News Updates

11/23/16 – The private company SpaceX has announced plans to put 4,425 new satellites into space—more than tripling the current satellite population—with the aim of providing super-fast Internet coverage worldwide. This expansion is in keeping with projections detailed in a recent review of global space activities, described by its lead analyst in Issues, who concluded that the US government will need to adjust its policies to reflect expanded participation and new lines of innovation across the space environment.

11/21/16 – Mounting evidence suggests that “vaping” with electronic cigarettes is far less dangerous than smoking and may also help current smokers quit, the New York Times reports, yet more states are passing laws that prohibit or discourage their use. Instead, a community health specialist has argued in Issues that states should conduct a series of policy experiments focused on e-cigarettes and other alternatives to conventional tobacco smoking to identify the best ways to combat this major public health threat.

11/17/16 – As political winds are changing, many observers are asking what will happen in the world of medical research, as evidenced by a recent meeting of representatives from an array of health communities (described here with videos of the discussions here). In Issues, a longtime health policy analyst has offered what may be some especially timely suggestions for how the federal government’s primary health research agency, the National Institutes of Health, can operate most effectively, including by linking the discovery and dissemination of knowledge with sharper attention on the role of research in boosting economic growth.