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COVID-19 has seen the dispatch of two Japanese administrations in short order and caused no small amount of political chaos in the country. Mireya Solís explains what went wrong for Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga and asks key questions about what will likely be a tumultuous few months for Japan's citizens.
Joe Biden has pursued an aggressive judicial nomination agenda so far, moving quickly to fill seats that meet the least amount of resistance. Russell Wheeler writes about the president's progress so far, how it compares with his recent predecessors, and looming challenges to filling vacancies.
"For too long SNAP has been shackled to an outdated model of how families live and eat." Last month, the U.S. Department of Agriculture announced changes to the Thrifty Food Plan which will result in increases in Supplemental Nutritional Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits of about 20-25% from pre-pandemic levels. Kristin Butcher discusses these changes and how children from low-income families will benefit.
Managing the return of students. The new school year has started, but the recent surge in COVID-19 cases is presenting challenges for a safe return. On The Current podcast, Jon Valant discusses how school districts and states are handling mask requirements, the role of national politics in local education decisions, and more.
A conversation on early childhood education. After well over a year of the COVID-19 pandemic, where does early childhood education (ECE) stand? Recently, the Brown Center on Education Policy hosted a webinar to examine what's ahead for the ECE sector. Watch the event or listen on the Brookings Cafeteria podcast.
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