This article cites the Costs of War report, stating: "According to the Costs of War Project at Brown University's Watson Institute, more than 43,000 Afghan civilians have been killed during the U.S.-led war in Afghanistan, now in its 20th year."
In the News
What will it look like to reopen America's schools? (interview with Emily Oster)
Emily Oster appears in this interview to discuss the factors that make a school safe for reopening, including proper ventilation.
John Friedman joined WBUR's "Morning Edition" to discuss research that suggests stimulus checks should only go to lower-income families who need it most.
Injured migrants say Border Patrol sent them back to Mexico after they fell off Trump's wall (commentary by Ieva Jusionyte)
In this article, Ieva Jusionyte provides commentary on the possible extent of injuries caused by migrants attempting to cross the border wall from Mexico into the United States.
Fully Opening Schools Is Urgent. Here's How to Do It. (written by Emily Oster)
Emily Oster penned this article on how a combination of science-based guidelines from the CDC and other preventative measures could allow for in-person K-12 school this fall.
What's next for Trump, the Republican Party and Biden? (commentary by Wendy Schiller)
Wendy Schiller in The Economic Times, "If a corporation were to offer him a speaking appearance, the social media backlash would be swift and severe, with possible boycotts of their products..."
How India became the pharmacy of the planet (commentary by Prerna Singh)
In this article, Prerna Singh provides commentary on India's Prime Minister Narendra Modi and how vaccine rollouts have been handled in the country thus far.
CDC offers road map for safely reopening schools (commentary by Emily Oster)
Emily Oster provides feedback on the 35-page strategy guide for the safe operating of schools and an 11-page review of the science released by the CDC.
Dozens of prominent organizations and academics press Biden on human rights in Brazil (commentary by James N. Green)
James Green offered commentary on recommendations for the U.S. government's relationship with Brazil that were delivered to President Biden last week. The recommendations were written by the U.S. Network for Democracy in Brazil, for which Green serves as national co-coordinator.
Opinion: Stimulus checks are so 19th Century: Give Americans automatic, electronic cash (written by Mark Blyth)
Mark Blyth penned this article on COVID-19 stimulus money and the idea that checks should be electronic.
Opinion: Will Biden follow the science or the teachers unions? (Emily Oster cited)
This article cites Emily Oster and her national COVID-19 database for K-12 schools.
This article cites John Friedman and his Opportunity Insights data collection on the decrease in household incomes since the start of the pandemic.
U.S. Academics Criticize Bolsanaro's "Shadow" History *In Portuguese* (James N. Green cited)
This article cites James N. Green and his opinion that Bolsonaro is becoming a major global enemy.
Emily Oster provides commentary in this article stating, "I would like to see [Mr. Biden] get in there to rebuild some trust between some of the unions and other school groups, and I think that particularly because of who the president is, there is actually an opportunity for him to try to personally rebuild some of that trust."
Margaret Weir offered commentary on Massachusetts' Department of Unemployment Assistance, which she calls "shockingly dysfunctional."
Bloomberg Daybreak: February 9, 2021 (interview with Wendy Schiller)
Wendy Schiller appears in this Bloomberg Daybreak segment to discuss the impeachment trial.
The crucial differences in Trump's second impeachment trial (commentary by Wendy Schiller)
Wendy Schiller in The Guardian, "If the Democrats can gain with suburban voters by tying the incumbent Republican senators to Donald Trump for the next two years, it helps them keep the Senate and that's the whole reason this trial is happening."
Opinion: Our kids are under house arrest (commentary by Emily Oster)
Emily Oster and her Covid-19 database are referenced in this article, as well as commentary from Oster: "We've ranked schools far too low in terms of their intrinsic value and far too high in terms of the COVID risk."
Biden's press secretary Jen Psaki has embraced normalcy – is it working? (commentary by Wendy Schiller)
Wendy Schiller in The Guardian, "Jen Psaki has become must-see TV. I think many people are glued to these press conferences...It's like being in a rainstorm after a drought."
Never Trumpers' Republican revolt failed but they could still play key role (commentary by Wendy Schiller)
Wendy Schiller provides commentary in this article on overcoming the filibuster.
Harvard EdCast: Schools, reopening and the cycle of mistrust (interview with Emily Oster)
This podcast episode references the research and tracking efforts of Professor Emily Oster.
Market Mania (interview with Mark Blyth)
In this radio interview, Mark Blyth explains the populist lingo around the GameStop situation on Wall Street, Robinhood and other day traders, and more.
Stephanie Savell co-authored this report (with infographic by Maria Ji) which displays an estimate of the raw number of service members from each state operating in the United States post-9/11 wars in 2019 and the relative burden borne by each state in making this contribution.
What does the Biden administration mean for social work? (interview with Margaret Weir)
In this podcast interview, Margaret Weir joins Andy McClenaghan to explore what the Biden administration will mean for social work in the USA.
To Secure Lasting Peace in Afghanistan, Task Force Proposes Prolonging Longest US War (Costs of War Report cited)
This article refereces data from the Costs of War report at Watson.
Latin America has slipped on Washington's list of priorities (written by Stephen Kinzer)
Stephen Kinzer penned this column on the importance of reimagining the United States' relationships in Central and South America.
Wall Street and the Short Selling Revolution Part 2 (interview with Mark Blyth)
Mark Blyth appears on this podcast segment to discuss the "day-trading" insurrectionists to uncover who is actually in control, what human emotions are unleashed by the markets and what it all means for politics and economics.
Richard Arenberg provides commentary in this article, arguing that the filibuster cools the legislative temperature and offers a degree of protection for whichever party is out of power.
John Friedman offered commentary on the effectiveness of targeting stimulus payments to lower-income households.
America's Bloated Military and the Myth of Providing Security (Costs of War Report cited)
This article cites the Costs of War report as it relates to U.S. currency spent on the military.
Donald Trump Jr. distorts his father's war record as president (Costs of War Report cited)
This article cites Stephanie Savell and the Costs of War report, which shows the scope of U.S. counterterrorism operations, including combat operations in the Middle East and across Africa.
Local governance in limelight (commentary by Patrick Heller)
Patrick Heller provides commentary on the rapid growth of Kerala.
Biden's stimulus checks should target poorer Americans, Harvard and Brown researchers say (Opportunity Insights cited)
This article cites Opportunity Insights: "Though spending rose 7.9% from Jan. 6 to Jan. 19, 2021 compared to the same period a year previous for households making under $46,000, it edged up 0.2% for households making over $78,000..."
How stimulus dollars are spent matters (commentary by John Friedman)
John Friedman in the Hannibal Courier-Post, "The fact that we have the ability to analyze this stuff after a few weeks gives us the opportunity to have policy that adapts to circumstances in a way we haven't had before."
Gone Missing from Grand Strategy: Climate Change (written by Jeff Colgan)
Jeff Colgan penned this article on climate security, economic integration, and climate change.
This article includes commentary from, and highlights the research and tracking efforts of, Professor Emily Oster.
My Family Has School Choice. So Should Yours. (Emily Oster cited)
This article cites Emily Oster and her COVID-19 dashboard, which has ultimately shown a low virus spread in K-12 schools.
Opinion: It's not progressive to give money to the rich (commentary by John Friedman)
This article cites Opportunity Insights and provides commentary from co-doirector John Friedman: "The fact that we have the ability to analyze this stuff after a few weeks gives us the opportunity to have policy that adapts to circumstances in a way we haven't had before."
Prerna Singh on India's COVID-19 Welfare Response (interview with Prerna Singh)
In this interview, Prerna Singh discusses India's COVID-19 lockdown and the path the government took when addressing the pandemic.
United States Counterterrorism Operations 2018-2020 (written by Stephanie Savell)
Stephanie Savell co-created this report and visual representation of post-9/11 operations to convey the broad reach of U.S. government activities to fight what it and partner countries call "terrorism" or "violent extremism."
This article draws on data from Opportunity Insights, co-directed by John Friedman.
SouthCoast Matters #304 | Richard Arenberg Part 2 (interview with Richard Arenberg)
Rich Arenberg appears in this episode of South Coast Matters for a discussion centered around remaking democracy functional.
Are political views shaped by personality traits? (commentary by Rose McDermott)
This article includes commentary from Rose McDermott on how we develop our own individual political perspectives.
In this video, John Friedman discusses targeting stimulus payments to lower-income households and how to best support those who are struggling financially due to the pandemic.
The Health 202: CDC-backed research finds schools aren't big coronavirus spreaders (commentary by Emily Oster)
Emily Oster provides commentary on a recent study that shows the safety of reopening schools "in a very concrete way."
The Economist Who Says Schools Are Safer Than You Think (interview with Emily Oster)
This feature on Emily Oster delves into her COVID-19 tracking efforts and the research behind opening K-12 schools during the pandemic.
If There's No Fear of Inflation, Why is GOP Against More Stimulus? (interview with Mark Blyth)
Mark Blyth appears in this podcast segment with Rana Foroohar to discuss, "If there were a real fear of inflation, there wouldn't be such an appetite for long term government debt at what amounts to a negative interest rate."
Cutting off stimulus checks to Americans earning over $75,000 could be wise, new data suggests (commentary by John Friedman)
John Friedman in the Washington Post, "Low-income households have suffered by far the biggest economic shock. They need the help the most."