Benchmark Blog

With the fate of the world at stake, Project Hail Mary shows Earthlings how to innovate to save the planet. What lessons about working together and working quickly can we learn to not only address climate change but also cooperate with other life-forms in the universe?

In this post, Will Rinehart uses an economic model to estimate the real extent of broadband availability in the US.

David Miller makes the case that the higher the rate of immigration, the more pro-active integration policy needs to be in this blog post.

How can we make delivery more eco-friendly? Mitchell Pound discusses some potential solutions in this blog post.

On Earth Day, Josh Smith and Jennifer Morales discuss how more people, not fewer, can help in the fight against climate change.

On Earth Day, Will Rinehart reminds us that: The only way to make Earth a better place is by joining abundance and ingenuity.

An ongoing list of how veto points have slowed development, transportation projects, housing, and people trying to start a business.

Immigration enforcement has been rising at an unprecedented rate. Catalina Amuedo-Dorantes discusses the fallout and how to change our assimilation approach.

Among the many causes of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, one that stands out is Europe’s dependence on Russian natural gas. Eli Dourado explains.

When addressing pollution, we can’t allow environmental perfection to get in the way of environmental progress. Joe Davis explains.

Josh Smith makes the case for why the US should grant Temporary Protected Status (TPS) to Ukraine refugees after the Russian invasion.

In February 2022, Facebook (now Meta) stock dropped almost 30%, Will Rinehart explains why that happened and the policy implications from it.

Senior research fellow Eli Dourado discusses some of the features and strengths of Web3 in this blog post.

How will the states spend billions of dollars on broadband in 2022? Sarah Oh of the Technology Policy Institute answers in a blog post.

Establishing urban green spaces and a nationwide wildlife corridor system would help conservation efforts of wildlife and natural habitats.

How has public opinion shifted over the years on immigration? Matthew Wright and Morris Levy explain in this blog post.

What is enlightened nationalism and why should it be at the forefront of immigration conversations? Alexander Kustov explains in this blog.

Brian Whitacre’s essay on rural broadband is the second in a series on broadband. He discusses the effect on rural areas.

What are GEIR programs and why should every U.S. university have one? David Jung and Josh Smith explain in this blog post.

In the infrastructure bill, over $60 billion goes to expanding broadband. Doug Dawson explains why labor shortages could slow down deployment.

In the infrastructure bill passed, $42.45 billion, is headed to the states for broadband projects. About how much will each state get?

President Biden has set a goal of carbon-free energy production in the U.S. by 2035. What does that mean for certain energy producers?

How much do consumers value social media? Will Rinehart, analyzes the data and shows how much users get from using social media.

Sometimes, the order in which you do things matters. Senior Research Fellow Eli Dourado explains in a blog post.

Research on crime reporting and immigration policies suggests that policymakers can protect public safety best by welcoming immigrants.

Last year, Congress set aside $3.14 billion to help low-income households pay for broadband service and devices. What can we learn about the program so far?

A sort of holy grail for drone policy has been a system of oversight that doesn't stifle innovation and doesn't overburden the legacy air traffic system. What would that look like in practice?

Florida has recently taken a hardline approach to state immigration policy. Tristan Peterson and Josh T. Smith explain why this might backfire.

Pathways for legal immigration will give policymakers a handle on today’s immigration problems and benefit the entire country.

If the states continue to pass privacy laws, data privacy regulation in 2023 will create a disjointed and dysfunctional online environment for everyone involved.