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Controlling carbon emissions from U.S. power plants: How a tradable performance standard compares to a carbon tax

Different pollution control policies, even if they achieve the same emissions goal, could have importantly different effects on the composition of the energy sector and economic outcomes. In this paper, we use the G-Cubed1 model of the global economy to compare two basic policy approaches for controlling carbon emissions from power plants: (1) a tradable…

       




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Slow and steady wins the race?: Regional banks performing well in the post-crisis regulatory regime


Earlier this summer, we examined how the Big Four banks – Bank of America, Citigroup, JPMorgan Chase, and Wells Fargo – performed before, during, and after the 2007-09 financial crisis.  We also blogged about the lending trends within these large banks, expressing concern about the growing gap between deposits taken and loans made by the Big Four, and calling on policymakers to explore the issue further.  We have conducted a similar analysis on the regional banks - The regional banks: The evolution of the financial sector, Part II - and find that these smaller banks are actually faring somewhat better than their bigger counterparts.

Despite the mergers and acquisitions that happened during the crisis, the Big Four banks are a smaller share of banking today than they were in 2007.  The 15 regionals we evaluated, on the other hand, are thriving in the post-crisis environment and have a slightly larger share of total bank assets than they had in 2007.  The Big Four experienced rapid growth in the years leading up to the crisis but much slower growth in the years since.  The regionals, however, have been chugging along: with the exception of a small downward trend during the crisis, they have enjoyed slow but steady growth since 2003.

There is a gap between deposits and loans among the regionals, but it is smaller than the Big Four’s gap.  Tellingly, the regionals’ gap has remained basically constant in size during the recovery, unlike the Big Four’s gap, which is growing.  Bank loans are important to economic growth, and the regional banks are growing their loan portfolios faster than the biggest banks.  That may be a good sign for the future if the regional banks provide more competition for the big banks and a more competitive banking sector overall.

Authors

Image Source: © Sergei Karpukhin / Reuters
     
 
 




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But Will It Work?: Implementation Analysis to Improve Government Performance

Executive Summary Problems that arise in the implementation process make it less likely that policy objectives will be achieved in many government programs. Implementation problems may also damage the morale and external reputations of the agencies in charge of implementation. Although many implementation problems occur repeatedly across programs and can be predicted in advance, legislators…

       




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Why Bernie Sanders vastly underperformed in the 2020 primary

Senator Bernie Sanders entered the 2020 Democratic primary race with a wind at his back. With a narrow loss to Hillary Clinton in 2016 and a massive political organization, Mr. Sanders set the tone for the policy conversation in the race. Soon after announcing, the Vermont senator began raising record amounts of money, largely online…

       




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Desert Storm after 25 years: Confronting the exposures of modern warfare


Event Information

June 16, 2016
3:00 PM - 5:00 PM EDT

SEIU Building
1800 Massachusetts Ave. NW
Washington, DC

Register for the Event

By most metrics, the 1991 Gulf War, also known as Operation Desert Storm, was a huge and rapid success for the United States and its allies. The mission of defeating Iraq's army, which invaded Kuwait the year prior, was done swiftly and decisively. However, the war's impact on soldiers who fought in it was lasting. Over 650,000 American men and women served in the conflict, and many came home with symptoms including insomnia, respiratory disorders, memory issues and others attributed to a variety of exposures – “Gulf War Illness."

On June 16, the Center for 21st Century Security and Intelligence at Brookings and Georgetown University Medical Center co-hosted a discussion on Desert Storm, its veterans, and how they are faring today. Representative Mike Coffman (R-Col.), the only member of Congress to serve in both Gulf wars, delivered an opening address before joining Michael O’Hanlon, senior fellow at Brookings, for a moderated discussion. Joel Kupersmith, former head of the Office of Research and Development of the Department of Veterans Affairs, convened a follow-on panel with Carolyn Clancy, deputy under secretary for health for organizational excellence at the Department of Veterans Affairs; Adrian Atizado, deputy national legislative director at Disabled American Veterans; and James Baraniuk, professor of medicine at Georgetown University Medical Center.

Audio

Transcript

Event Materials

     
 
 




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The coronavirus is Iran’s perfect storm

       




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Synchro swimmers perform in a pool filled with plastic

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Wonderful Uber ad demonstrates why we have to get rid of cars

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TEDxOilSpill: An Idea More Powerful Than a Faster Horse

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TED conferences use security technology inspired by butterflies

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38 recipes for beans and lentils for superfood meals

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Ever heard of the powerful Balloon Council?

For almost 30 years the Council has been fighting against regulation that would limit balloons for environmental reasons.




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Len-Tex's Surface iQ Wallcoverings Earns Cradle to Cradle Certification

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Hey Google, this rooftop solar cooker is perfect for your self-driving car

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Tapping the Energy Below the Earth's Surface

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Energy News: BP Oil Spill Woes Continue, Resurface; Kenya's Geothermal Power Doubles; More

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Majesteas are the Perfect Hostess Gift

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Tiny 169 sq. ft. Backyard Reading Retreat is perfect for book lovers

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Here is a lovely design for a home office in a box. But has technology made it superfluous?

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High-performance #TinyLab house is the "Tesla of tiny houses" (Video)

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Weird and Wonderful Galapagos Wildlife Worth Saving

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Weird and Wonderful Galapagos Wildlife Worth Saving (Slideshow)

A star-studded group of adventurers with the Mission Blue oceans conservation group went on a trip to the Galapagos earlier this month. But the true stars of the show were the incredible species endemic to the islands: many




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Artist's zoetrope animates the miraculous metamorphosis of the butterfly (Video)

Inspired by her own spine-shattering accident, this sculpture shows the struggle and transformation of these remarkable insects.




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Be Ready for Anything with Take Out Furniture, it's Perfect For Preppers

Clever idea from Finnish designer combines portable storage with fixed dresser unit




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Witness the amazing hamster wheel standing desk, perfect for the office rat race

The wheels on the desk go round and round.




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'Naming and shaming' is a powerful tool in the fight against plastic waste

Companies will do anything to protect their brand – maybe even redesign packaging.




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Interface Studio Builds Modular Student Residence

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The Reach Guesthouse combines Passive House performance with classic beauty

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Passive House and permaculture are a perfect mix

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Boxy building minimizes surface, maximizes air and stairs

Sweden shows how to build comfortable apartments for families, and stairs that people want to use.




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Why this newly discovered pink dwarf planet is so exciting

Nicknamed 'Farout' by the team that discovered it, the celestial object is some 11,160,000,000 miles away.




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8 wonderful ways to unwind

Celebrate this National Relaxation Day by doing a whole bunch of nothing too tasking.




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Dolphins are breaking into nets to steal fish thanks to overfishing

Why does this not surprise me?




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Finding A Perfect Tike Bike

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Solartab is back with a more powerful (and waterproof) solar tablet charger

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The $149 SolSource Sport is a powerful portable solar cooker

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One man's DIY conservation effort helps rare butterfly rebound in San Francisco

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Photo: The tricky eye of a blushing phantom butterfly

Our photo of the day comes from the rainforest of Ecuador.




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Interfaith Preach In On Climate Change Will Pressure Obama To Act

Religious communities across the country will gather to reflect on the moral implications of climate change and our imperative to act. One man, in particular, should pay heed.




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Bamboo And Soy Improve Surfing

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Surf eCo School Saves Rainforest

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Resurf: First Group to Recycle Surfboards and Wetsuits

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Surfboard Swap Next Weekend in San Diego

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Mobile coworking bus lets professionals work, hike, bike & surf (Video)

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Homemade lemon ice cream is a perfect summer treat

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