Testimony of Daniel S. Cohan to the Texas House Environmental Regulation Committee on Sept. 5, 2024.

The prices of U.S. hospital services have surged exponentially over the last two decades, outpacing inflation and rates of other medical services. A new report by Derek Jenkins, Sasathorn Tapaneeyakul, and Vivian Ho unpacks whether rising operational costs justify increased prices or if hospital profits are driving this price escalation.

Research security seeks to safeguard the U.S. science and technology community by identifying potential security risks and developing strategies to minimize their impacts. A recent global workshop hosted at the Baker Institute explored significant themes, major issues, and the challenges ahead. This collaborative report charts a road map for the future of the National Science Foundation (NSF)’s Research on Research Security (RoRS) program.

How do faith, race, and politics intersect? Michael O. Emerson joined the Baker Briefing podcast to explore the role of race in American Christianity and what it means for public policy.

While some scholars claim freeways were designed to adversely impact neighborhoods of color, fellow Edward M. Emmett argues this oversimplifies the issue. In this research paper, he explores the history of Houston’s freeways to uncover a range of factors at play.

Francisco J. Monaldi discusses what Venezuela’s post-election chaos means for the country’s troubled oil sector and its relations with the United States.

In response to the ongoing war in Gaza, the Houthi Red Sea campaign has caused significant economic disruptions — underscoring geopolitical shifts in the region. A new brief from the Edward P. Djerejian Center for the Middle East and the Center for Energy Studies summarizes a conversation in which experts outline how the Houthi challenge has evolved over time and against the backdrop of Yemen’s ongoing conflicts.

Despite innovations in information and communication technologies, Mexico has experienced slow productivity and GDP growth over recent decades. For insights into why the country’s economic progress has been limited, read nonresident scholar James Gerber’s new research paper for the Center for the U.S. and Mexico.

Is global oil demand going to rise or fall? And are forecasters analysts or advocates? Recently, variances have increased across long- and short-term oil market forecasts from major institutions — carrying implications for global oil prices, sustainability, and economies. A brief by fellow Mark Finley traces the growing disparities in oil demand projections and examines the need to recognize shifting institutional bias’s role in these projections.