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Pension Reform News: Rules on How Public Pensions Should Invest in Crypto
LOS ANGELES, California, Feb. 24 -- The Reason Foundation issued the following news:* * *
Pension Reform News: Rules on how public pensions should invest in crypto
Plus: Alaska could take on billions in extra costs by rolling back reforms, unfunded public pension liabilities are a debt, and more.
In This Issue:
Articles, Research & Spotlights
* Rules on How Public Pensions Should Invest in Crypto
* Alaska Could Take on Billions by Rolling Back Reforms
* Florida Lawmakers Should Avoid Adding Pension Costs
* Unfunded Public Pension Liabilities Are a Debt
News in Brief
Quotable Quotes ... Show Full Article LOS ANGELES, California, Feb. 24 -- The Reason Foundation issued the following news: * * * Pension Reform News: Rules on how public pensions should invest in crypto Plus: Alaska could take on billions in extra costs by rolling back reforms, unfunded public pension liabilities are a debt, and more. In This Issue: Articles, Research & Spotlights * Rules on How Public Pensions Should Invest in Crypto * Alaska Could Take on Billions by Rolling Back Reforms * Florida Lawmakers Should Avoid Adding Pension Costs * Unfunded Public Pension Liabilities Are a Debt News in Brief Quotable Quoteson Pension Reform
Data Highlight
Reason Foundation in the News
Contact the Pension Reform Help Desk
By Zachary Christensen and Mariana Trujillo
Articles, Research & Spotlights
U.S. Public Pension and Trust Fund Investment in Digital Assets
Bitcoin and other digital assets are gaining prominence among institutional investors, prompting public pension systems to explore investing in these assets for diversification. While Bitcoin is compared to gold as an inflation-sensitive store of value, a new study from the Pension Integrity Project at Reason Foundation warns that most other alternative cryptocurrencies remain too risky for pension portfolios. Many public pension systems already hold over $1 billion in total exposure in crypto, often indirectly through public equities like Coinbase and MicroStrategy. The paper establishes a fiduciary framework that suggests limiting digital asset exposure to between 2% and 10% of total assets. This framework mandates enhanced due diligence, transparent public reporting, and rigorous stress testing to account for extreme market volatility. Ultimately, Reason Foundation's guidelines aim to help pensions use digital assets as controlled inflation hedges while protecting beneficiaries from unreasonable risk.
Full Study: Pension and Trust Fund Investment in Digital Assets
Frequently Asked Questions About Public Pensions Investing in Bitcoin and Other Digital Assets
Alaska House Bill 78 Would Expose the State to Billions in Additional Costs
A piece of legislation currently under consideration in Alaska, House Bill 78, aims to reinstate defined benefit pensions for new public employees and allow current staff to convert their defined contribution retirement accounts into pension service credits. This would be a major rollback of the state's previous pension reforms and would introduce significant actuarial risk. Analysis from Reason Foundation's Pension Integrity Project finds that this proposal could burden the state with over $7 billion in additional costs. This bill also risks a return to the fiscal instability of 2005, when over $8 billion in public pension debt forced the state to close the original pension benefit to new hires.
$7 Billion in Projected Costs of Bringing Back Alaska Pensions
Alaska's Defined Contribution Plan Is a Better Benefit than a Pension For Most Public Workers
Restoring the Florida Retirement System's COLA Would Increase Pension Costs, Risk
Florida's 2011 suspension of pension cost-of-living adjustments (COLAs) was a vital tool in managing skyrocketing costs and steering the state's pension system toward solvency. Although the state is still working toward fully funding its pension promises, Senate Bill 7028 threatens this progress by reinstating the costly COLA. An actuarial analysis by the Pension Integrity Project estimates that this move could add $14 billion in costs over 30 years. Before moving forward, Florida officials must consider how this legislation might revive the same financial risks and unpredictable taxpayer burdens that the state has spent years trying to resolve.
Public Pension Debt Should Be Scrutinized Like Other Types of Government Debt
Pension obligations promised to public workers are unique in that they are legally backed by the government. Unfunded pension liabilities are fundamentally a form of debt, yet they are rarely treated with the same scrutiny as other government obligations. In a new commentary, Reason Foundation's Rod Crane notes that public pension liabilities are not legally treated as general obligation-type debt and are not subject to the same safeguards. Given the ironclad legal backing of public pension liabilities, policymakers should consider strong oversight and limits similar to those of general obligations.
News in Brief
Funded Ratios Improve, But Are on Thin Ice
A new report from S&P Global Ratings, "Four U.S. Public Pension Points to Watch In 2026," projects continued improvement in public pension funded ratios in fiscal year 2026, driven primarily by strong market returns. Average funded ratios have risen to just over 80% as of fiscal 2025, nearly a 10-percentage-point increase since fiscal year 2022. The funding improvement is driven by a recent run of unusually strong investment returns, not by meaningful structural changes.
At the same time, S&P highlights growing exposure to contribution volatility as plans continue to increase allocations to private equity and private debt. Private assets now account for nearly one-fifth of public pension portfolios, up from about 11% a decade ago.
The report also flags emerging cost pressures. Workforce disability rates have risen sharply since 2020, from roughly 3-3.5% of the labor force to about 5%. In addition, S&P warns that political pressure may build to scale back pension reforms as newer cohorts, who bear higher contributions and lower benefits, grow in number and gain governance influence.
S&P expects near-term funding improvements to continue but emphasizes that they rest heavily on favorable market conditions while longer-term fiscal risks, such as riskier asset mixes, demographic trends, and reform reversals, remain unresolved. Read the full report here (https://www.spglobal.com/ratings/en/regulatory/article/four-us-public-pension-points-to-watch-in-2026-s101666841).
Quotable Pension Quotes
"This is no way to run a government, or if you were running a business...You don't do things this way. You set aside the money you need for your obligations, and then you determine what's left over for discretionary spending. The city of Chicago is doing just the opposite. They've decided the programs they want to spend on, then they're trying to figure out 'how do we find enough money to pay our obligations.'"
-- Illinois State Rep. Dan Ugaste in "Chicago splits pension payments in hopes of improving cash flow," The Center Square, Jan. 22, 2026.
"We've made virtually no progress for the amount of money being spent on that over the last decade."
-- Alaska State Sen. Bert Stedman in "Alaska House leaders commit to passing pension reform amid concerns from Senate budgeters," Anchorage Daily News, Feb. 9, 2026.
Data Highlight
Reason Foundation's Annual Pension Solvency and Performance Report illustrates changes to the asset allocation of public pension plans. In the early 2000s, public equities and fixed income made up roughly 85-90% of the typical pension portfolio. By 2024, traditional investments had shrunk to approximately 66% of assets. The difference went into alternatives like private equity, real estate, hedge funds, and private credit. Alternative investments used to represent 9% of public pension portfolios in 2001 but now make up 34% of total assets. Read the analysis here (https://annual-pension-report.reason.org/asset).
Reason Foundation in the News
"According to a report from the Reason Foundation, in 2023, Michigan public schools had an average long-term debt of more than $46,000 per student -- greater than the national average of more than $26,000."
--Reason Foundation's data in "Hillsdale Public Schools Pension Debt Totals $18M," The Collegian, Jan. 29, 2026.
"It illustrates how squishy all this is...It's very easy to divest and to back it up with fiscal or fiduciary reasoning -- and it's easy not to as well."
--Reason Foundation's Zachary Christensen on political pressure put on pension funds in "NYC May Reinvest in Israel Bonds in Defiance of Mayor Mamdani's Stance," Financial Times, Jan. 17, 2026.
"The riskier the investments, the greater the volatility and the greater the downside risk is on the taxpayer," Frost said.
--Ryan Frost on investment risk in "WA Treasurer Warns State to Pull Back on Private Equity Investments," The Seattle Times, Jan. 29, 2026.
* * *
Zachary Christensen is a managing director of Reason Foundation's Pension Integrity Project.
Mariana Trujillo is managing director of government finance at Reason Foundation.
* * *
Original text here: https://reason.org/pension-newsletter/rules-on-how-public-pensions-should-invest-in-crypto/
Getty's Egyptian Book of the Dead Lives Again
LOS ANGELES, California, Feb. 24 -- The J. Paul Getty Trust issued the following news release:* * *
Getty's Egyptian Book of the Dead Lives Again
The exhibition, previously shown in 2023, features Getty's Book of the Dead manuscripts
*
Getty announces the return of "The Egyptian Book of the Dead" an exhibition that showcases the J. Paul Getty Museum's collection of ancient Egyptian manuscripts inscribed with spells and illustrated scenes from the Book of the Dead, which were intended to guide souls through the afterlife.
The exhibition, previously on view in 2023, will open on March 4 and ... Show Full Article LOS ANGELES, California, Feb. 24 -- The J. Paul Getty Trust issued the following news release: * * * Getty's Egyptian Book of the Dead Lives Again The exhibition, previously shown in 2023, features Getty's Book of the Dead manuscripts * Getty announces the return of "The Egyptian Book of the Dead" an exhibition that showcases the J. Paul Getty Museum's collection of ancient Egyptian manuscripts inscribed with spells and illustrated scenes from the Book of the Dead, which were intended to guide souls through the afterlife. The exhibition, previously on view in 2023, will open on March 4 andcontinue through Nov. 30, 2026, at the Getty Villa Museum. The objects displayed, which originally belonged to the burials of eight individuals, are drawn from the Getty Museum's antiquities collection.
"The manuscripts on display are extremely rare and fragile and can only be shown under controlled lighting and environmental conditions," said Timothy Potts, Maria Hummer-Tuttle and Robert Tuttle Director of the J. Paul Getty Museum. "For this reason, this redisplay of one of our most popular exhibitions is not to be missed."
As part of their preparations for the afterlife, ancient Egyptians created an intricate set of religious writings and related illustrations that they recorded on papyrus scrolls, linen mummy wrappings and other funerary objects. Known today collectively as the Book of the Dead, these texts were meant to assist the soul's transition to a blessed eternal life beyond death.
Produced from about 1550 BCE to 50 BCE, the Book of the Dead was not a single, stable composition but an evolving collection of ritual "spells"--recitations and instructions--that were variously selected and combined into individual manuscripts. The nearly 200 surviving spells each address a different concern or anticipated experience. Forming one of history's most substantial bodies of religious literature, they illuminate how ancient Egyptians understood the cosmos, the world of the gods, and the nature of existence.
"The Book of the Dead remains relevant in that it addresses many of the same basic existential questions that all cultures throughout history have faced and that we today can identify with," said Sara E. Cole, associate curator of antiquities at the Getty Villa Museum. "The texts show us how the Egyptians were trying to understand what makes a meaningful existence in a confusing and challenging world, how they believed the universe is structured, and what our relationship to a higher power or powers is. Ultimately, the texts foreground a very common human anxiety: what happens when we die?"
Around 1550 BCE, wealthy patrons began commissioning Book of the Dead papyrus scrolls from scribal workshops throughout Egypt. Although deposited in tombs and intimately associated with the deceased, these manuscripts reflected the beliefs and cares of the living and were embedded in active religious practice. This exhibition will highlight four papyri, belonging to women named Webennesre, Ankhesenaset and Aset, and a man named Pasherashakhet. The papyri span a period from about 1450 BCE to about 100 BCE.
In later phases of the Book of the Dead (about 400-100 BCE), scribes wrote spells on thin linen strips that were then wrapped around mummified bodies as part of the ritual embalming process. Serving as an alternative or a complement to papyrus scrolls, this practice brought the sacred texts in direct contact with the deceased, enveloping and protecting them. Three linen strips showcased in this exhibition were once part of longer textiles that were applied to the bodies of two men, both named Petosiris.
In addition, a ushabti (funerary figurine) belonging to an official named Neferibresaneith and a fragment of a coffin lid will be on display, illustrating how the ancient Egyptians envisioned the afterlife and the tools they employed in achieving a blessed existence beyond death.
To complement the exhibition, Getty will host several talks, including "Everyday Magic: The Spellbinding Life of the Book of the Dead" on March 29.
"The Egyptian Book of the Dead" is curated by Sara E. Cole, associate curator of antiquities at the Getty Villa Museum and incoming Bernard and Lisa Selz Director of Exhibitions and Gallery Curator at the Institute for the Study of the Ancient World at New York University.
The exhibition is generously supported by City National Bank.
* * *
Original text here: https://www.getty.edu/news/egyptian-book-of-the-dead-lives-again/
Foundation for Economic Education Posts Commentary: Why Is American Healthcare So Expensive?
DETROIT, Michigan, Feb. 24 -- The Foundation for Economic Education posted the following commentary on Feb. 22, 2026, by orthopaedic surgeon Bryan Theunissen:* * *
Why Is American Healthcare So Expensive?
Because it doesn't operate as a market.
*
Americans are told that high medical costs are inevitable. Medicine is complex. Technology advances. The population is aging. Saving lives, we're assured, simply costs more.
But that explanation collapses the moment we look at parts of medicine that operate under different economic rules.
Consider LASIK eye surgery. Since its introduction in the ... Show Full Article DETROIT, Michigan, Feb. 24 -- The Foundation for Economic Education posted the following commentary on Feb. 22, 2026, by orthopaedic surgeon Bryan Theunissen: * * * Why Is American Healthcare So Expensive? Because it doesn't operate as a market. * Americans are told that high medical costs are inevitable. Medicine is complex. Technology advances. The population is aging. Saving lives, we're assured, simply costs more. But that explanation collapses the moment we look at parts of medicine that operate under different economic rules. Consider LASIK eye surgery. Since its introduction in the1990s, the procedure has become safer, more precise, and more technologically advanced. Yet when adjusted for inflation, the price for the procedure has remained stable or even dropped. Cosmetic surgery shows a similar pattern: improving quality, competitive pricing, transparent costs.
These are not simple services. They require advanced equipment, skilled specialists, and serious safety standards. What they lack is something else: third-party payment distortion. Patients pay directly. Prices are visible. Providers compete openly. Poor outcomes damage provider reputations. Demand attracts new entrants.
In other words, these segments behave like markets.
Now contrast that with the broader American healthcare system.
In 2024, US national health expenditures reached roughly $5.3 trillion--about $15,474 per person--consuming 18.0% of GDP. That is nearly double the share spent by many peer nations. The difference is not primarily that Americans receive vastly more care. It is that prices for services, procedures, and drugs are dramatically higher.
The question is not why medicine is advanced. The question is why American healthcare behaves so differently from other advanced industries.
The answer lies in incentives and structure.
Most Americans do not pay directly for most services. Private insurance, Medicare, and Medicaid stand between patient and provider.
When consumers are insulated from marginal costs, price sensitivity declines. When providers negotiate primarily with insurers rather than patients, prices become opaque. Real-time price comparison is rare.
In almost any other industry, rising prices trigger consumer restraint and competitive entry. In healthcare, those corrective signals are muted.
The result is predictable: prices rise faster than inflation, and there is little downward pressure to discipline them.
America's legal environment further amplifies costs. Physicians practice in a system where omission is often punished more severely than excess. Ordering an extra test is safer than explaining why it wasn't necessary.
Individually, this behavior is rational--no physician wants to defend an omission in court. Systemically, it embeds overutilization into standard practice.
Insurance amplifies this effect. When patients are insulated from marginal costs at the point of service, friction disappears. The clinician gains legal protection. The patient has already paid through premiums. The insurer distributes the aggregate cost across the pool.
This is a classic moral hazard. Decision-makers face limited marginal downside, while costs diffuse system-wide. Utilization rises. Baselines shift upward. Outcomes do not necessarily improve proportionately.
In most industries, rising demand attracts new entrants. Supply expands. Prices moderate to reflect competition.
In medicine, entry is tightly controlled. Medical school seats, residencies, specialist certifications, and licensing approvals expand slowly and administratively. These constraints create persistent scarcity, even as aging populations and expanding diagnostics increase demand.
The same logic applies to drugs and medical devices. Regulatory approval requires enormous trials, documentation, and compliance systems. The capital burden filters out smaller competitors before they ever reach patients. Only large incumbents survive the gauntlet.
The result: reduced competition, embedded approval costs, and sustained pricing power. Regulation here functions not as safety oversight--it functions as a barrier that entrenches incumbents and inflates cost.
Modern medical practice also carries heavy fixed costs: malpractice premiums, accreditation, electronic health records, reporting mandates, billing staff, and insurer-driven documentation. Fragmented payers, billing codes, and prior authorizations multiply administrative overhead. Entire departments exist solely to navigate reimbursement.
These are not clinical costs. They are transaction costs. They must be recovered somewhere--ultimately, through higher premiums, taxes, or direct billing.
Meanwhile, hospital consolidation has accelerated over the past two decades. In many metropolitan areas, one or two health systems dominate. Mergers increase negotiating leverage against insurers. Insurers pass higher negotiated rates to employers and consumers.
When entry barriers are high and consolidation increases, pricing power stabilizes. Competitive discipline weakens. Customers rarely have the visibility or choice to discipline inefficient providers.
Across the system, the structure repeats:
* Patients are insulated from price signals.
* Providers face litigation risk that rewards excess.
* Entry barriers restrict supply.
* Regulatory and capital hurdles entrench incumbents.
* Administrative layers raise fixed costs.
* Market concentration amplifies pricing leverage.
None of these forces require bad actors--only predictable behavior in distorted incentives.
Where markets function--as in elective procedures--prices stabilize or fall while quality improves. Where markets are constrained, costs climb relentlessly.
The lesson is not that medicine should be deregulated recklessly. It is that incentives matter more than intentions. When consumers lack price visibility, supply cannot expand freely; regulation entrenches incumbents, and high costs are inevitable.
Healthcare inflation is not a mystery. It is predictable. Until Americans restore transparency, competition, and accountability, rising costs will remain a feature, not a surprise.
* * *
Dr Bryan Theunissen, MBBCh, FC Orth, is an orthopaedic surgeon based in the Eastern Cape, South Africa specialising in hand surgery and trauma care.
* * *
Original text here: https://fee.org/articles/why-is-american-healthcare-so-expensive/
Foundation for Economic Education Posts Commentary: The European Tiger Roars
DETROIT, Michigan, Feb. 24 -- The Foundation for Economic Education posted the following commentary on Feb. 23, 2026, by local government editor Harry Phibbs:* * *
The European Tiger Roars
How Poland forged its economic freedom.
*
Poland was pivotal to the fall of Communism in Europe. The Solidarity protests in the 1980s gave hope that political change was possible, even among those who feared that totalitarian states might prove permanent with their grim monolithic structures. Poland's subsequent success as a free nation serves as an exemplar to others. What a contrast with Russia, which ... Show Full Article DETROIT, Michigan, Feb. 24 -- The Foundation for Economic Education posted the following commentary on Feb. 23, 2026, by local government editor Harry Phibbs: * * * The European Tiger Roars How Poland forged its economic freedom. * Poland was pivotal to the fall of Communism in Europe. The Solidarity protests in the 1980s gave hope that political change was possible, even among those who feared that totalitarian states might prove permanent with their grim monolithic structures. Poland's subsequent success as a free nation serves as an exemplar to others. What a contrast with Russia, whichhas also overthrown Communism and remains beset by poverty, tyranny, and an aggressive foreign policy.
Perhaps achieving the conditions for freedom and prosperity in Russia was always going to be more of a challenge. Even after the breakup of the Soviet Union, it was a huge country. We talk of "Russia," but the Russian Federation is the political entity which emerged in 1991. It has 11 time zones. There are 21 other republics apart from Russia itself in this federation--speaking different languages, often with Russians being an ethnic minority.
There was also no institutional memory of capitalism. The country had been Communist since the revolution in 1917. Even before then, it was a semi-feudal state. Tsar Alexander II issued a decree abolishing serfdom in 1861. Banking, industrialization, and private property existed. But even before the Bolsheviks grabbed power, there had not been what we would recognize as a fully developed capitalist system.
When Poland broke free of Communism in 1989, there were millions of people with memories of running private businesses before the war. Not that conditions had been easy in that country in the 1930s; the Government's habit of nationalizing foreign companies naturally meant that attracting foreign investment was difficult. There was authoritarianism, considerable antisemitism, and tension with other minority groups. Yet it was a fundamentally capitalist country.
Furthermore, Poland's economic growth in recent years compares favorably to its smaller neighbors, not only to Russia. The Visegrad Group covers Poland, the Czech Republic, Hungary, and Slovakia: among this cohort, Poland grew by 3.6% last year; the Czech Republic by 2.5%; Slovakia by 0.8%; Hungary by just 0.3%.
Among other countries, we saw growth of just 1% in Romania last year. In the Baltic States, Estonia grew by 0.6% last year. Latvia managed 1%. Lithuania was a bit stronger at 2.7%.
Of course, you can get annual fluctuations. But Poland is forecast to do even better this year, with growth of 3.6%. The country's economic success is a trend, not a blip.
* * *
The British economist Roger Bootle points out that Poland should now be compared with the established capitalist economies of Western Europe. Writing in London's Daily Telegraph, he says:
Last year the UK grew by 1.3pc, France, Italy and Germany recorded growth of 0.9pc, 0.7pc and 0.4pc, respectively. But that's looking for inspiration from the wrong parts of Europe. If we looked east to Poland, we would see an altogether different picture. Most British people don't realise the extent to which Poland has transformed itself. Last year, its economic growth was 3.6pc, and it has become the world's 20th-largest economy, so it should qualify for the G20. Its recent growth burst means its economy is larger than Sweden, Switzerland and Taiwan.
* * *
At the start of this century, it became the norm in London to see Polish builders working hard on construction projects. They could earn far more than in Poland and so could quickly save up enough money to return home and buy a house or start a business.
* * *
Bootle adds:
It is widely known that quite a few Poles have returned home in recent years. But what many British people don't realise is that some of their compatriots are now also moving to Poland. In 2015, 41,000 British people were living in Poland. By 2024, this number had risen to 185,000.
* * *
Poland has a democracy in rude health. It has elections next year. Its politicians compete vigorously, and there are important differences between the main political parties on social issues and their attitude toward the European Union. The opposition Law and Justice Party has a populist streak that prompts it to take a more interventionist and redistributionist stance to Civic Coalition, the governing party. But there is a considerable consensus behind a free market future. The socialist parties are on the fringe.
The Polish economic miracle that gave it the title of "European Tiger" is not really a "miracle" at all, of course. It was that free-market policies were pursued with boldness and radicalism, and have been sustained over a period of decades.
Leszek Balcerowicz, who became the Minister of Finance in 1989, is a hero. He swiftly swept away price controls and subsidies. Tariffs were slashed to open up trade with the rest of the world. Barriers to starting a business were lifted. Privatization was carried out with vouchers to create a nation of shareholders rather than a corrupt, cozy arrangement creating oligarchs on the "crony capitalism" model.
But the Polish people, who suffered so much in the rest of the last century, also showed heroism in their response. They stuck with the program, even though the "shock treatment" included some painful adjustments, such as unemployment for those whose public sector jobs proved uneconomic. The stability in embracing freedom inspired business confidence at home and abroad.
This is not to suggest that the country has no challenges ahead. Poland is sharply increasing its defense spending for obvious reasons. But most forecasters anticipate that it will continue to outpace most other countries in its economic progress. That is excellent news. Poland being richer does not make the rest of us poorer; in that sense, the language about international "competitors" can be misleading. Yet those countries falling behind should pause to consider why.
* * *
Harry Phibbs is the Local Government editor of Conservative Home. He is a contributor to CapX and a former councilor on Hammersmith and Fulham Council in London.
* * *
Original text here: https://fee.org/articles/the-european-tiger-roars/
AFC's Learning Circle Collaborative: Helping Emerging Organizations to Thrive and Achieve
CHICAGO, Illinois, Feb. 24 -- The AIDS Foundation of Chicago issued the following news:* * *
AFC's Learning Circle Collaborative: Helping emerging organizations to thrive and achieve
By Andrew Davis, Editorial Consultant
The Learning Circle Collaborative (LCC) is a capacity building and technical assistance program that prioritizes organizations conducting grassroots work and serving Chicago's South and West sides.
The LCC builds grantee capacity by offering masterclasses to organizational leaders, key staff, and boards from expert consultants, who provide group trainings, tailored one-on-one ... Show Full Article CHICAGO, Illinois, Feb. 24 -- The AIDS Foundation of Chicago issued the following news: * * * AFC's Learning Circle Collaborative: Helping emerging organizations to thrive and achieve By Andrew Davis, Editorial Consultant The Learning Circle Collaborative (LCC) is a capacity building and technical assistance program that prioritizes organizations conducting grassroots work and serving Chicago's South and West sides. The LCC builds grantee capacity by offering masterclasses to organizational leaders, key staff, and boards from expert consultants, who provide group trainings, tailored one-on-onesessions, and shared learning experiences.
Recently, an interview took place that involved four of the LCC individuals--Cynthia Tucker, Dr.P.H., (she/her) senior vice president of community partnerships and special projects at AIDS Foundation Chicago (AFC); Tamika Foust (she/her), MBA, MHRM, director of capacity building, training and workforce development; Gina Lamar Evans (any pronoun, with respect), CEO/founder at NEFUSE; and Jahari "The Hippie" Stamps (he/him), the chairman of Southside Health Advocacy Resource Partnership (SHARP). NEFUSE and SHARP are two LCC grantee programs.
Note: This conversation was edited for clarity and length.
Q: Dr. Tucker, I was wondering if you could talk a little bit about how the Learning Circle Collaborative came into being?
Dr. Cynthia Tucker: Sure. So the Learning Circle Collaborative started in 2016.
The program was launched after I completed a series of focus groups with community-based organizations. And at the time, many of the organizations were reaching out for support and partnerships to help build their capacity; collaborate on funding opportunities; and get their communications, boards and other infrastructure needs in place so that they would be competitive for more funding opportunities.
In response, I started the Learning Circle Collaborative with $10,000. We began small; partnering with three organizations. Things continued to grow over the years where we've built up cohort-based learning. Today, we have a cohort of six organizations that are a part of our program, and the initiative has evolved into the Master Class Series.
Each iteration of the Learning Circle Collaborative has been shaped with the times and what the needs of the organizations are. Recently, they've centered on information and guidance on implementation of science and how to use AI--which is good, because that's what's needed right now, and it's essential for many smaller organizations. And Jahari Stamps from SHARP and Gina Evans from NEFUSE are parts of our cohort.
Q: Tamika, I was wondering if you could talk even more about what LCC does. Obviously, Dr. Tucker mentioned the classes, but it seems like you all do a lot toward establishing support for these grantees.
Tamika Foust: Yes. So, essentially, there are a lot of moving components because of the subject matter experts that we work with. We have Jacqueline Boyd, who is doing leadership development. We have Dr. Ulysses Burley, who is experienced in community engagement. We have Jeremy Holston, who is an expert in board development and fundraising, and we have Diana Beasley, who has insight on human resources, operations, and talent management. And we also have Jonathan Briggs, who is our communications and AI expert.
We are planning a joint meeting with foundations to help the cohort members grow skills in relationship building with funders, and to make sure that they can capture their attention for their specific funding priorities.
We practice elevator pitches and things of that nature. Another component is actual one-on-one coaching time with the subject matter experts. We highly encourage people not to wait until we're in the workshops to ask their questions. When you have a question, you have a subject matter expert who you are assigned to, so you have the opportunity to engage with the experts during the entire year.
Q: You two have talked about how the grantees benefit from the collaborative. How are they chosen?
Tucker: There is a selection process. There's an application, and then we have a review group to review applications with internal and external reviewers.
We want to make sure that it's fair. We also want to make sure that the agencies really are ready to make changes and are committed to coming to the trainings and partnering with the coaches. The cohort members receive seed funding as part of this initiative. It's a small amount of funding, but it's really for their time that allows them to be away from the organization and to build their organizations.
Foust: And I want to stress that Dr. Tucker and I don't vote. Once we assemble the review team together, she and I take a step back because we want to be fair.
Q: Gina and Jahari, I was wondering if you could talk with me about how each of you found out about the collaborative and how you've benefited from it.
Gina Lamar Evans: I received an email with an invitation. I do recognize that it had been going on before I heard about it and was invited, and so I didn't know how I was invited other than I deserve to be here, right? I hadn't heard about it before. I do feel like I was, I don't know, maybe in my feelings a little bit when I found out my other colleagues had been a part of the trainings.
But I think this is really good for us. And so, I'm glad Jahari is in now, to be able to soak it up early so we can both be better prepared. And it feels like a safe and comfortable space to talk about challenges.
I feel like when someone else is presenting, I always pick up a couple of nuggets. But having a direct person that I'm working with now and meeting regularly, I will say I like the way this is giving me the full benefit of what we're doing.
Jahari "The Hippie" Stamps: So, I was actually a part of the Getting to Zero Community Advisory Board, and through my work and engagement with them, someone had suggested that my organization apply to be a part of this collective and this collaborative. I had previously been a part of a similar situation, and I was a little apprehensive about applying for it, honestly. But knowing that this was something that Dr. Tucker cultivated and Tamika was [involved in] made it really, really appealing to me because I've always loved the way they work.
Frankly, I am a champion for anything that has Black women sitting at the forefront of it because I was raised by a Black mama and Black aunties. And I know when it comes to taking care of people and getting the job done, they will be tenacious about seeing that through.
Being in our cohorts, and like Ms. Gina said, it feels safe to ask the questions if you don't know. And I appreciate the wealth of knowledge that I'm able to get--not just from my coaches, but also the other EDs and CEOs at the table. When I bring an idea to the table to the cohort, it's never disregarded. I've never been made to feel "less than"--and that has been very, very empowering.
Q: And how long does this cycle last? Will it end in June of this year or some other time?
Tucker: It ends in June of this year. So, this is our second year of doing a full year with the agencies, and some said (when we did interviews and their readiness assessments) that more time would be more beneficial. Of course, that would involve more money and more opportunities to connect with corporate foundations. I want to say that it's just a benefit to the AFC to partner with these agencies as they do programs.
They do community work and are experts in their own right. So we get the opportunity to partner and collaborate with them on their programs, their events. And we're happy to be there and assist many of them. And when they come to us, Tamika and I are ready to jump in.
Jahari knows about community engagement and networking. Gina does a lot of work in the community as well, and she does case management - she brings that background and expertise with her. So, everyone else and the other cohort members are able to learn what they also have to offer through shared experiences. So, that's why we created, developed and built out the Learning Collaborative Circle--because it is a circle of learning.
Q: So this presidential administration has been something else. How has it affected LCC, if at all?
Tucker: Well, I think we're all feeling the impact. And if we're feeling the impact as a larger, mid-sized organization, then we know our smaller organizations who do fantastic work and who we need, are feeling it, too. So, we need to continue programs like the Learning Circle Collaborative to ensure that we can collaborate, partner, apply for funding, work together and, if we get something, share it.
I remember it used to be LCC grants, Chicago Department of Public Health, and Illinois Department of Public Health. We had a lot of pharmaceutical funding coming into Chicago, but it is all decreasing. There are hardly any funds for prevention, which has always been underfunded, and now they're trying to defund it. So, now, we must work on other strategies to get funding opportunities for the agencies that we work with.
Foust: I think another thing is--and Dr. T has taught me this since I've been here--I've learned how to pivot and bring different activities together so that you're addressing more than one deficit at a time.
Because we know funding is being decreased in one area, we try to beef up what we're supporting and what we're doing in another area. You also have to make sure that you keep your ear to the ground and know and understand the nuances of what is happening in the administration.
And we have to stop gatekeeping what is going on in one area and bring everything together so that we can work together and knock down a lot of different bricks that they're trying to build up against us.
Stamps: The word you all are looking for is "nefarious" because that is what is happening. And that would be a great word to describe this current administration and what it's doing.
As a person who eats, sleeps, lives and loves in this community, people are afraid and unsure about what the future looks like for them. How is their housing being affected? We're already seeing housing programs go away. But I have had great experiences with AFC. Even things as basic as having transportation or being set up with resources for food boxes, AFC has just always been a landing spot--a landing place in spite of whatever is happening. And I think that the reason that it's able to operate like that is because it's innovative, it's forward-thinking. So, our approaches have to be innovative.
Evans: I appreciate Jahari on the call-out. There have been gatekeepers and so much stuff has been happening. But open, honest conversation is the only way we're ever going to move forward. If we still are trying to test you for HIV and we can't say the word, we're never going to move forward.
The other thing I wanted to push back on with what Cynthia said about funding. We keep saying, "More money, more money." But the reality is that I have found more value in this [collaborative]. Who doesn't want $100 million? But $100 million isn't going to make me do better with the agency--it's going to make me hire somebody to do it.
Q: Is there something you'd like to add about LCC?
Tucker: I think just the fact that AFC is working in partnership and collaboration with these organizations. I agree with Gina; it's about the training because it's not about having a whole bunch of money. It's not like we can provide $50,000 or more to each agency.
Foust: For me, the biggest thing that I want to walk away with everyone understanding is, even though we are "sponsoring" the Learning Circle Collaborative, it's a learning experience for us as well. Because if we don't engage and listen, we don't learn.
Evans: Really and truly, I think they've said it all. This has been, truly, one of those things that they took and made it happen for us and for smaller agencies. And I just appreciate them making it happen. And I look forward to [helping] the next set of people rather than just still being a recipient.
Stamps: I'll just say that I'm excited and honored to be here. I don't have anything else to add other than what's already been stated. These ladies have stated it so eloquently and so straight to the point.
Find out more about the Learning Circle Collaborative here (https://www.aidschicago.org/our-work/learning-circle-collaborative/).
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Original text here: https://www.aidschicago.org/afcs-learning-circle-collaborative-helping-organizations-to-thrive-and-achieve/
Space Foundation Announces Collaboration With BBC StoryWorks Commercial Productions for a New Branded Content Series, 'Space Renaissance'
COLORADO SPRINGS, Colorado, Feb. 24 -- Space Foundation issued the following news release:* * *
Space Foundation Announces Collaboration with BBC StoryWorks Commercial Productions for a New Branded Content Series, 'Space Renaissance'
Space Foundation, a nonprofit organization founded in 1983 to advance the global space community, today announced its collaboration with BBC StoryWorks Commercial Productions to produce a new branded film series, "Space Renaissance." The three-part series will explore how technologies developed for space are being adapted to improve life on Earth, from advancing ... Show Full Article COLORADO SPRINGS, Colorado, Feb. 24 -- Space Foundation issued the following news release: * * * Space Foundation Announces Collaboration with BBC StoryWorks Commercial Productions for a New Branded Content Series, 'Space Renaissance' Space Foundation, a nonprofit organization founded in 1983 to advance the global space community, today announced its collaboration with BBC StoryWorks Commercial Productions to produce a new branded film series, "Space Renaissance." The three-part series will explore how technologies developed for space are being adapted to improve life on Earth, from advancingmedical research and more sustainable agriculture to managing natural resources and bridging digital divides.
Today, more than 12,000 active satellites orbit the Earth, supporting technologies such as global communication networks, real-time navigation, inventory tracking and high-speed data transfers that are integral to modern daily life. Space technology is also helping address some of the immediate and practical challenges on Earth including environmental monitoring, national security, disaster response, and global connectivity for isolated communities.
While the spirit of exploration remains, the motivations for space activity have broadened. Alongside discovery, there is a growing focus on practical applications and how to harness the unique environment of space and the data it provides to develop solutions for use on Earth.
In announcing the new series, Space Foundation CEO Heather Pringle explained, "Working with the BBC StoryWorks team allows us to elevate the space story at a pivotal moment and connect and inspire people around the world to how space touches everyday life. The 'Space Renaissance' series captures this global impact and the opportunity it creates for the future, inspiring generations everywhere."
The series will examine three key chapters:
* Sustaining Earth- How is space helping us understand and care for our planet? This chapter will show how satellite data is providing a perspective on environmental changes. It illustrates how Earth observation tools monitor forests, water and weather patterns, offering insights that guide conservation efforts, responsible resource management, and disaster response.
* Connected Horizons- How is space technology affecting everyday life? This chapter presents human-centered stories of impact. It will highlight how satellite communications provide vital links for more remote communities, how research in microgravity is informing new medical treatments, and how space-derived data supports education, healthcare, and economic opportunity in underserved regions.
* Constellation of Change- How is the global space community evolving? This chapter profiles the expanding ecosystem of organizations and nations shaping the sector. It will look at how international partnerships, commercial innovation, and efforts to build a diverse workforce are broadening participation and ensuring space development benefits a wider global community.
Through immersive, human-centered stories, "Space Renaissance" will highlight the scientists, engineers, business leaders and communities applying space-based tools to tangible, Earth-bound challenges. The series aims to foster a deeper understanding of the present-day role space plays in building a more resilient and informed future.
Launching alongside World Space Week in October 2026 on a dedicated, branded microsite on BBC.com, the series will be supported by a global digital campaign engaging relevant audiences from among the platform's 165 million monthly visitors and amplified through the Space Foundation network.
BBC StoryWorks' creative teams will produce bespoke branded content for series participants to illustrate their progress and inspire others. Organizations with stories that fit these themes are invited to express interest via this short form before Monday, March 9. For further questions, please contact Anna Stephens, series developer at BBC StoryWorks: anna.stephens@bbc.com.
Following review, a selection of respondents will be invited to discuss engaging BBC StoryWorks' creative teams to produce a branded piece for the series, which will require a fee determined by production variables.
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About Space Foundation
Space Foundation is a nonprofit organization founded in 1983 as a gateway to advance the global space community. Space Foundation uniquely educates, collaborates and informs the entire space workforce, from early education through post-secondary (college, non-college, vocational), to the start of their careers as new professionals, and ultimately as leaders at the highest levels of government and commercial industry. As a charitable organization, Space Foundation receives support from corporate members, sponsors, individual giving, and grants. Visit Space Foundation at www.SpaceFoundation.org, and follow us on Facebook, X, Instagram, LinkedIn and YouTube.
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About BBC StoryWorks
The multi-award-winning Programme Partnerships team, part of BBC StoryWorks Commercial Productions, is responsible for the creation of branded digital series for global audiences, hosted on BBC.com. Combining BBC storytelling heritage with industry expertise, the team make content for innovative brands that looks deeper into the issues shaping society, bringing captivating stories to BBC.com audiences and beyond, and delivering formidable results.
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Original text here: https://www.spacefoundation.org/2026/02/23/bbc-storyworks/
Southeastern Legal Foundation and Defense of Freedom Institute File Federal Civil Rights Complaint Against Kansas School District for Policies That Violate Title IX and Student Free Speech
ROSWELL, Georgia, Feb. 24 -- The Southeastern Legal Foundation issued the following news release on Feb. 23, 2026:* * *
Southeastern Legal Foundation and Defense of Freedom Institute file federal civil rights complaint against Kansas school district for policies that violate Title IX and student free speech
Today, Southeastern Legal Foundation (SLF) and the Defense of Freedom Institute for Policy Studies (DFI) submitted a complaint to the U.S. Department of Education Office for Civil Rights against the Shawnee Mission School District, Kansas for enforcing unlawful "gender identity" policies ... Show Full Article ROSWELL, Georgia, Feb. 24 -- The Southeastern Legal Foundation issued the following news release on Feb. 23, 2026: * * * Southeastern Legal Foundation and Defense of Freedom Institute file federal civil rights complaint against Kansas school district for policies that violate Title IX and student free speech Today, Southeastern Legal Foundation (SLF) and the Defense of Freedom Institute for Policy Studies (DFI) submitted a complaint to the U.S. Department of Education Office for Civil Rights against the Shawnee Mission School District, Kansas for enforcing unlawful "gender identity" policiesthat violate Title IX and infringe on the First Amendment rights of parents and students.
Filed on behalf of Kansas parents and their elementary-aged daughter, the complaint challenges district policies that allow students to access sex-separated facilities based on gender identity and require students to use "preferred" names and pronouns. The filing details the real-world harm caused by these policies, including forcing a young girl out of her own restroom and coercing student speech in the classroom.
According to the complaint (https://slfliberty.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/02/20260223-Shawnee-Mission-OCR-Supplemental-Materials-Final-w-attach.pdf), a first grade student encountered a biological male identifying as female in the girls' restroom. The experience caused significant emotional distress. Since that time, the student has been effectively displaced from the girls' restroom and forced to use a separate staff bathroom to protect her privacy.
District officials have told parents that providing access to restrooms and other facilities based on "gender identity" and compelled use of preferred pronouns are required under Title IX. But federal courts have repeatedly rejected this interpretation of the law, and the U.S. Department of Education has reaffirmed that Title IX protects students based on biological sex, not "gender identity."
The complaint states, "Shawnee Mission SD's Code AC and its Transgender Practices + FAQ document, which have both been in force for several years, contravene Title IX and violate the privacy interests of District students, including Parents and Daughter. These unlawful policies actively harm district students like Parents, Daughter, and others. They cause trauma and confusion for children who are either forced to share private spaces with the opposite sex or be exiled from their own bathrooms. They turn Title IX on its head."
SLF President Kim Hermann said, "It is absolutely horrifying that a school district would be willing to enforce policies that have been shown to actively disrupt what should be a safe and comfortable environment for young students. Now, due to their unlawful gender policies, Shawnee Mission SD has not only failed to protect this student, but has introduced her to genuine trauma that no first grader should ever have to experience. The mental health and wellbeing of our children is not to be played with by school districts who are looking to engage with woke policies. This is an outrage and the district needs to immediately rectify these unconstitutional policies and comply with federal law."
DFI President and Co-Founder Bob Eitel said, "Title IX prohibits discrimination on the basis of sex in education. Shawnee Mission ISD violated Title IX when it required a young girl to share intimate facilities with a member of the opposite sex as a condition of attending school."
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Original text here: https://slfliberty.org/southeastern-legal-foundation-and-defense-of-freedom-institute-file-federal-civil-rights-complaint-against-kansas-school-district-for-policies-that-violate-title-ix-and-student-free-speech/