Kate Brennan

There is nothing better than using your legal skills to help a voter cast their ballot! Learn more about working in voter protection this year by attending one of these sessions!

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4 ways pro-democracy and journalism funders can act now to address misinformation in the 2024 election cycle: 🙌Fund the organizers and experts who are mobilizing against misinformation. 📰Fund newsrooms who are sharing trustworthy information. 💖Protect the messengers who are vulnerable to physical, digital, and legal threats. 📊Ensure newsrooms have the flexibility to adapt within an unpredictable political environment. Link in comments to see examples from Free Press, MediaJustice, Check My Ads Institute, Protect Democracy, Over Zero, Democracy SOS, Center for Cooperative Media, The Center for Community Media's Maps & Directories, Institute for Nonprofit News' Network, the Racial Equity in Journalism Fund, NewsMatch, Press Forward, Lenfest Institute for Journalism, and more!

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The latest report from Center for Democracy & Technology (authored by Maddy Dwyer!) sheds light on how data and technology can help child welfare agencies overcome these challenges while acknowledging the inherent risks. CDT offers key recommendations: 1. Identify the problems data or technology can solve and potential harms. 2. Engage affected stakeholders, from caseworkers to foster youth. 3. Establish or enhance data and technology governance for decision-making. 4. Implement and manage AI tools safely and responsibly. 5. Diligently vet third-party vendors. As public agencies increasingly adopt AI-powered tools, these guidelines are crucial for maximizing benefits and mitigating harms. By following these recommendations, we can better support our foster care system, ensuring that every child receives the care and opportunities they deserve. https://lnkd.in/erexfRhj #ChildWelfare #FosterCare #Data #Technology #AI #Governance #CDT #SocialWork #PublicService #Innovation #ResponsibleAI

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🎉 Today, POPVOX Foundation is proud to share: "𝗙𝘂𝘁𝘂𝗿𝗲-𝗣𝗿𝗼𝗼𝗳𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗖𝗼𝗻𝗴𝗿𝗲𝘀𝘀: 𝗛𝗼𝘄 𝗠𝗲𝗺𝗯𝗲𝗿-𝗟𝗲𝗱 𝗨𝗽𝗴𝗿𝗮𝗱𝗲𝘀 𝗔𝗿𝗲 𝗢𝗽𝘁𝗶𝗺𝗶𝘇𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗟𝗲𝗴𝗶𝘀𝗹𝗮𝘁𝗶𝘃𝗲 𝗕𝗿𝗮𝗻𝗰𝗵 𝗖𝗮𝗽𝗮𝗰𝗶𝘁𝘆 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗥𝗲𝘀𝗶𝗹𝗶𝗲𝗻𝗰𝗲," the definitive guide to how Members of Congress from across the ideological spectrum have worked together to improve how Congress functions — with  actionable steps to further strengthen the Legislative branch. Much of the work of the past five years has happened under the banner of “modernization.” “𝗙𝘂𝘁𝘂𝗿𝗲-𝗣𝗿𝗼𝗼𝗳𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗖𝗼𝗻𝗴𝗿𝗲𝘀𝘀” 𝗮𝗰𝗸𝗻𝗼𝘄𝗹𝗲𝗱𝗴𝗲𝘀 𝘁𝗵𝗼𝘀𝗲 𝗲𝗳𝗳𝗼𝗿𝘁𝘀 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗲𝗺𝗽𝗵𝗮𝘀𝗶𝘇𝗲𝘀 𝘁𝗵𝗮𝘁 “𝗺𝗼𝗱𝗲𝗿𝗻” 𝗶𝘀 𝗻𝗼𝘁 𝗮 𝗱𝗲𝘀𝘁𝗶𝗻𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝘁𝗼 𝗯𝗲 𝗿𝗲𝗮𝗰𝗵𝗲𝗱, 𝗯𝘂𝘁 𝗮𝗻 𝗮𝗽𝗽𝗿𝗼𝗮𝗰𝗵 𝘁𝗼 𝗯𝗲 𝗲𝗺𝗯𝗿𝗮𝗰𝗲𝗱 to ensure that Congress continues to experiment, learn, and continuously improve to better serve constituents and keep pace with a rapidly changing world. 🏛️“Future-Proofing Congress” showcases how Congress is rebuilding its legislative and oversight capacity by: * summarizing recent advancements in the US House of Representatives to improve technological innovation, Congressional capacity, and constituent engagement; * describing enacted initiatives — like the creation of House Digital Services, the new House HR Hub, US Capitol ADA transit zones, and more in progress; * reviewing the history of the former House Select Committee on the Modernization of Congress and the work of the current House Committee on House Administration Subcommittee on Modernization; and * providing recommendations for Members of Congress to advance more institutional improvements across both chambers. 🗨️Commenting on our findings, POPVOX Foundation Cofounder and Executive Director Marci Harris said: “The House of Representatives is in the midst of a golden age of modernization and renewal driven by Members from both parties who champion proactive, ongoing operational upgrades so Congress can keep pace with the innovation happening beyond the walls of the Capitol and nimbly adapt to the challenges of our times. In the wake of the Supreme Court’s decision overturning the Chevron doctrine, Congress must capitalize on this capacity-building renaissance so it can exercise its Article One responsibilities.” 📩To support Congressional staff, 𝗣𝗢𝗣𝗩𝗢𝗫 𝗙𝗼𝘂𝗻𝗱𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝘄𝗶𝗹𝗹 𝗮𝗹𝘀𝗼 𝗹𝗮𝘂𝗻𝗰𝗵 𝗮 𝗻𝗲𝘄 “𝗙𝘂𝘁𝘂𝗿𝗲-𝗣𝗿𝗼𝗼𝗳𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗖𝗼𝗻𝗴𝗿𝗲𝘀𝘀” 𝗻𝗲𝘄𝘀𝗹𝗲𝘁𝘁𝗲𝗿 on Hill-centric tech tools, professional development opportunities, and more. 🙏The progress made to date would not have been possible without the bipartisan leadership of those who started the movement, particularly as part of the Select Committee on the Modernization of Congress, the United States House Committee on House Administration, and its Subcommittee on Modernization. 🔖𝗕𝗼𝗼𝗸𝗺𝗮𝗿𝗸 𝘁𝗵𝗶𝘀 𝗽𝗮𝗴𝗲! https://lnkd.in/gZBFwwFR #Congress #modernization

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Fifty state governments means 50 opportunities to enact change. 🇺🇸 But the multi-layered, somewhat decentralized nature of #publicpolicy means that anyone with a national focus must manage legislative discovery and tracking for Congress, as well as across state legislatures. Ensuring they’re aware of all relevant developments within each jurisdictions is challenging. Effectively managing time and resources adds tremendous difficulty. Learn why Plural is an invaluable tool for national policy teams 👇 https://hubs.li/Q02Ck0Z70

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Linkedin Friends! During this final stretch, I'm coming to you with one last scheme for this cycle: *The Voter Transportation Project* We all know that there are people out there who will not vote this year because they can’t afford to get to the polls. Or because they are disabled. Or because public transit is unavailable. Or because they are unbanked. Or because they don’t know where to go. We aim to solve that problem by booking these folks rides on Lyft to and from the polls, covering the entire cost. That’s it. This program is **live in the 7 battleground states**. It’s been awesome to see demand grow over the past few days, and we’re expecting a flood on Election Day. No call should go unanswered. No voter should be left hanging. We have the funding, **but we need more people power on the phones**. I'm hoping that some of you might be the people to provide that power. We have a training at the top of every shift, and we’re running shifts all day every day until polls close on the West Coast. Sign up for a shift here: https://lnkd.in/e4ZZjCNc I could try for something poetic and motivational here, but I’d rather let the people we’ve helped speak for themselves. Making these voices heard is why we do the work. “I know I needed it, and I didn’t have a way. I didn’t even know where I had to go to vote. You guys are so good to me. This is so great. I’m so grateful.” “This was totally God, your ad popped up and I just called and you were real. Thank you so much. Bless you for your generosity.” “I’ve never voted in my life, but this year is special. I have a sister.” “Thank you for making it easy for me to do it. You guys did an awesome job. God bless you all.” Please come help us out. We are going to help so many people. And if you or your org need a partner to help get your people to the polls, please reach out. Sign up for a shift here: https://lnkd.in/e4ZZjCNc Righteous Fights Forever, LFG —

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In recent years, the executive branch has become an increasingly central focus for policymaking. 🏛️ In his new brief, K. Sabeel Rahman argues that the back-end processes and systems by which executive branch agencies structure their policymaking enormously shape their ability to conceptualize, design, and implement effective public policy. We need to focus on how reforms to the internal management of executive branch policymaking might enable policies that are better oriented toward structural inequities and more effectively implemented. https://lnkd.in/ephMTaYM

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As we move into election week in the United States, Devaka Premawardhana, MDiv ’05, writes on common uses of the term "tribalism" in American politics to describe the increasing distrust and animosity based on political identities, and describes how Indigenous groups characterized as "tribes" across the world are rarely as polarized as this mainstream rhetoric leads us to believe. Drawing from his own research working with the Makhuwa of Mozambique, Premawardhana says that this misunderstanding of "tribalism" not only divides us further but "miss[es] a chance to draw from indigenous wisdom—'tribal' wisdom—insights into how better to live in pluralistic communities." Read more in the most recent issue of Harvard Divinity Bulletin on how drawing on this wisdom may, as Premawardhana writes, be our best chance at bridging divides of religious, cultural, and political difference. https://bit.ly/3C0wh5L

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Public developer models in the U.S. mainly fall into three groups, according to a new policy brief by the NYU Furman Center and its Housing Solutions Lab. Based on interviews with stakeholders and experts, programmatic documents, and underwriting materials, researchers at the NYU Furman Center and Lab developed a typology of public developer models. They are broadly categorized as follows: ➡️ Group A: Mixed-Income Development with Public Equity Investment Public entities use revolving loan funds to finance mixed-income developments, aiming to secure long-term public ownership stakes. These models leverage market-rate rents to cross-subsidize affordable units and appear to be most feasible when built on public land and paired with local investments. Examples include Montgomery County, Maryland’s Housing Production Fund and Atlanta’s Urban Development Corporation. ➡️ Group B: Public Housing Conversions PHAs use federal programs like Faircloth-to-RAD to redevelop existing public housing and add units. These models retain some form of public ownership and leverage additional subsidies through Section 8 funding to support deeply affordable units. They address capital improvement needs and expand the public housing supply while navigating financing gaps and Faircloth capacity limitations. ➡️ Group C: Fully Affordable Housing Models Long-standing models like those in Dakota County, Minnesota, and Idaho’s The Housing Company showcase how publicly driven development can sustain long-term affordability without relying on the Low-Income Housing Tax Credit (LIHTC). These models use dedicated funding streams and portfolios of smaller properties to cross-subsidize costs, highlighting how specialized entities can effectively focus on affordable housing needs. Learn more about the different models of public development and what cities can learn from them in the NYU Furman Center and its Housing Solutions Lab’s new Policy Brief ▶️ https://lnkd.in/ew-pd_Zs

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This final rule clarifies the obligations of state and local governments to make their websites and mobile applications accessible. https://lnkd.in/gwZ_s6ZV

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🏆 How to Win the Post-Election Period The months following an election are critical for government affairs teams. With legislative priorities shifting and new stakeholders in play, there's no time to waste. Here's how to set yourself up for success: 🗺️ Remap Stakeholders New faces, new challenges. Use tools to identify key players and align your outreach with committee roles and geographic priorities. 📬 Introduce Your Organization Make your first touchpoints count. With personalized emails and newsletters, share your mission and highlight your work's community impact. ⚙️ Refresh Systems Clear dashboards, update alerts, and refine tracking. A clean slate ensures your team is ready for the fast pace of legislative sessions. 🤝 Engage Advocates Your supporters are ready to act. Channel their energy into meaningful connections with lawmakers through tailored grassroots strategies. 📊 Evaluate Your PAC The data is fresh—analyze what worked, refine your approach, and ensure that your PAC strategy shines for the next cycle. This is just the start. The full playbook outlines every phase of post-election engagement, from strategic resets to long-term execution. Download your copy: https://bit.ly/3Z05luH

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Last week, we filed supplemental testimony with the United States Commission on Civil Rights on the use of Artificial Intelligence by the Department of Homeland Security (DHS)-- we close them with a what we hope is a useful set of questions for DHS: 1) What stakeholder engagement is planned around specific use cases? 2) What empirical testing has been conducted with real-world users (e.g., has TSA measured whether or not airline passengers fully understand their ability to withhold consent at checkpoints to FRT uses? What evidence suggests that they do or do not feel at liberty to make a choice?) 3) What changes in biometric surveillance policy or other steps are DHS considering, if any, in light of the OMB EO? 4) What programs at DHS will likely receive waivers in December and what is the timeline for aligning those uses with the requirements of the EO? 5) What are the implications for FRT of Secretary Mayorkas’s new AI initiative? 6) What evidence of consent for data collection does DHS regarding its well-publicized collections of DMV and utility data that include US citizens? 7) Why does DHS feel a need to hold onto non-citizen data for an astonishing 75 years? 8) What training has been completed at this stage in terms of the timeline and what has yet to be done? 9) Does the planned training adequately capture the human factors and limitations of the tech use cases? Will the training be shared with the Commission? Has it been independently evaluated? 10) What are safety evaluations that have been conducted by DHS regarding risks to migrants and new, more hazardous corridors that may be created in light of the plan to expand DHS surveillance technologies and towers at the border? https://lnkd.in/eM3K7vm7

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#EcoRight Speaks, Season 9, Episode 14: Reporter for Politico's E&E News, Emma Dumain. Listen: https://lnkd.in/gHBV5k7P This week on EcoRight Speaks, Emma Dumain shares insights from Capitol Hill about the new Cabinet picks related to clean energy legislation. Don't miss it! #ClimateCoverage #CapitolHill #CongressionalNews #CleanEnergyLegislation #ClimatePolicy #CabinetNominations #EEnews #EnergyPolicy #CongressAndClimate #PoliticalJournalism #ClimateAction #CapitolHillNews

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In our recent APM Research Lab and 10X collaboration article data fellow journalist Maya Chari explores why poll worker shortages, as well as rapidly changing election laws, threaten progress toward more efficient voting and which 10X states are impacted most. #governance #elections https://lnkd.in/eNYhW3Rb

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BIPOC voters in the South are not monolithic, as you’ll find varied experiences, priorities, and political views. The same voters do have a significant influence on elections and policy decisions as seen through historic participation and increasing civic engagement. The Opportunity Agenda's “ Beyond Democracy: Mobilizing BIPOC Voters in the South” narrative guide is designed to reshape and energize voter engagement. Resources like this are key to driving transformative change, and building a democracy that truly reflects and includes every voice. https://lnkd.in/gtq7Jy8Q

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New on the AFB Blog: Our Public Policy team joined experts at the first AI Skilling Fair to discuss how AI can impact the future of work for people with disabilities. AFB’s Senior Advisor of Public Policy & Research, Sarah Malaier, highlighted some of the questions AI raises: Will it create fair opportunities—or reinforce barriers? AI holds great promise, but only if accessibility and inclusion are prioritized from the start. Explore Sarah’s insights and learn more about the research AFB is doing to ensure AI innovation solves problems with inclusion and opportunity in mind: https://ow.ly/CQsF50TY6SY

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