Brookings Institution

19 Stories

Support for Political Violence in America Is Kind of Shocking

Poll finds 23% of Americans believe it could be necessary 'to save our country'

(Newser) - Nearly one in four Americans support political violence in a new national survey that pollsters say is likely to indicate a "challenging election season." Some 75% of Americans surveyed by the Public Religion Research Institute and the Brookings Institution—including 84% of Democrats, 77% of Republicans, and 73%...

If You Get Vaccinated, You Should Collect $1K
If You Get Vaccinated,
You Should Collect $1K
OPINION
Sep 10, 2020 4:37 PM CDT

If You Get Vaccinated, You Should Collect $1K

Economists make the case that the incentive is necessary and a wise COVID investment

(Newser) - An economist is backing a provocative idea on a COVID vaccine: Anyone who gets a shot should receive $1,000 from the government. So argues Harvard's N. Gregory Mankiw in a New York Times op-ed. Mankiw is actually writing in support of a proposal first floated by fellow economist...

We Live Way Longer Than We Expect
 We Live Way Longer 
 Than We Expect 
in case you missed it
Nov 16, 2014 6:58 AM CST

We Live Way Longer Than We Expect

And that could be bad news post-retirement: study

(Newser) - How long do you think you'll live? New research suggests you can tack a few more years on to whatever number you came up with. In 1992, University of Michigan researchers asked 26,000 Americans between the ages of 51 and 61 if they thought they would make it...

America's Prisoners Cost You $260 a Year

Mandatory minimums, repeat-offender laws spiking prison numbers: report

(Newser) - A new report from a branch of the Brookings Institution notes that the US spent $80 billion on incarceration in 2010, an expense that translates into each American paying $260 per year to house our criminals. That's up from $77 per US resident in 1980, reports CBS News . With...

Air Force Can't Convince Anyone to Pilot Drones

It's mostly a dull job

(Newser) - It turns out, killing people by remote control is an unpopular profession. The Air Force is having trouble recruiting new drone pilots, a new Brookings Institute report reveals, and the ones it already has quit at three times the rate of its manned pilots. The problem: It's a boring...

Most US Poor Now in the 'Burbs
New Home to Most Poor Americans: the 'Burbs
in case you missed it
May 25, 2013 8:02 AM CDT

New Home to Most Poor Americans: the 'Burbs

Suburban poverty has skyrocketed, study finds

(Newser) - The face of American poverty is now a suburban one, according to new research from the Brookings Institution. Researchers found that the number of people living in poverty in the suburbs soared 64% between 2000 and 2010, more than twice the rate of urban areas—meaning that now more poor...

This Is 1 of Only 3 Major US Cities in Recovery
 This Is 1 of Only 3 
 Major US Cities 
 in Recovery 
Economic Study
Nov 30, 2012 11:40 AM CST

This Is 1 of Only 3 Major US Cities in Recovery

Pittsburgh, Dallas, Knoxville the only ones currently in economic recovery

(Newser) - Everybody knows the US economy has been struggling since the recession ended in 2009. But just how bad are things? Of the United States' 76 major metropolitan areas, just three are in economic recovery now, according to a new study by the Brookings Institution, reports Reuters . That may seem terrible,...

Debt Battle Sets Stage for Hyper-Partisan 2012 Election

Expect stark contrasts, not mushy generalities

(Newser) - As nasty as the debt ceiling fight was, it was just a warm-up for the 2012 presidential election, which is shaping up to be a major referendum on the size, role, and philosophy of government, reports the Washington Post . “This had nothing to do with the debt ceiling,”...

Skilled Immigrants Now Outnumber Unskilled Ones

There are more college graduates than high school dropouts

(Newser) - The Washington Post picks up on a new stat it says could have a profound effect on the US immigration debate: The percentage of immigrants with at least a bachelor's degree (30%) is now greater than those without a high school diploma (28%). The study from the Brookings Institution...

Obama Pushes Tax Breaks for Small Businesses

President lays out ideas to create jobs

(Newser) - President Obama proposed a series of job-creating ideas today to supplement the original stimulus plan, with an emphasis on helping small businesses through tax breaks and a suspension of their capital gains taxes. He also called for spending on highways and other infrastructure projects as well as the so-called “...

Obama to Tackle Jobs, Deficit

 Obama to Tackle 
 Jobs, Deficit 
speech preview
Dec 8, 2009 8:53 AM CST

Obama to Tackle Jobs, Deficit

Pols split on how to use bailout bucks for recovery

(Newser) - President Obama will today outline a new push to tackle the country's surging unemployment and mounting deficit. The speech, at the Brookings Institution, comes as legislators are locked in a debate over how, exactly, to use surplus TARP funds to boost a tepid recovery. Republicans oppose dipping into the surplus,...

Bernanke: Recession 'Very Likely Over'

(Newser) - Fed chief Ben Bernanke said today that the worst recession since the 1930s is "very likely over at this point." However, "it's still going to feel like a weak economy for some time," he warned, and unemployment will almost certainly rise. He spoke today to the...

Summers: Stimulus Is Starting to Work

(Newser) - Larry Summers sounded a note of cautious optimism today about President Obama's stimulus plan, the Washington Post reports. While it's way too early to assess its "broader economic impact," Obama's chief economic adviser called it "moderately encouraging" that consumer spending appears to be back on track.

Fidel Reported to Be Close to Death

Castro is gravely ill, sources say

(Newser) - Fidel Castro may be nearing the end of his life, reports the Miami Herald. It's been almost two months since Castro has been photographed in public. No images were released of his November meeting with Russian President Dmitry Medvedev and he was a no-show at the Jan. 1 celebrations of...

US War on Drugs Has Failed: Report
US War on Drugs Has Failed: Report
Nov 27, 2008 8:42 AM CST

US War on Drugs Has Failed: Report

Americans urged to focus on treatment, prevention, gun sales

(Newser) - America is treating the symptoms rather than the disease of drug use, and its war on drugs will continue to fail unless it changes course, a new report by an influential Washington think tank finds. The report urges the US to develop stronger ties in the Caribbean and Latin America,...

Minorities Surging to Majority
 Minorities Surging to Majority
Aug 14, 2008 2:03 AM CDT

Minorities Surging to Majority

Changes will dramatically alter political landscape

(Newser) - America's demographics will dramatically change by mid-century, with the white population slipping to a minority of 46% of Americans, according to projections  from the Census Bureau. Minority kids will make up 66% of the nation's population of children, reports the Washington Post. The number of Hispanics is expected to...

World Pop. to Hit 7B by 2012





 World Pop. to Hit 7B by 2012

Jun 20, 2008 2:37 AM CDT

World Pop. to Hit 7B by 2012

Increased 1B in 13 years

(Newser) - The world's soaring population is expected to hit 7 billion by 2012, further straining thinly stretched natural resources, AP reports. The current population is 6.7 billion, and growing at 1.2% a year, spurred by increasing medical and nutritional advances in developing countries. But as more women in developing...

W. Coast Cities Boast Smallest Carbon Footprint

New York metropolitan area also high in rankings

(Newser) - West Coast metro areas boasted some of the lowest carbon emissions per capita in the country in 2005, according to a ranking of 100 urban areas by the Brookings Institution. Honolulu topped the list, followed by Los Angeles, the Portland-Vancouver area, and New York. Population density, mild climates, and aggressive...

US Rattled by Brit Pullout Plans
US Rattled by Brit Pullout Plans
Aug 8, 2007 4:51 AM CDT

US Rattled by Brit Pullout Plans

Withdrawal schedule expected this fall

(Newser) - The White House is increasingly concerned about the timing of the British troop pullout from Iraq, expected to be announced by PM Gordon Brown in October, the Guardian reports. About 5,000 British troops remain in the Basra area, where they' have already withdrawn to  an area around the city's...

19 Stories