Foundations
Here's a look at documents from U.S. foundations
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Those Dark Clouds Are the Debt
DETROIT, Michigan, Nov. 18 -- The Foundation for Economic Education posted the following commentary on Nov. 16, 2025:
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Those Dark Clouds Are the Debt
Mississippi turns a corner, but can the federal government?
By Douglas Carswell
The future for our state looks bright. In just the past five years, Mississippi has seen more economic growth than in the entire 15 years before that combined.
We're on track to phase out the state income tax entirely, allowing families to keep more of what they earn. Mississippi has attracted a surge of new investment, and for the first time in years, our
... Show Full Article
DETROIT, Michigan, Nov. 18 -- The Foundation for Economic Education posted the following commentary on Nov. 16, 2025:
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Those Dark Clouds Are the Debt
Mississippi turns a corner, but can the federal government?
By Douglas Carswell
The future for our state looks bright. In just the past five years, Mississippi has seen more economic growth than in the entire 15 years before that combined.
We're on track to phase out the state income tax entirely, allowing families to keep more of what they earn. Mississippi has attracted a surge of new investment, and for the first time in years, ourworkforce participation rate is finally heading in the right direction.
Zoom out, and the picture gets even better. Contrary to the endless gloom from the pundits, the American economy has consistently outperformed expectations for decades. Since the late 1990s, the US has delivered strong, steady growth that few forecasters saw coming.
But there is one dark cloud on all our horizons that we cannot forever ignore: US national debt.
As of today, US national debt stands at $38 trillion (with a capital T).
To grasp how enormous a single trillion really is, try this:
* One million seconds ago was just last week (as of writing), right before Halloween.
* One billion seconds ago was early 1994, when Clinton was president and the Internet was dial-up.
* One trillion seconds ago was roughly 30,000 BC, deep in the Stone Age, when humans were still chasing mammoths.
Now here's the gut-punch: that $38 trillion mountain of debt has roughly doubled in just the past 10 years.
Costly foreign wars, mega bailouts, COVID giveaways, and all those federal entitlement programs LBJ said would "end poverty" eventually add up. Incidentally, living standards for America's poorest citizens are much higher than when those programs launched in the 1960s. Today most people have access to indoor plumbing, air conditioning, and smartphones, but the number of people dependent on government assistance is larger than ever.
Rather than pay for all that using tax receipts, the US government has borrowed, issuing IOUs. Today we spend more money servicing all those IOUs than we do on defense.
As my fellow Brit, the historian Niall Ferguson, likes to point out, any great power that spends more on debt servicing than on defense risks ceasing to be a great power. That was true of the Romans and the British, the Habsburgs and the Dutch.
What must America do to avoid a similar fate?
When President Trump was first elected, Elon Musk and Vivek Ramaswamy launched the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) with an ambitious target: to reduce annual federal spending by $2 trillion.
Because mandatory entitlement programsSocial Security, Medicare, and Medicaidremained largely untouched, DOGE hasn't come close to achieving that yet. The federal deficit has barely budged.
Where, one might ask, are all those Tea Party types that railed against federal overspending 10 years ago as the debt to GDP ratio went from 90% in 2010 to 125% today?
If the US cannot rein in the growth of the debt, the only other way to avoid going the way of the Romans is to try to make the GDP part of the equation rise faster. In other words, to try to grow our way out of debt.
In order to stabilize debt-to-GDP at the current 125% of GDP, America will need to achieve real GDP growth of about 4-5% for the next 10 to 20 years. With the advent of AI and robotics, as Elon Musk suggests, it could be done.
Mississippi has shown how it's possible to turn a corner. Let's see if the federal government can do the same.
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Douglas Carswell is President and CEO of the Mississippi Center for Public Policy.
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Original text here: https://fee.org/articles/those-dark-clouds-are-the-debt/
Reason Foundation Issues Commentary: Florida Must Stay the Course to Pay for Promised Pension Benefits
LOS ANGELES, California, Nov. 18 (TNSrep) -- The Reason Foundation issued the following news on Nov. 17, 2025:
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Florida must stay the course to pay for promised pension benefits
Florida's retirement system for public workers is estimated to be 17 years away from eliminating expensive pension debt.
By Zachary Christensen, Managing Director and Steve Vu, Quantitative Analyst
Florida's retirement system for public workers, which covers most of the state's teachers, police, firefighters, and other government employees, is estimated to be 17 years away from eliminating expensive pension debt.
... Show Full Article
LOS ANGELES, California, Nov. 18 (TNSrep) -- The Reason Foundation issued the following news on Nov. 17, 2025:
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Florida must stay the course to pay for promised pension benefits
Florida's retirement system for public workers is estimated to be 17 years away from eliminating expensive pension debt.
By Zachary Christensen, Managing Director and Steve Vu, Quantitative Analyst
Florida's retirement system for public workers, which covers most of the state's teachers, police, firefighters, and other government employees, is estimated to be 17 years away from eliminating expensive pension debt.However, this result will depend significantly on market outcomes. A recession during that period could undo years of progress and drive up costs for government budgets and taxpayers. Lawmakers in the Sunshine State need to stay the course and resist the temptation to add to pension promises while they remain several years away from being able to fund existing promises fully.
A new analysis (https://www.tallahassee.com/story/news/local/state/2025/09/15/study-shows-states-pension-plan-on-track-despite-past-troubles/86099480007/) by Aon Investments USA Inc. (a market consulting company), commissioned by the Florida State Board of Administrators (SBA), predicts that the Florida Retirement System, FRS, is on track to eliminate all unfunded pension liabilities by 2042. Lawmakers reformed the system in 2011 by introducing a defined contribution (DC) option called the Investment Plan, and subsequently made it the default retirement plan for most new hires in 2018. These reforms have helped FRS make progress in closing what was a nearly $40 billion funding shortfall after the Great Recession.
The latest reporting from FRS now gives the system an 83.7% funded ratio (up from 70% in 2009), indicating that the state has made progress but still needs to stay the course to return to its pre-recession, full funding status. According to Reason Foundation's recently released Annual Pension Solvency and Performance Report (https://reason.org/data-visualization/state-pension-debt/), one bad year in the market (0% returns in 2026) would essentially undo that progress, bringing the system's unfunded liabilities back to an estimated $40 billion overnight.
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Florida has a long way to go before catching up with its public pension promises
Source: Reason's Annual Pension Solvency and Performance Report, using FRS annual valuation reports (https://a8d50b36.delivery.rocketcdn.me/wp-content/uploads/image-90.png).
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If market outcomes over the next two decades resemble those of the last 20 years, FRS won't achieve full funding anytime soon. The pension system's 24-year average return since 2001 is 6.4%, falling short of the plan's 6.7% assumption. According to Reason Foundation's actuarial modeling of FRS, this seemingly small 0.3% shortfall would push the date for reaching full funding out by another three years.
Another major recession would also significantly derail the system. Reason Foundation's modeling indicates that an investment loss in 2026 similar to that of 2009 (a 20% loss) would result in a funding ratio of 62%, and it would take 15 years just to climb back to today's funding levels. The full funding date would extend well beyond 2055 in that scenario.
Lower market returns would also drive up the annual costs of FRS, which taxpayers and lawmakers should be wary of. In 2024, employers contributing to the FRS pension paid an amount equal to around 12.7% of payroll (totaling $5.6 billion statewide annually). If everything goes as planned, with returns matching the system's assumptions, this cost will remain relatively stable and drop significantly once the system is free from pension debt. Under the scenario of a major recession, annual costs will need to rise to as high as 22.9% of payroll to maintain full pension benefit payments.
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A recession would necessitate much larger government contributions
Source: Reason actuarial modeling of FRS. Recessions use return scenarios reflective of Dodd-Frank testing regulations (https://a8d50b36.delivery.rocketcdn.me/wp-content/uploads/image-91.png).
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When it comes to public pensions, policymakers can hope for the best, but they need to prepare for the worst. At a minimum, they should structure pension systems to withstand the same market pressures and funding challenges that created today's costly pension debt.
Florida lawmakers should consider these risks as they weigh proposals to expand benefits. During the 2025 legislative session, lawmakers saw (and rejected) a proposal to unroll the state's crucial 2011 reform by again granting cost-of-living adjustments (COLAs) to all FRS members.
Reason Foundation's analysis of the proposal warned that even under a best-case scenario, the move would add $36 billion in new costs over the next 30 years. A scenario in which the system sees multiple recessions over the next 30 years would have driven the estimated costs of the proposed COLA to $47 billion.
For a pension fund that is still many years away from having the assets to fulfill existing retirement promises, the last thing it needs is to double down on more costs and liabilities.
Current proposals to cut taxes in the Sunshine State should also factor into any consideration of granting additional pension benefits to public workers. A new group of bills introduced in the state's House of Representatives signals that lawmakers intend to offer several property tax-cutting measures to voters on the 2026 ballot. It is safe to say that the idea of increasing pension costs on Florida's local governments while simultaneously facing the prospect of reduced tax revenue is ill-advised.
Through prudent reforms, Florida has made some laudable progress in improving the funding of its public pension system. However, the state is still several years away from achieving the end goal of all these efforts, and any level of market turbulence would push the finish line out by decades. Policymakers need to be aware of Florida's long-term pension funding strategy and avoid any proposals to add to the costs and risks imposed on taxpayers through new pension benefits.
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Zachary Christensen is a managing director of Reason Foundation's Pension Integrity Project.
Steve Vu is a quantitative analyst at Reason Foundation.
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Original text here: https://reason.org/commentary/florida-must-stay-the-course-to-pay-for-promised-pension-benefits/
Billionaire Trump's Regime to Defund Housing for 170,000 Americans
CHICAGO, Illinois, Nov. 18 -- The AIDS Foundation of Chicago issued the following news on Nov. 17, 2025:
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Billionaire Trump's Regime to Defund Housing for 170,000 Americans
By Patty Conway, Director of Communications
A recent change to funding policy could cause 170,000 people across the country and 21,000 in Illinois to lose housing. Directed by the Trump administration through the Department of Housing and Urban Development's (HUD) Continuum of Care (CoC) Program, the change will take funding away from programs that use evidence-based, housing-first, permanent supportive housing models
... Show Full Article
CHICAGO, Illinois, Nov. 18 -- The AIDS Foundation of Chicago issued the following news on Nov. 17, 2025:
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Billionaire Trump's Regime to Defund Housing for 170,000 Americans
By Patty Conway, Director of Communications
A recent change to funding policy could cause 170,000 people across the country and 21,000 in Illinois to lose housing. Directed by the Trump administration through the Department of Housing and Urban Development's (HUD) Continuum of Care (CoC) Program, the change will take funding away from programs that use evidence-based, housing-first, permanent supportive housing modelsfor people who are formerly homeless - the vast majority of housing funded nationally by the CoC project. Instead, the Trump administration will prioritize short-term housing programs with mandatory substance use treatment, mandatory mental health treatment, and work requirements. This policy change will directly affect people who are formerly homeless and disabled - including people living with HIV - who are living in CoC-funded permanent housing programs and could lose their homes.
At AIDS Foundation Chicago and our subsidiary Center for Housing and Health, CoC funding supports housing for 721 people and accounts for $13.9M in revenue for the two organizations. Stable housing for these participants is at risk because of the Trump administration's proposed policy.
The HUD notice was issued months after the normal CoC funding cycle concluded and represents a major shift away from proven housing programs and toward incarceration for people experiencing chronic homelessness, addiction, and mental illness. According to the notice, some of the new funding policies include: support of housing-first programs will be capped at 30% of CoC fund recipients; essential harm reduction work - like syringe exchange or safer use spaces - would not be permitted; and all funded organizations must only consider gender as binary. In addition to the cap on funds for proven permanent supportive housing programs, the funding notice also implements a scoring system that prioritizes funding for states and localities that criminalize homelessness, deny housing to immigrants, and eschew diversity and equity initiatives.
Not only is this position cruel and punitive, it will not reduce incidence of homelessness, mental illness, or addiction. If implemented, this new policy will drastically increase the number of people experiencing homelessness. The cuts to permanent supportive housing and harm reduction programs will be devastating to our progress toward ending the HIV epidemic, of which stable housing and harm reduction are key pillars. There will be an increase in HIV transmission as thousands lose housing stability and access to sterile syringes, and all communities across our state will feel the impact. The cost of supporting our community members in crisis will fall to us to cover, while our federal tax dollars are directed elsewhere.
In Illinois, CoC funds support housing for 21,000 Illinoisans and 27,000 emergency shelter beds. Across the state, federal CoC funding currently supports more than 330 CoC grants, totaling approximately $182.5 million, to nonprofit and local government agencies. The National Alliance to End Homelessness estimates that 60% of all permanent supportive housing in Illinois is federally funded, and in some downstate and rural communities, the percentage is much higher. Under the policy, existing CoC grantees could run out of funding as soon as early 2026.
Let's be clear - this change is not about improving or reforming housing policy. It is about gutting the social safety net programs upon which our communities rely to ensure that people experiencing chronic homelessness and illness can find stability and support. It is about criminalizing poverty and punishing the Black and Latine communities disproportionately impacted by homelessness. At the same time as issuing this policy change to how housing is funded by HUD, the Trump administration is seeking to build institutions that many fear will function as de-facto prisons or work camps to incarcerate people experiencing homelessness, mental illness, or addiction.
At AIDS Foundation Chicago and the Center for Housing & Health, we know permanent supportive housing and housing-first programs work and are the best way to interrupt chronic homelessness, substance use, and mental health challenges for our unhoused neighbors. As the name describes, housing-first programs provide participants with housing and then offer supportive services like mental health care and substance use treatment, to which people are more able and likely to adhere once they have the safety and stability of housing. This is a proven approach that is critical to our work to end the HIV epidemic. The root cause of homelessness in the United States is the soaring, unaffordable cost of housing, not an individual's choices or behavioral health challenges.
Together with our partners, we are advocating for HUD to rescind this change. Over 300 housing providers in Illinois issued a joint letter to HUD's Secretary Scott Turner, and we call upon all of our partners and supporters to contact your congressional representatives and loudly voice your opposition to this HUD directive.
TAKE ACTION:
Participate in this campaign from The National Alliance to End Homelessness: ACT NOW: Tell Congress to stop HUD!
Call your Congress person via the Capitol Switchboard and tell them you support permanent supportive housing and oppose the new funding requirements for HUD's Continuum of Care program: (202) 224-3121.
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Original text here: https://www.aidschicago.org/hudchange/
Pluristyx Collaborates with Breakthrough T1D to Make "Immune-Cloaked" and Safety Switch-Enabled Allogeneic Cell Line for Type 1 Diabetes Therapies
NEW YORK, Nov. 17 -- Breakthrough T1D (formerly JDRF) a non-profit dedicated to funding type 1 diabetes research, posted the following news release:
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Pluristyx Collaborates with Breakthrough T1D to Make "Immune-Cloaked" and Safety Switch-Enabled Allogeneic Cell Line for Type 1 Diabetes Therapies
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The up to $1.4M collaboration will enable manufacturing "universal" islets containing a drug-inducible safety feature designed to make curative therapies accessible without the need for chronic immunosuppression
SEATTLE, Nov. 17, 2025 Pluristyx announced today the launch of a project up to
... Show Full Article
NEW YORK, Nov. 17 -- Breakthrough T1D (formerly JDRF) a non-profit dedicated to funding type 1 diabetes research, posted the following news release:
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Pluristyx Collaborates with Breakthrough T1D to Make "Immune-Cloaked" and Safety Switch-Enabled Allogeneic Cell Line for Type 1 Diabetes Therapies
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The up to $1.4M collaboration will enable manufacturing "universal" islets containing a drug-inducible safety feature designed to make curative therapies accessible without the need for chronic immunosuppression
SEATTLE, Nov. 17, 2025 Pluristyx announced today the launch of a project up to$1.4 million, supported and funded by Breakthrough T1D, formerly JDRF, the leading global type 1 diabetes (T1D) research and advocacy organization. The project will create and distribute a genetically engineered induced pluripotent stem cell (iPSC) line, providing developers with an important new tool that serves as the starting material for manufacturing the next generation of islet replacement therapies.
The project directly addresses one of the most significant barriers to a widespread T1D cure-the lack of a cell source that is both technically appropriate and commercially feasible for developers to license and use in the research, development, and manufacturing of life-saving treatments and cures. Manufactured Islet cell replacement therapy holds immense promise, with multiple documented clinical trial successes treating T1D. However, patient eligibility for approved donor-derived and investigational manufactured islet cell replacement therapies is limited to a small population because of chronic co-administration of immunosuppressive drugs needed to prevent rejection. The risk-benefit considerations for these immunosuppressive regimens exclude most people living with T1D, especially children, from accessing potentially curative islet cell replacement therapy.
Pluristyx's platform technology was developed specifically to overcome this challenge. This Breakthrough T1D collaboration will fund the use of precise gene editing to engineer Pluristyx's exclusively licensed immune-cloaking and safety-switch technologies into a US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) Drug Master File registered Pluristyx cell line:
* iACT(tm) (Induced Allogeneic Cell Tolerance): A patented "cloaking" technology allowing cells to evade immune system recognition without disrupting or "knocking-out" human leukocyte antigen (HLA) expression. iACT(tm) enabled cells are designed to be allogeneic, or "universal", meaning they do not have to be HLA "matched" to the patient.
* FailSafe (r) : A patented drug-inducible "safety switch" mechanism that allows selective elimination of unwanted proliferating cells (if they occur) post-transplantation by administration of a safe, inexpensive, globally approved drug available in both oral and IV formats.
* PSXi (Pluristyx Pluripotent Stem Cells): Registered under an FDA Drug Master File, PSXi013 is a proprietary polyclonal iPSC line specifically designed to support and enable complex genetic engineering while maintaining both genetic stability and differentiation capacity during large-scale pharmaceutical manufacturing.
The iPSC line produced from this project will serve as a renewable starting material for research, development, and manufacturing of "off-the-shelf" allogeneic therapies that do not require chronic immune suppression. This approach has the potential to enable safer, more accessible, and truly curative treatment for people living with T1D.
"Breakthrough T1D is committed to accelerating life-changing breakthroughs to cure, prevent, and treat type 1 diabetes and its complications," said Sanjoy Dutta, Ph.D., Breakthrough T1D Chief Scientific Officer. "The development of cell therapies that work for everyone with T1D without the need for chronic immunosuppression is a priority for Breakthrough T1D. We look forward to the potential of Pluristyx's innovative platform and approach to move us one step closer to making cell therapies a reality for the entire type 1 diabetes community."
"We are honored by Breakthrough T1D's funding support for our platform following their rigorous technical and feasibility review," said Dr. Benjamin Fryer, CEO of Pluristyx. "Our goal is to make and provide a safe, universal cell line to groups developing next-generation islet therapies. Doing so may help make curative treatments accessible to all people living with type 1 diabetes, including children, without the need for immunosuppressive drugs."
About Pluristyx
Pluristyx is the leading provider of advanced iPSC-based solutions for the cell and gene therapy industry, delivering a comprehensive platform designed to accelerate therapeutic development with unmatched speed, safety, and scalability. Leveraging proprietary mRNA bulk reprogramming and a polyclonal iPSC approach, Pluristyx produces genetically younger, more stable, and highly expandable cells. The company's portfolio spans off-the-shelf, clinical-grade iPSC lines, custom gene editing and engineering, and innovative safety and immune-evasion technologies, including the FailSafe (r) safety switch, iACT(tm) immune cloaking system, and HLA-null capabilities. Beyond cell sourcing, Pluristyx supports the entire development continuum, from concept to organoid-based disease modeling, high-throughput drug screening, and GMP-scale manufacturing, empowering therapeutic developers to streamline workflows, reduce risk, and accelerate the path to clinic.
About Breakthrough T1D, Formerly JDRF
As the leading global type 1 diabetes research and advocacy organization, Breakthrough T1D helps make everyday life with type 1 diabetes better while driving toward cures. We do this by investing in the most promising research, advocating for progress by working with government to address issues that impact the T1D community, and helping educate and empower individuals facing this condition.
About Type 1 Diabetes (T1D)
T1D is an autoimmune condition that causes the pancreas to make very little insulin or none at all. This leads to dependence on insulin therapy and the risk of short and long-term complications, which can include highs and lows in blood sugar; damage to the kidneys, eyes, nerves, and heart; and even death. Globally, it impacts 9.5 million people. Many believe T1D is only diagnosed in childhood and adolescence, but diagnosis in adulthood is common and accounts for nearly 50% of all T1D diagnoses. The onset of T1D has nothing to do with diet or lifestyle. While its causes are not yet entirely understood, scientists believe that both genetic factors and environmental triggers are involved. There is currently no cure for T1D.
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Original text here: https://www.breakthrought1d.org/for-the-media/press-releases/pluristyx-collaborates-with-breakthrough-t1d-to-make-immune-cloaked-and-safety-switch-enabled-allogeneic-cell-line-for-type-1-diabetes-therapies/
In Defense of Wealth - Private investments drive innovation forward
DETROIT, Michigan, Nov. 17 -- The Foundation for Economic Education posted the following commentary:
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In Defense of Wealth
Private investments drive innovation forward.
By James Price
One of the biggest barriers to getting leftists to understand economics is their pathological misunderstanding of how wealth works. The average socialist/communist thinks that billionaires are surrounded by piles of filthy lucre that sit there in a lair, inert. Like Smaug the Dragon or Scrooge McDuck, they imagine Jeff Bezos and Elon Musk lying among piles of golden ducats and doubloons, making snow angels
... Show Full Article
DETROIT, Michigan, Nov. 17 -- The Foundation for Economic Education posted the following commentary:
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In Defense of Wealth
Private investments drive innovation forward.
By James Price
One of the biggest barriers to getting leftists to understand economics is their pathological misunderstanding of how wealth works. The average socialist/communist thinks that billionaires are surrounded by piles of filthy lucre that sit there in a lair, inert. Like Smaug the Dragon or Scrooge McDuck, they imagine Jeff Bezos and Elon Musk lying among piles of golden ducats and doubloons, making snow angelswith their ill-gotten gains.
I recently suffered this weapons-grade delusion in a debate hosted on the disgraced state broadcaster, the BBC. Invited on to discuss the benefits and drawbacks of the super-rich, I was up against someone introduced as a "comedian and activist." I shouldn't have been surprised to be faced with such funny views.
The issue under discussion was Musk's recent new deal as CEO of Tesla. If he hits an insanely ambitious set of targets, a modern industrialist's version of the Trials of Hercules, then the tech genius could, in 10 years, become the world's first trillionaire. To put into perspective how difficult hitting these targets will be, they include selling 1 million humanoid "Optimus" robots. These are far from ready, and none have yet been sold.
He also needs to sell two and a half times more Teslas in the next ten years than have so far sold in the entire existence of the company. Faced against these odds, Hercules would probably prefer the Nemean Lion or the Cretan Bull.
If Musk hits these targets, he will have turned Tesla into far and away the biggest and most profitable company on earth, and generated more value than any other businessman in history. This will include more than $7 trillion for the investors who consented to back this deal. Not to mention tackling climate change, which Tesla will do more to ameliorate than any Green Party oddball.
So, based on his behaviour so far, and the behaviour of other members of the super-rich, what would Musk do with that trillion dollars? Well, likely he would invest it all back into the other earth-changing technologies he has already been developing. I'm not actually a paid Elon-shill, so I won't list them all off, but to pick on Neuralink alone, imagine what that company could do with the backing of a trillionaire? The paraplegic, especially children in the poorest countries, could be fitted with life changing tech.
And the same is true for so many of the super wealthy. One favourite of mine is the little-known Joe Liemandt. After creating a company so successful that he personally is now worth $6 billion, Liemandt has turned his attention towards education. In the pilot school in the US where he is now principal ( headmaster to us Brits), Liemandt has built a system where, with just two hours of AI-led teaching a day, the students rank in the top 1% in America and love school so much they ask to cancel the holidays.
Having seemingly cracked how to run a great modern school, Liemandt is dedicating his life to scaling his model across first America, then the whole world. Fittingly for this piece, America spends $1 trillion a year on school education, with pretty mediocre results. Imagine what an entrepreneur like Liemandt could do with that sort of firepower.
Because the truth is that billionaires having the capacity to put their own money towards moonshot projects (in some cases, literally), they care about the outcomes much more than if it were taxpayers' cash being spent by bureaucrats. Not only is the taxpayer not on the hook for these sorts of ambitious projects, but some of the most successful people in history being personally invested in their success ensures their commercial viability.
The proof of this can be seen when one compares NASA to SpaceX. Only one was the only entity capable to saving those astronauts stranded on the International Space Station last year. It wasn't the public body.
We shouldn't be surprised that leftists don't understand how the real world works; they don't live in it. They don't even know how to count. But if trillionaires came into being, revolutionised the education system and more, then maybe they'd learn.
This article originally appeared at CapX.
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James Price
James Price served as a Senior Special Adviser in the British Government across five departments, including as the Chief of Staff to, sequentially, the Chancellor of the Exchequer, the head of the Cabinet Office, and the Chairman of the Conservative Party. He holds an MA from the University of Oxford, and an MSc from University College London. He is a Senior Fellow at the Adam Smith Institute.
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Original text here: https://fee.org/articles/in-defense-of-wealth/
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/
New Data Shows Blue Island Air Quality Barely Meets Safety Levels, Driving Local Clean Air Advocacy
WASHINGTON, Nov. 15 -- The Hispanic Access Foundation issued the following news release:
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New Data Shows Blue Island Air Quality Barely Meets Safety Levels, Driving Local Clean Air Advocacy
Hispanic Access Foundation has released new community-based air quality data from its El Aire Que Respiramos (The Air We Breathe) Latino community science air pollution monitoring program, conducted in partnership with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). The data reveals that average fine particulate matter (PM2.5) pollution concentration in Blue Island, Illinois, is 8.7 ug/m(3)--just below
... Show Full Article
WASHINGTON, Nov. 15 -- The Hispanic Access Foundation issued the following news release:
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New Data Shows Blue Island Air Quality Barely Meets Safety Levels, Driving Local Clean Air Advocacy
Hispanic Access Foundation has released new community-based air quality data from its El Aire Que Respiramos (The Air We Breathe) Latino community science air pollution monitoring program, conducted in partnership with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). The data reveals that average fine particulate matter (PM2.5) pollution concentration in Blue Island, Illinois, is 8.7 ug/m(3)--just belowthe EPA's annual safety threshold of 9.0 ug/m(3). The findings also show that residents are still exposed to unhealthy air for significant portions of the year, fueling local advocacy for cleaner, healthier air.
Through El Aire Que Respiramos, a Latino-serving church in Blue Island measured PM2.5--microscopic air-borne pollutants that can penetrate deep into the lungs and bloodstream and directly contribute to asthma, lung cancer, stroke, neurological disorders, and prenatal development impairments, and low birth weight--using PurpleAir PA-II-SD sensors.
From January 1 to December 31, 2024, the air pollution monitoring site recorded an average PM2.5 concentration of 8.7 ug/m(3), fluctuating throughout the year, frequently surpassing the EPA's 9.0 ug/m(3) safety limit. The highest number of exceedance days occurred in February, followed by January, while April, May, June, September, and October showed relatively cleaner air days within safe limits.
"These results show that Blue Island's air quality is right on the edge," said Hilda Berganza, Climate Program Manager at Hispanic Access Foundation. "Barely meeting the EPA's safety standard doesn't mean the air is safe for everyone--particularly children, seniors, and people with respiratory conditions. This data is a reminder that clean air advocacy must continue until all communities can breathe healthy air every day."
Using the data collected as real-time evidence of air pollution, air quality monitoring site managers have become educators and advocates--raising awareness among their congregations and broader communities, hosting community workshops, roundtable discussions, and informational events, speaking at public forums, providing public comments, and meeting with local and federal officials to discuss air quality concerns. These efforts have inspired residents to become more civically engaged and to advocate directly to their representatives for cleaner, healthier air.
"People's health, well-being, and future are at stake," said Nikita Sieker, air quality site manager in Blue Island. "I want to raise awareness about the health implications of PM2.5 and help spark a bigger conversation so that our government officials prioritize the reduction of air pollution."
Illinois is one of several states participating in El Aire Que Respiramos, alongside sites in California, Texas, Idaho, and Nevada. The program not only generates local data but also builds national awareness about the inequitable burden of air pollution on Latino communities. Building on this success, El Aire Que Respiramos continues to collect data for 2025. By bringing together science, community experience, and education, the initiative is helping lay the groundwork for more informed, resilient, and proactive Latino communities across Illinois.
To learn more about El Aire Que Respiramos and the Hispanic Access Foundation's work to ensure equitable access to clean air, visit www.hispanicaccess.org.
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Original text here: https://www.hispanicaccess.org/news-resources/news-releases/item/3512-new-data-shows-blue-island-air-quality-barely-meets-safety-levels-driving-local-clean-air-advocacy
