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This week, Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh travels to Washington for meetings with President Obama and top Administration officials. Their primary topic: economic growth. But several key policies being pursued by the Indian government would work to restrict the import of innovative products and services into India, setting back that nation’s economy with ripple effects globally. We’ve written [...]
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With a 97-2 vote, the Senate this afternoon has given overwhelming bipartisan support to legislation that would extend the life of the Federal Helium Reserve – the single largest source of helium in the nation and the source for 30 percent of the world’s total supply. Right now, the clock is ticking on the thousands of American jobs that are associated with access to the helium reserve. Current law [...]
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It was the legendary Chief Justice of the United States, John Marshall, who wrote the now famous phrase, “[T]he power to tax involves the power to destroy…” He would likely repeat those words if he could read through the Stop Tax Haven Abuse Act, introduced this week by U.S. Sen. Carl Levin, D-Mich. This legislation, if enacted, would direct the destructive power of the tax code on the global competitiveness [...]
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The news of the last several weeks has been dominated by storylines on government surveillance programs and the level of access that security agencies have into people’s daily lives. While these reports have continued to develop, there has been little attention focused on solutions. What limits should there be on government programs? What are the ramifications of these programs on the global flow of [...]
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“The birthplace of the people who possess those minds is not a matter of great interest to us and neither should it be to anyone else. Bringing capable immigrants -- many of whom receive their educations at U.S. colleges and universities -- into our workforce expands our economic growth, makes our companies more competitive internationally and creates more jobs for all workers.” That’s the message [...]
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Back in July, the Department of Energy issued "Proposed Determinations" of computers and servers as "covered consumer products," a key step in imposing new DOE energy efficiency regulations on these products. ITI last week responded in opposition. Our comment letters can be found here and here. ITI sees an important role for the U.S. government in energy efficiency, but not what DOE was proposing. [...]
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At last, Russia has stepped up and fulfilled its promise to join the Information Technology Agreement (ITA). Today, the WTO is reporting Moscow has joined the agreement, which is regarded by the tech industry as one of the WTO’s most commercially successful trade pacts. Recall the dust up a couple years ago when Russia seemed to be balking at an earlier commitment to join the ITA as a condition of [...]
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As we enter an increasingly digital and mobile economy, the promise of greater operational efficiency for businesses, consumers, and governments is obvious. So, too, is the need for greater reliance on data centers. What may not be as obvious is what this means for a cleaner, greener future, or, as Google queried at their large forum earlier this year, how green is the internet? I expect to have [...]
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Local media always tout the addition of a handful of jobs in their communities. Just in the last few days, the Fort Wayne News-Sentinel heralded, “Company's $2.3M Expansion to Create 10 Jobs in Woodburn.” WJTV Television reported, “Lighting Company Expanding in Columbia Brings 20 New Jobs.” And the Rhea Herald News highlighted, “La-Z-Boy Set to Add 25 New Jobs after County, City Deal.” Each of these [...]
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Congress comes back in session this week facing a critical countdown that could result in American businesses losing access to the Federal Helium Reserve – by far, the largest single supply of helium in the nation. That’s because the federal government’s authority to sell helium from the Reserve ends on October 7, 2013, which means Congress needs to act before then to keep the reserve open – and American [...]
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