iiinova — where your digital self keeps evolving

Searchlight Institute @searchlightinstitute.org · 08/10/2026

DIGNITY 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 · 07/10/2026

There 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 · 07/10/2026

NEW 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 · 06/10/2026

"With insufficient data on where data centers are going and how they precisely impact communities, it is reasonable to question if data centers should be able to leverage tax incentives like opportunity zones."

100

Searchlight Institute @searchlightinstitute.org · 06/10/2026

Newly-proposed data centers stand to benefit from rural opportunity zones in the One Big Beautiful Bill Act. Read our full memo shared with Congressional leaders, public policy advocates, and staff. ⤵️

100

Searchlight Institute @searchlightinstitute.org · 06/10/2026

America'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

Searchlight Institute @searchlightinstitute.org · 25/09/2026

Donald 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 · 23/09/2026

SEARCHLIGHT 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 · 23/09/2026

Democrats 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 · 22/09/2026

SEARCHLIGHT x @cleantomorrow.org Thanks to everyone who joined our NYC Climate Week kick-off last night!

000

Searchlight Institute @searchlightinstitute.org · 22/09/2026

Democrats 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 · 22/09/2026

Polling 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 · 20/09/2026

Democrats 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 · 19/09/2026

For 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 · 18/09/2026

We 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 · 17/09/2026

The 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 · 17/09/2026

"In reality, people often have heterodox views that defy strict partisanship," German Lopez writes on how most voters view today's most hot-button political questions.

200

Searchlight Institute @searchlightinstitute.org · 17/09/2026

Politics 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 · 16/09/2026

Gas 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 · 16/09/2026

KIDS 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

Searchlight Institute @searchlightinstitute.org · 14/09/2026

Democrats 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 · 09/07/2026

Tribalism 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 · 17/06/2026

Health 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 · 19/05/2026

POLL: 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 · 18/05/2026

POLL: 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 · 18/05/2026

POLL: What system of health insurance would you prefer the U.S. to use?

001

Searchlight Institute @searchlightinstitute.org · 16/05/2026

We'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 · 15/05/2026

Yes, 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 · 07/04/2026

How 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 · 25/03/2026

There 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

What if lawmakers channeled America's data center buildout — a buildout that is already well underway — into massive new investments in our nation's aging grid? @janeaflegal.bsky.social offers a way forward. More energy. Lower costs. Families would only pay for the electricity they use themselves.

221

Searchlight Institute @searchlightinstitute.org · 24/03/2026

There are no winners in a race to the bottom. Rather than reform the tax code to advance distinct goals — like offsetting the cost of child care — recent proposals from Democrats primarily treat federal taxes themselves as the problem. But there's a better way.

110

Searchlight Institute @searchlightinstitute.org · 19/03/2026

Mara Keisling, a senior fellow at Searchlight, has been a leading advocate for trans rights and acceptance for 30 years. She’s seen public opinion shift significantly over that time. Trans Americans today are able to live freer, fuller lives than they would have all those years ago.

230

Searchlight Institute @searchlightinstitute.org · 06/11/2025

Affordable housing and prices were the two top priorities for voters heading into the final days of the New York City mayoral. Crime was third. Voters say Zohran Mamdani prioritized affordability more than Andrew Cuomo — who instead prioritized crime.

200

Searchlight Institute @searchlightinstitute.org · 09/10/2025

The bigger picture is grim across both parties: There was not a single issue a majority of Americans believed either party wanted for them.

130

Searchlight Institute @searchlightinstitute.org · 09/10/2025

We checked in on what voters think Democrats and Republicans want for them. The good news for Democrats is that they’re narrowly winning on “feeling stable in your personal life.” The bad news for them is that Republicans dominate on everything else: wealth, marriage, kids, and more.

331

Searchlight Institute @searchlightinstitute.org · 07/10/2025

🚨We’re growing! Searchlight is hiring for two key roles to support our team. Apply here: www.searchlightinstitute.org/jobs/

110

Searchlight Institute @searchlightinstitute.org · 01/10/2025

We're looking for bold solutions to today's toughest challenges. Pitch us yours.

100

Searchlight Institute @searchlightinstitute.org · 22/09/2025

The reality is that the words “climate change” are polarizing. Mentioning “climate change” opens up a 50-point gap in support between Republicans and Democrats not present on other issues—like developing new energy sources or lowering energy prices.

300

Searchlight Institute @searchlightinstitute.org · 22/09/2025

The top issues that battleground voters say leaders should focus on today are affordability, healthcare, and jobs. But when asked which top three issues they think the Democratic Party is focused on, they say climate change, LGBTQ+ issues, and healthcare:

230

Searchlight Institute @searchlightinstitute.org · 22/09/2025

Our new poll captures a complexity about American voters: They view climate change as a problem, but they want leaders to prioritize addressing other issues like affordability and healthcare.

531

Searchlight Institute @searchlightinstitute.org · 20/09/2025

Elected officials can and should lead on issues that they care deeply about, even if they are out of step with public opinion. However, leaders should be clear about where the public stands and not be fooled into thinking an issue is popular when it is not.

432

Searchlight Institute @searchlightinstitute.org · 19/09/2025

On solutions, Americans are mixed. They are most supportive of requiring local governments to approve housing that meets their standards and making permitting for new housing faster and easier, but they still really like parking spaces:

200

Searchlight Institute @searchlightinstitute.org · 19/09/2025

So who/what do Americans blame for high housing prices? They think the primary drivers of high costs are investors using housing for profit, the high cost of building materials, and the rent-setting power of landlords.

100

Searchlight Institute @searchlightinstitute.org · 19/09/2025

Americans agree that housing is too expensive. But they aren’t sure that an increase in supply will lead to lower prices:

521