America’s new socially distant reality has warped the landscape of the 2020 election. Candidates aren’t out knocking on doors, and U.S. election officials are bracing for a record surge in mail ballots. But another subtler shift is also occurring — inside people’s brains. Four years after Russia’s expansive influence operation, which touched the feeds of […] Read more
The current U.S. budget deficit could soon exceed a record $4 trillion. The massive borrowing is being driven both by prior budget profligacy and a hurried effort by the Donald Trump administration to pump liquidity into a quarantined America. The shutdown has left the country on the cusp of a self-inflicted economic collapse not seen […] Read more
After accounting for the present crisis, the average millennial has experienced slower economic growth since entering the workforce than any other generation in U.S. history. Millennials will bear these economic scars the rest of their lives, in the form of lower earnings, lower wealth and delayed milestones, such as homeownership. The losses are particularly acute […] Read more
As terribly horrible are the health and economic outcomes of COVID-19, this crisis provides Congress with a unique opportunity to not just help states and local governments’ short-term financial needs, but to provide some much-needed guidance. Any aid package should require state and local governments to develop fiscal stability plans that would address financial imbalances […] Read more
The COVID-19 pandemic has fanned public concerns that the coronavirus could be transmitted by handling cash, according to a recent report by the Switzerland-based Bank of International Settlements, prompting merchants and members of Congress to contemplate more sanitary, hands-off digital payment systems. Although the BIS report says the scientific evidence suggests the probability of coronavirus […] Read more
There appears to be no shortage of interest in cryptocurrency and blockchain policy in D.C. as Members in the House of Representatives and U.S. Senators have introduced a total of 32 bills in the 116th Congress. Thanks to Facebook’s introduction of Project Libra, ongoing efforts to achieve regulatory clarity for the industry, and the novel […] Read more
Social-distancing measures and business closures have significantly disrupted consumer spending habits. While this has created a period of uncertainty for many, ecommerce has instead been trending in a positive direction. The buying habits that have been changing are unlikely to suddenly shift back to what they once were, even after things “get back to normal.” Because […] Read more
MORE THAN 36 MILLION Americans have filed for unemployment benefits since mid-March. While the government is providing a $600 per week boost to the benefits of eligible workers, that extra money only lasts until July 31. Plus, it may not be enough to bridge the gap for some workers. How Are Unemployment Benefits Taxed? Even if unemployment benefits can […] Read more
In addition to these findings, 55% said that they do not believe China can be trusted to fulfil its trade-deal commitment to buy more U.S. products, while 66% said they favor raising import restrictions over the pursuit of free-trade deals as a better way to boost the U.S. economy. The findings come as President Trump […] Read more
Interesting stuff today materialized out of Ukraine. Ukraine, for those of you wearing face masks, is a nation that was vitally critical to US national interests right up to the point when President Trump’s impeachment charges were laughed out of a Senate that counts Mitt Romney among its members. Ukraine became a political battleground in the […] Read more
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