News, events, advocacy opportunities, and commentary from the Center for New Liberalism

As we gear up for NLAS 2025, Steering Committee filing is open and we highly encourage you to run! The Steering Committee shapes our organizational strategy, guides national priorities, and connects members to CNL’s leadership. If you’re ready to take on a bigger role at CNL, now’s your chance. 

The deadline to declare your candidacy is Thursday, October 9 at 11:59 PM ET. Elections will take place during NLAS through both online and in-person voting.

We’re just around the corner from our biggest event of the year! 

The 2025 New Liberal Action Summit will be our most ambitious gathering yet, with more attendees, speakers, and breakout sessions than ever before. Featuring Sen. Doug Jones, Rep. Josh Harder, Frank Fukuyama, Rep. Scott Peters, Poppy Northcutt, Rep. Janelle Bynum, and many more, we’ll focus on how the center-left can rebuild trust, expand our appeal, and advance liberal values in a post-2024 political era. 

Check out the agenda and learn more about the summit here! 

Before the main event, join us for our Opening Reception on Monday, October 20th at Solace Outpost - Navy Yard. 

Connect with New Liberals from across the country and abroad and hear remarks from Rep. Jake Auchincloss and D.C. Councilmember Brooke Pinto as we set the stage for an unforgettable summit.

Authoritarians in the Academy Ft. Sarah McLaughlin

How does China use its considerable influence to try to stifle criticism in American universities? Sarah McLaughlin of the Foundation for Individual Rights and Expression joins the podcast to talk about her new book, Authoritarians in the Academy. We discuss how the Chinese government monitors their own citizens abroad, how they pressure universities into cancelling speakers from Tibet or Xinjiang, and how universities are too often happy to crack down on campus free speech in order to secure Chinese funding.

Is Free Speech Under Threat in America? Ft. Sarah McLaughlin

It's part two of our conversation with FIRE's Sarah McLaughlin - and we're talking about the threats to free speech under the Trump administration. Should Jimmy Kimmel have been fired? What is jawboning? Can Attorney General Pam Bondi really go after 'hate speech'? We discuss all these topics, the wider anti-speech atmosphere, and more!