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Research Finds Students With Disabilities Overrepresented in Private School Choice Programs

WASHINGTON, Oct. 12 (TNSLrpt) -- The American Enterprise Institute released an education policy report titled 'Good News! Students with Disabilities Are Overrepresented in Private School Choice Programs.', authored by Patrick J. Wolf, John Kristof, Alex Wolf, and Alli Aldis. The publication examines national enrollment patterns across private school choice initiatives, evaluating whether children requiring special education services participate in voucher, scholarship, and education savings account mechanisms.

Issued on October 08, 2026, the paper challenges historical arguments that private educational ... Show Full Article WASHINGTON, Oct. 12 (TNSLrpt) -- The American Enterprise Institute released an education policy report titled 'Good News! Students with Disabilities Are Overrepresented in Private School Choice Programs.', authored by Patrick J. Wolf, John Kristof, Alex Wolf, and Alli Aldis. The publication examines national enrollment patterns across private school choice initiatives, evaluating whether children requiring special education services participate in voucher, scholarship, and education savings account mechanisms. Issued on October 08, 2026, the paper challenges historical arguments that private educationaloptions exclude or underserve special-needs populations. While critics predicted that expanding private school choices would isolate students with disabilities inside the traditional public school system, analysis reveals the opposite outcome. Researchers conservatively estimate that 258,844 students with disabilities participate in private school choice options nationwide, accounting for 15.5 to 17.2 percent of the 1.5 million students enrolled across these initiatives, exceeding the 15.0 percent public school average.

The analysis attributes these participation rates to reciprocal push and pull dynamics that influence families navigating special education options. Parents frequently encounter difficulties with the procedural administration of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA), where bureaucratic compliance takes precedence over pedagogical quality. Conversely, private programs attract families by offering tailored curricula, small-group settings, or flexible education savings accounts (ESAs) that permit customized spending on multiple specialized learning vendors.

"Private school choice programs provide important educational options for many students with disabilities, helping ensure they can access the education that best meets their needs," the authors observe. The report notes that students do not surrender their underlying civil rights when participating in school choice. Instead, federal statutory procedures are placed in abeyance during private enrollment and reinstate immediately upon any return to traditional public institutions, while several states explicitly preserve specific procedural protections throughout private placement.

The largest individual concentration appears in dedicated initiatives, led by Florida's Family Empowerment Scholarship for Students with Unique Abilities, which serves 140,147 participants. Meanwhile, broader programs demonstrate significant participation from special-needs populations, such as Arizona's Empowerment Scholarship Accounts and the Texas Education Freedom Accounts, where students with disabilities compose roughly one-fifth to one-quarter of overall participants.

The authors conclude that expanding graduated funding formulas to accommodate varying learning conditions would strengthen educational options. Implementing tiered allocations based on disability severity, combined with transparent cross-state data tracking, would further equip parents to secure appropriate learning environments for non-traditional students.

-- Moira Sirois, Targeted News Service

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View report at: https://www.aei.org/research-products/report/good-news-students-with-disabilities-are-overrepresented-in-private-school-choice-programs/

[Category: ThinkTank]

Rand Report: Mapping AI Ecosystems in the Netherlands and the United Kingdom

SANTA MONICA, California, Oct. 12 (TNSLrpt) -- Rand Report issued the following report on October 8, 2026, entitled "Mapping AI Ecosystems in the Netherlands and the United Kingdom."

Here are excerpts:

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This report maps the artificial intelligence (AI) research and innovation ecosystems of the United Kingdom and the Netherlands and identifies opportunities for deeper bilateral collaboration. Drawing on desk research, policy analysis, scientometric and patent data and stakeholder engagement, it compares the countries' ecosystem structures, capabilities, policy approaches and sectoral strengths.

The ... Show Full Article

Migration Surge Lifted Native Wages and Rents, Study Finds

WASHINGTON, Oct. 12 (TNSLrpt) -- The post-pandemic migration surge increased employment and economic output while raising both wages and rents for U.S.-born residents, according to research featured by the American Enterprise Institute in 'How Did the Post-Pandemic Migration Surge Affect Labor and Housing Markets?' Written by Madeline Zavodny, Pia M. Orrenius and Jennifer Hunt for Brookings Papers on Economic Activity, the paper estimates that the 2021-24 inflow raised natives' wages 0.9% and their rents 1.6%, without changing native employment rates.

The document, dated Sept. 30, 2026, examines ... Show Full Article WASHINGTON, Oct. 12 (TNSLrpt) -- The post-pandemic migration surge increased employment and economic output while raising both wages and rents for U.S.-born residents, according to research featured by the American Enterprise Institute in 'How Did the Post-Pandemic Migration Surge Affect Labor and Housing Markets?' Written by Madeline Zavodny, Pia M. Orrenius and Jennifer Hunt for Brookings Papers on Economic Activity, the paper estimates that the 2021-24 inflow raised natives' wages 0.9% and their rents 1.6%, without changing native employment rates. The document, dated Sept. 30, 2026, examinesan inflow of about 6.5 million migrants who entered the United States outside usual legal pathways. The authors describe that post-pandemic movement as unprecedented. Their estimates indicate that employment increased by about 0.4 jobs for each surge migrant and that average metropolitan-area gross domestic product rose 1.5%. Those findings concern different aspects of the economic response: total employment expanded alongside output, while the share of U.S.-born residents employed remained unaffected. The supplied document lists no report number.

The wage findings also distinguish between population-wide averages and outcomes for U.S.-born workers. The surge may have reduced average wages, the authors write, partly because of compositional effects--changes in the mix of workers included in the average. At the same time, estimated wages for natives increased over the study period. That distinction matters when interpreting the results: a lower average across all workers does not necessarily mean that an existing group experienced lower wages. The paper's abstract presents the possible decline in overall average wages alongside the 0.9% increase for natives, rather than treating the two findings as contradictory.

Housing effects appeared alongside changes in where people lived. Although natives' rents increased, declines in net domestic in-migration almost entirely offset surge migration in the average metropolitan area. In other words, the international inflow coincided with a reduction in the net flow of people arriving from elsewhere in the country. The authors argue that this offset helps explain why the economic effects cannot be understood solely as the result of more residents entering individual metropolitan areas. Their findings instead point to changes in workers' skill mix and residential patterns within neighborhoods as influences on wages and rents.

Domestic migration also changed the geographic reach of the effects over time. "The response of domestic migration implies the surge migration impacts on affected metros came to be diffused across larger geographies over time and were no longer detectable by cross-metro comparisons," the abstract states. This limits what comparisons between metropolitan areas can reveal: an effect spreading beyond the places that initially received migrants may become harder to isolate locally. The authors also found that the short-run, year-over-year responsiveness of native wages and rents declined during 2021-24 as the economy adjusted to continuing inflows.

The paper therefore describes an adjustment process rather than a single, fixed local response to immigration. Employment and output increased, native employment rates remained unchanged, and natives experienced higher wages alongside higher rents. The authors' geographic findings underscore a central limitation of local comparisons: effects that become harder to detect between metropolitan areas have not necessarily disappeared, but may have spread across a wider area.

-- Moira Sirois, Targeted News Service

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View report at: https://www.aei.org/research-products/report/how-did-the-post-pandemic-migration-surgeaffect-labor-and-housing-markets/

[Category: ThinkTank]

Investor Group on Climate Change: 'IGCC Responds to Draft Climate Reporting Roadmap for Aotearoa New Zealand'

SYDNEY, Australia, Oct. 12 (TNSLrpt) -- The Investor Group on Climate Change issued the following report on September 30, 2026, by Katharina Surikow entitled "IGCC responds to draft climate reporting roadmap for Aotearoa New Zealand."

Here are excerpts:

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Introduction

The Investor Group on Climate Change (IGCC) is a leading network of Australian and Aotearoa New Zealand institutional investors focussed on the impact of climate change on investments. We represent 100+ member organisations who collectively manage over $4.5 trillion in assets locally and $40 trillion around the world, including ... Show Full Article SYDNEY, Australia, Oct. 12 (TNSLrpt) -- The Investor Group on Climate Change issued the following report on September 30, 2026, by Katharina Surikow entitled "IGCC responds to draft climate reporting roadmap for Aotearoa New Zealand." Here are excerpts: * * * Introduction The Investor Group on Climate Change (IGCC) is a leading network of Australian and Aotearoa New Zealand institutional investors focussed on the impact of climate change on investments. We represent 100+ member organisations who collectively manage over $4.5 trillion in assets locally and $40 trillion around the world, includingthe retirement savings of more than 15.8 million Australians and millions of New Zealanders.

Climate-related disclosures aim to support the allocation of capital towards activities that are consistent with a transition to a low-emissions, climate-resilient future. By publicly reporting on their climate-related risks and opportunities, investors and other entities can demonstrate how they are considering them throughout their business models.

As long-term institutional investors and asset managers, IGCC's investor members look to corporate climate disclosures to inform capital allocation decisions and investment stewardship. IGCC and our members have been strong supporters of the introduction of mandatory climate-related disclosures in Aotearoa New Zealand, and continue to appreciate the engagement of XRB and other parts of government with industry on refinements in this important policy area.

The impacts of climate change are being felt across environments, societies and economies around the world. Global heating is associated with increases in the frequency and severity of extreme weather events, in chronic climate shifts that can lead to population displacement, and in reduced agricultural yields - all of which contribute to worsening poverty and health outcomes. Aotearoa New Zealand is not immune to the effects of climate change, with landscapes noticeably changing and increasingly severe and frequent extreme events, with multiple states of emergency declared across the country in the early part of this year. These events and their impacts, along with the costs associated with a transition to a lower-emissions economy will be felt across business and investment portfolios across the country.

Efforts to foster collaboration on climate at the international level are hampered by political polarisation, an increasingly fractured media landscape and global conflicts and insecurity. Despite this, the majority of individuals and business leaders want to see action, and investors are increasingly looking to make decisions that at the very least, minimise their exposures to climate risks, if not actively work to mitigate against them. To bridge the gap between long-term climate goals and financial returns, investors require policy certainty, high-quality data and commercially viable investment opportunities. As climate risks become more material, high-quality climate-related information will become increasingly important for investors, companies and policymakers seeking to understand exposures, assess resilience and allocate capital effectively.

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View full report at: https://igcc.org.au/wp-content/uploads/2026/10/300926_IGCC-Submission-XRB-Draft-CRD-Roadmap.pdf

[Category: ThinkTank]

Geneva Report Sees Dollar Dominance Enduring Despite Financial Strains

WASHINGTON, Oct. 12 (TNSLrpt) -- The dollar is likely to retain its dominant international role despite rising trade tensions and concerns about U.S. debt, according to a report presented by the American Enterprise Institute, 'Geneva 29: Changing Structure and Challenges of the International Financial System: Imbalances, Currencies, and Financial Stability.' Written by Steven B. Kamin, Valentina Bruno, Angel Ubide and Cedric Tille, the 29th Geneva Report on the World Economy examines global imbalances, currency competition, financial-market liquidity and geopolitical obstacles to policy change.

The ... Show Full Article WASHINGTON, Oct. 12 (TNSLrpt) -- The dollar is likely to retain its dominant international role despite rising trade tensions and concerns about U.S. debt, according to a report presented by the American Enterprise Institute, 'Geneva 29: Changing Structure and Challenges of the International Financial System: Imbalances, Currencies, and Financial Stability.' Written by Steven B. Kamin, Valentina Bruno, Angel Ubide and Cedric Tille, the 29th Geneva Report on the World Economy examines global imbalances, currency competition, financial-market liquidity and geopolitical obstacles to policy change. Thereport's presentation is dated Sept. 30, 2026, and links to the full publication through the Centre for Economic Policy Research. Its first concern is the widening gap between China's external surplus and the U.S. deficit. The authors connect China's surplus partly to active industrial policy and the U.S. deficit to expanding public debt. They argue that rising imbalances are not yet grounds for serious concern, while identifying policies that could address underlying weaknesses. Stronger support for domestic demand in China and fiscal consolidation in the United States would meet domestic policy needs while helping narrow those imbalances.

The authors' assessment of the dollar distinguishes market disruption from a lasting loss of international dominance. Higher U.S. tariffs, the Iran-U.S. conflict and questions about fiscal sustainability have drawn attention to the currency's global position. Even after disruptions associated with "Liberation Day," however, the report expects the dollar to remain dominant in trade and, especially, finance. Its principal competitors, the euro and renminbi, face structural limitations. The authors identify incomplete financial-market integration, a limited supply of safe assets and restrictions on capital mobility as barriers that constrain alternatives to the dollar-centered system.

Financial stability presents a different challenge. Since 2008, global liquidity has become more closely organized around capital markets, accompanied by expanding government debt and a larger role for non-bank financial intermediaries. Dealer banks nevertheless remain central to the system. The foreign-exchange swap market and the repurchase, or repo, market used to finance U.S. Treasury securities rely on the same dealer balance-sheet capacity. That shared dependence connects markets that may appear separate, placing pressure on the institutions that support transactions across both currency and government-debt markets.

The report describes the resulting tension as a trilemma: ever-expanding Treasury supply, strict limits on dealer balance sheets and consistently stable bond-market functioning cannot all coexist. The problem therefore concerns not simply the amount of debt outstanding, but the capacity available to finance and support trading in that debt. The authors argue that these developments do not demonstrate a retreat from dollar-based finance. "Rather than retreating, the dollar's role as the operating system of global finance has only deepened," the report summary states, linking continued currency dominance with the system's operational pressures.

The final part of the report places these economic issues within geopolitics. National size, power relationships and memories of earlier crises help explain why a small number of countries and markets exert disproportionate influence. Concerns about access to strategic goods also shape government decisions, while policy inertia can obstruct desirable adjustments. Taken together, the authors' findings describe a financial system whose central currency remains resilient, but whose stability depends on managing imbalances, market capacity and political constraints.

-- Moira Sirois, Targeted News Service

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View report at: https://www.aei.org/research-products/report/geneva-29-changing-structure-and-challenges-of-the-international-financial-system-imbalances-currencies-and-financial-stability/

[Category: ThinkTank]

CSIS: 'Understanding the Chinese-Language Media Landscape in Southeast Asia'

WASHINGTON, Oct. 12 (TNSLrpt) -- The Center for Strategic and International Studies issued the following report on October 9, 2026, by Lauren Mai, Andreyka Natalegawa, Gregory B. Poling, and Japhet Quitzon entitled "Understanding the Chinese-Language Media Landscape in Southeast Asia."

Here are excerpts:

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The countries of the Indo-Pacific increasingly find themselves on the front line of the long-term strategic competition between the United States and China. In the South China Sea, China has used force and coercion to block Philippine resupply missions, while in the Taiwan Strait it has ... Show Full Article WASHINGTON, Oct. 12 (TNSLrpt) -- The Center for Strategic and International Studies issued the following report on October 9, 2026, by Lauren Mai, Andreyka Natalegawa, Gregory B. Poling, and Japhet Quitzon entitled "Understanding the Chinese-Language Media Landscape in Southeast Asia." Here are excerpts: * * * The countries of the Indo-Pacific increasingly find themselves on the front line of the long-term strategic competition between the United States and China. In the South China Sea, China has used force and coercion to block Philippine resupply missions, while in the Taiwan Strait it hasemployed similar tactics to degrade Taiwanese administration of its airspace and waters. At the same time, China--alongside other actors such as Russia--has weaponized the information space across the Indo-Pacific to undermine regional support for the United States, its allies, and the rules-based international order.

China's strategic intent to weaken the U.S. alliance system highlights the need for enhanced cooperation with allies and partners not only to address regional security issues, but also to strengthen the mutual ability to counter foreign information manipulation. Many Southeast Asian countries, including the Philippines and Singapore, are vital to maintaining U.S. security, economic, and people-to-people presence in the region. As a result, these countries are also a target of significant influence operations by China, conducted in part through state-affiliated Chinese-language media outlets and efforts by the United Front Work Department, the arm of the Chinese Communist Party responsible for conducting influence activities. These outlets have a growing but uneven footprint throughout the region, in some cases gaining market share in local Chinese-language media ecosystems previously led by independent outlets founded by diaspora populations.

The Philippines has been a major target of Chinese state-backed disinformation campaigns and efforts to capture local media since the previous administration of President Rodrigo Duterte. The reach of Chinese media within the region also has the potential to influence the significant Chinese diaspora populations in countries such as Malaysia and Singapore. And across the region, China has established content-sharing agreements with local media, pursued takeovers of local Chinese-language outlets, and sponsored people-to-people initiatives such as sending Southeast Asian journalists to Xinjiang to shape regional perspectives in line with Chinese state messaging.

There is no viable strategy for countering Chinese information warfare that does not involve buy-in from regional partners and an awareness of the scale, scope, and impact of Chinese-language media in Southeast Asia. But a current paucity of information on the issue and a lack of transparency from these organizations points to the need for an enhanced understanding and awareness of Chinese-language media outlets operating within the region.

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The report is posted at: https://csis-website-prod.s3.amazonaws.com/s3fs-public/2026-10/261009_Mai_Chinese_Landscape.pdf?VersionId=SD5PqiEkKOpzPZp3nbZNrRTQblSPJgh4

[Category: Think Tank]

America First Policy Institute: A Better Standard for Election Records Retention

WASHINGTON, Oct. 12 (TNSLrpt) -- The America First Policy Institute issued the following brief on October 6, 2026, entitled "A Better Standard for Election Records Retention":

Here are excerpts:

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Introduction

An election is only verifiably accurate if there are records to support the declared results. Over the past few years, election records have been the subject of extensive debate, litigation, and policy development. The America First Policy Institute (AFPI) was on the forefront of this conversation, publishing a comprehensive review of election records retention in 14 swing states ... Show Full Article WASHINGTON, Oct. 12 (TNSLrpt) -- The America First Policy Institute issued the following brief on October 6, 2026, entitled "A Better Standard for Election Records Retention": Here are excerpts: * * * Introduction An election is only verifiably accurate if there are records to support the declared results. Over the past few years, election records have been the subject of extensive debate, litigation, and policy development. The America First Policy Institute (AFPI) was on the forefront of this conversation, publishing a comprehensive review of election records retention in 14 swing statesfollowing the 2020 election (Lott & Smith, 2022). This review found that all states studied fell woefully short in retaining election records after elections are concluded. Proper records retention is necessary because federal and state agencies frequently conduct reviews long after elections have concluded; transparency and accountability through proper records retention allow voters to have more confidence in the electoral system and those who conduct it.

Several federal statutes govern retention of election records. The Civil Rights Act of 1960 was the first federal election records retention statute signed into law. Previously, record retention was under the jurisdiction of the states. The first use of this record retention statute occurred in 1960-1961, when Attorneys General William P. Rogers under the Eisenhower Administration and Robert F. Kennedy under the Kennedy administration investigated allegations by Black voters of racial discrimination in 26 southern counties (Sturkey, 2018). These investigations produced enough evidence to support 19 voter discrimination cases filed by the Department of Justice by the end of 1962--showing that records retention is not just critical for post-election audits, but for supporting evidence for the federal government to rectify roadblocks to all Americans being equally afforded the right to vote.

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View the full report at: https://americafirstpolicy.com/issues/a-better-standard-for-election-records-retention/

[Category: ThinkTank]

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