Vaccine Passport Rollouts, the Tax Day Delay, and More

April 17, 2021

Impunity passports: Governing immunity's impact on rights

"Without well-defined policies on how public institutions will allow vaccination to affect access to services and resources, clear articulations of private discretion to use vaccination status to impact peoples' fundamental rights, and a system for resolving disputes arising out of abuse of these systems, few people will have confidence or trust in the equity of the system," argues Sean McDonald.

Why Syrian refugees in Lebanon are a crisis within a crisis

In Lebanon, an estimated 90% of Syrian refugee households live in extreme poverty, up from 55% in early 2019. Omer Karasapan and Sajjad Shah discuss the nation's humanitarian tragedy and call on the international community to step up and provide support.

Tax Day has been delayed for the second year in a row—here is why that is important

The May 17 tax filing deadline will provide flexibility to Americans currently navigating pandemic hardships and will also deliver a vital administrative reprieve to an underfunded and overburdened tax agency, write Jackson Gode and Kennedy Teel.

Must-listen podcasts

Betting on the future with infrastructure. With President Biden's $2.3 trillion proposal on the table, infrastructure is front and center in today's policy debates. On the Brookings Cafeteria podcast, Adie Tomer explains what the term "infrastructure" covers and the significance of the current moment.

Challenges facing U.S. foreign assistance. Alexia Latortue joins the Dollar & Sense podcast for a conversation on how the Millennium Challenge Corporation has been impacted by COVID-19, growing debt concerns in many countries, and more on international development.

Technology and the First Amendment. Does the president violate the First Amendment by blocking Twitter users? What issues are associated with law enforcement's use of facial recognition tech? Jameel Jaffer and Ramya Krishnan discuss on this week's Lawfare Podcast.

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