Posted on · Neal Lane works at Rice University's Baker Institute for Public Policy. But he’s also a former director of the White House Office of Science and Technology, a small federal agency tasked with providing the President with timely advice on scientific and technological developments related to everything from economics to public health to environmental quality and […]
Posted on · Part of the narrative of Greater Houston is that it's a good place to be if you should have to contend with cancer. We not only have the Texas Medical Center here, but we're the home of MD Anderson Cancer Center. So, clearly, if you're going to have to have cancer in Texas, this is […]
Posted on · A new study is challenging previous findings about the role hospital volume plays in patient outcomes. Previous research has concluded that hospitals that perform high numbers of complex operations have lower patient mortality rates. However, this latest study says that's not necessarily the case. We talk about the findings with the report’s co-author, Vivian Ho […]
Posted on · Rice University's Baker Institute recently hosted a conversation examining the affects of drug enforcement policies on society and looking at drug policies in Harris County. Elected officials and drug policy specialists with a background in law enforcement participated in the discussion, moderated by Katharine Neill, a postdoctoral fellow in drug policy at the Baker Institute. […]
Posted on · In recent years, the Texas Department of Public Safety has warned against spring breakers traveling to the Gulf Coast crossing into Mexico. And the U.S. State Department's renewed its warning about the risk of violence against Americans heading into certain Mexican states. And yet, is Mexico more or less violent a country than it was […]
Posted on · A recent paper from Rice University argues legal barriers barring adolescents from participating in HIV and STI (sexually transmitted infections) studies should be removed. We talk with one of the authors, Dr. Quianta Moore, a scholar in health policy at Rice University's Baker Institute for Public Policy and adjunct assistant professor in Baylor College of […]
Posted on · Pew Research Center analysis of government data shows more Mexicans are leaving the United States than are coming here. However, other research shows certain kinds of Mexicans are coming here at an increased rate: entrepreneurs. Data from Rice University's Baker Institute shows that more Mexican entrepreneurs are choosing the U.S. as the place they want […]
Posted on · A recent survey says nearly 60 percent of voters in Texas are in favor of expanding legalized gambling in the state. We delve into the pros and cons of such expansion and discuss the past, present, and possible future of gambling in the state. We talk with State Rep. Carol Alvarado of Houston, Rob Kohler, […]
Posted on · Starting in July, several states — including Texas — will participate in an 8-week-long exercise called Jade Helm 15. Gov. Greg Abbott came under fire for ordering the Texas State Guard to monitor the U.S. military while it conducted the training exercises. That got us wondering — has the Texas State Guard been used like […]
Posted on · At a recent symposium on immigration at Rice University, diplomats, scholars, activists, and public officials noted the issue is more than just a U.S./Mexico border problem, that other countries bear responsibility for migration. We discuss immigration beyond the border with Dr. Tony Payan, director of the Mexico Center at Rice University's Baker Institute for Public […]
Posted on · On Aug. 5, the Mexican Congress passed an overhaul of energy regulation in that country that will open up the previously government-run oil industry to outside investors. How could this change the economic landscape for Houston and at large? Dr. Tony Payan, the director of the Mexico Center at Rice University's Baker Institute for Public […]