Note this post was written on June 17, 2025 and does not reflect subsequent events. EXECUTIVE SUMMARY INTRODUCTION High oil prices are top of mind these days for good reason. Brent oil prices have spiked more than 12% from $64 per barrel at the beginning of June to $72—mostly on fears of a Strait of … Continue reading
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The Tech Industry’s Transition to 24/7 Carbon-Free Energy
Executive Summary Introduction The digital economy is rapidly evolving due to artificial intelligence (AI), which is leading to an expansion of its energy footprint. Major technology companies, including Google, Microsoft, Amazon, and Meta, have led the private sector in consuming clean electricity, from purchasing renewable energy certificates (RECs) to utilizing 24/7 Carbon-Free Energy (CFE). A … Continue reading
The Real Price of Clean Air: Evidence from Ozone Emissions and U.S. Manufacturing
When the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) revised current ozone emission standards in 2015, the agency’s regulatory impact analysis failed to quantify production losses for manufacturing. This study leverages the EPA’s attainment threshold to show that current ozone regulations lower revenues for manufacturing firms by an average of $277 million annually. Findings indicate that the EPA’s impact analysis underestimates realized economic effects, generating both economic and regulatory policy implications. Continue reading
Impact of AI on Healthcare
Executive Summary Introduction Artificial intelligence (AI) has had a large impact on healthcare by streamlining clinical workflows as well as medical research. Unlike many consumer-facing AI models such as ChatGPT, medical AI solutions are designed to assist with specific purposes such as electronic health record (EHR) documentation, radiological image analysis, and protein structure prediction. A … Continue reading
Gridlock ahead? Driving innovation in the autonomous vehicle market
Executive Summary Introduction On May 20, robotaxi company Waymo announced that 10 million driverless rides had been purchased across four U.S. cities. Autonomous vehicle (AV) technology has the potential to reorder the future, improving safety and saving time and money for American consumers. However, this promising technology is impeded by a challenging regulatory environment in … Continue reading
House Bill Includes Costly Reforms to Health Reimbursement Arrangements & Health Savings Accounts
Executive Summary Introduction On May 22, 2025, the House of Representatives passed a budget reconciliation bill – referred to as the “One Big Beautiful Bill Act” – which includes many key provisions relating to health care policy. While the proposed changes to Medicaid and the Affordable Care Act garner more public attention, the additional changes … Continue reading
America / Debt / Economy / Fiscal Cliff / Fiscal policy / Politics / Tariffs / Taxes / Trade / U.S. Domestic Policy
Recession Risk in 2025: A Weighted Logit Model with Policy Insights
An overheating economy, high policy uncertainty, and declining consumer confidence pose recession risks of 53 percent as of April 2025. This paper employs a weighted logit model to aid policymakers in early intervention. Key indicators include consumer expenditure, yield curve, disposable income, and economic policy uncertainty, enhancing prediction accuracy in recession modeling. Continue reading
Direct Primary Care: A Divisive Yet Promising Development in Health Care
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY INTRODUCTION Access to primary care is a key component of achieving the best possible health outcomes for both individuals and communities. Primary care providers (PCPs) foster steady relationships with their patients and serve as a consistent source of care, which is essential for prevention, early detection, and management of diseases and chronic conditions. … Continue reading
What will sector-specific tariffs cost?
Executive Summary Introduction Although President Trump has paused his April 2 “Liberation Day” tariffs for 90 days, he continues to threaten immanent sector-specific tariffs. The threatened sectors include pharmaceuticals, copper, lumber, semiconductors, chemicals and minerals, and energy, which combined account for roughly 20-percent of U.S. imports and include most products initially exempted from “Liberation Day” … Continue reading
A Drop in Consumer Sentiment: Economic Consequences and Policy Impacts
Executive Summary Introduction The Council of Economic Advisers (CEA) provides research and analyses to the Executive branch to inform policy directives. CEA Chair Stepehen Miran appeared on CNBC on March 25th amid economic uncertainty, stating he does not believe there is a strong relationship between consumer sentiment and consumer spending. Consumer sentiment is tracked in detail by … Continue reading
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