Economic Security Project

Congratulations to ESP board member & Springboard To Opportunities CEO Aisha Nyandoro on being named to TIME's #TIME100Next list! Her leadership with The Magnolia Mother’s Trust showed what happens when we invest directly in mothers and trust them to know what their families need. She’s showing that #guaranteedincome isn’t just an idea—it’s a real solution that gives family choices and creates economic stability. As she explains, guaranteed income is the “answer and solution to what our communities need most, and that is cash in their pockets to address the income disparities that exist.” So deserved, Aisha! 💐 Watch her interview below and check out her profile here: https://lnkd.in/ggh6RZfk

AI is rapidly transforming our everyday lives—from the jobs we work to the healthcare we receive and the media we consume. But right now, only a handful of Big Tech companies hold monopoly power over this new technology, prioritizing profit over the public interest. That’s why we need Public AI—AI built for people, not just corporations. Last week, we partnered with Mozilla and Vanderbilt Policy Accelerator to bring together experts from across fields including computer science, economics, civil society, academia, industry, philanthropy, and public service to chart the path forward. Thanks to everyone who attended, including Arati Prabhakar, Director of the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy, who spoke at our cocktail hour. We walked away energized and united around a shared goal: building Public AI that centers people and serves the common good. Scroll to see a few highlights! 

📢 We're hiring! ESP is looking for a passionate Communications Strategist to help execute the organization’s communication efforts, supporting the Deputy Communications Director in crafting compelling narratives, from op-eds to social media and more. Here’s some of what you’ll do: ✅ Write and refine media materials, including press releases, web copy, talking points, and more. ✅ Help develop media outreach strategies to pitch stories regularly to journalists and media outlets. ✅ Support organization-wide campaign efforts by creating and amplifying key messages. If this sounds like the job for you, learn more about the role and apply today: https://lnkd.in/gkEbMsdy We’re happy to answer any questions!

NEW: The IRS just confirmed that #DirectFile, its free tax filing tool, is expanding to 12 new states: Alaska, Connecticut, Idaho, Kansas, Maryland, Maine, North Carolina, New Jersey, New Mexico, Oregon, Pennsylvania, and Wisconsin! IRS Direct File smashed expectations as a pilot program earlier this year in the first 12 states. This announcement means that starting next tax season, 30 million taxpayers could benefit from a streamlined process allowing them to file both their federal and state taxes for FREE through the IRS Direct File platform. With Direct File now available in 24 states, Americans will save over $1.5 BILLION in tax prep fees when fully available! Learn more here: https://lnkd.in/gZHJ2P3H

Cutting IRS funding isn’t a win for taxpayers—it’s a win for criminals. Modernization efforts funded by the Inflation Reduction Act give agents like Jarod Koopman tools to stop terror financing, crypto crime, and exploitation. Now, Congress is threatening to cut this crucial funding that holds dangerous actors accountable.

The advent of AI is here, and it’ll impact every aspect of our lives. How do we ensure this new technology serves the public interest and not just corporations’ bottom line? New research from Mozilla & Vanderbilt Policy Accelerator (VPA) offers a blueprint for building Public AI infrastructure so that everyone–policymakers, technologists, academics, and the public–can create and benefit from it. The idea of Public AI infrastructure is this: create an ecosystem that intentionally promotes the public interest—from equitable access to all levels of the AI tech stack to including marginalized voices in deciding how this technology is used. Right now, big tech companies exert unrestricted monopoly power over AI, which not only stifles competition and innovation; it's a national security concern, argues VPA Director Ganesh Sitaraman and Harvard Ash Center for Democratic Governance and Innovation Senior Fellow Alex Pascal. The government has an active role to play in regulating AI so that it is safe, democratic, and beneficial for the public. In his new report, Joel Dodge explores how the Defense Production Act already gives Congress the legal authority to build a public AI cloud that will serve as an alternative to private options. All of this exciting research sets the foundation for a workshop we’ll be co-hosting later this week alongside VPA and Mozilla. Our hope is to bring together a convening of AI, economic, and other leaders to build an agenda for Public AI that policymakers can use to finally counterbalance the outsized power of Big Tech. Stay tuned for updates! Public AI: Making AI Work for Everyone, By Everyone: https://lnkd.in/gvyZkppk The National Security Case for Public AI: https://lnkd.in/gPhVqMSN Creating a Public Cloud through the Defense Production Act: https://lnkd.in/g463jhEp

Economic Security California Director Teri Olle sat down with 🖥 Says Maybe host Alix Dunn to talk AI safety and how we can build this technology to serve the public good with resources like #CalCompute. Listen to the full episode here: https://lnkd.in/gCYYKuhV

Can cash help people find a place to live more easily? That’s the question HUD is exploring as it tests if giving cash directly to tenants might help them secure housing faster by avoiding red tape. 

Writing for The Forge, Ben Chin reviews ESP President Natalie Foster's book The Guarantee: “She’s not just trying to convince you of a whole new economic paradigm, one that guarantees people’s needs like income, housing, education, and care. She goes further, aiming to persuade you that this paradigm is already on its way to victory.” Check it out!

🎉 Congratulations to ESP Board member & Springboard To Opportunities CEO Aisha Nyandoro on her 2024 #HeinzAward win! Her leadership in the #guaranteedincome movement is helping Black mothers thrive and shifting harmful narratives about who deserves dignity, trust, and care. “What I’m really aiming to do in providing Black women experiencing poverty with resources is to shift deeply held, harmful narratives about who is deserving of dignity and trust in this country. That goal not only informs how our policies are shaped, but it is also transformative for the individual. Mothers in this program believe in themselves, because it is the first time someone has believed in them. And that is invaluable.” Learn more here: https://lnkd.in/gD6WqwmW