Category: economic policies

‘Dirty Secret’: Made-In-China Solar Panels Produce 3 Times More Carbon Emissions Than UN Claims: Study

An analysis by a non-profit research group drawing on calculations by an Italian analyst looking into the carbon footprint of made-in-China solar panels claims that the influential United Nations body on climate change has been drastically underestimating the carbon intensity of Chinese-made photovoltaic cells. Environmental Progress, a non-profit co-founded by investigative journalist Michael Shellenberger, in…


FTC’s Khan Doubles Down on Banning Non-Compete Agreements, Fighting Junk Fees

Federal Trade Commission (FTC) Chair Lina Khan doubled down on the agency’s proposal to eliminate non-compete clauses from employment contracts and fight junk fees. The FTC in January released a proposal to prohibit non-complete clauses—a provision that prevents workers from leaving the firm to join a rival company within a specified period—that they say would…


FTC’s Khan Doubles Down on Banning Noncompete Agreements, Fighting Junk Fees

Federal Trade Commission (FTC) Chair Lina Khan doubled down on the agency’s proposal to eliminate noncompete clauses from employment contracts and fight junk fees. The FTC in January released a proposal to prohibit noncompete clauses—which prevent workers from leaving a company to join a rival company within a specified period—in an effort to bolster wages,…


Wall Street Rises Ahead of Megacap Growth Results, Fed Decision

Wall Street’s main indexes crept higher at the open on Monday as investors braced for earnings from megacap growth and technology companies, while focusing on a rate decision from the Federal Reserve later this week. The Dow Jones Industrial Average rose 3.10 points, or 0.01 percent, at the open to 35,230.79. The S&P 500 opened…


Trump’s Trade Chief Lays Out Plan to Beat China at Its Own Game

Former U.S. trade representative Ambassador Robert Lighthizer views the decades of U.S. trade deficit with China as a “wealth transfer.” In his recent interview with EpochTV’s “American Thought Leaders” program, he outlined a playbook to beat China at its own game through strategic decoupling, very much the same thing China has been doing to the…


Euro Drops After Weak Business Activity Data, Central Banks in Focus

SYDNEY/LONDON—The euro slid on Monday after activity data in key economies came in much softer than expected, giving markets a jolt at the start of a week packed with central bank meetings at which investors expect rate hikes in Europe and the United States. The European common currency fell 0.4 percent to $1.1083, skidding after…


Oil Prices Steady as Rate Hikes Expected, Supply Tight

LONDON—Oil prices were steady on Monday as traders expected more rate hikes from U.S. and European central banks, but tightening supply and hopes for Chinese stimulus underpinned Brent at well above $80 a barrel. Brent crude futures rose 4 cents, to $81.11 a barrel by 0644 GMT. U.S. West Texas Intermediate (WTI) crude was at…


Weak PMIs, Spain Election Uncertainty Dent Sentiment

London—World stocks slipped on Monday, with weak business activity data and an inconclusive election result in Spain weighing on sentiment in Europe ahead of a central bank-packed week for markets. German business activity contracted in July, increasing the likelihood of a recession in the second half of the year, the German Flash Composite Purchasing Managers’…


Homeowners, Renters Struggling With Housing Stress: Research

A significant percentage of Australians are experiencing housing stress amid a sharp growth in rents and interest rates, according to new research. The national housing campaign Everybody’s Home, launched by a coalition of housing, homelessness, and welfare organisations has released a report (pdf) revealing the impact of the housing crisis on the community. The report,…


House Republicans Call on Senate to Pass Energy Bill and Revive American Mining

Regulatory and judicial reforms adopted by the House in HR 1, the Lower Energy Costs Act, and being proposed in other bills, are urgently needed to unshackle America’s mining industry before the nation faces significant economic and national security challenges, Republicans warned during a Congressional field hearing on critical mineral development in Goodyear, Arizona, on…