Research Library

Legislation regulating commercial transport by ship is impeding economic development and growth, the authors write. Read the post on the Baker Institute Blog.  This post originally appeared in the Forbes blog on April 9, 2020.

The authors discuss a U.S. House proposal to repeal the cap on the state and local tax deduction and why that would be a mistake, especially given the pandemic and the policy responses that should be enacted. Baker Institute Blog: https://bit.ly/3e3qHix

International and domestic oil and gas markets and prices are under heavy pressure from COVID-19 impacts and the Russian-Saudi Arabia oil market battle. With, all eyes are on U.S. domestic producers, especially those occupying the shale patch, Michelle Michot Foss, fellow in energy and minerals, provides some important considerations for the U.S. oil and gas industry. Forbes Blog: http://bit.ly/2WqVEqt

Given the uncertainty surrounding the economic effects and the poorly targeted benefits and burdens of a minimum wage, it is unlikely to be the best policy to increase the wages of low-wage workers. Fellow John Diamond explains in the Baker Institute Blog

U.S. National Security Advisor John Bolton recently remarked that Brazil's newly elected president, Jair Bolonsoro, is a “like-minded” leader for the Trump administration. In a blog for Axios, nonresident fellow Christopher Sabatini reviews these comments and the right-wing authoritarian style of Bolsonaro: https://bit.ly/2EYT9od

Texas Gov. Greg Abbott has signed into law a controversial "sanctuary cities" measure that allows police officers to ask people during routine stops if they are in the U.S. legally. Research analyst Pamela Cruz describes the legal fight to prevent the law's enforcement.

Aside from the massive cost of constructing a physical barrier along the entire U.S.-Mexico border, factors such as private and tribal land ownership and the impact on the environment must be taken into account.

The U.S. Customs and Border Protection’s two main methodologies for measuring border wait times have been found to be “unreliable and of limited usefulness” to users crossing the U.S.-Mexico border. However, cross-border residents are utilizing social media to share pictures, videos and real-time information on wait times to address this gap.