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Jamestown Foundation Posts Commentary: Romania and Ukraine Sign Strategic Partnership
WASHINGTON, April 28 -- The Jamestown Foundation posted the following commentary on April 27, 2026, by George Visan, associate researcher at the Romania Energy Center, in the foundation's Eurasia Daily Monitor:
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Romania and Ukraine Sign Strategic Partnership
Executive Summary:
* Romania and Ukraine strengthened their bilateral relationship with a strategic partnership, signed on March 12, which opened up new avenues of cooperation in defense, the economy, intelligence, and critical infrastructure, among other sectors.
* The strategic partnership enables Ukraine to secure Romania's backing
... Show Full Article
WASHINGTON, April 28 -- The Jamestown Foundation posted the following commentary on April 27, 2026, by George Visan, associate researcher at the Romania Energy Center, in the foundation's Eurasia Daily Monitor:
* * *
Romania and Ukraine Sign Strategic Partnership
Executive Summary:
* Romania and Ukraine strengthened their bilateral relationship with a strategic partnership, signed on March 12, which opened up new avenues of cooperation in defense, the economy, intelligence, and critical infrastructure, among other sectors.
* The strategic partnership enables Ukraine to secure Romania's backingfor Euro-Atlantic integration, while it enables Romania to improve its diplomatic position in the Black Sea.
* The Romanian-Ukrainian strategic partnership represents an important step toward building a strong regional framework to counter Russian revisionism amid the current security environment in the Black Sea.
After more than two years of intense negotiations, Romania and Ukraine signed a strategic partnership on March 12 (President of Romania, March 12). This marks a new era in relations between the two countries and opens opportunities for cooperation in security, defense, economics, and culture. It is a sign of maturing relations between the two countries. Bucharest is securing its diplomatic position in the Black Sea with a new strategic partner, while Kyiv gains a strong advocate in the European Union and the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO).
Romania can now rely on strategic partnerships with Bulgaria (2023), Turkiye (2011), Moldova (2010), Ukraine (2026), Georgia (2022), and Azerbaijan (2009), strengthening its position in the region (Romanian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, accessed April 27). From a diplomatic standpoint, Bucharest is trying to build a network of "like-minded" states to counter Russian influence and to forge a stronger regional cooperation framework.
On March 12, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy visited Romania and met with his Romanian counterpart, President Nicusor Dan (TVRInfo.ro, March 12). This was Zelenskyy's second visit to Romania in three years, the first being in 2023 (President of Romania, October 10, 2023). It was also the second time Zelenskyy met with Dan, following their first meeting in Vilnius on June 2, 2025 (TVRInfo.ro, June 2, 2025).
The idea of a strategic partnership between Romania and Ukraine emerged after Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, at the first meeting of the Odesa Triangle--a trilateral cooperation format between Romania, Moldova, and Ukraine (Embassy of Ukraine in Romania, September 15, 2022). The project advanced further in 2023 after Zelenskyy visited Bucharest (President of Romania, October 10, 2023).
Historically, Romanian-Ukrainian relations have not been close, despite the 1997 treaty of cooperation and good neighborly relations between the two countries (see The Monitor, July 9, 1997). Since Ukrainian independence, bilateral relations have been affected by disputes over minority rights for ethnic Romanians living in Ukraine, waterways, and border demarcation. Romania's drive in the late 1990s for Euro-Atlantic integration led to a relative neglect of its bilateral relations with its largest neighbor to the east. Because of the poor relations between the two countries and because Bucharest eventually became a member of NATO, Ukrainian troops routinely practiced against a potential Romanian invasion of Ukraine (Libertatea, April 4, 2022).
Persistent and seemingly insurmountable issues affected the relationship in the early and late 2000s, such as the development of the Bystre canal in the Danube Delta and maritime delimitation in the Black Sea (see The Monitor, October 9, 1996, May 5, 1997; see EDM, September 10, 2004, March 17, 2009; see Black Sea Battleground, December 20, 2021). Despite the acrimonious relations between the two countries, in 2008, Romania supported the accession of Ukraine and Georgia to the Alliance at the Bucharest NATO Summit to counterbalance an increasingly revisionist and assertive Russia in the Black Sea (NATO, April 3, 2008). The political instability of the early 2000s in Ukraine, with pro-European and pro-Russian factions alternating in power, fostered in Romania a perception of an unreliable neighbor. The lowest point in relations between the two countries was reached in 2009, when two Ukrainian diplomats were expelled from Romania for espionage (Ziare.com, March 6, 2009). Despite not being publicly acknowledged, it was heavily implied that both "diplomats" were actually working for the Russian intelligence services (Mediafax, March 10, 2009; Hotnews.ro, May 17, 2009).
The 2013 Euromaidan protests, the annexation of Crimea in 2014, and Russia's attempt to take over Eastern Ukraine contributed significantly to a relative improvement in relations between the two countries. Dialogue and cooperation on technical issues such as energy security, cybersecurity, transport infrastructure, border crossings, civil society contacts, and military technical cooperation created the necessary trust to advance relations further. Romania has also been an advocate for EU integration for Ukraine (President of Romania, March 12). Russia's invasion of Ukraine in 2022 transformed the relationship completely. Kyiv became a bulwark against Russian revisionism and expansionism for Romania, while Bucharest was key to Ukraine's military and economic survival.
The new strategic partnership is all-encompassing and covers every aspect of the bilateral relationship between the two countries (President of Romania, March 12). At the political level, bilateral relations will be chaired by both presidents within the framework of a high-level strategic commission, and joint cabinet meetings will be held each year. Technical issues will be coordinated through a Joint Intergovernmental Commission for Economic, Industrial, and Technical-Scientific Cooperation, while a similar joint military commission will handle military technical cooperation. A third dedicated commission will handle the delicate issue of minority rights, and Ukraine agreed to institute the "Romanian Language Day" as a national holiday. Policy-wise, the dialogue between Bucharest and Kyiv will be handled by the foreign ministries of both countries, through a "2+2" format that will include the foreign and defense ministers.
In terms of security and defense cooperation, the strategic partnership builds on the 2024 Agreement on Security Cooperation signed by Zelenskyy and former Romanian President Klaus Iohannis in Washington (RFELEuropea Libera Romania, July 11, 2024). Romania will continue to support Ukraine's NATO aspirations and the Alliance's open-door policy. The areas of cooperation between the two countries in defense and security spheres have been extended to cybersecurity, foreign information manipulations and interference (FIMI), intelligence sharing, combating organized crime, deepening cooperation between the ministries of internal affairs of both countries, protection of critical infrastructure, cooperation between rescue and civil defense agencies, cooperation regarding strategic communications initiatives, and cooperation in the defense and aerospace sector.
The Black Sea represents the main focus of security and defense cooperation for Romania and Ukraine. Both countries agreed to closely cooperate to enhance awareness of threats in the region, maritime security, protection of critical infrastructure, coordination between coast guards, and response to civil emergencies. From an economic point of view, the document lays the foundations for intensified cooperation in the Black Sea in sectors such as transportation, infrastructure, digital, and energy. In the latter sector, both countries acknowledged their interest in developing offshore energy projects and agreed to share gas storage facilities. Environmental protection and cultural activities are also included as spheres of regional cooperation between the two countries.
In a strong signal that this strategic partnership is not just another diplomatic document, a delegation of 15 Ukrainian defense companies has already met with Romanian Minister of Defense Radu-Dinel Miruta to explore the potential of producing unmanned aerial systems in Romania for both countries (Mediafax, March 30). The Romanian authorities will evaluate the Ukrainian offers to develop an unmanned aircraft system (UAS) model that both countries can use. Ukrainian drone or defense production in Romania means that potential Russian direct strikes against such facilities are unlikely and that Bucharest will gain access to the latest defense technology at an affordable cost.
After security and defense, the economy represents the other main pillar of cooperation between the two countries. As they share a 650-kilometer (404-mile) border, Romania and Ukraine have pledged to improve interconnectivity between the two countries. This domain includes sectors such as transportation, infrastructure, digital connectivity, and upgrading, as well as increasing the number of border crossings.
In terms of transportation, both countries want to develop road, rail, and water connections. The role of such connections has proven crucial to Ukraine's survival after Russia's 2022 invasion. The strategic partnership further deepens cooperation in agriculture and trade and seeks to improve the business environment for Romanian and Ukrainian companies. A significant improvement in the business environments of both countries, as well as support from both governments, will be crucial for the future success of Ukraine's reconstruction.
Given the current security environment in the Black Sea, the Romanian-Ukrainian strategic partnership represents an important step toward building a strong regional framework to counter Russian revisionism. The Kremlin will now have fewer opportunities to destabilize relations between the two countries. The deepening cooperation between Kyiv and Bucharest represents a positive development for both NATO and the European Union, which are facing an increasing number of threats and risks.
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George Visan is an associate researcher at the Romania Energy Center (ROEC).
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Original text here: https://jamestown.org/romania-and-ukraine-sign-strategic-partnership/
[Category: ThinkTank]
Ifo Export Expectations in Germany Increase Slightly (April 2026)
MUNICH, Germany, April 28 -- ifo Institute issued the following news release on April 27, 2026:
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ifo Export Expectations in Germany Increase Slightly (April 2026)
Sentiment in the German export industry has improved somewhat. The ifo Export Expectations rose to +0.1 points in April, up from -0.7 points in March, with positive and negative expectations roughly in balance. "The export sector is currently moving neither forward nor backward," says Klaus Wohlrabe, Head of Surveys at ifo. "The high level of geopolitical uncertainty is putting a strain on planning."
Although export expectations
... Show Full Article
MUNICH, Germany, April 28 -- ifo Institute issued the following news release on April 27, 2026:
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ifo Export Expectations in Germany Increase Slightly (April 2026)
Sentiment in the German export industry has improved somewhat. The ifo Export Expectations rose to +0.1 points in April, up from -0.7 points in March, with positive and negative expectations roughly in balance. "The export sector is currently moving neither forward nor backward," says Klaus Wohlrabe, Head of Surveys at ifo. "The high level of geopolitical uncertainty is putting a strain on planning."
Although export expectationsin the automotive industry were somewhat lower than recently, they remain generally optimistic. The same applies to the electronics sector and furniture manufacturers. Expectations among food and beverage manufacturers even rose significantly. However, the situation remains difficult for many energy-intensive industries, where exports are more likely expected to decline.
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More information
Survey (https://www.ifo.de/en/facts/2026-04-27/ifo-export-expectations-germany-increase-slightly-april-2026)
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Original text here: https://www.ifo.de/en/press-release/2026-04-27/ifo-export-expectations-germany-increase-slightly-april-2026
[Category: ThinkTank]
Center of the American Experiment Issues Commentary: Ohio is Taking Chronic Absenteeism Seriously, So Why Not Minnesota?
GOLDEN VALLEY, Minnesota, April 28 -- The Center of the American Experiment, a civic and educational organization that says it creates and advocates policies, issued the following commentary by policy fellow Josiah Padley:
Ohio policymakers have announced the creation of a statewide Attendance Dashboard that will be used to combat chronic absenteeism.
Chronic absenteeism occurs when a student is absent from school for more than 10 percent of the academic year. Nationally, there were high, destructive spikes of chronic absenteeism immediately following COVID-19. Only a few states have taken meaningful
... Show Full Article
GOLDEN VALLEY, Minnesota, April 28 -- The Center of the American Experiment, a civic and educational organization that says it creates and advocates policies, issued the following commentary by policy fellow Josiah Padley:
Ohio policymakers have announced the creation of a statewide Attendance Dashboard that will be used to combat chronic absenteeism.
Chronic absenteeism occurs when a student is absent from school for more than 10 percent of the academic year. Nationally, there were high, destructive spikes of chronic absenteeism immediately following COVID-19. Only a few states have taken meaningfulsteps towards recovery.
The Ohio dashboard contains impressive swaths of granular data, down to attendance percentages for specific grades at specific schools. Information will update weekly, as opposed to Ohio's previous once-yearly update schedule. In a move designed to promote inter-district replication of quality practices, an attendance leaderboard identifies top-performing and fast-improving districts.
Ohio Gov. DeWine and DEW Director Steve Dackin pointed to the dashboard as an opportunity for districts to modernize and begin to report their attendance in a uniform manner. About 24 percent of Ohio districts haven't yet uploaded their data to the dashboard, generally because of technical difficulties.
Policy writer Jessica Poiner argued that the dashboard creates an incredible opportunity for districts to take chronic absenteeism seriously.
"The dashboard provides real-time data that district and school officials can use to identify issues as they occur and address them before they snowball into a bigger problem. Does a nearby district or charter school have better attendance numbers among its at-risk youth? Then schedule a visit, identify what's working, and implement it. The dashboard makes it possible to learn from other schools. And since it's updated weekly, district officials will have immediate feedback about whether their efforts are working."
Ohio is just the second state in the country to have a continuously updated public dashboard that tracks granular attendance, after Rhode Island. Rhode Island's campaign against chronic absenteeism has had strong results.
Minnesota should consider following Ohio's lead by creating an attendance data dashboard -- or, at the very least, by updating attendance data consistently.
About one in four of Minnesota's students have been chronically absent for the last half-decade. There has not yet been any significant effort to reconnect with students and families to return them to the classroom.
The most recent attendance data published by the Minnesota Department of Education is from 2024. The significant two year delay on publishing regular attendance rates allows the chronic absenteeism conversation to lose significant momentum. Policymakers who would otherwise be able to create and compare successful pilot programs to boost student attendance are stymied by the systemic obscuration of the data.
While chronic absenteeism is present in all types of Minnesota schools, some types of students are more likely to be chronically absent. Minority students, students in poverty, and special education students hold high levels of chronic absenteeism. The longer Minnesota allows the education system to continue without a real intervention for these learners, the more stalwart their learning gaps will become.
[View chart in the link at bottom.]
It's time for Minnesota to modernize and take the crisis of chronic absenteeism seriously. Ohio has given us an example of strong school leadership. Will we follow it?
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Josiah Padley is a Policy Fellow at Center of the American Experiment.
josiah.padley@americanexperiment.org
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Original text here: https://www.americanexperiment.org/ohio-is-taking-chronic-absenteeism-seriously-so-why-not-minnesota/
[Category: ThinkTank]
Center of the American Experiment Issues Commentary: House DFLers Introduce Bill to Punish Cities and Counties Which Fly the Old State Flag
GOLDEN VALLEY, Minnesota, April 28 -- The Center of the American Experiment, a civic and educational organization that says it creates and advocates policies, issued the following commentary on April 27, 2026, by economist John Phelan:
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House DFLers introduce bill to punish cities and counties which fly the old state flag
Prior to 2022, if you had asked 1,000 random Minnesotans to name the ten most pressing issues facing the state, it is very unlikely that any of them would have listed "the state flag." The campaign to change it was the preserve of cranks with little better to do but, when
... Show Full Article
GOLDEN VALLEY, Minnesota, April 28 -- The Center of the American Experiment, a civic and educational organization that says it creates and advocates policies, issued the following commentary on April 27, 2026, by economist John Phelan:
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House DFLers introduce bill to punish cities and counties which fly the old state flag
Prior to 2022, if you had asked 1,000 random Minnesotans to name the ten most pressing issues facing the state, it is very unlikely that any of them would have listed "the state flag." The campaign to change it was the preserve of cranks with little better to do but, whenthe DFL won its "historic" trifecta in 2022, the cranks got their way, and Minnesota got a new state flag which few people wanted.
Our Thinking Minnesota Poll from May 2024, found that:
"...an overwhelming majority of Minnesotans oppose the new state flag set to become official tomorrow as Minnesota celebrates Statehood Day. Fifty-two percent of poll respondents prefer to keep the current flag and 16% want to go back to the drawing board and come up with a different design. Only 24% support using the new flag designed by a committee empowered by the legislature last year. Only 6% had no opinion of the new flag, representing a very high awareness of the issue."
Twice as many Minnesotans preferred to keep the old flag as wanted to use the new one, but elections have consequences, as they say.
Not only was this push to change the state flag unpopular, it was also expensive. As I wrote in October 2024:
The bill establishing the commission allocated $35,000 for the design phase, but the expense doesn't stop there. As Alpha News reports, "the actual cost of replacing flags, uniforms, and signs now falls on state agencies and municipal governments, creating significant expenses across the state":
Alpha News has learned that the Department of Corrections (DOC) is looking at a $2.1 million bill to replace uniform patches featuring the state seal. The DOC spent an additional $10,000 to replace the state flag.
"Replacement of the state seal is estimated to ultimately cost the Department of Corrections approximately $2.1 million. The bulk of the cost derives from uniform replacement because the state seal is on every uniform patch. The agency does not intend to replace all uniforms at once, but rather make the change through attrition and when new uniform orders are placed," a DOC spokesperson confirmed
Counties and police agencies are also expected to face significant costs from the redesign. Here's a sample of some of the estimated costs:
* Hennepin County Sheriff's Office: $500,000
* Dakota County: $170,000
* St. Louis County Sheriff's Office: $50,000
* Benton County Sheriff's Office: $50,000
* Fillmore County: $35,000
* Wright County: $150,000
* Houston County Sheriff's Office: $32,000
* Hennepin County Sheriff's Office: $500,000
* Dakota County: $170,000
* St. Louis County Sheriff's Office: $50,000
* Benton County Sheriff's Office: $50,000
* Fillmore County: $35,000
* Wright County: $150,000
* Houston County Sheriff's Office: $32,000
"Additionally, after the legislature approved the redesign process, the Minnesota State Patrol decided to create its own new logo. According to a blog on the Department of Public Safety website, the agency is expected to spend $4 million over the next six to nine months to update more than 188,000 pieces of equipment, including squad cars, badges, license plates, uniforms, hats, and signage."
All of this, of course, coming out of your taxes.
Recently, a number of cities and counties have decided to push back on this unpopular and expensive exercise by opting to stick with the old state flag. A number of House DFLers have decided that this cannot stand and have introduced HF 5077, which would legislate a "Reduction to local government aid to a county or city that uses the incorrect state flag."
In discussions surrounding Minnesota's state flag you will often see people mocking those "#triggered" by the new state flag. Of course, those people were, themselves, "#triggered" enough by the old state flag to make an expensive issue out of something few people cared about and disapproved of when they did.
HF 5077 is unlikely to go anywhere this session, but as flag watchers learned in 2023, elections have consequences.
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John Phelan is an Economist at the Center of the American Experiment.
john.phelan@americanexperiment.org
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Original text here: https://www.americanexperiment.org/house-dflers-introduce-bill-to-punish-cities-and-counties-which-fly-the-old-state-flag/
[Category: ThinkTank]
Center of the American Experiment Issues Commentary: DFL Senator's Plan to End Welfare Fraud - Give Everybody Welfare
GOLDEN VALLEY, Minnesota, April 28 -- The Center of the American Experiment, a civic and educational organization that says it creates and advocates policies, issued the following commentary on April 27, 2026, by economist John Phelan:
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DFL Senator's plan to end welfare fraud: give everybody welfare
In November, the Minnesota Center for Fiscal Excellence (MCFE) -- one of the best policy organizations in the state -- hosted its 99th Annual Meeting and Policy Forum.
The last panel of the day was "Views from the Legislature" and featured Sen. Carla Nelson (R) and Sen. Erin Maye Quade (DFL).
... Show Full Article
GOLDEN VALLEY, Minnesota, April 28 -- The Center of the American Experiment, a civic and educational organization that says it creates and advocates policies, issued the following commentary on April 27, 2026, by economist John Phelan:
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DFL Senator's plan to end welfare fraud: give everybody welfare
In November, the Minnesota Center for Fiscal Excellence (MCFE) -- one of the best policy organizations in the state -- hosted its 99th Annual Meeting and Policy Forum.
The last panel of the day was "Views from the Legislature" and featured Sen. Carla Nelson (R) and Sen. Erin Maye Quade (DFL).Obviously, in a panel on legislative action at an event on Minnesota's fiscal policy, the question of fraud came up. In the very last remark of the session, Sen. Maye Quade said, in reply to a question:
"One of the best ways to prevent fraud in a program is to make it universal."
I was sitting at a table with a number of state government employees whose jaws nearly fell into their lunch. "How do you make autism centers universal?" one of them asked. "Is she going to give everybody autism?"
It is true, perhaps, that if you eliminate all eligibility requirements for welfare and give it to absolutely everybody, you will eliminate welfare fraud. It is also true that doing so would be enormously expensive, to say nothing of the impacts on employment and the economy more generally of both the payments to workers and the taxes neccessary to finance all this.
The MCFE events are some of the most enlightening public policy events in Minnesota, so keep an eye out for the next one.
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John Phelan is an Economist at the Center of the American Experiment.
john.phelan@americanexperiment.org
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Original text here: https://www.americanexperiment.org/dfl-senators-plan-to-end-welfare-fraud-give-everybody-welfare/
[Category: ThinkTank]
Capital Research Center Issues Commentary: Chicago Schools are Sending Students to a May Day Protest
WASHINGTON, April 28 -- The Capital Research Center issued the following commentary on April 27, 2026, by senior fellow Kali Fontanilla:
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Chicago Schools are sending students to a May Day protest
More than half of Chicago Public School students still can't read at grade level, but the local teacher union wants them to miss a day in the classroom so they can become political protest pawns during a radical left, socialist holiday.
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Imagine a parent in Chicago. Their child is in third grade and still cannot read at grade level. They have been told, repeatedly, that the district is working
... Show Full Article
WASHINGTON, April 28 -- The Capital Research Center issued the following commentary on April 27, 2026, by senior fellow Kali Fontanilla:
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Chicago Schools are sending students to a May Day protest
More than half of Chicago Public School students still can't read at grade level, but the local teacher union wants them to miss a day in the classroom so they can become political protest pawns during a radical left, socialist holiday.
*
Imagine a parent in Chicago. Their child is in third grade and still cannot read at grade level. They have been told, repeatedly, that the district is workingon it. They have been told every minute in the classroom counts. Then they find out that the teachers union spent weeks pushing to cancel school entirely on May 1 so that educators and students could join a coordinated national protest. And when the superintendent held the line and said no, the mayor pressured her to reverse course, the board maneuvered around her, and the union went ahead and posted its victory lap on Facebook before the ink was even dry. This story is shocking enough, but I can't imagine how angry I would be if I were one of the Chicago Public School parents.
What has unfolded in Chicago over the past two weeks is not a labor dispute. It is a case study in what happens when a teachers union stops serving students and starts serving a political movement.
Before an official agreement was reached, the Chicago Teachers Union went ahead and posted its win anyway. In a public statement on their Facebook page, the union declared: "On May 1, 2026, we take action, together. Through our collective bargaining, we secured the ability to stand united on May Day with No School. No Work. No Shopping."
The phrasing matters; it was framed as an achievement. The union secured the ability to shut down schools so its members could participate in a coordinated political action. Meanwhile, Superintendent Dr. Macquline King was telling parents and the board that the school would remain open. Parents across Chicago had no idea what was actually happening because the union had already declared victory over the head of the person legally responsible for running the district. Mayor Brandon Johnson, a former CTU organizer and close ally of the union, publicly backed letting students and teachers miss school.
On April 17, CPS and CTU reached an agreement. School technically stays open.
But here is what that actually means in practice. One hundred schools will be provided with district-supplied buses and bag lunches so that students can attend the 1 p.m. May Day rally at Union Park. If CPS cannot line up enough buses, the city will supply free transit cards to make sure students get there. Teachers can go too. The district will not penalize any student or staff member who attends. And the CTU described the purpose of the day in its own statement as transforming the school day "to one focused on civic engagement, student voice, and standing up to the White House's attacks targeting our school community." They are not even pretending this is neutral civic education.
And perhaps the most revealing concession of all. CPS agreed to designate May 1, 2028, as a teacher-directed professional development day, meaning no school for students, and they will create a "May Day Taskforce" to create curriculum and school-based activities in honor of the day. The CTU called the overall agreement "monumental news."
I was a middle school teacher. I know exactly what it takes to manage a classroom of 30 kids in a controlled environment. A large, politically charged downtown protest in Chicago is not a controlled environment. Middle school students require careful, consistent supervision under normal circumstances. Put them in a crowd of thousands of adult protesters carrying signs, chanting, and demonstrating against the federal government, and the supervision demands multiply significantly.
Who exactly is supervising these students at this massive rally downtown? The agreement says schools must follow normal field trip procedures, but it also says staff cannot be penalized for participating in civic activities themselves. So if a teacher decides to join the rally as a participant rather than a chaperone, who is responsible for the children? Is there a formal supervision plan, or are students effectively on their own in a crowd of thousands of adult protesters? The agreement is silent on this. Parents deserve a direct answer before their child is put on a bus headed to Union Park.
Chicago parents also deserve to understand exactly what kind of day their children are being bused to celebrate. May Day is not a children's holiday. It is not a civic education tradition. It has nothing to do with K-12 curriculum.
May Day originated from the 1886 Haymarket Affair in Chicago, when a bomb was thrown at police during a labor rally, killing officers and civilians alike. In 1889, a federation of socialist parties in Europe designated May 1 as International Workers Day specifically to commemorate that event and amplify the cause of labor organizing. The United States does not recognize May Day as an official holiday. America has a deliberate, separate alternative to May Day: Labor Day, arguably because May Day carries the baggage of anarchist politics and socialist organizing. The distinction was intentional.
May Day has always been a very adult political and radical left labor movement day. It was designated by socialist parties, built around strikes and work stoppages, and celebrated most prominently in communist and socialist countries throughout the 20th century. Repackaging it as a K-12 field trip destination is not civic education. It is political recruitment dressed up in school letterhead. Might as well get the kids some shirts with hammers & sickles while they are at it.
Chicago Public Schools is not a high-performing district, taking a brief pause for civic reflection. It is a struggling district diverting time from students who are already running out of it.
According to the most recent Illinois Report Card data, only 43 percent of CPS students in grades three through eight are reading at grade level. In math, just 27 percent meet the standard. Forty percent are chronically absent, meaning these kids are already missing enough school on their own. These are not numbers that suggest a district with instructional time to spare.
The students most behind in Chicago are disproportionately low-income, Black, and Latino. Fewer than 35 percent of low-income CPS students met reading proficiency standards in 2025. The union claims to fight for these kids. But busing them to a political rally against the White House on district-funded transportation, with taxpayer dollars, while 57 percent of their classmates still cannot read at grade level, is not fighting for them. It is using them.
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Kali Fontanilla
Kali is serving as CRC's Senior fellow, particularly focusing on topics related to K-12 public education.
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Original text here: https://capitalresearch.org/article/chicago-schools-may-day-protest/
[Category: ThinkTank]
AFPI Files Suit Challenging Washington Policy That Houses Men in Women's Prison
WASHINGTON, April 28 -- The America First Policy Institute issued the following news release on April 27, 2026:
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AFPI Files Suit Challenging Washington Policy That Houses Men in Women's Prison
The America First Policy Institute (AFPI) today filed a lawsuit challenging the Washington State Department of Corrections' policy of housing male inmates who identify as women in the state's prison for women, a policy the complaint alleges has led to violence, sexual abuse, intimidation, and ongoing fear among female inmates.
The suit was filed on behalf of plaintiffs Fair for All, Inc. and Faith
... Show Full Article
WASHINGTON, April 28 -- The America First Policy Institute issued the following news release on April 27, 2026:
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AFPI Files Suit Challenging Washington Policy That Houses Men in Women's Prison
The America First Policy Institute (AFPI) today filed a lawsuit challenging the Washington State Department of Corrections' policy of housing male inmates who identify as women in the state's prison for women, a policy the complaint alleges has led to violence, sexual abuse, intimidation, and ongoing fear among female inmates.
The suit was filed on behalf of plaintiffs Fair for All, Inc. and FaithBooher-Smith, a female inmate at the Washington Corrections Center for Women who alleges she was violently attacked by a male inmate transferred into the facility under the challenged policy.
The complaint alleges Washington officials have continued enforcing the policy despite prior incidents, prior litigation, direct complaints, and repeated warning signs that housing men in the women's facility created a substantial risk of harm. It further alleges that female inmates have been forced to share cells, showers, bathrooms, and other intimate living spaces with male inmates, stripping them of the sex-based protections a women's prison is supposed to provide.
"A women's prison is supposed to protect women," said Leigh Ann O'Neill, chief legal affairs officer at AFPI. "Washington's policy turned that basic duty on its head. When the state knowingly forces women to live with men in intimate correctional settings -- even after assaults, abuse allegations, and repeated warnings -- it is violating the women's constitutional rights."
The lawsuit asserts that Washington's policy violates the Eighth Amendment's prohibition on cruel and unusual punishment and the Fourteenth Amendment's guarantee of equal protection. It argues that female inmates are being subjected to foreseeable and preventable harm while the state prioritizes accommodations for male inmates who identify as women over the safety, privacy, and dignity of the women already housed there.
"Fairness begins with telling the truth," said Monica Harris, executive director of Fair for All. "Women in custody are wholly dependent on the state for their safety. When officials ignore reality, ignore repeated warnings, and ignore the women living with the consequences, the law has to step in. No woman should be told that her safety, privacy, and dignity matter less because the state prefers ideology to common sense."
The complaint describes the August 7, 2025, attack on Booher-Smith and alleges that prison officials had advance notice of the risks posed by certain transferred male inmates, including through prior complaints and litigation. It also alleges ongoing harm to additional Fair for All members at the facility; the nonprofit is involved as a plaintiff to advocate for an entire class of women who are threatened.
AFPI previously called on Washington officials to revoke the policy after Booher-Smith's assault, warning that sex-denying correctional policies were putting female inmates in danger.
"This case is about state power and state responsibility," O'Neill added. "Washington is making incarcerated women in its custody victims of a bad experiment, knowing full well what the consequence of their ideological scheme would be."
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Original text here: https://www.americafirstpolicy.com/issues/afpi-files-suit-challenging-washington-policy-that-houses-men-in-womens-prison
[Category: ThinkTank]
