Brookings Today, 12/5/14

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

• How to make government programs work better. In the new Brookings Cafeteria podcast, Ron Haskins talks about how evidence can make government programs work better, thereby saving money and improving outcomes for the most disadvantaged.
• Saban Forum 2014. Suzanne Maloney introduces the 11th annual Saban Forum, a platform for Americans and Israelis to exchange views and creative ideas.
• Mortgage interest deduction map. Based on a new policy brief by Ben Harris and Lucie Parker, this interactive map lets you explore what share of taxpayers claim the mortgage interest deduction in each county.
• The first medical device tracking system. Greg Daniel and co-authors provide an overview of a new Engelberg Center report on how to implement a national tracking system for medical devices.
• Syria’s last gasp warning for U.S. influence. Based on intense face-to-face engagement with the leadership of nearly 50 Syrian armed opposition groups in recent weeks, Charles Lister warns that the levels of trust and respect for the United States within the Syrian opposition are at an all-time low.
• Bridging the gap between the Internet and low-income neighborhoods. Blair Levin discusses the disadvantages low-income families share due to lack of Internet access and the FCCs approach to addressing them.
• Four charts explaining Latin America’s development-less growth. Ernesto Talvi examines the data on convergence and growth in Latin America.

Charmaine Crutchfield contributed to this post.