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John Austin @jcaustin.bsky.social · 21/09/2026

Only two days until the Michigan Blue Economy Summit in Flint, Michigan convenes. Symbolically important as we flip the script from Michigan being the place with water "problems" to being the home of global water solutions! Not too late to join us. Sign up here: us.aquaaction.org/.../michigan...

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John Austin @jcaustin.bsky.social · 09/09/2026

Wednesday September 23 join us at Univ. of Michigan-Flint to talk through how we keep growing our Michigan #Blueeconomy. Michigan and the Great Lakes region can be the world's leader in smart water technology businesses and solving the world's water challenges!

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John Austin @jcaustin.bsky.social · 10/08/2026

It has been 15 years since federal dollars started flowing in Great Lakes clean-up efforts--powered by the fact that this is a terrific investment in building our #blueeconomy. Join me in at this Wednesday's celebration of our Great Lakes and #Blueeconomy

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John Austin @jcaustin.bsky.social · 10/08/2026

The survival of democracy demands a political overhaul and relentless focus on improving livelihoods of people. Otherwise, history shows when citizens struggle they welcome the strongman who promises to fix things. Read my latest heartlandstransformationnetwork.substack.com/p/what-is-de...

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John Austin @jcaustin.bsky.social · 07/08/2026

20+ years ago with The Brookings Institution I created the Great Lakes Economic Initiative. 15 years ago we began to clean up the Great Lakes, and build out a new, #Blueeconomy. Macomb County, Michigan has been a leader. Looking forward to this celebration August 12th.

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John Austin @jcaustin.bsky.social · 07/08/2026

Is it worth bargaining away some freedoms democracy for better living standards and quality of life? Very disturbing as economies fail, people are willing to answer, yes! Read my new piece on what history teaches us about this bargain. heartlandstransformationnetwork.substack.com/p/what-is-de...

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John Austin @jcaustin.bsky.social · 06/08/2026

Just when our Midwest #manufacturing industry, challenged for decades by new foreign competition, finds its legs and is wildly successful globally, #Trump & tariffs come along to pull manufacturing down. Read my new article: heartlandstransformationnetwork.substack.com/p/american-m...

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John Austin @jcaustin.bsky.social · 05/08/2026

Looking forward next week to joining all my friends in Macomb County & deliver the keynote talk at this Great Lakes Conference. I will tell how we began to build out our blue economy and how we can lead the world in this work into the future! Join us!

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John Austin @jcaustin.bsky.social · 05/08/2026

Like so many promises #Trump's pledge to support manufacturing in Michigan & across the industrial heartland rings hollow. Use of #tariffs for political game-playing is damaging this wildly competitive sector of the American economy. heartlandstransformationnetwork.substack.com/p/american-m...

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John Austin @jcaustin.bsky.social · 04/08/2026

Trump's latest round of tariffs actually will do more damage to the manufacturing sector and the manufacturing-reliant communities like in my home state of Michigan he promised he would help. Read the real story of how manufacturing "works" in my article out from @milkeninstitute.org

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John Austin @jcaustin.bsky.social · 02/07/2026

UK's economy was once better than Germany's--now living standards falling to the level of the US' poorest state--Mississippi. And the largest geographic economic disparities among Western democracies. Can Burnham turn it around? Read: heartlandstransformationnetwork.substack.com/p/can-the-ki...

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John Austin @jcaustin.bsky.social · 30/06/2026

Reeling from declining living standards Britain's voters are frustrated and looking for big change. That is why hopes are high for @andyburnhampm.bsky.social. To better economy & beat back Reform. Read my latest Substack: heartlandstransformationnetwork.substack.com/p/can-the-ki...

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John Austin @jcaustin.bsky.social · 15/06/2026

As political tide turns here at home against the horrors of the current US Administration, leaders of democracies across the globe can help things along be working together, expanding economic political ties to effectively counter authoritarians. heartlandstransformationnetwork.substack.com.

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John Austin @jcaustin.bsky.social · 06/03/2026

As US national leadership takes many wrong turns, leaders from US states and cities can join with peers in Germany and Europe to keep advancing, not retreating, on economic transformation, ameliorating climate change, and building more cohesive societies. In Halle, Germany with my US Mayors!

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John Austin @jcaustin.bsky.social · 01/07/2025

Wonderful to join Northeast England economic change makers in beautiful Redhills Durham Miners Hall-to share ideas for how older industrial communities across all our countries can find new life and social cohesion once again! @insightsnortheast.bsky.social @aia-nrw.bsky.social

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John Austin @jcaustin.bsky.social · 23/06/2025

Heading to England's North to speak at Newcastle University's Insights Northeast conference, sharing inspiration around how very similarly situated industrial heartland communities can find new hope, optimism and prosperity!

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John Austin @jcaustin.bsky.social · 23/06/2025

Terrific to travel across Germany with my delegation of US Midwest leaders and economic change makers. Sharing insights around new paths to prosperity for very similarly situated industrial heartland regions. With help from @aia-nrw.bsky.social, @dpzberlin.bsky.social @amerikahaus.de

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John Austin @jcaustin.bsky.social · 05/04/2025

A beautiful sight! All across America, millions are taking to the streets to reclaim our country from damage-doing-dictator-wannabe's like Trump & Musk. Here in Lansing Michigan's Capitol & my home I joined tens of thousands to reclaim our democracy!

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John Austin @jcaustin.bsky.social · 13/02/2025

Security tightening here around the Munich Security Conference. I am running a session Saturday, Eisenhower Institute and German Council on Foreign Relations are co-hosting: Strengthening Democracies Hand: Collective Security Through Collective Economic Transformation. We have to work together!

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John Austin @jcaustin.bsky.social · 03/12/2024

Honored to be part of the program at the @Economic and Social Council of Greece International Conference on "Demographics - Migration - Labor Markets", here in Athens. I shared insights from our Heartlands Transformation Network work around how welcoming immigrants leads to community renewal!

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John Austin @jcaustin.bsky.social · 25/11/2024

Honored to be with the Bundeskanzler-Helmut-Schmidt-Stiftung & the Helmut Schmidt lecture series at the beautiful Museum of Communications in Berlin. Happy to pen essay for new BKHS magazine on how to strengthen democracy. You can read the essay here: www.helmut-schmidt.de/.../bkhs-mag....

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John Austin @jcaustin.bsky.social · 22/04/2024

Looking forward to joining colleagues Elaine Dezenski, Diana E. Paez, & US-Mexico Foundation's Enrique Perret Erhard, April 24 briefing #Chihuahua economic development leaders on opportunities to grow their region's economy & help lead the global E-mobility industry through more robust #allyshoring!

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