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Spring has sprung in Washington, D.C. The annual riot of cherry blossoms is nearing an early peak, and patches of yellow daffodils are making their too-brief appearance all over the place. Meanwhile, lawmakers and the White House are cultivating a more perennial display: bickering over the federal budget.
Nearly 1 in 6 federal budget dollars fund Medicare, the health insurance program that mainly covers Americans over 65. Medicare’s costs are rising in part due to the growing number of people who are old enough to enroll in it, and President Joe Biden is trying to increase some taxes to pay for the program. His proposal’s chances so far look slim.
But, as Texas A&M economists Dennis W. Jansen and Andrew Rettenmaier suggest, a reckoning on Medicare funding will eventually arrive. “Our elected representatives cannot avoid making hard decisions that involve increasing taxes, reducing benefits or both,” they observe.
Also today:
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Emily Schwartz Greco
Philanthropy + Nonprofits Editor
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The number of Americans covered by Medicare is growing.
OR Images/DigitalVision via Getty Images
Dennis W. Jansen, Texas A&M University; Andrew Rettenmaier, Texas A&M University
The program’s expenses are rising rapidly as baby boomers retire and health care costs grow.
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Science + Technology
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John Tobin, National Radio Astronomy Observatory
Astronomers have long known where water is first formed in the universe and how it ends up on planets, asteroids and comets. A recent discovery has finally answered what happens in between.
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Economy + Business
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D. Brian Blank, Mississippi State University; Brandy Hadley, Appalachian State University
The Fed, Treasury and FDIC acted swiftly to protect depositors and stem any panic, but anxiety continues to grow about the state of the global financial system.
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Politics + Society
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Ashley S. Deeks, University of Virginia
International law states that states have to operate ‘due regard’ for the right of nations to fly drones above international waters. Washington claims Russia violated this standard in incident.
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David Jackson, Bowling Green State University; Dominic D. Wells, Bowling Green State University
Voters in Michigan and Ohio once voted similarly in statewide and federal elections. Now, Michigan swings blue and Ohio is red.
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Heidi Zinzow, Clemson University
Keeping weapons locked away and unloaded reduces the risk of death by suicide for gun owners and their children.
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Mary Burke, University of Connecticut
Gothic storytelling, with its sinister atmosphere of conspiracy and other hallmarks, offers a way to reframe the Kennedy family lore.
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Environment + Energy
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Sara Sawyer, University of Colorado Boulder; Emma Worden-Sapper, University of Colorado Boulder; Sharon Wu, University of Colorado Boulder
Avian influenza viruses have evolved to infect birds, but the current H5N1 outbreak is also infecting a wide range of mammals. This suggests that it could mutate into forms that threaten humans.
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Education
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Laura Link, University of North Dakota
A scholar of grading explains how teachers can do a better job of reporting what grades represent, and what they are for.
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Arts + Culture
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Heather Hensman Kettrey, Clemson University ; Alyssa J. Davis, Vanderbilt University
Emphasizing threats to children is a well-worn refrain among those worried about the decline of American culture and values.
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