Lightnews — Scholar-powered news

New America @newamerica.org · 5h

We’re teaming up w/ ASU & @secdefenceplus.bsky.social for the 11th annual Future Security Forum where global experts tackle big questions in defense + technology + policy. Featured speakers: Gen. (Ret) Stanley McChrystal, Amb. James Roscoe & Beth Sanner. Register: https://go.newamerica.org/fsf2025-5

Promotional poster for the Future Security Forum on October 22, 2025, in Washington, featuring logos of New America, Arizona State University, and ASU Security & Defense at the top, set against a black background with white and gray geometric lines.

New America @newamerica.org · 1d

Upcoming #NewAmericaevents:

📅 10/15 Bridging the Gaps in Disability Policy - DC/Hybrid

📅 10/16 The Best of Second City: America's Big Beautiful Birthday - Chicago

📅 10/16 Power Switch: Power, People, and the Energy Transition - Virtual

https://go.newamerica.org/new-america-events-5

Promotional poster for the event titled 'Bridging the Gaps in Disability Policy' on October 15 in Washington DC, featuring four people seated in a modern office environment. Hosted by New America with event details and web link at the bottom.

Promotional poster for "The Best of The Second City: America's Big Beautiful Birthday" event on October 15, located at UP Comedy Club, Chicago, IL, from 8–10 PM. The graphics include retro-styled fonts on a dark background.

Promotional image for the 'Power Switch: Power, People, and the Energy Transition' online event by New America on October 16, from 12 PM to 12:45 PM ET. The graphic features a hand holding a large crystal over a background of small stones, with event details below in bold text.

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New America @newamerica.org · 2d

93% of unhoused people say they’d move inside if safe, affordable housing were available.

In this edition of The Thread, Helen Bonnyman shows why permanent supportive housing is the real solution.

🔗 https://go.newamerica.org/trump-dc-homelessness-crackdown-5

Cover of a publication titled 'Trump's Occupation of DC Proven Housing Solutions' by Helen Bonnyman, featuring a nighttime scene with three individuals standing outside a building.

A graphic with a deep green background featuring the quote, "At every turn, our leaders are focusing on the wrong part of the issue and ignoring the facts." The top left corner is marked with the words "THE THREAD."

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New America @newamerica.org · 5d

🏡 Fridays on The Rooftop 🏡

The U.S. has no shortage of housing ideas—just challenges scaling them.

In his latest, Benjamin Preis unpacks why some innovations spread while others stall.

🔗 https://go.newamerica.org/policy-entrepreneurs-5

Person at a conference viewed from behind, looking towards an audience with the title "We Need More Policy Entrepreneurs to Solve the Housing Crisis" visible on the screen, published by The Rooftop.

Blog post excerpt stating, "While some innovative housing ideas spread like wildfire, others get stuck," attributed to writer Benjamin Preis, with his photo below the text on The Rooftop blog.

New America @newamerica.org · 6d

Jury duty shows the best of civic responsibility, but political interference threatens the trust it relies on.

Read @mschmitt9.bsky.social's reflection in The Thread: https://go.newamerica.org/dc-jury-duty-mark-schmitt-5

Jeanine Pirro speaking at a podium with the presidential seal, with Donald Trump standing in the background.

A graphic with text that reads: "It's hard to ask citizens to dedicate faith when the system itself doesn't play by the same rules." The heading above the quote says "THE THREAD". The graphic has a minimalist black background with white and gray abstract lines.

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New America @newamerica.org · 7d

What exactly is a government shutdown, and what does it mean for our democracy?

In today’s episode of Democracy Deciphered, New America’s @mschmitt9.bsky.social unpacks why shutdowns happen and what history can teach us.

🎧 Tune in: https://bit.ly/474dXWq

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New America @newamerica.org · 8d

Many government systems predate the digital era—built for reporting, not adaptability or interoperability.

In their brief, New America’s @sydneysaubestre.bsky.social & Comfort Sampong share how agencies can modernize and move toward true digital readiness.

📄 Read more: https://bit.ly/3KpwVxX

Cover of a briefing document titled 'The Power of Shared Data: Building Blocks for Interoperability' by Sydney Sausereb and Comfort Sampog, from the Open Technology Institute, featuring a stylized blue cityscape background.

A quote about modernizing data systems in agencies, from the Open Technology Institute, suggesting the use of interconnected, structured databases. The quote is displayed in a simple graphic layout with the institute's name at the bottom.

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New America @newamerica.org · 8d

Gig work is on the rise, but protections haven't kept up. In a new piece in collaboration with The Workers Lab, Emma Fenstermaker, Meegan Dugan Adell, @morganpolk.bsky.social and @vshabo.bsky.social lay out smart policies that will help protect gig workers.

Read: https://bit.ly/3IG8HPs

A person wearing a headset is featured in the image accompanying a blog post titled "Work Without a Net: Protecting Gig Workers Through Smart Policy" by Emma Fenskie, Meegan Dugan Adell, Morgan Vicki, and Vicki Shabo, published by New America Chicago.

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New America @newamerica.org · 12d

New America experts around the web:

1️⃣ @sydneysaubestre.bsky.social for @foreignpolicy.com | https://bit.ly/4mrpHqo

2️⃣ Candace Rondeaux's book reviewed byJoshua Hammer for @nybooks.com | https://bit.ly/4nOhqy1

3️⃣ Hollie Russon Gilman for @ssir.org | https://bit.ly/4mpVvvN

Screenshot of a Foreign Policy article dated September 22, 2025, titled "Data theater is not just a domestic problem; it undermines American credibility globally and exports uncertainty into the international system." Authored by Sydney Saubestre, Senior Policy Analyst at Open Technology Institute.

Article titled 'The Wagner Group's expansion across Africa went together with its deployment in Russia's invasion of Ukraine' from The New York Review of Books dated October 9, 2025, reviewed by Joshua Hammer, covering Putin's Sledgehammer by Candace Rondeaux, Senior Director, Future Frontlines and Planetary Politics.

Cover of Stanford Social Innovation Review Fall 2025 issue featuring a quote by Hollie Russon Gilman on the usefulness of radical ideas in fragile mutual aid societies, set against an image of a tall building.

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New America @newamerica.org · 12d

Is the American Dream over—or do we need to reimagine it?

Ann Madsen breaks it down in a blog from New America Chicago, written as part of our Us@250 Initiative reimagining the nation as it approaches its 250th anniversary.

Read here: https://go.newamerica.org/reimagining-the-american-dream-1

Group of diverse individuals participating in a discussion outdoors for the CivicSpace project by New America Chicago, emphasizing collaborative ideas for America's future.

New America @newamerica.org · 13d

Housing isn’t just about buildings; it’s about stability, opportunity, and stronger communities.

In this edition of The Rooftop, Will Delaney & Maggy Otte share a resident-centered model that ties rent to income, helping nonprofit owners keep buildings stable.

🏠 Read more: https://bit.ly/429WjOb

Aerial view of a cityscape featuring modern apartment buildings with the title "A Resident-Centered Approach to Affordable Housing" by Will Delaney and Maggy Otte on the blog post header, "The Rooftop".

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New America @newamerica.org · 14d

From canceling union contracts to rolling back wage protections, the White House has left workers behind—resulting in layoffs and stalled wages.

In the newest edition of The Thread, @newamerica.org Mary Alice McCarthy unpacks the labor costs of Trump’s economy.

go.newamerica.org/labor-day-trump-5

People holding protest signs including one shaped like a heart with the words "Workers Unite" at a rally, article titled "No Friend to Workers: Trump's Economy" by Mary Alice McCarthy visible.

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New America @newamerica.org · 15d

What does the U.S.-China deal to keep TikTok in the U.S. really mean? New America Senior Fellow, @sammsacks.bsky.social shared her insights with PBS NewsHour and TIME.

Explore both articles:
@pbsnews.org - https://bit.ly/3IBFIMy
TIME - https://bit.ly/3W1zKrr

Screenshot of a TIME article quoting Samm Sacks, Senior Fellow at Future Security, discussing Beijing's strategic decisions regarding TikTok, dated September 22, 2025.

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New America @newamerica.org · 16d

In a recent episode of Democracy Deciphered, @newamerica.org's @sydneysaubestre.bsky.social unpacks how data can both expose injustice and be weaponized as a tool of control.

🎧Tune in: https://go.newamerica.org/democracy-deciphered-weaponization-of-data-5

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New America @newamerica.org · 19d

Is the lack of young voices in politics weakening American democracy?

A new report from Protect Democracy and New America's Oscar Pocasangre examines the widening age divides in U.S. politics.

📄Explore the paper: go.newamerica.org/the-age-divide-5

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New America @newamerica.org · 20d

Women in politics are often targeted with digitally altered content that sexualizes them without consent.

In this report, our #ShareTheMicInCyber Fellow examines the harm and how to stop it.

💻 https://go.newamerica.org/a-weapon-against-women-in-politics-5

A person with long hair works on a laptop at a conference booth. Text overlay reads "#STMIC 2025 Report" and "A Politico: Against Women Nonconsensury Synthetic Inimate Imagery." The image is in monochrome.

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Reposted by New America

Technology and Democracy @techanddemocracy.newamerica.org · 21d

A #TikTok deal has been reached, but that shouldn’t become a shortcut for avoiding real reform or a license to use national security to mask protectionist technology policy. Read more from @newamerica.org's @lcoral.bsky.social, our VP: www.newamerica.org/oti/blog/the...

The “TikTok Ban” Was Never Just About TikTok

A separation between our government and Big Tech will be crucial to defending democracy—both nationally and globally—for years to come.

www.newamerica.org

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New America @newamerica.org · 22d

📣 We’re hiring an Initiative Director with the Future of Land and Housing Program!

Lead a national initiative to expand eviction data, unite partners, shape policy, and manage a high-impact team.

Apply today: go.newamerica.org/initiative-director-5

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New America @newamerica.org · 23d

This week at @NewAmerica.org

📅 9/17 Without Fear: Black Women and the Making of Human Rights

📅 9/18 Latino Voices: Realizing America’s Pluralistic Future

📅 9/18 Boosting LEO Satellite Capacity: Is the FCC’s Launch on Target?

📅 https://go.newamerica.org/new-america-events-5 #NewAmericaEvents

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New America @newamerica.org · 26d

An important yet often neglected aspect of cybersecurity is human vulnerability.

#ShareTheMicInCyber Fellow Nina-Simone Edwards explores how we can design around gaps in digital access, skills, and literacy to keep everyone safe online.

💻 https://go.newamerica.org/digital-gaps-cyber-threats-5

Top view of a person working on a laptop with a New America report titled 'Digital Gaps, Cyber Threats: Designing Policies to Keep People Safe Online' by STMIC Fellow Nina-Simone Edwards on the screen, next to a cup of coffee on a desk.

Cover page of the "STMIC 2025 Report" featuring a quote about the intersection of human vulnerabilities and cybersecurity, highlighting the opportunity to build a more equitable digital future where all users are empowered.

New America @newamerica.org · 27d

New America’s Eviction Data Response Network has received key support to improve housing policy through better eviction data access. Thank you to the Ballmer Group for supporting this critical work, led by @ypanfil.bsky.social

💡Press release: https://go.newamerica.org/eviction-data-investment-5

Graphic for a press release about New America's Eviction Data Response Network receiving investment from Ballmer Group, featuring an illustration of a house with gears and a document.

Text excerpt from a New America press release featuring Yuliya Panfil, Senior Fellow and Director, with a quote about efforts to improve housing loss data usage.

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New America @newamerica.org · 28d

🎊 We’re thrilled to announce the Class of 2026 New America Fellows!

The Fellows Program selected 10 immensely talented Fellows from hundreds of applicants & will support 9 book projects and 1 film project.

🔗 Meet the 2026 #NewAmericaFellows: https://go.newamerica.org/new-america-fellows-current-5

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Reposted by New America

Technology and Democracy @techanddemocracy.newamerica.org · 29d

📢 Big news announced at #OTIat15: @premmtrivedi.bsky.social is stepping into the role of director of @newamerica.org's OTI!

Kicking off his tenure, Prem gives a presentation on how the program is thinking about building the future internet we want. Tune in live: www.youtube.com/watch?v=TgrD...

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New America @newamerica.org · 29d

"In an open protocol, if you could imagine it, you can build it."

— @jay.bsky.team, CEO of @bsky.app in convo w/ our CEO @slaughteram.bsky.social at our #OTIat15 event.

cc @techanddemocracy.newamerica.org

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