Foundations
Here's a look at documents from U.S. foundations
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Strengthening the Foundations of Education: New Research Calls for Systems Reform in the Philippines
MANILA, Philippines, Nov. 15 -- The Asia Foundation issued the following news:
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Strengthening the Foundations of Education: New Research Calls for Systems Reform in the Philippines
The Asia Foundation, in partnership with the Second Congressional Commission on Education (EDCOM II) and the Australian Government, conducted four research studies to examine the roots of the Philippines' learning crisis and chart a path toward systemic education reform in the country and in the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM).
The Philippines faces a severe learning crisis, as evidenced
... Show Full Article
MANILA, Philippines, Nov. 15 -- The Asia Foundation issued the following news:
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Strengthening the Foundations of Education: New Research Calls for Systems Reform in the Philippines
The Asia Foundation, in partnership with the Second Congressional Commission on Education (EDCOM II) and the Australian Government, conducted four research studies to examine the roots of the Philippines' learning crisis and chart a path toward systemic education reform in the country and in the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM).
The Philippines faces a severe learning crisis, as evidencedby national and international assessments that reveal significant deficiencies in reading and numeracy among children. The consequences ripple through their entire educational journey and beyond. This research collaboration with EDCOM II looks beyond symptoms of this crisis and presents evidence-based, actionable recommendations for reform. This calls for a paradigm shift: from fragmented, reactive measures to sustained, systems-level change.
Back to Basics
At the heart of the research series is a clear message: to improve learning outcomes, education reform must begin with the basics. This means focusing on the foundations: early childhood education, nutrition support in the first 1,000 days of life, literacy by the end of Grade 3, with stronger governance, coordinated systems, and robust support for teaching.
The research also emphasizes that piecemeal reforms won't work: foundational learning and governance reform must go hand in hand. "If we fail to establish these cornerstones, the rest of the structure cannot stand," notes EDCOM II's Fixing the Foundations Year Two Report.
From Research to Action
The studies represent more than academic analysis--taken together, the research provides critical evidence to inform the national reform agenda. "The foundation determines everything that follows," the research team emphasized. "Get this right, and the Philippines can transform learning outcomes for generations to come."
The Second Congressional Commission on Education (EDCOM II), established under Republic Act No. 11899, is a national body tasked with assessing and reforming the education sector from 2023 to 2025. These studies provide the evidence base for that critical work.
In BARMM, this agenda carries added significance: education is not only a social investment, but a peacebuilding imperative. Strengthening early learning systems supports the region's long-term stability and self-determination. "Fixing this ecosystem--aligning policies, financing, workforce capacity, and community engagement--is not simply a technical requirement, but a peacebuilding imperative," the Early Childhood Care and Development (ECCD) Governance and Delivery in BARMM report concludes.
Four Interconnected Studies Linking Foundational Learning and Education Governance
1. Putting Foundational Learning at the Core of Philippine Education Systems Reforms
Foundational learning and core instructional support for ages 0-8 must become the centerpiece of education reform. The study identifies five priority actions: commit to universal learning, measure learning reliably, align systems around this goal, support teachers, and adapt based on results.
2. Realizing Shared Governance: Decentralization of Philippine Basic Education
Decentralization can be effective--if implemented correctly. The study examines how decentralization and shared governance can enhance the education system's responsiveness to diverse learner needs. It emphasizes the importance of the Department of Education leading with a framework for decentralization, bolstering school-based management, enabling local decision-making in schools and local governments, enhancing capacities for redefined roles, and increasing school-level resources.
3. Covering the Last Mile: Early Childhood Care and Development (ECCD) Governance and Delivery in BARMM
Focusing on BARMM, this study highlights the vital link between education reform and the path to lasting peace, which requires a strong educational system with early childhood at its core. The study recommends three pillars for strengthening early childhood care and development: phased devolution of ECCD services, a whole-of-government ecosystem, and stronger local service delivery.
4. Contextualizing Teacher Quality in BARMM: An Education Governance System Study
Teachers are the backbone of learning and inclusion in BARMM, and to fix the foundations, this backbone must be supported. The goal is not to produce more teachers but to enable teachers to teach effectively so learners can learn. This study outlines five strategic pillars that will enable this system to succeed: better regulatory structures, improved workforce planning, enhanced teacher preparation, stronger infrastructure, and continuous professional development.
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About the Partnership
The Asia Foundation's support to EDCOM II reflects its long-standing commitment to evidence-based policymaking and inclusive governance across Asia and the Pacific. This research collaboration is supported by the Australian Government.
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Original text here: https://asiafoundation.org/strengthening-the-foundations-of-education-new-research-calls-for-systems-reform-in-the-philippines/
Reason Foundation Issues Commentary: Tracking Pregnancy Behind Bars - Why Ohio's House Bill 542 Could Save Lives
LOS ANGELES, California, Nov. 15 -- The Reason Foundation issued the following commentary on Nov. 14, 2025:
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Tracking pregnancy behind bars: Why Ohio's House Bill 542 could save lives
A ten-year review of jail births found that, among the women who gave birth inside cells, one in four infants was stillborn or died within two weeks.
By Layal Bou Harfouch, Drug Policy Analyst
Across the United States, there has never been a comprehensive or consistent system for tracking pregnancies and their outcomes in carceral settings, including whether pregnancies result in live births, miscarriages,
... Show Full Article
LOS ANGELES, California, Nov. 15 -- The Reason Foundation issued the following commentary on Nov. 14, 2025:
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Tracking pregnancy behind bars: Why Ohio's House Bill 542 could save lives
A ten-year review of jail births found that, among the women who gave birth inside cells, one in four infants was stillborn or died within two weeks.
By Layal Bou Harfouch, Drug Policy Analyst
Across the United States, there has never been a comprehensive or consistent system for tracking pregnancies and their outcomes in carceral settings, including whether pregnancies result in live births, miscarriages,stillbirths, preterm deliveries, or complications such as infection or hemorrhage. Without that information, there is no way to evaluate the quality of maternal healthcare or ensure that both mother and baby receive adequate support before, during, and after birth.
In Ohio, lawmakers have taken a tentative step toward addressing this gap with House Bill 542, which would require all jails and prisons to report pregnancy outcomes--a proposal prompted by Linda Acoff's preventable miscarriage while in the custody of Cuyahoga County Jail in 2024. However, the bill, sponsored by state Representatives Terrence Upchurch (D-District 20) and Josh Williams (R-District 44), does not define what constitutes a "pregnancy outcome," leaving it unclear whether facilities must report live births, miscarriages, stillbirths, other medical conclusions, or all of the above.
There is a significant gap in the oversight of pregnancy in prisons. The Bureau of Justice Statistics' most recent report found that more than 700 pregnancies were recorded in U.S. prisons in 2023, with 91 percent resulting in live births, 6 percent in miscarriages, and about 2 percent in abortions. The report did not include data like preterm deliveries, cesarean rates, and maternal complications, making it impossible to understand whether those births were healthy or whether complications were preventable. The report also did not determine how often incarcerated women actually received the prenatal care, nutritional support, or postpartum follow-up that state facilities claim to provide.
Data from the Prison Policy Initiative show that almost half of pregnant women who are incarcerated never receive prenatal testing or basic dietary adjustments during pregnancy, and some are forced to give birth without medical assistance. Without a comprehensive way to track this information, policymakers and health officials are left with an incomplete picture of what care looks like in practice in correctional settings, making it impossible to measure progress or hold individuals accountable.
In February 2024, 30-year-old Linda Acoff was 17 weeks pregnant and detained at the Cuyahoga County Jail in Cleveland. According to an investigation by The Marshall Project and News 5 Cleveland, she screamed in pain for hours, pleading for help as her condition worsened. A nurse, later fired, gave her Tylenol and sanitary napkins but did not call for medical care. When her cellmate eventually alerted a guard, Acoff was taken by stretcher to a hospital, where doctors confirmed she had already miscarried. An autopsy of the fetus later revealed that she lost her pregnancy due to a common infection that went untreated. The baby's death became the catalyst for the introduction of House Bill 542. Acoff's death exposed what happens when there is no system for tracking what goes wrong or why. And the "why" really matters--each pregnancy carries unique risks that require timely, evidence-based responses.
Poor outcomes like Acoff's are not isolated. Across the country, reports of women giving birth alone in jail cells reveal a pattern of preventable harm. A ten-year review of jail births found that among the women who gave birth inside cells, nearly two-thirds delivered only after repeated pleas for medical help went unanswered, and one in four infants was stillborn or died within two weeks. Many of these tragedies stem from untreated infections, premature labor, and delayed medical response.
Beyond maternal healthcare, the risks for infectious diseases are magnified in correctional environments where pathogens spread far more easily than in the community. Studies show that people in custody experience infectious diseases at rates four to nine times higher than the general population. Crowded living spaces, inadequate ventilation, limited screening, and delays in care all heighten the risk. For pregnant women, these conditions can turn manageable illnesses into life-threatening emergencies, as in Acoff's case. Yet infection control is rarely prioritized, and access to preventive care remains inconsistent across facilities.
On top of these failures, incarcerated people are still charged medical copays to access care, with rates up to $13.50, including for prenatal visits. For someone earning an average of just 55 cents an hour in wages, according to a 2024 analysis of state prison labor data, medical copays of up to $13.50 represent several full days of work. Although some skilled production jobs pay modestly higher rates, these positions account for fewer than 5% of all prison jobs. A 2021 study in the Journal of Correctional Health Care, a peer-reviewed healthcare journal, found that women in prison were 50% more likely than men to forgo medical treatment because of these fees, even when they had greater health needs. When medical care requires copays that exceed what people can realistically pay, it discourages responsible health decisions and undermines the stated goal of reducing long-term healthcare costs. For pregnant women whose health needs are urgent and often unpredictable, this creates another layer of disincentive that worsens an already fragile system.
Further policy recommendations
Data collection alone will not prevent harm if it does not inform intervention. House Bill 542 establishes the foundation by requiring correctional facilities to begin reporting pregnancy data. To make that reporting more meaningful, the state should ensure the data collected is consistent and detailed enough to identify where care is breaking down.
Define and Standardize Data Collection: Pregnancy outcomes and milestones must be clearly defined and standardized across all facilities to ensure accuracy and comparability. These measures should include live births, stillbirths, miscarriages, preterm deliveries, cesarean sections, untreated infections, and maternal complications. Recording these outcomes in a consistent and structured way will allow state health agencies to identify weak points in care--whether that involves inadequate prenatal screening, delays in treatment, or gaps in postpartum follow-up.
Create a Data Review and Oversight Process: To maintain trust and ensure objectivity, lawmakers could allow the data collected under HB 542 to be reviewed by an independent third-party organization--such as a public health research institute, auditing firm, or university partner. These external reviewers could assess the completeness and consistency of the reporting and publish statewide summaries that identify trends without compromising privacy. Independent evaluation promotes transparency while avoiding conflicts of interest that arise when agencies assess their own performance.
Mandate an Annual Public Report: HB 542 should require the Ohio Department of Rehabilitation and Correction to publish an annual public summary of statewide pregnancy data. The report should include total pregnancies, outcomes, and any identified patterns in medical care or response times, while maintaining de-identified and aggregated data to protect privacy. A publicly available brief would allow lawmakers, journalists, researchers, and community organizations to assess progress and hold institutions accountable.
When implemented together, these policies can turn data into a mechanism for accountability and reform that not only tracks harm but actively prevents it.
Ohio's House Bill 542 is an important first step toward transparency and accountability in a system where too many pregnancy outcomes still go unrecorded. By simply requiring correctional facilities to document and report this information, the bill fills a long-standing gap in maternal healthcare oversight behind bars. With consistent reporting, independent review, and public access to findings, Ohio can begin to build a framework that not only tracks outcomes but helps reduce the harm already occurring in its correctional facilities.
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Layal Bou Harfouch is a drug policy analyst at Reason Foundation.
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Original text here: https://reason.org/commentary/tracking-pregnancy-behind-bars-why-ohios-house-bill-542-could-save-lives/
Denver Foundation Awards $6.1M in Community Grants
DENVER, Colorado, Nov. 15 -- The Denver Foundation issued the following news:
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The Denver Foundation awards $6.1M in community grants
For 100 years, our neighbors, caregivers, educators, advocates, artists, and civic leaders across Metro Denver have built our endowment, The Fund for Denver. They understood what the community needed, they wanted to help, and they knew that with others, they could do more.
Our signature grantmaking program, the Community Grants Program, is made possible by all the people who have contributed to this community-built endowment.
In 2025, the Community Grants
... Show Full Article
DENVER, Colorado, Nov. 15 -- The Denver Foundation issued the following news:
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The Denver Foundation awards $6.1M in community grants
For 100 years, our neighbors, caregivers, educators, advocates, artists, and civic leaders across Metro Denver have built our endowment, The Fund for Denver. They understood what the community needed, they wanted to help, and they knew that with others, they could do more.
Our signature grantmaking program, the Community Grants Program, is made possible by all the people who have contributed to this community-built endowment.
In 2025, the Community GrantsProgram awarded $6.1 million in grants to 150 nonprofits. These incredible organizations are advancing economic opportunity, environment and climate, housing, and youth well-being across the seven Metro Denver counties. The grants range from $20,000 to $50,000.
A complete list of the grant recipients is below.
Grant recipients are listed under the issue area that an organization chose to highlight in its application and might not reflect the full range of issue areas it supports.
The number of applicants received varies between issue areas and does not reflect how The Denver Foundation prioritizes its funding.
A process shaped by community
We awarded these 150 grants following a thorough review of more than 500 proposals led by The Denver Foundation staff and members of the Advisory Committee for Community Impact, a volunteer body of more than 50 local community, business, and philanthropic leaders. These community voices bring their insights into local needs, ensuring the process stays connected to the community.
The awarded organizations reflect the priority areas of our strategic framework, including our expanded "youth well-being" focus area. This was the first year in which 28 organizations received funding for youth mental health programs for K-12-aged children, both in the community and in schools. Our strategic framework is a result of our community listening efforts. It's a flexible document that will evolve as our community's needs change.
Join us in building a stronger Metro Denver
By donating to The Fund for Denver, you are investing in today and the future of Metro Denver. Your support reaches hundreds of organizations each year, including recipients of our Community Grants Program, like those listed below. Your support makes it possible for nonprofits to create more economic opportunities, improve the well-being of our youth, address affordable housing and homelessness, and find solutions to climate and environmental emergencies.
2025 Community Grants Program
Economic Opportunity
* AYA Foundation
* Ability Connection Colorado
* Access Mode Inc.
* Activate Work
* Adelante Community Development
* Blue Star Recyclers
* Breakthrough Alliance of Colorado Inc - Breakthrough
* BuildStrong Academy of Colorado
* CareerWise Colorado
* Center for Community Wealth Building
* Center for Employment Opportunities Inc
* Center for Work Education and Employment - CWEE
* Climb Hire Inc
* Colorado African Cultural Center
* Colorado Asian Pacific United - CAPU
* Colorado Black Arts Movement
* Colorado Immigrant Rights Coalition - CIRC
* Colorado Jobs with Justice
* Colorado Latino Leadership, Advocacy and Research Organization - CLLARO
* Commun
* Dress for Success Denver
* EDA for Black Communities
* Emily Griffith Foundation Inc
* Focus Points Family Resource Center
* Girls Incorporated of Metro Denver
* GoFarm
* Greenhouse Scholars
* Growing Home Inc
* HighView
* Hoya Foundation
* Join FreeWorld Inc
* Latinx Therapist Project
* Law School Yes We Can
* Mi Casa Resource Center
* Montessori Intergenerational Learning Communities - Early Childhood Service Corps
* One Fair Wage Inc
* Prodigy Ventures Inc.
* Project Worthmore
* RTL Foundation
* Re:Vision
* Restoration Project International
* Rocky Mountain Employee Ownership Center
* Rocky Mountain Immigrant Advocacy Network - RMIAN
* Rocky Mountain MicroFinance Institute - RMMFI
* Roots Colorado - Dirt Coffee Bar
* SC Helping Foundation
* School District 12 Education Foundation - Five Star Education Foundation
* Small Business Majority Foundation Inc
* SmallCapital Research Group
* Spring Institute for Intercultural Learning
* Sun Valley Community Center - Sun Valley Kitchen
* Teach For America Inc - Colorado
* The Savings Collaborative
* West Community Economic Development Corporation - BuCu West
* Women's Bean Project
* Work Options
* Year One Inc. - Mile High Youth Corps
* YouthRoots
Environment and Climate
* Black Parents United Foundation
* Colorado People's Alliance - COPA
* Cultivando
* Drive Clean Colorado
* GreenLatinos
* MT Mountain Mamas
* Northeast Transportation Connections
Housing
* Boulder Shelter for the Homeless Inc.
* Brain Injury Alliance of Colorado
* CASA of Jefferson and Gilpin Counties
* Colorado Homeless Families Inc - BeyondHome
* Colorado Tenant Alliance Fund - Denver Metro Tenants Union
* Colorado Village Collaborative - CVC
* Community Outreach Service Center - COSC
* Emergency Family Assistance Association
* Family HomeStead
* Family Promise of Greater Denver Inc
* Florence Crittenton Services of Colorado
* Metropolitan Denver Homeless Initiative Inc. - MDHI
* Mother House
* Native American Housing Circle
* Radian Placematters Inc
* RecoveryWorks
* SafeHouse Denver Inc.
* Safehouse Progressive Alliance for Nonviolence Inc - SPAN
* Sister Carmen Community Center
* The Delores Project
* The Inn Between of Longmont Inc
* Three Birds Alliance - Gateway Domestic Violence Services
* Urban Land Conservancy
* Urban Peak
Youth Well-being
* Brink Literacy Project
* Colorado High-Country Educational Treks Inc.
* Colorado I Have A Dream Foundation
* Crowley Foundation Inc.
* Denver Children's Advocacy Center
* Denver Family Institute
* Denver Kids Inc
* Fully Liberated Youth
* INSPiRE
* Jewish Family Service of Colorado Inc
* Kids First Health Care
* Ktone Cares Foundation
* La Cocina
* La Raza Services Inc. - Servicios de La Raza
* Metro Volunteers - Spark the Change Colorado
* Mirror Image Arts
* Montessori del Mundo
* Moyo Nguvu Cultural Arts Center Inc
* Park Hill Pirates Youth Sports Organization
* PlatteForum
* Project PAVE Inc.
* Queer Asterisk
* Reaching HOPE
* Resilience1220
* Sims-Fayola Foundation Inc.
* Street Fraternity Inc
* Struggle of Love Foundation
* Tepeyac Community Health Center
* The Blue Bench
* The Conflict Center
* The New America School
* The YESS Institute
* Transformative Justice Project of Colorado
* Victim Offender Reconciliation Program of Denver Inc - Colorado Circles for Change
* ViVe Wellness
* Youth Employment Academy
* Youth Seen
Multiple priority areas
Economic Opportunity; Housing
* Advance Inc.
* Colorado Cross-Disability Coalition - CCDC
* East Denver Colfax Partnership Inc - The Fax
* Ethiopian Community Development Council - African Community Center of Denver
* Haven of Hope
* Hope Communities Inc.
* International Rescue Committee Inc. - Denver
* Justice for the People Legal Center
* Latina Safehouse Initiative
* Movement 5280
* NEWSED Community Development Corporation Inc - NEWSED CDC
* Rocky Mountain Communities
* The Gathering Place
* Warren Village Inc
Economic Opportunity; Youth Well-being
* Colorado Youth for a Change
* New Legacy Charter School
* The Village Institute
* Westminster Public Schools
Economic Opportunity; Environment and Climate; Housing
* 9to5 Colorado
* Globeville Elyria-Swansea Coalition - GES Coalition
Economic Opportunity; Environment and Climate; Youth Well-being
* Colorado Changemakers Collective
Economic Opportunity; Housing; Youth Well-being
* Far Northeast Resource and Development Center
* Soul 2 Soul Sisters
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Original text here: https://denverfoundation.org/2025/11/the-denver-foundation-awards-6-1m-in-community-grants/
WLF Asks Massachusetts High Court Not to Declare Publishing a Public Nuisance
WASHINGTON, Nov. 14 [Category: Law/Legal] -- The Washington Legal Foundation issued the following news release:
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WLF Asks Massachusetts High Court Not to Declare Publishing a Public Nuisance
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Washington Legal Foundation (WLF) today asked the Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court to shut down the Commonwealth of Massachusetts's effort to deem Instagram, one of the most popular social media platforms in the world, a "public nuisance" under that state's laws.
The case arises from a suit by the Massachusetts attorney general against Meta and Instagram LLC seeking to deem their wildly successful
... Show Full Article
WASHINGTON, Nov. 14 [Category: Law/Legal] -- The Washington Legal Foundation issued the following news release:
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WLF Asks Massachusetts High Court Not to Declare Publishing a Public Nuisance
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Washington Legal Foundation (WLF) today asked the Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court to shut down the Commonwealth of Massachusetts's effort to deem Instagram, one of the most popular social media platforms in the world, a "public nuisance" under that state's laws.
The case arises from a suit by the Massachusetts attorney general against Meta and Instagram LLC seeking to deem their wildly successfulproduct a "public nuisance" because of its high rates of use among young people. Public nuisances are usually things like polluting factories, not publishing others' videos and stories. But the lower state court has allowed Massachusetts's case to go forwarddespite that Section 230 of the Communications Decency Act provides expansive immunity from suit for social media platforms and that the First Amendment protects speech, publishing, and association.
WLF's brief argues that both section 230 and the First Amendment point in the same directionthe attorney general's case must be dropped. As the brief says, "What is the Instagram scroll, the push notifications, the Meta-curated feed that each Instagram user encounters when opening the app, if not the seriatim distribution of many worksa video, a post, a comment, a messageto a subscribing public? There's an English word for thatpublishing." And publishing is what section 230 and the First Amendment both shield from causes of action like the Commonwealth's.
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Original text here: https://www.wlf.org/2025/11/14/communicating/wlf-asks-massachusetts-high-court-not-to-declare-publishing-a-public-nuisance/
Testing Lung Function Earlier May Help Identify Risk for COPD
MIAMI, Florida, Nov. 14 (TNSjou) -- The COPD Foundation issued the following news release:
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Testing lung function earlier may help identify risk for COPD
New study links low lung function in midlife to higher risk of death, poorer quality of life
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Measuring lung function earlier in life would help identify people at risk of developing chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD and allow for more timely interventions, according to a new study in the September 2025 issue of Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Diseases: Journal of the COPD Foundation, a peer-reviewed, open access journal.
COPD
... Show Full Article
MIAMI, Florida, Nov. 14 (TNSjou) -- The COPD Foundation issued the following news release:
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Testing lung function earlier may help identify risk for COPD
New study links low lung function in midlife to higher risk of death, poorer quality of life
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Measuring lung function earlier in life would help identify people at risk of developing chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD and allow for more timely interventions, according to a new study in the September 2025 issue of Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Diseases: Journal of the COPD Foundation, a peer-reviewed, open access journal.
COPDencompasses conditions including emphysema and chronic bronchitis. It is caused by irritants like smoke or pollution, and even genetics. There are an estimated 30 million Americans affected by COPD, yet only half of those people know they have the disease.
Spirometry is used to measure lung function, using forced vital capacity (FVC) and forced expiratory volume in 1 second (FEV1) values to determine the presence and severity of lung disease. Spirometry has been shown to help predict people who are at risk of airway obstruction; however, it is not routinely performed in younger people.
In this new study, researchers examined how lung function may be connected to comorbidities and health-related quality of life and if lung function in middle-aged ever smokers was predictive of long-term mortality risk.
The study used data from the Lovelace Smokers' Cohort of 830 current and ever smokers, aged 40-60 years old, who did not have baseline airway obstruction. Of those, 87 participants were included in a 17-year follow-up cohort. Participants were classified as either low lung or high lung function. The Lovelace Smokers' Cohort is a longitudinal study of people aged 40-75 with at least a 10 pack-year smoking history in the Albuquerque, New Mexico region.
The authors found that participants with low lung function had an increased all-cause mortality risk and worsened health-related quality of life in both the overall and 17-year follow-up groups, regardless of smoking history.
"Spirometry is a simple way health care providers can identify people with low lung function earlier in life, especially for those with a smoking history," said Yohannes Tesfaigzi, PhD, of Mass General Hospital. "Identifying individuals 'at risk' would allow health care providers to focus sooner on interventions, such as smoking cessation programs, that we know can slow lung function decline and make a positive impact on people's long-term health."
To access current and past issues of Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Diseases: Journal of the COPD Foundation, visit journal.copdfoundation.org.
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About the COPD Foundation
The COPD Foundation is a nonprofit organization whose mission is to help millions of people live longer and healthier lives by advancing research, advocacy, and awareness to stop COPD, bronchiectasis, and NTM lung disease. The Foundation does this through scientific research, education, advocacy, and awareness to prevent disease, slow progression, and find a cure. For more information, visit copdfoundation.org, or follow us on Twitter and LinkedIn.
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Original text here: https://www.copdfoundation.org/About-Us/Press-Room/Press-Releases/Article/2322/Testing-lung-function-earlier-may-help-identify-risk-for-COPD.aspx
Reason Foundation Issues Commentary: State Attorneys General Ask Congress to Undermine Their State Hemp Laws
LOS ANGELES, California, Nov. 14 -- The Reason Foundation issued the following commentary on Nov. 12, 2025:
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State attorneys general ask Congress to undermine their state hemp laws
The most effective solution to the problem of unregulated hemp products is a workable regulatory framework, not prohibition.
By Michelle Minton, Managing Director
A coalition of attorneys general (AGs) from 39 states and territories sent a letter to Congress on Oct. 24 demanding a federal crackdown on the sale of psychoactive hemp products. In doing so, they are asking the federal government to override the
... Show Full Article
LOS ANGELES, California, Nov. 14 -- The Reason Foundation issued the following commentary on Nov. 12, 2025:
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State attorneys general ask Congress to undermine their state hemp laws
The most effective solution to the problem of unregulated hemp products is a workable regulatory framework, not prohibition.
By Michelle Minton, Managing Director
A coalition of attorneys general (AGs) from 39 states and territories sent a letter to Congress on Oct. 24 demanding a federal crackdown on the sale of psychoactive hemp products. In doing so, they are asking the federal government to override thedemocratic decisions of their own state legislatures, making a mockery of state sovereignty and their own duty to uphold state law.
The AGs argue that the 2018 federal Farm Bill, which legalized hemp with low levels of tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), unleashed a flood of intoxicating hemp products across state lines. Their proposed solution is for Congress to impose a nationwide prohibition. The irony is that nearly all of these AGs represent states that have already enacted laws governing these products, ranging from outright bans to treating them like alcohol or folding them into their existing frameworks for legal cannabis. Their request for a federal ban is a direct repudiation of the work done by their own democratically elected legislatures.
This dynamic is perfectly illustrated by Minnesota Attorney General Keith Ellison. His state has regulated intoxicating hemp edibles and beverages since 2022--a year before establishing the state's adult-use cannabis market--recently imposing new rules on hemp product testing. After facing backlash for signing a letter asking Congress to recriminalize products made legal under Minnesota law, his office clarified that he actually favors a carve-out for those states with "adequate regulatory schemes in place." That nuance, absent from the AGs' letter itself, only highlights the contradiction that these chief legal officers, sworn to uphold the laws of their states, are demanding a federal policy that would nullify them.
Constitutionally, the framework for this issue is clear. Under the long-standing interpretation of the "Commerce Clause," states retain the authority to regulate or ban any class of product they deem threatening to public health or safety, provided their laws do not discriminate against out-of-state producers. Congress does not interfere with this state-level power by authorizing interstate hemp commerce. However, it is up to states to implement their own rules. If attorneys general are concerned that their state laws are being violated, the responsibility of enforcement rests with them, not Congress.
It is not surprising that attorneys general are struggling to enforce state-level restrictions on hemp. However, their frustration is the inevitable consequence of adopting overly restrictive and unenforceable regulatory regimes, rather than a loophole in federal law. As governments have learned repeatedly throughout history, prohibition--and even heavy-handed regulation--does not eliminate demand but pushes it toward unregulated alternatives. This is a lesson these officials should understand firsthand from their own states' experiences regulating cannabis markets.
It is therefore shocking that some of the signatories represent states like Arizona, California, and Colorado, which regulate hemp cannabinoid products under the same strict rules governing their legal marijuana markets. This raises the question of what these signatories believe a federal ban would accomplish, other than dismantling their own functional regulatory systems and handing the market back to illicit actors.
Other states are pioneering more innovative models for hemp regulation that could effectively address the AGs' concerns, if given time. Kentucky, a leading hemp producer, has created a sophisticated dual-track system for regulating hemp-derived products based on their potential to cause intoxication. The Kentucky Department of Public Health maintains an evolving list of cannabinoids categorized as "intoxicating" or "nonintoxicating." Intoxicating products can be sold outside of the state's medical marijuana dispensaries but are subject to strict manufacturing and quality controls, with a pathway for out-of-state products to enter Kentucky's market legally. This approach fosters a compliant market capable of meeting consumer demand, demonstrating that there are many paths to ensuring public safety around adult products.
The outcome of these state-level approaches is still unfolding. But building an effective regulatory regime that can balance public safety and market realities takes time and experimentation. What is certain is that granting the AGs' request would bring this regulatory innovation to a screeching halt, preventing state legislatures from developing the very solutions needed to resolve the enforcement problems currently causing frustration.
A federal hemp ban will prove no more successful than state-level prohibitions because neither eliminates demand. Just as overtaxed and overregulated marijuana markets once drove consumers to hemp, a federal hemp ban will only push them toward more harmful alternatives or back to illicit marijuana.
The most effective solution to the problem of unregulated hemp products is a workable regulatory framework that businesses can comply with and that consumers will accept. State regimes that give adult consumers access to a variety of legal and reasonably priced state-authorized products would do far more to eliminate unregulated products than any ban. Fortunately, this work is already well underway in many states. Their attorneys general should support that effort rather than asking Congress to interfere.
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Michelle Minton is the managing director of drug policy at Reason Foundation.
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Original text here: https://reason.org/commentary/state-attorneys-general-ask-congress-to-undermine-their-state-hemp-laws/
A Race for Best 'Second' Place: Chile's Presidential Election
DETROIT, Michigan, Nov. 14 -- The Foundation for Economic Education posted the following news:
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A Race for Best 'Second' Place: Chile's Presidential Election
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Security, migration, and economic growth remain central to the debate.
Communist candidate Jeanette Jara is currently leading in all polls for Chile's upcoming Presidential election. Scheduled for November 16, 2025, Jara, former labor minister and candidate for President Gabriel Boric's coalition, looks likely to win, having secured about 30% of the national vote.
Based on a campaign that has distanced itself from the country's
... Show Full Article
DETROIT, Michigan, Nov. 14 -- The Foundation for Economic Education posted the following news:
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A Race for Best 'Second' Place: Chile's Presidential Election
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Security, migration, and economic growth remain central to the debate.
Communist candidate Jeanette Jara is currently leading in all polls for Chile's upcoming Presidential election. Scheduled for November 16, 2025, Jara, former labor minister and candidate for President Gabriel Boric's coalition, looks likely to win, having secured about 30% of the national vote.
Based on a campaign that has distanced itself from the country'smost extreme left, including revisionist positions and support for regional dictatorships (such as Venezuela and Cuba), or even world powers such as China, Jara's position may be surprising.
Chile's political climate is one that has always been wary of the Communist Party, which has for decades struggled to gather the general vote. This is despite being widely popular among younger generations, and some exceptional wins over municipalities like Santiago, with Iraci Hassler, or Recoleta, with Daniel Jadue, who actually lost against President Boric in the last election. The country preferred a 34-year-old progressive candidate over a traditional communist one.
Yet, despite international media coverage of Jara's leading position as part of a leftist surge, the candidate is unlikely to break 40% in a second round. The coalition that has emerged behind her is the result of a calculated, almost defensive move by Chile's left to salvage unity after a period of disarray.
Even so, far from turning red, Chile appears more likely to swing right. Three conservative contenders are each vying for dominance, and one of them will almost certainly capture the presidency in a runoff and secure the remaining 60% of national support: Jose Antonio Kast, conservative and traditional right-wing establishment; Evelyn Matthei, who has taken a mostly centrist, and therefore less incendiary, position; and Johannes Kaiser, a parliamentary member who represents a national and libertarian right.
In a vacuum of leadership and alternatives, Jara seems to have been the unifying compromise. In other words, she is the left's survival candidate. Even if she wins the first round, she would inherit a fractured electorate and a skeptical middle class wary of the Boric administration's stumbles, especially its failure to deliver constitutional reform and growing unease over crime and migration.
The truth is, Boric's government has left many disappointed and frustrated due to a series of incidents that seem to reflect a pattern of inexperience and a lack of capacity to face the country's needs, rather than the implementation of an agenda. For example, in recent months, a "calculation error" led to all households paying a significantly higher electricity bill than they should have, affecting everything from production chains to inflation statistics.
The government's migration policies have also been widely criticized due to the expansion of international criminal organizations. As a result, some previously "invisible" forms of crime have become visible, such as assassinations of political opponents overseas, as was the case with Ronald Ojeda. As such, even long-term left-wing supporters are doubting whether to endorse the communist candidate in November.
The real power in Chilean politics now lies with whoever faces Jara in December's second round. The opposition is fragmented into seven candidates, most of whom do not break the 5% ceiling. Polling consistently shows that the country is seeking security, economic growth, and migration controlan agenda that differs from the left's progressive policies, which tantalizingly promise greater equality and cultural change.
But in this scenario, while Jara leads now, she loses in nearly every hypothetical matchup.
The second-place strongest candidate is Jose Antonio Kast, leader of the Republican Party, who represents the hard-right establishment. His message is based on law, order, and border control, and resonates with voters anxious about crime and migration. Kast is conservative to the core, but not an outsider.
Then comes Evelyn Matthei, the traditional center-right mayor of Providencia and a former presidential contender, has reclaimed moderate and centrist voters who fear the polarizing tone of Kast's base. Matthei's strength is her pragmatism and her ability to draw reluctant centrists and even parts of the center-left.
Johannes Kaiser meanwhile, a libertarian congressman and firebrand YouTuber, has surged recently as the "anti-establishment right." His rise mirrors the populist dynamics seen across Latin America, channeling frustration with traditional elites. He has gained traction among the provinces outside of Santiago, which feel underrepresented by the leading candidates.
A second-round victory for Kast would signal a decisive conservative restoration. A Matthei win would mark a technocratic center-right correction. A Kaiser surprise would represent something more radical: an anti-system wave that could shake Chile's institutions. But in all three cases, the direction is the samerightward.
However, Kaiser is the weaker of the two contenders in a second-round matchup against Jara. Due to his controversial views, he might give the communist candidate a wider proportional support, where she might win not 40% against 60%, but something more like 45% against 55%, indicating a polarized vision of the country. In any case, this fragmented right will likely govern together, but this will depend on the parliamentary results and the percentages each candidate wins.
If Congress leans decisively to the right, any of the alternatives will have the power to legislate on issues that would have been unthinkable four years ago, especially regarding values and societal change.
Chile's 2025 election forecast tells a story of a nation that is evolving rapidly and reacting to its recent events. Analysts should resist the temptation to read the election through the old Cold War lens of "left versus right." The real divide today is between establishment fatigue and political innovation. If you go to any farmers' market or souvenir shop outside the city and actually talk to the people, they will convey one thing: exhaustion and a loss of hope.
The country is clearly fatigued by the continuous crises and political experiments of the last five years, from constitutional processes to the pandemic, and from migration to uncertainty. This election might reflect the need for stability or a punishment for an establishment that has failed to deliver.
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Original text here: https://fee.org/articles/a-race-for-best-second-place-chiles-presidential-election/
