It’s been 11 weeks since Congress passed the CARES Act, which, among its many other provisions, established the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP). Nearly three‐quarters of U.S. small businesses have so far availed themselves of this program. But it turns out that fewer small businesses got a PPP loan in the states hardest‐hit by the Covid‐19 pandemic than elsewhere. … Continue reading Paycheck Protection Program: Who Lent to Whom, and Where?
On June 22, President Trump banned the skilled worker categories including the H-1B for newly hired skilled professionals. My colleagues and I have already laid out numerous issues with this decision (here, here, here, here, and here). But the proclamation text appears to betray a confusion about basic economic statistics. In his proclamation, the president states: Certain nonimmigrant visa programs authorizing such employment … Continue reading Trump’s H-1B Ban Based on a Misreading of Economic Statistics
In March, Princess Pope was forced to close her business—Guns and Roses Boutique, located in Dallas—because of the coronavirus. Then things got worse. Shortly after she was allowed to reopen, Pope’s store was vandalized and looted during the protests and riots that erupted following the death of George Floyd. “I can’t believe it,” Pope told … Continue reading Charlamagne tha God and Killer Mike Urge Black Americans to Embrace the 2nd Amendment
It’s an election year, so it must be time for some grandiose infrastructure proposals. Representative Peter DeFazio (D-OR), chair of the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee, has come out with a $494 billion five‐year transportation proposal, which is a huge boost from Congress’ 2015 five‐year spending package of $305 billion. Congress writes a new highway & transit package about every five … Continue reading Trump’s $1 Trillion Infrastructure Plan
Even before our nationwide COVID-19 panic attack, we were heading for yet another trillion dollar deficit. Before the dust settled, 30 million Americans had filed for unemployment, those fortunate enough to have jobs were figuring out how to work from home, and nearly everyone was left wondering whom to trust given the ever-shifting medical advice … Continue reading (Un) Happy Deficit Day, America
President Trump announced yesterday that he would suspend several foreign worker programs for the remainder of the year. These visas include the J-1, L-1, H-1B, and H-2B. The president claims that the suspensions are necessary to protect jobs for Americans, but the fact is that these programs create jobs for Americans, and eliminating them will undermine job … Continue reading Foreign Worker Programs That Trump’s Order Targets Create Jobs for Americans
It is common to hear social media figures and pundits deride censorship on social media and other technology platforms. As I wrote in Towards Data Science, this threat is very real, especially during the COVID-19 public health crisis. However, the exaggeration of the threat plays into our society’s growing fondness for “grievance culture.” The story … Continue reading Is Private Internet Censorship Unconstitutional?
At the Guardian David Ferguson criticizes calls by Cato’s Chris Edwards and others to privatize the U.S. Postal Service. The headline of the article tugs at the heartstrings: The US Postal Service lifted my family out of poverty. We can’t let it die And Ferguson writes: The postal service hired my grandfather when he returned from fighting in … Continue reading Open the Postal Service to Competition
California and other state and local governments have filed suit to stop the Trump administration’s SAFE (Safer Affordable Fuel Efficiency) rule. That rule replaced the outgoing Obama administration’s rule requiring five percent annual increases in Corporate Average Fuel Economy, reaching 54 mpg by 2025, with 1.5 percent annual increases, reaching 40 mpg in 2026. California … Continue reading Fuel Efficiency Rules Lead to Deadlier Car Accidents
The Trump Administration has just issued an proclamation that will restrict the issuance of many temporary economic migrant work visas. The proclamation will go into effect on June 24 at 12:01 a.m. eastern daylight time. The visas affected are the H-1B visa for skilled temporary migrant workers, the H-2B visa for temporary lower‐skilled non‐agricultural employment, most J visas, and L visas for intracompany transfers. … Continue reading Trump’s Cancellation of Work Visas Will Hurt American Economy
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