Publications
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- Health Care News
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Trump Administration Gives Mixed Signals on Marijuana Market
Publication -The Trump administration has stalled in its effort to determine whether to reclassify marijuana from a Schedule I to a Schedule III drug, a new filing by the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) in an administrative law hearing acknowledges. “This doesn’t constitute a new delay of rescheduling’s consideration, which has been stalled out for months after […] -
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FDA Approves New Generic Abortion Pills
Publication -The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved a generic version of the abortion pill mifepristone in October, making chemical abortion more affordable and accessible to pregnant women who wish to terminate the lives of their unborn children. Mifepristone is used in two-thirds of American abortions, according to the pro-abortion Guttmacher Institute. Republicans such as Sen. […] -
The EU AI Act: What Americans Need to Know
Publication -Policy Studies -The European Union’s Artificial Intelligence Act (AI Act) is the world’s first comprehensive law governing artificial intelligence.[1] While framed as a consumer-safety measure, the Act’s broad reach and extraterritorial design give European regulators authority over how AI is built and used worldwide, including by American companies. This document answers key questions about the AI Act’s […] -
- Health Care News
- Health Care
Costco to Sell Ozempic, Wegovy at Almost Half Current Price
Publication -The company that sells Ozempic and Wegovy, drugs known for promoting easy weight loss, is now selling the products at Costco. Novo Nordisk, which manufactures the injectable pen semaglutide drugs for type 2 diabetes and weight loss, said in October it is making the prescription drugs available at Costco pharmacies for $499 for a four-week […] -
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Florida Becomes First State to End Vaccine Mandates
Publication -Florida Surgeon General Joseph Ladapo, M.D., and Gov. Ron DeSantis are working with the legislature to end all vaccine mandates for schoolchildren in the state. The two leaders announced their decision at a September 3, 2025, news conference. “The Florida Dept. of Health, in partnership with the governor, is going to be working to end […] -
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Merck Leaves UK Over Fears of Drug Price Controls
Publication -Pharmaceutical giant Merck announced the cancellation of a planned $1.3 billion research center in London and the termination of all research and development activities in the United Kingdom (UK). The company said on September 10 its decision “reflects the challenges of the UK not making meaningful progress addressing the lack of investment in the life-science […] -
- Health Care News
Preexisting Conditions Strongly Affect Maternal Mortality: Report
Publication -Maternal mortality rates are on the rise for all races in the United States and are strongly affected by the health of a woman before she conceives, a Texas advisory committee to the U.S Commission on Civil Rights reports. The Texas Advisory Committee gathered testimony from October 2024 to February 2025 and released its report […] -
- Health Care News
In Health Care, Copper Is the New Gold – Commentary
Publication -Since the Affordable Care Act (ACA) was enacted, Americans have faced soaring health insurance premiums, which have more than doubled since 2013. Rising deductibles have compounded the issue, creating a double blow to affordability. Government subsidies, often touted as relief, merely mask this price inflation rather than addressing it, obscuring consumers from the true cost […] -
Research & Commentary: Michigan Bill Would Protect State Pension Funds and Michiganders’ Retirement Savings From ESG
Publication -Research and Commentaries -Legislation in the Michigan House of Representatives would combat environmental, social, and governance (ESG) scores by mandating public retirement systems in Michigan, as well as their investment managers and proxy advisors, prioritize objective financial factors in investment decisions. ESG scores are essentially a risk assessment mechanism increasingly being used by investment firms and financial institutions that […] -
Research & Commentary: Right to Try Individualized Investigational Treatments Is the Future of Health Care in the States
Publication -Research and Commentaries -As 2026 approaches, now is the time to reflect on the victories from the year and the lessons to be taken moving forward. Right to try legislation is at the front of the list when it comes to free market health care solutions. While federal right to try legislation was signed into law on May 30, […] -
Research & Commentary: Wolverine State Legislation Would Protect Michigan Farmers from Discriminatory ESG Debanking
Publication -Research and Commentaries -Legislation recently introduced in the Michigan House of Representatives would combat environmental, social and governance (ESG) scoring systems and ensure Michigan farmers are not discriminated against by banks based on environmental policy. ESG scores are essentially a risk assessment mechanism increasingly used by investment firms and financial institutions that force companies and agricultural concerns to focus […] -
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Trump, Drug Companies Make Deal on Discounted Drugs Through Trump Rx
Publication -Consumers will be able to buy discounted brand-name drugs through a government direct sales exchange called Trump Rx, starting in early 2026. On October 16, the Trump team worked out an agreement with a drug maker to directly sell fertility drugs at a deep discount to lower the cost of in vitro fertilization treatments (see […] -
The European Union’s Artificial Intelligence Act: An Extraterritorial Incursion on Americans’ Inalienable Rights
Publication -Policy Studies -Key Takeaways: Introduction: Europe’s New Digital Dominion The European Union’s Artificial Intelligence Act (AI Act) represents a watershed moment in the global regulation of emerging technologies.[1] Enacted in 2024 and already entering into force, it is the world’s first comprehensive legal framework governing the development and use of artificial intelligence. Yet beneath the rhetoric of […] -
- Health Care News
Hospitals Not Meeting Charity Requirements, Ways and Means Chairman Says
Publication -U.S. hospitals receive nearly $40 billion annually in federal and state tax benefits through their nonprofit status, yet are coming up short in meeting their “community benefit standard,” testimony at a House Ways and Means Committee hearing revealed. Ways and Means chairman Jason Smith recounted key moments from the September 16 hearing in a news […] -
Research & Commentary: Credit Union Act Would Provide Protection from ESG for Michigan Farmers
Publication -Research and Commentaries -Legislation recently introduced in the Michigan House of Representatives, the Credit Union Act, would combat environmental, social and governance (ESG) scoring systems and ensure Michigan farmers are not discriminated against by credit unions based on environmental policy. ESG scores are essentially a risk assessment mechanism increasingly used by investment firms and financial institutions that force companies […] -
- Health Care News
Federal Agencies Are Using Data Analytics to Stop Health Care Fraud
Publication -Health care fraud enforcement remains a top priority of the Trump administration, warns a law firm specializing in False Claims Act and Whistleblower/Qui Tam Defense. “All individuals and businesses working in any aspect of the health care field should pay close attention to the government’s planned use of data analytics to spot anomalous billing,” wrote Jonathan S. […] -
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Democrats Fight to Extend Obamacare’s Costly Middle-Class Subsidies – Commentary
Publication -Democrats in Congress have been desperately trying to keep Obamacare on life support. A recent scare tactic is from the Kaiser Family Foundation (KFF), which estimates Obamacare premiums will rise 114 percent without extending the so-called enhanced subsidies. “In 2021, the American Rescue Plan Act, a pandemic relief law, temporarily increased the amount of the […] -
Research & Commentary: Briefs Point Out Unnecessary Consumers Costs and Environmental Damage of Renewable Fuel Standard
Publication -Research and Commentaries -The R Street Institute has produced two briefs on the Renewable Fuel Standard (RFS) detailing the consumer costs and negative environmental impacts. A part of the Energy Policy Act of 2005, expanded through 2007’s Energy Independence and Security Act and administered by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), RFS required 36 billion gallons of “renewable” fuel sources such as ethanol […] -
- Health Care News
Government Shutdown Exposes Obamacare’s True Costs
Publication -The COVID-19 pandemic-era enhanced subsidies for Obamacare are set to expire on December 31, and members of Congress are at odds over whether to extend them. On October 1, the federal government shut down when Democrats in the Senate would not join Republicans to pass a continuing resolution (CR) bill to fund the government unless […] -
- Health Care News
States Consider Dozens of Bills to Protect 340B Drug Price Subsidy Abuse
Publication -Lawmakers in states across the country are working through a spate of bills written to shield a growing source of revenue for large hospital systems and drug chains. Congress created the 340B drug pricing program in 1992 to help a small set of safety-net hospitals purchase discounted prescription drugs from manufacturers for low-income patients. Over […] -
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White House Announces Policies to Expand IVF, Fertility Treatment
Publication -The White House announced two initiatives it claims will significantly reduce the costs of in vitro fertilization (IVF). On October 16, President Donald Trump announced drugmaker EMD Serono would offer its fertility drug GONAL-F at a 796 percent discount or more, in line with the lowest price paid by other developed nations, known as the […] -
- Health Care News
MAHA Report Sets the Stage for Health Care Policy Changes
Publication -The Make American Healthy Again (MAHA) Commission released its “strategy plan” to combat an epidemic of chronic disease among the nation’s children. The “Make Our Children Healthy Again Strategy” follows a less condensed draft version that was leaked to the media on August 18. The official version, released on September 9, contains 120 initiatives. The […] -
Research & Commentary: Analysis Finds West Virginia’s Hope Scholarship Program Delivered $27 Million in Net Fiscal Benefits in 2024
Publication -Research and Commentaries -A recent analysis by the Fiscal Research Center at EdChoice and the Cardinal Institute for West Virginia Policy reports the Mountain State’s Hope Scholarship Program (HSP) has generated $26.9 million in net fiscal benefits to West Virginia taxpayers in its second fiscal year. The Hope Scholarship Program, an education savings account (ESA) program that goes […] -
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Massive Fraud Found in Minnesota Medicaid Housing Assistance Program – Commentary
Publication -“Nonmedical social determinants of health” is a fancy way of saying external conditions can affect people’s well-being. Being homeless is not terribly conducive to good health, and the stress of not having access to affordable housing can worsen an individual’s mental health. Under that premise, numerous states have been diverting Medicaid funding to housing assistance. In 2024, […]