Policy

487 stories

In-depth policy analysis and news for business executives.

Twenty States Offer Sales Tax Holidays in 2026, Despite Questionable Benefits
Economics

Twenty States Offer Sales Tax Holidays in 2026, Despite Questionable Benefits

Twenty states are offering sales tax holidays in 2026, but a Tax Foundation report finds they deliver minimal economic benefit while imposing compliance costs and often failing to help low-income consumers.

19m ago
FERC Orders Six Grid Operators to Fix Data Center Connection Rules in 60 Days
Energy

FERC Orders Six Grid Operators to Fix Data Center Connection Rules in 60 Days

FERC gave six grid operators 60 days to fix tariffs for large loads above 50 MW, seeking consistent interconnection rules and cost transparency for data centers.

1h ago
Illinois Imposes First U.S. Crypto Tax, Charging Even on Losing Trades
Policy

Illinois Imposes First U.S. Crypto Tax, Charging Even on Losing Trades

Illinois becomes first U.S. state to tax cryptocurrency transactions at 0.2%, applying even to losing trades. The law takes effect Jan. 1, expected to generate $60 million annually.

21h ago
Austin ISD's Top 30 Employees Earn $5.9 Million as District Cuts $186 Million
Education

Austin ISD's Top 30 Employees Earn $5.9 Million as District Cuts $186 Million

Austin ISD's top 30 employees earned $5.9 million as the district cut $186 million from its budget, revealing administrative excess that contradicts officials' funding crisis narrative, report finds.

22h ago
Illinois Public School Enrollment Falls to 1.8 Million, Birth Rates Drop 31%
Education

Illinois Public School Enrollment Falls to 1.8 Million, Birth Rates Drop 31%

Illinois public school enrollment has fallen to levels projected for 2030, driven by a 31% birth rate decline since 2007. Underutilized buildings cost taxpayers thousands more per student annually.

22h ago
Louisiana Requires ID Documents for Inmates Before Release Starting August
Policy

Louisiana Requires ID Documents for Inmates Before Release Starting August

Louisiana's new law requires prisons to provide inmates with state IDs, birth certificates, Social Security cards, and work records before release starting August 1, helping over 1,000 monthly releases.

23h ago
California's Plastic Ban Forces Packaging Changes on All 50 States, Lawsuit Claims
Policy

California's Plastic Ban Forces Packaging Changes on All 50 States, Lawsuit Claims

California's 2032 plastic ban forces national packaging changes as companies use single designs for all states, prompting 17 states to sue over constitutional commerce violations.

1d ago
Nigeria Deepwater Oil Projects Could Add 700,000 Barrels Daily, Report Says
Energy

Nigeria Deepwater Oil Projects Could Add 700,000 Barrels Daily, Report Says

Wood Mackenzie reports Nigeria's deepwater oil sector could add 700,000 barrels daily if nine major projects advance, reversing a decade-long decline in Africa's largest producer.

1d ago
Detroit Leads Peer Cities in Car Theft as Larceny Climbs 33% Since 2020
Security

Detroit Leads Peer Cities in Car Theft as Larceny Climbs 33% Since 2020

Detroit's motor vehicle theft rate leads six peer cities while larceny climbed 33 percent since 2020, driven by poverty and unemployment, a new report finds.

1d ago
Virginia Regulators Weigh Data Center Costs as Utility Seeks $1.5 Billion
Energy

Virginia Regulators Weigh Data Center Costs as Utility Seeks $1.5 Billion

1d ago
Strike Benefits Cost Washington $506,000 in First Six Months, Think Tank Says
Policy

Strike Benefits Cost Washington $506,000 in First Six Months, Think Tank Says

1d ago
One in Four Dollars in Nonbank Finance Sits Inside Bank Holding Companies
Economics

One in Four Dollars in Nonbank Finance Sits Inside Bank Holding Companies

1d ago
90% of Americans Back Access to Unapproved Treatments for Terminal Illnesses
Healthcare

90% of Americans Back Access to Unapproved Treatments for Terminal Illnesses

1d ago
Washington Jumps to Third in Nation for Farm Guest Worker Hiring
Agriculture

Washington Jumps to Third in Nation for Farm Guest Worker Hiring

1d ago
Big Banks Shifted Capital Internally to Meet New Rules, Avoided Outside Investors
Economics

Big Banks Shifted Capital Internally to Meet New Rules, Avoided Outside Investors

1d ago
Europe Loses $5.1 Billion Yearly to Cross-Border Tax Withholding, Report Finds
Economics

Europe Loses $5.1 Billion Yearly to Cross-Border Tax Withholding, Report Finds

1d ago
EU Tax Disclosure Rules May Double-Count Revenue, Inflate Profit Estimates
Policy

EU Tax Disclosure Rules May Double-Count Revenue, Inflate Profit Estimates

1d ago
Bipartisan Housing Bill Passes, but Won't Solve Homeownership Crisis, Report Finds
Housing

Bipartisan Housing Bill Passes, but Won't Solve Homeownership Crisis, Report Finds

1d ago
Opportunity Zones Drew $112 Billion to 6,000 Communities, Treasury Data Show
Policy

Opportunity Zones Drew $112 Billion to 6,000 Communities, Treasury Data Show

1d ago
Banks Got Safer After Basel III, but Risk Shifted to Nonbank Affiliates
Economics

Banks Got Safer After Basel III, but Risk Shifted to Nonbank Affiliates

1d ago
Arizona Supreme Court Orders Phoenix to Release Union Negotiation Records
Policy

Arizona Supreme Court Orders Phoenix to Release Union Negotiation Records

1d ago
Federal Agency Ends Blanket Rule for Threatened Species to Boost Conservation
Policy

Federal Agency Ends Blanket Rule for Threatened Species to Boost Conservation

1d ago
Electric Rates Rose 33% Since 2019, Outpacing Inflation Across U.S.
Energy

Electric Rates Rose 33% Since 2019, Outpacing Inflation Across U.S.

1d ago
Indiana Regulator Investigates Utility Profits After Rate Hike Complaints
Energy

Indiana Regulator Investigates Utility Profits After Rate Hike Complaints

2d ago
Fed Chief Greenspan Held Rates Steady in 1996, Betting on Tech Productivity Boom
Economics

Fed Chief Greenspan Held Rates Steady in 1996, Betting on Tech Productivity Boom

2d ago
Small Plane Breaches Beijing's Air Defenses, Exposes Regime Vulnerability
Security

Small Plane Breaches Beijing's Air Defenses, Exposes Regime Vulnerability

2d ago
EU Competition Rules Clash With Cybersecurity Law, Creating Compliance Paradox
Policy

EU Competition Rules Clash With Cybersecurity Law, Creating Compliance Paradox

2d ago
Xcel Energy Missed Colorado Emissions Target Despite Spending $65 Million
Energy

Xcel Energy Missed Colorado Emissions Target Despite Spending $65 Million

2d ago
U.S. Loans Argentina $20 Billion, Betting on Milei's Economic Overhaul
Economics

U.S. Loans Argentina $20 Billion, Betting on Milei's Economic Overhaul

2d ago