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September 27, 2023

The Good and Bad News About Boys and Men in Utah

For all that Utah is doing well, a concerning trend has surfaced amongst boys and men in the state.

September 26, 2023

Voter Suppression, New York Style

New York governor Kathy Hochul is preening about her Democratic Party’s commitment to democracy, in the form of legislation she just signed authorizing mail-in voting. Republicans are suing to stop the idea out of concern about voter fraud. As Hochul sees it, they are continuing a national GOP voter suppression effort “against marginalized communities ….

September 26, 2023

Former Foster Kids Need More Than Higher Education

When I tell people that I write about child welfare and the foster care system, the question I am most often asked is “What can we do about the problem of kids aging out?” “Aging out” is what happens when these teens and young adults — about 40,000 each year — leave foster care without being adopted…

September 26, 2023

The Gas Tax Should Not Be Eliminated

Last week, Republican Presidential candidate and former Governor Nikki Haley (R-SC) released an economic plan that would eliminate the federal excise taxes on gas and diesel. Her goal is to “help families struggling with record high gas prices.” A laudable goal, but it would be poor policy. Under current law, the federal government levies a $0.184 per…

September 25, 2023

A Bad Bipartisan Housing Bill: Connecting the Dots on the Helper Act

As rising home prices continue to undermine the American Dream of homeownership for hard-working Americans, Congress is considering a bipartisan bill modeled after the successful VA home loan program, to help first responders and teachers buy a home. However, as long as there is a housing shortage, first-time homebuyer assistance programs, such as the Homes…

September 25, 2023

As NYC Reels from Fentanyl Day Care Tragedy, Child Care Overdoses Are More Common Than We Think

“He had so much love,” Zoila Dominici said of her 1-year-old son Nicholas who died last week from fentanyl exposure after his home-based day care in The Bronx, Divino Nino, was found to be doubling as a drug den. Three other toddlers were hospitalized when the fentanyl fumes were absorbed into their lungs.  Unfortunately, cases like this are…

September 25, 2023

America Remains a Shining Beacon for the World

The Pew Research Center’s new study on Americans’ view of politics offers a sober reminder of just how negative our politics has become heading into the 2024 election. Regrettably, 65 percent of Americans state they always or often feel exhausted when thinking about politics. Plus, many Americans say that the political process is dominated by wealthy, special…

September 23, 2023

Did Pandemic Unemployment Benefits Increase Unemployment? Evidence from Early State-level Expirations

Abstract During the 2021 pandemic year, the generosity of Unemployment Insurance benefits was expanded (Federal Pandemic Unemployment Compensation [FPUC]) and eligibility for benefits was broadened (Pandemic Unemployment Assistance [PUA]). These two programs were set to expire in September 2021. In June 2021, 18 states exited both FPUC and PUA and three states exited FPUC (but…

September 22, 2023

Repairing the Damage Columbia’s Teachers College Did to American Kids Will Take Years

I’ve come to bury Lucy Calkins, not to praise her. Columbia University’s Teachers College announced this month what once seemed unthinkable: It’s “dissolving” its relationship with Calkins, sending the controversial literacy guru and her cash-cow publishing and consulting empire packing. The divorce came a few months after the New York City Department of Education made the…

September 21, 2023

Testimony | Spurring Innovation in Workforce Development: Program Governance and Service Delivery

Chairman Owens, Ranking Member Wilson, and Members of the Subcommittee, thank youfor the opportunity to present testimony on improvements Congress can make to the WorkforceInnovation and Opportunity Act (WIOA). Early in my career, I supported Governor Mike Leavittin negotiating and implementing the legislation that created the Utah Department of WorkforceServices, which still stands today as…