Policy
Money from food companies could make what you eat safer
Money from food companies could make what you eat safer Researchers propose creating a user fee program for food companies to fund FDA oversight and strengthen food safety regulations. The FDA currently relies on appropriations from Congress, which amounts to only 1% of its $1.1 billion foods program budget, compared to 66% for drug regulation. […]
🏥 Health
Trump seeks to reshape how schools discipline students
Trump seeks to reshape how schools discipline students The Trump administration has issued an executive order suggesting that schools have been using racially discriminatory discipline policies, aiming to reverse federal guidance aimed at reducing racial disparities in school discipline. The new executive order calls for the secretary of education to develop new school discipline guidance, […]
🏛️ Politics
Bureaucrats get a bad rap, but they deserve more credit − a sociologist of work explains why
Bureaucrats get a bad rap, but they deserve more credit − a sociologist of work explains why Bureaucrats are often misunderstood and receive a bad rap, but they deserve more credit for upholding critical ideals such as expert knowledge, equal treatment, and serving others. Bureaucrats represent a set of ideals that prioritize rational action, impersonal […]
🏛️ Politics
Federal laws don’t ban rollbacks of environmental protection, but they don’t make it easy
Federal laws don’t ban rollbacks of environmental protection, but they don’t make it easy The Trump administration has announced plans to review or reverse dozens of environmental protection regulations, but the process is not as simple as just saying so. The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) must follow the Administrative Procedure Act, a federal law that […]
📰 News
Crime is nonpartisan and the blame game on crime in cities is wrong – on both sides
Crime is nonpartisan and the blame game on crime in cities is wrong – on both sides Neither party, Democrats nor Republicans, has been proven to be better at reducing crime or improving public safety in cities. The argument that Democratic city leaders are responsible for rising crime rates and that they need to change […]
🏛️ Politics
Preventive care may no longer be free in 2026 because of HIV stigma − unless the Trump administration successfully defends the ACA
Preventive care may no longer be free in 2026 because of HIV stigma − unless the Trump administration successfully defends the ACA The Supreme Court case Braidwood v. Biden may impact the free coverage of preventive care services under the Affordable Care Act (ACA), including PrEP, contraception, and other essential health benefits. If the court […]
🏥 Health
How government transparency saves lives
How government transparency saves lives Researchers at the University of California, Santa Barbara found that increased government transparency leads to significant improvements in environmental outcomes, including reduced pollution and improved air quality. The study, published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, involved a randomized experiment where 50 Chinese cities were either publicly […]
📰 News
EPA must use the best available science − by law − but what does that mean?
EPA must use the best available science − by law − but what does that mean? The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) must use the “best available science” in its decision-making processes, as mandated by law. The best available science refers to reliable, unbiased, and objective scientific research that is based on current knowledge from […]
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Medicare Advantage is covering more and more Americans − some because they don’t get to choose
Medicare Advantage is covering more and more Americans − some because they don’t get to choose Since the mid-2000s, the Medicare system has dramatically transformed. Enrollment in Medicare Advantage – the private alternative to the traditional Medicare program administered by the government – has more than quadrupled. It now accounts for the majority of Medicare […]
🏥 Health
Massive cuts to Health and Human Services’ workforce signal a dramatic shift in US health policy
Massive cuts to Health and Human Services’ workforce signal a dramatic shift in US health policy The new plan will shrink the Health and Human Services workforce from more than 82,000 to 62,000 employees. Sarah Stierch via Wikimedia Commons, CC BY On March 27, 2025, Department of Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy, […]
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