Nonrival

May 14, 2026

Human experts + AI summaries - on public policy, economics, and technology.

Florida's cellphone ban improved test scores but temporarily spiked suspensions for Black students

hoover

• Florida's statewide cellphone ban reduced phone use by 80% in high schools and led to modest test score improvements after two years, with the biggest gains at schools that previously had high phone usage.
• The ban caused a 25% spike in suspensions during the first year, with Black students experiencing a 30% increase in in-school suspensions while rates for white and Hispanic students remained steady.
• By the second year, suspension rates returned to normal levels while academic benefits persisted, suggesting cellphone bans can work but require careful implementation to avoid discriminatory enforcement.

Trump and Xi Plan to Discuss AI Cooperation Despite Broader Tech Competition

brookings

• President Trump will meet with Xi Jinping in May to discuss cooperation on AI security threats from nonstate actors like terrorists and criminal networks
• Both countries share risks from AI-enabled cyberattacks and biological weapons development, creating potential common ground despite broader strategic competition
• Proposed cooperation includes nonbinding safety guidelines, limited threat information sharing, and emergency communication channels for AI incidents

Why Poor Americans Don't Push for Policies to Reduce Inequality

niskanen

• A new study challenges the common assumption that America's high inequality exists because wealthy people dominate politics and block redistribution.
• Lower-income Americans actually show little interest in reducing inequality, giving mixed signals about economic policy and prioritizing local benefits over national redistribution.
• The author argues that federal economic policy is more responsive to public opinion than critics claim, and Americans have gotten roughly the low-tax, minimal-redistribution economy they've asked for.

In the News

Europe's Fiscal Roles Are Reversing as Germany Spends and Debt-Heavy Countries Pull Back

voxeu

• Germany and other low-debt EU countries ramped up spending in 2025 while high-debt nations like Italy and France showed unusual restraint, reversing the traditional pattern.
• This shift reflects financial reality more than fiscal virtue—heavily indebted countries face market pressure and higher borrowing costs that force them to cut back.
• Germany's decision to loosen its constitutional debt brake removed a crucial anchor for European bond markets, pushing up borrowing costs across the eurozone.

Analysis

Chinese AI Labs Are Slashing Costs by Sharing Research While Western Companies Hoard Theirs

hoover

• Most AI development costs (about 80%) come from research and experimentation, not training the final model, making shared knowledge extremely valuable
• Chinese AI companies openly share technical reports and research findings, allowing competitors to avoid duplicating expensive R&D work
• This collaborative approach creates cost advantages that may help Chinese labs sustain development longer than Western observers expect, while Western companies typically keep innovations internal

Also Worth a Look

• America's Messy Patchwork of China Investment Rules Might Actually Be Working (brookings)
• Trump's grip on the Republican Party faces key tests as primary season reveals intraparty fault lines (brookings)
• Space Debris Is Increasingly Surviving Reentry Because Spacecraft Are Getting Too Strong (the_conversation)
• Can the state force religious preschools to promote other religions? (scotusblog)
• Trump Administration Visa Ban Targets Fact-Checkers and Misinformation Researchers as 'Censors' (politifact)
• Solar power is about to overtake coal in Texas for the first time (eia)
• Florida Schools That Banned Cellphones Saw Test Scores Rise, But Only After More Than a Year (hoover)