• At the start of 2020, telemedicine accounted for less than one percent of doctor’s visits. By April 2020, it exploded to nearly 69 percent.
• America was slow to adopt telemedicine because of government bureaucracies. But after the outbreak, 41 states and three territories unleashed telehealth.
• Most policy actions were temporary. By making reforms permanent, states can strengthen healthcare systems for future emergencies, address shortages of healthcare workers, and reduce costs.

By: Carrie Sheffield

• But nuclear is underutilized in the United States despite the increased calls to reduce carbon dioxide emissions.
• Instead, environmental purists advocate for renewables only, such as the wind turbines that shut down when Texas faced freezing temperatures in February 2021.
• This has caused America’s nuclear power capabilities to remain at the same level for the past three decades while increased energy consumption has led to overall higher carbon emissions.

By: Kelsey Bolar & Charlotte Whelan

• States vary in their occupational licensing requirements, creating significant challenges for workers who cross state lines to keep their licenses in good standing.
  
• States should make every effort to eliminate excessive licenses or reduce the onerous requirements for licenses in their jurisdiction.
  
• States should conduct regular cost-benefit analyses of their licensing systems to determine if they truly serve a public good and remove any licensing requirements that do not.

By: Patrice Onwuka

• Nearly half (46 percent) of the independent contractor workforce is female.
• Women are more likely than men to be employed in an alternative work arrangement.
• The top three reasons women cited for working in the gig economy were flexibility (44 percent), income (38 percent), and building a business (25 percent).
• Flexible contract work allows women to balance employment with caregiving for children, sick spouses, and aging parents or other priorities.

By: Patrice Onwuka

• Low-income workers are hurt most by payroll taxes taken from earnings to fund paid leave entitlements and are less likely to take benefits.
• They are also more likely to lose job opportunities: As employment costs go up, employers will seek to minimize their costs and exposure by reducing staff.
• One-size-fits-all government programs will discourage the creation of flexible options, such as telecommuting, job sharing, and part-time arrangements.
• Employers may also see women, who are statistically more likely to use paid leave benefits, as less attractive hires, especially for management positions.

By: Carrie Lukas

• Universities get paid upfront, leaving students with high debt burdens and taxpayers stuck with the bill. This system encourages predatory behavior, like accepting students who are unlikely to graduate.
• Universities should have skin in the game with regard to their graduates’ success.
• We should draw down government backing for student loans, and allow private lenders who will actually look at the value of a degree restore accountability.

By: Inez Feltscher Stepman