This report explores the current situation in Palestinian-Israeli dynamics and concludes that the only real solution is a return to the two-state paradigm. Peace and security — for both Israelis and Palestinians — will come through mutual recognition of statehood and clearly defined and respected international borders, the author writes.
The authors review the rating systems used to assign state unemployment insurance (SUI) tax rates to businesses, focusing on the reserve ratio and benefit ratio methods, and examine suggested alternatives.
Blockchain technology is giving rise to a new global system that offers great promise for
entrepreneurs and small businesses — but its potential will be stymied if government regulation hinders rather than embraces the transparency and democratization the technology offers, writes the author in this working paper.
A regulation from the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) required that, starting January 1, 2021, all U.S. hospitals publicly display the cash price as well as the minimum and maximum negotiated charge for 300 “shoppable services.”
Vivian Ho, Alan Beltran Lara, David Ruiz, Peter Cram, M.D., Marah ShortMay 12, 2022
Gabriel Collins, the Baker Botts Fellow in Energy & Environmental Regulatory Affairs, testified before the U.S.-China Economic and Security Review Commission during a hearing on China's energy plans and practices. In his written testimony, Collins focuses on China’s interests in fossil energy resources and how they affect its energy procurement infrastructure. He also examines the extent to which China's energy import dependence has shaped the development of its military capabilities.
This report finds that less than half of Texas hospitals are complying with federal price transparency regulations, despite a measure passed by the state Legislature intended to increase the financial penalty for noncompliance.
Vivian Ho, Marah Short, Vivian Ye, Patrick SolcherMarch 21, 2022
Center for Energy Studies senior director Ken Medlock submitted the written statement below (PDF) before his U.S. Senate testimony on examining the use of energy as a tool and a weapon, ensuring energy security for the United States and its allies.
Kenneth B. Medlock III, Michelle Michot FossMarch 11, 2022
The authors write that enormous volumes of “energy transition waste” — waste from wind turbines, solar panels, lithium-ion batteries, etc. — are anticipated in the coming decades. To cope with this waste and ensure a sustainable energy transition, they call for more data, planning and coordination across the entire global supply chain, in addition to waste management and recycling policies that align with environmental and sustainability goals.
Rachel A. Meidl, Michelle Michot Foss, Ju LiMarch 2, 2022
The authors conduct a step-by-step examination of various factors that were blamed for the extended power outage on the ERCOT electricity grid in February 2021. While no single factor fully explains the calamity, the bureaucratic failure in identifying and addressing risks along fuel supply chains was a major failure. Most proposed remedies do not fundamentally address what occurred. The authors make several recommendations, some of which have already been implemented.
Peter R. Hartley, Kenneth B. Medlock III, Shih Yu (Elsie) HungFebruary 2, 2022