China's zero-COVID whiplash

Jan 5, 2023
China has abandoned its sweeping restrictions after nearly three years. Heads are spinning from the speed of the change, and infections are spreading quickly.
A disinfection squad enters a residential building in Shanghai, responding to a confirmed COVID case. Under China's zero-COVID policy, these teams could forcibly disinfect the homes of people who contracted the virus.
Charles Zhang/Marketplace

American ESL teachers are in limbo after shift in China's tutoring policy

Oct 12, 2021
Teachers at one company that's still in business are dealing with financial uncertainty and the thought of lost connections with children.
ESL teacher Kristen Peele during a VIPKid lesson with a student in China. She depends on the income to support her three children.
Courtesy Kristen Peele

In time for National HIV Testing Day, progress made on prevention

Jun 28, 2019
A new recommendation makes PrEP, a drug that helps prevent the spread of HIV, free for many more Americans
Jeffery Beall / Wikimedia

Which states spend more on high-poverty schools? The Urban Institute takes a look

May 31, 2017
Education policy experts generally agree that it costs more to teach kids living in poverty. They come into school at a disadvantage, often need support services and it’s harder to attract good teachers to high-poverty schools. The Urban Institute is out with new data Wednesday looking at which states spend more money on those schools. […]

More than 500 infrastructure projects are pitched to Trump, who will favor private money and speed

May 11, 2017
States, unions, campaign advisers and consultants flood the White House with proposals. The president’s pledge to cut regulations and his condition for funding – “If you have a job that you can’t start within 90 days ... it doesn’t help us” – risks leaving critical construction and repair behind.
President Donald Trump uses a chart illustrating the complexity of gaining regulatory approval construction projects during an event at the Eisenhower Executive Office Building April 4, 2017 in Washington, DC.
Win McNamee/Getty Images

Trump's domestic agenda was moving slowly before Comey's firing

May 10, 2017
What effect will the FBI director's ouster really have on the president's plans for health care, infrastructure and tax reform?
The firing of FBI Director James Comey, above, was a "bombshell," says Ian Bremmer, president of Eurasia Group. "But I don't think it has much impact on the markets."
NICHOLAS KAMM/AFP/Getty Images

Not enough data: tech policy under Trump

Nov 11, 2016
Not much is know about the incoming administration's plans for the tech industry.
Little is known about Trump's tech policies, but he has said he will bring Apple's manufacturing jobs back to the U.S. Above, Apple's headquarters in Cupertino, California.
Stephen Lam/Getty Images

For public good, not for profit.

Will a national charging-station network boost electric vehicle sales?

Nov 3, 2016
Low EV sales has sparked action from the White House.
Miles Willis / Stringer

Want better government? Use cost-benefit analysis

Jul 29, 2013
Non-profits are working with state governments to increase use of cost-benefit analyses to learn whether programs and policies are worth it.

The New Facebook and why Netflix split in two

Sep 23, 2011
How important is Facebook's push into digital media? It's huge. Reed Hastings, the CEO of Netflix, believes the social network could remake the w...