Research Library

In late July, Texas Comptroller Glenn Hegar delivered a bleak economic outlook for the state’s economy: the amount of general revenue funds available for the current biennium is expected to be $11.5 billion less than originally estimated. Should the state tap into its rainy day fund to offset the impact of the coronavirus pandemic and facilitate a stable recovery?

While Thursday’s Supreme Court ruling temporarily protects the DACA program, its fate now rests with the November presidential election.

The oil glut and the unprecedented drop in demand, along with plummeting oil prices due to the coronavirus pandemic, is revealing the strengths and weaknesses of oil firms globally. The authors consider four NOCs — Ecopetrol, Petrobras, Petronas and Pemex — in the context of the current crisis.

Leveraging a crash in oil revenue, the Saudi government has quickly imposed unprecedented changes to the way it raises cash by increasing taxes and slashing subsidies in ways Saudi citizens once considered unthinkable.

The Covid-19 pandemic may spur a period of "economic Darwinism," finishing off weak businesses and favoring wealthy nations, write the authors.

Fellow Vivian Ho discusses the sources she's following that shape her thoughts on how long the pandemic will last and what policy actions seem most promising. Baker Institute Blog: https://bit.ly/3aRTDrF

Fellow Rachel A. Meidl critiques China's ban on plastics, arguing that "simply banning a product and encouraging the use of understudied alternative products" is not enough. Forbes Blog: http://bit.ly/2O0ALh2

Despite the wealth of evidence attesting to the efficacy of medication-assisted treatment for opioid addiction, the majority of Americans who need it can't get it — including in Harris County, Texas’ largest county. Baker Institute Blog: https://bit.ly/31D9qGV