Brookings Today, 10/1/14

A roundup of some of the content published today by Brookings.

• The economic effects of West Africa’s Ebola outbreak. Amadou Sy and Amy Copley explore the dual challenges of human suffering and the economic toll of an epidemic that has claimed 3,000 lives in West Africa.
• Hong Kong protests continue. As protesters continue to demand more democracy, government officials remain in opposition. Richard Bush explains the current status of this ongoing crisis and says the pro-democracy camp needs more unity.
• Managing government debt. The U.S. Treasury Department and the Federal Reserve should coordinate on policies to manage debt during extraordinary times, say the authors of new research by the Hutchins Center on Fiscal & Monetary Policy.
• Ten major reform challenges for China. David Shambaugh lists the top challenges facing China today.
• Hutchins Center launches fiscal impact gauge. David Wessel introduces the Hutchins Center’s Financial Impact Measure, a “gauge of the contributions that federal, state, and local governments make to the near term pace of economic growth.
• R&D tax credit crucial for regional economies. Scott Andes and Mark Muro explain why the low R&D tax credit is hurting U.S. businesses.
• Where does the money come from for primaries? Elaine Kamarck reports on new Campaign Finance Institute data on independent expenditures in primary elections. 

Charmaine Crutchfield contributed to this post.