PLI Bulletin

Price Fixing, Electric Vehicles, New Flags and More

Posted on April 19, 2023

Flag Commission Act: Hundreds of cities, counties and states have redesigned their flags for better recognition and marketing. The Flag Commission Act creates a commission to recommend a new state/city/county flag design, giving all residents the chance to participate.

Pundits are wrong, the economy is fine: By blocking a routine increase in the debt ceiling, the House GOP is trying to blow up the economy. What Americans don’t understand is how bad that would be, because the current economy is about as good as it gets. For more, see the latest IdeaLog, our blog intended to raise eyebrows and engage minds.

WTF does race have to do with taxes? Our tax system contains racial landmines, including disparities in how the IRS audits taxpayers. This is the latest NPR “Code Switch” podcast.

Illegal Corporate Price-Fixing in the U.S. Economy: Since 2000, large companies have paid $96 billion in fines and settlements for price-fixing, with financial services corporations topping the list. Good Jobs First offers a brand-new report.

Biden’s new vehicle emissions rules could speed the EV revolution: Since 2014, the market share for EVs has risen from one to about six percent. As a Grist article explains, new EPA rules would increase that to 2/3rds of car sales by 2031, causing a great deal of policy challenges and opportunities.

What’s really wrong in high-poverty schools: Although this column is several years old, it’s still true. Standardized tests don’t identify the real problems in schools, they cause them.