Special Labor Day Weekend Edition!

Labor of Love

What to Know: Texas mom Stacia Brightmon told the RNC last week that President Trump’s efforts to promote workforce development helped her overcome homelessness and find a rewarding career.

The TPPF Take: In the time of COVID-19, workforce development can be the key to getting Americans back to work. That’s why TPPF is working to study the best means of training (and retraining) workers for high-paying, much-needed jobs.

“Policies in response to COVID-19 have created extraordinarily difficult circumstances for many families,” says TPPF’s Erin Davis Valdez. “There is no one-size-fits-all program to solve these challenges. We are seeking to understand through evidence which community-based solutions are the most effective means of helping families to thrive.

Working to Fix the Problem

What to Know: Americans are weary of the lockdowns as we go into the Labor Day weekend.

The TPPF Take: Entrepreneurs—whom we should also celebrate on Labor Day—are working hard to address the COVID-19 pandemic.

“The psychological and economic tolls this Great Disruption is having on Americans will be long-lasting,” says TPPF’s Vance Ginn. “We need a proven path that safely deals with the real issues surrounding COVID-19 while allowing us to be social and conquer the disease more quickly. We must put entrepreneurs back in the game.”

Don’t Defund Our Protectors

What to Know: A new poll shows that Black communities don’t want to defund the police—particularly in high-crime neighborhoods.

The TPPF Take: “Defund the police” is a fashionable slogan among those who won’t be affected by its consequences.

“There are less extreme and more effective options to deal with the lack of trust that exists between police departments and Black communities around the country,” says TPPF’s Randy Petersen. “There are proven solutions such as community engagement and localized policing that can build the relationships necessary to shape what policing looks like in each community."