Setting the Stage: Practical Ideas for Implementing High-Quality Afterschool Arts Programs

Afterschool programs looking to add high-quality arts learning to their programming might do well to keep three practices in mind: Employ professional teaching artistsProvide current, high-quality equipmentCreate dedicated art spaces that welcome and inspireThese practices are essential to enriching arts experiences that engage young people. They may entail higher costs than what an organization currently spends on arts programs. But these costs may not be vastly different from the costs of sports, STEM, or other programs.And there are ways to keep the costs down.  These are the major findings from research about a Wallace Foundation effort that sought to increase access to high-quality arts education for students from historically marginalized backgrounds

Preferences for Firearms and Their Implications for Regulation

More than 40 percent of Americans reside in a household that contains at least one firearm. Combined, American civilians own roughly 400 million firearms. Both the popularity of firearms and the codification of the right to bear arms in the U.S. Constitution suggest that gun ownership confers substantial enjoyment to consumers in the United States. Although the vast majority of purchased firearms are not used in violent crime, the toll of gun-related injuries is high. In 2020, there were more than 45,000 gunrelated deaths in the United States. Our research develops a framework for evaluating gun policy that simultaneously respects the individual enjoyment of gun ownership and takes seriously the harm caused by guns

PledgeLA Venture Data Report 2023: An Analysis of Access to Capital in the Los Angeles Venture Capital and Tech Ecosystems

A new report from the UCLA Luskin School of Public Affairs that tracks investments made by LA-based venture firms connected to the Annenberg Foundation's PledgeLA initiative found slight increases in funding to women and Black founders when compared with the previous year. However, there are still many gaps remaining, especially when it comes to check size and venture firms' comparative assets under management

Sustaining DEI momentum after the Supreme Court's decision on affirmative action

After the recent SCOTUS decision on affirmative action in higher education, leaders and organizations are grappling with the potential ripple effects on corporate diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) efforts in the near and long term. In navigating this moment, leaders can do two things: (1) reground themselves on why their organization is investing in DEI strategies in the first place, and (2) take a look at existing DEI initiatives to understand where they may evolve and continue to create equal opportunities for all. Assessing risk will no doubt be part of the conversation. Yet, with the strong business case for DEI efforts, how can organizations ensure the risks of discontinuing certain DEI efforts are given the same weight as the risks of continuing them? This how-to guide, created through the W.K. Kellogg Foundation's Expanding Equity program, provides a framework for what to consider while charting a path forward as you review and adapt your DEI strategies — all while remaining true to your aspirations for creating more diverse, equitable and inclusive workplaces

Poultry welfare: Prof. Zulkifli Idrus in conversation with Clive Phillips

Clive Phillips was Australia's first Professor of Animal Welfare, at the University of Queensland, and has written widely on the welfare of farm, zoo and companion animals. In 2022 he conducted a series of recorded dialogues (Conversations With Clive) with senior animal welfare scientists and academic experts, including poultry welfare expert Prof. Zulkifli Idrus - at the University of Putra, Malaysia.These dialogues are aimed at upskilling organizations concerned with farm animal welfare, helping them gain a more nuanced understanding of welfare issues from academics with deep knowledge of animal agriculture systems and direct experience of practices. Relevant academic publications and references are included at the end of the recording.Key topics of the 40-minute conversation from August 2023: 1) Clive introduces Zulkifli Idrus. 2) Red Junglefowl are the ancestors of modern chicken breeds. 3) Tonic immobility tests show modern commercial chicken breeds are less fearful than Junglefowl. 4) Biggest problems to broiler (meat) chicken welfare - rapid growth, leg and skin problems. 5) Cardiovascular problems and sudden-death syndrome. 6) Skin problems - contact dermatitis with breast, foot-pad and upper leg (hock) injuries. 7) Feed restriction methods to manage rapid growth rate in hot climates. 8) Harvesting and transportation issues. 9) Nutritional supplements such as probiotics and prebiotics to improve gut health. 10) Heat stress mitigation and future challenges with climate change. 11) Welfare issues concerning stocking densities and litter quality. 12) Welfare of layer chickens and other poultry. 13) Final comments

Women as the Way Forward: Lessons from Afghan Women's Empowerment JourneyAnd What Can Be Done Now

Women as the Way Forward attempts to make sense of the mistakes and successes of the last several decades of policymaking, as well as what needs to be done now to prevent further disaster in Afghanistan. This is all examined through a lens of Afghan women's past and future centrality in sustainable and effective policymaking—from security to stability to economics to addressing humanitarian challenges. While the report's historical review aims to prevent the repetition of past mistakes, the core of the paper is its recommendations for the way forward. Clearly, Western governments have made assumptions about points of leverage with the Taliban that have been incorrect and overall failed to develop a coherent Afghanistan policy. Gaining a better understanding of the Taliban's ideology and goals, which I explore in this paper, is key to formulating more effective and grounded policy. Having completed high school in the same kind of extremist Pakistani madrassas that the Taliban were shaped in, I understand firsthand the extent of their radicalism

Monopoly Politics 2024

FairVote has conducted the Monopoly Politics project in each Congressional election cycle since 1997.Monopoly Politics projects the results of every congressional district up to two years in advance, demonstrating that partisanship is the primary factor determining electoral outcomes, dwarfing other factors like local issues and candidate strength. The result is a polarized system where candidates are rewarded for adopting hyper-partisan platforms, particularly in hyper-partisan districts, instead of championing inclusive policies and bipartisan compromise that benefit all. Our 2024 projections suggest that 85% of seats are "safe" for one party, and another 9% favor one party, leaving only 6% of seats as true toss-ups. The 85% share of safe seats is the highest in the 25-year history of Monopoly Politics. At FairVote, we think outside the box. We promote legislative reform that prevents gerrymandering and improves equal voting power and fair representation in multi-winner districts. FairVote is working to end single-winner congressional districts. To end redistricting battles for good, we must reimagine how we elect our representatives

Mutual Aid in Action: The Role of Latinx- and Indigenous-Serving Organizations in Pandemic Recovery

Hispanics in Philanthropy (HIP) launched The Essential Fund in mid-2020 to support Latinx-, Indigenous, and community of color-led and -serving organizations across the United States. Over the course of a year, the Fund provided over $2.2M in relief and resources to impacted Latinx and communities of color, and engaged with more than 100 grantee partners to amplify their capacity to meet the basic needs of essential workers and their families, particularly undocumented workers and multi-generational and mixed-status families.Insights from this experience, as shared by organizations directly working with Latinx and Indigenous communities, are documented in this report to continue shining a spotlight on the impact that flexible and timely philanthropic dollars can make for smaller Latinx- and Indigenous-led and -serving organizations, and to offer ideas for how philanthropy and policymakers can best support communities that are still working to address the ongoing racialized economic and health impacts of the pandemic, as well as enduring systemic inequalities

Immigrants in the Long Island Economy: Overcoming Hurdles, Yet Still Facing Barriers

There 550,000 immigrants living on Long Island, according to an analysis of the most recent census data by Immigration Research Initiative (IRI). This includes all people born in another country and living on Long Island: people who are undocumented, have green cards, or are naturalized citizens; adults, and children; refugees, asylum seekers, agricultural workers, people with high-skill visas, and more. Making up 19 percent of the population, immigrants are a vital part of the social, economic, and cultural life of all communities in Nassau and Suffolk counties

A Critical Minerals Policy for the United States: The Role of Congress in Scaling Domestic Supply and De-Risking Supply Chains

The United States currently faces a rapidly shifting global environment that increasingly places strategic importance on responsible and resilient access to critical minerals. These minerals—which are essential inputs to a wide range of applications ranging from clean energy technologies to advanced defense systems—will continue to increase in importance over the coming decades. Global competition over these resources due to the rapidly accelerating energy transition, fragmentation of international supply chains, and rising geopolitical tensions with adversaries is of key importance to the climate, economic, and national security interests of the United States in the 21st century.There is an urgent need for policymakers to define a coordinated critical minerals strategy for the United States. A U.S. critical minerals strategy must set out to achieve two objectives. First, it must seek to responsibly increase domestic and global production and processing of critical minerals at the scale and timeline needed to limit global temperature increases. Second, it must aim to secure responsible and resilient critical mineral supply chains that minimize vulnerability to external risks