Searchlight Institute @searchlightinstitute.org · 1hDIGNITY IN LOOKING FOR WORK. In a new paper, Searchlight’s Will Raderman details how — and why — lawmakers should enhance Unemployment Insurance (UI) benefits to FULLY COVER the cost of living for American workers. Workers deserve stability during their job search. Full stop. 100
Searchlight Institute @searchlightinstitute.org · 4hFIRST IN WAPO: Searchlight's Will Raderman is out with a new report detailing how to expand Unemployment Insurance to FULLY cover the cost of living for ALL American workers. www.washingtonpost.com/technology/2...washingtonpost.comHere’s an idea to help workers displaced by AIAn influential think tank suggests how to pay for higher unemployment benefits in an era of workforce anxiety. 100
Searchlight Institute @searchlightinstitute.org · 23hThere are plenty of wins in BAAJA — the new bipartisan permitting reform deal announced by @whitehouse.senate.gov & @heinrich.senate.gov. One of those wins? NEW federal oversight over utilities and how they spend their money. 000
Searchlight Institute @searchlightinstitute.org · 07/10/2026🚨 The time to pass bipartisan permitting reform is NOW. @janeaflegal.bsky.social: "If a Democratic president comes into office in 2029 and we haven't cleared the decks ... we're in real trouble. We have to get this done before 2028." 000
Searchlight Institute @searchlightinstitute.org · 07/10/2026NEW MEMO: BAAJA is a good deal and Democrats should take it. Here are FOUR detailed reasons why. 1. Building a Better Grid 2. Holding Data Centers & Utilities Accountable 3. Keeping Politics Out of Permitting 4. Cutting Red Tape From @janeaflegal.bsky.social and Pavan Venkatakrishnan. 100
Searchlight Institute @searchlightinstitute.org · 06/10/2026America's data center buildout is shifting dramatically toward rural census tracts. Are new federal tax benefits part of the calculus? @mollytaft.com takes a closer look in their latest column — featuring new research from our team at Searchlight. 100
Reposted by Searchlight Institutemolly taft @mollytaft.com · 04/10/2026NEW: starting jan 1, a new federal tax windfall could kick in for rural data centers around the country new research from @searchlightinst.bsky.social shows dozens of projects potentially eligible for the break — as hyperscalers battle backlash against dcswired.comRural Data Centers Are in for a Big Federal Tax BreakUnder the One Big Beautiful Bill Act, data center projects in rural areas could be eligible for major tax benefits starting next year. Some hyperscalers do not seem eager to take the free cash. 49874
Searchlight Institute @searchlightinstitute.org · 05/10/2026🚨 New Searchlight research, shared first with @mollytaft.com and WIRED, finds MORE THAN 100 planned data centers in rural America will be eligible for new tax benefits starting next year. www.wired.com/story/rural-...wired.comRural Data Centers Are in for a Big Federal Tax BreakUnder the One Big Beautiful Bill Act, data center projects in rural areas could be eligible for major tax benefits starting next year. Some hyperscalers do not seem eager to take the free cash. 0149
Searchlight Institute @searchlightinstitute.org · 25/09/2026Donald Trump’s indiscriminate and chaotic immigration agenda — and his Administration's overtly racist way of talking about it — has achieved what would've been unthinkable a year ago. Democrats now lead by a seven-point margin on immigration. 110
Searchlight Institute @searchlightinstitute.org · 24/09/2026As Republicans become even more ideologically aligned with Trump's tariffs and his reckless war in Iran, Democrats are embracing ideological diversity. Heterodoxy, @adamjentleson.bsky.social writes, is why Democrats lead in 2026's toughest-to-win races. www.wordsinsearchlight.org/p/this-is-ho...wordsinsearchlight.orgThis is how you build a supermajorityIt’s always been the secret third thing 000
Searchlight Institute @searchlightinstitute.org · 23/09/2026SEARCHLIGHT x HEATMAP @janeaflegal.bsky.social and @emilypont.bsky.social took the stage to discuss permitting reform, grid modernization, and the future of climate tech, clean energy, and decarbonization. 000
Searchlight Institute @searchlightinstitute.org · 23/09/2026Democrats are right to push for a permitting reform deal with Trump. As @janeaflegal.bsky.social and Pavan Venkatakrishnan argued in the Wall Street Journal: If Democrats are serious about climate change, a permitting reform deal today would pay dividends when they retake power. 100
Searchlight Institute @searchlightinstitute.org · 22/09/2026SEARCHLIGHT x @cleantomorrow.org Thanks to everyone who joined our NYC Climate Week kick-off last night! 000
Searchlight Institute @searchlightinstitute.org · 22/09/2026Democrats are running on popular economic ideas — but they start to lose people from ideological rigidity on other issues. @adamjentleson.bsky.social: "What I advocate for is loosening up. Giving people room to come into this big tent that we want to build." 000
Searchlight Institute @searchlightinstitute.org · 22/09/2026Polling has become cheaper and easier to fake. @charlotteeffect.bsky.social details the danger that our warped information ecosystem could bring to 2028. 100
Searchlight Institute @searchlightinstitute.org · 22/09/2026"Essentially, every single poll silently bakes in the pollster’s assumptions about who will show up on Election Day." Searchlight's @charlotteeffect.bsky.social writes in The Argument about how the line between polling and election forecasting has blurred. www.theargumentmag.com/p/polling-ha...theargumentmag.comPolling has become a playground for grifters, liars, and fraudsI'm a pollster and this is getting ridiculous. 0106
Searchlight Institute @searchlightinstitute.org · 20/09/2026Democrats are running candidates who fit the states that they're aiming to win, like in Iowa and Kansas. They've got a real shot at flipping seats in those states — which voted for Donald Trump in landslides just two years ago. 000
Searchlight Institute @searchlightinstitute.org · 20/09/2026Asking Democrats running in swing races — whose election depends on winning skeptical Trump voters — to focus on climate in their messaging makes any future climate policy less possible. It’s time the climate advocacy community realized that. www.wordsinsearchlight.org/p/i-know-a-m...wordsinsearchlight.orgI know a misleading climate poll when I see oneThe climate community needs to update their theory of policy change 010
Reposted by Searchlight InstituteCharlotte Swasey @charlotteeffect.bsky.social · 18/09/2026You had questions, I have answers! 011
Searchlight Institute @searchlightinstitute.org · 19/09/2026For years, Democrats have chosen 50+1 Thinking, conceding that races could only be won on thin margins and that power changes hands every election. But to achieve progress the level of the New Deal, they will need to think bigger. It's time for Supermajority Thinking. 000
Searchlight Institute @searchlightinstitute.org · 18/09/2026We hope you've enjoyed taking and sharing our Political Neighborhoods Quiz! @charlotteeffect.bsky.social sat down to react to your results, thoughts, and questions. What neighborhood did you get? 101
Searchlight Institute @searchlightinstitute.org · 17/09/2026The American electorate is heterodox — only 14% is completely conservative and 10% is completely liberal. We mapped out that heterodoxy for the New York Times. Here's what we found. 100
Searchlight Institute @searchlightinstitute.org · 17/09/2026Politics is often described as "a battle between liberals and conservatives" — but most voters have much messier views than labels suggest. We call it heterodoxy. And, for the New York Times today, we mapped it out. 200
Searchlight Institute @searchlightinstitute.org · 17/09/2026It's a beautiful day in the political neighborhood — all nine of them. From the Liberal Arts Left to Cul-de-Sac Conservatives, Lawn Sign Liberals to the Center Square. What kind of neighbor are you? Take the quiz! www.searchlightinstitute.org/political-ne...searchlightinstitute.orgWhat’s Your Political Neighborhood?Answer 16 quick either/or questions about the role of government. There are no right answers, so pick whichever side you lean toward, even if only a little. 011
Searchlight Institute @searchlightinstitute.org · 17/09/2026All across America, there are kids as young as five years old who've racked up debt simply for wanting to eat a school meal. Let's put an end to this ridiculous cycle, Scott Moore writes. www.wordsinsearchlight.org/p/why-do-we-...wordsinsearchlight.orgWhy do we have a debtor class of five year olds?Kids should eat free at school. It’s that simple 010
Searchlight Institute @searchlightinstitute.org · 16/09/2026Gas is $5. Diesel is $6. People can't afford to buy groceries. The groceries might kill you. Voters are worried about those real issues. They are not worried about the DSA or any factional debates within the Democratic Party. 110
Searchlight Institute @searchlightinstitute.org · 16/09/2026KIDS EAT ... FREE! Kids don't pay when they hop on a school bus. They shouldn't have to pay for a meal, either. We're making the case to feed kids, fund schools, and end lunch debt across America. 22910
Reposted by Searchlight InstituteCitizen Cohn / Jonathan Cohn @citizencohn.bsky.social · 16/09/2026NEW The feds subsidized free, universal school meals during the pandemic, and it worked well @searchlightinst.bsky.social thinks we should bring back the idea, make it permanent Here's what they have in mind, based an early look they gave to @thebulwark.com www.thebulwark.com/p/exclusive-...thebulwark.comEXCLUSIVE: The Next Big Dem Proposal: Let Kids Eat FreeSchool lunches were free to all kids during the pandemic; a prominent think-tank wants to bring back the idea and make it permanent. 1163
Searchlight Institute @searchlightinstitute.org · 14/09/2026Democrats can’t afford to wait. They should strike a bipartisan deal on permitting reform today to make it easier to build clean energy tomorrow. 100
Searchlight Institute @searchlightinstitute.org · 11/09/2026🚨 @volts.wtf and @janeaflegal.bsky.social spend two hours discussing the future of clean energy and grid modernization in today's episode of Volts! www.volts.wtf/p/building-a...volts.wtfBuilding a big, abundant, clean gridA conversation with Jane Flegal. 0196
Searchlight Institute @searchlightinstitute.org · 15/07/2026A steep decline in funding for workforce development programs has real consequences. These programs need twice the funds — and a focus on preparing and protecting every worker in the face of AI and a shifting economy. www.searchlightinstitute.org/research/str...searchlightinstitute.orgStrengthening Transitions to Jobs of the FutureBy fixing a fatal flaw with federal workforce development financing… 100
Searchlight Institute @searchlightinstitute.org · 13/07/2026Searchlight's @charlotteeffect.bsky.social spoke with the New York Times for a definitive look at the midterms. Who will win — and by how much? Here's what she and five other leading pollsters had to say. www.nytimes.com/interactive/...nytimes.comOpinion | Who Will Win the Midterms? Nate Silver and 5 Other Experts Have Thoughts.If the election were held today, which party would win a majority in the House and Senate? 000
Reposted by Searchlight InstituteZeteo @zeteo.com · 09/07/2026‘A First-of-Its-Kind’ Poll About Medicare for All A centrist think tank offered to conduct an exclusive poll for Zeteo to gauge Americans’ attitudes about Medicare for All. Here’s what we found: zeteo.com/p/medicare-f...zeteo.com‘A First-of-Its-Kind’ Poll About Medicare for AllA centrist think tank offered to conduct an exclusive poll for Zeteo to gauge Americans’ attitudes about Medicare for All. Here’s what we found. 87722
Searchlight Institute @searchlightinstitute.org · 09/07/2026We partnered with @zeteo.com to field an impartial, first-of-its-kind survey about the public's feelings toward Medicare for All. Read the results. zeteo.com/p/medicare-f...zeteo.com‘A First-of-Its-Kind’ Poll About Medicare for AllA centrist think tank offered to conduct an exclusive poll for Zeteo to gauge Americans’ attitudes about Medicare for All. Here’s what we found. 000
Searchlight Institute @searchlightinstitute.org · 09/07/2026Tribalism forces voters to view the world narrowly as a battle between the most perfect of allies and the most evil of enemies. Why did Platner's rise — and humiliating fall — engender so much of that tribalism? Ben Krauss investigates. 100
Searchlight Institute @searchlightinstitute.org · 17/06/2026Health care should serve you. Not corporations, monopolies, or private equity. Free primary care for all and a competitive public option. Break up every health care monopoly and stop private equity from looting the system. 010
Searchlight Institute @searchlightinstitute.org · 19/05/2026POLL: How much do you trust each of the following to act in your best interest when it comes to your health care? 001
Searchlight Institute @searchlightinstitute.org · 18/05/2026POLL: Voters are satisfied with their own health insurance, but are unsatisfied with the system as a whole. 52% want to see 'major changes' in government involvement in the American health care system. 101
Searchlight Institute @searchlightinstitute.org · 18/05/2026The case for free primary care is simple: health care costs too much and not enough people are getting the care they need. www.nbcnews.com/politics/pol...nbcnews.comFree primary care for all: Democratic think tank pushes the party on new health policyThe Searchlight Institute wants Democrats to shake up their approach to healthcare and offer a fresh vision for the future. 101
Searchlight Institute @searchlightinstitute.org · 18/05/2026POLL: What system of health insurance would you prefer the U.S. to use? 001
Searchlight Institute @searchlightinstitute.org · 16/05/2026We've got another idea that will transform America's health care system. A new, truly 100% public option for health insurance that can successfully compete against private health insurance and lower costs for everyone. Introducing the American Health Gateway. 4151
Searchlight Institute @searchlightinstitute.org · 15/05/2026Yes, we really do mean free primary care for all. No copays. No deductibles. No surprises. Always free at the point of care. 010
Searchlight Institute @searchlightinstitute.org · 07/04/2026How can Congress better protect workers from job loss and displacement driven by AI? Searchlight's Will Raderman and Alex Mechanick of @niskanencenter.bsky.social look to the successes and failures of the now-defunct Trade Adjustment Assistance program for answers. 220
Searchlight Institute @searchlightinstitute.org · 03/04/2026Voters favor the anti-war policies of Democrats — but have concerns they are 'too weak' and 'lack backbone.' They also favor the 'America First' focus among Republicans — but believe they are 'warmongers' who 'start unnecessary wars or conflicts.' searchlightinst.substack.com/p/the-wide-o...searchlightinst.substack.comThe wide open lane for a pro-military, anti-war DemocratSupport the troops. Oppose dumb wars. 100
Searchlight Institute @searchlightinstitute.org · 02/04/2026"There is no contradiction between aggressively embracing our military and making the case against war. Indeed the opposite seems to be the case." Read @adamjentleson.bsky.social's latest on supporting the troops and opposing dumb wars. searchlightinst.substack.com/p/the-wide-o...searchlightinst.substack.comThe wide open lane for a pro-military, anti-war DemocratSupport the troops. Oppose dumb wars. 000
Searchlight Institute @searchlightinstitute.org · 31/03/2026"The best way to thwart authoritarianism is to have democracy deliver." "A democracy so caught up in checks and balances that it can’t deliver is an almost-sure guarantee that people will look to a person who will take a jackhammer to it." www.commonwealmagazine.org/dunkelman-ma...commonwealmagazine.orgDelivery ProblemsMarc J. Dunkelman argues that the federal government has been crippled by procedure—and progressives are largely to blame. 031
Searchlight Institute @searchlightinstitute.org · 26/03/2026Progressive ends? Meet procedural means. Searchlight's Marc Dunkelman on the dilemma facing progressives who want to improve government, make it easier to build, and give more people a voice — not a veto. searchlightinst.substack.com/p/progressiv...searchlightinst.substack.comProgressivism’s goose and gander problemThe dilemma: Make government work better, no matter who controls it 110
Searchlight Institute @searchlightinstitute.org · 26/03/2026“This is an issue where Democrats have won in the past and where we can win again." — @adamjentleson.bsky.social www.politico.com/newsletters/...politico.comBattle for the immigration high ground 100
Searchlight Institute @searchlightinstitute.org · 25/03/2026There are thousands of data centers across America — and they're revealing a problem we've had in our grid for decades. The grid is getting older, slower, and less reliable. Don't ban data centers. Use private gains from AI to modernize the grid and lower costs for families. 400
Searchlight Institute @searchlightinstitute.org · 25/03/2026“Democrats should lean into the fact that Americans are not interested in cruelty,” @charlotteeffect.bsky.social told @peterhamby.bsky.social. “The most toxic parts of the GOP message are when they are needlessly cruel or trying to restrict how adults can act." puck.news/texas-senate...puck.newsThe Democrats’ Trans TrapRepublicans are gleefully seizing on James Talarico’s “six sexes” comments while Trump warns darkly that Democrats want “transgender for everybody.” New polling suggests how the party can defuse the G... 120