Public Policy & NGOs
Here's a look at documents from public policy and non-governmental organizations
Featured Stories
Schomburg Center Announces New Contemporary Acquisitions by Black Women
NEW YORK, Feb. 26 -- The New York Public Library issued the following news release:
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Schomburg Center Announces New Contemporary Acquisitions by Black Women
In time for Women's History Month, the research library will make new items - including fine art, major photography series, and the collection of prominent Puerto Rican activist - accessible to patrons as part of its 100th anniversary celebration.
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As the Schomburg Center continues to celebrate its 100th anniversary, the library dedicated to Black diasporic history announced today that it has acquired new items from Black female
... Show Full Article
NEW YORK, Feb. 26 -- The New York Public Library issued the following news release:
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Schomburg Center Announces New Contemporary Acquisitions by Black Women
In time for Women's History Month, the research library will make new items - including fine art, major photography series, and the collection of prominent Puerto Rican activist - accessible to patrons as part of its 100th anniversary celebration.
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As the Schomburg Center continues to celebrate its 100th anniversary, the library dedicated to Black diasporic history announced today that it has acquired new items from Black femaletrailblazers in every division at the Center. These additions to the Center's 11 million-item collection will be available to all patrons with just a NYPL card.
These new acquisitions include:
Art and Artifacts: Untitled, 2023, a porcelain sculpture by Chicago artist Simone Leigh. A vessel sculpted into the shape of a woman with an elongated neck and hair of small rosettes, Untitled is part of Leigh's ongoing engagement with the formal historical and cultural legacy of traditional face vessels.
Jean Blackwell Hutson Research and Reference Division: Materials from the "Black love is" protests from the Black Students Association at Sarah Lawrence College. In 1969, the Black Students Association (BSA) advocated for the Black Studies Social Change Program, which would support diversity in the student and faculty bodies and in the curricular offerings.
Manuscripts, Archives, and Rare Books Division: The full collection of personal papers and works by Puerto Rican scholar, activist, and author Miriam Jimenez Roman. Roman's work remains foundational in the study of Afro-Latinidad identity. Along with her husband, Juan Flores, Roman co-edited the critically acclaimed 2009 book The Afro-Latin@ Reader: History and Culture in the United States, which won the 2011 American Book Award.
Moving Image and Recorded Sound Division: The entire collection of Pepsi Charles, a former host and producer at WBAI, a non-commercial, listener-supported radio station licensed to New York.
Photos and Prints: Mitochondria (2008-2016) and White Shoes (2012-2021) series by photographer and visual artist Nona Faustine. A Brooklyn native, Faustine's work focuses on identity, history, and representation and has been exhibited across the nation, including at the Brooklyn Museum, Carnegie Museum, and the Studio Museum of Harlem.
These acquisitions further the Schomburg Center's mission to make the world's knowledge of Black knowledge accessible and available to all. As one of the largest and oldest libraries specializing in Black diasporic history, the Center has made strides to expand its collections with new acquisitions. Recent acquisitions include the never-before-seen manuscripts, notes, and unpublished chapter from The Autobiography of Malcolm X, art by Kimberly M. Becoat, Barbara Jones-Hogu, and Helina Metaferia, the contemporary Afro-Mexican Photography collection, the Fab 5 Freddy papers and photographs, the audio and moving image collection, and the Sonny Rollins papers and audio and moving image collection.
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About the Schomburg Center for Research in Black Culture
Founded in 1925 and named a National Historic Landmark in 2017, the Schomburg Center for Research in Black Culture is one of the world's leading cultural institutions devoted to the preservation, research, interpretation, and exhibition of materials focused on African American, African Diasporan, and African experiences. As a research division of The New York Public Library, the Schomburg Center features diverse programming and collections totaling over 11 million items that illuminate the richness of global Black history, arts, and culture. Learn more at schomburgcenter.org.
About The New York Public Library
For over 125 years, The New York Public Library has been a free provider of education and information for the people of New York and beyond. With over 90 locations--including research and branch libraries--throughout the Bronx, Manhattan, and Staten Island, the Library offers free materials, computer access, classes, exhibitions, programming, and more to everyone from toddlers to scholars. The New York Public Library receives millions of visits through its doors annually and millions more around the globe who use its resources at www.nypl.org. To offer this wide array of free programming, The New York Public Library relies on both public and private funding. Learn more about how to support the Library at nypl.org/support.
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Original text here: https://www.nypl.org/press/schomburg-center-announces-new-contemporary-acquisitions-black-women
[Category: Libraries]
Michigan League for Public Policy: Gov. Whitmer's 2026 State of the State Address Puts People First
LANSING, Michigan, Feb. 26 -- The Michigan League for Public Policy issued the following news release on Feb. 25, 2026:
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Gov. Whitmer's 2026 State of the State address puts people first
League applauds governor's protection of Medicaid, continued support of education and commitment to affordable, accessible housing
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The Michigan League for Public Policy issued the following statement on Gov. Gretchen Whitmer's 2026 State of the State address tonight. The statement can be attributed to League President and CEO Monique Stanton.
"Tonight, Gov. Gretchen Whitmer showed that she is continuing
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LANSING, Michigan, Feb. 26 -- The Michigan League for Public Policy issued the following news release on Feb. 25, 2026:
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Gov. Whitmer's 2026 State of the State address puts people first
League applauds governor's protection of Medicaid, continued support of education and commitment to affordable, accessible housing
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The Michigan League for Public Policy issued the following statement on Gov. Gretchen Whitmer's 2026 State of the State address tonight. The statement can be attributed to League President and CEO Monique Stanton.
"Tonight, Gov. Gretchen Whitmer showed that she is continuingto put the people of Michigan first with her eighth and final State of the State address. The governor's plan for the year ahead includes a number of League priorities.
"It's clear that Gov. Whitmer understands the urgent need to shield Michiganders from the harm caused by the recent, unconscionable federal cuts to programs like Medicaid. It's commendable that the governor is demonstrating strong leadership by ensuring the 2.5 million people in Michigan who rely on Medicaid have access to the care they need. Addressing the burden of medical debt is another area of focus for the governor that we support. Countless Michigan families are struggling right now to make ends meet and are having to make impossible choices, like whether to buy groceries for the week or pay off their medical bills. It's promising to hear of the governor's plans to ease that financial strain. We are in full support of any comprehensive strategy to protect the health and well-being of Michiganders in these challenging times. And we stand with the governor in her call to Congress to renew the Affordable Care Act enhanced premium tax credits.
"We look forward to learning more about the governor's plan for housing and appreciate her commitment to finding bipartisan solutions to increase housing supply and affordability
"The governor's continued support for K-12 schools, including increased funding for literacy and her call to make universal school meals permanent, shows her commitment to Michigan's young learners. At a time when Michigan continues to rank in the bottom 10 states nationally for education according to the latest KIDS COUNT data from the Annie E. Casey Foundation, stronger, sustained educational investments are critical to ensuring brighter outcomes for our state's students and enhancing Michigan's talent pipeline.
"At a time when so much is being stripped away from Michiganders at the federal level, we appreciate the governor's continued, strong focus on their most pressing needs. We urge Michigan lawmakers to follow the governor's lead by centering their constituents in all of their budget and policy decisions in the year ahead."
Background
The Michigan League for Public Policy has developed its overview of The People's Budget, which features the League's priorities for the fiscal year 2026-27 state budget. The People's Budget is shaped by data and research as well as input from community members, service providers and advocates. Right now, Michigan is facing deep federal cuts to health care and food assistance as well as continued attacks on child care, education, and other important programs and services. On top of that, the state faces a serious revenue problem. It is critical that the next state budget prioritizes what Michiganders need to not only survive, but thrive.
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The Michigan League for Public Policy, www.mlpp.org, is a nonprofit policy institute focused on opportunity for all. Its mission is to advance economic security, racial equity, health and well-being for all people in Michigan through policy change. It is the only state-level organization that addresses poverty in a comprehensive way.
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Original text here: https://mlpp.org/gov-whitmers-2026-state-of-the-state-address-puts-people-first/
[Category: Political]
Institute for Energy Research: Supreme Court Will Hear a Climate Case Against Oil Companies
WASHINGTON, Feb. 26 -- The Institute for Energy Research issued the following commentary:
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Supreme Court Will Hear a Climate Case Against Oil Companies
The U.S. Supreme Court agreed to hear a petition from the U.S.'s ExxonMobil and Canada's Suncor Energy over a climate change lawsuit filed against the two oil producers by the city of Boulder, Colorado. In 2018, officials from Boulder's city government and Boulder County filed the lawsuit in state court to force ExxonMobil and Suncor to pay damages for their alleged role in increasing greenhouse gas emissions. Attorneys for ExxonMobil and
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WASHINGTON, Feb. 26 -- The Institute for Energy Research issued the following commentary:
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Supreme Court Will Hear a Climate Case Against Oil Companies
The U.S. Supreme Court agreed to hear a petition from the U.S.'s ExxonMobil and Canada's Suncor Energy over a climate change lawsuit filed against the two oil producers by the city of Boulder, Colorado. In 2018, officials from Boulder's city government and Boulder County filed the lawsuit in state court to force ExxonMobil and Suncor to pay damages for their alleged role in increasing greenhouse gas emissions. Attorneys for ExxonMobil andSuncor argued that Boulder "cannot make energy policy for the entire country." According to SCOTUSblog, the companies urged the state courts to dismiss the case, arguing that the state-law claims are superseded by federal environmental laws and the federal government's power to conduct foreign policy. Taking on the case, the Supreme Court is expected to hear oral arguments in the fall, with a decision to follow sometime in 2026.
The petition filed by the oil companies requests the judges to go beyond the current case and to decide whether federal law prevents state-level claims of climate-related injury, which could have implications beyond this case. Lower courts have been divided on whether these cases belong in state court or are preempted by federal law.
U.S. cities and states have sued energy firms over their contributions to climate change. For example, Vermont and New York have set up "superfunds" that tax large fossil fuel companies to pay for perceived climate damages from their products. New York's law mandates that the largest fossil fuel companies deemed responsible for carbon dioxide emissions from 2000 to 2018 contribute $3 billion annually to a climate mitigation fund for the next 25 years.
Both oil companies under Boulder's suit have a facility in Colorado. Suncor's U.S. affiliate, Suncor Energy USA, operates the Commerce City refinery, and ExxonMobil has a gas processing plant in the Piceance basin in Rio Blanco County. Boulder sued the companies, alleging that they "knowingly and substantially contributed to the climate crisis by producing, promoting, and selling a substantial portion of the fossil fuels." According to Boulder's suit, climate change exacerbates extreme weather, claiming that it will cost millions of dollars to respond.
Background
After Boulder filed the lawsuits in state court in 2018, the two oil producers tried to move the case to federal court. In 2019, a U.S. district court in Colorado blocked the attempt, and the Tenth Circuit Court of Appeals upheld the lower court's ruling in 2020 and again in 2022. The oil companies then petitioned the Colorado Supreme Court to review the case's jurisdiction, which ruled in May 2025 that Boulder could move forward with its case in state court. After the oil companies took the case to the U.S. Supreme Court, the Colorado Supreme Court agreed to pause its ruling.
In their August filing, attorneys for ExxonMobil and Suncor noted that 60 state and local governments have brought climate lawsuits against energy companies since 2017, "and more continue to be filed." According to the oil companies' attorneys, states have turned to local courts over federal courts since 2021, when the Second Circuit Court of Appeals dismissed a climate change lawsuit against Chevron. The Second Circuit Court of Appeals upheld the federal district court's decision holding that municipalities cannot "utilize state tort law to hold multinational oil companies liable for the damages caused by global greenhouse gas emissions."
The Supreme Court also indicated that it will consider whether it has jurisdiction to take up the case, meaning that members of the court could be uncertain regarding their authority to issue an opinion and may not decide on one after they hear arguments.
Analysis
Failing to convince Congress to regulate natural gas, oil, and coal to the degree they prefer, "green" activists and their local government allies sought the courts to implement their desired policies without any votes on the matter. They have been transparent about this goal, as David Bookbinder, an attorney who represented the Colorado municipalities, conceded that "[t]ort liability is an indirect carbon tax." With the Supreme Court agreeing to review the lawsuit, the court has opened the door to potentially putting its foot down on local attempts to regulate the alleged effects of greenhouse gas emissions released around the world.
For inquiries, please contact wrampe@ierdc.org.
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Original text here: https://www.instituteforenergyresearch.org/fossil-fuels/supreme-court-will-hear-a-climate-case-against-oil-companies/
[Category: Energy]
FFRF Action Fund and Planned Parenthood Advocates of Wisconsin Launch Early Voter Outreach
MADISON, Wisconsin, Feb. 26 -- 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:
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FFRF Action Fund and Planned Parenthood Advocates of Wisconsin launch early voter outreach
The FFRF Action Fund is launching a renewed electoral partnership with Planned Parenthood Advocates of Wisconsin (PPAWI) to fund early sustained voter outreach ahead of Wisconsin's April elections and to build the foundation for legislative
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MADISON, Wisconsin, Feb. 26 -- 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:
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FFRF Action Fund and Planned Parenthood Advocates of Wisconsin launch early voter outreach
The FFRF Action Fund is launching a renewed electoral partnership with Planned Parenthood Advocates of Wisconsin (PPAWI) to fund early sustained voter outreach ahead of Wisconsin's April elections and to build the foundation for legislativevictories later in the year.
The initial focus is the election of Judge Chris Taylor to the Wisconsin Supreme Court in April. At the same time, the program is designed to identify, engage and mobilize voters who will also decide control of the Wisconsin Assembly and Senate this November.
This effort builds directly on the successful collaboration between the FFRF Action Fund and PPAWI during the April 2025 Wisconsin Supreme Court campaign and the fight over the GOP reconciliation bill. In that cycle, the FFRF Action Fund invested in PPAWI's voter mobilization efforts targeting young voters and secular voters across the state. Every endorsed candidate from the FFRF Action Fund won in that cycle. That partnership showed that early investment and disciplined voter contact produce measurable electoral gains.
The new investment will expand PPAWI's direct voter contact program, including canvassing voters who are motivated by abortion rights and protecting our civil rights under the First Amendment. By starting early in 2026 and maintaining outreach throughout the year, the program will strengthen turnout in April while building durable voter relationships that carry into the fall legislative elections.
"Wisconsin voters have demonstrated that they expect courts and lawmakers to respect reproductive freedom and uphold the separation of state and church," says FFRF Action Fund President Annie Laurie Gaylor. "Our partnership with Planned Parenthood Advocates of Wisconsin has delivered results before. We are investing early because we know sustained voter engagement is how you win Supreme Court races in April and secure legislative majorities in November."
Marie Stolzenburg, director of organizing for Planned Parenthood Advocates of Wisconsin, emphasized the importance of year-round engagement.
"Planned Parenthood Advocates of Wisconsin engages voters early and consistently because the decisions made in April and in November are connected," Stolzenburg says. "This partnership strengthens our ability to have direct conversations with voters across the state about the stakes in the Supreme Court race and the importance of electing lawmakers who will protect reproductive freedom."
The voters contacted in the spring will also be central to determining control of the Wisconsin Legislature in November. By reaching voters early and sustaining outreach throughout the year, the partnership positions both organizations to help shape the electorate that will decide whether Wisconsin has pro-reproductive freedom and pro-separation of state and church majorities in the Assembly and Senate.
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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.
Planned Parenthood Advocates of Wisconsin (PPAWI) is the advocacy arm of Planned Parenthood of Wisconsin. PPAWI engages in legislative and educational activity and works to elect candidates to office that support these goals.
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Original text here: https://ffrfaction.org/ffrf-action-fund-and-planned-parenthood-advocates-of-wisconsin-launch-early-voter-outreach/
[Category: Sociological]
Brazil Court Revives Belo Sun's Controversial Amazon Gold Mine
OAKLAND, California, Feb. 26 [Category: Environment] -- Amazon Watch, an organization that says it protects the rainforest and advances the rights of indigenous peoples in the Amazon Basin, issued the following news release:
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Brazil Court Revives Belo Sun's Controversial Amazon Gold Mine
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Altamira, Brazil - On February 13, a judge in Brazil's first circuit court (TRF-1) ruled in favor of reinstating Belo Sun's installation license for what would be Brazil's largest open-pit gold mine on the banks of the Amazon's Xingu River, despite the company's failure to consult threatened Indigenous
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OAKLAND, California, Feb. 26 [Category: Environment] -- Amazon Watch, an organization that says it protects the rainforest and advances the rights of indigenous peoples in the Amazon Basin, issued the following news release:
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Brazil Court Revives Belo Sun's Controversial Amazon Gold Mine
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Altamira, Brazil - On February 13, a judge in Brazil's first circuit court (TRF-1) ruled in favor of reinstating Belo Sun's installation license for what would be Brazil's largest open-pit gold mine on the banks of the Amazon's Xingu River, despite the company's failure to consult threatened Indigenouscommunities and unresolved concerns over the many socio-environmental risks the mega-project poses in the region. Prosecutors at Brazil's Federal Public Ministry (MPF) immediately appealed the ruling, citing gaps in the company's Indigenous Component Study and the lack of valid consultations with threatened communities, as required by Brazilian legislation and international human rights commitments.
As Belo Sun ramps up efforts to fabricate local consent for its mega-mine, the Korina Juruna Indigenous Association of Pakissamba Village (AIKOJUPA) issued a formal complaint last weekend accusing the company of serious misconduct in its engagement with affected communities. AIKOJUPA sent its complaint to the MPF and Brazil's national Indigenous agency FUNAI. The complaint denounces Belo Sun's irregular meetings with communities, where the company attempted to coax representatives to retract formal positions condemning the company's failure to properly consult them while presenting insufficient impact assessments.
According to the complaint, Belo Sun evaded official requirements for community engagement and pressuring and intimidating local leaders. Company representatives entered villages without required formal invitations or institutional or legal oversight and attempted to conduct negotiations in an irregular manner. "They want to talk to just a few people, without listening to the communities as a whole. We are feeling pressured by this project," said Eliete Pakissamba, president of AIKOJUPA.
"We are already suffering the impacts of the Belo Monte dam, with the river level dropping rapidly and harming fish spawning and navigation. If another project of this scale comes, the Volta Grande will not withstand it," said Eliete Pakissamba, highlighting the acute threat the planned mega-mine poses to lower Xingu River and its peoples.
The region ranks among the most biodiverse stretches of the Brazilian Amazon and is home to Indigenous, riverine, and farming communities that depend directly on the Xingu for fishing and agriculture, and on the forest for their physical, cultural, and economic survival. Installing a massive mining project in this sensitive region increases the risk of irreversible impacts on the territories of Indigenous peoples and traditional communities already suffering severe impacts from the Belo Monte dam.
Experts warn that the TRF-1 judge ruled in favor of Belo Sun's license despite ongoing controversies over the project's environmental studies and the lack of formal dialogue with threatened populations. Convention 169 of the International Labor Organization (ILO169) requires signatories, such as Brazil, to ensure the Free, Prior, and Informed consultation with traditional communities whose lands and ways of life face threats from projects, in a manner that is transparent and culturally appropriate.
In its complaint, AIKOJUPA demands a rigorous investigation into Belo Sun's conduct immediate measures to prevent the company from directly approaching their communities without proper institutional oversight. The Indigenous association emphasizes that protecting the ecosystem of the Volta Grande do Xingu is essential to guaranteeing the collective rights of all who depend on the forest and the river to sustain their ways of life.
The Volta Grande project poses extensive socio-environmental risks in the region. Large-scale gold mining involves the use of highly toxic substances such as cyanide, threatening water quality, aquatic fauna, and the food security of local populations. The project also includes construction of a large tailings dam directly adjacent to the Xingu River, which raises the risk of catastrophic and irreversible accidents, such as Brazil's Mariana and Brumadinho tailings dam failures.
Another critical issue involves cumulative impacts on the Volta Grande. The region already suffers diverse impacts from the Belo Monte mega-dam, which diverts more than 80% of the Xingu's natural flow through an artificial canal to the dam's powerhouse and leaves the Xingu's "Big Bend" region in permanent drought. Data from Brazil's Independent Territorial Environmental Monitoring (MATI) recorded recurring events between 2023 and 2026 in which river levels fluctuated abruptly, disconnecting fish spawning areas, exposed eggs to dry conditions, and caused massive fish die-offs. In this context of hydrological instability, the arrival of Belo Sun's mega-mine could push the region to a critical threshold of social and environmental collapse.
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Original text here: https://amazonwatch.org/news/2026/0225-brazil-court-revives-belo-suns-controversial-amazon-gold-mine-as-indigenous-communities-file-misconduct-complaint
Americans for Tax Reform Urges HELP Committee to Oppose Sen. Bernie Sanders' Healthcare Amendments
WASHINGTON, Feb. 26 -- Americans for Tax Reform posted the following news on Feb. 25, 2026:
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ATR Urges HELP Committee to Oppose Sen. Bernie Sanders' Healthcare Amendments
Isabelle Marchese
Tomorrow, the U.S. Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions (HELP) will hold a mark-up on numerous bills including S. 3315, the Health Care Cybersecurity & Resiliency Act of 2025. Unfortunately, self-proclaimed socialist Senator Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) has filed amendments to this bill which include imposing international reference pricing (a most-favored-nation drug pricing-style price
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WASHINGTON, Feb. 26 -- Americans for Tax Reform posted the following news on Feb. 25, 2026:
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ATR Urges HELP Committee to Oppose Sen. Bernie Sanders' Healthcare Amendments
Isabelle Marchese
Tomorrow, the U.S. Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions (HELP) will hold a mark-up on numerous bills including S. 3315, the Health Care Cybersecurity & Resiliency Act of 2025. Unfortunately, self-proclaimed socialist Senator Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) has filed amendments to this bill which include imposing international reference pricing (a most-favored-nation drug pricing-style pricecontrol) and a ban on direct-to-consumer (DTC) advertising of prescription drugs.'
These troubling policies have no place in a bipartisan bill like S. 3315, a bill designed to prevent cyberattacks on healthcare organizations.
ATR urges Republican Senators on the HELP Committee to oppose these disastrous amendments.
In addition to doing nothing to address foreign freeloading, international reference pricing would reduce access to new cures and reduce U.S. global competitiveness, ceding ground to China. Further, banning DTC advertising would crush competition and keep patients in the dark. Consumers do not need government bureaucrats gate-keeping medical information.
Members Should Oppose Importing Foreign, Socialist Drug Price Controls
Conservatives are united against international reference pricing - a government price-control scheme that imports failed foreign policies into the U.S. healthcare system. This hurts patients, stifles innovation, and weakens America's global leadership in biotechnology.
Americans for Tax Reform, with 52 other free market groups and advocates, recently released a coalition letter urging members of Congress to oppose the codification of most-favored-nation (MFN) drug pricing. This letter outlines four primary arguments against these price control models:
Reference pricing weakens the United States' position as the world's biotech leader, ceding ground to China: We cannot handicap our pharmaceutical manufacturers while China advantages their own.
Price controls have NEVER worked: From Ancient Babylon to 21st century NYC, price controls have always resulted in devastation.
Reference pricing would do nothing to stop foreign freeloading: Instead, it accepts foreign price controls as a benchmark rather than confronting the governments that impose them.
Reference pricing would reduce access to new cures: Of the 0.05 percent of drugs that make it from drug discovery to clinical trials, only 12 percent are approved by the FDA. Increasing the risk in this already-risky industry will devastate innovation.
To read the letter in full, click here.
Members Should Oppose Banning DTC Advertising
Direct-to-consumer advertising (DTCA) simply relays information to consumers. Like all ads, they must be truthful and not misleading. Outside of ensuring this basic standard, government bureaucrats have no business deciding what medical information Americans are allowed to see in ads.
DTCA empowers patients to play a meaningful role in their own care.
One poll notes that 55 percent of consumers say they have requested a specific prescription drug from their doctor after seeing an ad. Presumably, for many, this led to life-improving care they otherwise would not have gotten. Far from undermining the patient-doctor relationship, these ads strengthen it by prompting informed conversations. When patients are aware of treatment options, they are better equipped to advocate for themselves.
Outside of just increasing sales of a specific drug, DTC ads play a key role in informing patients of pertinent medical information, increasing doctor visits and diagnoses, and destigmatizing certain medical conditions.
Unbranded disease awareness campaigns make up 15 percent of DTC spend. Further, 33 percent of adults report looking for health information related to symptoms mentioned in TV ads immediately after viewing. Studies show that "DTC advertising increases the use of both promoted drugs and non-advertised generic competitors through both increased treatment initiation and improved medication adherence." As shown by researchers from John Hopkins University, Cornell University, University of Pennsylvania, and University of Southern California, drug advertisements also increase doctor visits; in many cases, these visits don't even result in a prescription. Shutting these ads down would mean fewer informed patients and more missed chances to catch problems early.
Banning DTCA would decrease market competition, limiting patient options and increasing prices.
Consumers being aware of alternatives supports competitive pricing dynamics, ensuring that no single drug can dominate without facing pricing pressures.
Without DTCA, most advertising activity will happen between pharmaceutical companies and doctors' offices. Notably, only companies with established markets and/or deep financial resources can maintain extensive relationships with doctors' offices through costly sales efforts (i.e. individual representatives making continuous visits).
Smaller or newer companies/drugs often lack these resources, relying more heavily on DTCA to reach patients. In this way, advertising can serve as a counterbalance to the influence of incumbents, increasing competition and giving consumers the ability to choose what is best for them amongst numerous options.
While these proposals are unsurprising coming from a member like Mr. Sanders, Republicans on the HELP Committee should reject these unrelated, harmful amendments. Importing foreign price controls and banning DTC advertising would undermine innovation, restrict access to new cures, limit options, and put bureaucrats between patients and their care.
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Original text here: https://atr.org/atr-urges-help-committee-to-oppose-sen-bernie-sanders-healthcare-amendments/
[Category: Political]
ADL and DAIA Cordoba Partner With Cordoba's Ministry of Education to Implement COAJ Digital Education Program in Classrooms
NEW YORK, Feb. 26 -- The Anti-Defamation League, an anti-hate organization that aims to stop the defamation of the Jewish people and to secure justice and fair treatment for all, posted the following news release:
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ADL and DAIA Cordoba partner with Cordoba's Ministry of Education to implement COAJ digital education program in classrooms
The agreement aims to equip secondary schools across the Province of Cordoba with innovative digital tools to help prevent antisemitism and hate speech, promoting safer and more respectful school environments.
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CORDOBA, Argentina, February 25, 2026 --
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NEW YORK, Feb. 26 -- The Anti-Defamation League, an anti-hate organization that aims to stop the defamation of the Jewish people and to secure justice and fair treatment for all, posted the following news release:
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ADL and DAIA Cordoba partner with Cordoba's Ministry of Education to implement COAJ digital education program in classrooms
The agreement aims to equip secondary schools across the Province of Cordoba with innovative digital tools to help prevent antisemitism and hate speech, promoting safer and more respectful school environments.
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CORDOBA, Argentina, February 25, 2026 --In a firm step toward building more inclusive and respectful school environments, ADL (Anti-Defamation League) today announced in Cordoba, Argentina, a partnership with the Ministry of Education of the Province of Cordoba and the Delegation of Argentine Israelite Associations (DAIA), Cordoba Chapter, to implement COAJ: Combating Hate and Antisemitism Together in secondary schools across the province.
COAJ is a digital program that provides practical tools in Spanish to help students and educators recognize, understand, and address antisemitism and hate speech in school settings.
In the face of the global challenge posed by intolerance and discrimination, this joint initiative makes a cutting-edge digital platform available to Cordoba's educational community. Designed specifically for the Latin American context--with technical collaboration from the Jewish Museum of Chile--COAJ offers an interactive learning experience that encourages young people to think critically about prejudice.
Technology in the service of coexistence
The Spanish-language program is structured around four dynamic modules that enable students and educators to explore identity, deconstruct stereotypes, and understand the historical and contemporary roots of antisemitism. Beyond theory, COAJ is action-oriented: it seeks to empower students as agents of change who can help defuse hate in their own environments.
Cordoba's Minister of Education, Horacio Ferreyra, said: "School is where we learn to live alongside others and to recognize the value of diversity. With this program, we strengthen our students' civic education by promoting respect, critical thinking, and a commitment to a society free of prejudice and violence."
A comprehensive educational response
Adrian Ganzburg, president of DAIA Cordoba Chapter, underscored "the importance of continuing to advance inclusive education policies in Cordoba and the fight against antisemitism and discrimination. This is especially significant because it brings together DAIA, the provincial government, and an internationally respected organization like ADL, which chose this province as the first place to launch the program within a state framework."
Liat Altman, ADL's Regional Director for Latin American Affairs, emphasized the value of early prevention: "Education is the most effective way to prevent hate. We are proud to partner with Cordoba to implement this resource, which not only helps identify the problem but also equips teachers and students with practical strategies to respond to injustice and serve as allies to those who are targeted."
Next steps
Following this agreement, a teacher training phase will begin to support integration of the platform in classrooms. The resource will be available free of charge to all secondary schools across the province that wish to join this network for prevention and values-based education.
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About ADL
ADL is the leading anti-hate organization in the world. Founded in 1913 to protect the Jewish people, ADL works to stop the defamation of the Jewish people and secure justice and fair treatment to all. In the face of rising antisemitism and extremism, we protect, advocate, and educate, through a mix of programs and services using the latest innovations and technology, and seek to create a world without hate. More at www.adl.org.
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About DAIA Cordoba Chapter
The Delegation of Argentine Israelite Associations (DAIA) is the representative organization of Argentina's Jewish community, with a mission to fight antisemitism and discrimination and to promote inclusion and diversity in Argentine society. The Cordoba Chapter reaffirms its commitment to continue working with government at all levels, joining forces to build a society free of prejudice and hate--because education is the primary tool to prevent extremist views from gaining ground.
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Original text here: https://www.adl.org/resources/press-release/adl-and-daia-cordoba-partner-cordobas-ministry-education-implement-coaj
[Category: Political]
