The Baines Report
Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer hailed the $1.2 trillion bipartisan infrastructure plan as a generational milestone. Superficially, his glowing endorsement makes sense. Most of the nation’s major infrastructure has not been improved since the 1960s. Consequently, a 2021 report by the American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE) assigned a “C-” to our infrastructure — indicating […]
If the midterm elections result in a so-called blue wave, Democrats could lead the push in securing funding for much-needed infrastructure investments. According to the American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE), America’s infrastructure has a near failing grade of D+. ASCE recommends an additional $2 trillion in investments over the next decade, from all levels […]
Thursday morning, President Donald Trump announced that he had directed his economic adviser Larry Kudlow and U.S. Trade Representative Robert Lighthizer to look into rejoining the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP). To remind readers, the TPP was the subject of bipartisan scrutiny during the 2016 election cycle – every major candidate denounced the deal. President Trump withdrew […]
In direct affirmation of his campaign promise, President Trump withdrew the United States from the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) just days into his first term. This set an unmistakable precedent not only for the “America First” administration, but also for the future of greater Asia-Pacific-U.S. relations. U.S. disengagement has drastically altered the course of economic integration […]
Photo: Jonathan McIntosh (CC) At a Texas Tribune Festival panel on “Trump and Mexico”, fear and uncertainty underlined conversations for future policy agendas and proposals for U.S.-Mexico relations. Panelist and U.S. Representative, Henry Cuellar, said border communities receive about $1.3 million in revenue resulting from the constant influx of visitors and partnerships from Mexico. However, […]
Photo (CC): Astronaut Randy Bresnik took this photo of Tropical Storm Harvey from the International Space Station on Aug. 28 at 1:27 p.m. CDT. All other photos courtesy of the author. Rumors about Texas gas shortages in the aftermath of Hurricane Harvey prompted irrational but intense desperation among Dallasites to immediately fill up their cars. As a […]
Photo: Paul Sableman (CC) Crook Fellow Cassie Davis details the effects of the Trump administration’s budget proposal will have on the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), using insights gleaned from her work for Bread for the World: SNAP faces budget cut proposals every year, but the Trump administration takes its first hit at the effective food assistance […]
Photo: Reuters/Henry Romero In my class with the Strauss Center’s Mexico Security Initiative[1], my classmates and I are fine-tuning our policy report for the upcoming 2018 Mexican elections. Set against the backdrop of brutal crime and cartel violence, our project focuses on strategies for the next Mexican administration regarding several key policy arenas—economic, security, civil society, […]
Photo: USAID. This op-ed was first published on The Hill on March 8, 2017. Authors: Catherine Weaver (ceweaver@austin.utexas.edu), Mary Vo (mary.vo@utexas.edu), Lina Nabulsi (lina.nabulsi@utexas.edu), and Cassie Gianni (cassie.gianni@utexas.edu) On International Women’s Day on March 8, U.S. Congress can celebrate women by signaling their intent to fully fund the new Global Food Security Act (GFSA). In June […]
Photo: Devin Stewart, Senior Fellow at Carnegie Council, featuring Prof. Mari Miura and Seiko Noda (fifth and sixth from the left) Since 2013, “womenomics” has been a buzzword in Japan’s recent policies to simultaneously stimulate the national economy and incorporate more women into the labor force. The Gender Equality Bureau Cabinet Office initially set out lofty […]