Featured Stories
The Ginsburg Institute Child Health Symposium Convenes State and Local Advocates with a Focus on Closing the Literacy Gap Among Children
JACKSONVILLE, Florida, Oct. 8 -- Nemours Foundation posted the following news release:
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The Ginsburg Institute Child Health Symposium Convenes State and Local Advocates with a Focus on Closing the Literacy Gap Among Children
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Literacy in early childhood is a researched and reliable predictor of many health, achievement, and quality of life benchmarks as children reach adolescence and adulthood. The Child Health Symposium is a critical convening space that enables us as a community to collectively leverage our expertise, resources, and voices to close the literacy gap and help set our
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JACKSONVILLE, Florida, Oct. 8 -- Nemours Foundation posted the following news release:
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The Ginsburg Institute Child Health Symposium Convenes State and Local Advocates with a Focus on Closing the Literacy Gap Among Children
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Literacy in early childhood is a researched and reliable predictor of many health, achievement, and quality of life benchmarks as children reach adolescence and adulthood. The Child Health Symposium is a critical convening space that enables us as a community to collectively leverage our expertise, resources, and voices to close the literacy gap and help set ourchildren on a pathway to success as they grow and mature, ultimately enabling them to thrive and build a stronger community.
ORLANDO, Fla. (Oct. 8, 2026) - Research shows that a child's third grade reading proficiency is a strong indicator of future educational, economic, and societal advancement. Unfortunately, far too many children continue to fall behind. In an effort to help address and close literacy and learning gaps among children, nearly 600 child advocates, experts and thought leaders from Central Florida's healthcare, community nonprofit, education, business, and public policy sectors came together today for the Ginsburg Institute at Nemours Children's Health's fourth annual Child Health Symposium in Orlando.
"Literacy in early childhood is a researched and reliable predictor of many health, achievement, and quality of life benchmarks as children reach adolescence and adulthood," said Nancy Molello, Vice President of the Ginsburg Institute at Nemours Children's Health. "The Child Health Symposium is a critical convening space that enables us as a community to collectively leverage our expertise, resources, and voices to close the literacy gap and help set our children on a pathway to success as they grow and mature, ultimately enabling them to thrive and build a stronger community."
With literacy and early childhood education as focal points, attendees representing hundreds of organizations explored literacy as a foundational social driver of health and achievement while collectively working to develop strategies and solutions to close literacy gaps impacting children. Various breakout and working sessions enabled attendees to jointly ideate and co-design a future where every doctor's appointment, capital investment, community initiative, and policy decision treated literacy as a critical determinate factor of a child's well-being.
Attendees also heard a deep, thought-provoking keynote from New York Times bestselling author Dana L. Suskind, MD, which highlighted the intersection between literacy, human connection, and health outcomes. Each attendee was also able to receive a copy of Dr. Suskind's newest book, "Human Raised: Nurturing Curiosity, Connection, and Lifelong Learning in the Age of AI."
"Early learning and literacy lay the foundation for children's success in school and in life," said Madeleine Thakur, president & CEO of The Children's Movement of Florida. "The Child Health Symposium is a tremendous platform for like-minded organizations and change-agents working to give every child the opportunity to thrive, and I'm grateful to be among so many others who are committed to ensuring the next generation can prosper."
Established in 2023, the Child Health Symposium is Central Florida's premier venue for collaboration and solutions that help the community better navigate social drivers that impact the lives of children across the region. The event continues to grow, with the 2026 symposium drawing its largest group of attendees since its inception.
To date, the Ginsburg Institute has funded and/or supported more than 130 community initiatives and programs in Central Florida. In addition, the Ginsburg Institute has established the Children's Health Collaborative, a coalition of more than 170 Central Florida organizations that work together to collectively and collaboratively address issues like quality education, economic stability, food security, and mental health to help improve the health and well-being of children.
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Original text here: https://nemours.mediaroom.com/ChildHealthSymposium2026
San Diego Foundation Launches $100 Million Partnership to Speed Up Construction of Affordable Housing
SAN DIEGO, California, Oct. 8 -- The San Diego Foundation posted the following news release:
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San Diego Foundation Launches $100 Million Partnership to Speed Up Construction of Affordable Housing
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October 6, 2026 - San Diego, CA - San Diego Foundation (SDF) today announced a new $100 million financing partnership with Bear Creek Fund Advisors designed to provide a faster, more flexible path to construction of affordable homes for San Diego's workforce.
The announcement coincided with the groundbreaking of Louisiana Street, a new 38-home development in North Park and the first of four
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SAN DIEGO, California, Oct. 8 -- The San Diego Foundation posted the following news release:
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San Diego Foundation Launches $100 Million Partnership to Speed Up Construction of Affordable Housing
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October 6, 2026 - San Diego, CA - San Diego Foundation (SDF) today announced a new $100 million financing partnership with Bear Creek Fund Advisors designed to provide a faster, more flexible path to construction of affordable homes for San Diego's workforce.
The announcement coincided with the groundbreaking of Louisiana Street, a new 38-home development in North Park and the first of fourprojects creating 257 affordable homes in North Park and Normal Heights. The other three projects, Kansas II, Oregon and Kansas III, will break ground in the future.
All 38 studio apartments at Louisiana Street will be required to remain affordable over the long term for San Diegans earning up to 80% of the area median income. The development brings together San Diego Foundation, Bear Creek Fund Advisors and Naturally Affordable Housing, building on City of San Diego initiatives such as Complete Communities that help enable more affordable housing for San Diego's workforce.
"An approved housing project is not yet a home. It takes financing and committed partners to get construction started," said Mayor Todd Gloria. "This new partnership creates another path to move affordable housing forward faster, beginning with 38 homes for the working San Diegans who help keep our city running. I thank the San Diego Foundation, Bear Creek and Naturally Affordable Housing for investing in North Park and helping us build a San Diego more people can afford."
Affordable and workforce housing projects can take years to move from plans to construction, in part because traditional financing programs often require lengthy, competitive funding cycles. The SDF-Bear Creek partnership provides another path to construction financing that can help qualifying projects move forward faster.
"Addressing San Diego's housing needs requires bringing together partners with different strengths and using every tool available," said Mark Stuart, president & CEO of San Diego Foundation. "This partnership puts that approach into action, combining investment, innovative financing and local expertise to help move more affordable homes from plans to construction."
Under the $100 million partnership, Bear Creek Fund Advisors will provide construction financing for affordable housing projects in San Diego.
"This project is a great example of what an effective public-private partnership can accomplish. By bringing together the resources and capabilities of city government, local developers, nonprofit organizations, and private capital, this team created a flexible financing structure tailored to the unique elements of the project," said Jonathan Stern, Partner, Bear Creek Asset Management. "Throughout the process, we remained focused on one shared goal: delivering more high-quality affordable housing to the San Diego community, faster."
This initiative is part of SDF's broader commitment to expanding housing opportunities across San Diego County, with a goal of helping 1,000 households annually, for the next 10 years, secure and maintain stable, affordable housing. For partnership inquiries, please reach out to info@sdhousingfund.com.
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Original text here: https://www.sdfoundation.org/news-events/sdf-news/san-diego-foundation-launches-100-million-partnership-to-speed-up-construction-of-affordable-housing/
Prosperity Now Launches Updated VITA Train Materials to Help Programs Prepare for the 2027 Filing Season
WASHINGTON, Oct. 8 [Category: Economics] -- Prosperity Now (formerly the Corporation for Enterprise Development) posted the following news release:
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Prosperity Now Launches Updated VITA Train Materials to Help Programs Prepare for the 2027 Filing Season
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MINNEAPOLIS, MINN. - Prosperity Now today launched updated VITA Train curriculum materials for the 2027 filing season at VITACon, its national convening for Volunteer Income Tax Assistance practitioners and partners. The October release is part of a national VITA readiness effort made possible with support from the Wells Fargo Foundation.
VITA
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WASHINGTON, Oct. 8 [Category: Economics] -- Prosperity Now (formerly the Corporation for Enterprise Development) posted the following news release:
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Prosperity Now Launches Updated VITA Train Materials to Help Programs Prepare for the 2027 Filing Season
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MINNEAPOLIS, MINN. - Prosperity Now today launched updated VITA Train curriculum materials for the 2027 filing season at VITACon, its national convening for Volunteer Income Tax Assistance practitioners and partners. The October release is part of a national VITA readiness effort made possible with support from the Wells Fargo Foundation.
VITAprograms are already recruiting volunteers, setting up sites, and preparing teams for the next filing season. The updated VITA Train materials are designed to help program leaders and trainers turn current tax guidance and operational requirements into clear training, consistent processes, and practical tools for preparing staff and volunteers.
"Strong VITA service starts well before the first taxpayer walks through the door," said Marisa Calderon, President and CEO, Prosperity Now. "Sites need timely training, clear guidance, and practical tools they can put to use as they recruit volunteers and prepare their teams. VITA Train is designed to make that preparation easier and more consistent."
Available beginning October 6
* VITA Train 2027, Prosperity Now's volunteer training curriculum for the 2027 filing season. Its 11 core modules: Volunteer Standards of Conduct; Intake, Interview & Quality Review; Filing Status & Dependency; Income; Adjustments to Income; Deductions; Nonrefundable Credits; Refundable Credits; Tax Benefits for Education; Finishing the Return; and Puerto Rico Certification. A twelfth module, What's New in 2027, will be released in November 2026.
* Built-in learning tools: 100+ Knowledge Check questions in the style of the IRS certification tests, 20+ real-life taxpayer scenarios, and 100+ direct links to IRS forms and publications. The curriculum is updated for the new 2025-2028 deductions (tips, overtime, car loan interest and the enhanced deduction for seniors) and the new Schedule 1-A.
* The VITA Train 2027 Train-the-Trainer Guide for program leads, site coordinators and trainers, covering volunteer recruitment, delivery models, a sample 10-session training calendar, tips for trainers and a rollout planning template.
Available on Prosperity Action Network in the Tax Opportunity Network. The VITA Train 2027 course is under Courses, and the Train-the-Trainer Guide is in Resources.
At VITACon, practitioners will work through the materials during VITA Train Live: 2027 Curriculum Launch and Filing-Season Readiness. Prosperity Now program and VITA Train leads will demonstrate the updated training sequence and tools and connect the curriculum to practical site and volunteer preparation through a practitioner example.
The VITA Train launch is one part of the broader 2026 VITA Support Fund strategy. With support from the Wells Fargo Foundation, Prosperity Now is also providing direct grants to VITA organizations, readiness webinars, technical assistance, peer learning, and ongoing policy translation to help programs navigate evolving federal tax rules and implementation guidance.
Prosperity Now will continue updating field guidance and supporting VITA programs through the fall and into the 2027 filing season. Program results will be shared only after recipient reporting and filing-season data are available and verified.
About the VITA Support Fund
Prosperity Now's VITA Support Fund combines direct grants with coordinated national support to strengthen community-based Volunteer Income Tax Assistance providers. In 2026, funding supports two grant cycles as well as readiness webinars, peer learning, technical assistance, policy translation and updated VITA curriculum materials ahead of the 2027 filing season.
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Original text here: https://prosperitynow.org/prosperity-now-launches-updated-vita-train-materials-to-help-programs-prepare-for-the-2027-filing-season/
Prosperity Now Launches ABC Initiative Tools to Help VITA Programs Prepare for Child Savings at Tax Time
WASHINGTON, Oct. 8 [Category: Economics] -- Prosperity Now (formerly the Corporation for Enterprise Development) posted the following news release:
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Prosperity Now Launches ABC Initiative Tools to Help VITA Programs Prepare for Child Savings at Tax Time
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MINNEAPOLIS, MINN. - Prosperity Now today launched the next phase of ABC Initiative practitioner resources to help Volunteer Income Tax Assistance (VITA) programs prepare for child savings conversations, workflows and referrals during the 2027 filing season. The resources were developed with support from Citi Foundation and are being
... Show Full Article
WASHINGTON, Oct. 8 [Category: Economics] -- Prosperity Now (formerly the Corporation for Enterprise Development) posted the following news release:
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Prosperity Now Launches ABC Initiative Tools to Help VITA Programs Prepare for Child Savings at Tax Time
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MINNEAPOLIS, MINN. - Prosperity Now today launched the next phase of ABC Initiative practitioner resources to help Volunteer Income Tax Assistance (VITA) programs prepare for child savings conversations, workflows and referrals during the 2027 filing season. The resources were developed with support from Citi Foundation and are beingintroduced at VITACon, Prosperity Now's national convening for the VITA field.
The launch responds directly to what practitioners said they need. In Prosperity Now's 2026 Next-Generation Savings Readiness Field Learning Survey, 62% of respondents selected step-by-step guidance or playbooks as a resource that would help their organizations engage effectively, 58% selected client-facing curriculum or materials and 53% selected training or learning modules. Forty-nine percent identified clear, actionable guidance on program rules and workflows as the most valuable type of support over the next 12 months.
The October 6 package builds on the four-module English-language train-the-trainer curriculum released in Change Machine on September 1. Together, the resources are designed to help VITA leaders translate current child savings guidance into clear site roles, staff preparation, family conversations and referral pathways without turning tax preparation into a separate financial counseling service.
"The field has been clear that awareness alone is not enough," said Marisa Calderon, President & CEO of Prosperity Now. "VITA teams need step-by-step guidance that fits into a busy tax-season workflow, along with clear role boundaries, local information and reliable referral pathways. These resources are designed to make that work more practical before the 2027 filing season begins."
Available beginning October 6
* Child Savings at Tax Time: Train-the-Trainer Curriculum for VITA, a four-module course covering the role of VITA, workflow integration, the Section 530A tax-time process, and referrals and handoffs.
* VITA Frontline Team CSA Toolkit, Version 1, with step-by-step guidance and workflow diagrams.
* Talking-point guides for frontline staff, organizational leaders and volunteers.
* Partnership guidance for working with account providers and arranging onsite or virtual connections.
* A communications toolkit with outreach templates and adaptable messaging.
* Initial state and local fact sheets for Year 1 cohort states and relevant Citi Foundation priority markets.
* Spanish-language versions of the core training and priority practitioner tools.
* Registration and schedule information for a two-part national webinar series during the fall VITA volunteer-training period.
At VITACon, practitioners will use the materials during a Citi Foundation-supported child savings track focused on practical options for families, VITA workflow integration and peer learning from providers. The first ABC Initiative implementation cohort will also use the convening to begin implementation planning for the 2027 filing season.
Prosperity Now will continue expanding the package through December 15. Planned pre-tax-season resources include finalized localized fact sheets for Year 1 cohort states and relevant Citi Foundation priority markets, updated training and toolkit materials, complete English- and Spanish-language practitioner materials, family-facing one-pagers and FAQs, local outreach templates, a market activation toolkit, referral documentation and common reporting definitions.
During the 2027 filing season, Prosperity Now will provide technical assistance, office hours and learning community support; monitor use of the training and tools; document recurring practitioner and family questions; and refine the package based on implementation experience.
About the ABC Initiative
The ABC Initiative is a two-year national effort led by Prosperity Now with support from Citi Foundation. It combines implementation grants, practitioner training, localized tools, technical assistance, peer learning, field engagement and tax-season market activations to help VITA providers incorporate child savings information and support into existing services.
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Original text here: https://prosperitynow.org/prosperity-now-launches-abc-initiative-tools-to-help-vita-programs-prepare-for-child-savings-at-tax-time/
Media Advisory: Texas Supreme Court to Hear Case on Expanding Texas Public Information Act
AUSTIN, Texas, Oct. 8 -- The Texas Public Policy Foundation issued the following news release:
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Media Advisory: Texas Supreme Court to Hear Case on Expanding Texas Public Information Act
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DALLAS - The Supreme Court of Texas is set to hear oral arguments on giving Texans increased access to government information under the Texas Public Information Act. Currently, government bodies in Texas may withhold almost any information from the public just by involving an attorney and then claiming attorney-client privilege. TPPF is asking the Court to limit that exception for certain categories
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AUSTIN, Texas, Oct. 8 -- The Texas Public Policy Foundation issued the following news release:
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Media Advisory: Texas Supreme Court to Hear Case on Expanding Texas Public Information Act
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DALLAS - The Supreme Court of Texas is set to hear oral arguments on giving Texans increased access to government information under the Texas Public Information Act. Currently, government bodies in Texas may withhold almost any information from the public just by involving an attorney and then claiming attorney-client privilege. TPPF is asking the Court to limit that exception for certain categoriesof documents, including completed reports and investigations, which is how the Texas Legislature wrote the law.
Between 2020 and 2021, Highland Park ISD's Seay Tennis Center experienced a sudden jump in revenue of over one million dollars, likely due to employees running the tennis center prior to 2021 pocketing money from customers. Taxpayers and parents demanded answers. In response to public pressure, HPISD hired an attorney, who then hired third-party accounting firm Whitley Penn to investigate how much money was missing and where it might have gone. Whitley Penn created a report, which it sent to HPISD's attorney. HPISD then claimed the report was attorney-client privileged and refused to release it.
The Texas Public Policy Foundation sued HPISD in 2023 under the TPIA to force HPISD to disclose the report detailing Whitley Penn's findings. HPISD has fiercely argued at the trial and appellate court levels that it may keep secrets from the public so long as it launders those secrets through an attorney. Now, TPPF is asking the Texas Supreme Court to give full effect to the TPIA and restore public transparency by narrowing the attorney-client privilege exception that HPISD has relied on to withhold the report from the public.
When: Thursday, Oct. 8 at 9:00 a.m. CT
Where: SMU Dedman School of Law, 3315 Daniel Ave., Dallas, TX 75205
Livestream: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7lFUjA6KC2o
For additional background on the case, click here.
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Original text here: https://www.texaspolicy.com/press/media-advisory-texas-supreme-court-to-hear-case-on-expanding-texas-public-information-act (TNSmrp)
Hundreds of Nurses at Henry Ford Genesys Hospital File Petition Demanding Election to Oust Teamsters
SPRINGFIELD, Virginia, Oct. 8 -- The National Right to Work Legal Defense Foundation posted the following news release:
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Hundreds of Nurses at Henry Ford Genesys Hospital File Petition Demanding Election to Oust Teamsters
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Nearly 70% of currently working nurses sign petition asking for decertification vote
Grand Blanc, MI (October 6, 2026) - Hundreds of registered nurses at Henry Ford Genesys Hospital backed a petition filed with the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) seeking a vote to remove Teamsters Local 332 officials from their hospital. The NLRB is the federal agency responsible
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SPRINGFIELD, Virginia, Oct. 8 -- The National Right to Work Legal Defense Foundation posted the following news release:
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Hundreds of Nurses at Henry Ford Genesys Hospital File Petition Demanding Election to Oust Teamsters
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Nearly 70% of currently working nurses sign petition asking for decertification vote
Grand Blanc, MI (October 6, 2026) - Hundreds of registered nurses at Henry Ford Genesys Hospital backed a petition filed with the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) seeking a vote to remove Teamsters Local 332 officials from their hospital. The NLRB is the federal agency responsiblefor enforcing private sector labor law, a task that includes administering elections to install (or "certify") and remove (or "decertify") unions.
Genesys Hospital nurse Kristen Cox, who is spearheading the nurses' effort, submitted a "decertification" petition with the NLRB, with free legal aid from National Right to Work Foundation staff attorneys, backed by the signatures of 264 nurses, which amounts to nearly 70% of the 385 nurses currently working at the hospital.
Teamsters Local 332 officials launched a strike at Genesys Hospital on Labor Day 2025, and more than a year later, the strike remains unresolved. What is certain, however, is that the overwhelming number of nurses working at the hospital no longer want to be represented by Teamsters Local 332.
Disregarding the voices of nurses who simply seek the ability to choose their representative, the Teamsters are blocking any decertification election at the hospital. This tactic, known as a "blocking charge," allows union officials to halt workers' decertification efforts by filing unproven charges against their employer. In June, Foundation staff attorneys filed a formal rulemaking petition asking the NLRB to scrap the non-statutory policies it uses to block workers' decertification votes.
Foundation staff attorneys also represent Genesys nurses who have filed unfair labor practice charges against Teamsters Local 332 for retaliating against nurses who resigned their union membership and returned to work. In those cases, Teamsters officials stopped payment on checks they issued to employees who exercised their legal right to resign from the union and return to work in defiance of the union strike.
Michigan politicians repealed the state's Right to Work law in 2023, meaning private sector workers in the state can once again be forced to pay union dues or fees as a condition of keeping their jobs.
"Genesys nurses have made clear that they want the chance to vote Teamsters bosses out of their hospital. The NLRB should not rubber-stamp union lawyers' attempts to disenfranchise them," commented National Right to Work Foundation President Mark Mix. "If Teamsters bosses are so confident they 'represent' what Genesys nurses want, they should stop hiding behind legal maneuvers and respect the wishes of the hundreds of nurses asking for this vote."
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Original text here: https://www.nrtw.org/news/michigan-genesys-nurses-petition-teamsters-removal-10062026/
Don't Push Global Talent to America's Competitors
WASHINGTON, Oct. 8 [Category: Computer Technology]-- The Information Technology and Innovation Foundation posted the following news release:
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Don't Push Global Talent to America's Competitors
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WASHINGTON--In response to the U.S. Department of Labor suspending multiple U.S. companies from its green card program, the Information Technology and Innovation Foundation (ITIF) released the following statement from ITIF President Daniel Castro:
American companies are stronger when they can recruit the best talent from around the world. If particular companies have abused the immigration system,
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WASHINGTON, Oct. 8 [Category: Computer Technology]-- The Information Technology and Innovation Foundation posted the following news release:
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Don't Push Global Talent to America's Competitors
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WASHINGTON--In response to the U.S. Department of Labor suspending multiple U.S. companies from its green card program, the Information Technology and Innovation Foundation (ITIF) released the following statement from ITIF President Daniel Castro:
American companies are stronger when they can recruit the best talent from around the world. If particular companies have abused the immigration system,the government should investigate and hold them accountable, but it should not respond to misconduct by making it harder for legitimate high-skilled workers to build their careers in America.
Highly skilled workers are an economic asset. If the United States makes it harder for them to stay, it is not eliminating the competition for their talent--it is handing that talent to countries such as Canada and the United Kingdom, along with the jobs, tax revenue, and innovation those workers generate.
America should be competing to attract and retain the world's best talent, not making it easier for its economic competitors to do so. Protecting American workers and maintaining America's position as the world's leading destination for talent are not competing goals. A strong economy needs both.
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Original text here: https://itif.org/publications/2026/10/08/dont-push-global-talent-to-americas-competitors/
