Latest news with #CenturyFoundation
Axios
28-05-2025
- Business
- Axios
White House cuts aid for state unemployment systems
The White House is terminating $400 million in funds for states meant to modernize their unemployment insurance systems. Why it matters: These systems fell apart when unemployment soared in the pandemic, leading to rampant fraud and delays for beneficiaries. Without updates, similar problems could be on tap for the next recession. Zoom out: Congress authorized the money in the $1.9 trillion coronavirus relief bill passed in 2021. Congress allocated $2 billion for the efforts, later cutting that funding in half. Those funds were wasted on equity projects, but only a fraction of the money appears to have been devoted to such measures, according to the Labor Department, which sent a notification letter to Congress last week to let lawmakers know "these grants are being terminated." About 28% of the funds granted to states, $219 million, were used specifically for equity, as outlined in a Labor Department report. In this case, "equity" is a term meant to describe efforts to make the unemployment insurance system easier for people to use and access, perhaps not what is typically considered DEI. Efforts to promote equitable access to unemployment insurance "include eliminating administrative barriers to benefit applications, reducing state workload backlogs, improving the timeliness of UC payments to eligible individuals, and ensuring equity in fraud prevention, detection, and recovery activities," according to the report. Follow the money: $204 million was awarded for IT modernization, $134 million for fraud detection, and $93 million for system integrity, such as combating fraud and strengthening ID verification. The IT funds have been spent more slowly while states get projects underway, says Andrew Stettner, who led the modernization efforts during the Biden administration. "When I left in December, states had spent about $100 million of the $219 million specifically for equity but only $2 million of the $204 million for IT," says Stettner, who is now director of economy and jobs at the Century Foundation. 18 states are working on updates to their systems, he says. Pulling this aid will be devastating for the states just getting started on these projects. "States were in the middle of all the planning and procurement. Now they're really holding the bag for finishing," Stettner says. The other side: The grants were "squandered" on "bureaucratic and wasteful projects that focused on equitable access rather than advancing access for all Americans in need," the Labor Department says in an emailed statement to Axios. "We're committed to ensuring our unemployment system is free from fraud and abuse, and we look forward to partnering with state workforce agencies on real solutions that meet the needs of American workers."
New York Times
23-04-2025
- Business
- New York Times
Trump Signs Executive Order Targeting College Accreditors
President Trump on Wednesday signed an executive order targeting college accreditors, a group of largely unknown but long-established companies that evaluate the educational quality and financial health of universities. The order, one of seven education-related measures he signed on Wednesday, was the latest move by Mr. Trump aimed at shifting the ideological tilt of the higher education system, which he views as hostile to conservatives. His administration has escalated its fight with elite universities in recent weeks, demanding significant changes to hiring, admissions and curriculum practices. At least one, Harvard, has chosen to fight back, setting up a billion-dollar battle for academic independence. A passing grade from accreditation companies, some of which have existed for more than a century, is crucial for colleges to gain access to $120 billion in federal financial aid approved each year. But Mr. Trump has blamed these businesses for promoting the kind of diversity, equity and inclusion policies that his administration has made a priority to stamp out. During his last presidential campaign, Mr. Trump did not speak often about accreditors, which have long been a target of conservative Republicans. But when he did, he reserved some of his most biting attacks for them. In a policy video he posted in the summer of 2023, he vowed to take aim at 'radical left accreditors that have allowed our colleges to become dominated by Marxist maniacs and lunatics.' Mr. Trump's order would make it easier for schools to switch accreditors and for new accreditors to gain federal approval, according to the White House, which provided fact sheets about the measures. The text of the orders was not immediately available. Bob Shireman, a senior fellow at the Century Foundation, a liberal think tank that studies college accreditation policy, among other things, said that Mr. Trump's order would undermine institutional independence, which, he said, 'has helped our universities to be the best in the world.' 'The federal government has long stayed away from any involvement in a college's curriculum or hiring, and current law prohibits this kind of intrusion into academic affairs,' Mr. Shireman said, adding that the executive order 'steps far across this line.' Linda McMahon, the education secretary, said the current accreditation system contributed to rising tuition costs and 'pushes universities in ideological directions.' 'The Department of Education will create a competitive marketplace of higher education accreditors, which will give colleges and universities incentives and support to focus on lowering college costs, fostering innovation and delivering a high-quality postsecondary education,' she said in a statement. The Trump administration has cast its campaign against elite institutions as a fight against antisemitism, along with an effort to root out diversity initiatives. Critics have said the push is more of an attempt to impose Mr. Trump's political agenda on the nation's schools. Still, the president's crusade against diversity programs has already affected accrediting bodies. Last month, the American Psychological Association, which sets standards for professional training in mental health, voted to suspend its requirement that postgraduate programs show a commitment to diversity in recruitment and hiring. Mr. Trump also signed executive orders to encourage the use of artificial intelligence in schools, promote private-sector partnerships with historically Black colleges and universities, and increase the number of apprenticeships in skilled trade jobs. Another order instructed his administration to make it more difficult for universities to obscure details of foreign funding. Two other orders focused on student discipline, which has been a political flashpoint for the past decade. One order was to ensure that disciplinary policies were not based on D.E.I. policies. Another restricts the use of the so-called disparate impact rule, which civil rights groups have long said is an important tool for showing discrimination against minorities. Tough disciplinary tactics, like suspensions, can help teachers manage classrooms by removing disruptive students. But they can also hurt students who are already struggling by forcing them to miss crucial lessons. Black students have historically been disciplined more harshly than white students, an issue that has been crucial to progressive education activists and the Black Lives Matter movement. Under President Barack Obama, school districts were told that if certain groups of students were disciplined more often than other groups, it could be considered a violation of federal civil rights law. Mr. Trump rescinded that order during his first term, but it was reinstated under President Joseph R. Biden Jr. Mr. Trump's order calls for new federal guidance on discipline in local schools.
Forbes
25-03-2025
- Business
- Forbes
Women Drive Economic Growth When We Remove These Systemic Barriers
As we approach the end of Women's History Month, it's crucial to recognize the pivotal role women play as creators of our economy. Research consistently demonstrates that investing in women yields substantial returns, not only for individual businesses, but for entire economies and societies. Investing in women's economic participation has the potential to dramatically boost global GDP. A 2023 report by Goldman Sachs suggests that just cutting the current pay and employment gap between men and women by half could boost GDP levels across developed and emerging markets by approximately 5% to 6%. A more modest scenario of countries matching the fastest-improving country in their region is estimated to still add $12 trillion. These figures underscore the immense untapped potential that we could unlock if women are fully integrated into the workforce. In the entrepreneurial sphere, another Forbes contributor recently covered how women-led startups generate more than twice the revenue per dollar invested compared to their male counterparts. Despite this impressive performance, women-owned businesses receive only 2% of venture capital funding. This disparity represents a significant market failure and a missed opportunity for not just women, but investors and economies alike. SANTA FE, NEW MEXICO - JANUARY 14, 2020: An employee works at her computer in a home and office ... More furniture and accessory store in Santa Fe, New Mexico. (Photo by) Barriers To Women's Impact As Economic Growth Drivers Despite these benefits, structural barriers continue to hinder progress, most clearly in the impact of care responsibilities that result in women being five to eight times more likely than men to have their employment affected by caregiving. This is also closely related to the motherhood penalty, in which moms make less than women without children despite having the same experience and qualifications. This wage impact is significant, with the Century Foundation estimating that each child under 5 cuts a mother's salary by 15%. But penalizing mothers is a losing economic strategy, as their success generates profound ripple effects that extend beyond the workplace, including improved outcomes for their children, such as sons taking on more care work as adults and daughters more likely to succeed in their own careers. Improving women's health is another important factor that translates to tremendous economic benefits. Most of us know women live longer than men, but those lives are not lived in equal health; with women spending 25% more of their lives in poorer health. This isn't due to health conditions that primarily affect women, but in large part to the fact that men are the subject of most health studies, and therefore treatments are designed to work best on them. The World Economic Forum's recent research on the issue estimated that solving for the women's health gap could generate $1 trillion globally in GDP within 15 years. This increase would come in large part from reducing the number of years women spend in poor health, thereby increasing their ability to generate income through work—with researchers estimating that closing the women's health gap would have an impact equivalent to women accessing 137 million full-time positions by 2040. Despite the clear economic case for governments and businesses focusing more on the economic advancement of women, significant challenges remain, such as the wage gap and the related lack of leadership representation. How To Invest In Women's Economic Potential To fully harness the economic potential of women, a multifaceted approach including both public and private participation is needed: By recognizing women as drivers of economic growth and actively investing in their potential, we can create a more prosperous and equitable future for all. The data is clear: Empowering women is not just the right thing to do; it's a smart economic strategy with far-reaching benefits for society as a whole.
