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Policy & Ethics

Updates every hour. Last Updated: 4-Jun-2026 17:16 ET (4-Jun-2026 21:16 GMT/UTC)

Nearly half of CDC surveillance databases have halted updates, raising concerns about health data gaps

American College of Physicians
Peer-Reviewed Publication

An audit of U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) public databases found that nearly half of routinely updated federal health surveillance systems had stopped or delayed updates in 2025, raising concerns that gaps in data, particularly on vaccinations and respiratory diseases, could undermine clinical guidance, public health policy, and public trust.

Journal: Annals of Internal Medicine

Nepal’s green success story has a hidden social gap, Notre Dame research shows

University of Notre Dame
Peer-Reviewed Publication

In recent years, Nepal has been heralded as a global leader in community-based forest conservation. By handing over nearly a third of its nationally owned forest to local villagers in the 1980s, the country reversed years of deforestation and effectively doubled its forest cover. However, a new study from the University of Notre Dame suggests these environmental successes may exclude Nepal’s most vulnerable groups from their accompanying economic benefits.

Journal: Nature Sustainability

Universal pre-kindergarten for child maltreatment prevention

JAMA Network
Peer-Reviewed Publication

About The Study: This study found that universal pre-kindergarten (UPK) may be associated with reduced child protective services (CPS) involvement, particularly for child neglect, and may help mitigate racial and ethnic disparities in CPS involvement. Reductions in child neglect associated with UPK could benefit children’s health and well-being in the short- and long-term; these findings offer insights for policymakers and advocates regarding broader benefits associated with UPK.

Journal: JAMA Pediatrics

A review of the operational results of the K-ETS (2015–2024)

Tsinghua University Press
Peer-Reviewed Publication

Republic of Korea launched its national emissions trading system (K-ETS) in 2015 and is currently in Phase 3 of implementation. As one of the most prominent examples of a successfully established national ETS, the K-ETS covers 73.5% of the country’s total greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions during Phase 3, playing a pivotal role in achieving national mitigation goals. This study reviews the institutional development of the K-ETS over the past decade and assesses the performance and limitations of its key components—allocation, trading, and compliance—based on operational data. It also provides a quantitative assessment of emissions reporting and verification procedures, the use of Korean Credit Unit (KCU), and the application of flexibility mechanisms such as banking and borrowing. The analysis highlights several institutional improvements, including the expansion of auctioned allocations, adoption of the benchmarking (BM) method, and introduction of market facilitators. These reforms have contributed to a significant increase in market activity, driven by a broader range of participants, greater use of flexibility mechanisms, and influence of policy events. Based on the findings, the paper proposes policy directions to enhance market liquidity, institutional credibility, and mitigation effectiveness. The study offers valuable insights for designing the forthcoming Phase 4 of the K-ETS and supporting Republic of Korea’s carbon neutrality target for 2050.

Journal: Energy and Climate Management

Sage Policy Profiles adds new free feature connecting researchers to policy opportunities

SAGE
Business Announcement

Sage has added a new feature to Sage Policy Profiles—the free, browser-based policy impact tool—that matches researchers with live policy engagement opportunities based on their research, biography, and countries of interest, making it faster and easier for them to share their expertise with policymakers.

Shanghai International Studies University identifies ten global trends transforming vocational education

ECNU Review of Education
Reports and Proceedings

Amidst the accelerated restructuring of the global economic landscape, technological innovation, and industrial transformation, vocational education, as the core carrier of human capital cultivation, is undergoing systematic changes. Between 2022 and 2024, countries have gradually formed a dominant trend toward the modernization of vocational education through policy innovation and practical exploration. Against this backdrop, the landscape of global vocational education is undergoing a transformative shift, driven by technological advancements, economic changes, and evolving workforce needs.

Journal: ECNU Review of Education
Funder: Ministry of Education, China, Institute of Global Governance and Regional Studies, Shanghai International Studies University

UC3M presents a platform to improve mobility in the city of Madrid

Universidad Carlos III de Madrid
Business Announcement

Universidad Carlos III of Madrid (UC3M) has presented NEXMO Datahub, Madrid’s mobility data space, designed to promote the secure and reliable exchange of data related to infrastructure, logistics and shared mobility across the city. Open to both public and private organisations, the platform aims to foster innovative solutions to achieve smarter and more sustainable mobility.

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