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Tag: Philanthropy

  • Takeaways from AP’s report on affordable housing disappearing across the U.S.

    Takeaways from AP’s report on affordable housing disappearing across the U.S.

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    LOS ANGELES — While Americans continue to struggle under unrelentingly high rents, as many as 223,000 affordable housing units across the U.S. could disappear in the next five years alone.

    It leaves low-income tenants facing protracted eviction battles, scrambling to pay a two-fold rent increase or more, or shunted back into a housing market where costs can easily eat half a paycheck.

    Those affordable housing units were built with the Low-Income Housing Tax Credit, or LIHTC, a federal program launched in 1987 that provides tax credits to developers in exchange for keeping rents low.

    It has pumped out 3.6 million units nationwide, and its expansion is now central to Democratic presidential candidate Kamala Harris’ housing plan to build 3 million new homes.

    The catch? The buildings typically only need to be kept affordable for a minimum of 30 years. For the wave of LIHTC construction in the 1990s, those deadlines are arriving now, threatening to hemorrhage affordable housing supply when Americans need it most.

    Data on LIHTC units that will lose their affordability nationally remains a rough estimate.

    The best nationwide analysis estimated that by 2030 roughly 350,000 LIHTC units are at risk of losing affordability. That’s 1 million units by 2040, according to the National Housing Preservation Database.

    Not all units that lose LIHTC’s affordability protections become market rate. Some are kept affordable by other government subsidies, by merciful landlords or by states, including California, Colorado and New York, that have worked to keep costs low.

    Still, it’s a sizeable loss to a housing market already in dire need of new units.

    “If we are losing the homes that are currently affordable and available to households, then we’re losing ground on the crisis,” said Sarah Saadian, vice president of public policy at the National Low Income Housing Coalition.

    “It’s sort of like having a boat with a hole at the bottom,” she said.

    Local governments and nonprofits can purchase expiring apartments, new tax credits or other subsidies can be applied that extend the affordability, or tenants can organize to try to force action from landlords and city officials.

    California now requires all new LIHTC properties to be affordable for 55 years. Expiring developments built before that rule are also prioritized for new tax credits, and the state essentially requires that all LIHTC applicants have experience owning and managing affordable housing.

    California and Colorado require landlords to notify local governments and tenants before their building expires. Cities and nonprofits then have first shot at buying the property to keep it affordable.

    However, unlike California many states haven’t extended LIHTC agreements beyond 30 years, let alone taken other measures to keep expiring housing affordable.

    Still, local governments or nonprofits scraping together the funds to buy apartment buildings is far from a guarantee. And while new tax credits can reup a lapsing LIHTC affordability, they are limited, doled out to states by the Internal Revenue Service based on population.

    For more than two decades, the low rent on Marina Maalouf’s LIHTC apartment in Los Angeles’ Chinatown was a saving grace for her family, including a granddaughter who has autism.

    When that grace expired, the landlord, no longer legally obligated to keep the building affordable, hiked rent from $1,100 to $2,660 in 2021 — out of reach for Maalouf and her family. Tenant protests, a rent strike and eviction filings followed.

    The eviction case is ongoing, haunting Maalouf’s nights with fears of her family ending up in sleeping bags on a friend’s floor or worse. Mornings she repeats a mantra: “We still here. We still here.” But fighting day after day to make it true is exhausting.

    Still, Maalouf’s tenant activism has helped move the needle. The City of Los Angeles has offered the landlord $15 million to keep her building affordable through 2034, but that deal wouldn’t get rid of over 30 eviction cases still proceeding, including Maalouf’s, or the $25,000 in back rent she owes.

    On a recent day in the courtyard of Maalouf’s apartment, her granddaughter shuffled up with a glass of water. She is 5 years old, but with special needs, her speech is more disconnected words than sentences.

    “That’s why I’ve been hoping everything becomes normal again, and she can be safe,” said Maalouf, her voice shaking with emotion. She has urged her son to start saving money for the worst.

    “We’ll keep fighting,” she said, “but day by day it’s hard. … I’m tired already.”

    ___

    Bedayn is a corps member of The Associated Press/Report for America Statehouse News Initiative. Report for America is a nonprofit national service program that places journalists in local newsrooms to report on undercovered issues.

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  • As affordable housing disappears, states scramble to shore up the losses

    As affordable housing disappears, states scramble to shore up the losses

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    LOS ANGELES — For more than two decades, the low rent on Marina Maalouf’s apartment in a blocky affordable housing development in Los Angeles’ Chinatown was a saving grace for her family, including a granddaughter who has autism.

    But that grace had an expiration date. For Maalouf and her family it arrived in 2020.

    The landlord, no longer legally obligated to keep the building affordable, hiked rent from $1,100 to $2,660 in 2021 — out of reach for Maalouf and her family. Maalouf’s nights are haunted by fears her yearslong eviction battle will end in sleeping bags on a friend’s floor or worse.

    While Americans continue to struggle under unrelentingly high rents, as many as 223,0000 affordable housing units like Maalouf’s across the U.S. could be yanked out from under them in the next five years alone.

    It leaves low-income tenants caught facing protracted eviction battles, scrambling to pay a two-fold rent increase or more, or shunted back into a housing market where costs can easily eat half a paycheck.

    Those affordable housing units were built with the Low-Income Housing Tax Credit, or LIHTC, a federal program established in 1986 that provides tax credits to developers in exchange for keeping rents low. It has pumped out 3.6 million units since then and boasts over half of all federally supported low-income housing nationwide.

    “It’s the lifeblood of affordable housing development,” said Brian Rossbert, who runs Housing Colorado, an organization advocating for affordable homes.

    That lifeblood isn’t strictly red or blue. By combining social benefits with tax breaks and private ownership, LIHTC has enjoyed bipartisan support. Its expansion is now central to Democratic presidential candidate Kamala Harris’ housing plan to build 3 million new homes.

    The catch? The buildings typically only need to be kept affordable for a minimum of 30 years. For the wave of LIHTC construction in the 1990s, those deadlines are arriving now, threatening to hemorrhage affordable housing supply when Americans need it most.

    “If we are losing the homes that are currently affordable and available to households, then we’re losing ground on the crisis,” said Sarah Saadian, vice president of public policy at the National Low Income Housing Coalition.

    “It’s sort of like having a boat with a hole at the bottom,” she said.

    Not all units that expire out of LIHTC become market rate. Some are kept affordable by other government subsidies, by merciful landlords or by states, including California, Colorado and New York, that have worked to keep them low-cost by relying on several levers.

    Local governments and nonprofits can purchase expiring apartments, new tax credits can be applied that extend the affordability, or, as in Maalouf’s case, tenants can organize to try to force action from landlords and city officials.

    Those options face challenges. While new tax credits can reup a lapsing LIHTC property, they are limited, doled out to states by the Internal Revenue Service based on population. It’s also a tall order for local governments and nonprofits to shell out enough money to purchase and keep expiring developments affordable. And there is little aggregated data on exactly when LIHTC units will lose their affordability, making it difficult for policymakers and activists to fully prepare.

    There also is less of a political incentive to preserve the units.

    “Politically, you’re rewarded for an announcement, a groundbreaking, a ribbon-cutting,” said Vicki Been, a New York University professor who previously was New York City’s deputy mayor for housing and economic development.

    “You’re not rewarded for being a good manager of your assets and keeping track of everything and making sure that you’re not losing a single affordable housing unit,” she said.

    Maalouf stood in her apartment courtyard on a recent warm day, chit-chatting and waving to neighbors, a bracelet with a photo of Che Guevarra dangling from her arm.

    “Friendly,” is how Maalouf described her previous self, but not assertive. That is until the rent hikes pushed her in front of the Los Angeles City Council for the first time, sweat beading as she fought for her home.

    Now an organizer with the LA Tenants’ Union, Maalouf isn’t afraid to speak up, but the angst over her home still keeps her up at night. Mornings she repeats a mantra: “We still here. We still here.” But fighting day after day to make it true is exhausting.

    Maalouf’s apartment was built before California made LIHTC contracts last 55 years instead of 30 in 1996. About 5,700 LIHTC units built around the time of Maalouf’s are expiring in the next decade. In Texas, it’s 21,000 units.

    When California Treasurer Fiona Ma assumed office in 2019, she steered the program toward developers committed to affordable housing and not what she called “churn and burn,” buying up LIHTC properties and flipping them onto the market as soon as possible.

    In California, landlords must notify state and local governments and tenants before their building expires. Housing organizations, nonprofits, and state or local governments then have first shot at buying the property to keep it affordable. Expiring developments also are prioritized for new tax credits, and the state essentially requires that all LIHTC applicants have experience owning and managing affordable housing.

    “It kind of weeded out people who weren’t interested in affordable housing long term,” said Marina Wiant, executive director of California’s tax credit allocation committee.

    But unlike California, some states haven’t extended LIHTC agreements beyond 30 years, let alone taken other measures to keep expiring housing affordable.

    Colorado, which has some 80,000 LIHTC units, passed a law this year giving local governments the right of first refusal in hopes of preserving 4,400 units set to lose affordability protections in the next six years. The law also requires landlords to give local and state governments a two-year heads-up before expiration.

    Still, local governments or nonprofits scraping together the funds to buy sizeable apartment buildings is far from a guarantee.

    Stories like Maalouf’s will keep playing out as LIHTC units turn over, threatening to send families with meager means back into the housing market. The median income of Americans living in these units was just $18,600 in 2021, according to the Department of Housing and Urban Development.

    “This is like a math problem,” said Rossbert of Housing Colorado. “As soon as one of these units expires and converts to market rate and a household is displaced, they become a part of the need that’s driving the need for new construction.”

    “It’s hard to get out of that cycle,” he said.

    Colorado’s housing agency works with groups across the state on preservation and has a fund to help. Still, it’s unclear how many LIHTC units can be saved, in Colorado or across the country.

    It’s even hard to know how many units nationwide are expiring. An accurate accounting would require sorting through the constellation of municipal, state and federal subsidies, each with their own affordability requirements and end dates.

    That can throw a wrench into policymakers’ and advocates’ ability to fully understand where and when many units will lose affordability, and then funnel resources to the right places, said Kelly McElwain, who manages and oversees the National Housing Preservation Database. It’s the most comprehensive aggregation of LIHTC data nationally, but with all the gaps, it remains a rough estimate.

    There also are fears that if states publicize their expiring LIHTC units, for-profit buyers without an interest in keeping them affordable would pounce.

    “It’s sort of this Catch-22 of trying to both understand the problem and not put out a big for-sale sign in front of a property right before its expiration,” Rossbert said.

    Meanwhile, Maalouf’s tenant activism has helped move the needle in Los Angeles. The city has offered the landlord $15 million to keep her building affordable through 2034, but that deal wouldn’t get rid of over 30 eviction cases still proceeding, including Maalouf’s, or the $25,000 in back rent she owes.

    In her courtyard, Maalouf’s granddaughter, Rubie Caceres, shuffled up with a glass of water. She is 5 years old, but with special needs, her speech is more disconnected words than sentences.

    “That’s why I’ve been hoping everything becomes normal again, and she can be safe,” said Maalouf, her voice shaking with emotion. She has urged her son to start saving money for the worst.

    “We’ll keep fighting,” she said, “but day by day it’s hard.”

    “I’m tired already.”

    ___

    Bedayn reported from Denver.

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    Bedayn is a corps member of The Associated Press/Report for America Statehouse News Initiative. Report for America is a nonprofit national service program that places journalists in local newsrooms to report on undercovered issues.

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  • Humanitarians enlist entertainers and creators to reach impassioned youth during United Nations week – The Cannabist

    Humanitarians enlist entertainers and creators to reach impassioned youth during United Nations week – The Cannabist

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    By JAMES POLLARD, The Associated Press

    NEW YORK — A lively discussion broke out backstage during Climate Week NYC between a TikTok comedian, a buzzed-about actress, a Latin cuisine entrepreneur and a cooking content creator.

    Convened by World Food Program USA to educate the panel’s audiences — over 1.8 million Instagram followers combined — about hunger, the four weighed best practices for authentically breaking down weighty topics on social media.

    Read the rest of this story on TheKnow.DenverPost.com.

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  • ChatGPT maker OpenAI raises $6.6 billion in fresh funding as it moves away from its nonprofit roots

    ChatGPT maker OpenAI raises $6.6 billion in fresh funding as it moves away from its nonprofit roots

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    OpenAI said Wednesday it has raised $6.6 billion in venture capital investments as part of a broader shift by the ChatGPT maker away from its nonprofit roots.

    Led by venture capital firm Thrive Capital, the funding round was backed by tech giants Microsoft, Nvidia and SoftBank, according to a source familiar with the funding who was not authorized to speak about it publicly.

    The investment represents one of the biggest fundraising rounds in U.S. history, and ranks as the largest in the past 17 years that doesn’t include money coming from a single deep-pocketed company, according to PitchBook, which tracks venture capital investments.

    Microsoft pumped up OpenAI last year with a $10 billion investment in exchange for a large stake in the company’s future growth, mirroring a strategy that tobacco giant Altria Group deployed in 2018 when it invested $12.8 billion into the now-beleaguered vaping startup Juul.

    OpenAI said the new funding “will allow us to double down on our leadership in frontier AI research, increase compute capacity, and continue building tools that help people solve hard problems.” The company said the funding gives it a market value of $157 billion and will “accelerate progress on our mission.”

    The influx of money comes as OpenAI has been looking to more fully convert itself from a nonprofit research institute into a for-profit corporation accountable to shareholders.

    While San Francisco-based OpenAI already has a rapidly growing for-profit division, where most of its staff works, it is controlled by a nonprofit board of directors whose mission is to help humanity by safely building futuristic forms of artificial intelligence that can perform tasks better than humans.

    That sets certain limits on how much profit it makes and how much shareholders get in return for costly investments into the computing power, specialized AI chips and computer scientists it takes to build generative AI tools. But the governance structure would change if the board follows through with a plan to convert itself to a public-benefit corporation, which is a type of corporate entity that is supposed to help society as well as turn a profit.

    Along with Thrive Capital, the funding backers include Khosla Ventures, Altimeter Capital, Fidelity Management and Research Company, MGX, ARK Invest and Tiger Global Management.

    Microsoft said in a brief statement Wednesday that it looks forward to continuing its OpenAI partnership. Nvidia, a leading designer of the chips needed to build and run AI systems, declined to comment. The amount of each funder’s investment has not been disclosed.

    Not included in the round is Apple, despite speculation it might take a stronger interest in OpenAI’s future after recently teaming up with the company to integrate ChatGPT into its products.

    Brendan Burke, an analyst for PitchBook, said that while OpenAI’s existing close partnership with Microsoft has given it broad access to computing power, it still “needs follow-on funding to expand model training efforts and build proprietary products.”

    Burke said it will also help it keep up with rivals such as Elon Musk’s startup xAI, which recently raised $6 billion and has been working to build custom data centers such as one in Memphis, Tennessee. Musk, who helped bankroll OpenAI’s early years as a nonprofit, has become a sharp critic of the company’s commercialization.

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    Associated Press writers Michael Liedtke in San Francisco and Kelvin Chan in London contributed to this report.

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    The Associated Press and OpenAI have a licensing and technology agreement that allows OpenAI access to part of AP’s text archives.

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  • Kamali’s sophomore show for Chloé in Paris dazzled with lightness

    Kamali’s sophomore show for Chloé in Paris dazzled with lightness

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    PARIS (AP) — Chemena Kamali’s sophomore collection for Chloé was a luminous exploration of femininity, blending the house’s heritage with a fresh, sensual energy for spring. Set against a backdrop of sun-faded apricots, blushes and soft whites, the Paris collection captured Kamali’s vision of a summer that she surmised as: “when you pause, escape, explore and recharge.” It celebrated Chloé’s free-spirited DNA, infused with a lightness that felt both nostalgic and forward-looking.

    Here are some highlights of Thursday’s shows at Paris Fashion Week, including a French honor for Naomi Campbell:

    Kamali’s joyful freedom

    “There’s a liberating expression of total freedom,” Kamali said of her spring display.

    This freedom flowed through silk charmeuse gowns, lingerie-inspired crop tops and peek-a-boo designs.

    Echoes of Karl Lagerfeld’s ‘70s Chloé lingered in exaggerated shoulders and standout pieces, like a loose-fitting, vivid blue coat. “Chloé is not a passing moment; it’s an eternal state of mind,” Kamali noted, grounding her collection in the house’s long-standing ethos of optimism and instinct.

    Layering played a central role, but Kamali kept it light and intuitive, reflecting what she called a “very personal way of dressing.” Sheer fabrics and sun-worn lace mixed effortlessly with ribbed jerseys, creating looks that felt weightless and spontaneous, a signature of Kamali’s debut collection. “What matters to me is the feeling and intuition,” she said.

    A standout moment came in the form of a dramatic trapeze-shaped silk gown, its dynamic silhouette swirling with movement. It epitomized Kamali’s ability to honor Chloé’s romantic roots while infusing a modern sensibility. “The mood is light, weightless, sensual and joyful,” she explained. That joyful freedom was a defining thread from start to finish.

    With her second outing, Kamali proved she is the right designer to lead Chloé. She crafted a spring collection that balanced nostalgia and sensuality while pushing the house toward a bright, optimistic future.

    Mugler’s Cadwallader takes a bite at fashion

    Casey Cadwallader delivered a striking show for Mugler, equal parts theatrical and innovative. The hair, sculpted into harsh fringes like a viper’s fang, set the tone for a collection defined by sharp architectural lines. Curving lapels adorned tight jackets, while tendrils of latticed silk flowed into skirts that bled vibrant yellows, creating a visual spectacle.

    The collection boldly embraced femininity, featuring a bust that echoed the form of seashells and a densely packed bustier resembling a diving whale. This daring aesthetic aligns with Cadwallader’s aim to infuse the brand with a fresh energy, moving away from the extravagance that some original Mugler fans long for.

    Oversized tubular arms complemented a webbed skirt-coat, while a transparent loose trench evoked the look of a sea medusa, reinforcing Cadwallader’s commitment to pushing boundaries.

    Naomi Campbell honored in France amid charity controversy

    Iconic British model Naomi Campbell was awarded a prestigious honor in France, being named a knight in the Order of Arts and Letters at the culture ministry for her significant contributions to French culture.

    However, this recognition comes as Campbell faces scrutiny back home, having been barred from serving as a charity trustee in England and Wales for five years. This decision follows a three-year investigation into the financial activities of her charity, “Fashion for Relief,” which was found to have been “poorly governed” and lacking in “adequate financial management.”

    The Charity Commission, which oversees charities in England and Wales, reported multiple instances of misconduct, revealing that only 8.5% of the charity’s expenditures went to charitable grants over a six-year period from 2016. Notably, the inquiry uncovered that charity funds were misused for Campbell’s luxury hotel stays during events in Cannes, alongside personal expenses such as spa treatments and room service.

    In response to a question from the AP, Campbell said, “I’ve just found out today about the findings and I am extremely concerned. We are investigating on our side. I was not in control of my charity; I put the control in the hands of a legal employer. We are investigating to find out what and how, and everything I do and every penny I ever raised goes to charity.”

    Alongside Campbell, fellow trustee Bianka Hellmich has been disqualified for nine years after receiving unauthorized payments for consultancy services, while trustee Veronica Chou has been barred for four years. The charity, founded in 2005 to unite the fashion industry in addressing global poverty, was dissolved earlier this year, having raised over $15 million for various causes worldwide.

    Despite the controversy, Campbell’s honor in France highlights her lasting impact on the cultural landscape.

    Rick Owens enchants with gothic splendor

    At Thursday’s show at the Palais de Tokyo, Rick Owens unleashed a captivating spectacle that felt like a dramatic descent into a realm inhabited by gothic aliens. The atmosphere was thick with smoke and suspense as an army of biblical figures marched out in impressive diagonal formations, their asymmetrical knee-high leather boots featuring translucent heels, making each step a statement.

    Owens’ trademark angular, alien-like geometric shoulders dominated the runway, capturing the essence of his singular vision—one that merges dark romanticism with avant-garde aesthetics. The collection was a testament to his ability to blend his gothic instincts with a sense of reverent irreverence, reminiscent of the “delicate time” he referenced in previous collections, where beauty and horror coexist.

    As the show unfolded, a billowing coven emerged, clad in oversized black priest-like hoods and flowing tulle cloaks that draped elegantly over their forms. Some models donned discreet headscarves, striking a balance between reverence and defiance, perfectly embodying Owens’ commentary on societal norms. This juxtaposition echoes his commitment to inclusivity, presenting a vision of fashion that celebrates diversity while challenging conventional beauty standards.

    The intricate craftsmanship used in the collection exemplified Owens’ mastery. Each piece, from the cloaks to the striking silhouettes, invited viewers to appreciate humble fabrics. This aligns with his insistence that he presents “the most excellent aesthetics” possible, recognizing the nuanced interplay between the dark and the light in our world.

    While some may find Owens’ aesthetic too avant-garde or even gloomy, this show reaffirmed his position as a provocative force in fashion. The theatricality and elaborate design remind us of his role as one of the last independent designers in Paris, navigating the complexities of the fashion landscape with fierce authenticity.

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    Associated Press journalist Marine Lesprit contributed to this report.

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  • Naomi Campbell barred from being charity trustee in England and Wales

    Naomi Campbell barred from being charity trustee in England and Wales

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    LONDON (AP) — British supermodel Naomi Campbell has been barred from being a charity trustee in England and Wales for five years after the poverty charity she founded nearly two decades ago was deemed Thursday to have been “poorly governed” with “inadequate financial management.”

    Following a three-year investigation into the financial activities of “Fashion for Relief,” the Charity Commission, which registers and regulates charities in England and Wales, said it had found “multiple instances of misconduct and/or mismanagement,” and that only 8.5% of the charity’s overall expenditure went on charitable grants in a six-year period from 2016.

    For example, it said that thousands of pounds worth of charity funds were used to pay for a luxury hotel stay in Cannes, France, for Campbell as well as spa treatments, room service and even cigarettes. The regulator sought explanations from the trustees but said no evidence was provided to back up their explanation that hotel costs were typically covered by a donor to the charity, therefore not costing the charity.

    Campbell, 54, said she was “extremely concerned” by the findings of the regulator and that an investigation on her part was underway.

    “I was not in control of my charity, I put the control in the hands of a legal employer,” she said in response to a question from the AP after being named a knight in France’s Order of Arts and Letters at the country’s culture ministry for her contribution to French culture. “We are investigating to find out what and how, and everything I do and every penny I ever raised goes to charity.”

    The commission, which registers and registers and regulates charities in England and Wales, also found that fellow trustee Bianka Hellmich received around 290,000 pounds ($385,000) of unauthorized funds for consultancy services, which was in breach of the charity’s constitution. She has been disqualified as a trustee for nine years. The other trustee, Veronica Chou, was barred for four years.

    “Trustees are legally required to make decisions that are in their charity’s best interests and to comply with their legal duties and responsibilities,” said Tim Hopkins, deputy director for specialist investigations and standards. “Our inquiry has found that the trustees of this charity failed to do so, which has resulted in our action to disqualify them.”

    The charity, which was founded in 2005 in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina in New Orleans, was dissolved and removed from the register of charities earlier this year. On its website, which is still active, the charity said that it presented fashion initiatives and projects in New York, London, Cannes, Moscow, Mumbai and Dar es Salaam, raising more than $15 million for good causes around the world.

    The charity had been set up with the aim of uniting the fashion industry to relieve poverty and advance health and education, by making grants to other organizations and giving resources towards global disasters.

    The commission said that around 344,000 pounds ($460,000) has been recovered and that a further 98,000 pounds of charitable funds have been protected. These funds were used to make donations to two other charities and settle outstanding liabilities.  

    “I am pleased that the inquiry has seen donations made to other charities which this charity has previously supported,” said the regulator’s Hopkins.

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    Lesprit reported from Paris.

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  • OpenAI looks to shift away from nonprofit roots and convert itself to for-profit company

    OpenAI looks to shift away from nonprofit roots and convert itself to for-profit company

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    OpenAI’s history as a nonprofit research institute that also sells commercial products like ChatGPT may be coming to an end as the San Francisco company looks to more fully convert itself into a for-profit corporation accountable to shareholders.

    The artificial intelligence company’s board is considering a decision that would change it into a public benefit corporation, according to a source familiar with the discussions who wasn’t authorized to speak publicly about them.

    While OpenAI already has a for-profit division, where most of its staff works, it is controlled by a nonprofit board of directors whose mission is to help humanity. That would change if the company converts the core of its structure to a public benefit corporation, which is a type of corporate entity that is supposed to help society as well as turn a profit.

    No final decision has been made by the board and the timing of the shift hasn’t been determined, the source said.

    OpenAI’s CEO Sam Altman acknowledged in public remarks Thursday that the company is thinking about restructuring but said the departures of key executives the day before weren’t related.

    Speaking at a tech conference in Italy, Altman mentioned that OpenAI has been considering an overhaul to get to the “next stage.” But he said it was not connected to the Wednesday resignations of Chief Technology Officer Mira Murati and two other top leaders.

    “OpenAI will be stronger for it as we are for all of our transitions,” Altman told the Italian Tech Week event in Turin. “I saw some stuff that this was, like, related to a restructure. That’s totally not true. Most of the stuff I saw was also just totally wrong,” he said without any more specificity.

    “But we have been thinking about (a restructuring),” he added.

    OpenAI said Thursday that it will still retain a nonprofit arm.

    “We remain focused on building AI that benefits everyone and as we’ve previously shared we’re working with our board to ensure that we’re best positioned to succeed in our mission,” it said in a written statement. “The nonprofit is core to our mission and will continue to exist.”

    The resignations of Murati, Chief Research Officer Bob McGrew and another research leader, Barret Zoph, were “just about people being ready for new chapters of their lives and a new generation of leadership,” Altman said.

    The exits were the latest in a string of recent high-profile departures that also include the resignations of OpenAI co-founder Ilya Sutskever and safety team leader Jan Leike in May. In a statement, Leike had leveled criticism at OpenAI for letting safety “take a backseat to shiny products.”

    Much of the conflict at OpenAI has been rooted in its unusual governance structure. Founded in 2015 as a nonprofit with a mission to safely build futuristic AI to help humanity, it is now a fast-growing big business still controlled by a nonprofit board bound to its original mission.

    This unique structure made it possible for four OpenAI board members — Sutskever, two outside tech entrepreneurs and an academic — to briefly oust Altman last November in what was later described as a dispute over a “significant breakdown in trust” between the board and top executives. But with help from a powerful backer, Microsoft, Altman was brought back to the CEO role days later and a new board replaced the old one. OpenAI also put Altman back on the board of directors in March.

    It may not be easy to change OpenAI’s corporate structure, even if it’s designed to make investors and employees happy.

    Tax experts have said that OpenAI’s corporate structure appeared to be set up to give the tax-exempt nonprofit entity full control of the for profit entities that the organization created as its growth started to take off.

    In 2016, the goal of OpenAI’s founders — a group that included Altman and Tesla CEO Elon Musk — was to “advance digital intelligence in the way that is most likely to benefit humanity as a whole, unconstrained by a need to generate financial return.”

    A few years later, the organization realized it needed more computing power to continue to develop AI technologies and to get it, they needed to raise billions of dollars. “We want to increase our ability to raise capital while still serving our mission, and no pre-existing legal structure we know of strikes the right balance,” wrote co-founders Sutskever and Greg Brockman in a 2019 blog post.

    So they set up a new for-profit corporation with a “cap” on the amount of profits that investors or employees could reap and put the nonprofit and its board in charge of the new entity.

    Any “excess” profit would go back to the nonprofit, Brockman and Sutskever explained, though in practice little money has gone back to the nonprofit in recent years. Brockman has been on leave since August, leaving Altman one of the few early leaders still at the helm.

    In research published in February, Ellen P. Aprill, professor emerita of tax law at LMU Loyola Law School, traced OpenAI’s corporate structure, noting that it appeared to be “painstakingly” designed to protect its nonprofit status.

    All of its subsidiary corporations are governed or managed by the nonprofit and its board, and OpenAI says it warns investors that they may never receive a return.

    However, April and her colleagues pointed to Altman’s ouster and reinstatement as evidence that the nonprofit’s board may not be meaningfully in charge. “Unless the members of the board fulfill their fiduciary duties… even the most carefully thought-out structures are for naught,” April and her co-authors wrote.

    ——

    The Associated Press and OpenAI have a licensing and technology agreement that allows OpenAI access to part of AP’s text archives.

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  • Prince Harry says harms of social media have created an ‘epidemic’ for today’s youth

    Prince Harry says harms of social media have created an ‘epidemic’ for today’s youth

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    NEW YORK (AP) — Prince Harry said today’s youth is in the midst of an “epidemic” of anxiety, depression and social isolation due to negative experiences online, as he brought his campaign to help children and their parents navigate cyberspace to this week’s Clinton Global Initiative.

    “These platforms are designed to create addiction,” Harry, 40, said in remarks Tuesday in New York City. “Young people are kept there by mindless, endless, numbing scrolling — being force-fed content that no child should ever be exposed to. This is not free will.”

    Beyond supporting parents and youth throughout this advocacy, The Duke of Sussex stressed the need for corporate accountability. He asked why leaders of powerful social media companies are still held to the “lowest ethical standards” — and called on shareholders to demand tangible change.

    “Parenting doesn’t end with the birth of a child. Neither does founding a company,” said Harry, who revealed that his smartphone lock screen is a photo of his children, five-year-old Prince Archie and three-year-old Princess Lilibet. “We have a duty and a responsibility to see our creations through.”

    Harry’s remarks arrive as pressures continue to mount on tech giants like Meta, Snap and TikTok to make their online platforms safer, particularly for younger users. Many children on these platforms are exposed to content that is not age appropriate, such as violence, or misinformation. Others face unrealistic beauty standards, bullying and sexual harassment.

    Companies have made some changes over the years — with Instagram, for example, announcing last week that it would be making teen accounts private by default in a handful of countries. But safety advocates have long-stressed that there’s more work to be done. Many also maintain that companies still put too much responsibility on parents when it comes to keeping children safe on social media.

    Harry’s contribution to this year’s CGI annual meeting was part of the “What’s Working” theme, in a panel that included former President Bill Clinton, Clinton Foundation Vice Chair Chelsea Clinton and World Central Kitchen founder Jose Andres.

    The Archewell Foundation, which Harry founded with his wife, Meghan Markle, to carry out their philanthropic work recently launched an initiative supporting parents whose children have suffered or died due to online harms. Harry highlighted the work of that initiative, called The Parents Network, in his speech Tuesday.

    The foundation has also partnered with the World Health Organization and others to end violence against children, an issue he and Meghan outlined during a recent trip to Colombia. Harry on Tuesday pointed to the inaugural Global Ministerial Conference on Ending Violence Against Children, which is set to take place in Bogotá this November. He said that this meeting could result in the first global agreement for prioritizing child safety and protection online.

    His CGI address was part of a string of appearances for Harry in New York at the growing number of humanitarian and philanthropic events that run alongside the United Nations General Assembly Week.

    On Monday, he appeared at an event for The HALO Trust, where he discussed how the work of the landmine clearing charity was influential on his late mother, Princess Diana, as well as at the 2024 Concordia Annual Summit, where he spoke with winners of The Diana Award.

    “The HALO Trust’s work in Angola meant a great deal to my mother,” he said. “Carrying on her legacy is a responsibility that I take seriously. And I think we all know how much she would want us to finish this particular job.”

    Harry’s message on Tuesday was generally well-received at the conference.

    Nia Faith, 22, co-founder of the Canadian nonprofit Revolutionnaire, which works to empower youth and uses social media to mobilize members, said she saw his presentation as a “call to action” on an issue that does not get enough attention.

    “I was incredibly moved by Prince Harry’s speech,” she said. “At Revolutionnaire, we use digital advocacy and social media to empower youth to make a positive impact. We also recognized that social media is being used in a way that is harmful and detrimental to the mental health of young people.”

    Faith hopes that Harry’s work will convince companies and governments to take action to protect children while encouraging the use of platforms to drive more positive action.

    Ashley Lashley, 25, whose Ashley Lashley Foundation works to address environmental challenges in her native Barbados by motivating young people to take action in their communities, said she was impressed by his remarks, even though she also worries about the digital divide in her country.

    “His message really hit home that parents, teachers, and students really need to unite to educate each other about the safe usage of digital technology,” she said. “I really believe that there needs to be a multi sectorial approach. That’s what we’re seeing here at CGI where different persons from different sectors — from governments, from private sectors, from philanthropy organizations — can really work together to ensure that there is peace and equity across all social media platforms.”

    ________

    Associated Press coverage of philanthropy and nonprofits receives support through the AP’s collaboration with The Conversation US, with funding from Lilly Endowment Inc. The AP is solely responsible for this content. For all of AP’s philanthropy coverage, visit https://apnews.com/hub/philanthropy.

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  • Tugboat powered by ammonia sails for the first time, showing how to cut emissions from shipping

    Tugboat powered by ammonia sails for the first time, showing how to cut emissions from shipping

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    KINGSTON, N.Y. (AP) — On a tributary of the Hudson River, a tugboat powered by ammonia eased away from the shipyard dock and sailed for the first time to show how the maritime industry can slash planet-warming carbon dioxide emissions.

    The tugboat used to run on diesel fuel. The New York-based startup company Amogy bought the 67-year-old ship to switch it to cleanly-made ammonia, a new, carbon-free fuel.

    The tugboat’s first sail on Sunday night is a milestone in a race to develop zero-emissions propulsion using renewable fuel. Emissions from shipping have increased over the last decade — to about 3% of the global total according to the United Nations — as vessels have gotten much bigger, delivering more cargo per trip and using immense amounts of fuel oil.

    Abigail Jablansky, head of project management, stands in the captain area of the NH3 Kraken, a tugboat powered by ammonia, Friday, Sept. 13, 2024, in Kingston, N.Y. (AP Photo/Alyssa Goodman)

    CEO Seonghoon Woo said he launched Amogy with three friends to help the world solve a huge, pressing concern: This backbone of the global economy has not started to transition to clean energy yet.

    “Without solving the problem, it’s not going to be possible to make the planet sustainable,” he said. “I don’t think this is the problem of the next generation. This is a really big problem for our generation.”

    The friends met while studying at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. In their free time during the COVID-19 pandemic, they brainstormed how to power heavy industries cleanly. They launched their startup in November 2020 in a small space at the Brooklyn Navy Yard. The name Amogy comes from combining the words ammonia and energy.

    They looked for a boat and found the tug in the Feeney Shipyard in Kingston, New York, languishing without a mission. It could break ice, but little to no ice has formed on that part of the Hudson River in recent years, so it was available for sale.

    “It represents how serious the problem is when it comes to climate change,” Woo said. The project, he said, is “not just demonstrating our technology, it’s really going to be telling the story to the world that we have to fix this problem sooner than later.”

    Image

    Worker gestures from the NH3 Kraken, a tugboat powered by ammonia, Friday, Sept. 13, 2024, in Kingston, N.Y. (AP Photo/Alyssa Goodman)

    They named the tugboat NH3 Kraken, after the chemical formula for ammonia and their method of “cracking” it into hydrogen and nitrogen. Amogy’s system uses ammonia to make hydrogen for a fuel cell, making the tug an electric-powered ship. The International Maritime Organization set a target for international shipping to reach net-zero greenhouse gas emissions by, or close to, 2050.

    Shipping needs to cut emissions rapidly and there are no solutions widely available today to fully decarbonize deep-sea shipping, according to the Global Maritime Forum, a nonprofit that works closely with the industry. There is a lot of interest in ammonia as an alternative fuel because the molecule doesn’t contain carbon, said Jesse Fahnestock, who leads the forum’s decarbonization work.

    AP correspondent Julie Walker reports on a tugboat powered by ammonia.

    Ammonia is widely used for fertilizer, so there is already infrastructure in place for handling and transporting it. Ton for ton, it can hold more energy than hydrogen, and it can be stored and distributed more easily.

    “It certainly has the potential to be a main or even the main fuel,” Fahnestock said. “It has a potentially very friendly greenhouse gas footprint.”

    Image

    The tank that will hold ammonia and power the NH3 Kraken sits on the tugboat on Friday, Sept. 13, 2024, in Kingston, N.Y. (AP Photo/Alyssa Goodman)

    Image

    The tank that will hold ammonia and power the NH3 Kraken sits on the tugboat on Friday, Sept. 13, 2024, in Kingston, N.Y. (AP Photo/Alyssa Goodman)

    Ammonia does have drawbacks. It’s toxic. Nearly all of it currently is made from natural gas in a process that is harmful for the climate. And burning it has to be engineered carefully or it, too, yields traces of a powerful greenhouse gas.

    Amogy’s technology is different.

    The tugboat ran on green ammonia produced by renewable electricity. A 2,000-gallon tank fits in the old fuel tank space, for a 10-to 12-hour day at sea.

    It splits liquid ammonia into its constituents, hydrogen and nitrogen, then funnels the hydrogen into a fuel cell that generates electricity for the vessel without carbon emissions. The process does not burn ammonia like a combustion engine would, so it primarily produces nitrogen in its elemental form and water as emissions. The company says there are trace amounts of nitrogen oxides that it’s working to completely eliminate.

    Image

    Abigail Jablansky, head of project management, walks down the stairs on the NH3 Kraken, a tugboat powered by ammonia, Friday, Sept. 13, 2024, in Kingston, N.Y. (AP Photo/Alyssa Goodman)

    Amogy first used ammonia to power a drone in 2021, then a tractor in 2022, a semi-truck in 2023, and now the tugboat to prove the technology. Woo said their system is designed to be used on vessels as small as the tugboat and as large as container ships, and could also make electricity on shore to replace diesel generators for data centers, mining and construction, or other heavy industries.

    The company has raised about $220 million. Amazon, an enterprise with immense needs for shipping, is among the investors. Nick Ellis, principal of Amazon’s $2 billion Climate Pledge Fund, said the company is excited and impressed by what Amogy is doing. By investing, Amazon can show ship owners and builders it wants its goods delivered with zero emissions, he added.

    “Many folks will now get a chance to see and understand how real and promising this technology is, and that it could actually be in container ships or tugboats in a matter of a few years,” he said. “If you would’ve asked five years ago, I think a lot of people would have thrown up their hands … And suddenly we have not only a compelling example, but a commercially-viable example. These types of things don’t come by every day.”

    Image

    A worker walks on the NH3 Kraken, a tugboat powered by ammonia, Friday, Sept. 13, 2024, in Kingston, N.Y. (AP Photo/Alyssa Goodman)

    Other companies are developing ammonia-powered ships that still use some diesel.

    In Singapore in March, Fortescue’s Green Pioneer vessel showed how ammonia could be used in combination with diesel as a marine fuel. An ammonia-powered container ship, the Yara Eyde, will be on water in 2026 with an engine running on green ammonia, according to Yara Clean Ammonia. In Japan, the NYK Group converted the tugboat Sakigake to run on ammonia rather than liquified natural gas.

    Image

    A boat, left, passes by the NH3 Kraken, a tugboat powered by ammonia, Friday, Sept. 13, 2024, in Kingston, N.Y. (AP Photo/Alyssa Goodman)

    As a next step, Amogy is working with major shipbuilders to bring ammonia power to the maritime sector. South Korean shipbuilder Hanwha Ocean is purchasing its technology. HD Hyundai and Samsung Heavy Industries are working with Amogy on ship designs.

    Sangmin Park said that because Amogy has made significant progress in proving ammonia’s potential as a clean fuel, “we expect the industry to move towards adoption more quickly.” Park is senior vice president at HD Hyundai subsidiary HD Korea Shipbuilding & Offshore Engineering.

    “For the past few years, the industry has recognized the potential of ammonia as a zero-carbon fuel,” Park wrote in an email, “but actually building and sailing the first vessel is a true landmark event.”

    ___

    McDermott reported from Providence, R.I.

    ___

    The Associated Press’ climate and environmental coverage receives financial support from multiple private foundations. AP is solely responsible for all content. Find AP’s standards for working with philanthropies, a list of supporters and funded coverage areas at AP.org.

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  • Bill Gates Says Billionaires Like Him Should Be Taxed Two-Thirds of Their Fortunes

    Bill Gates Says Billionaires Like Him Should Be Taxed Two-Thirds of Their Fortunes

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    The Microsoft co-founder has long been one of the world’s wealthiest people. Yi-Chin Lee/Houston Chronicle via Getty Imag

    Bernie Sanders, the famously anti-billionaire senator of Vermont, and Bill Gates, the world’s seventh wealthiest person with an estimated net worth of $138.5 billion, make an unlikely pairing—especially when it comes to debating income inequality. Despite their differences, the duo sat down together to discuss wealth and taxation for the latest episode of Gates’ new Netflix series What’s Next? The Future with Bill Gates.

    “Several of my friends raised an eyebrow when I told them I was going to meet with him,” said Gates in a blog post on Wednesday (Sept. 18) discussing his meeting with Sanders and the show, which aired the same day. “After all, Sen. Sanders is the first U.S. Senator in history to go on record saying that billionaires shouldn’t exist,” he added.

    Sanders maintained this stance during their discussion, calling the existence of ultra-wealthy individuals “unacceptable” and “obscene.” Gates, meanwhile, suggested that billionaires should voluntarily donate their wealth but disagreed on outlawing them altogether. “But again, I’m biased,” conceded the Microsoft (MSFT) co-founder. Gates, who has given away some $77.6 billion via the Gates Foundation, has long been a champion for billionaire philanthropy and in 2010 helped create the Giving Pledge, a campaign that urges the ultra-wealthy to donate the majority of their wealth.

    How much should the ultra-rich be taxed?

    Despite their different stances on banning billionaires, both Gates and Sanders are advocates for higher taxes on the rich. “I’m amazed that the rich aren’t taxed substantially more than they are,” said Gates during the episode. “If you raise taxes a fair bit, there should be enough to somewhat raise the social safety net, which is not as well-funded as I would make it,” he added. The centibillionaire said his ideal tax system would leave the wealthy with a third of their current fortunes, which would give Gates around $46 billion given his current fortune. Sanders, meanwhile, said he “would go a lot further.”

    Gates’ comments echo statements he made earlier this month in an interview with The Independent, where he voiced his desire for more progressive tax policies. “If I designed the tax system, I would be tens of billions of dollars poorer than I am,” he told the outlet.

    In a 2019 blog post, Gates suggested increasing taxes on large investments by the wealthy and urged the U.S. government to raise the capital gains tax to equal taxes on labor. While those relying on salary and hourly work are taxed at a maximum of 37 percent, “the wealthiest generally only get a tiny percentage of their income from a salary; most of it comes from profits on investments, such as stock or real estate, taxed at 20 percent if they’re held for more than a year,” he said.

    During his discussion with Gates, Sanders pointed to a similar idea proposed by Warren Buffett in 2011 when he criticized the fact that he was taxed less than his employees. “That is not what the American people want to see,” said the senator.

    Earlier this year, JPMorgan Chase (JPM)’s Jamie Dimon—estimated to be worth $2.3 billion—said that higher taxes on the rich would help the nation bring its debt down while increasing economic spending and growth. “You would maybe just raise taxes a bit, like the Warren Buffett-type of rule,” Dimon told PBS, referring to a tax rule borne out of Buffett’s comments that dictates no households earning more than $1 million annually should pay a smaller share of their income in taxes than middle-class families.

    Bill Gates Says Billionaires Like Him Should Be Taxed Two-Thirds of Their Fortunes

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  • Craigslist’s Founder Pledges $100 Million for Cybersecurity | Entrepreneur

    Craigslist’s Founder Pledges $100 Million for Cybersecurity | Entrepreneur

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    Craig Newmark, the 71-year-old retired founder of Craigslist, has four focus areas for philanthropy: military families and vets, cybersecurity, journalism, and pigeon rescue.

    On Wednesday, he pledged $100 million to support U.S. cybersecurity, bringing his total giving and pledges to $400 million since 2015.

    Craig Newmark. Photo by John Lamparski/Getty Images

    According to the Wall Street Journal, Newmark has already committed over 20% of the $100 million pledge to organizations and projects around cybersecurity. Common Sense Media, for example, received $2 million to support efforts like a cybersecurity awareness campaign for parents and teachers.

    Related: Melinda French Gates Reveals Her Next Move After Leaving Gates Foundation: ‘Set Your Own Agenda or Someone Else Will Set It For You’

    Newmark was worth $1.3 billion in 2020 and pledged to give away almost all his wealth to charitable causes in December 2022. He told the Journal that his giving was inspired by the Judaic concept of tikkun olam, Hebrew for “repairing the world.“

    Newmark’s approach is to find the right people, give them the resources they need, “and then get outta their way,” according to his philanthropy’s website. He doesn’t give organizations who receive grants requirements to hit certain targets.

    Newmark has yet to commit $88 million of his latest $100 million pledge. Applications are open through his foundation’s website where he personally vets the proposals.

    Related: Warren Buffett Just Changed Up His Will and Locked Out the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation

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    Sherin Shibu

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  • Gifted Savings Gifting $1,000 in Investment Assets to Every Student in the Class of 2025 at Westbrook Academy

    Gifted Savings Gifting $1,000 in Investment Assets to Every Student in the Class of 2025 at Westbrook Academy

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    LOS ANGELES, September 19, 2024 (Newswire.com)
    –
    Gifted Savings, an innovative nonprofit in the direct giving space, is thrilled to announce the launch of its inaugural high school investment gifting program at Westbrook Academy, a Los Angeles County Office of Education (LACOE) authorized school, in collaboration with the ASU Learning Transformation Studios. Starting today and underwritten by the generosity of an anonymous donor, every senior at the high school will receive an investment portfolio valued at $1,000 in an online account, offering them a unique and practical introduction to saving and investing. Students will be invited to track the value of their gifted investment portfolio throughout the school year. After the school year and once they turn 18, students will be given complete control over their entire portfolio to do with as they please, no strings attached.

    Gifted Savings aims to prove that the direct gifting of investment assets is the most simple, efficient, and rewarding way to inspire hope and empower individuals to create their own opportunities, while promoting a widespread spirit of generosity and shared prosperity. In this pilot, the donor has chosen to gift students portfolios composed of $500 in the Vanguard Growth ETF, which includes 190 stocks, including Apple, Nvidia, Netflix, Amazon, and Tesla, along with $500 in Bitcoin.

    The Gifted Savings program is facilitated through a custom-built web app, which allows students to track their gifted investment portfolios while delivering bite-sized, interactive lessons on investing education. As students progress through the program, they will document their journey by sharing short video testimonials, offering insights into their personal growth and the impact of their new financial knowledge. The goal is to help students experience generosity and see the long-term power of saving and holding investments while sharing their learning with their peers and communities.

    “Gifted Savings is about more than just giving students money — it’s about empowering generosity while giving young people skin in the game of saving and holding investment assets,” said Farhad Mohit, founder of Gifted Savings. “We’re out to prove that when young people are given a chance of owning investment assets, they’ll naturally pursue financial literacy and be better prepared to make choices about opportunities they find.” 

    Josh Landay, Executive Director at Gifted Savings, adds, “And for donors, we want to show that the direct giving of investment assets can be the most simple, empowering and rewarding way to help people create a positive impact for themselves and our collective future.”

    Students already are dreaming of how they’ll make the most impact with their Gifted Savings. “I would use it towards saving for college in the future,” one student said, “and also possibly investing my own [money] in addition to the $1,000.”

    Principal Zeidy Revolorio of Westbrook Academy expressed her enthusiasm for the program. “Gifted Savings is giving our students a unique opportunity to gain practical experience owning real investments,” Revolorio said. “We’re excited to see how this will fuel their interest in financial literacy and help them to develop a solid foundation in managing their own finances so that they can realize their dreams.”

    The program, launching on Sept. 19, 2024, will run throughout the academic year. Gifted Savings is committed to scaling this transformative initiative by empowering donors to extend the reach of their generosity to schools nationwide, amplifying the impact of financial empowerment to countless more students. 

    About Gifted Savings: Gifted Savings’ mission is to make the direct gifting of investment assets simple and rewarding, empowering people to create their own opportunities. By providing students with gifted investment assets and free educational resources, Gifted Savings enables them to take charge of their financial futures. The program is designed for widespread impact, partnering with donors who believe in the power of infectious generosity through direct giving. By leveraging technology, Gifted Savings aims to reach students nationwide and prove that giving people freedom and responsibility is the best way to invest in our shared future.

    www.giftedsavings.org

    Source: Gifted Savings

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  • MrBeast and Amazon sued by competitors from his $5M reality show over alleged ‘unsafe’ conditions

    MrBeast and Amazon sued by competitors from his $5M reality show over alleged ‘unsafe’ conditions

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    NEW YORK — MrBeast is accused of creating “unsafe” employment conditions, including sexual harassment, and misrepresenting contestants’ odds at winning his new Amazon reality show’s $5 million grand prize in a lawsuit filed Tuesday by five unnamed participants.

    The filing alleges that the multimillion-dollar company behind YouTube’s most popular channel failed to provide minimum wages, overtime pay, uninterrupted meal breaks and rest time for competitors — whose “work on the show was the entertainment product” sold by MrBeast.

    A spokesperson for MrBeast, whose real name is Jimmy Donaldson, told The Associated Press in an email that he had no comment on the new lawsuit.

    Donaldson’s “Beast Games” was touted as the “biggest reality competition.” It was supposed to put the North Carolina content creator in front of audiences beyond the YouTube platform where his record 316 million subscribers routinely watch his whimsical challenges that often carry lavish gifts of direct cash.

    But its initial Las Vegas shoot began facing criticism before it even wrapped. Donaldson’s companies cast 2,000 people in an initial tryout this July where half could advance to the actual show’s filming in Toronto.

    Contestants only learned upon their arrival that the Las Vegas pool surpassed 1,000 competitors, according to the lawsuit, which significantly reducing their chances of victory. The lawsuit argues the “false advertising” violated California business laws that prohibit sweepstakes operators from “misrepresenting in any manner the odds of winning any prize.”

    The five anonymous competitors also said that “limited sustenance” and “insufficient medical staffing” endangered their health.

    The filing alleges that production staff created a “toxic” work environment for women who faced “sexual harassment” throughout the contest. Those sections are heavily redacted in an effort to comply with “confidentiality provisions” signed by the competitors, according to a press release from their lawyers.

    The lawsuit adds to the complaints — circulated by online influencers in the shoot’s immediate aftermath — that an unorganized set had left some contestants injured and lacking in regular access to food and medication. Other participants have told AP they received two light meals each day and MrBeast branded chocolate bars.

    MrBeast’s team also faces new accusations they “knowingly misclassified” the contestants’ employment status to the Nevada Film Commission in order to receive a state tax credit for more than $2 million.

    Among other forms of relief, the five competitors seek an order that MrBeast institute “workplace reforms” and awards “all wages owed.”

    Last month, amid several public relations crises, Donaldson ordered a full assessment of his YouTube empire’s internal culture and outlined plans to require company-wide sensitivity training.

    No more details have been divulged and no date has been publicized for the reality game show’s release.

    ___

    Associated Press coverage of philanthropy and nonprofits receives support through the AP’s collaboration with The Conversation US, with funding from Lilly Endowment Inc. The AP is solely responsible for this content. For all of AP’s philanthropy coverage, visit https://apnews.com/hub/philanthropy.

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  • Bringing hope to many: Lazarus House fundraiser held in Andover

    Bringing hope to many: Lazarus House fundraiser held in Andover

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    ANDOVER — Perfect late summer weather and the desire to support a good cause helped attract a large crowd to the 26th Hike for Hope walk on Saturday at The Park.

    The daylong event kicked off with the annual walk and was followed by a family-friendly festival with live music, games and food trucks. Money raised through the walk supports those facing poverty, homelessness and hunger through programs offered at Lazarus House in Lawrence. Lazarus House, which opened its doors in 1983, has already served more than 30,000 guests in 2024. Among the participants were Micki LeBlanc, 84, and Denise Labrecque, 66, of Salem, N.H., who have raised more than $200,000 since the walk began.

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  • Italy’s deputy premier Matteo Salvini faces a potential 6-year prison sentence in migration trial

    Italy’s deputy premier Matteo Salvini faces a potential 6-year prison sentence in migration trial

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    ROME — Italian prosecutors on Saturday requested a six-year prison sentence for right-wing League leader Matteo Salvin i for his decision to prevent more than 100 migrants from landing in Italy when he was interior minister in 2019. If convicted Salvini could be barred from holding government office.

    The prosecutors in the city of Palermo have accused Salvini — who’s currently deputy premier and transport minister in the right-wing government led by Giorgia Meloni — of alleged kidnapping for leaving a migrant rescue ship operated by charity Open Arms stranded at sea for 19 days.

    During the 2019 standoff, some of the migrants threw themselves overboard in desperation as the captain pleaded for a safe, close port. The remaining 89 people onboard were eventually allowed to disembark in Lampedusa by a court order.

    “I would do it all again: defending borders from illegal immigrants is not a crime,” Salvini said on his social media on Saturday.

    His lawyer, Giulia Bongiorno, will make her defense statement in Palermo on Oct. 18, and a first sentence could come by the end of the month. A conviction – which in Italy is definitive only at the end of a three-stage judicial process — could bar Salvini from holding government office.

    Meloni and several ministers of her government expressed solidarity with the League leader, defending his decisions. Since she stepped into power in 2022, Meloni has pledged a crackdown on migration, aiming to deter would-be refugees from paying smugglers to make the dangerous Mediterranean crossing.

    “It is incredible that a minister of the Italian Republic risks six years in prison for doing his job defending the nation’s borders, as required by the mandate received from its citizens,” the Italian premier wrote on X.

    Salvini maintained a hard line on migration in his tenure as interior minister in the first government of Premier Giuseppe Conte, from 2018-2019.

    He imposed a “closed ports” policy under which Italy refused entry to charity ships that rescued migrants in distress across the Mediterranean and repeatedly accused humanitarian organizations of effectively encouraging people smuggling.

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  • Colman Domingo is practicing racial healing on and off the screen — and wants you to join him

    Colman Domingo is practicing racial healing on and off the screen — and wants you to join him

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    NEW YORK — Colman Domingo has implicitly invited audiences to take the journey of racial healing throughout his career.

    The Afro-Latino actor’s portrayals often complicate popular representations of Black masculinity. There’s his Oscar-nominated Bayard Rustin, the unsung gay civil rights leader. Or Mister, the abusive antagonist of “The Color Purple” who sheds his misogyny in a last bid at redemption. His most recent film, “Sing Sing,” follows the wrongly incarcerated leader of a prison theater troupe.

    Now enjoying the hard-earned spotlight for those leading performances and his fashion-forward looks, Domingo is thinking more intentionally about his off-screen platform. And that call for racial healing has grown more explicit through a new partnership with the W.K. Kellogg Foundation.

    The children’s opportunity nonprofit has long centered antiracism, according to president La June Montgomery Tabron. To help all youth thrive, she said, it’s necessary to address root causes like racial inequity.

    In 2017, the W.K. Kellogg Foundation promoted the first National Day of Racial Healing, which is now recognized annually after Martin Luther King Jr. Day.

    Kellogg leaders hope a “storyteller” like Domingo can encourage year-round racial healing, which the foundation describes as “the practice of reflecting on personal experiences, confronting past wrongs and present consequences, and cultivating trustful relationships.”

    “When we look at Colman and his work around just lifting up all of humanity and creating an empathetic response to stories, that’s exactly what the core of racial equity and racial healing is all about,” Tabron told The Associated Press.

    Domingo recently discussed the collaboration and “Sing Sing” with AP. This conversation has been edited for clarity and length.

    ————————

    A: The more my platform has widened, I thought, “What do you give voice to?” I want to put my voice behind things that are important to me, especially this National Day of Racial Healing.

    This is how I become a bit more human. This is how we extend a bit more grace to one another. This is the way that we can actually do the work of healing: to not be angry, to not be polarized, but to find more love and more grace and more dignity in each other’s stories, in each other’s backgrounds, and get to know each other a bit more.

    ———

    A: That’s something I learned as an actor and I’ve really put that into my life — to really acknowledge the more complex feelings. Anger is the easiest thing to feel. It only goes one way, really. You can’t really heal from it and find other notes. Something I know that I find useful in my life is to acknowledge every feeling I feel. The quickest thing to feel is anger, but it doesn’t help you grow. All the other complex emotions help you grow.

    ——-

    A: It’s given me a voice, actually — given me more of my place in the world. I also have work that helps me delve into history, so I have an idea of my identity and who I am and who other people are. I constantly have a curiosity in the world and its people, and I think has made me a bit fuller of a whole human being.

    I do that daily with my work, which is such a blessing. I know many people don’t, but they can find tools to do that with dayofracialhealing.org.

    ———

    A: The pirouette was a very conscious decision to show who this Black man is on the inside that the world may not see. To see a bit more complexity and tenderness and really deconstruct their ideas of who this Black man is — and who this Black man who is incarcerated is. No one would ever imagine that this man had a dancer inside of him.

    For me, that does the work of racial healing. You can see a Black and brown man differently. That’s the work that is happening on a very subtle basis when people experience our film. They see Black and brown men being tender with each other, laughing with each other. Even Black men, we know what’s possible when we’re allowed to be free and be full in our experience.

    ___

    Associated Press coverage of philanthropy and nonprofits receives support through the AP’s collaboration with The Conversation US, with funding from Lilly Endowment Inc. The AP is solely responsible for this content. For all of AP’s philanthropy coverage, visit https://apnews.com/hub/philanthropy.

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  • Comic Relief US launches new Roblox game to help children build community virtually and in real life

    Comic Relief US launches new Roblox game to help children build community virtually and in real life

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    NEW YORK (AP) — The notion that online gaming could help players develop charitable habits seemed bold when the anti-poverty nonprofit Comic Relief US tested its own multiverse on the popular world-building app Roblox last year.

    As philanthropy wrestles with how to authentically engage new generations of digitally savvy donors, Comic Relief US CEO Alison Moore said it was “audacious” to design an experience that still maintained the “twinkle” of the organization that’s behind entertainment-driven fundraisers like Red Nose Day.

    But the launch was successful enough that Comic Relief US is expanding the game this year. Kids Relief’s second annual “Game to Change the World” campaign features a magical new Roblox world, an exclusive virtual concert and a partner in children’s television pioneer Nickelodeon.

    The goal is to instill empathy and raise money through a scavenger hunt across various realms, including SpongeBob SquarePants and Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles. Users travel through portals to collect magical tools that will improve their surroundings. The net proceeds from in-game purchases will be donated.

    The community-building inherent in collaborative gaming is intended to subtly encourage off-screen acts of kindness.

    “It’s a little bit like me helping you, you helping me — all of us together. I love the idea of doing that in a game space,” Moore told The Associated Press. “It’s not meant to be a banner ad or a sign that says, ‘Do Good.’ It’s meant to be emblematic in the gameplay itself.”

    Nickelodeon is also promoting an instructional guide for kids to start their own local projects in real life such as backpack drives.

    Quests are delivered from wizards voiced by “Doctor Who” icon David Tennant, “Veep” star Tony Hale and “Never Have I Ever” actress Maitreyi Ramakrishnan. One wizard invites users to “embark on an enchanted journey to awaken the heart of your community.”

    The campaign will culminate in a weekend music festival on Roblox beginning Sept. 13 that features rock band Imagine Dragons, whose lead singer Dan Reynolds has focused his philanthropy on LGBTQ+ causes. Virtual acts also include Conan Gray, Poppy, d4vd and Alexander Stewart — all musical artists who got their big breaks on YouTube.

    Moore said she was “blown away” by last year’s numbers. The inaugural game has been played for over 32 billion minutes and one performance received the highest “concert thumbs up rating” ever on Roblox, according to Comic Relief US.

    Charitable donations are increasingly being made through gaming, according to business strategist Marcus Howard.

    The fit comes naturally, he said, considering that young people value experiences such as gaming over the material possessions that past generations might have bought at a charitable auction.

    “It just makes sense,” Howard said.

    But he finds that partners must overcome the negative stigma associated with online chat rooms. To its credit, Howard said, Roblox combines the creativity of popular competitor Fortnite with less “toxicity” because of its emphasis on cooperation over competition.

    Comic Relief US kept in mind the need to build a game that appeals to both children and their parents, Moore said.

    To navigate that tricky balance, the nonprofit has adopted a mindset that she credits Nickelodeon with originating: Include parents in the conversation but speak to their children.

    “Good games are good games,” Moore said. “Good games that make me feel good are good things.”

    ___

    Associated Press coverage of philanthropy and non-profits receives support through the AP’s collaboration with The Conversation US, with funding from Lilly Endowment Inc. The AP is solely responsible for this content. For all of AP’s philanthropy coverage, visit https://apnews.com/hub/philanthropy.

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  • Did Taylor Swift create a new era for food bank donations?

    Did Taylor Swift create a new era for food bank donations?

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    Ahead of Taylor Swift’s July 14, 2023, concert in Denver, Aditi Desai, chief marketing officer at the Food Bank of the Rockies, got an unusual call. The billionaire pop star wanted to donate tens of thousands of meals to the nonprofit — a philanthropic effort she had repeated, much like her favorite songs, as she traverses the country on her 52-city Eras Tour.

    “I was shocked and then thrilled by the news,” Desai said. “When (Swift’s representatives) shared the news, they were so kind, letting us know that Taylor wanted to express her gratitude for the work we do in our community every day.”

    Since last March, Swift has donated the equivalent of hundreds of thousands of meals to help feed the growing number of Americans grappling with rising food and housing costs. She chooses to give without celebrity fanfare, and the gifts have been welcomed. But food bank operators say they have provided only temporary relief, as food insecurity has been spiking and federal government COVID-19 aid has ended.

    “We got so much support during COVID,” said Jessica Sund, director of development and communications at Channel One Regional Food Bank of Minnesota, which received funding from Swift. “That really helped us not have a horrible situation. But the numbers we’re seeing are so much higher now because of inflation and cost of living, and all of that support is gone.”

    Swift’s support has been meaningful, food bank operators say, especially in drawing attention to their crucial service for low- and mid-income people. But food banks, collectively, require billions of dollars in funding per year, said Kyle Waide, CEO of Atlanta Community Food Bank, who is chair of the National Council for Feeding America and whose Georgia food bank is a Swift grantee.

    The annual funding shortfall between what is needed in food assistance and what is provided by the federal government is roughly $33 billion, according to Feeding America, a network of food banks, pantries, and local meal programs.

    “At a macro level, food banks are certainly facing lots of pressure right now, mainly because of just the extraordinary level of demand that’s out in the community,” Waide said.

    Typically, according to Feeding America, food banks rely on individual and corporate donations, contributions from local farmers and retailers, and federal aid programs to sustain operations.

    The self-described “tortured poet,” who has an estimated net worth of more than $1 billion, has a history of supporting emergency relief causes. Swift’s charitable fund at the Community Foundation of Middle Tennessee was set up to respond to flooding that struck the region in 2010. She gave $1 million to the community foundation’s Tennessee Emergency Response Fund last year.

    Food banks fortunate enough to receive a slice of her wealth have praised the pop star for highlighting their efforts to reduce hunger amid inflation, rising food and energy costs, and increased demand for their services. At least 49 million Americans rely on food from food banks and other charities. Young people, who make up a large portion of Swift’s audience, are increasingly affected by food insecurity. More than half of those ages 18 to 34 said rising food costs were chief among their biggest financial worries.

    Swift’s public relations team declined to comment about her food bank donations. Grantees said they were asked not to disclose the amount of the gifts. However, Desai said the contribution allowed the food bank to purchase enough food for 75,000 meals. Typically, the food bank can provide about three meals for every $1 donated, she said.

    Channel One Regional Food Bank of Minnesota was able to purchase 30,000 meals with its donation, according to Jessica Sund, the organization’s director of development and communications. Food banks can purchase anywhere from two to 10 meals per dollar donated, she said.

    “It really does range dramatically from food bank to food bank,” Sund said.

    At Channel One, it usually costs about $8 million a year to keep shelves stocked with enough food to support roughly 300,000 visits from people in 14 counties.

    Swift’s gifts seem to amount to a tiny percentage of the revenue earned from the tour and her personal wealth. Nevertheless, many of her food bank grantees consider the exposure that she gives them priceless.

    Her donation provided the kind of media attention that Food Bank of the Rockies could never afford, Desai said. “We saw rapid increases in ‘likes’ and ‘comments’ on the social media post announcing the gift, with exponentially more engagement than we typically receive,” Desai said.

    Some food banks said they saw a bump in small donations in response to the press coverage. It was short-lived, and most continue to be challenged by high demand for their services as more Americans struggle to make ends meet.

    Channel One is seeing an increase in individuals and families reaching out for the first time as they realize they can no longer afford to buy food on their own, Sund said. Currently, the organization receives 10,000 visits to its on-site food shelf in Rochester, Minnesota, which is roughly a 50 percent increase from last year, she said.

    Sund and other food bank leaders point to inflation and the lack of affordable housing as contributing to increased demand. The end of government pandemic relief funding has exacerbated these issues, they said. In 2020, at the height of the pandemic, the federal government expanded the Child Tax Credit program for low-income families. Lawmakers allowed the policy to expire at the end of 2021. Similarly, temporary benefit increases for the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program expired in March 2023.

    Second Harvest of Silicon Valley also received a gift from Swift during the U.S. leg of her tour. The organization had heard that Swift was donating to food banks and reached out to her press team about a month ahead of her performances in Santa Clara last July, said Shobana Gubbi, chief philanthropy officer at Second Harvest of Silicon Valley.

    “A day before the concert, they just called us,” she said.

    Gubbi declined to provide further details about the donation, saying only that the organization was grateful for the gift and for Swift “shining a light” on food insecurity. However, the situation on the ground has not greatly improved. The Silicon Valley region has been deeply affected by layoffs within the tech sector that have resulted in less giving, even from those who are still employed, Gubbi said. People are fearful about job security and are giving less; and when those donations decline, it also means less money from corporate matches, Gubbi added.

    In response, Second Harvest is tightening its budget and keeping staff small, she said. The rations of food have also been downsized; rather than providing gallons of milk, the bank is now handing out half gallons and giving meats, eggs, and dairy on alternating weeks, she said. Some weeks people receive meats, and on others they may only get dairy and eggs, Gubbi explained. The organization is currently serving 500,000 people a month, roughly the same as during the peak of the pandemic.

    “At the moment we are having a lot of challenges in terms of getting support from the community,” she said.

    _________

    Stephanie Beasley is a senior writer at the Chronicle of Philanthropy, where you can read the full article. This article was provided to The Associated Press by the Chronicle of Philanthropy as part of a partnership to cover philanthropy and nonprofits supported by the Lilly Endowment. The Chronicle is solely responsible for the content. For all of AP’s philanthropy coverage, visit https://apnews.com/hub/philanthropy.

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  • Did Taylor Swift create a new era for food bank donations?

    Did Taylor Swift create a new era for food bank donations?

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    Ahead of Taylor Swift’s July 14, 2023, concert in Denver, Aditi Desai, chief marketing officer at the Food Bank of the Rockies, got an unusual call. The billionaire pop star wanted to donate tens of thousands of meals to the nonprofit — a philanthropic effort she had repeated, much like her favorite songs, as she traverses the country on her 52-city Eras Tour.

    “I was shocked and then thrilled by the news,” Desai said. “When (Swift’s representatives) shared the news, they were so kind, letting us know that Taylor wanted to express her gratitude for the work we do in our community every day.”

    Since last March, Swift has donated the equivalent of hundreds of thousands of meals to help feed the growing number of Americans grappling with rising food and housing costs. She chooses to give without celebrity fanfare, and the gifts have been welcomed. But food bank operators say they have provided only temporary relief, as food insecurity has been spiking and federal government COVID-19 aid has ended.

    “We got so much support during COVID,” said Jessica Sund, director of development and communications at Channel One Regional Food Bank of Minnesota, which received funding from Swift. “That really helped us not have a horrible situation. But the numbers we’re seeing are so much higher now because of inflation and cost of living, and all of that support is gone.”

    Swift’s support has been meaningful, food bank operators say, especially in drawing attention to their crucial service for low- and mid-income people. But food banks, collectively, require billions of dollars in funding per year, said Kyle Waide, CEO of Atlanta Community Food Bank, who is chair of the National Council for Feeding America and whose Georgia food bank is a Swift grantee.

    The annual funding shortfall between what is needed in food assistance and what is provided by the federal government is roughly $33 billion, according to Feeding America, a network of food banks, pantries, and local meal programs.

    “At a macro level, food banks are certainly facing lots of pressure right now, mainly because of just the extraordinary level of demand that’s out in the community,” Waide said.

    Typically, according to Feeding America, food banks rely on individual and corporate donations, contributions from local farmers and retailers, and federal aid programs to sustain operations.

    The self-described “tortured poet,” who has an estimated net worth of more than $1 billion, has a history of supporting emergency relief causes. Swift’s charitable fund at the Community Foundation of Middle Tennessee was set up to respond to flooding that struck the region in 2010. She gave $1 million to the community foundation’s Tennessee Emergency Response Fund last year.

    Food banks fortunate enough to receive a slice of her wealth have praised the pop star for highlighting their efforts to reduce hunger amid inflation, rising food and energy costs, and increased demand for their services. At least 49 million Americans rely on food from food banks and other charities. Young people, who make up a large portion of Swift’s audience, are increasingly affected by food insecurity. More than half of those ages 18 to 34 said rising food costs were chief among their biggest financial worries.

    Swift’s public relations team declined to comment about her food bank donations. Grantees said they were asked not to disclose the amount of the gifts. However, Desai said the contribution allowed the food bank to purchase enough food for 75,000 meals. Typically, the food bank can provide about three meals for every $1 donated, she said.

    Channel One Regional Food Bank of Minnesota was able to purchase 30,000 meals with its donation, according to Jessica Sund, the organization’s director of development and communications. Food banks can purchase anywhere from two to 10 meals per dollar donated, she said.

    “It really does range dramatically from food bank to food bank,” Sund said.

    At Channel One, it usually costs about $8 million a year to keep shelves stocked with enough food to support roughly 300,000 visits from people in 14 counties.

    Swift’s gifts seem to amount to a tiny percentage of the revenue earned from the tour and her personal wealth. Nevertheless, many of her food bank grantees consider the exposure that she gives them priceless.

    Her donation provided the kind of media attention that Food Bank of the Rockies could never afford, Desai said. “We saw rapid increases in ‘likes’ and ‘comments’ on the social media post announcing the gift, with exponentially more engagement than we typically receive,” Desai said.

    Some food banks said they saw a bump in small donations in response to the press coverage. It was short-lived, and most continue to be challenged by high demand for their services as more Americans struggle to make ends meet.

    Channel One is seeing an increase in individuals and families reaching out for the first time as they realize they can no longer afford to buy food on their own, Sund said. Currently, the organization receives 10,000 visits to its on-site food shelf in Rochester, Minnesota, which is roughly a 50 percent increase from last year, she said.

    Sund and other food bank leaders point to inflation and the lack of affordable housing as contributing to increased demand. The end of government pandemic relief funding has exacerbated these issues, they said. In 2020, at the height of the pandemic, the federal government expanded the Child Tax Credit program for low-income families. Lawmakers allowed the policy to expire at the end of 2021. Similarly, temporary benefit increases for the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program expired in March 2023.

    Second Harvest of Silicon Valley also received a gift from Swift during the U.S. leg of her tour. The organization had heard that Swift was donating to food banks and reached out to her press team about a month ahead of her performances in Santa Clara last July, said Shobana Gubbi, chief philanthropy officer at Second Harvest of Silicon Valley.

    “A day before the concert, they just called us,” she said.

    Gubbi declined to provide further details about the donation, saying only that the organization was grateful for the gift and for Swift “shining a light” on food insecurity. However, the situation on the ground has not greatly improved. The Silicon Valley region has been deeply affected by layoffs within the tech sector that have resulted in less giving, even from those who are still employed, Gubbi said. People are fearful about job security and are giving less; and when those donations decline, it also means less money from corporate matches, Gubbi added.

    In response, Second Harvest is tightening its budget and keeping staff small, she said. The rations of food have also been downsized; rather than providing gallons of milk, the bank is now handing out half gallons and giving meats, eggs, and dairy on alternating weeks, she said. Some weeks people receive meats, and on others they may only get dairy and eggs, Gubbi explained. The organization is currently serving 500,000 people a month, roughly the same as during the peak of the pandemic.

    “At the moment we are having a lot of challenges in terms of getting support from the community,” she said.

    _________

    Stephanie Beasley is a senior writer at the Chronicle of Philanthropy, where you can read the full article. This article was provided to The Associated Press by the Chronicle of Philanthropy as part of a partnership to cover philanthropy and nonprofits supported by the Lilly Endowment. The Chronicle is solely responsible for the content. For all of AP’s philanthropy coverage, visit https://apnews.com/hub/philanthropy.

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  • Meta kills off misinformation tracking tool CrowdTangle despite pleas from researchers, journalists

    Meta kills off misinformation tracking tool CrowdTangle despite pleas from researchers, journalists

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    SAN FRANCISCO (AP) — Facebook and Instagram parent Meta Platforms has shut down CrowdTangle, a tool widely used by researchers, watchdog organizations and journalists to monitor social media posts, notably to track how misinformation spreads on the company’s platforms.

    Wednesday’s shutdown, which Meta announced earlier this year, has been protested by researchers and nonprofits. In May, dozens of groups, including the Center for Democracy and Technology, the Digital Forensic Research Lab at the Atlantic Council, Human Rights Watch and NYU’s Center for Social Media & Politics, sent a letter to the company asking that it keep the tool running through at least January so it would be available through the U.S. presidential elections.

    “This decision jeopardizes essential pre- and post-election oversight mechanisms and undermines Meta’s transparency efforts during this critical period, and at a time when social trust and digital democracy are alarmingly fragile,” the letter said.

    CrowdTangle, “has been an essential tool in helping researchers parse through the vast amount of information on the platform and identify harmful content and threats,” it added.

    In March, the nonprofit Mozilla Foundation sent Meta a similar letter asking it to keep the tool, which was available for free, functioning until January. That letter was also signed by several dozen groups and individual academic researchers.

    “For years, CrowdTangle has represented an industry best practice for real-time platform transparency. It has become a lifeline for understanding how disinformation, hate speech, and voter suppression spread on Facebook, undermining civic discourse and democracy,” the Mozilla letter said.

    Meta has released an alternative to CrowdTangle, called the Meta Content Library. But access to it is limited to academic researchers and nonprofits, which excludes most news organizations. Critics have also complained that it’s not as useful as CrowdTangle — at least not yet.

    Nick Clegg, Meta’s president of global affairs, said in a blog post last week that the company has been gathering feedback about Meta Content Library from “hundreds of researchers in order to make it more user-friendly and help them find the data they need for their work.”

    Meta said Wednesday that CrowdTangle doesn’t provide a complete picture of what is happening on its platforms and said its new tools are more comprehensive.

    Meta acquired CrowdTangle in 2016.

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