President Obama’s “strategic pivot” to Asia has received a lot of attention lately. Philip Zelikow, former advisor to Condoleezza Rice, defended the move, while Arnaud de Borchgave remarked that “U.S. strategic moves from Europe to the western Pacific and South China Sea are likely to be more pirouette than pivot — spinning on one foot, … Continue reading
Latest Entries
STEM Cannot Support Top-Down Policy
STEM Cannot Support Top Down Policy In 2008, over 61% of advanced degrees in engineering from American universities were awarded to non-U.S. citizens. For mathematics, 50% of advanced degrees went to foreigners. But foreigners only composed 8% of those who received education degrees.[1] This trend is alarming for two reasons. First, it shows that the … Continue reading
If you think our political campaigns and elections have become too negative…
I invite you to take a look at the (one-sided) mudslinging that has already begun in Venezuela, less than a week after the Venezuelan opposition held a primary to pick their candidate to compete against incumbent President Hugo Chavez. Henrique Capriles was the clear winner of the primary, capturing more than two-thirds of the more … Continue reading
Economic Daily Outlook
FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 17, 2012 ECONOMICS: The Buffet Tax Rule Is Really More of a Guidelinehttp://www.nytimes.com/2012/02/17/us/politics/white-house-sees-buffett-tax-rule-more-as-a-guide.html?nl=todaysheadlines&emc=tha23President Obama has made the Buffett Rule, mandating that millionaires pay at least 30 percent of their incomes in taxes, the centerpiece of his campaign for “fairness.” But look for it among the myriad tax changes the White House detailed in … Continue reading
America / CFPB / Economy / Other / Regulation / Uncategorized
Rebuilding and Altering the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau
Deep Breath Before the Plunge It would be an understatement if the hearing on February 8th, 2011 would be considered as anything less than tame. During opening statements alone, which were typically no longer than two minutes, both attacks and decibels were on the rise. Whether on the attack or coming to the defense of … Continue reading
Day of budget hearings reminds everyone of the task ahead
Today’s hearings in the Senate and House Budget Committees highlight the ocean of varying perspectives on the President’s budget and the appropriate approach to take on essential reforms and deficit reduction. Though committee members were certainly guilty of playing the blame game, on both sides of the aisle, many showed a genuine concern for our … Continue reading
EPA Hearing — The Industry Strikes Back
In the 8th Regulatory Reform Hearing, The Subcommittee on Oversight and Investigations discussed “Private-Sector Views of the Regulatory Climate One Year After Executive Order 13563.” Overseeing the committee, Mr. Stearns opened expressing concerns that over one half of private industry refuses to hire based on concerns due to healthcare costs and regulation overburden. The adjusted … Continue reading
US Allies Recognizing the Losing Nature of the Current “War on Drugs”
Earlier this week, Guatemala’s newly elected President Otto Perez Molina said that the US’s inability to decrease illegal drug consumption has left Guatemala in a position where it must consider legalizing the use and transport of drugs. He plans to raise the issue of legalization of illicit drugs at an upcoming summit of Central American … Continue reading
The Future of (Health) IT
With speedy communication networks and smartphone apps covering everything from restaurant reviews to interactive games, it seems that information technology (IT) is on the path to dominate the 21st century. With it, investments in IT promise to bring efficient communication methods to various industries including health care. A recent report published by the Bipartisan Policy … Continue reading
The Disconnect Between Higher Education and Workforce Demands
Last week, the Pew Research Center released a report examining the lives of young Americans in the wake of the Great Recession. Unsurprisingly, 41 percent of those interviewed felt that young people, ages 18-24, face greater challenges weathering the economic storm than their older counterparts. That said, perhaps the most astonishing statistic from the report is … Continue reading
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