Foundations
News releases, reports, statements and associated documents from U.S. foundations.
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Space Foundation Names TheraLight, LLC as Space Certification Program Partner
COLORADO SPRINGS, Colorado, March 4 -- The Space Foundation issued the following news release on March 3, 2021:
Space Foundation, a 501(c)(3) global space advocate for nearly 40 years, today announced TheraLight, LLC as the most recent company to become a Space Certification partner for its adaptation of light-emitting diode (LED) technology originally developed for plant growth experiments conducted by NASA.
Space Certification Program awards a "seal of approval" to commercial companies that demonstrate products and services in technology, data, education and creative markets that originate
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COLORADO SPRINGS, Colorado, March 4 -- The Space Foundation issued the following news release on March 3, 2021:
Space Foundation, a 501(c)(3) global space advocate for nearly 40 years, today announced TheraLight, LLC as the most recent company to become a Space Certification partner for its adaptation of light-emitting diode (LED) technology originally developed for plant growth experiments conducted by NASA.
Space Certification Program awards a "seal of approval" to commercial companies that demonstrate products and services in technology, data, education and creative markets that originatefrom space technology and are a source of inspiration for discoveries and innovations in the global space ecosystem. Today, every community, infrastructure, and aspect of modern life is either profoundly dependent on or indirectly affected by space-related innovations.
Commenting on the new partnership, TheraLight COO Justin Vorwaller said, "TheraLight is extremely proud of our new relationship with Space Foundation. Our company and products will benefit greatly from this unique recognition, and we believe that our consistent use of the Space Certification Program and official seals will expand the awareness of photobiomodulation."
Also commenting on the partnership, Carah Barbarick, space awareness programs manager at Space Foundation, said, "We are thrilled to have TheraLight as a Space Certification partner. Their innovative approach to photomedicine is an inspirational example of how space technology can be transformed to benefit the lives of individuals around the world."
Therapeutic Value Tested in Space Returns to Earth
TheraLight is a medical device company that is at the forefront of providing LED light therapy (low-level light therapy, or LLLT), now referred to as photobiomodulation (PBMT). PBMT is a noninvasive treatment that can reduce pain and inflammation and encourage faster healing in wounds, tendons, nerves and bones, safely and without the use of drugs.
Instead of simply treating symptoms, PBMT stimulates the body to repair itself by delivering healing energy on a cellular level. NASA performed much of the landmark research for light therapy in the 1990s through the 2000s. In 2002, after receiving grants from NASA and the National Institutes of Health for LED research, Dr. Harry T. Whelan published "The Use of NASA Light-Emitting Diode Near-Infrared Technology for Biostimulation," which demonstrated the application of light therapy to significantly improve the medical care available to astronauts on long-term space missions.
TheraLight has adapted and evolved this concept into a 360-degree, full-body light therapy system utilizing LED diodes. TheraLight is a PBMT system utilizing red and near-infrared LEDs in four wavelengths that deliver maximized treatment coverages for the entire body simultaneously, improving overall results.
"Twenty years after Dr. Whelan used LED pads in his research and envisioned an LED blanket device for the prevention of bone and muscle atrophy in astronauts, our company has developed more than just a blanket, but an entire 360-degree LED treatment system," said Vorwaller. "Each TheraLight product, using multiple wavelengths, is able to deliver maximized treatment coverages of the entire body so that optimal health and wellness outcomes are achieved."
Heritage Experts: Biden Admin's 'Catch & Release' Policy is Importing COVID-19 Cases to Our Country
WASHINGTON, March 4 -- The Heritage Foundation issued the following statement:
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Illegal aliens detained at the border and then released into the United States to await their court hearings are testing positive for COVID after their release, a new NBC report has found. The Biden administration, in part due to re-instituting a failed "catch and release" policy, has created a new border crisis - a crisis with major implications for public health.
Heritage's immigration and border security team - James Carafano, Lora Ries, Chad Wolf, Ken Cuccinelli, and Mark Morgan - released a statement Wednesday
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WASHINGTON, March 4 -- The Heritage Foundation issued the following statement:
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Illegal aliens detained at the border and then released into the United States to await their court hearings are testing positive for COVID after their release, a new NBC report has found. The Biden administration, in part due to re-instituting a failed "catch and release" policy, has created a new border crisis - a crisis with major implications for public health.
Heritage's immigration and border security team - James Carafano, Lora Ries, Chad Wolf, Ken Cuccinelli, and Mark Morgan - released a statement Wednesdayslamming the Biden administration's reckless policy:
"Our leaders should be focused on re-opening our businesses and schools in a way that protects American lives and livelihoods. Instead, the Biden administration is prioritizing illegal aliens entering the country over the safety and welfare of American citizens."
"A recent report found that illegal aliens released into the country subsequently tested positive for COVID-19 after their release. Make no mistake: this will not be the last time.
"Through its misguided and deliberate actions, the Biden administration is actively importing coronavirus cases into our country as Americans work to get back on their feet. For the past year, we have been prevented from going to school, to work or to our places of worship. We have been told we risk fines or jail time if we gather with friends. But illegal aliens are immediately given access to our country and its many benefits, even though we know many are carrying the virus. These imported cases will reverse the trend of falling infections and hospitalizations, and put further strain on our health system. And of course, American taxpayers will foot the bill for illegal aliens' care.
"The reinstatement of 'catch and release,' in which illegal aliens are detained and then quickly released into the country to await their court hearing - which most do not show up for - is not only bad immigration policy, but disastrous public health policy." On Monday, DHS Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas misled the American people when he denied the obvious security crisis at the border. Now we know the administration has a public health crisis on its hands, as well.
"There is no such thing as 'safe illegal immigration,' especially during a pandemic. The president ran a campaign based on 'listening to the health experts,' but no doubt the American people would like to know which public health experts recommended this horrendous policy."
Ford Foundation: Major Philanthropies Tackle Inequality by Strengthening How Open Source Code is Developed and Maintained
NEW YORK, March 4 (TNSGra) -- The Ford Foundation issued the following news on March 3, 2021:
The Ford Foundation, Alfred P. Sloan Foundation, Open Society Foundations, Omidyar Network, and the Mozilla Open Source Support Program in collaboration with the Open Collective Foundation announced $1.3 million in grants to 13 research projects to advance our understanding of critical digital infrastructure across the globe. The funding will support the most cutting edge research to date on digital infrastructure and open source code--the building blocks of a free and open internet. Researchers will
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NEW YORK, March 4 (TNSGra) -- The Ford Foundation issued the following news on March 3, 2021:
The Ford Foundation, Alfred P. Sloan Foundation, Open Society Foundations, Omidyar Network, and the Mozilla Open Source Support Program in collaboration with the Open Collective Foundation announced $1.3 million in grants to 13 research projects to advance our understanding of critical digital infrastructure across the globe. The funding will support the most cutting edge research to date on digital infrastructure and open source code--the building blocks of a free and open internet. Researchers willalso examine how a lack of diversity and sustainability has reduced innovation and blunted the growth of the digital infrastructure field.
Everything from hospitals to banks to social media platforms runs on open source software, nearly all of which is built on digital infrastructure. The field, run largely by volunteers, remains at risk of collapse from a lack of maintenance, resources, and diversity. These pose significant risks to the open internet and the ability to develop new, innovative research and businesses within it.
"We are honored to support this extraordinary cohort who will not only study why open-source digital infrastructure must be sustained, but also how free and open source code remains a necessary tool to tackle the most urgent social justice issues of our time, from climate change to covid-19 resilience," said Michael Brennan, senior program officer at Ford Foundation. "The Ford Foundation is excited that a growing roster of grantmakers are supporting the field of digital infrastructure."
"Like everything else in modern society, cutting edge research relies on layers of software, much of it produced on shoestring budgets and with little or no outside support," said Joshua M. Greenberg, Program Director at the Alfred P. Sloan Foundation. "That represents a critical vulnerability to scientific progress. Understanding the depth and breadth of that vulnerability and how to best address it is a tier-one challenge for technology policy."
Selected researchers will examine how digital infrastructure is indispensable to modern society, how to best sustain communities that maintain digital infrastructure, what's necessary to dismantle systemic inequalities within the digital infrastructure field, including racism, sexism, and ableism, why cities succeed and fail in using open source software, and more.
This research builds on the findings from over a dozen projects stemming from a 2018 RFP funded by the Ford and Sloan Foundations, focused on defining the field of open source digital infrastructure, why it remained overlooked, and its implications on social justice issues.
Given the impacts and challenges facing open source communities worldwide, these research projects span the globe, including initiatives in the United States, South Africa, India, Brazil, and Mexico. Researchers will focus on issue areas including:
* How COVID data systems are created and transformed by the open source community;
* How indigenous communities and land defenders in Brazil have been using digital infrastructure in their fight against climate change;
* How do perceptions of unfairness when contributing to an open source project affect their sustainability;
* How public-private cooperation at the national level in India can support the development of software solutions to digitize government services.
"Digital infrastructure enables the basic functions of our society," said Elizabeth Eagen, senior program officer with the Open Society Foundations' Information Program. "Because so much of our world depends on software built on free and open code, it is crucial to understand the needs and systems of the people and communities who maintain it. We are excited to support this community of researchers, whose work is critical to human rights and accountability efforts."
"Omidyar Network is honored to support this cohort of energetic and committed innovators and researchers working on the cutting edge of digital infrastructure and open-source software," said Govind Shivkumar, principal, Responsible Technology team, Omidyar Network. "This work is critical to ensuring future technological innovation promotes liberty and well-being while building in safeguards to manage risks and unintended consequences."
With more understanding and insights of this growing field, the ultimate goal is to ensure the digital infrastructure society relies on is maintained and governed in a way that prioritizes the public interest and increases the diversity, talent, and perspectives within the technical foundations of the internet.
Episcopal Health Foundation: Texas Health Policy Poll Shows Strong Statewide Support for Expanding Medicaid
HOUSTON, Texas, March 4 (TNSRep) -- The Episcopal Health Foundation issued the following news release:
A large majority of Texans support Medicaid expansion and say state government should play a role in making sure the health care system works well. Those are some the results of a new statewide Episcopal Health Foundation survey on health policy issues in Texas.
The survey finds nearly seven in 10 Texans (69%) say they think the state should expand Medicaid to provide health insurance to more low-income Texans who are uninsured. That's an increase from just a year earlier when the Episcopal
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HOUSTON, Texas, March 4 (TNSRep) -- The Episcopal Health Foundation issued the following news release:
A large majority of Texans support Medicaid expansion and say state government should play a role in making sure the health care system works well. Those are some the results of a new statewide Episcopal Health Foundation survey on health policy issues in Texas.
The survey finds nearly seven in 10 Texans (69%) say they think the state should expand Medicaid to provide health insurance to more low-income Texans who are uninsured. That's an increase from just a year earlier when the EpiscopalHealth Foundation's poll showed 64% of Texans supported Medicaid expansion. Researchers found large support for expansion despite the fact that the survey shows that less than half (43%) knew that Texas was one of only 12 states not to expand Medicaid under the Affordable Care Act.
Texans with low incomes (82%), those who say they are in fair/poor health (82%), and uninsured adults under age 65 (80%) were among the groups with the highest percentage supporting Medicaid expansion.
State government's role in the health system
The poll also finds that an overwhelming majority of Texans think state government has a role to play in making sure the health care system works well. Almost nine in 10 (89%) say the state should play a major (66%) or minor (23%) role in a functioning health care system. At the same time, nearly six in 10 Texans (59%) say state government is not doing enough to make sure low-income adults get the health care they need.
When it comes to overall spending priorities for state government, more than half (57%) of Texans say the state should increase spending on health care - more than the percentage who say the same about public safety (50%) and infrastructure (49%). The survey finds that Texans only say they favor increased spending on public education (67%) more than health care.
"One theme continues to stay the same year after year -- Texans are looking directly to state leaders to help solve some serious health care problems," Marks said. "After all we've been through during COVID-19, it remains clear that Texans want state lawmakers to do more to make the health system work better, especially for those who need it the most."
Texas' uninsured rate stays high
The survey confirms that Texas continues to have the highest uninsured rate in the country. The poll finds that 35% of adult Texans under age 65 say they don't have health insurance. In addition, 7% of Texans said they lost health insurance at some point in 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Despite the state's sky-high uninsured rate, researchers found that a large majority (73%) of Texans didn't know the state's uninsured rate was higher than other states or incorrectly thought it was the same or lower.
Lowering costs and reducing maternal mortality are top health priorities for Texans
Majorities of Texans say top health priorities for the state legislature should be lowering costs of prescription drugs (63%), lowering health care costs (60%), reducing the number of women who die from causes related to pregnancy or childbirth (58%), increasing access to health insurance (57%), and increasing access to hospitals for people living in rural areas (54%).
These findings are part of a series of reports drawing on a 2020 Episcopal Health Foundation (EHF) survey of Texans on their views of health policy and experiences with health care costs. In 2018 and 2019, EHF published similar surveys and reports. Future reports in 2021 will look at the affordability of health care, access to medical care, and experiences of the uninsured in Texas.
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REPORT: https://www.episcopalhealth.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/03/Texas-Residents-Views-on-Health-Policy-2020-FINAL.pdf
Community First Foundation: COVID-19's Impact on Housing and How the Jeffco Hope Fund is Helping
ARVADA, Colorado, March 4 -- The Community First Foundation issued the following news release:
The COVID-19 pandemic's impact on housing insecurity is being felt around the nation, including our own backyard. According to Habitat for Humanity, with hours, wages and jobs being cut because of the coronavirus, "more individuals are facing housing instability at a time when one's ability to be safely and affordably housed is integral to the health and safety of us all."
Housing insecurity is not just an urban or downtown problem. That's why we quickly invested $850,000 through the Community First
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ARVADA, Colorado, March 4 -- The Community First Foundation issued the following news release:
The COVID-19 pandemic's impact on housing insecurity is being felt around the nation, including our own backyard. According to Habitat for Humanity, with hours, wages and jobs being cut because of the coronavirus, "more individuals are facing housing instability at a time when one's ability to be safely and affordably housed is integral to the health and safety of us all."
Housing insecurity is not just an urban or downtown problem. That's why we quickly invested $850,000 through the Community FirstFoundation Jeffco Hope Fund to support the nonprofits meeting critical and emergent housing needs in Jefferson County.
When the future of additional federal aid was uncertain in December 2020, our partners reached out to explore ways to support the Jeffco nonprofits addressing housing assistance in our community. We learned that eligibility for and use of federal CARES Act funding was restrictive, leaving local agencies with limited resources and the inability to fully meet demand. The Jeffco Hope Fund was able to provide Housing Assistance grants help address gaps in federal funding for housing assistance and shorten wait times.
Grant recipients:
* Salvation Army - $100,000
* Evergreen Christian Outreach (EChO) - $100,000
* Mountain Resource Center - $100,000
* Foothills Regional Housing - $100,000
* Action Center - $100,000
* Left Behind Worker Fund - $350,000
As You Sow Foundation: Exxon Must Change Direction, Not Just Appoint New Board Candidates
OAKLAND, California, March 4 (TNSPer) -- As You Sow Foundation issued the following statement on March 3, 2021:
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The Coalition United for a Responsible Exxon (CURE) today issued the following statement in regards to recent disclosures by ExxonMobil Corporation (NYSE: XOM) ("Exxon" or the "Company"):
Exxon has demonstrably failed over the last decade to deliver long-term shareholder value against the wider market and among its peers. The company's board of directors faces pressure to undertake a long list of strategic actions: reversing value destruction; improving investment quality; cutting
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OAKLAND, California, March 4 (TNSPer) -- As You Sow Foundation issued the following statement on March 3, 2021:
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The Coalition United for a Responsible Exxon (CURE) today issued the following statement in regards to recent disclosures by ExxonMobil Corporation (NYSE: XOM) ("Exxon" or the "Company"):
Exxon has demonstrably failed over the last decade to deliver long-term shareholder value against the wider market and among its peers. The company's board of directors faces pressure to undertake a long list of strategic actions: reversing value destruction; improving investment quality; cuttingdebt; seizing the opportunity to lead in the low-carbon energy market; and strengthening environmental and safety performance.
The recent announcement of new board candidates, including one with climate and ESG experience (Jeff Ubben), indicates that the company may intend to change. However, CURE, a shareholder coalition with 145 members and $2.5 trillion in AUM, will remain vigilant and focused on the specific changes required to put Exxon on a stronger path.
CURE acknowledges that, since the engagement of activist investors over the past six months, Exxon has taken what appears to be initial steps in the right direction. However, Exxon needs to commit to a deeper, long-term shift of its capital allocation strategies to be consistent with the Paris Agreement, streamlining its upstream and downstream to focus on the highest-returning assets and pursuing credible pathways towards a 2050 net zero greenhouse target, which must include renewable energy, clean hydrogen and carbon capture.
Finally, the company needs to address its corporate governance issues, including splitting its CEO and Board chair positions to foster board independence, aligning executive compensation with shareholder value creation, ensuring its corporate and trade association lobbying is aligned with the aims of the Paris Agreement, and adopting a uniform system of accountancy to meet basic tests of transparency.
CURE sent a letter to Exxon's Board last month outlining the need for change at the Board level and support for multiple shareholder resolutions. The coalition continues to urge Exxon to further enhance its Board of Directors to address fiduciary and climate concerns. The coalition will continue to monitor and assess the Company's progress at the Board level and all material changes to its business, strategy and governance.
39 Renowned Policy Groups Urge U.S. Supreme Court to Hear Buckeye's Case to End Forced Union Exclusive Representation
COLUMBUS, Ohio, March 4 -- The Buckeye Institute issued the following news release:
Thirty-nine renowned public policy organizations have filed amicus briefs with the United States Supreme Court in support of The Buckeye Institute's case, Thompson v. Marietta Education Association (MEA), which calls for an immediate end to laws that force public-sector employees to accept a union's exclusive representation.
Americans for Prosperity Foundation, Cato Institute, Competitive Enterprise Institute, Fairness Center, Freedom Foundation, Goldwater Institute, Liberty Justice Center, National Right to Work
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COLUMBUS, Ohio, March 4 -- The Buckeye Institute issued the following news release:
Thirty-nine renowned public policy organizations have filed amicus briefs with the United States Supreme Court in support of The Buckeye Institute's case, Thompson v. Marietta Education Association (MEA), which calls for an immediate end to laws that force public-sector employees to accept a union's exclusive representation.
Americans for Prosperity Foundation, Cato Institute, Competitive Enterprise Institute, Fairness Center, Freedom Foundation, Goldwater Institute, Liberty Justice Center, National Right to WorkLegal Defense Foundation, Pacific Legal Foundation, and a coalition of 30 leading policy organizations all submitted amicus briefs in support of Jade Thompson and are calling on the U.S. Supreme Court to hear her case and recognize that compelled exclusive representation violates the First Amendment.
"The sheer number of groups asking the U.S. Supreme Court to hear this case demonstrates the depth and breadth of the constitutional problem of forced exclusive representation, which impacts not only Mrs. Thompson of course, but also workers in more than 40 states across the country," said Robert Alt, president and chief executive officer of The Buckeye Institute and one of Mrs. Thompson's attorneys. "As noted by the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit, Ohio's compelled union-representation law directly conflicts with the principles the Supreme Court has announced in recent opinions." Alt continued, "We hope the Supreme Court will take this important opportunity to correct the unresolved error permitting compulsory exclusive representation, and--in so doing--vindicate the First Amendment rights of workers like Mrs. Thompson."
"These laws forcing exclusive representation are simply incompatible with the First Amendment, and Mrs. Thompson is asking the U.S. Supreme Court for nothing more than for her rights to be protected--something every American deserves," said Andrew M. Grossman, a partner at BakerHostetler in Washington, D.C., and counsel of record in Thompson v. MEA.
The multi-organization brief was led by Alaska Policy Forum and included co-amici Americans for Fair Treatment, Association of American Educators, Center of the American Experiment, Citizen Action Defense Fund, Commonwealth Foundation, Empire Center for Public Policy, Inc., Georgia Center for Opportunity, Illinois Policy Institute, Independence Institute, James Madison Institute, John K. MacIver Institute for Public Policy, John Locke Foundation, Josiah Bartlett Center for Public Policy, Landmark Legal Foundation, Mackinac Center for Public Policy, Maine Policy Institute, Maryland Public Policy Institute, Nevada Policy Research Institute, Pacific Research Institute, Pelican Institute for Public Policy, Protect the First, Inc., Rio Grande Foundation, Roughrider Policy Center, Show-Me Institute, Southeastern Legal Foundation, Thomas Jefferson Institute for Public Policy, Virginia Institute for Public Policy, Washington Policy Center, and Wisconsin Institute for Law and Liberty.
Mrs. Thompson's case was initially filed on June 27, 2018, in the United States District Court for the Southern District of Ohio. The case was appealed to the United States Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit on February 18, 2020. On January 22, 2021, The Buckeye Institute filed its petition for Writ of Certiorari with the Supreme Court of the United States.
The Buckeye Institute was the first organization in the country to file lawsuits calling on courts to end compelled exclusive representation following the U.S. Supreme Court's landmark 2018 decision in Janus v. AFSCME. In addition to Mrs. Thompson, Buckeye is also separately representing Professor Kathy Uradnik of Minnesota in Uradnik v. IFO in a similar case.
