Baker Institute

Pandemic expected to affect natural gas only in short term, says Baker Institute expert

Pandemic may be Mexican leadership's undoing, says Baker Institute expert

HOUSTON – (March 27, 2020) – The coronavirus pandemic is testing Mexico's leaders and their ability to handle a crisis, according to an expert at Rice University’s Baker Institute for Public Policy.

Online church services reduce 'sense of loneliness,' says Baker Institute expert

HOUSTON – (March 23, 2020) – With local and state government officials restricting large public gatherings and President Trump urging Americans to limit their gatherings to fewer than 10 people during the novel coronavirus outbreak, houses of worship all over the country are streaming services online. Even a reduced service can ease "the sense of loneliness," said William Martin, the Harry and Hazel Chavanne Senior Fellow in Religion and Public Policy at Rice University's Baker Institute for Public Policy.  

Rice U. experts available to discuss COVID-19's wide-ranging impact

HOUSTON – (March 23, 2020) – As the COVID-19 pandemic grows and impacts the lives of people across the globe, Rice University experts are available to discuss various topics related to the disease. 

Turning to small business loan programs amid crisis makes economic, political sense, says Rice U. expert

HOUSTON – (March 23, 2020) – President Trump's decision to utilize the Small Business Administration’s grant and loan programs as means of stabilizing local economies amid the shock of the coronavirus pandemic is motivated by their ability to pump money into local economies quickly — and their popularity in Congress — according to an expert at Rice University.

Baker Institute's Hotez to address COVID-19's impact on global security

Crowdfunding rife with unintended consequences, says Baker Institute expert

HOUSTON – (March 12, 2020) – Successful entrepreneurial fundraising through crowdfunding can bring surprising tax consequences and failed projects can generate other unpleasant legal concerns, according to a new issue brief from Rice University's Baker Institute for Public Policy.

The oil price war is on, says Baker Institute expert

HOUSTON – (March 10, 2020) – This week, global crude oil prices are seeing the biggest price decline since 1991 after Saudi Arabia announced its largest price discount in 30 years, according to an expert from Rice University’s Baker Institute for Public Policy.

Vaping bans are ineffective, say Baker Institute experts

HOUSTON -- (March 3, 2020) – Vaping products have contributed to a decline in cigarette smoking but have increased the number of middle and high school students who are addicted to nicotine — a problem that can only be effectively addressed through regulation of advertising — according to drug policy experts at Rice University’s Baker Institute for Public Policy.

Stem cell therapies' promise, perils in focus at Rice's Baker Institute

HOUSTON – (March 2, 2020) – A panel of experts will gather at Rice University's Baker Institute for Public Policy to discuss the stem cell therapy landscape. The experts will highlight the treatments available today, describe why even negative clinical data can lead to new interventions and evaluate recent incidents of unregulated stem cell use harming patients.

Watch for trade deal's impact on state-owned businesses, says Baker Institute expert

HOUSTON – (Feb. 25, 2020) – While it is difficult to accurately predict which changes made by the United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement will have a significant effect on North American trade, several of them, such as those relating to state-owned enterprises like Mexico's Pemex, could have a major impact, according to a report from the Center for the United States and Mexico at Rice University’s Baker Institute for Public Policy.

Miles joins Baker Institute’s Center for Energy Studies

HOUSTON – (Feb. 17, 2020) – Steven Miles, an attorney who has spent 35 years focusing on natural gas, electric power and renewable energy, has been named a nonresident fellow in the Center for Energy Studies at Rice University’s Baker Institute for Public Policy, the institute announced today.

Colombia's oil and gas sector in focus at Rice's Baker Institute

HOUSTON – (Feb. 24, 2020) – Colombia’s hydrocarbons industry will be the focus of a discussion among experts gathering at Rice University's Baker Institute for Public Policy. The president of the country's hydrocarbons agency will present a keynote speech on new investment opportunities in this sector.

'Medicare for All' fascination distracts from finding economically feasible solutions, says Baker Institute expert

HOUSTON -- (June 10, 2019) -- The Washington Post counts 12 of the 24 Democratic presidential candidates as favoring some version of a single-payer health care system. Many voters may not realize that "Medicare for All" doesn't just mean providing coverage to those currently without it -- it means all Americans would only have coverage for essential health benefits through a government program, according to a health policy expert at Rice University’s Baker Institute for Public Policy. Vivian Ho, the James A. Baker III Institute Chair in Health Economics and director of the Center for Health and Biosciences, is available to discuss the ramifications of single-payer health care with the news media.

High time Americans care about national debt, says Baker Institute expert

HOUSTON – (Feb. 19, 2020) – The Congressional Budget Office (CBO) recently released its long-term U.S. government debt projection, and the outlook is cause for concern, according to an expert at Rice University’s Baker Institute for Public Policy.