In his State of the Union Address, President Obama requested that Congress raise the minimum wage and challenged his opponents within Congress to live off $15,000 a year. The current Federal minimum wage stands at $7.25 an hour, and the president is asking that it be increased to $10.10 an hour as a way to … Continue reading
A year ago, after the overthrow of Ukraine’s president and the ensuing crisis, industry leaders in the U.S. pushed to change regulations that prevent liquid natural gas (LNG) exports. If Ukraine had truly wanted to break free from Russian influence, it would have had to eliminate its dependence on Russian gas. However, during that critical … Continue reading
“I looked at that menu, and I just couldn’t control myself!” How many times have you walked into a restaurant planning to order a salad but instead got a whopping 2,000 calorie steak meal? We’ve all faced shortages of self-control, trading in short-term gain for long-term strain. Choosing the inferior food option is only one … Continue reading
John Boehner’s recent invitation to Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to speak in front of a joint meeting of Congress in March has infuriated the Obama Administration. The White House claims they were never consulted about the invitation and did not know that Netanyahu was coming until Boehner announced it publically, which Obama Press Secretary … Continue reading
It’s the middle of the workweek and you wake up to prepare for work only to find you have the flu. Some Americans are then faced with the question of, “Should I stay home and lose a day’s pay, or should I tough it out and head to the office?” President Obama wants to make … Continue reading
When asked about how an industry is recovering from a recession, you would probably point to wages or the number of newly hired employees. Would you think to look at the number of hours employees are working? The average weekly hours across industries has varied widely since the Great Recession. Let’s first look at the … Continue reading
This year marks the fourteenth year since the enactment of No Child Left Behind (NCLB). As a largely unpopular act, lawmakers are up for an interesting year as Congress plans to complete the reauthorization of this act, eight years past its planned reauthorization. With the first Senate Health Education Labor Pension (HELP) full committee hearing … Continue reading
It must be frustrating for President Obama when his policies make no one happy. Recently the administration announced plans to regulate methane emissions, and while the oil and gas industry grumbled about new regulations and added costs, environmental groups complained the new measures don’t go far enough. Is it possible for policymakers to appease environmental … Continue reading
Since the implementation of the Affordable Care Act (ACA), everyone has been holding their breath in anticipation of seeing its effects. In an attempt to curb health care costs by diluting the risk pool, the ACA has mandated that individuals get insurance or pay a fine. It is true that millions are more insured due … Continue reading
OPEC’s refusal to cut crude oil production is like a declaration of war on the United States’ energy industry. Amidst falling oil prices, policymakers have largely stayed out of the fray, leaving U.S. shale oil producers locked in a price war while the public enjoys lower gas prices. However, with the price of oil hovering … Continue reading
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