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Justice Department Announces Environmental Justice Strategy
Brief #142 – Environmental Policy
By Stephen Thomas
Attorney General Merrick B. Garland announced in Washington May 5, 2022, a multifaceted program in conjunction with the Environmental Protection Agency to protect and improve the environment and address climate change.
The effort is consistent with an executive order that President Joseph R. Biden Jr. issued Jan. 27, 2021.
Leasing Federal Land to Big Oil is a Slippery Political Tightrope
Brief #141 – Environment
By Todd J. Broadman
The Interior Department will put up for auction 144,000 acres of federal land to oil and gas companies. The Department says that this lease sale is actually scaled back by 80 percent of the original acreage slated for potential drilling. 90 percent of the land to be leased is located in Wyoming. In tandem with the sale, royalties paid to the federal government on any revenue that result from new drilling will go up from 12.5 percent to 18.75 percent.
Biden Administration Promotes New Changes in Student Loan Policies
Brief #52 – Education
By Lynn Waldsmith
Being debt-free will soon be a dream come true for tens of thousands of borrowers, now that the Dept. of Education has announced it is taking steps to overhaul the federal student loan system. In addition, millions of borrowers will move one step closer to reaching that same dream.
Too many choices, complicated terms, misinformation from servicers – these are just some of the problems that have plagued federal student loan borrowers for years.
Gov. De Santis’ Right Wing War Continues With Signing of “Voter Fraud Office” Bill
Brief #187 – Civil Rights
By Rodney A. Maggay
On April 25, 2022 Governor Ron De Santis of Florida signed Senate Bill 524 which, among a number of things, creates a new Office of Election Crimes and Security as a new unit in Florida’s Department of State. The new office will be charged with overseeing elections but more specifically will review fraud allegations and conduct preliminary investigations into those allegations.
DeSantisLand
Brief #34 – Elections and Politics
By Abran C
Florida governor Ron DeSantis has been making headlines once again for a series of controversial bills that have been signed into law in the sunshine state. Policies ranging from House Bill 1557 or as opponents call it the “Don’t Say Gay” bill, a ban on abortion after 15 weeks, the “Stop Woke Act”, and a new Florida election police force, demonstrate that DeSantis has sped up his increasingly authoritarian style of governing.
Animal Thrives on Facebook
Brief #58 – Technology
By JA Angelo
With the discovery of the internet, the illegal sale of wildlife became even more popular around the world. Some of the more popular animals and animal parts poachers sold included elephant ivory, tiger cubs, rhino horns, and pangolin scales.
The Effects of The War in Ukraine on Russian Athletes
Brief #124 – Foreign Policy
By Reilly Fitzgerald
The larger question regarding the banning of Russian and Belarussian athletes is, should it apply to athletes who openly oppose the war and/or Vladimir Putin? An interesting example is Andrey Rublev. He wrote “No War Please” on a TV camera lens after advancing to the final match of the Dubai Championship. Is this sort of outward expression of anti-war sentiment something to be considered when banning athletes from sports based on the actions of their governmental leaders?
The New Composition of the Supreme Court
Brief #33 – Elections and Politics
By Inijah Quadri
The Supreme Court is composed of nine justices. The newest justice, Ketanji Brown Jackson, was appointed by President Biden on February 25, 2022. This brief discusses how the composition of the Supreme Court has changed over time, and what the implications of its new makeup are for the future of our democracy.
Russia’s Celebrities Leave the Country Because of the War in Ukraine
Brief #153 – Foreign Policy
By Yelena Korshunov
I see yapping about those who left – Alla, Maxim, Chulpan, Zemfira … It’s Russia that left you. Because Russia is them, not you,” Andrey Makarevich, the legendary Russian singer, said on his personal blog. After February 24th, 2022, when Putin’s army invaded Ukraine with a bloody violent war, a number of top Russia’s celebrities left the country. Their destination is the USA, Israel, Latvia, Germany, and the other places where they feel safe to speak about their disagreement with the war and call for peace.
The Other Epidemic That No One Talks About: Drug Overdose
The Other Epidemic That No One Talks About: Drug Overdose
Health & Gender Policy Brief #142 | By: S Bhimji | November 24, 2021
Header photo taken from: Council on Foreign Relations
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Photo taken from: WBRC
Policy Summary
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Opioids are a class of pain relieving drugs that include both illegal drugs like heroin and synthetic legal ones like codeine, morphine, oxycodone, fentanyl and many others. The problem with opioids is that not are they addictive but they can quickly suppress respiration and lead to death.
For the past 2 years, the nation has been besieged by the Covid pandemic which has killed nearly 750,000 Americans to date. During the same period, at least 100,000 individuals have died from drug overdoses in the US, an increase of nearly 28% from the previous year. Prior to 2016, the majority of drug overdose deaths were from heroin but today the deaths are often associated with fentanyl, which is increasingly mixed with other illicit opioid drugs without the user’s knowledge. Today, fentanyl is involved in more than 65%-70% of overdose deaths.
Almost every state has reported a spike in drug overdose deaths during the Covid pandemic.
The current drug overdose epidemic is a major public health crisis with 254 Americans dying every single day. The number of Americans dying from drug overdose has surpassed those from motor vehicle accidents, firearms, and even the common flu. The epidemic has repercussions beyond the death of the individual- it is tearing and destroying the very fabric of the family unit.
Data reveal that the biggest increase in overdose fatalities has occurred in Vermont, followed by West Virginia and Kentucky. Only three states reported a decline in drug overdose deaths – New Jersey, New Hampshire, and South Dakota. When race is taken into account, opiates are the most common cause of death in Caucasians African Americans, and Native Americans.
In 2017, President Trump did declare the opioid crisis a national emergency but in subsequent years, all attention has been given to the Covid pandemic.
Policy Analysis
What has caused this acute increase in opioid-related deaths remains a mystery- experts believe that the most likely reason is linked to the Covid pandemic which has exposed underlying issues in society that have not gotten the attention. There is no doubt that the pandemic caused a significant amount of social isolation and outreach to those in need was difficult.
It appears that a significant number of people had limited or no access/support to services that lowered harm and prevented drug overdose. Research reveals that the majority of individuals affected by the drug overdose already had mental health issues and financial hardship, and this may have led to the accelerated use of opiates.
But all is not gloom and doom.
Like the Covid pandemic, there has been some progress made in the fight against opioid drug overdose. Since local governments in many states are tied up with other matters, several organizations have taken up the fight against opiate drug overdose. In 2018, Bloomberg Philanthropies, the Pew Charitable Trust, and Vital Strategies joined forces with Johns Hopkins University and the CDC to address the current opioid crisis.
Beside donating million of dollars, Bloomberg Philanthropies has gifted $300 million to the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health to help advance knowledge in critical challenges facing American communities such as addiction and overdose; violence, risks to adolescent health, and obesity.
When it comes to the fight against drug overdose, the goal is to offer evidence-based interventions while working with law enforcement at the same time.
Besides developing communication strategies to improve access to treatments and reducing ADDICTION stigma, the money has been used to provide free naloxone supplies to affected communities.
Photo taken from: Forbes
In several states, this approach has led to a wider distribution and use of naloxone, which is used to rescue individuals who have overdosed. In addition, both Michigan and Pennsylvania have enacted preventive services such as syringe exchange programs. Early results show that in these states overdoses from opioids have started to fall.
This has promoted Bloomberg Philanthropies to make more donations and the same approach will be used in other states facing high drug overdose-related deaths. But experts say that the fight against opiate addiction has to be multipronged-meaning the source and smuggling of the illicit drugs have to be addressed and access to naloxone should be made easier and more affordable.
The other problem according to Harm reduction agencies is that previously the naloxone kits only cost $2.50 but today the price has gone up 15 to 30 fold. Currently, Pfizer, Kaleo and Teva are the major manufacturers of naloxone kits and none of them have considered lowering the price. The expensive naloxone kits are an indication of wide dysfunction with Big Pharma, who consider profits to be more important than patient lives.
Nevertheless, experts suggest that besides naloxone, fentanyl consumption should be supervised so that users can be monitored-but beyond this, drug use disorders are a symptom of much larger economic and social problems in society and without addressing them, the fight against drug abuse will continue to be futile.
Engagement Resources
Click or tap on image to visit resource website.
Fentanyl Drug Facts: https://www.drugabuse.gov/publications/drugfacts/fentanyl
Understanding naloxone:
Provisional Drug Overdose Death Counts:
Yemen : A Complex Situation For American Policy Makers
Yemen: A Complex Situation For American Policy Makers
Foreign Policy Brief #136 | By: Reilly Fitzgerald | November 23, 2021
Header photo taken from: Al Mayadeen
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Photo taken from: Middle East Institute
Policy Summary
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Yemen has been in a state of political turmoil since 2011 with the ending of the reign of President Saleh and the transition of power to his associate, now President Hadi. The conflict is still an on-going situation. According to a 2016 report from the United Nations High Commissioners for Refugees, the conflict in Yemen has displaced more than 3 million people – presumably more since that report came out.
The US Embassy estimated that approximately 55% of Yemen’s population adheres to a form of Sunni Islam, and the remaining 45% adheres to Zaidism (sect of Shia Islam), as documented in the Yemen 2019 International Religious Freedom Report.
The two major sides of the war are the Houthis and a governmental coalition to support President Hadi. The Houthis are of the Zayidi sect of Shia Islam; they are a religious minority in the country. The Houthis are backed militarily by Iran, the major Shia power in the region (and world); at one point they were politically backed by Former President Saleh until he was killed in 2017 after switching sides in the conflict.
The government coalition is backed politically by President Hadi, who is struggling to hold any sort of power after being exiled to Saudi Arabia in 2015 after the Houthis took control of Sanaa, the capital city. The coalition forces are supported by regional Sunni countries, particularly Saudi Arabia which has launched air campaigns over Yemen. They also are receiving aid from the Americans, the French, and the British governments.
Policy Analysis
For American policymakers, the conflict in Yemen is going to be particularly challenging on many levels. The conflict intertwines regional tensions between Saudi Arabia and Iran; religious tensions between Shia and Sunnis; and the mixing in of terrorist organizations with no allegiances to either side but taking advantage of the wide-scale chaos and instability.
President Biden has made it clear that he feels the war needs to come to an end. Biden recently announced three major points that outline his policy agenda towards Yemen: ending support of offensive acts in the conflict by Saudi Arabia, promoting peace talks and initiatives, and sending US Special Envoy Tim Lenderking to the region to work towards solutions to the conflict.
The United States has been allied with Saudi Arabia for a long time and has helped Saudi Arabia prop up the government coalition of President Hadi, though he has been living and working out of Saudi Arabia rather than Yemen. Saudi Arabia is the largest power in the region, and is also a stronghold of Sunni Islam; which makes it a rival of Iran, the other predominant power in the region, which is majority Shia. President Biden did announce earlier this year that the administration will stop supporting “offensive operations” by Saudi Arabia into Yemen; however, this does not rule out continuing our support to Saudi Arabia’s defense of their own territory and borders.
Photo taken from: Lowy Institute
The United States has promoted the idea of finding a peaceful political solution through the United Nations rather than continuing to support “offensive” military actions. The United Nations has, within the last week, tried to re-engage peace efforts in response to coalition airstrikes on Hodeidah after coalition forces left the city.
Yemen has experienced the failure of the public institutions throughout the conflict. These institutions will need to be put back in place before life can return to ‘normal’. The COVID-19 pandemic has hit Yemen’s already fragile health care network. According to a Human Rights Watch report from June 1st, 2021, the Houthi rebels have actively been spreading misinformation regarding the health implications of COVID-19; according to Reuters, Yemen only has about 1% of their population fully vaccinated. On top of the pandemic, Yemen has historically struggled with poverty, which has only been exacerbated by the conflict All of these issues, along with the violence from the war, have led to a massive humanitarian and human displacement crisis.
Engagement Resources
Click or tap on image to visit resource website.
US Embassy in Yemen (https://ye.usembassy.gov/)
Human Rights Watch, Yemen (https://www.hrw.org/middle-east/n-africa/yemen#)
Can the U.S. Fulfill Its COP 26 Climate Promises?
Can the U.S. Fulfill Its COP 26 Climate Promises?
Environmental Policy Brief #127 | By: Katelyn Lewis | November 23, 2021
Header photo taken from: Platform on Disaster Displacement
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Photo taken from: Wall Street Journal
Policy Summary
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Climate experts say the gathering of leaders from around the world in Glasgow, Scotland, for a two-week climate meeting led to imperfect, yet possible, updates to the Paris Agreement to slow global warming. The success of COP 26 depends on whether countries, including the United States, hold up their end of the bargain.
“That would look like enacting legislation, and getting the investments in place … that will put the U.S. on a trajectory to meet its (nationally determined contributions),” Nat Keohane, president of the Center for Climate and Energy Solutions, said during a post-COP26 panel discussion.
The Conference of the Parties, or COP26, was a summit held in Glasgow, Scotland, between Oct. 31 and Nov. 12. World leaders, members of civil society, and nonprofit organizations from 196 countries and the European Union came together to discuss their countries’ national and foreign commitments, alliances, promises, and action plans to combat climate change and keep the earth’s temperature from warming more than 1.5 degrees Celsius.
A panel of five leading climate experts, including Keohane, gathered on a video conference call on Thursday, Nov. 17, to discuss their takeaways from the conference and the actions the U.S. will need to take to meet its targets by COP27 in Sharm El-Sheikh, Egypt, in 2022.
“[In Glasgow,] there was an ambition ratchet, but there was also an implementation ratchet in there, and that was very clearly geo-political because China was talking about implementation [while] America was talking about ambition,” Nick Mabey, E3G’s co-founding director and CEO, said.
Notably, the U.S. joined the Global Forest Finance Pledge, mobilizing $12 billion to combat deforestation; co-launched with the European Union the Global Methane Pledge, an initiative to reduce global methane emissions with more than $300 million in financial support; and, through the President’s Emergency Plan for Adaptation and Resilience (PREPARE), work with Congress to commit $3 billion in adaptation finance annually by FY2024 to help vulnerable, developing countries on the frontlines of climate change’s impacts.
Helen Mountford, president of climate economics for the World Resources Institute, said the methane and forest loss and deforestation pledges showed “some of the real dynamism” of how groups of actors – countries, the private sector, the finance sector, and civil society – can work together to step up and “ actually make the changes we need on the ground” in the next year.
Policy Analysis
For example, more than 100 countries signed on to the Global Methane Pledge “to basically slash emissions of methane, which is a very potent greenhouse gas, by 30% by 2030,” Mountford said during the discussion.
“[Methane]’s been left out of a lot of the discussions in the past and a lot of the country pledges, so they came together and said, ‘Okay, this is something we can tackle, we know what the sources are, we know what we can do. Let’s do it together,’” Mountford said. “But then we also start to see some of the finance coming through from the philanthropic sector from others looking at how to actually deliver this on the ground.”
U.S. leaders also announced a national commitment to develop a Sustainable Ocean Plan in the next five years that will use and manage ocean waters under its jurisdiction to “reduce greenhouse gas emissions, provide jobs and food security, improve climate resilience, and sustain biological diversity,” according to the U.S. Department of State.
While a step in the right direction, the commitments outlined in the climate agreement from COP26 don’t quite prevent the Earth’s warming to 1.5 degrees Celsius above pre-industrial levels, the Washington Post reports, with the Earth on track to surpass that threshold, leading to “escalating weather crises and irreversible damage to the natural world.”
And though the U.S. President Joe Biden’s $1.75 trillion Build Back Better Act – including $500 billion to combat climate change, primarily through renewable energy credits – passed in the U.S. House of Representatives on Friday, it faces an uncertain future in the U.S. Senate.
“The big unknown is whether one senator or two senators will block the legislation from moving forward,” John Podesta, founder of and chair of the board of directors for the Center for American Progress, said during the online discussion. Podesta said he predicted a “slightly better than a 50-50 chance” of its success in the Senate.
Photo taken from: CNBC
“I think if Biden doesn’t have that, then the credibility of the United States – that we’re aligned with keeping 1.5 alive- the credibility will be busted,” Podesta said.
“The U.S. must pass the Build Back Better Act,” Manish Bapna, president and CEO of the Natural Resources Defense Council, said during the panel discussion.
“It would be historic in terms of scale, but … even if that gets passed, and you have really strong rules, and you have strong state and local action, it is a narrow path to a 50 to 52%” reduction in greenhouse gas emissions below 2005 levels by 2030 proposed by the Biden administration, Bapna said.
John Kerry, U.S. Special Presidential Envoy for Climate, expressed insights in-line with the panelists post-conference when he said:”COP 26 conference was inspiring and pioneering in terms of countries’ commitments to addressing the climate crisis, but now’s the time to put muscle behind the pledges made.”
“COP26 already helped summon more ambition to face this emergency than the world has ever seen,” Kerry said in a statement. “Still, a gap remains between the ambition the world demonstrated and the actions we need to solve this challenge. We always knew that Glasgow would be a new beginning, not a finish line.”
“It will be up to us to keep the attention and urgency laser focused so that we continue to implement solutions and act with the urgency we need,” Kerry said.
Engagement Resources
Represented Organizations:
Third Generation Environmentalism (E3G) – https://www.e3g.org
Center for American Progress (CAP) – https://americanprogress.org/
Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC) – https://www.nrdc.org/
World Resources Institute (WRI) – https://www.wri.org/
Center for Climate and Energy Solutions (C2ES) – https://www.c2es.org/
More Engagement Resources:
CNBC – House Passes $1.75 Trillion Biden Plan That Funds Universal Pre-K, Medicare Expansion and Renewable Energy Credits (Nov. 19, 2021) – https://www.cnbc.com/2021/11/19/biden-build-back-better-bill-house-passes-social-safety-net-and-climate-plan.html
The Washington Post – World Leaders Reach Climate Agreement at U.N. Summit Following Two Weeks of Negotiation (Nov. 13, 2021) – https://www.washingtonpost.com/climate-environment/2021/11/13/cop26-glasgow-climate-deal/
U.S. Department of State – Joining the High-Level Panel for a Sustainable Ocean Economy (Nov. 2, 2021) – https://www.state.gov/joining-the-high-level-panel-for-a-sustainable-ocean-economy/
The White House – President Biden Announces the Build Back Better Framework (Oct. 28, 2021) – https://www.whitehouse.gov/briefing-room/statements-releases/2021/10/28/president-biden-announces-the-build-back-better-framework/
Dos and Don’ts of Importing Medications from Canada
Dos and Don’ts of Importing Medications from Canada
Health & Gender Policy Brief #141 | By: S. Bhimji | November 21, 2021
Header photo taken from: Healthline
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Photo taken from: Kaiser Health News
Policy Summary
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There is no question that prescription medications are expensive in the US and each year the prices keep on going up. Some Americans visit Mexico to buy their prescription medications but the problem is that the quality of Mexican products is often not guaranteed.
For the past decade, many Americans have been discreetly importing their medications from Canada; using a third party like Canada Med Services that is based in Sarasota, Fl, or purchasing directly from online Canadian companies like The Canadian Pharmacy or Canada Drugs online. In several states, the FDA has allowed companies that help import prescription medications for personal use to continue operating.
But the question remains, ‘is drug importation legal?’
Policy Analysis
The first thing to be aware of is that wholesale importation of medications from Canada or anywhere else is forbidden by law. However, when it comes to personal use, US laws are not clear and it all depends on where you live and how the customs officers act. In most cases, customs officers let medications for personal use enter the US as long as they are not potent pain pills, prescription sleeping pills, or other drugs deemed to be harmful to the user. Plus, the drug must be approved for use in the US.
Any drug that the FDA cannot ensure its safety or effectiveness cannot be imported. In some cases, the customs officer will ask the user if he or she has a healthcare provider’s prescription or a letter detailing the medical condition and the reason for treatment.
Overall, there are very few cases where prescription drugs for personal use have been seized by customs. However, the quantity cannot exceed more than 3 months supply.
But while all this sounds great, there are a few caveats. First, not all Canadian drugs are cheaper than US products, and secondly, there have been many reported cases of fake and counterfeit drugs being sold by non-verified Canadian websites. Over the past 2 decades, the US government has shut down at least a dozen Canadian online sites that were selling medications considered to be fake.
Photo taken from: WBUR
Third, in most cases, you will need to pay cash or wire the money; Canadian companies do not accept American insurance; fourth if you buy medications from Canada they may not be covered by your American health insurance- so all expenses are out of pocket.
Why American prescription medications are more expensive than almost all other nations is mainly due to lack of regulation and extreme lobbying by Big Pharma. The price is usually set by the manufacturers without any input from the government or other national body. There is no official negotiating agency set by the government that can determine fair pricing.
Because the entire Pharmaceutical industry in the USA is solely focused on huge profits, more Americans are now turning to the importation of their medications from Canada. For Americans who are struggling with the high cost of prescription medications, they have two choices- elect leaders who vow to do something about drug pricing or get your medications from Canada.
Engagement Resources
Click or tap on image to visit resource website.
Therapeutic Drug Use
https://www.cdc.gov/nchs/fastats/drug-use-therapeutic.htm
Affordable and Safe Prescription Drug Importation Act
https://www.congress.gov/bill/117th-congress/house-bill/2181?s=1&r=3
10 FAQs on Prescription Drug Importation
Labor, Inflation, and Supply Chain Problems Suggest a Slowing Economy
Labor, Inflation, and Supply Chain Problems Suggest a Slowing Economy
Economic Policy Brief #129 | By: Rosalind Gottfried | November 16, 2021
Header photo taken from: Fox Business
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Photo taken from: CNN
Policy Summary
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The economic recovery has slowed in the third quarter and the unprecedented circumstances make it unclear what the indicators ultimately will mean for future growth. It is estimated that worker shortages are costing the economy sixty billion dollars in sales every month. Increased wages are failing to attract a crucial influx in returning workers. There are millions of pre-pandemic workers who have not returned to work. Workers are reluctant to return to work likely due to health concerns; childcare issues; and reconsideration of life priorities.
The severance of federal supplemental employment benefits did not result in a rush back to work. Worker shortages are attributed to people reconsidering priorities; early retirements; decreased immigrant workers; and workers opting to develop their own work with more flexible schedules and better potential for elevated incomes. Women have been especially less likely to return to work and there is fear that the decrease in women’s labor force participation, which drove the productivity of the post-World War 2 era, will have a lasting negative impact on the economic growth of the post pandemic era. The rate of women participating in the workforce had already leveled, prior to the pandemic, and the fear is that it will not recover; there are too many issues impeding women’s workforce participation, most notably the childcare pressures which affect women generally more than men.
Another factor affecting the economy is inflation which is higher now than at anytime in the past thirty years. Gas is averaging a national gain of $1.25 from a year ago and consumer spending in the third quarter grew only by 1.6%. Hope prevails that the fourth quarter, with the holidays, will improve spending to 3.3%. There is evidence that overall consumer confidence is increasing and credit card use is up. Federal spending is down but local and state expenditures are up, likely due to the re-opening of schools.
Disruption of the supply chain is another trend which is impacting the economic recovery. Some people who lost jobs during the pandemic have been turning to entrepreneurship to get through the pandemic and find that they are happier and will try to sustain their efforts. Small businesses, and independent businesses may be pushed out by the power of larger corporations to negotiate production, the importing, transporting and pricing of goods.
Policy Analysis
Clearly the economy and society are in transition in uncharted territory. How long it will take supply and demand to even out as goods can be obtained more predictably is anyone’s guess. The impact and ultimate resolution of the worker shortage is also difficult to foretell. There was guarded optimism relating to inflation but that seems to be lessening as prices rise to new heights. Some economists say that the recovery has slowed but still expect good times to return by the second half of 2022.
Childcare remains a basic issue in society which is not being sufficiently met and its impact on children and productivity can be far reaching. The paid family leave, which has been dropped and reinstated and dropped again in Biden’s Build Back Better program is a basic right in most high- and moderate-income countries.
Service staffing remains a problem in that even if wages increase the lack of flexibility and benefits characteristic of these kinds of jobs make them unappealing.
Photo taken from: Eater
Issues of scheduling also are often reported as contributing to poor working conditions. Restaurants where servers and kitchen staff are full time, and not dependent on tips, are doing better at maintaining staff and may foretell what the future needs to build upon. If the recovery is to be strong and imminent it would appear that structural change affecting labor will need to be made.
Engagement Resources
Click or tap on image to visit resource website.
If the labor shortage continues, the US economy won’t be able to recover
https://www.cnn.com/2021/11/04/perspectives/labor-shortage-us-economy/index.html
Labor shortage, supply constraints and inflation hold back economy trying to emerge from pandemic
Finding Workers Is Harder Than Ever. The Economic Impact Could Be Significant
The Economic Rebound Is Still Waiting for Workers
Recent Global Agreement Sets New Rules For Corporate Tax Revenue
Recent Global Agreement Sets New Rules For Corporate Tax Revenue
Economic Policy Brief #128 | By: Jared Sullivan | November 15, 2021
Header photo taken from: Moffa, Sutton, and Donnini
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Photo taken from: Council on Foreign Relations
Policy Summary
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A new global agreement, endorsed by the Biden administration, aims to improve the international tax system by redistributing revenue that countries earn from taxing multinational corporations. The proposal was finalized and agreed upon on October 8th by the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD). It is scheduled to go into effect in 2023.
This long-awaited multilateral agreement represents over 90% of the world’s GDP and includes 136 countries. The agreement rests on a two pillar approach: (1) a new methodology to determine tax revenue distribution among participating countries; and (2) a minimum 15% corporate income tax rate that all countries must abide by. The Agreement brings the international tax system into the 21st century, but also brings uncertain implications for large companies and developing economies alike.
The first mandate of the proposal is directed towards multinational companies pulling in 20 billion or more in revenue and hitting a 10% or higher profit margin; these companies can expect a 25% tax on any profits above their first 10% of profits. Yet this tax revenue will not be realized in the economy in which the company is headquartered in and primarily operates but rather afforded to the government of the location the company is selling in. Economists have estimated this will redistribute 125 Billion USD globally to where there is a large consumer base for foreign goods due to demands not being met at home, e.g in countries such as Brazil and India.
Policy Analysis
Photo taken from: Visual Capitalist
The goal of this redistribution effort is to channel tax revenue to developing economies that are lacking in industry and manufacturing but are home to an increasing level of consumer demand. The international communities’ level of urgency towards this objective has been increasing because of the rapid globalization of the world economy over the last several decades, many developing countries have been missing out on their own consumers’ tax dollars .
As large corporations have increased their sales and presence in these countries, positive externalities have been appreciated but their presence also results in a competitive disadvantage for many industries in the developing countries.
Big tech names like Facebook, Amazon and Google have effectively been able to shop around for countries with low tax rates. The second part of the agreement will inhibit the effectiveness of this practice by setting an international corporate tax minimum of 15%.
There is still strong disagreement on how the changes will affect the various economies involved. Although there is some consensus on the notion that the US will remain relatively tax revenue neutral as tax money will be brought back onshore by the 15% minimum but will be offset by the tax revenue lost from companies that will be taxed by foreign governments.
Small, developing economies like the Bahamas, Bermuda, and the Cayman islands have come to rely on the international investments that their little to no tax rates have historically attracted. The sharp increase may leave these economies in a dire situation as expressed by the G-24 group of developing countries referring to the agreement as “sub-optimal” and “not sustainable even in the short run.”
The agreement aims to bring international competition back to being based on factors conducive to economic growth such as skilled labor, industrial infrastructure, and technology versus a competition of who can offer the lowest corporate tax rate. An estimated 150 Billion USD will be garnered by the US alone as a result.
Engagement Resources
Click or tap on image to visit resource website.
For further reading, refer to statements from the Biden Administration from October and July.
January 6th Capital Riot Investigation Update # 4
January 6th Capital Riot Investigation Update # 4
Social Justice Policy Brief #29 | By: Erika Shannon | November 12, 2021
Header photo taken from: The New York Times
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Photo taken from: WFSB
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The House Select Committee on the January 6 riot has been making a lot of headway into their investigation. They have been issuing subpoenas, looking over documents and tips, questioning people, and trying to work around those who are unwilling to help with their investigation. The Committee is doing their best to piece together the day’s events in the hopes that situations like this can be avoided in the future.
This past week, the House Select Committee issued several subpoenas, bringing their grand total to 35 people subpoenaed. On November 8, six people were subpoenaed because they were close to former President Trump; the Committee would like to know what connections these people had with the rallies that turned into a riot, who they were talking to in Congress and the White House regarding overturning the election, and who actually paid for it all. William Stepien, manager of the Trump 2020 reelection campaign, has been subpoenaed to discuss matters of the campaign. This includes whether or not the campaign urged state and party officials to affect the outcome of the 2020 election by attempting to delay or deny certification of electoral votes.
The five others subpoenaed were also very close to Trump’s inner circle. They include Jason Miller (senior advisor to Trump’s reelection campaign), Angela McCallum (national executive assistant to Trump’s 2020 reelection campaign), and John Eastman, Michael Flynn, and Bernard Kerik. Many of the individuals subpoenaed this past week were gathered at the Willard Hotel in the hours and days prior to the Capitol Riots. All of these individuals potentially played an important role in the events of January 6, and their testimony would help the Committee move forward.
On November 9, the House Select Committee issued subpoenas for several more people, in the hopes their testimony will be of help. Those subpoenaed include Nicholas Luna, who was reportedly in the Oval Office on January 6, 2021 when former President Trump was on the phone with Mike Pence pressuring him not to certify the election results, and Keith Kellogg, who was Pence’s National Security Advisor and reportedly participated in at least one meeting where former President Trump urged Pence to not certify the election. Kellogg was also reportedly in the White House with Trump as he watched the January 6 attack unfold. Stephen Miller, former Senior Advisor to Trump, was subpoenaed for participating in efforts to spread false information about alleged voter fraud in the 2020 election.
Others who were subpoenaed include Molly Michael, Benjamin Williamson, Christopher Liddell, John McEntee, Kayleigh McEnany, Cassidy Hutchinson, and Kenneth Klukowski. The Select Committee wants to learn every detail of what was going on in the White House on January 6 and in the days leading up to it. It is imperative they learn what role former President Trump played in efforts to stop the counting of electoral votes. These ten individuals who were subpoenaed are believed to have relevant information and details to aid in the investigation.
As far the former President goes, his efforts to block the Committee from accessing his White House records are failing. Just this past week, U.S. District Judge Tanya Chutkan (in D.C.) rejected an argument by Trump’s lawyers that visitor logs, telephone records, and other White House documents should be hidden from the committee. Chutkan ruled that while the requests of the committee are broad, none of the requests made by the Committee violate its legislative powers. While Trump tried to argue executive privilege, current President Joe Biden had already determined that the Committee could access the requested materials.Judge Chutkan’s ruling is being appealed by Trump and could make its way to the Supreme Court. It is apparent that former President Trump thinks he is above the law and untouchable; a fact that is simply not true.
Photo taken from: Victoria Advocate
Chairman of the Housd Committee, Bennie Thompson, commended Judge Chutkan’s swift ruling in a statement issued on November 9. Thompson touched on the fact that the former President is merely trying to delay and obstruct their investigation in order to hide the truth. There is a strong public interest in finding out exactly what happened, and the House Select Committee is attempting to get those answers on the American people’s behalf. The Committee is eagerly awaiting the requested records from the National Archives so that they continue to piece together exactly what happened leading up to, and on, January 6, 2021.
The House Select Committee has gotten so many tips, documents, and statements that they are grateful for. Now, the hard part is piecing it all together while continuing to obtain new and relevant information. The Committee has already interviewed over 150 people; many of which have come forth voluntarily to share their side of the events that unfolded. There is still work to be done, but there is significant headway being made by the Committee.
This brief is part of an ongoing series on the Select Committee’s investigation; further updates will be provided as the investigation continues.
Engagement Resources
For more information and news on the House Select Committee investigating January 6, visit their homepage.
Optimistic Economic Outlet Coupled with Caution
Optimistic Economic Outlet Coupled with Caution
Economic Policy Brief #127 | By: Rosalind Gottfried | November 8, 2021
Header photo taken from: The New York Times
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Photo taken from: MSN
Policy Summary
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There are positive indications of economic growth in the fourth quarter of the year and, while economists are optimistic, citizens are less so. The economy grew by .5% in the third quarter, an the fourth quarter is predicted to be strong. The October jobs report was encouraging. New jobs reached 531,000 and after adjustments in the August and September figures, the average for the three months was 442,000. October unemployment was down to 4.6% from 4.8%. Labor force participation was steady at 61.6%, with the group of 25-54 year olds showing a slight increase. Total employed persons increased by 4.2 million below pre-pandemic levels while the unemployment rate is 1% above the February 2020 rate.
Persons working from home decreased to 11.6% from 13.2% in September. There seems to be little to no fallout from the end of the Federal Supplemental Unemployment benefits in early September. This could be a consequence of the increased personal savings resulting from the last stimulus checks and the child tax credit. Wages, perhaps as a result of labor shortages, increased 4.9% between October 2020 and 2021. Increases in wages are concentrated at the lowest end of the salary scale. Wages for hourly workers and nonsupervisory staff increased by 5.8% this year. Thirteen percent of workers have seen no change in their paycheck over the past year and individuals living on fixed incomes, like pensions, have seen no adjustments for inflation.
Evidence that the economy is stagnating, as some feared, is absent. The stock market is strong and the economic recovery does not appear to be as glacial as during the period of the Great Recession. Still there are fears regarding the supply chain, inflation, labor shortages, and potential pandemic surges.
Policy Analysis
While commonly held measures assessing the economy seem to be holding strong, inflation is rising at the fastest rate since 1991.
Prices of goods are rising, as seen in groceries and used cars, while gas has increased by 74% since May of 2020, though the average is still lower than prices of 2011-14. People are afraid of inflation and do not trust that economic policy is solid. Several institutions analyzing economic trends say that although inflation will take into the next year to level out, perhaps significantly into it, the Fed’s inflationary goals will be met once the consumer imbalances level.
A recent Gallup poll showed that 68% of the public believe the economic conditions are worsening. Experts agree, in general, that even with high inflation there are reasons to be optimistic regarding the economy; inflation should be relatively short lived, the stock market is strong, and wages are on the rise.
Photo taken from: Daily Mail
American people, however, are less sanguine regarding inflation and the economic picture, perhaps because they are daily experiencing the high prices of groceries, gasoline and other staples and increases in pay are not keeping up with their expenditures, particularly if childcare and housing are figured into the equation.
Engagement Resources
Click or tap on image to visit resource website.
Optimistic Economic Outlet Coupled with Caution
The Jobs Numbers Take the ‘Stag’ Out of the Stagflation Scare
Americans Are Flush With Cash and Jobs. They Also Think the Economy Is Awful
Offshore Turbines a Windfall for the Transition to Cleaner Energy
Offshore Turbines a Windfall for the Transition to Cleaner Energy
Environmental Policy Brief #126 | By: Todd J. Broadman | November 10, 2021
Header photo taken from: The Conversation
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Photo taken from: Greentech Media
Policy Summary
[SSB theme=”Official” align=”center” counter=”true” ]
Today, 67,000 wind turbines are spinning kilowatts of energy throughout the country. That is the wind behind President Biden’s back in his recent wind energy initiative; that, and his pledge is to cut the nation’s fossil fuel emissions 50 percent from 2005 levels by 2030. The cost to make and deploy wind energy has gone down over 50 percent since 2008. The administration wants to seize the moment; the plan is to install 30 gigawatts (GW) of offshore wind turbines in U.S. waters by 2030.
Dubbed “wind farms,” the Dept. of the Interior has already begun the process ofidentifying locations in federal seas that are optimal for wind energyin the Gulf of Mexico, Gulf of Maine and off the coasts of the Mid-Atlantic States, North Carolina and South Carolina, California and Oregon. By 2025, these locations are slated to be leased to developers. This phased roll-out comes on the heels of the first major commercial offshore wind farm that has received approval by the Biden administration – off the coast of Martha’s Vineyard in Massachusetts.
Overall, wind represents less than 10 percent of the country’s total power generation with most of it coming from states in the central plains. The wind rich states of Iowa, Kansas, Oklahoma and the Dakotas are aggressively expanding their wind capacity. In Texas, wind provides more than 30 percent of total electricity.
For perspective, wind provides nearly 50 percent of energy in Denmark, Ireland and Germany. While the US installed a record 17GW of wind capacity in 2021, Europe, home to a majority of the world’s offshore wind, had nearly twice that capacity installed in 2020. The UK alone is planning on 40GW. China has even more ambitious plans for wind energy: they are looking at 73GW by the end of this year.
There are incentives in the recent spending bill for utility companies. The package includes a $150 billion program that would pay electric utilities to increase the amount of electricity they purchase from zero-carbon sources such as wind and solar, with penalties for those that do not make the transition. The investment will also be used to modernize the grid and improve its capacity for both solar and onshore and offshore wind energy sources.
Policy Analysis
Environmentalists are weighing-in as the administration anticipated. “In order for Americans living in coastal areas to see the benefits of offshore wind, we must ensure that it’s done with care for the surrounding ecosystem by coexisting with fisheries and marine life – and that’s exactly what this investment will do,″ said Energy Secretary Jennifer Granholm. Environmental and cost challenges are far greater on the west coast. Pacific waters are much deeper and get deep closer to shore compared to the US’ Atlantic coastline. That makes it more difficult to affix turbines to the seafloor. There is a new technology in the form of floating wind farms.
Environmental hurdles will include potential harm to endangered species, conflicts with military activity, damage to underwater archaeological sites, or harm to local industries such as tourism. As they have in response to other offshore wind farms, commercial fishing groups and coastal landowners will likely try to stop the projects. In the Gulf of Mexico, where oil and gas exploration are a major part of the economy, fossil fuel companies could fight the development of wind energy as a threat to not only their local operations but their entire business model.
Though wind turbine prices are dropping across the board (now hovering around $750 per kilowatt of energy they generate), taller wind turbines require larger volumes of raw materials, both for their larger size and for the extra material required to provide structural reinforcement to keep them standing. Countries in Northern Europe, for example, where land for wind farms is more expensive, stand to gain more from bigger turbines than the US does, he notes. The global trend is towards installing fewer and bigger turbines.
The world’s largest offshore wind turbine is in China. It is 800 feet tall and the blades are the size of 10 football fields. These goliaths are likely the future of wind energy. In the U.S., the average rotor diameter in 2020 was about 125 meters (410 feet)—longer than a football field. Wind speeds are greater at higher altitudes and turbines will be taller to capture this increase.
Photo taken from: Offshore Wind – Offshore Chinese Turbine
And size comes with a carbon footprint: a two-megawatt windmill is made up of 260 tons of steel that requires 300 tons of iron ore and 170 tons of coking coal, all mined, transported and produced by hydrocarbons. From construction to demolition though, the energy payback on a turbine can be less than a year. Payback times for CO2 and energy consumption range from 6 to 17 months for offshore installations. Each has a life cycle of less than 30 years. It takes energy to dismantle and recycle them.
As mentioned, the U.S. government issued the final federal approval for the (Martha’s Vineyard) Vineyard Wind project, a utility-scale wind farm that has been over a decade in the planning. The wind farm’s developers plan to install 62 giant turbines in the Atlantic Ocean with enough capacity to power 400,000 homes with clean energy. In June, the Biden administration announced a competitive lease sale for the New York Bight, an area between New York and New Jersey, that could generate 7GW of energy, enough to power more than 2.6 million homes. The Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM) will be responsible for auctioning the additional, new offshore lease sales, by 2025.
There is good reason why offshore wind turbines are the centerpiece of the transition from carbon to clean energy sources. Wind makes a big contribution towards reducing the 30 percent dependence on carbon sources for electricity generation. The country’s large population centers are along the east and west coasts and will be fed directly from offshore wind installations.
The downsides of uneven wind generation on shore are mitigated by far more consistent winds offshore. The industry will also be a significant employer – some 600,000 jobs are forecasted by 2050.
Currently, the carbon fiber blades cannot be recycled and have a lifespan of two decades.
Though ambitious, wind energy will likely not provide more than 20% of total U.S. electricity demand. The investment is strategically sound and a selective one with limited capacity.
Engagement Resources
Click or tap on image to visit resource website.
https://www.utilitydive.com/ provides in-depth journalism and insight into the most impactful news and trends shaping the utility industry
https://www.power-grid.com/ provides information and thought-leadership about the electricity delivery industry.
https://www.windpowermonthly.com/ is the only global media brand dedicated to the wind power industry.
https://theconversation.com/us is a nonprofit, independent news organization dedicated to unlocking the knowledge of experts for the public good.
Trapped by Bureaucrats: The Gray Wolf’s Struggle For Survival
Trapped by Bureaucrats: The Gray Wolf’s Struggle For Survival
Environment Policy Brief #135 | By: Tim Loftus | November 2, 2021
Header photo taken from: WildEarth Guardians
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Photo taken from: WildEarth Guardians
Policy Summary
[SSB theme=”Official” align=”center” counter=”true” ]
After a century of slaughter that brought an iconic species of the North American landscape to the brink of extinction, the gray wolf (Canis lupus) was among the first species to gain protection under the Endangered Species Act (ESA) in 1974. The ESA had just been signed into law by President Richard M. Nixon the year before and prohibited the “taking” of a listed species without explicit permission. “Taking” meant killing, harassing, or damaging habitat necessary for the survival and recovery of the species. The designation applied to all remaining wolf populations, small as they had become, in the lower-48 states.
After 20 relatively quiet years that allowed wolves the freedom to live as they once did, and guided by a growing body of scientific evidence, perhaps the most famous wolf reintroduction effort got underway in 1995 when 14 wolves from Canada were captured and released in Yellowstone National Park. An additional 11 wolves were released the following year. Yellowstone had been without this keystone species and apex predator since the 1920’s and at that time, nobody anticipated the negative impact that the extermination of wolves would have on the larger ecosystem. Wolves had always been a part of the greater Yellowstone ecosystem and their return had profound effects, known as a trophic cascade, on restoring the ecological health and integrity of the diverse area contained within the park.
Wolf populations began to rebuild in Yellowstone and elsewhere and in 2003, their status was reclassified as “threatened.” Under the ESA, a threatened species has less protection than one classified as “endangered.” The next several years witnessed considerable back-and-forth between the US Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS), charged with upholding protections for ESA-listed species, and the states of Wyoming, Montana, and Idaho. Litigation commenced over the status of wolves in these three Rocky Mountain states and their state management plans for wolf survival once listing status moved from endangered to threatened.
Northern Rocky Mountain wolves were officially delisted in March 2008, but once again, the matter was far from being settled as ESA-protections were reinstated later that summer. Early in 2009, the new Obama Administration affirmed the FWS decision to delist wolves in Idaho, Montana, and a handful of other states. With the exception of Wyoming, where wolves would remain under federal protection, states with wolf populations were to take responsibility for their management.
After the legal killing of hundreds of wolves in Idaho and Montana, ESA protections were restored in August of 2010, but an “end-around” strategy of removing protections legislatively was fashioned to an unrelated appropriations bill that was signed into law a year later. It is believed that Senator John Tester (D-MT), up for reelection in 2012, was responsible for this part of the bill that required the Interior Secretary to reissue the 2009 rule to remove ESA protections for all northern Rocky Mountain wolves except those living in Wyoming.
The fraught relationship between the ESA and wolves continued. While ESA protections were reinstated for Wyoming and three Great Lakes states, lack of protections continued in Idaho and Montana where the former sanctioned unprecedented, if not illegal, helicopter intrusions into the largest-forested wilderness area in the lower-48 states to kill wolves. The activity of Idaho and Montana state officials was not only in contrast to American public opinion, but in direct conflict with the best available science.
Following a replay of the “litigation ping-pong” that best characterizes northern gray wolf legal status and management purview since 2008, the Trump Administration made final a delisting rule in October 2020 for all gray wolves in the lower-48 states with one exception: Mexican gray wolves (Canis lupus baileyi) isolated in an area of reintroduction that straddles the central Arizona and New Mexico state line.
This year, the Republican-controlled state legislatures of both Idaho and Montana have passed laws, viewed as extreme by many, that will widen the scope of wolf killing in terms of both means and length of the killing season. In response to two petitions calling for gray wolves to be (re)listed under the ESA as either threatened or endangered, the FWS announced on September 15 that in light of the substantial and credible information presented, “a listing action may be warranted and will initiate a comprehensive status review of the gray wolf in the western U.S.” The FWS will determine next year if a listing is warranted following a 12-month analysis and updated finding of gray wolf status.
Policy Analysis
The American public would be forgiven if many are confused about the status of gray wolves vis-à-vis the ESA and state management roles. As sentient, social, and family-oriented creatures, wolves must simply cope with the lethal response that they may encounter as an accident of where they happen to live. And the nature of that response has become more varied, high-tech, and favorable for efficient extermination.
Some elected officials, including many of those in Idaho and Montana, have long been influenced by hunting/trapping and ranching industry lobbyists whose views are strictly anthropocentric, allergic to science, and promoted in isolation from an understanding of ecosystem health and integrity. This time-honored antipathy towards wolves has now culminated in new state legislation that in Montana, for example, now legalizes the use of neck snares, night hunting, and trap baiting to go along with foot traps that had previously been the only legal means for capturing and killing wolves. Individuals can now each kill as many as ten wolves, up from five. In a state with approximately 1,200 wolves and almost 140,000 elk, according to Montana Fish, Wildlife, and Parks, the new regulations allow the killing of 450 wolves, more than a third of the estimated population, before fish and wildlife commissioners are reengaged for a review.
The regulations in Montana stemming from HB 224, HB 225, and SB 314 were signed into law this past April by Governor Greg Gianforte (R-MT) who earlier in the year violated state hunting rules for trapping a wolf without taking a required education certification class. As reported by Montana Public Radio, he received a warning. In response to the new wolf-killing regulations codified by Governor Gianforte, seven former members of the Montana Fish and Wildlife Commissioners took the highly unusual step of publicly speaking out against the new rules.
In late September, Mountain Journal published a guest essay titled, “Montana Wolf Policies Are Destroying State’s Reputation As Beacon For Wildlife Management: Seven Respected Former Wildlife Commissioners, All Hunters, Condemn Montana Governor and Lawmakers for Their Callous, Unscientific Promotion of Wolf Slaughter.” The essay is a remarkable repudiation of the laws passed by the Montana Legislature and subsequent rules adopted by the Fish and Wildlife Commission. These official actions were taken despite significant public opposition and a dearth of scientific support.
Photo taken from: projectcoyote.org
In Idaho, Governor Brad Little (R-ID) signed SB 1211 that permits the killing of up to 90 percent of Idaho’s wolves. More about extermination than wildlife stewardship, the new regulations were effective July 1 and allow use of an assortment of lethal gadgetry, wolf-pursuit vehicles, and practices that will also endanger pets and nontarget species.
Idaho’s wolf population is thought to have grown to 1,500 members since reintroduction in 1995 and represents about a quarter of the wolves living in the northern Rockies region. This largest-nondomestic member of the dog family now faces formidable obstacles to survive in a state where cattle and sheep far outnumber humans.
New laws and wolf management plans in both Idaho and Montana will minimize their gray wolf populations to ensure that wolves will remain functionally extinct. These decisions were made for two states that ironically rank among the lowest seven in the lower-48 states in terms of population density (residents/square mile) and despite the presence of an abundance of prime-historic-wolf habitat. Furthermore, there are proven-nonlethal means for deterring wolf depredation, but these methods are overlooked by bureaucrats who now masquerade as wolf biologists and wildlife managers.
Beyond the new state laws and rules for wolf extermination, there’s the matter of violence that racks this nation where hardly a day goes by without some new shooting and senseless killing of one human being by another. What kind of a message is being sent to young people about ethical and responsible adult behavior when the violence that we confront daily spills over to doing the same to our native wildlife?
Killing wolves sends a confusing and contradictory message to children about hunting and its proper role in society. In an increasingly fractured society in need of a recommitment to peaceful coexistence and respect for life, state plans for killing wolves only serve to sabotage this need.
Wolf management policies in Idaho and Montana have nothing to do with either hunting or sport. Rather, their policies are inhumane, set on wolf removal, and reflective of a mentality that prevailed over a hundred years ago. Only a relisting of wolves as an endangered species appears to offer a path to coexistence and wolf reestablishment. Furthermore, relisting will lead to more comprehensive natural resource management for the provision of ecosystem services that benefit everyone and thus, have value.
Engagement Resources
American Wolf Foundation. Mission and Vision — American Wolf Foundation (accessed October 28, 2021)
Blakeslee, Nate. 2017. American Wolf: A True Story of Survival and Obsession in the West. New York, NY: Broadway Books. 303 p.
Earthjustice. 2021. Timeline: The Fight for Northern Rocky Gray Wolves. Timeline: Wolves in Danger | Earthjustice (accessed October 27, 2021)
Endangered Species Coalition. Gray Wolf – Endangered Species Coalition (accessed October 28, 2021)
Idaho Conservation League. Idaho Conservation League (accessed November 1, 2021)
Idaho Fish and Game. Idaho Fish and Game | Idaho Fish and Game (accessed October 28, 2021)
Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks. Home Page | Montana FWP (mt.gov) (accessed October 28, 2021)
Mountain Journal. 2021. “Montana Wolf Policies are Destroying State’s Reputation as Beacon for Wildlife Management” by Gary J. Wolfe, Dan Vermillion, Tim Aldrich, Shane Colton, Steve Doherty, Matt Tourtlotte, and Logan Brower. Montana Wolf Policies Are Destroying State’s Reputation As Beacon For Wildlife Management (mountainjournal.org) (accessed October 27, 2021)
Montana Public Radio. 2021. “Montana Adopts ‘Aggressive’ Wolf Hunting Regulations” by Nick Mott. Montana Adopts ‘Aggressive’ Wolf Hunting Regulations | Montana Public Radio (mtpr.org) (accessed October 27, 2021)
Pacific Wolf Coalition. About Us – Pacific Wolf Coalition (pacificwolves.org) (accessed October 28, 2021)
Smithsonian’s National Zoo & Conservation Biology Institute. Gray wolf | Smithsonian’s National Zoo (si.edu) (accessed October 28, 2021)
Speak for Wolves. Speak for Wolves | An annual grassroots wildlife advocacy conference (accessed October 28, 2021)
The National Wildlife Federation. Gray Wolf. Gray Wolf | National Wildlife Federation (nwf.org) (accessed October 28, 2021)
U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. 2021. Press Release: Service to Initiate Status Review of Gray Wolf in Western U.S. News Releases – U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (fws.gov) (accessed October 27, 2021)