Executive Summary Introduction On April 6th, 2023, French President Emmanuel Macron and European Commission President Ursula Von der Leyen met with Chinese President Xi Jingping in his hometown of Guangzhou, China to discuss the bilateral relationship of Europe and China. The conversation centered on Sino-European trade relations, climate change and global solutions, the Ukraine war, and … Continue reading
Latest Entries
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 Introduction A top Russian official stated at the St. Petersburg International Economic Forum in March that Russia and India are working together on a central digital bank currency (CDBC), with the assistance of other BRICS nations (Brazil, Russia, India, China, and South Africa). State Duma Deputy Chairman Alexander Babakov stated that the currency … 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Bank’s (SVB) failure was caused by the largest bank run in American history with a total of $42 billion in deposits withdrawn in less than 24 hours. 2.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 Introduction On March 23rd and 24th, United States Trade Representative (USTR) Katherine Tai testified in front of the Senate Finance Committee and the House Ways and Means Committee, respectively. Ambassador Tai provided her annual congressional testimony focused on the Biden Administration’s trade agenda and ongoing trade pursuits. In almost seven hours of questioning, … 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
Wine and Cheese: Europe’s Grating Support of Geographical Indications
Executive Summary Introduction “Like a fine cheese, this case has matured and is ripe for our review,” stated the judges of the Fourth Circuit Court of Appeals in their decision of an extensive legal battle between European cheese producers and the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO). The court ruled this month against the Swiss … Continue reading
The Potential Revision of NEPA Could Lead to Millions of Dollars Saved on Federal Projects
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY INTRODUCTION On Tuesday, February 28, 2023, The House Committee on Natural Resources held a hearing to discuss the “Building United States Infrastructure through Limited Delays and Efficient Reviews (BUILDER) Act of 2023”. The BUILDER Act aims to increase efficiency through permitting reform by reducing repetitive and lengthy processes while focusing on environmental protection … Continue reading
The Windsor Framework: Tackling “Troubles” in post-Brexit Trade in Northern Ireland
Executive Summary Introduction Three years after Brexit, United Kingdom Prime Minister Rishi Sunak and President of the European Commission Ursula von der Leyen announced the Windsor Framework. The plan would modify the Northern Ireland Protocol, the current trade rules that were agreed upon in the Brexit withdrawal agreement. The Protocol established EU compliant custom checks for products … Continue reading
Searching for Common Ground between Energy Security and Environmental Justice
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY The Committee on Energy and Commerce held a hearing on February 7, 2023, titled Unleashing American Energy, Lowering Energy Costs, and Strengthening Supply Chains. During this hearing, the committee discussed 17 proposed bills. Several bills aim to remediate shortages and high prices by addressing the importance of American energy by creating waivers to … Continue reading
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