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Rand Issues Commentary to STAT: Teens Are Turning to Chatbots for Mental Health Help. We Need Rules to Keep Them Safe
SANTA MONICA, California, July 3 -- Rand issued the following excerpts of a commentary on July 2, 2026, by senior policy researcher Ryan K. McBain to STAT. McBain is also an assistant professor of medicine at Harvard Medical School.
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Teens Are Turning to Chatbots for Mental Health Help. We Need Rules to Keep Them Safe
While parents, schools, and lawmakers are still debating the impact of social media on children's mental health, a new technology has taken the therapist's seat: AI chatbots.
In research that my colleagues and I published recently in JAMA Pediatrics, we found that the share
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SANTA MONICA, California, July 3 -- Rand issued the following excerpts of a commentary on July 2, 2026, by senior policy researcher Ryan K. McBain to STAT. McBain is also an assistant professor of medicine at Harvard Medical School.
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Teens Are Turning to Chatbots for Mental Health Help. We Need Rules to Keep Them Safe
While parents, schools, and lawmakers are still debating the impact of social media on children's mental health, a new technology has taken the therapist's seat: AI chatbots.
In research that my colleagues and I published recently in JAMA Pediatrics, we found that the shareof young people using AI chatbots for mental health advice rose from about 1 in 8 to about 1 in 5 in a single year--more than a 40% increase.
That finding should end any illusion that this is a speculative problem. For millions of adolescents, AI is already part of the mental health landscape....
The remainder of this commentary is available at statnews.com (https://www.statnews.com/2026/07/02/teens-chatbots-mental-health-rules-bans/).
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McBain is an assistant professor at Harvard Medical School and a senior policy researcher at RAND.
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Original text here: https://www.rand.org/pubs/commentary/2026/07/teens-are-turning-to-chatbots-for-mental-health-help.html
[Category: ThinkTank]
Center of the American Experiment Issues Commentary: Walz and Ellison Pardon Man Who Raped a 10-year-old Girl So That He Can Stay in Minnesota
MINNETONKA, Minnesota, July 3 -- The Center of the American Experiment, a civic and educational organization that says it creates and advocates policies, issued the following commentary on July 2, 2026, by economist John Phelan:
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Walz and Ellison pardon man who raped a 10-year-old girl so that he can stay in Minnesota
The Pioneer Press reports:
"A three-person Minnesota panel including Gov. Tim Walz granted a pardon to an immigrant convicted of sexually abusing a child, drawing accusations that he and other Democrats are impeding federal efforts to expel dangerous foreign criminals eligible
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MINNETONKA, Minnesota, July 3 -- The Center of the American Experiment, a civic and educational organization that says it creates and advocates policies, issued the following commentary on July 2, 2026, by economist John Phelan:
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Walz and Ellison pardon man who raped a 10-year-old girl so that he can stay in Minnesota
The Pioneer Press reports:
"A three-person Minnesota panel including Gov. Tim Walz granted a pardon to an immigrant convicted of sexually abusing a child, drawing accusations that he and other Democrats are impeding federal efforts to expel dangerous foreign criminals eligiblefor deportation."
"The Minnesota Board of Pardons granted the reprieve June 10 to Tou Lue Vang, 42, who came to the United States as a child and was set to be deported to Laos imminently. Vang had submitted a letter to the board expressing regret for the actions that led to his 2005 conviction, and said a pardon could help him stay in the country with his wife and six children.
"Vang's victim, who was 10 when the abuse began, also submitted a letter supporting the pardon. Vang pleaded guilty to first-degree criminal sexual conduct in a plea deal that spared him from serving time in prison.
"The pardon effectively wiped clean Vang's criminal record, providing him an avenue to fight deportation.
"Trump administration officials criticized the pardon, denouncing Walz and other Democratic leaders in the state. The other two members of the pardon board are Attorney General Keith Ellison and the state's chief Supreme Court justice, Natalie Hudson."
Bill Melugin of Fox News shares the following:
[View image in the link at bottom.]
The Pioneer Press report goes on:
""Tou Lue Vang lost his legal status following his conviction for repeatedly sexually assaulting a 10-year-old girl," [Lauren Bis, a spokesperson for the Department of Homeland Security] said, confirming that the pardon would remove the criminal sexual conduct conviction underlying Vang's removal order."
"In response to a request for comment, Walz's office pointed to the letter the victim provided the board, and said such pleas for clemency carry significant weight...
""The Minnesota Board of Pardons made a unanimous decision to grant Tou Vang this pardon after an exhaustive process which included a statement of support for the pardon from the victim, a recommendation to grant the pardon from the Clemency Review Commission and a large number of community support letters," Ellison's office said in a statement to The New York Times. It noted President Donald Trump's own expansive use of executive pardon power."
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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/walz-and-ellison-pardon-man-who-raped-a-10-year-old-girl-so-that-he-can-stay-in-minnesota/
[Category: ThinkTank]
Center of the American Experiment Issues Commentary: Minneapolis Students Fall Further Behind the Longer They Stay in the District
MINNETONKA, Minnesota, July 3 -- The Center of the American Experiment, a civic and educational organization that says it creates and advocates policies, issued the following commentary on July 2, 2026, by policy fellow Catrin Wigfall:
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Minneapolis students fall further behind the longer they stay in the district
Students in Minneapolis Public Schools are losing ground, according to an analysis on academic performance.
The analysis, from researchers at Stanford and Harvard, is full of metrics on where Minneapolis schools stand. One that stood out to me is the district's "learning rate,"
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MINNETONKA, Minnesota, July 3 -- The Center of the American Experiment, a civic and educational organization that says it creates and advocates policies, issued the following commentary on July 2, 2026, by policy fellow Catrin Wigfall:
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Minneapolis students fall further behind the longer they stay in the district
Students in Minneapolis Public Schools are losing ground, according to an analysis on academic performance.
The analysis, from researchers at Stanford and Harvard, is full of metrics on where Minneapolis schools stand. One that stood out to me is the district's "learning rate,"which measures how much academic ground students gain each year they're in the district's classrooms. Nationally, a rate of 1.0 means a student gains a full grade level of skills per school year.
Minneapolis comes in at 0.87. For every year a student spends in the district, they're gaining roughly 87 percent of a grade level's worth of learning. A student who starts behind doesn't catch up but falls further behind because instruction isn't moving them forward quickly enough. Over six years (grades 3 through 8), that cumulative shortfall approaches a full lost grade level. And according to the report, the learning rate itself has been slipping, dropping by about 0.02 a year.
The district's math and reading test scores tell the same story. On average, Minneapolis students perform nearly two grade levels below the national average in reading and math (-1.91). This is worse than the average for "similar districts" (-0.71) and far worse than the Minnesota state average (-0.13). Since 2022, those scores have fallen by about 0.11 grade levels a year. Among roughly 10,000 districts included in the analysis, Minneapolis ranks in the 11th percentile in math and 14th in reading.
Average Grade 3-8 Test Scores, 2022-2025, by District Socioeconomic Status
[View chart in the link at bottom.]
Academic challenges and stark achievement gaps aren't the district's only challenges. Minneapolis is also dealing with a $50 million budget deficit, millions in IRS penalties, half-underused school buildings, declining enrollment, staffing troubles, and chronic absenteeism that has more than doubled since 2017.
Meanwhile, districts serving similar student populations are outperforming Minneapolis. So are private schools like Hope Academy, which serves a lot of the same families. This suggests the problem includes whether students have access to schools that are producing stronger outcomes.
One proposal is to break up the district into smaller ones, an idea that was pitched in the Minnesota legislature a decade ago. Perhaps this would decentralize the district's structure and decision-making and make schools more responsive to families.
Even if restructuring could help, families whose children are struggling today don't have that kind of time. Expanding access to schools like Hope Academy would offer help much sooner. Ninety percent of empirical studies on private school choice programs find they help, not hurt, the test scores of students who stay in public schools. States across the country have been chipping away at the financial barriers that keep families stuck in underperforming districts, and Minnesota has its own version of that idea on the table right now. The new federal scholarship tax credit is another opportunity to help Minnesota students, if the governor will opt the state in.
Families deserve access to schools and education resources that will meet their needs now. Will Minnesota give it to them?
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Catrin Wigfall is a Policy Fellow at Center of the American Experiment.
catrin.wigfall@americanexperiment.org
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Original text here: https://www.americanexperiment.org/minneapolis-students-fall-further-behind-the-longer-they-stay-in-the-district/
[Category: ThinkTank]
CSIS Issues Commentary: Reflecting on U.S. Development Policy on the United States' 250th Anniversary
WASHINGTON, July 3 -- The Center for Strategic and International Studies issued the following commentary on July 2, 2026, by Hadeil Ali, chief of staff of the Global Development Department:
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Reflecting on U.S. Development Policy on the United States' 250th Anniversary
The 250th anniversary of the founding of the United States offers a window to reflect on the country's identity and leadership. This reflection exercise is common in conversations about immigration, innovation, and the economy, yet the picture is incomplete without an honest analysis of the U.S. relationship with the world
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WASHINGTON, July 3 -- The Center for Strategic and International Studies issued the following commentary on July 2, 2026, by Hadeil Ali, chief of staff of the Global Development Department:
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Reflecting on U.S. Development Policy on the United States' 250th Anniversary
The 250th anniversary of the founding of the United States offers a window to reflect on the country's identity and leadership. This reflection exercise is common in conversations about immigration, innovation, and the economy, yet the picture is incomplete without an honest analysis of the U.S. relationship with the worldand what that means for development moving forward. While much of the conversation recently has focused on the dismantling of the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID), the steep decline of official development assistance globally, and the growing fear among Americans of international entanglements, there is a unique opportunity to broaden the conversation to a strategic assessment of the U.S. relationship with development that examines who the United States is to the world, who it wants to be, and how it gets there.
What makes this moment even more ripe for reflection is the scale of disruption the sector has experienced juxtaposed with domestic and global forward-looking conversations on its future role. The fundamental question is why development matters for U.S. engagement and what it means for U.S. global leadership moving forward. There is a need to understand and reflect on how the world perceives the United States and how development has been, and can be, a core component of U.S. global posture and image.
The History of U.S. Development Policy
The roots of U.S. foreign assistance date back to the early days of the republic. The 1900-1940 period saw an increase in foreign assistance efforts due to a number of factors, including the recognition that the United States had a moral and strategic role to play on the global stage and that development assistance was a key tool in advancing U.S. security interests. As a rising superpower, the United States recognized that aid could bolster its image abroad, facilitate investments in strategic regions, and play a role in making the world safer and more prosperous. After World War II, the United States was key in building institutions and partnerships that are the foundation of the current foreign assistance ecosystem. What unfolded in that time frame and beyond is a recognition that foreign assistance is a policy tool that can be leveraged for domestic and global outcomes.
The period during and after the Cold War is arguably one of the most important in the history of U.S. development assistance. Development became part of a broader soft power strategy through investment abroad that fought against communist expansion and aligned with the United States' desired world order. The Cold War period coincided with countries gaining independence and the expansion of U.S. engagement through humanitarian, public health, and agriculture programs; one pertinent example is President Eisenhower's Agriculture Trade Development and Assistance Act, later known as Food for Peace. Many of the institutions that continue to shape the development agenda today emerged during that time frame, including USAID, created by President Kennedy in 1961. Internationally, several regional development banks were established during that time, such as the Inter-American Development Bank, the African Development Bank, and the Asian Development Bank.
The Future of U.S. Development Policy
Throughout these periods and beyond, investments in foreign assistance and development have sat at the intersection of values and interests. Presidents, members of Congress, and policymakers have justified foreign assistance and development through several recurring narratives. The United States has often framed foreign assistance as a moral responsibility, particularly through humanitarian and public health responses that provide services to those most in need around the world. This argument--that the United States should help provide public goods to vulnerable communities in developing countries--has historically resonated with many Americans, and still does today. Another core rationale has centered on national security: Development assistance can strengthen allies, counter adversaries, and facilitate investment in stable, prosperous societies that ultimately benefit Americans at home. A third rationale has focused on strategic economic investments that open markets, create jobs, and elevate the U.S. private sector, producing returns both domestically and abroad.
Each of these arguments has merit, but when presented together they can create ambiguity about the ultimate purpose of U.S. engagement. If development assistance is meant to serve moral, national security, and economic interests simultaneously, it becomes difficult to comprehend how to define success and assess impact. When measurable outcomes are more important than ever, a clearer understanding of U.S. interests can offer clarity on (1) why the United States should be involved in global development, (2) how it defines its goals, and (3) how development assistance fits into a broader vision of global U.S. leadership. At a critical moment for the United States' future role in the world, it must articulate a coherent strategy for its involvement abroad. In order to do that, it must recognize the shortcomings of the current system, which present opportunities to reexamine and redefine U.S. leadership in the evolving landscape.
* Terminology Conflation: The United States has used "foreign aid," "foreign assistance," and "development" interchangeably when the meanings might have differed. While this is not the sole reason Americans might not understand the tools and approaches at the government's disposal, a lack of clarity has been at least a factor in fueling polarization around the issue. "Foreign aid" has often been the term used to describe the broad range of activities that make up U.S. international development efforts. "Foreign assistance" should be seen as a tool employed by the U.S. government with other countries and may fit under humanitarian, health, democracy, or economic support. "Development" can be characterized as a policy goal that fits the interests of the United States. Development may leverage foreign assistance, but there is a wider toolbox within this framing. A clearer understanding and application of definitions is key in this next phase.
* Domestic Connection: Connected to clarity on terminology is the ability to communicate to constituents why this issue matters and what the return on investment is. The lack of reaction to the dismantling of USAID tells a painful story, and perhaps provides a lesson, on the role that narrative and framing need to play. While Americans do benefit at home from sound investments abroad, that story has not always been well communicated, and misinformation further complicates the picture. In a world with constrained resources and increasing domestic challenges, making clear the connection between the domestic and the global is more important than ever.
* Clarity on the Full Range of Tools: The American public needs a more comprehensive understanding of the full range of development tools that the United States uses, why particular tools are selected, and how they advance U.S. goals and interests. A post-USAID narrative asserted that aid money spent on other countries was wasteful and thus did not accomplish necessary objectives. While concerns about impact and cost-effectiveness may be valid in some cases, this narrative underscored a broader gap in public understanding of the full range of tools and instruments available--including both diplomacy-based aid and trade-based development finance--and, even more importantly, why they are chosen.
* Matching Policy Goals to the Right Tools: Development tools are only effective when the goals and objectives are clearly defined from the outset and, as a result, drive the selection of the tools used to execute. Too often, the development policy ecosystem has missed opportunities to specify the desired outcomes, select the best-suited tools, and determine metrics of success accordingly. An effective alignment between policy objectives, instruments, and evaluation metrics is key for assessing impact and ensuring strategic U.S. engagement.
* Strategic Localization: A key element of this reflection endeavor is to be clear-eyed about how partners and the rest of the world view the United States, and, in turn, what their priorities are. The exercise requires a serious understanding and adoption of a development model that is more equitable and driven by local governments and communities. This approach would be more strategic and sustainable for the United States over the long term. An investment in local structures, institutions, and governments--rather than creating duplicative efforts--can improve efficiency and strengthen the sustainability of these investments. The necessary political will is key to implementing this approach, acknowledging the historical harm the development system has inflicted, and honestly reflecting on its current structural failures. With the emergence of a range of coalitions and initiatives within the Global South--including the Accra Reset, the Abidjan Consensus, and the Durban Promise--calling for system reform, country ownership, and genuine partnership, it is a critical moment for the United States to build its agenda and posture in alignment with its interests and the evolving landscape. The United States must view this agenda as an opportunity to build strong alliances and restore trust.
This complex picture, coinciding with the 250th anniversary of the United States, could provide an avenue to shape what the next 250 years might look like. A new landscape requires more innovative and targeted models, approaches, and tools. The motivation should not be about who will fill the gap instead of the United States--although that is a factor--but rather what honest, bold leadership this moment demands from the United States and how it wants to position itself globally.
The United States has an opportunity to reassess and redefine its leadership on development for years to come. The next chapter will not mirror the last 250 years. The moral, national security, and economic interests that have long shaped U.S. engagement on foreign assistance and development remain relevant, but the environment has changed. How will the United States communicate the relevance of development to its global strategic leadership? The development agenda is not merely a budgetary or a policy question; it is a strategic question on how the United States chooses to define its global leadership in a moment of fragmentation and disruption.
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Hadeil Ali is chief of staff of the Global Development Department at the Center for Strategic and International Studies in Washington, D.C. The author is grateful to Global Development intern Omar Malik for his assistance with background research.
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Original text here: https://www.csis.org/analysis/reflecting-us-development-policy-united-states-250th-anniversary
[Category: ThinkTank]
America First Policy Institute Issues Commentary to Washington Examiner: Adoption is an Option - It's Time to Restore Hope and Strengthen Families
WASHINGTON, July 3 -- The America First Policy Institute issued the following commentary on July 2, 2026, by Stacey Schieffelin, chair of the America First Women's Initiative and chief external affairs officer, and John Knox, founder of Adoption is an Option, to the Washington Examiner:
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Adoption is an Option: It's Time to Restore Hope and Strengthen Families
At our core, America is a nation that understands that strong families are essential to the future of our communities. Families are where children first learn love, responsibility, sacrifice, faith, and belonging. While there are many
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WASHINGTON, July 3 -- The America First Policy Institute issued the following commentary on July 2, 2026, by Stacey Schieffelin, chair of the America First Women's Initiative and chief external affairs officer, and John Knox, founder of Adoption is an Option, to the Washington Examiner:
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Adoption is an Option: It's Time to Restore Hope and Strengthen Families
At our core, America is a nation that understands that strong families are essential to the future of our communities. Families are where children first learn love, responsibility, sacrifice, faith, and belonging. While there are manypaths to building a family, adoption is one we should enthusiastically encourage, defend, and champion. It gives children loving homes, empowers expectant mothers to make informed decisions, and strengthens communities by affirming that every child's life has dignity, purpose, and promise.
Contrary to public perception, there is no shortage of loving families eager to provide homes for adoptive children. Across the country, qualified families are waiting and ready to welcome a child into their lives. The problem is that society often fails to equip women facing unexpected pregnancies with accurate information, support, clarity, and hope at one of the most consequential moments of their lives.
Many women mistakenly believe private adoption is the same as foster care. It is not. Foster care is designed primarily for family reunification through a court-mandated system. Private adoption allows an expectant mother to make a thoughtful and loving plan for her child, including selecting the family who will raise that child.
To read the full article, click here (https://www.washingtonexaminer.com/restoring-america/community-family/4632586/adoption-option-time-restore-hope-strengthen-families/).
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Original text here: https://www.americafirstpolicy.com/issues/adoption-is-an-option-its-time-to-restore-hope-and-strengthen-families
[Category: ThinkTank]
AFPI on the Walz-Ellison Pardon: Minnesota's Leaders Handed a Child Rapist a Clean Slate
WASHINGTON, July 3 -- The America First Policy Institute issued the following statement on July 2, 2026:
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AFPI on the Walz-Ellison Pardon: Minnesota's Leaders Handed a Child Rapist a Clean Slate
MINNEAPOLIS, MN -- The America First Policy Institute (AFPI) today released the following statement after the Minnesota Board of Pardons cleared the record of Tou Lue Vang, an illegal alien convicted of repeatedly sexually assaulting a 10-year-old girl. The pardon strips away the convictions that made him deportable, just a week before he was set to be removed from the country.
Zach Freimark, Executive
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WASHINGTON, July 3 -- The America First Policy Institute issued the following statement on July 2, 2026:
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AFPI on the Walz-Ellison Pardon: Minnesota's Leaders Handed a Child Rapist a Clean Slate
MINNEAPOLIS, MN -- The America First Policy Institute (AFPI) today released the following statement after the Minnesota Board of Pardons cleared the record of Tou Lue Vang, an illegal alien convicted of repeatedly sexually assaulting a 10-year-old girl. The pardon strips away the convictions that made him deportable, just a week before he was set to be removed from the country.
Zach Freimark, ExecutiveDirector of AFPI Minnesota, responded:
"A convicted child rapist was one week from deportation, and Governor Walz and Attorney General Ellison went out of their way to wipe his record clean and keep him here. Let that sink in.
A man who repeatedly assaulted a 10-year-old girl and tried to buy her silence for ten dollars is walking free with a pardon. This is what their sanctuary politics protects, and our children are the ones who pay for it. It is disgraceful, and every family in this state should be furious."
The America First Policy Institute stands for a simple principle: protect the innocent, hold the guilty accountable, and put American families first. We condemn Minnesota's leaders who just failed all three principles.
To learn more about AFPI Minnesota, click here (https://www.americafirstpolicy.com/state-chapter/america-first-minnesota).
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Original text here: https://www.americafirstpolicy.com/issues/afpi-on-the-walz-ellison-pardon-minnesotas-leaders-handed-a-child-rapist-a-clean-slate
[Category: ThinkTank]
AFPI Urges Supreme Court to Protect Religious Liberty in St. Mary Catholic Parish vs. Roy
WASHINGTON, July 3 -- The America First Policy Institute issued the following news release on July 2, 2026:
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AFPI Urges Supreme Court to Protect Religious Liberty in St. Mary Catholic Parish v. Roy
The America First Policy Institute (AFPI) today filed an amicus brief in St. Mary Catholic Parish v. Roy, urging the U.S. Supreme Court to provide much-needed clarity on the meaning of "religion" under the First Amendment's Free Exercise Clause. The Supreme Court has never adopted a clear definition of religion for Free Exercise Clause cases. As a result, lower courts have applied inconsistent
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WASHINGTON, July 3 -- The America First Policy Institute issued the following news release on July 2, 2026:
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AFPI Urges Supreme Court to Protect Religious Liberty in St. Mary Catholic Parish v. Roy
The America First Policy Institute (AFPI) today filed an amicus brief in St. Mary Catholic Parish v. Roy, urging the U.S. Supreme Court to provide much-needed clarity on the meaning of "religion" under the First Amendment's Free Exercise Clause. The Supreme Court has never adopted a clear definition of religion for Free Exercise Clause cases. As a result, lower courts have applied inconsistentand often subjective tests, leaving religious Americans, faith-based schools, charities, ministries and courts without a stable rule upon which they may rely.
This case centers on Colorado's exclusion of faith-based schools from its universal preschool program based on religious beliefs and practices. AFPI's brief argues the First Amendment's protection for the "free exercise" of religion cannot be fully enforced unless courts understand what the Constitution means by "religion."`
"Religious liberty is a natural right the Constitution recognizes and protects," said Leigh Ann O'Neill, chief legal affairs officer at AFPI. "The First Amendment protects more than private belief. It protects the ability of religious Americans and religious institutions to live out sincere duties of faith in public life."
AFPI argues the Founders understood religion as more than personal philosophy, ideology, ethics or private conscience. The brief asks the court to recognize religion as a system of sincere beliefs and practices derived from duties owed to a sacred authority that is prior to and beyond human relations and that receives allegiance and worship.
To read more about AFPI's fight to defend American values in the courts, click here (https://www.americafirstpolicy.com/policy-areas/litigation).
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Original text here: https://www.americafirstpolicy.com/issues/afpi-urges-supreme-court-to-protect-religious-liberty-in-st-mary-catholic-parish-v-roy
[Category: ThinkTank]
