Executive Overview – There is a recurring practice of firms failing to disclose upfront mandatory charges in the advertised price of their goods or services, leading to an unexpected higher final cost for consumers (e.g. “resort fees” in hotel bookings and “processing fees” in ticket purchases). – Misleading pricing threatens competition in the market, as … Continue reading
Executive Summary Recent CPI-U and CPI-E (age 62+) data suggests the elderly have experienced higher CPI growth over the same period, and the heightened rate is likely from a greater weight in the shelter component of CPI which accounts for the housing costs of those who both own and rent their properties. Homebuying trends have … Continue reading
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY On December 08, 2023, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved Casgevy and Lyfgenia, the first CRISPR-based treatment for sickle cell disease. Gene editing marks a major milestone in the potential to cure genetic disorders but, the process has raised many ethical concerns. As gene editing is a relatively recent advancement, there … Continue reading
Executive Summary – A recent cyberattack targeting American Water — the US’s largest water utility provider —resulted in a breach of American’s personal information and a customer service portal shutdown, raising concerns about an increasing use of ransomware and disruption to attack critical utility infrastructure. – The increasing number of attacks on American infrastructure has many … Continue reading
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY The semiconductor industry, projected by the World Semiconductor Trade Statistics (WSTS) to reach approximately $611 billion in value by 2024, is considered the backbone of the Fourth Industrial Revolution, serving as an essential element in modern technology and innovation. Demand disruptions caused by the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020 caused the overall projected revenue … Continue reading
Executive Summary The 2023: A historic year of U.S. billion-dollar weather and climate disasters | NOAA Climate.gov indicates the increasingly detrimental costs of the growing occurrence of natural disasters as the total cost of U.S. billion-dollar disasters over the last 5 years (2019-2023) is $603.1 billion, with a 5-year annual cost average of $120.6 billion, … Continue reading
Executive Summary: The energy demands of Artificial Intelligence (AI) and data centers are rising rapidly, threatening the achievement of Net Zero 2030 targets, and raising concerns about the environmental impact of AI development and data storage. Data centers will account for 9 percent of the US’s total power consumption by 2030, significantly impacting the power … Continue reading
Executive Summary: According to the CNN school shootings database, there have been at least 50 school shootings so far in the United States in 2024. The incidents left 24 people dead and at least 66 other victims injured, according to CNN’s analysis of events reported by the Gun Violence Archive, Education Week, and Everytown for … Continue reading
Executive Summary: • ISIS released an Artificial Intelligence (AI) generated misinformation video following a bombing attack on a Russian concert venue, which prompted fears about the depth of AI use in terrorist activities. • Generative AI has cut time, automated recruitment and information dissemination, as well as decreased the need for highly skilled members in … Continue reading
Executive Summary The United States is projected to fall short of the climate goals it set under the 2015 Paris Agreement, even with the burdensome provisions of the Inflation Reduction Act. Carbon pricing programs present a more cost-effective solution than subsidies and could reduce emissions by the required amount while generating revenue. Existing carbon pricing … Continue reading
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