In This Story
From the Hill:
Medicare and Social Security Are Still in Trouble
Now, the objection will be made that a wealth tax is somehow new and discriminates against those who have accumulated great wealth. That is not true.
—Jack A. Goldstone
From the Atlantic Council:
Saudi Arabia Is Trying to Make America Jealous with Its Budding Russia Ties
The signing of this Saudi-Russian agreement—whatever it contains—in the wake of the downfall of the US-backed Afghan government and the rise of the Taliban in Afghanistan is a signal that Riyadh does not feel that it can fully rely on Washington and, so, is willing to hedge its bets by turning to Moscow.
—Mark N. Katz
From Newsweek:
Climate Goals and Renewable Deployment Need Competitive Electricity Markets
This is not to say that competitive markets ensure mistake-free power generation, distribution and a cleaner environment. They enable the application of data technology at scale to improve the efficiency of electricity production while facilitating consumer demand for more renewables.
—Richard Kauzlarich
From Frontiers in Public Health:
Improving the Covid-19 Vaccination Rate in Pakistan—a Multipronged Policy Approach
One way to fight Covid-19 vaccination hesitancy is to incorporate a nudge behavioral science approach in the government's strategy to increase the vaccination rate. Such an approach calls for “nudges,” which simply are processes, adjustments, or structures meant to guide people toward a particular behavioral choice
—PhD Candidate Muhammad Salar Khan
From Syndication Bureau:
Or at least not yet. For he has undoubtedly begun to follow the autocrats' playbook, accusing political parties and some businessmen of corruption and foreign ties, and intimidating media professionals. And he might find traction.
—Ellen Laipson
From the Sacramento Business Journals:
California Biosecurity Bill Safeguards Bioeconomy and Public Health
If adopted, California would establish the first legally binding biosecurity measure for the synthetic biology industry in the U.S.—and in the world. Just as California has been at the forefront of establishing environmental protections that have become adopted nationwide, California has the potential to set a de facto national standard for biosecurity.
—Gregory Koblentz
From the Washington Post:
Abortion Enters the Virginia Governor’s Race
When the Supreme Court recently declined to block a novel Texas antiabortion law, it made huge waves in the Virginia gubernatorial race. And, if history holds, it could be bad news for the Republicans in Virginia this fall.
—Mark J. Rozell
From the Hill:
American Isn’t First—It’s Far Behind—and Studies Point to Republicans
To conservatives, health is a wholly individual responsibility. “Public health” sounds too much like collectivism. And collectivism gives conservatives a nosebleed.
—Bill Schneider
From Fee.org:
The Four Biggest Problems With Biden’s Vaccine Order
However, Biden’s actions will likely increase vaccine hesitancy, lead to further distrust of the government, and can expect multiple legal challenges – as well as civil disobedience.
—Master’s Student Mason Goad
From War on the Rocks:
A Weapons of Mass Destruction Strategy for the 21st Century
The last time the U.S. government published a national strategy for countering weapons of mass destruction (WMD), Saddam Hussein was still ruling Iraq, North Korea’s Kim Jong-un was a teenager, and Xi Jinping was governing a Chinese province.
—Zak Kallenborn, Al Mauroni, Seth Carus, and Ron Fizer
From the National Interest:
Afghanistan’s Fall: Were We Using the Wrong Historical Analogies?
This was only supposed to have occurred some months or even years after the withdrawal—according, at least, to what appeared to be the most relevant historical analogies: the U.S. withdrawal from South Vietnam and the Soviet withdrawal from Afghanistan.
—Mark N. Katz
From LSE British Politics and Policy:
While local campaigning is certainly not the only factor influencing election outcomes, parties that ignore it will only do so at their own peril.
—Lucas Núñez
From Politics Today:
Five Prominent Challenges for the Taliban
The Taliban are going through a transition from guerilla fighting to governance, bringing order to a multiethnic nation, and adjusting within the contemporary world. War and governance are two distinct issues. Now that the Taliban must govern, they face numerous challenges.
—Master’s in Political Science Student Hashim Wahdatyar
From the Washington Post:
Virginia Democrats Soft Enthusiasm Gives Republicans Hope
A major reason for it: Who is and is not in the White House.
—Mark J. Rozell
From the Hill:
Biden Continues Trump’s Flirtation with Complacency
America First policies horrify U.S. allies and the Washington foreign policy establishment. Nevertheless, they draw a lot of popular support because they capture a strong — and dangerous — public impulse, namely, complacency.
—Bill Schneider
From World Politics Review:
The Limits of China’s Engagement in Afghanistan
It is unclear how effective these reassurances will be, but in any case, Beijing does not have considerable enough interests at stake in Afghanistan to warrant any substantial military or economic involvement there.
—PhD Candidate Jon Hoffman
From the Hill:
Justice Ginsburg’s Parting Gift?
If the Democratic Party retains control of Congress in next year’s midterm elections, it will have the late Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg to thank.
—Edward Rhodes
From the Washington Post:
Rural Virginians Will Lose Political Clout in Redistricting
No matter whether Virginia’s congressional and state legislative boundaries are drawn by Democrats, Republicans or a redistricting commission, the numbers make this clear: The suburbs will gain seats; the countryside will lose them.
—Mark J. Rozell
From the Hill:
What’s at Stake—and In Play—for the Midterms
The odds are not good for Democrats next year. Republicans would need to gain five House seats and one Senate seat to take over Congress. In the last ten midterm elections, the president’s party has lost an average of 23 House seats and three Senate seats.
—Bill Schneider
From Foreign Policy:
Neither Russia Nor China Could Fill a U.S. Void in the Middle East
Moscow and Beijing have not outright challenged the U.S.-led security order in the region, because they benefit from it: It has provided the security umbrella for them to become more involved in the region without having to assume the costs of physically protecting their interests.
—PhD Candidate Jon Hoffman