Nonrival

May 28, 2026

Human experts + AI summaries - on public policy, economics, and technology.

The Supreme Court Has Rarely Served as a Democratic Guardrail and May Now Be Making Things Worse

niskanen

• Throughout American history, the Supreme Court has failed to protect democracy during major crises and sometimes actively undermined it, from the Sedition Act in the 1790s to upholding Jim Crow in the 1890s.
• The only exception was Watergate, when the Court ruled against Nixon, but recent decisions on voting rights suggest the Roberts Court is now accelerating democratic backsliding rather than preventing it.
• Research shows election law cases make justices vote along party lines more than other cases, though this distinction matters less as the entire Court has become more partisan across all issues.

Allied governments are calling too many economic dependencies on China 'critical' — here's how to prioritize

hoover

• Western allies are spreading their resources too thin by labeling too many economic dependencies on China as 'critical,' often working at cross-purposes with each other
• Researchers propose a four-layer framework to systematically identify which dependencies actually warrant urgent intervention based on geography, direct and indirect dependencies, and adaptive capacity
• The framework is demonstrated through three case studies examining gallium, LOGINK shipping software, and copper to show how policymakers can better prioritize their economic statecraft efforts

Trump's Immigration Crackdown Is Driving Away the Foreign Talent That Fuels American Innovation

brookings

• The Trump administration is restricting multiple pathways that bring high-skilled foreign workers to the US, from student visas to H-1B work permits to green cards
• Foreign students and skilled immigrants contribute over $40 billion annually to the US economy, drive innovation (accounting for 36% of US innovation since 1990), and help solve Social Security's funding crisis
• Recent policies including visa revocations, social media screening, and travel bans are deterring international talent from coming to America, potentially weakening the country's competitive edge

In the News

Gulf States Face a Dilemma as U.S.-Iran Deal Leaves Tehran's Threat Intact

csis

• Arab Gulf states are relieved that a U.S.-Iran ceasefire may end months of devastating Iranian strikes that destroyed critical infrastructure, including 20% of Qatar's natural gas production
• The emerging deal leaves Gulf countries feeling vulnerable since Iran retains its missile capabilities and control over the Strait of Hormuz, which they depend on for all energy exports
• Gulf states are now pursuing new defense partnerships with Europe and Asia, strengthening regional cooperation, and considering economic integration with Iran as the best way to deter future attacks

Analysis

Corporate Net Zero Pledges Don't Cut Emissions Much, But They Do Change How Companies Plan

voxeu

• More than half of the world's largest companies from high-emitting sectors have now pledged to reach net zero emissions by mid-century, but research finds weak evidence these commitments actually reduce emissions in the following years
• Companies with net zero targets do adopt more sophisticated climate management practices, particularly around strategic planning, scenario analysis, and internal carbon pricing
• The targets appear to formalize transition processes already underway at firms with strong climate governance rather than triggering sudden organizational transformation

Also Worth a Look

• Why Wealth Tax Revenue Estimates Vary So Wildly Despite Agreement on Who Qualifies as Rich (equitable_growth)
• Europe's Energy Transition Helped It Weather the Latest Middle East Crisis, But the Real Test Comes If Prices Stay High (voxeu)
• America's Missile Stockpiles Won't Recover From the Iran War Until 2030 (csis)
• ASEAN Countries Are Becoming the Middleman in US-China Tech Trade (itif)
• Companies Are Rewriting Executive Pay Rules to Account for Trump's Unpredictable Tariffs (harvard_corpgov)
• Ukraine's Anti-Corruption Efforts Face an 'Integrity Paradox' Where Fighting Corruption Can Make It Seem Worse (voxeu)
• How Investors Are Fighting Back Against the SEC's Push to Reduce Corporate Disclosure (harvard_corpgov)