been clear all along: our public lands must be managed based on science and for the benefit of wildlife, not bent to accommodate private interests," said Chris Krupp, public lands attorney with WildEarth Guardians. "Bighorn sheep pay the price when agencies ignore the risks of contact with domestic sheep, and this ruling makes clear that sacrificing wildlife for profit is not an acceptable tradeoff."
During the era of Western settlement, bighorn sheep were wiped out as pathogens carried by domestic sheep were transmitted to native bighorns. By the early 1900s, bighorns had vanished from several states, with only a few thousand remaining from an estimated historic population of 1.5 to 2 million. Following more than six decades of extensive and costly restoration efforts, bighorn sheep have now been recovered to approximately 10% of their historic range.
Four bighorn herds inhabit national forest lands near the newly-invented Wishbone Allotment: the San Luis Peak, Bellows Creek, Bristol Head and Rock Creek herds. Three other bighorn populations live within easy traveling distance for a bighorn ram: the Weminuche population to the south, the Natural Arch/Carnero population to the east, and the San Juan West population to the west. Overall, approximately 1,100 bighorn sheep that were at risk from domestic sheep grazing on the Wishbone Allotment are now spared from that threat.
In last spring's decision, the 10th Circuit held that the Forest Service's explanation for approving the Wishbone Allotment relied "on no science or data, and in fact contradicts the data in the record about bighorn sheep movement and permittees' compliance with project design features."
* * *
Original text here: https://www.westernwatersheds.org/2026/04/federal-court-sends-decision-authorizing-domestic-sheep-grazing-in-bighorn-sheep-habitat-back-to-the-forest-service-to-complete-a-new-analysis/
[Category: Environment]
ISTH and EHA Announce Strategic Collaboration to Update Diagnostic Guidance on IPFDs
CARRBORO, North Carolina, April 11 -- The International Society for Thrombosis and Haemostasis issued the following news:
* * *
The ISTH and EHA announce strategic collaboration to update diagnostic guidance on IPFDs
The International Society on Thrombosis and Haemostasis (ISTH) and the European Hematology Association (EHA) are pleased to announce a formal partnership to develop updated clinical practice guidance for the diagnosis of inherited platelet function disorders (IPFDs). This joint initiative aims to standardize diagnostic pathways and integrate modern laboratory techniques to improve
... Show Full Article
CARRBORO, North Carolina, April 11 -- The International Society for Thrombosis and Haemostasis issued the following news:
* * *
The ISTH and EHA announce strategic collaboration to update diagnostic guidance on IPFDs
The International Society on Thrombosis and Haemostasis (ISTH) and the European Hematology Association (EHA) are pleased to announce a formal partnership to develop updated clinical practice guidance for the diagnosis of inherited platelet function disorders (IPFDs). This joint initiative aims to standardize diagnostic pathways and integrate modern laboratory techniques to improvepatient outcomes worldwide.
The joint task force, composed of internationally recognized experts from both organizations, recently convened and will soon begin developing research questions and conducting a literature review. The ISTH Guidelines and Guidance Committee will share a draft guidance for public comment when the manuscript becomes available. The final guidance document is expected to be released in 2027.
Learn more about ISTH guidance here (https://www.isth.org/page/GuidanceDocuments).
* * *
Original text here: https://www.isth.org/news/725086/The-ISTH-and-EHA-announce-strategic-collaboration-to-update-diagnostic-guidance-on-IPFDs.htm
[Category: Medical]
FFRF Action Fund: 'Secularist' Tool Lead Singer Backs State/church Separation
MADISON, Wisconsin, April 11 -- FFRF Action Fund, an organization that says it develops and advocates for legislation, regulations and government programs to preserve the constitutional principle of separation between state and church, posted the following news on April 10, 2026:
* * *
'Secularist' Tool lead singer backs state/church separation
FFRF Action Fund honors Tool lead singer Maynard James Keenan as its "Secularist of the Week" for his recent remarks on the importance of state/church separation.
Keenan, who is also the frontman of the bands A Perfect Circle and Puscifer, spoke in a
... Show Full Article
MADISON, Wisconsin, April 11 -- FFRF Action Fund, an organization that says it develops and advocates for legislation, regulations and government programs to preserve the constitutional principle of separation between state and church, posted the following news on April 10, 2026:
* * *
'Secularist' Tool lead singer backs state/church separation
FFRF Action Fund honors Tool lead singer Maynard James Keenan as its "Secularist of the Week" for his recent remarks on the importance of state/church separation.
Keenan, who is also the frontman of the bands A Perfect Circle and Puscifer, spoke in arecent interview with the Arizona Republic about the current political climate in the United States and its religious fundamentalism while promoting a new Puscifer project and an upcoming concert in Phoenix. Puscifer's latest album, titled "Normal Isn't," was released in February, leading Keenan to reflect on the "pretty insane times" our country is experiencing. He stressed that none of the current realities in the United States can be considered normal.
When the interviewer asked Keenan how our country has gotten to this point, Keenan reflected on the undermining of our education system.
"That's definitely historically where regimes start," Keenan said. "[Making] sure that the people are kind of dumb and then they can just kind of tell them whatever they want and they don't have the frame of reference or the tools to debunk what they're being told, to critically think, to reason out puzzles -- and then you end up here."
The conversation then turned to religious fundamentalism and its lasting impact on society.
"This has to find a balance," Keenan stressed. "It has to be a breaking point when you have religious fundamentalists calling all the shots. True believers are scary. It doesn't sustain, right?"
He continued, "Historically, when you have people that are choosing violent oppressions, it doesn't last. It lasts long enough to hurt and do damage, like generational damage, but it doesn't last."
When the interviewer remarked on the absurdity of young people being drawn to religious fundamentalism, Keenan agreed and pointed to the vitality of state/church separation.
"The separation of church and state, I absolutely believe that, because when it comes to state, it's like ... It's a mechanism," Keenan said. "It's a car, it's an engine, it's mechanics. There's no faith involved. There's a mechanics to this thing. You can have your faith, but it shouldn't affect how your car runs."
Read Keenan's full interview with the Arizona Republic here (https://www.azcentral.com/story/entertainment/music/2026/03/13/maynard-james-keenan-puscifer-album-normal-isnt/89075535007/).
The FFRF Action Fund warmly thanks Keenan for naming the constitutional separation of state and church as a bedrock of American society. Public figures who raise awareness of the dangers of religious fundamentalism and encroachment on the wall between state and church are always a welcome addition in the ongoing fight to safeguard our secular democracy.
* * *
FFRF Action Fund is a 501(c)(4) organization that develops and advocates for legislation, regulations and government programs to preserve the constitutional principle of separation between state and church. It also advocates for the rights and views of nonbelievers, endorses candidates for political office, and publicizes the views of elected officials concerning religious liberty issues.
* * *
Original text here: https://ffrfaction.org/secularist-tool-lead-singer-backs-state-church-separation/
[Category: Sociological]
Center for Global Development: 'Better Debt Shock Absorbers for Poor Countries: A Proposal'
WASHINGTON, April 11 (TNSres) -- The Center for Global Development issued the following policy paper on April 7, 2026 by Nancy Lee, Liliana Rojas-Suarez, Samuel Matthews and James Reid entitled "Better Debt Shock Absorbers for Poor Countries: A Proposal".
Here is the abstract:
* * *
Our analysis confirms that poor countries are subject to a broad range of exogenous shocks - not under their control and not just those that are climate-related - and that those shocks can have large consequences for growth, debt-carrying capacity, and liquidity. The current major global shock, the Iran war, is
... Show Full Article
WASHINGTON, April 11 (TNSres) -- The Center for Global Development issued the following policy paper on April 7, 2026 by Nancy Lee, Liliana Rojas-Suarez, Samuel Matthews and James Reid entitled "Better Debt Shock Absorbers for Poor Countries: A Proposal".
Here is the abstract:
* * *
Our analysis confirms that poor countries are subject to a broad range of exogenous shocks - not under their control and not just those that are climate-related - and that those shocks can have large consequences for growth, debt-carrying capacity, and liquidity. The current major global shock, the Iran war, isthe most recent example. Our proposal for the temporary suspension of external debt service payments would help prevent liquidity crises from escalating into solvency crises. By providing immediate fiscal space, it would allow low-income countries to avoid default and undertake countercyclical or reconstruction spending, thereby limiting long-term economic damage and preserving creditworthiness. The proposal has five distinctive features:
* Triggers for DSC activation focus on the magnitude of the shock, not the source.
* Benchmarks for clause activation are simple, standardized, and quantitative. The four-part activation test includes benchmarks for solvency, liquidity, debt service fiscal burden, and growth impact.
* Clause activation would not require creditor approval if triggers are met and verified.
* Clauses would apply to sovereign debt owed to both public and private creditors--to ensure comparable treatment amid the rising public creditor share of poor country debt stocks.
* The issuing country may spend the temporarily freed-up resources as it likes--different from debt for nature or debt for development swaps.
This proposal is meant to complement, not substitute for, ongoing work to deal with liquidity shortages, to make the debt restructuring process more efficient and to explore refinancing options for poor countries' current high-cost debt. The aim is better long-term solutions to strengthen the resilience of poor countries and to help avoid a recurrence of today's pervasive debt strains. We know these countries will continue to be subject to frequent exogenous shocks. A forward-looking approach of building better debt contracts for poor country sovereign borrowing should be a prominent part of the debt relief arsenal.
* * *
The full policy paper is posted at: https://www.cgdev.org/publication/better-debt-shock-absorbers-poor-countries-proposal
[Category: Sociological]
Center for Global Development: 'A New Compact for Health Financing: From Principle to Practice'
WASHINGTON, April 11 (TNSres) -- The Center for Global Development issued the following policy paper on March 31, 2026 by Tom Drake, Anastassia Demeshko, Mizan Kiros Mirutse, Solomon Tessema Memirie, Ole Norheim, Miloud Kaddar, Kalipso Chalkidou, Pete Baker and Nadia Yakhelef entitled "A New Compact for Health Financing: From Principle to Practice".
Here is the abstract:
* * *
Global health financing is undergoing significant strain following the 2025 aid shocks, including the USAID shutdown and major reductions across European donors. The resulting decline in development assistance for health
... Show Full Article
WASHINGTON, April 11 (TNSres) -- The Center for Global Development issued the following policy paper on March 31, 2026 by Tom Drake, Anastassia Demeshko, Mizan Kiros Mirutse, Solomon Tessema Memirie, Ole Norheim, Miloud Kaddar, Kalipso Chalkidou, Pete Baker and Nadia Yakhelef entitled "A New Compact for Health Financing: From Principle to Practice".
Here is the abstract:
* * *
Global health financing is undergoing significant strain following the 2025 aid shocks, including the USAID shutdown and major reductions across European donors. The resulting decline in development assistance for healthhas disrupted services and amplified long-standing concerns around fragmentation, aid dependency, and weak alignment with national systems. This moment has renewed calls for reform in how health services are financed and coordinated.
Centred on evidence-informed priority setting, domestic-first financing of core services, and consolidated supplementary aid, the New Compact offers a framework to guide health financing reform. This paper examines how the New Compact for health financing can be taken from principle to practice, both as a strategic guide for global reform and as a technical framework at the country-level. We analyse implications under three scenarios for global health architecture reform: maintaining the status quo; donor policy shifts but no architectural reform; and a consolidated multilateral financing mechanism. We draw on lessons from past global and country-level coordination efforts and assess opportunities for donor policy shifts to operationalise reforms aligned with a New Compact approach. A framework for country-level drivers for success is developed to guide transition plans. Taken together with ideas for action for donors and recipient countries, this paper positions the New Compact as an approach for strengthening country ownership, improving allocation efficiency, and building more resilient health financing systems amid fiscal uncertainty.
* * *
The full policy paper is posted at: https://www.cgdev.org/publication/new-compact-health-financing-principle-practice
[Category: Sociological]
CAIR-LA Expresses Concern Over Staged Hate Crime Video, Calls for Accountability for 'Inciting Violence Against Muslim and Iranian Communities'
WASHINGTON, April 11 -- The Council on American-Islamic Relations posted the following news release on April 10, 2026:
* * *
CAIR-LA Expresses Concern Over Staged Hate Crime Video, Calls for Accountability for 'Inciting Violence Against Muslim and Iranian Communities'
The Greater Los Angeles Area office of the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR-LA) today expressed concern over a recent video--that was later revealed to be staged--depicting a hate crime targeting a seemingly Iranian Muslim man outside a Los Angeles mosque. The organization condemned the incident as a "purposeful attempt
... Show Full Article
WASHINGTON, April 11 -- The Council on American-Islamic Relations posted the following news release on April 10, 2026:
* * *
CAIR-LA Expresses Concern Over Staged Hate Crime Video, Calls for Accountability for 'Inciting Violence Against Muslim and Iranian Communities'
The Greater Los Angeles Area office of the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR-LA) today expressed concern over a recent video--that was later revealed to be staged--depicting a hate crime targeting a seemingly Iranian Muslim man outside a Los Angeles mosque. The organization condemned the incident as a "purposeful attemptat inciting violence against Muslim and Iranian communities" and called for the video to be taken down.
[NOTE: This situation is unrelated to the hate incidents targeting mosques in Simi Valley, Claremont, and La Mirada.]
The widely circulated video posted to a public Instagram account belonging to Asal Jam shows a car driving behind a man dressed in traditional Muslim clothing as he is walking on the sidewalk outside of a mosque. A woman exits the car and approaches the man, assaults him by pushing the turban off his head, and yells at him in Farsi.
In an apparent response to comments calling her out for filming evidence of herself committing a hate crime, the account owner edited the caption to state that the video was staged.
In a statement, CAIR-LA Executive Director Hussam Ayloush said:
"Hate crimes and assault are not a laughing matter and certainly should not be promoted as a form of entertainment. Staging a video that clearly depicts the physical harassment of a seemingly Muslim man outside a mosque is a purposeful attempt at inciting violence against Muslim and Iranian communities, who are already facing a surge in hate, fueled by inflammatory rhetoric from elected officials.
"Videos such as this cannot be taken lightly; they risk normalizing violence and inspiring attacks against real people based on political decisions that they have nothing to do with. We strongly condemn any act promoting or encouraging bigotry against entire communities and call for the video to be removed from all social media platforms immediately."
To report any bias incidents, contact CAIR-LA's Civil Rights Department at (714) 776-1177 (ext. 2) or click here (https://ca.cair.com/losangeles/report-hate-discrimination/) to file a report.
CAIR-LA is Southern California's largest Muslim civil liberties and advocacy organization. Its mission is to enhance the understanding of Islam, protect civil rights, promote justice and empower American Muslims.
* * *
Original text here: https://www.cair.com/press_releases/cair-la-expresses-concern-over-staged-hate-crime-video-calls-for-accountability-for-inciting-violence-against-muslim-and-iranian-communities/
[Category: Sociological]
ADVISORY: Protest of Rep. Meeks for Failing to Stand up to Trump
SILVER SPRING, Maryland, April 11 [Category: Sociological] -- Demand Progress issued the following news release:
* * *
ADVISORY: Protest of Rep. Meeks for Failing to Stand up to Trump
*
Meeks Said He Will Help Trump Spy on Americans
QUEENS, NY - On Monday, April 13, protestors will gather outside Rep. Gregory Meeks's office in response to the congressman's comments that he will vote for a renewal of the Foreign Intelligence Services Act (FISA) without any meaningful privacy reforms to prevent the Trump administration from spying on private American citizens. Meeks's support for renewing
... Show Full Article
SILVER SPRING, Maryland, April 11 [Category: Sociological] -- Demand Progress issued the following news release:
* * *
ADVISORY: Protest of Rep. Meeks for Failing to Stand up to Trump
*
Meeks Said He Will Help Trump Spy on Americans
QUEENS, NY - On Monday, April 13, protestors will gather outside Rep. Gregory Meeks's office in response to the congressman's comments that he will vote for a renewal of the Foreign Intelligence Services Act (FISA) without any meaningful privacy reforms to prevent the Trump administration from spying on private American citizens. Meeks's support for renewingFISA aligns him with President Donald Trump and Stephen Miller who are demanding 'a clean reauthorization' of FISA.
The demonstration is organized by Demand Progress Action, which helped lead progressive and civil rights groups to urge Congress only to reauthorize FISA with meaningful privacy protections. Specifically, these groups pushed for closing the data broker loophole that the FBI, ICE, and NSA exploit to purchase the private data of Americans without any court involvement.
Congress is expected to vote on FISA next week, after Republicans had to delay an earlier vote due to significant opposition from both sides of the aisle.
DETAILS
What: Protest of Rep. Meeks for Bending to Trump on Government Surveillance
Where: Rep. Meeks's Office, 153-01 Jamaica Ave., Jamaica, NY 11432.
When: Monday, April 13 at 4 PM ET
***
Original text here: https://demandprogress.org/advisory-protest-of-rep-meeks-for-failing-to-stand-up-to-trump/
