New America

America is indexing its future on AI. Many argue it will be the key to domestic flourishing (less poverty, better healthcare, good education) and international power (vis-a-vis China especially). But AI is being developed almost entirely by the private sector, with little government involvement. This isn’t bad in itself. It does mean, however, that private goals (profit, shareholder returns, growth) will naturally eclipse public ones (basic scientific discovery, climate change adaptation, pandemic defense). Many evoke the Manhattan Project or Space Race when talking about US AI development. National projects like these require the leadership and long-term, mission-oriented thinking of strong public institutions. Yet we’ve gradually — and now, under the second Trump Administration, rapidly — weakened institutions, while expecting private companies to fill the gap. In a review of Alex Karp’s book "The Technological Republic" for Issues in Science and Technology, I argue that greater public capacity will be required for AI to deliver the societal and strategic benefits we hope it will. America has the world's most dynamic and innovative private sector (the tech companies are the paragon of it). But our public sector is woefully under-resourced, maligned, and in need of reform. US technological primacy -- and national strength and progress overall -- depend on strengthening it. New America https://lnkd.in/e8j9gn8t

Tune in now as we close out “Katrina’s America: 20 Years After the Storm” with former New America Fellows Vann R. Newkirk II (The Atlantic) and Nikole Hannah-Jones (The New York Times Magazine, Author of ‘The 1619 Project,’ Howard U Professor). New America Fellows Program https://lnkd.in/dATniVBP

A reading from New Orleans native, journalist, poet, former New America Fellow, and author of ‘How the Word Is Passed,’ Clint Smith. #KatrinasAmerica #20YearsSinceTheStorm #25YearsOfNewAmerica New America Fellows Program

📣 TODAY, July 16 @ 9:30 am ET 📣 Join New America Fellows Program virtually for Katrina’s America, a day-long event exploring the legacy of Hurricane Katrina 20 years after the storm, curated by ASU Future Security Fellow Vann R. Newkirk II. This gathering will feature dynamic conversations with leading voices—including former New America Fellows. 🗣️ Speakers: Chief Xian aTunde Adjuah Dr. Catherine Coleman Flowers Dr. Sheri Fink Rosa Gomez-Herrin Nikole Hannah-Jones Virginia Hanusik Adam Harris Ted Johnson Reuben Jonathan Miller Vann R. Newkirk II Dr. Denese Shervington Clint Smith Saket Soni Anne-Marie Slaughter Paul Butler 📅 #NewAmericaEvents https://lnkd.in/eK4cqAGz

🚨 I recently published a piece in CyberScoop on the latest Cyber Executive Order from the White House and what it means for cybersecurity governance. The EO directs federal agencies to pilot machine-readable policies by 2026 and requires vendors to attach machine-verifiable security labels to their products by 2027. This signals a major shift: Policy-as-Code is no longer experimental. It is becoming mandatory. The piece highlights what this means for Governance, Risk, and Compliance (GRC) teams, and how organizations can move from manual controls to executable, automated pipelines that scale with risk. https://lnkd.in/gNWHbJ5i #Cybersecurity, #CyberEO, #GRC #PolicyAsCode

The U.S. Department of Education is refusing to release billions of dollars for public schools. Zahava Stadler and Jordan Abbott of New America – Education Policy Program break down the impact of these financial cuts by school system and congressional district. 💰 https://lnkd.in/e9W7jzP7

An eviction can not only put an end to the college dream for students with children, but can in fact impact their mortality. A new brief by Eviction Lab and New America’s Edward Conroy looked at how student parents are impacted in the short and long term. Find the full brief below!

🚨 Many borrowers may be in for a nasty surprise next year. Borrowers enrolled in income-driven repayment have spent decades paying off student loans with the promise of forgiveness at the end. But that forgiveness could come with a surprise federal tax bill—unless Congress acts. While the Republican tax bill extended tax cuts for the wealthy, it left out a critical protection for borrowers: the exemption from federal taxes on forgiven student debt under IDR, set to expire at the end of this year. My latest for New America breaks down what this means for borrowers. For lower-income borrowers, the consequences could be devastating. https://lnkd.in/g2Xw9JfB #StudentLoans #HigherEd

What an honor to be in the same room as some of the most brilliant minds in nuclear policy—people whose work has shaped the foundation of my knowledge in this field. Our Future Security Scenarios Lab at New America—with the exceptional leadership of Amy J. Nelson—is moving full speed ahead and was proud to host our colleagues for a rich discussion on nuclear futures. ☢️ Pictured: Pranay Vaddi, Paul Amato, Matthew Costlow, Amy Woolf, Tong Zhao, Robert Peters, Lynn Rusten & Lily B.. Not pictured: Frank Miller, Jon Wolfsthal, Justin Anderson, Marshall Billingslea & Mark Melamed. A huge thank you to all the experts for their time and invaluable insights!

Childcare is a hellscape in this country. Rebecca Gale asks: WHY AREN'T MORE PEOPLE DOING SOMETHING ABOUT IT? In her first piece for The Guardian US, co-bylined with the New America's Better Life Lab's newest colleague Elliot Haspel, they explore how child care got to where it is in the United States, and what needs to change for things to move forward in a different - and better - direction. It starts with the realization that we CAN do something. We just need people to know that, and start demanding change. https://lnkd.in/e82ZxDyi