It’s been reported that Elon Musk’s Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) is looking at changing money forever. Musk’s plan? Kill the penny. Killing the penny is a popular idea, and it sounds like a no-brainer when you look at some of the details. After all, when was the last time you actually used a penny?...
In November 2023, the warning came, as clear as an omen. A political upstart was seeking office and, if elected, his policies were likely to cause “devastation” in his own country and “severely reduce policy space in the long run.” The threat was a chainsaw-wielding disciple of Austrian economics from Argentina who embraced laissez-faire economics....
Credit cards. You apply for one because it offers you cash back, frequent flyer miles, or some other perk. (After all, the email said you were “pre-approved.”) Or your bank basically handed it to you when you applied for a checking account. Most people today have several in their wallets, and cards (either credit or...
As Elon Musk continues to take over and wind down parts of the federal bureaucracy, establishment figures from across media and politics are growing increasingly resentful of the tech entrepreneur. If you read a national newspaper, turn on a major news channel, or tune into one of the establishment’s many late-night “satire” shows, you’re bound...
The Biden-Harris administration left the fiscal situation of the U.S. government in a world of hurt. In January 2025, the Congressional Budget Office projected federal budget deficits will range between 5.5 and 6.5% of GDP during the next 10 years under current law. These figures compare with an average budget deficit of 3.8% of GDP...
Words have a way of coming back to haunt us. If in doubt, just ask Sam Altman. He once dismissed startups with only $10 million as “totally hopeless.” They could never compete with industry titans like OpenAI, or so he thought. With just $5.6 million in funding, DeepSeek proved him wrong. The Chinese AI startup...
With Justin Trudeau stepping down, Canada is entering a turbulent political season. Parliament has been prorogued until March 24, giving time for Trudeau’s Liberal Party to select a new leader. The new leader will become Prime Minister as leader of the party in government, but will then likely lose a non-confidence vote in the House...
An objective look at and assessment of key economic data, not either party’s rhetoric, is needed to understand the results of the fall 2024 U.S. presidential election. Below, we evaluate 13 key indicators impacting the U.S. economy and their role in the re-election of Donald Trump. 1. Inflation: Inflation proved to be one of the...
President Donald Trump imposed 25% tariffs on Canadian and Mexican imports and a further 10% tariff on Chinese imports, to take effect on Feb. 1. In doing so Trump built on tariffs he put into effect during his first term—tariffs that President Joe Biden largely kept in place or added to. This resurgence of tariffs...
There’s something happening here. What it is, ain’t exactly clear. Around the world, there is growing impatience with the orthodoxies and condescension of the progressive left. In the past two years, right-leaning parties have outperformed electoral expectations in Belgium, France, Germany, Italy, the Netherlands, and Portugal, and countries such as Hungary, Poland, and — again...
Chickens are a remarkably adaptable species, thriving in diverse climates and easily fitting into both small-scale and industrial farming systems. Their ability to consume a wide range of feed, reproduce quickly, and lay eggs consistently has made them an efficient, readily renewable source of protein for mankind. Thus chickens have become a key pillar of...
Across the world, contactless payments are revolutionizing daily transactions. Through the tap of your card or the wave of your smartphone, contactless payments have allowed consumers to pay for goods and services in a convenient, quick, and secure way. In 2021, Rishi Sunak (prior to his 2022–2024 premiership) announced that the limit for contactless payments...
A recent analysis by the Mackinac Center for Public Policy refutes an oft-touted claim by unions that right-to-work laws result in lower wages for workers. “Right-to-Work States Do Not Have Lower Wages,” authored by Christopher Douglas, an economics professor at the University of Michigan-Flint, examines a union-funded study that is frequently cited to criticize right-to-work...
The devastating wildfires experienced by the people of southern California have left behind many indelible pictures of destruction in recent weeks. But perhaps one picture above all tells the truest tale of the catastrophe: the empty reservoir at Santa Ynez. “This was supposed to be the water to put out the Palisades fire,” stated the...