Last week, Senator Mike Lee (R-Utah) wrote an op-ed titled, “A Victory for the American People Against the Export-Import Bank.” The “victory” being Senate Banking Committee Chairman Richard Shelby (R-Alabama) blocking a vote on the nomination of J. Mark McWatters to the export credit agency’s board. By blocking the nomination from a Senate vote, Sen. … Continue reading
A source of frustration for policy makers is that effective policy and feasible policy do not always neatly intersect. Of course the political climate determines the reforms that receive serious attention, but some proposals fail even without ideological opposition. One roadblock for evidence-backed proposals that policy makers must navigate is the “wrong pocket problem”. The … Continue reading
On June 15, the House Budget Committee gathered to discuss the need for fiscal goals to “drive discipline and accountability”, in the words of Chairman Tom Price. The hearing comes at a time of a skyrocketing Public Debt of $19 trillion, a sluggish economic recovery and another recession looming around the corner. The U.S. has sustained … Continue reading
In May 2015, it was discovered that a patient in the U.S. had contracted a strain of bacteria that was resistant to the strongest of antibiotics, a characteristic known as antimicrobial resistance (AMR). This condition can result in previously harmless and treatable infections becoming deadly “superbugs.” Reactions to this announcement ranged from paranoid to nonchalant, … Continue reading
Since the Individual Mandate statute of the Affordable Care Act was enacted in January 2014, every American is accountable for an Individual Shared Responsibility* payment every year. Meaning, if you do not have health insurance, you will face penalties. While you may not see an actual summons, or pay a fine, the federal government enforces … Continue reading
After years of fighting, the Senate has reached a compromise regarding the use of Russian rocket engines for U.S. military space launches. The agreement lifts the ban implemented in the 2015 National Defense Authorization Act until 2022, after which the Pentagon can no longer issue launch contracts to firms using Russian made rockets. “Firms,” … Continue reading
Network weaknesses are like holes in a fence – eventually something is going to get through. This entry will look at how hacking groups were able to take advantage of general weaknesses in outdated systems and gain access to a rural dam and a network of hospitals in the DC-metro area Continue reading
In August 2015, a physician in Brazil noticed that a patient’s microcephaly did not display the characteristics associated with normal causes of the disease. As additional cases were presented to the physician, the Zika virus was eventually identified as the cause. Today, this disease is dangerously close to becoming an epidemic in the United States. … Continue reading
Among the many popular topics of the 2016 presidential campaigns, healthcare remains a timeless defining issue sparking vivid debate on both sides of the political spectrum. In the 2016 presidential campaign, the Affordable Care Act (ACA) – commonly referred to as “Obamacare” – has become the privileged scapegoat. However, beyond the political contention, an aspect … Continue reading
In the next few years, autonomous vehicles will become mainstream. While the policy infrastructure has a ways to go, companies like Google and Tesla are incredibly close to perfecting the technology that will allow cars to safely drive themselves. As a result, it is estimated the yearly accident frequency per vehicle will decline significantly from … Continue reading
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