Executive Summary: In June, three automakers Ford Motor Company, General Motors, and Rivian, have all switched to manufacture electric vehicles (EV) with the North American Charging Standard (NACS), Tesla’s proprietary charging port integrated into their 21,000 Superchargers nationwide. To access the Biden Administration’s $7.5 billion allocated for EV charging, the Combined Charging System (CCS), a … Continue reading
Latest Entries
WIC’s Unsavory Response to Economic Instability During COVID-19
Executive Summary A surge in unemployment during COVID-19 caused more families to become eligible for the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infant, and Children (WIC). Yet, national program participation barely budged. Many “online” states that digitized enrollment and benefit reloading processes for WIC saw increases in WIC participation, ranging from 2% to 20%. However, … Continue reading
The Green New Deal, Reintroduced
Executive Summary Canadian wildfires spread smoke from the Midwest to the Mid-Atlantic United States last week, prompting some policymakers to renew calls for massive climate change initiatives such as the Green New Deal. The Green New Deal, the Inflation Reduction Act, and other similar initiatives impose massive costs and institute inefficient programs for mitigating climate … Continue reading
Child Labor Regulatory Rollbacks
Executive Summary 1. A tight labor market has caused business leaders to seek child labor to fill the gaps. 2. States are following a trend to roll back regulations on child labor. 3. Safety risks and poverty risks endanger children. Introduction In 1938, Congress passed the Fair Labor Standards Act to stop companies from using … Continue reading
“Strategic Autonomy”: Macron Splinters on Western Relations with China
Executive Summary This month, French President Emmanuel Macron and European Commission President Ursula Von der Leyen met with Chinese President Xi Jingping in China to discuss political and economic ties between Europe and China. During the summit, Macron denounced American and European efforts to economically “decouple” from China and reiterated the French desire for European … Continue reading
The EPA is Forcing Power Plants into Submission
Executive Summary 1. The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is pushing a wave of regulations on air pollutants to advance the Biden Administration’s goal to zero out greenhouse emissions. 2. The EPA’s agenda to regulate the power industry aims to force coal plants to close or to switch to renewable energy. 3. A 19-state coalition pushes … Continue reading
“De-Dollarization”: BRICS Countries Propose New Currency
Executive Summary In late March, Russian officials announced that the BRICS (Brazil, Russia, India, China, and South Africa) countries are working on creating a new currency for use in international trade. BRICS has developed deep ties since its inception in 2009 through expanded access in trade, annual diplomatic summits, and the creation of the New Development Bank. … Continue reading
Two Sides of the Same Coin: A Comparison of Different Perspectives on Recent Bank Failures
Executive Summary 1. Silicon Valley Bank’s (SVB) failure was caused by the largest bank run in American history with a total of $42 billion in deposits withdrawn in less than 24 hours. 2. The failure of SVB and subsequentially, Signature Bank, marks one of the first true stress tests to the United States (U.S.) financial … Continue reading
The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly: USTR Tai’s Week on Capitol Hill
Executive Summary Last week, United States Trade Representative (USTR) Katherine Tai delivered her annual congressional testimony to the Senate Finance Committee and the House Ways and Means Committee to convey the Biden Administration’s trade agenda and to answer pertinent questions from members of Congress. Shifting from the Administration’s work thus far in trade, Ambassador Tai … Continue reading
The EPA is Pushing Regulations on PFAS to the Limit
Executive Summary • The cost to get levels of PFAS to adhere to proposed regulations could be astronomical, leading to costs falling on consumers. • States and rural areas with limited resources would be forced to push infrastructure objectives further on their backlog to adhere to drinking water regulations. • Water providers … Continue reading
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