How the U.S. Fell Behind in Adopting the Electric Car
The United States, once the pioneer of modern electric vehicles, now trails China and Europe in both sales and production. In 2025, U.S. EV sales stalled at 1.5 million units—about 10% of new car sales—while China moved 13 million EVs and captured 55% of its new‑car market. U.S. factories produced roughly 1 million EVs, a fraction of China’s 15.9 million, which accounted for 75% of global output. Diminished federal incentives, a sparse charging network, and a consumer bias toward large SUVs have compounded the slowdown.
Can Companies Insure Against AI’s Growing Risks?
Artificial intelligence is generating a surge of legal and financial liabilities, from fabricated legal citations and biased hiring tools to deep‑fake privacy breaches. High‑profile cases—including Anthropic’s $1.5 billion copyright settlement and a $240 million verdict against Tesla’s autopilot—show that exposure can be...
Supply Disruptions and Energy Security
War in Iran has choked the Strait of Hormuz, cutting off about 8% of global oil flow, the largest disruption since the 1970s. In the first month of the conflict, West Texas Intermediate rose roughly 50%, a muted response compared...
How Do Fertility Rates Affect US Fiscal Sustainability?
The United States’ fertility rate has fallen to a record low of 1.57 births per woman in 2025, well below the 2.1 replacement threshold. Historical spikes during the Baby Boom created a surge in the old‑age dependency ratio, pushing entitlement...
Do State Abortion Bans Affect Housing Markets?
New NBER research finds that states enacting total abortion bans after the June 2022 Dobbs decision experienced a measurable slowdown in rental price growth and a rise in vacancy rates compared with states protecting abortion access. Using Zillow rental indices...
The Jones Act and the Cost of Shipping Between U.S. Ports (UPDATED)
The Trump administration granted a 60‑day waiver of the Jones Act to ease oil market disruptions amid rising crude prices and supply‑chain strains from the Iran conflict. The Jones Act, a 1920 cabotage law requiring U.S.-flagged, U.S.-built vessels for domestic...
How Does the U.S. Tax System Stack Up?
The United States collects general‑government tax revenue equal to about 25.5% of GDP, roughly ten percentage points below the OECD average. Only two‑thirds of that revenue comes from the federal level, a share far lower than other industrial federations. Compliance...
The Rising Burden of Elder Care in the United States
The United States faces a growing elder‑care burden as the population ages. About 29% of adults 65 and older report difficulty with daily activities, rising to 60% for those 85+, while roughly one‑quarter of those in need receive no care....