The LA fires and overwhelmed water infrastructure

January 16, 2025

Editor’s note: Yesterday, it was announced that Israel and Hamas reached a ceasefire and hostage deal agreement. Natan Sachs offered his analysis of this development on X.

The Los Angeles fires and America’s overwhelmed water infrastructure

The ongoing Los Angeles fires are already one of the most devastating disasters in U.S. history. More than a week since the fires erupted, they have destroyed at least 5,000 homes and countless other structures—in addition to causing numerous deaths, evacuations, and other impacts.

While the visible destruction has understandably garnered most of the attention, the fires are also a reminder of the struggles to recognize and reinvest in the country’s water infrastructure. “Rather than being used to cast blame at underequipped and overwhelmed utilities, disasters such as the Los Angeles fires should serve as a rallying cry to get ahead of these infrastructure challenges,” argues Joseph W. Kane.

More research and commentary

The hidden STEM gender gap. When researchers talk about the gender gap in science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM), they’re usually talking about research, policies, and programs focused on institutions serving students with the highest math achievement. But by overlooking the widening chasm at other institutions, they’re failing millions of women who could benefit from these high-paying technical careers, write Joseph R. Cimpian and Jo R. King.

What is reconciliation in Congress? With a thin majority in the Senate, Republicans may turn to a process called reconciliation for passing tax and spending bills. In a freshly updated explainer, David Wessel outlines what reconciliation is and how it works.

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