The FDA’s weak drug manufacturing oversight is a potentially deadly problem

COVID-19 has exacerbated a backlog of domestic and foreign drug manufacturing inspections that the FDA is still too short-staffed to adequately deal with.

C. Michael White, Distinguished Professor and Head of the Department of Pharmacy Practice, University of Connecticut • conversation
June 23, 2021 ~9 min

The gas tax's tortured history shows how hard it is to fund new infrastructure

A bipartisan group of senators proposed the gas tax should be indexed to inflation to help pay for new infrastructure spending, an approach Biden calls 'regressive.'

Theodore J. Kury, Director of Energy Studies, University of Florida • conversation
June 22, 2021 ~9 min


Zero-trust security: Assume that everyone and everything on the internet is out to get you – and maybe already has

Most people think of trust as active – you place your trust in someone or you don't. But weak cybersecurity, like leaving your front door unlocked, is a matter of trust, too.

Scott Shackelford, Associate Professor of Business Law and Ethics; Executive Director, Ostrom Workshop; Cybersecurity Program Chair, IU-Bloomington, Indiana University • conversation
May 21, 2021 ~8 min

How electric cars can advance environmental justice: By putting low-income and racially diverse drivers behind the wheel

Electric cars offer benefits for low-income and minority drivers, including cleaner air and lower maintenance costs. But it will take more than rebates on new models to make EVs accessible for all.

Andrea Marpillero-Colomina, Adjunct Lecturer in Urban Studies, The New School • conversation
May 21, 2021 ~9 min

US approves its first big offshore wind farm, near Martha's Vineyard – it’s a breakthrough for the industry

The Biden administration has a goal of getting from today's 42 megawatts of offshore wind power to nearly 30,000 by the end of the decade, but there are still obstacles ahead.

Matthew Lackner, Professor of Mechanical Engineering, University of Massachusetts Amherst • conversation
May 11, 2021 ~8 min

Biden's infrastructure plan targets lead pipes that threaten public health across the US

President Biden has proposed spending $45 billion to replace every lead water pipe and service line in the nation. A public health expert explains why he sees this as a worthwhile investment.

Gabriel Filippelli, Professor of Earth Sciences and Director of the Center for Urban Health, IUPUI • conversation
May 4, 2021 ~9 min

Climate-friendly farming strategies can improve the land and generate income for farmers

Farmers can help slow climate change by mixing native grasses into croplands, restoring wetlands and raising perennial crops. These strategies also conserve soil and water and build new markets.

Lisa Schulte Moore, Professor of Natural Resource Ecology and Management, Iowa State University • conversation
April 28, 2021 ~10 min

The FBI is breaking into corporate computers to remove malicious code – smart cyber defense or government overreach?

The courts have given the government the authority to hack into private computers unannounced. The action addresses a clear threat, but it also sets an unsettling precedent.

Scott Shackelford, Associate Professor of Business Law and Ethics; Executive Director, Ostrom Workshop; Cybersecurity Program Chair, IU-Bloomington, Indiana University • conversation
April 26, 2021 ~9 min


The US electric power sector is halfway to zero carbon emissions

Fifteen years ago electric power generation was the largest source of US greenhouse gas emissions. Now the power sector is leading the shift to a clean energy economy.

Ryan Wiser, Senior Scientist, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory • conversation
April 20, 2021 ~6 min

Technology innovation gives government leverage to drive down emissions fast – here's how

Technology innovation is one of the Biden administration’s most powerful tools for accelerating progress on climate change. Recent successes in renewable energy and batteries show how this can work.

Jessika E. Trancik, Associate Professor, Institute for Data, Systems, and Society, Massachusetts Institute of Technology • conversation
April 7, 2021 ~8 min

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