Brookings Today, 11/12/14

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

• Life, liberty and the pursuit of broadband. Finland became the first country in 2010 to allow broadband access to all citizens. By 2015, Finland will be extending its coverage and enabling faster service. Stuart Brotman discusses possible gains and costs for Finland.
• Five policies that help children by helping their parents. Isabel Sawhill and Joanna Venator give a rundown of programs aimed at helping parents create stable environments for their children.
• U.S.-China climate announcement is a big deal. Tim Boersma says the agreement is important “because the world’s two largest emitters have given the world a tangible example that they intend to cooperate on this issue.”
• What does the public want for Medicare reform? Kavita Patel, Marge Ginsburg, and Joseph Anthos discuss how the public views Medicare reform, and whether the program is meeting the needs of millions of seniors.
• Prospects for international development in the 114th Congress. With the newly elected Republican Congress, prospects for constructive action on foreign assistance seem dim to many observers. George Ingram offers three reasons why a pessimistic assessment might be mistaken.
• China’s new “economic” normal. President Xi Jinping called for a new era of economic openness at the recent APEC event. Charles Freeman examines his proposals and barriers he may face. 
• The Hutchins Roundup on student loan debt, lending, and more. This week’s Hutchins Roundup looks at recent research on student loan debt, the role of local lenders in job creation, and the effects of better high school management on student’s educational outcomes.
• Why teach math in preschool? Writing for the Brown Center Chalkboard, Drew Bailey examines the emphasis on math in the pre-K curriculum. 

Charmaine Crutchfield contributed to this post.