Executive Summary The Employee Retention Tax Credit (ERTC) was a Covid-era credit passed under the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act (CARES Act) in March of 2020. Despite the original prediction by the Congressional Budget Office (CBO) that there would be no budgetary effects by 2023, it is estimated that the ERTC cost $119 billion … Continue reading
Latest Entries
Culture / Economy / Fiscal policy / Politics / Regulation
Unlocking Transparency: The FTC’s Battle Against Hidden Fees
Executive Summary Deceptive pricing in various industries most evidently in the hotel and ticketing industry, prompted the FTC’ to propose rules to combat hidden fees and protect consumer interests. The proposed Trade Regulation Rule aims to penalize violators, compensate consumers, and enforce transparent pricing. The broad scope of the proposed rule presents intricate challenges across … Continue reading
The MOM Model: New Strides and Shortcomings in the Fight Against Maternal Opioid Misuse
Executive Summary: The Center for Medicare and Medicaid Innovation Center’s recent evaluation report of the first year of implementation of the Maternal Opioid Misuse (MOM) Model has yet to deliver any meaningful data due to low participation. Substance Abuse is now the leading cause of maternal mortality in the United States and models like MOM … Continue reading
Artificial Intelligence in Drug Development; Benefits, Risks and Necessary Actions
Executive Summary AlphaFold, developed by Alphabet’s DeepMind, and its discovery of hundreds of thousands of new psychedelic molecules that could lead to new antidepressants, highlights a growing trend of artificial intelligence (AI) adoption in the pharmaceutical industry (pharma). The White House’s Executive Order on AI produced October 30, 2023, has charged regulatory agencies from the … Continue reading
Supply Shortages, High Prices, and Carbon Emissions: The Result of Tariffs on Chinese EVs
Executive Summary Increases to import tariffs on foreign vehicles have been hinted at by President Biden and suggested by the House Select Committee on the Chinese Communist Party (CCP). While automobile tariffs are often implemented to stimulate sales of domestic vehicles, it is unclear if American manufacturers can meet the increasing demand for electric vehicles (EVs); high tariffs also dramatically … Continue reading
Economy / Technology / Trade
Big Businesses Ache and Small Businesses Suffer from Digital Protectionism
Executive Summary The United States Trade Representative (USTR) withdrew its support for World Trade Organization (WTO) proposals that promoted cross-border data flows and restricted requirements for data localization and source code transfers. While the decision has been cited as an effort to maintain sufficient “policy space” and control Big Tech, small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) … Continue reading
We Were Born to Die: STI Rates’ Exponential Increase in the U.S.
Executive Summary Sexually transmitted infection (STI) rates are dramatically increasing at a seemingly uncontrollable rate nationwide. Nearly eradicated diseases such as syphilis have made a staggering resurgence, particularly in southern states. Young adults account for nearly half of all newly reported STI cases. Introduction The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) … Continue reading
Trade Barriers and Tariff Schedules: How the United States Risks Chinese Dominance in the Indo-Pacific
Executive Summary While China is reaping the benefits of entering the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP) – the world’s largest free trade agreement (FTA) – the United States has not established a competitive FTA of its own in the Indo-Pacific. RCEP’s tariff schedule aims to reduce tariffs for RCEP nations by approximately 92 percent over … Continue reading
Romeo O Romeo Where Art Thou Romeo: Incel Culture and Rising Infertility
Executive Summary The birth rate in the United States has been steadily decreasing due to several societal contributors. Young and middle-aged men have been struggling romantically, academically, and professionally which has exacerbated the issue. Men’s perceived disenfranchisement has fueled hateful movements specifically towards women and encouraged widespread violence. Introduction The twenty-first century has seen a … Continue reading
Barbie, Beyoncé, and Taylor Swift: How Three Women Saved the United States Economy
Executive Summary Taylor Swift and Beyoncé’s world tours have both contributed significantly to the economy and given tourism among other industries and pre-covid level boost. The Barbie movie has not only grossed a record-breaking amount worldwide but reinvigorated both the movie theater and film industries as a whole. This economic high is not predicted to … Continue reading
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