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The Baltimore City government helps local non-profits use a financial structure that keeps the public in the dark about some organizations’ finances, even when they receive government money. This practice of “fiscal sponsorship” allows established non-profits to provide various services to smaller non-profits, which are often newly created and not registered with the IRS. These services include handling their finances, which allows the smaller non-profits to avoid filing public tax disclosures. “The IRS must investigate these kinds of arrangements for impropriety and bending of the rules,” said Scott Hodge, a senior policy advisor at the Tax Foundation. “These too-clever partnerships are a sign that federal tax-exempt rules are broken and should be reformed.” Baltimore City has a lucrative network of fiscal sponsors that expanded since the COVID-19 pandemic. Prominent foundations, such as the Annie E. Casey Foundation and Open Society Institute steered this effort. The collaboration between wealthy foundations, established fiscal sponsors and local non-profits was later boosted by Baltimore City taxpayer dollars through the Baltimore Children and Youth Fund (BCYF). BCYF was created through a city charter amendment in 2016 and was touted by elected leaders as a plan to support youth-focused community projects after the death of Freddie Gray. The program is funded exclusively by Baltimore City taxpayers but is run through a separate non-profit, meaning there is no regular performance auditing of the fund. There is also no sunset date on the money it receives. A previous FOX45 investigation identified an extensive list of 2022 BCYF grant recipients who did not file tax forms in recent years or are not registered as non-profits with the IRS. Community leaders capitalized on the passage of BCYF to boost the fiscal sponsor network in Baltimore City. BCYF hosted an educational event titled “Understanding Baltimore’s Fiscal Sponsorship Landscape” in January 2021, which it posted on YouTube a month later. The event hosted three panelists: Danielle Torrain of the Open Society Institute; Changa Onyango of Fusion Partnerships, which is a fiscal sponsor; and Candace Chance of The VPI Firm, which provides consulting services. The panelists advocated for government entities and local non-profits to increase payments and coordination with fiscal sponsors in the community, which they said was essential to aid Black-led organizations and counter racism. Torrain said local leaders should focus on reforming what she described as a “non-profit industrial complex” that is rooted in a “very exploitative form of capitalism.” “I do view this as not only a racial justice issue but an economic justice issue,” Torrain said. “So when we think about the work of reimagining our local fiscal sponsorship ecosystem and what it can and should look like, it’s a part of the work of actually reimagining economic systems, and reimagining them in ways of being more regenerative and non-exploitative and more restorative and also rooted in our values as people.” Onyango emphasized the need to take advantage of what he described as a flawed non-profit ecosystem. “We know that the non-profit complex overall is a tax dodge,” he said. “The cat is out the bag. To my funding section, I would just ask you to relent on the pettiness, relent on the pettiness, do some research, let go of your fear, undo the racism, so that we can get on with the business of building what we need to build and coming back to the equilibrium of human beings.” Fusion Partnerships secured a $1.5 million grant from BCYF in June 2021, according to documents obtained by FOX45 through a public information request. The grant came six months after Fusion pleaded for more support for fiscal sponsors as a panelist in the BCYF event. The grant document reveals how BCYF leveraged its youth-focused program to boost fiscal sponsors. “BCYF’s multi-year funding investment will allow Fusion Partnerships (Fusion) to sustain and expand capacity by supporting the strengthening of its business model, to support its current portfolio of fiscally sponsored grantees, and to contribute to growing Fusion’s working capital,” the project summary reads. “This investment will bring to fruition BCYF’s plan to invest in Baltimore’s fiscal sponsorship landscape, thereby supporting the success of grassroots organizations who need fiscal sponsorship. This investment also allows BCYF to support an organization that has been a key partner for BCYF grantees. Fusion supports our partners through its fiscal sponsorship, community grants and capacity building programs. This infusion of cash will strengthen those small organizations, bolster the fiscal sponsorship ecosystem, and increase their grantees’ capacity to support the City’s youth and families.” Fusion Partnerships received grants from a variety of other sources within the Baltimore City government as well, according to the Baltimore City Board of Estimates website. The six government grants to the organization over the past two years total $536,780. A number of the grants were earmarked for fiscally sponsored organizations, such as the Baltimore Doula Project and Challenge2Change. A spokesman for Fusion Partnerships previously acknowledged to FOX45 that “some of our partner projects have received funding from BCYF,” but declined to specify those projects. The group did not respond to questions regarding why it needs funds from local organizations and taxpayers. The push to expand the fiscal sponsorship network in Baltimore City continued when the Casey Foundation and Open Society Institute initiated a study in August 2021 titled “Mapping Baltimore’s Fiscal Sponsorship Landscape.” Researchers interviewed local non-profit and fiscal sponsor leaders. The report recommends that grant distributors pay fiscal sponsors in addition to the grants awarded to community non-profits. “These cash reserves could be done as one-time direct investments into specific fiscal sponsors, such as BCYF did with Fusion Partnership,” the report recommended with a likely reference to Fusion Partnership’s $1.5 million contract with BCYF. More grants to fiscal sponsors soon followed. BCYF awarded a $2 million grant in December 2021 to the Fund for Educational Excellence (FFEE), a fiscal sponsor, for its “Baltimore’s Promise Summer Funding Collaborative” program, according to documents obtained by FOX45 in a public information request. FFEE continued to receive grants from BCYF for this summer program, according to additional documents, including $2 million in 2022 and $1.85 million in 2024. A review of FFEE’s non-profit tax forms revealed the group appeared to use its BCYF summer funding award to distribute an extensive list of grants of its own to other non-profits. This trail of payments accounts for a significant majority of FFEE’s dispersed grants. FFEE listed 80 of its 104 grant distributions in its fiscal year 2023 tax form as being for a “summer funding” program. Its fiscal year 2022 tax form listed 66 of its 82 grants under this qualification and fiscal year 2021 listed 52 of its 65 grants. The majority of these “summer funding” grants from FFEE appeared to go to smaller, local non-profits. However, some went to additional fiscal sponsors. FFEE gave Fusion Partnerships $374,022 between fiscal years 2022 and 2023 listed for “summer funding collaborative.” It gave Fusion Partnerships another $575,000 in fiscal year 2021 for “B’more Invested & Summer Grant.” B’more Invested is a non-profit focused on grantmaking that is “anchored” by the Open Society Institute, according to the group’s website. FFEE gave a series of recent grants to Bmore Empowered, a fiscal sponsor whose operations director, Hana Pugh, is married to Baltimore City Mayor Brandon Scott. Some of these grants appear to be tied to BCYF taxpayer dollars through the summer funding program. A $55,230 grant from FFEE in fiscal year 2023 to Bmore Empowered was listed for “Summer Funding / B’more Invested.” A $13,051 grant in fiscal year 2022 to the group was listed for “Summer Funding Collaborative.” A $150,000 grant in fiscal year 2021 was listed for “B’more Invested.” Another fiscal sponsor, the Maryland Philanthropy Network, received $377,000 from FFEE between fiscal years 2021 and 2023 for B’more Invested, “Summer Grant” and the “healing cities” program. Fusion Partnerships, FFEE and Bmore Empowered did not respond to questions about its fiscal sponsorship operations. BCYF mentioned the Summer Funding Collaborative program in its 2023 grant awardees announcement, stating its goal to “fund different types of summer programs to keep students engaged and reduce summer learning loss so that more youth can reach their full potential.” However, BCYF did not mention FFEE in its description of the program. BCYF listed $8.4 million in grant funding to 60 organizations in its 2023 announcement. It listed $5.25 million in grants to 35 organizations in its 2022 announcement. The Summer Funding Collaborative program has its own website that describes its operations as a “partnership between public, private and non-profit organizations that supports high-quality summer programs serving children and youth from low-income backgrounds in Baltimore City.” David Williams, the president of the non-partisan Taxpayer Protection Alliance, warned this trail of funds from BCYF to fiscal sponsors and then to smaller non-profits exposes a series of transparency concerns. “Every time you go from one non-profit to another, you’re getting less transparency and less accountability of the money,” Williams said. “When you create multiple non-profits, you’re creating a mini army that is marching in lockstep with you. And they look independent, but they aren’t.” Baltimore City did not respond to questions about its funding of fiscal sponsors. The reshaped fiscal sponsorship network in Baltimore City followed years of troubled finances. Strong City, a fiscal sponsor, abandoned its clients in May 2021 after it mismanaged $14 million in assets, as previously reported by The Baltimore Sun. At one point, the organization sponsored more than 150 programs. A 2019 city audit found BCYF had “opportunities for improvement” on its grant distributions. BCYF was restructured as its own non-profit shortly thereafter. The 2019 audit was ordered amid the Healthy Holly scandal that led to a three-year prison sentence for Former Baltimore City Mayor Catherine Pugh.NoneThe White House announced an unusual diplomatic accord with Beijing in the last months of the Biden administration on Wednesday, announcing the release of three American citizens who had been detained by China for years and their return to the US, according to Politico. The three are Mark Swidan, Kai Li and John Leung, all of whom had been designated by the U.S. government as wrongfully detained. Swidan had been facing a death sentence on drug charges while Li and Leung were imprisoned on espionage charges . "Soon they will return and be reunited with their families for the first time in many years," the White House said in a statement. A U.S. official said the Biden administration had raised their cases with China in multiple meetings over the last several years, including earlier this month when President Joe Biden spoke to Chinese president Xi Jinping on the sidelines of the annual Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation summit in Peru. Russian 'spy' ship 'deliberately violates Finland border' risking NATO fury All 24 inmates released in Russian prisoner swap - from Kremlin spies to Ukraine war activists It comes after U.S. citizen David Lin was released in September as part of a similar swap agreement for an unnamed Chinese national who was imprisoned in the US. For President Joe Biden and negotiations in the office of the Special Presidential Envoy for Hostage Affairs, the release of Swidan, Li, and Leung represents a diplomatic triumph for the late administration. Additionally, it eliminates a long-standing issue in U.S.-China relations that has long drawn criticism on Capitol Hill. In a letter to Biden last month, Rep. Chris Smith (R-N.J.) and Sen. Jeff Merkley (D-Ore.) encouraged the administration to make sure that Li and Swidan's release continues to be a diplomatic priority. Click here to follow the Mirror US on Google News to stay up to date with all the latest news, sports and entertainment stories Under the State Department's Office of the Special Presidential Envoy for Hostage Affairs, the administration has repatriated over 70 Americans from nations such as Iran, Venezuela, and Russia in the last four years. According to the senior administration official, the three men should return to the US "in a few hours." They will probably be taken to the Brooke Army Medical Center, which is located south of San Antonio, Texas, upon arrival. This facility has the capacity to assess former captives psychologically and get them ready for reintegration into American society. DAILY NEWSLETTER: Sign up here to get the latest news and updates from the Mirror US straight to your inbox with our FREE newsletter. According to the source, the publication is the culmination of "years of work." "Jake Sullivan brought this up when he was in Beijing [in September], and President Biden brought it up when he met with President Xi in Peru two weeks ago. Secretary Blinken also pushed for this really hard in September at the UNGA with [Chinese Foreign Minister] Wang Yi," the official continued.
Celtic drew at home with Club Brugge. Alexis Mac Allister and substitute Cody Gakpo got the goals as Liverpool beat Champions League holders Real Madrid 2-0 at Anfield to make it five wins from as many games in the league phase for Arne Slot’s men. The Reds took the lead when Mac Allister played a one-two with Conor Bradley and slotted past Thibaut Courtois seven minutes into the second half. Real had the chance to equalise with a penalty just past the hour, but Kylian Mbappe saw his strike saved by Caoimhin Kelleher. There was then an unsuccessful spot-kick from the hosts as Mohamed Salah missed from 12 yards, before Gakpo popped up with a 76th-minute header from Andy Robertson’s cross as the Merseysiders recorded a first win over Real in 15 years and gained some revenge for their defeats in the 2018 and 2022 finals. While Liverpool top the table, Carlo Ancelotti’s Real are down in 24th place – the final play-offs berth – with just six points from their five matches. Aston Villa are outside the top eight on goal difference after a 0-0 draw with Juventus in which Morgan Rogers had a stoppage-time finish for the hosts ruled out for a foul, with Villa goalkeeper Emiliano Martinez having earlier made a fantastic save to deny Francisco Conceicao. Celtic, lying 20th, drew 1-1 at home with Club Brugge thanks to a curling Daizen Maeda strike that cancelled out a remarkable own goal by Cameron Carter-Vickers, who passed back without looking to send the ball into the net. Borussia Dortmund moved into the top eight with 3-0 win at Dinamo Zagreb, where Jamie Gittens, Ramy Bensebaini and Serhou Guirassy got on the scoresheet. Monaco dropped to eighth after suffering their first loss of the league phase, 3-2 at home to Benfica. Despite having Wilfried Singo sent off just prior to the hour mark, the French side took the lead for a second time via Soungoutou Magassa in the 67th minute, only for late goals from Arthur Cabral and Zeki Amdouni to give Benfica all three points. Lille, in 12th, have the same amount of points as Monaco and Villa thanks to a 2-1 win at Bologna, with Ngal’Ayel Mukau notching a brace. PSV Eindhoven, now 18th, produced a dramatic late turnaround to beat 10-man Shakhtar Donetsk 3-2 at home. The visitors led 2-0 through Danylo Sikan and Oleksandr Zubkov before having Pedrinho sent off in the 69th minute, and PSV then hit back with three goals in the closing stages, Malik Tilman scoring in the 87th and 90th and Ricardo Pepi then notching the winner in the fifth minute of stoppage time. Red Star Belgrade registered their first win of the league phase by thrashing Stuttgart 5-1, as did Sturm Graz, beating Girona 1-0.
Canada didn't live up to its values on immigration in recent years, Carney says (Canada)SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. — A large rubber duck sits on the diving end of the pool. Opposite him, on the other end of the pool, a golden retriever sociably patrols the deck, looking for people to greet and even coax some attention from.The duo was tasked with an important job inside the Williamson Sports Center [...]
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Saquon Barkley and the Philadelphia Eagles make their second-to-last road trip of the regular season Sunday to face Derrick Henry and the Baltimore Ravens. The NFC East-leading Eagles (9-2) have won seven in a row and play four of their final six games in Philadelphia, traveling only about 125 miles to visit the Ravens (8-4) this weekend and the Washington Commanders in Week 16. Sunday's game features the NFL's two leading rushers. Barkley (1,392 yards) and Henry (1,325) are far ahead of Green Bay's Josh Jacobs (944) in third place. Henry leads the league with 13 rushing touchdowns. Barkley (10) is tied for fourth and Philadelphia quarterback Jalen Hurts (11) tied for second. The matchup also features two of the top candidates for Most Valuable Player honors entering Week 13 in Barkley and Baltimore quarterback Lamar Jackson, who won his second MVP award last season. Their competition includes quarterbacks Josh Allen of Buffalo and Jared Goff of Detroit, with Allen widely considered the favorite. "Lamar Jackson and Derrick Henry are phenomenal football players that help their team win football games, and Jalen Hurts and Saquon Barkley are phenomenal football players that help their team win football games," Eagles coach Nick Sirianni said. "Excited about the opportunity this week because it's our next one. It will be a really good opponent, really well coached, good players, good atmosphere that will be there. Excited about the opportunity this week. And we're going to have to be on it against a really good team." The showdown at M&T Bank Stadium also pits Baltimore's No. 1 offense (426.7 yards per game) and No. 2 scoring offense (30.3 points per game) against Philadelphia's No. 1 defense (274.6) and No. 6 scoring defense (18.1). The Eagles have held seven consecutive opponents to under 300 total yards, while the Ravens have gained at least 329 yards of offense in all 11 games. Philadelphia is coming off a 37-20 road win over the Los Angeles Rams on Sunday night in which Barkley smashed the franchise record with 255 rushing yards. Baltimore also earned a prime-time win in Los Angeles, defeating the Chargers 30-23 in the "Harbaugh Bowl" on Monday night behind Jackson's three touchdowns (two passing, one rushing). Jackson said he's looking forward to the Barkley and Henry show. "I've known Saquon from high school. We were in the all-star game together and he jumped over somebody's head," Jackson recalled Wednesday. "So I've pretty much seen him before I even got to the league, college, anything. I've been knowing about Saquon, but Derrick Henry -- King Henry -- I'm with him every day and I'm seeing what he's capable of, so it's going to be a great matchup." Ravens linebacker Roquan Smith practiced Wednesday after sitting out Monday with a hamstring issue. Nose tackle Michael Pierce (calf) was designated to return from injured reserve. Tight end Charlie Kolar (broken arm) is out for several weeks and cornerback Arthur Maulet (calf) did not practice. The Eagles lost veteran defensive end Brandon Graham to a season-ending triceps injury Sunday. Wideout DeVonta Smith (hamstring) missed the win over the Rams and did not practice Wednesday. Neither did cornerbacks Darius Slay (concussion) or Kelee Ringo (calf). Philadelphia is 5-1 away from home this season -- 6-1 if you count their season-opening "home" victory against the Packers in Sao Paulo, Brazil. Baltimore is 4-1 at home. The Ravens hold a 3-2-1 lead in the series with the Eagles. They haven't met since Baltimore's 30-28 win in Week 6 at Philadelphia in 2020. --Field Level Media