By Edward Longe, American Consumer Institute The issue of data protection is never far from consumers’ minds, with 81% of Americans feeling as if they have very little control over the data private companies and the government collect about them. In the United States, these fears are not unfounded, as “there is no one comprehensive federal […]
Author: publisher
Beware tacit collusion: price transparency has its own pitfalls
“Curing High Healthcare Prices” By Robert Graboyes and Jessica McBirney, courtesy of the Mercatus Center For the majority of Americans, the cost of healthcare is a thing of mystery. Go in for a major procedure, and you’ll have no idea what sort of financial statement will waft into your mailbox weeks or months later. […]
Time for Argentina to ditch the peso and dollarize
“It’s Time to Ditch the Argentine Peso” By Steve H. Hanke, courtesy of Fundacion Bases In addition to facing an acute COVID-19 crisis , Argentina’s troubled economy is collapsing, and, as often happens, the tightening knot of inflation is suffocating Argentines. The official inflation in Argentina for August 2020 is 40.70% for the year. And, like never before, Argentina’s official inflation rate is relatively close to […]
Critical minerals, tariffs, and national security
“China’s Critical Minerals, National Security, and the Meaning of Supply Chain Interdependence” By Daniel J. Ikenson, courtesy of the Cato Institute Yesterday, President Trump invoked his authorities under the International Emergency Economic Powers Act (IEEPA) to deem U.S. dependence on imports of “critical minerals” from foreign adversaries a national emergency. Among those minerals are so‐called rare […]
Washington Beyond the Headlines: Wages Were Up, Taxes Down in 2019
By Andy Blom, TES Washington Editor TRUMP HAS COVID-19! And a predictable outpouring of mainstream media bile ensues. If you’re tired of media hysteria and want to know what’s actually being done in Washington, read on… Free Market advocates and organizations are steadfastly ignoring the sensational and doing actual work. Here’s this week’s news […]
Debate on Rail Revenue Threatens Consumer Prices
By Mario H. Lopez, President, Hispanic Leadership Fund A high-stakes debate on revenues generated by the freight rail companies threatens the decades of financial success enjoyed by industry after Congress passed deregulatory measures in the 1980s. The debate centers around “revenue adequacy.” Simply put, revenue adequacy is when the return on investment equals […]
Claims about USPS Mail Delays Omit the Facts and Current Realities
By Steve Pociask, American Consumer Institute With only a few weeks to go before the US Presidential Election, the subject of the U.S. Postal Service’s operational capacities, and specifically, the agency’s ability to handle election mail has drawn an inordinate number of commenters, pundits, and doomsayers into what has been a longstanding debate. Contrary […]
Carbon capture tech is a real, viable option for sustainable development
“Carbon Capture and Utilisation Can Advance SDGs” Courtesy of IASS Potsdam The implementation of the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) is indispensable for building a sustainable and just future. For that reason, technological innovations need to be assessed in terms of their compatibility with these goals. A new study shows that technologies for carbon capture and […]
Can education deal with resurgent nationalism?
“Tackling the Modern Divisions of Europe through Education” By Márk Szabó, courtesy of Europeum Europe’s history is marked by wars and divisions. The former are, thankfully, fewer and farther between since the inception of the European Union, but other divides are still creating walls and trenches between the peoples of Europe. These new […]
How should EU green bonds incorporate environmental goals?
“Redefining European Union green bonds: from greening projects to greening policies” By George Zachmann, courtesy of the Bruegel Institute In her first State of the Union speech (16 September), European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen set a target of raising through green bonds 30% of the up to €750 billion that will be […]