Dayton, Ohio Correspondent — I look at this through industrial capacity and manpower, because that's where the commitments actually get paid. We can't sustain every current commitment at high readiness without either significantly larger budgets or a thinner, more stressed force. Choosing priorities isn't optional. It's happening already, by attrition, which is the worst way … Continue reading Should the United States maintain its current level of global military commitments, or is a more selective engagement strategy now required?

Clermont, Florida Correspondent — Insurance markets and repeated recovery costs are already forcing this in Florida, whatever anybody says at a podium. Local governments that ignore stronger standards and better drainage pay later through emergency spending and higher premiums, and they pay in a form that's harder to budget for because it arrives all at … Continue reading Will the increasing frequency of extreme weather events force a practical reallocation of infrastructure spending priorities regardless of climate policy debates?

Clermont, Florida Correspondent — Central Florida is living this right now. You can feel it on 27 at five o'clock and you can see it in the school portables. At the same time, refusing to build only makes the shortage worse and pushes working people farther out, which converts a housing problem into a traffic … Continue reading How should policymakers weigh the economic benefits of urban densification against the quality-of-life costs of congestion and housing shortages?

Wheeling, West Virginia Correspondent — Most working people I know look at this system and see a game tilted toward big donors and sophisticated influence operations. That's not cynicism. It's an accurate reading of who gets a meeting. When it takes millions to compete, the people who can mobilize that money get access and attention … Continue reading Is the current system of political campaign finance compatible with genuine representative government, or has it become a form of legalized influence-buying?

Dayton, Ohio Correspondent — Gig work gives flexibility that a lot of people genuinely want and that some employers genuinely need. It also shifts risk onto the individual, and health coverage and retirement savings go from default to optional. The word optional is doing a lot of work there. Almost nobody opts in on their … Continue reading Will the continued growth of the gig economy ultimately undermine traditional employment benefits and retirement security for a large portion of the workforce?

Prescott Valley, Arizona Correspondent — Elections remain state and local responsibilities and that structure has real value, including the value of not presenting a single target. At the same time, the legitimacy of federal offices depends on the integrity of those elections, and the systems are now exposed to threats that didn't exist a generation … Continue reading Should the federal government take a more active role in setting national standards for election security and voting systems?

Clermont, Florida Correspondent — The saline shortage after Maria showed how thin some of these chains had become. One storm, and hospitals in this state were rationing IV bags and mixing drugs by hand, because most of the supply came off an island that had no power. It took most of a year to work … Continue reading How can the United States reduce its dependence on foreign sources for critical pharmaceuticals and medical supplies without significantly raising costs?

Dayton, Ohio Correspondent — From a manufacturing standpoint, planned obsolescence is just a set of design and pricing decisions. There's no room where somebody twirls a mustache. There's a target cost, a warranty reserve, and a decision about which bearing goes in. If enough customers pay a premium for longevity and repairability, the industry responds. … Continue reading Is planned obsolescence still a viable long-term strategy for manufacturers, or will consumer and regulatory pressure force a shift toward durability?