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Jeffrey Wenger Named Rand's Distinguished Chair, AI, Workers, and the Economy
SANTA MONICA, California, Aug. 22 -- Rand issued the following news release on Aug. 21, 2026:
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Jeffrey Wenger Named RAND's Distinguished Chair, AI, Workers, and the Economy
Jeffrey Wenger, a senior economist at RAND, has been appointed Distinguished Chair, AI, Workers, and the Economy. In the two-year role, he will advance RAND Education, Employment, and Infrastructure's research agenda on artificial intelligence, including its effects on workers, labor markets, public finances, and the broader economy.
The position is supported by the Diller - von Furstenberg Family Foundation and the
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SANTA MONICA, California, Aug. 22 -- Rand issued the following news release on Aug. 21, 2026:
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Jeffrey Wenger Named RAND's Distinguished Chair, AI, Workers, and the Economy
Jeffrey Wenger, a senior economist at RAND, has been appointed Distinguished Chair, AI, Workers, and the Economy. In the two-year role, he will advance RAND Education, Employment, and Infrastructure's research agenda on artificial intelligence, including its effects on workers, labor markets, public finances, and the broader economy.
The position is supported by the Diller - von Furstenberg Family Foundation and theLowy Family Foundation.
Wenger also directs the RAND Lowy Family Middle-Class Pathways Center and the Master of Policy Analysis Program at the RAND School of Public Policy. Additionally, he codirects the RAND von Furstenberg Family Budget Model, a suite of tools that helps decisionmakers understand federal spending and tax policy in unprecedented detail and evaluate ways to improve them.
"This role comes at a critical moment, as AI begins to reshape work and the broader economy," said Jason Matheny, RAND president and CEO. "Jeff's expertise will strengthen RAND's work in this area and help policymakers understand AI's impacts on economic opportunity."
Wenger's research focuses on the forces that shape economic opportunity, including middle-class stability and mobility, labor force participation, and the quality of work.
His published work includes A Typology of Economic Shocks and Applications for Macroeconomic Analysis, as well as research on veterans' pathways into civilian careers and how economic policy changes affect the American workforce. He has also coauthored research with RAND colleagues in the American Economic Review on the trade-off between working conditions and wages.
"I'm honored to step into this position and help build on RAND's work on the economic and workforce implications of AI," Wenger said. "As these technologies continue to evolve, policymakers will need careful research to better understand how they are affecting jobs, mobility, and economic opportunity."
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About RAND
RAND is a research organization that develops solutions to public policy challenges to help make communities throughout the world safer and more secure, healthier and more prosperous.
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Original text here: https://www.rand.org/news/press/2026/08/jeffrey-wenger-named-rands-distinguished-chair-ai-workers.html
[Category: ThinkTank]
Ifo Institute: Almost a Quarter of Companies in Germany Have a Shortage of Skilled Workers
MUNICH, Germany, Aug. 22 -- ifo Institute issued the following news release on Aug. 21, 2026:
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Almost a Quarter of Companies in Germany Have a Shortage of Skilled Workers
The shortage of skilled workers in Germany has increased again somewhat. In July, 23.2% of companies stated that they had a shortage of qualified workers, up from 21.1% in April. Despite the increase, the skilled labor shortage still remains below the long-term average of 31.7%. "The weak economy is currently keeping the demand for skilled workers within limits," says ifo researcher Daria Schaller. "However, as the economy
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MUNICH, Germany, Aug. 22 -- ifo Institute issued the following news release on Aug. 21, 2026:
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Almost a Quarter of Companies in Germany Have a Shortage of Skilled Workers
The shortage of skilled workers in Germany has increased again somewhat. In July, 23.2% of companies stated that they had a shortage of qualified workers, up from 21.1% in April. Despite the increase, the skilled labor shortage still remains below the long-term average of 31.7%. "The weak economy is currently keeping the demand for skilled workers within limits," says ifo researcher Daria Schaller. "However, as the economymakes a stronger recovery, the shortage of skilled workers is likely to increase considerably again."
In the service sector, the share of companies that are unable to find enough skilled workers remains virtually unchanged at 25.7%. In some industries, however, it rose significantly. In telecommunications, it went up from 16.3 to 31.1%, reaching its highest level since October 2023. In legal and tax consultancy as well as in auditing, the share also went up sharply, rising to 64.7% from 52.4% previously.
In trade, the shortage of skilled workers remains at a comparatively low level at 16.2%. In manufacturing, 18.7% reported a shortage of skilled workers, a noticeable increase of 4.5percentage points compared to April.
The paper industry, in particular (35.0%), is finding it harder to recruit adequately trained employees. In construction, almost one in three companies (32.6%) report a shortage of skilled workers.
"More unemployed people does not automatically mean more available skilled workers," says Schaller. "What matters is whether the qualifications match the requirements of the vacancies."
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More Information
Survey (https://www.ifo.de/en/facts/2026-08-21/almost-quarter-companies-germany-have-shortage-skilled-workers)
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Original text here: https://www.ifo.de/en/press-release/2026-08-21/almost-quarter-companies-germany-have-shortage-skilled-workers
[Category: ThinkTank]
Baseless Threats Won't Stop Our Independent Research, Says CAP's Neera Tanden
WASHINGTON, Aug. 22 -- The Center for American Progress issued the following statement on Aug. 21, 2026:
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Baseless Threats Won't Stop Our Independent Research, Says CAP's Neera Tanden
Lawyers for President Donald Trump issued a letter demanding the Center for American Progress retract a factual report or face a $5 billion lawsuit. That report analyzes the impact of the administration's deployments of the National Guard in cities around the country, finding that they had no measurable impact on the rate of violent crime reductions.
In response, CAP President and CEO Neera Tanden issued
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WASHINGTON, Aug. 22 -- The Center for American Progress issued the following statement on Aug. 21, 2026:
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Baseless Threats Won't Stop Our Independent Research, Says CAP's Neera Tanden
Lawyers for President Donald Trump issued a letter demanding the Center for American Progress retract a factual report or face a $5 billion lawsuit. That report analyzes the impact of the administration's deployments of the National Guard in cities around the country, finding that they had no measurable impact on the rate of violent crime reductions.
In response, CAP President and CEO Neera Tanden issuedthe following statement:
The Center for American Progress is an independent, nonpartisan research organization, and our work is grounded in rigorous, evidence-based research and analysis. Based on analysis of crime data, our report demonstrated facts about the National Guard deployments that are inconvenient to the Trump administration. Since its inception, CAP has published analysis of the impact of government policy under Democratic and Republican administrations.
This threatened lawsuit's attack on facts and evidence is baseless. A fundamental protection of the First Amendment is to allow for the publication of facts and analysis that are contrary to the arguments and claims of any administration. A lawsuit is a transparent attempt to silence us. We will neither cower nor bend in the face of it.
In America, profound disagreements over public policy are resolved through robust public debate, not through threats or intimidation. Independent data, evidence, and analysis are essential to that debate. Efforts to silence independent research because its findings are unwelcome by an administration or president should alarm every American.
For more information or to speak with an expert, contact Mishka Espey at eespey@americanprogress.org.
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Original text here: https://www.americanprogress.org/press/statement-baseless-threats-wont-stop-our-independent-research-says-caps-neera-tanden/
[Category: ThinkTank]
America First Policy Institute: No, U.S. Service Members Aren't Victims. They Are Warriors, and This Administration Has the Pulse.
WASHINGTON, Aug. 22 -- The America First Policy Institute issued the following statement on Aug. 21, 2026:
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No, U.S. Service Members Aren't Victims. They Are Warriors, and This Administration Has the Pulse.
The America First Policy Institute (AFPI) has issued the following statement on the strength and morale of America's warfighters from Amber Smith, AFPI Senior Advisor for America First Warfighters. Smith is a former U.S. Army OH-58D Kiowa Warrior helicopter pilot and air mission commander in the 101st Airborne Division who flew two combat tours in Iraq and Afghanistan.
"The frenzied
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WASHINGTON, Aug. 22 -- The America First Policy Institute issued the following statement on Aug. 21, 2026:
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No, U.S. Service Members Aren't Victims. They Are Warriors, and This Administration Has the Pulse.
The America First Policy Institute (AFPI) has issued the following statement on the strength and morale of America's warfighters from Amber Smith, AFPI Senior Advisor for America First Warfighters. Smith is a former U.S. Army OH-58D Kiowa Warrior helicopter pilot and air mission commander in the 101st Airborne Division who flew two combat tours in Iraq and Afghanistan.
"The frenziedmedia reporting about how long U.S. Navy deployments in the Middle East are impacting service member morale fundamentally misunderstands what this Administration gets. The United States military is the tip of the spear when it comes to confronting our adversaries - they are warriors, not victims. And the recruiting numbers tell the tale.
This Administration is equipping warfighters, not focused on creating social justice warriors via the woke policy imposition of the previous Administration. Since the beginning of his term, the President and U.S. Secretary of War have taken actions focused on restoring the warfighter mentality. As a result, morale is high, and this is the best recruiting year for the U.S. military in 15 years. Our warfighters know their task and their identity under this Administration, and they are performing with excellence."
AFPI maintains that America's warfighters are not victims; they are resilient, mission-focused professionals prepared to meet the challenges they are called upon to face.
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Original text here: https://www.americafirstpolicy.com/issues/no-u.s-service-members-arent-victims-they-are-warriors-and-this-administration-has-the-pulse
[Category: ThinkTank]
The Buckeye Institute: Ohio Job Market Outpaces National Average in July
COLUMBUS, Ohio, Aug. 21 [Category: Think Tank] -- The Buckeye Institute, an independent research and educational institution that says its mission is to advance free-market public policy, posted the following news release:
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The Buckeye Institute: Ohio Job Market Outpaces National Average in July
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Columbus, OH - Rea S. Hederman Jr., executive director of the Economic Research Center and vice president of policy at The Buckeye Institute, commented on the July 2026 jobs report from the Ohio Department of Job and Family Services.
"Ohio's unemployment rate dropped to 3.4 percent, while its
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COLUMBUS, Ohio, Aug. 21 [Category: Think Tank] -- The Buckeye Institute, an independent research and educational institution that says its mission is to advance free-market public policy, posted the following news release:
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The Buckeye Institute: Ohio Job Market Outpaces National Average in July
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Columbus, OH - Rea S. Hederman Jr., executive director of the Economic Research Center and vice president of policy at The Buckeye Institute, commented on the July 2026 jobs report from the Ohio Department of Job and Family Services.
"Ohio's unemployment rate dropped to 3.4 percent, while itslabor force participation rate fell to 61.4 percent, outpacing the national average. While the low unemployment rate is positive, in Ohio and across the nation, it is linked to declining labor force participation, with unemployed workers leaving the job market, thereby lowering the unemployment rate.
"Nationally, there are indications of a cooling job market, with total employment declining, and only 30,000 new private-sector jobs added nationwide in July. Unlike much of the country, Ohio saw positive job growth with 9,600 new private-sector jobs. However, a 3,000-job downward revision to Ohio's June jobs report is troubling.
"With a declining labor force participation rate, Ohio policymakers need to focus on attracting more employers to the Buckeye State, and that starts with preparing Ohio's workers for the in-demand, high-skilled jobs that 21st century employers need to fill. In a forthcoming policy paper, The Buckeye Institute will offer specific policy recommendations lawmakers can adopt to build on Ohio's solid economic foundation and make the state even more attractive to employers."
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Original text here: https://www.buckeyeinstitute.org/research/detail/the-buckeye-institute-ohio-job-market-outpaces-national-average-in-july
Liberty In Action Weekly: Education Freedom Forever!
PHOENIX, Arizona, Aug. 21 [Category: ThinkTank] -- The Goldwater Institute posted the following news:
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Liberty In Action Weekly: Education Freedom Forever!
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The stakes could not have been higher. Out-of-state special interests were spending millions of dollars in an attempt to defeat Arizona's Empowerment Scholarship Account program, which provides education opportunity to 100,000 students in the state. But thanks to the Goldwater Institute and its allies, the nefarious anti-school choice campaign went down in flames this week.
The teachers' unions and their allies were never straight
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PHOENIX, Arizona, Aug. 21 [Category: ThinkTank] -- The Goldwater Institute posted the following news:
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Liberty In Action Weekly: Education Freedom Forever!
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The stakes could not have been higher. Out-of-state special interests were spending millions of dollars in an attempt to defeat Arizona's Empowerment Scholarship Account program, which provides education opportunity to 100,000 students in the state. But thanks to the Goldwater Institute and its allies, the nefarious anti-school choice campaign went down in flames this week.
The teachers' unions and their allies were never straightwith voters-they lied about Arizona's ESAs, they lied about their measure aimed at gutting the landmark school choice program, and they lied about the signatures they gathered to get their measure on November's ballot. Goldwater wasn't having it. This week, the Arizona Supreme Court agreed, ruling that more than 175,000 signatures the unions submitted were invalid-giving their Proposition 212 the boot.
Proponents of Prop 212 needed 256,000 valid signatures to qualify their anti-school choice measure for the ballot; they turned in 421,000. But as Goldwater pointed out in court, there were problems-lots of problems: bogus signatures, duplicates, missing information. One circulator's sheets were invalidated when it was proven that he deliberately deceived voters. Most shocking of all, the union activists who poured millions of dollars into their effort enlisted dangerous criminals-including a convicted child sex offender, a human trafficker, and other violent offenders-to collect signatures from voters.
The truth is, Arizona's universal school choice program has been an overwhelming success by empowering parents to make the best educational choices for their kids. Sadly, the teachers' unions see that as a threat and they'll stop at nothing to claw back power from parents, even if that means lying and teaming up with violent criminals.
Thankfully, the Goldwater Institute will always be there to empower families and stand up for education freedom in Arizona and around the nation.
Read more here.
#Standing Up for Grandma's Right to Cook Breakfast
Every American has the right to invite guests into their home and offer them a bite to eat. But for some reason, local health bureaucrats in Missouri say Kathy Kite needs their permission to have people over for breakfast. That's wrong, and now the Goldwater Institute is standing up for Kathy's constitutional right to show her neighbors hospitality.
When the local gas station in Harrisburg, Mo., stopped serving breakfast, there was nowhere for locals in the small town to go to grab a morning meal and talk. So, Kathy invited everyone to her house and offered to cook breakfast-free of charge. But when the Boone County health bureaucrats caught wind of this bit of all-American hospitality, they didn't commend Kathy. They threatened her with legal action if she didn't get a food-service permit and spend tens of thousands of dollars she can't afford on a commercial kitchen.
Of course, Kathy isn't running a commercial restaurant-she's just a grandma who cooks breakfast for her neighbors. That's why the Goldwater Institute is demanding answers and will continue to defend the right of Americans like Kathy to be free of unnecessary government intrusions in their homes.
Read more here.
#Your Chance to Win! Why does it feel like everything costs more?
Affordability is at the center of America's biggest challenges in 2026. But the affordability crisis isn't random. Prices, incentives, and policy all play a role.
The Foundation for Economic Education is meeting the moment with the Affordability Contest: an initiative to help people understand the economic forces driving rising costs, with a $1 million prize for testing their knowledge. Take a look: milliondollarquestion.org
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Original text here: https://www.goldwaterinstitute.org/liberty-in-action-weekly-education-freedom-forever/
CPA Warns USTR: America's Section 232 Metals Tariffs Are National Security Measures, Not Bargaining Chips
WASHINGTON, Aug. 21 [Category: ThinkTank] -- The Coalition for a Prosperous America posted the following news release:
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CPA Warns USTR: America's Section 232 Metals Tariffs Are National Security Measures, Not Bargaining Chips
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WASHINGTON, D.C. -Ahead of U.S. Trade Representative Jamieson Greer's meeting today with Canadian Minister for Canada-U.S. Trade Dominic LeBlanc for further trade negotiations, the Coalition for a Prosperous America (CPA), which represents American steel mills, aluminum extruders, and other domestic metals producers, warned the administration against reducing or
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WASHINGTON, Aug. 21 [Category: ThinkTank] -- The Coalition for a Prosperous America posted the following news release:
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CPA Warns USTR: America's Section 232 Metals Tariffs Are National Security Measures, Not Bargaining Chips
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WASHINGTON, D.C. -Ahead of U.S. Trade Representative Jamieson Greer's meeting today with Canadian Minister for Canada-U.S. Trade Dominic LeBlanc for further trade negotiations, the Coalition for a Prosperous America (CPA), which represents American steel mills, aluminum extruders, and other domestic metals producers, warned the administration against reducing ortrading away Section 232 steel and aluminum tariffs.
The Section 232 metals tariffs are national security measures, imposed after Department of Commerce investigations found that import dependence threatens the United States. They are not bargaining chips. The administration strengthened that policy by raising steel and aluminum tariffs to 50 percent, eliminating exemptions, and expanding protection to downstream and derivative products -where 97 percent of U.S. aluminum jobs and the majority of the value-added manufacturing in these industries occurs.
"Our aluminum extruders and our steel mill members are deeply concerned by reports that the protection this administration just finished building could be given away at the negotiating table by USTR," said Jon Toomey, President of CPA. "Commerce did the hard work here -the investigations, the findings, the analysis that proved these protections are necessary for national security. That work should not be traded away. National security tariffs on critical sectors are not pawns for negotiation. The administration made that commitment to American producers, producers made investment decisions in reliance on it, and there is no deal with Canada or Mexico worth breaking it."
For aluminum extruders, cutting both primary and downstream tariffs from 50 percent to 25 percent would sharply reduce protection on the American conversion work where jobs and margins are concentrated. At 50 percent, U.S. extruders can compete. At a flat 25 percent, many would be underwater. As CPA has documented extensively in its economic analysis, U.S. aluminum tariff policy must consider the full aluminum value chain.
Steel mills face the same danger: weakening protections after companies have committed capital and restarted capacity would undermine the domestic production Section 232 was designed to restore. CPA's economic analysis on the Section 232 steel tariffs document how these protections have revitalized American manufacturing, created jobs, and strengthened national security.
"If Canada wants a deal, there is no shortage of things Ottawa can put on the table -America's national security tariffs on aluminum and steel are not among them," Toomey added. "The choice is not tariffs versus no tariffs. It is whether the deal is designed so that the American workers these tariffs exist to protect are the ones who pay for it. That is not a good deal. There is no version of it that is."
CPA has repeatedly urged the administration to keep its Section 232 actions singularly focused on rebuilding domestic output across the full supply chain -not deployed as leverage in unrelated negotiations.
As CPA's recent report on USMCA aluminum exemptions documents, whatever Canada wins walks straight into the USMCA review -and Mexico takes the same deal. Then it is no longer Canadian metal but Chinese metal, remelted in Mexican cast houses and shipped north as "Mexican" extrusion. This is not speculation -the Department of Justice secured a $549.5 million False Claims Act settlement from Perfectus Aluminum for precisely this playbook: Chinese-owned companies disguising aluminum extrusions to evade duties. Mexican extrusion imports are already up 167 percent, and the extrusion AD/CVD orders are gone. A flat 25 does not open a door to Canada -it opens a highway to China.
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Original text here: https://prosperousamerica.org/cpa-warns-ustr-americas-section-232-metals-tariffs-are-national-security-measures-not-bargaining-chips/
