The Heising-Simons Foundation is proud to regularly see its grantee partners featured in media outlets across the country, providing an expert voice on a timely issue or being highlighted for their accomplishments and hard work. Here are some news items that have featured our grantees in August 2019.

Trump Thinks Background Checks Won’t Stop Shootings. He’s Wrong.
Mother Jones, August 21, 2019
“We used to fall into this trap as advocates when reporters would ask, ‘What would have stopped this shooting?’” says Brian Malte, head of the Hope and Heal Fund at the New Venture Fund. “We’d be trying our very best to say, ‘This policy would have.’ And that was the wrong answer because it’s not true. There’s no one policy that’s going to stop any shooting—it takes a multitude of solutions.” The Hope and Heal Fund is supported by the Foundation’s Community and Opportunity program.  

Our Galaxy’s Black Hole Suddenly Flashed a Bright Light — And Scientists Don’t Know Exactly Why
CBS News, August 15, 2019
Led by UCLA astronomer Tuan Do, a new study published in Astrophysical Journal Letters reports unprecedented bright flares in a supermassive black hole at the center of our galaxy.   The event was reported by several other media outlets, including USA Today, Newsweek, ScienceAlert, and CNET.

‘Punch in the Gut’ As Scientists Find Micro Plastic in Arctic ice
Reuters, August 14, 2019
Pollution is threatening marine life even in the most remote parts of our planet, as evidenced by the recent discovery of plastic debris buried deep inside Artic ice cores. The Northwest Passage Project research expedition, which made this discovery, is supported by the Foundation’s Science program.

Dark-Energy Mapper Will Reconstruct 11 Billion Years of Cosmic History
Nature, August 12, 2019
The Dark Energy Spectroscopic Instrument (DESI) is set to start surveying the northern sky as early as January 2020 at Kitt Peak National Observatory, near Tuscon, Arizona. The astronomer’s goal? “[T]o elucidate the nature of dark energy, the enigmatic force that is pushing the Universe to accelerate at an ever-faster pace.” The Foundation’s Science program supports DESI through the Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory at UC Berkeley.

Gun Violence Prevention Research
National Public Radio, August 7, 2019
In this radio interview, Dr. Garen Wintemute talks about the “multifaceted approach” that is needed to curb gun violence in the United States. Dr. Wintemute leads the University of California’s Firearm Violence Research Center. The Foundation’s Community and Opportunity program supports the U.C. Davis Violence Prevention Research Program, where the research center is located.

Kicking Kids Out of Preschool Is Damaging, Experts Say. So Why Is It Still Happening?
NBC News, August 3, 2019
Walter Gilliam at grantee Yale University Child Study Center is featured in this article that explores the reasons and consequences of preschool expulsions. Yale University Child Study Center is supported by the Foundation’s Education program.

A Future Without the Front Page
The New York Times, August 2, 2019
Steve Waldman, president and co-founder of Report for America, is the co-author of a piece that highlights the organization’s work to bolster local journalism by pairing emerging journalists with media outlets to carry out investigative work and cover local issues. Report for America, a project of The GroundTruth Project, is supported by the Foundation’s Community and Opportunity program.