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Manhattan Institute Issues Commentary to New York Post: Back-to-School in Mamdani's NYC Means Back to the Same Old Failure - It's All in the Plan

NEW YORK, Sept. 11 -- The Manhattan Institute issued the following excerpts of a commentary:

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Back-to-school in Mamdani's NYC Means Back to the Same Old Failure - It's All in the Plan

By Wai Wah Chin

New York Post

It's back-to-school time in New York City -- and while the names at the top this year have changed, the path to improvement has not.

Last fall, the city Department of Education wasn't ready.

Student performance was appalling, as the National Assessment of Educational Progress made clear, and the plan to fix it? Absent.

One year later, under a new mayor, Zohran Mamdani, and ... Show Full Article

Ifo President Fuest: Interest Rate Hike is Unavoidable

MUNICH, Germany, Sept. 11 -- ifo Institute issued the following news release:

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ifo President Fuest: Interest Rate Hike is Unavoidable

According to ifo President Clemens Fuest, the ECB's interest rate hike announced today is inevitable.

He says inflation in the eurozone is currently above 3 percent. "Inflation is slightly lower in Germany.

Given that the economy remains quite weak despite some rays of hope, the interest rate hike comes at an inopportune time for Germany," says Fuest.

"However, the ECB has a mandate to conduct monetary policy for the entire eurozone." Since core inflation ... Show Full Article

Center of the American Experiment Issues Commentary: Renewables Raise Electricity Prices, Official Federal Statistics Corroborate

MINNETONKA, Minnesota, Sept. 11 -- The Center of the American Experiment, a civic and educational organization that says it creates and advocates policies, issued the following commentary:

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Renewables raise electricity prices, official federal statistics corroborate

Written by Darren Nelson | September 10, 2026

In my recent article entitled, "Renewables raise electricity prices, University of Chicago economists find," two University of Chicago academics estimated that electricity price rises, due to Renewable Portfolio Standards (RPS), were 11% over 7 years and 17% over 12 years.

The ... Show Full Article

Center of the American Experiment Issues Commentary: Klobuchar Sought Earmark for Facility Expansion at Minneapolis Mosque

MINNETONKA, Minnesota, Sept. 11 -- The Center of the American Experiment, a civic and educational organization that says it creates and advocates policies, issued the following commentary:

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Klobuchar sought earmark for facility expansion at Minneapolis mosque

Written by Bill Glahn | September 10, 2026

Our tour of questionable Amy Klobuchar earmarks takes us to the north side of Minneapolis today. It's a location where U.S. Sen. Klobuchar once proposed (p. 12) to invest $882,000 of federal taxpayer money in developing a new building on the site of an existing mosque. It does not appear ... Show Full Article

Capital Research Center Issues Commentary: Historical Truth - InfluenceWatch Vs. Google Gemini

WASHINGTON, Sept. 11 -- The Capital Research Center issued the following commentary:

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Historical truth: InfluenceWatch vs. Google Gemini

When asked a relatively easy question, Google's AI tool provided "intelligence" that was more artificial than real.

By Ken Braun

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InfluenceWatch (IW) is the Capital Research Center's project to track the influencers who have and continue to shape American public policy. At present, we have nearly 16,000 profiles and more are added every week. IW also features extensive historical profiles covering the New Left that emerged in the 1960s, including domestic ... Show Full Article

CSIS Issues Commentary: Building Quantum-Ready Infrastructure - Preparing for the Physical Demands of Quantum Computing

WASHINGTON, Sept. 11 -- The Center for Strategic and International Studies issued the following commentary:

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Building Quantum-Ready Infrastructure: Preparing for the Physical Demands of Quantum Computing

Commentary by Hideki Tomoshige

Published September 10, 2026

Quantum computing is moving from laboratory demonstration toward early commercialization, creating a policy challenge that extends beyond funding research or improving quantum bit (qubit) performance. If the United States wants to lead in quantum technologies, it will need to prepare the physical infrastructure that commercialization ... Show Full Article

CSIS Issues Commentary Entitled 'Where's the Beef This Time?'

WASHINGTON, Sept. 11 -- The Center for Strategic and International Studies issued the following commentary:

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Where's the Beef This Time?

Commentary by William Alan Reinsch

Published September 10, 2026

Those of us of a certain age, namely mine, remember the 1984 presidential election campaign. Ronald Reagan defeated Walter Mondale in a landslide, but Mondale arguably had the best slogan. It came from a Wendy's commercial featuring a little old lady staring at an enormous bun containing a tiny burger and yelling, "Where's the beef?" The ad went the equivalent of what was viral in the 1980s, ... Show Full Article WASHINGTON, Sept. 11 -- The Center for Strategic and International Studies issued the following commentary: * * * Where's the Beef This Time? Commentary by William Alan Reinsch Published September 10, 2026 Those of us of a certain age, namely mine, remember the 1984 presidential election campaign. Ronald Reagan defeated Walter Mondale in a landslide, but Mondale arguably had the best slogan. It came from a Wendy's commercial featuring a little old lady staring at an enormous bun containing a tiny burger and yelling, "Where's the beef?" The ad went the equivalent of what was viral in the 1980s,and Mondale used the catchphrase in an attempt to dramatize the lack of substance in a Democratic opponent's campaign proposals during the primary. While it produced a lot of laughs and helped him get the nomination, it obviously didn't convince anyone in the general election, since Mondale won only his home state of Minnesota and the District of Columbia. This week's column is also about beef because it is back in the news, this time as a genuine policy issue.

As with many things these days, beef prices are high. In the last year, they have increased between 9 and 14 percent, depending on the cut. At the low end, ground beef--the stuff of burgers--has gone up 9 percent. Roasts are up 13.5 percent. Looking back five years, beef prices are up 57 percent. Prices of most things have been going up thanks to inflation, but beef prices, like gasoline prices, have become a symbol of what is happening in the economy. People are angry and upset, and there is widespread agreement that inflation will be an issue in the midterm elections. Beef is once again a metaphor, although not the same one as in 1984.

How did we get to this point, and what can we do about it? The first question is easier than the second. While politicians of each party, as usual, blame the other, it appears in many ways to be the consequence of old-fashioned economics--the relationship between supply and demand. Supply has shrunk while demand has remained high. In a market economy, that means higher prices. Supply is down because of drought and higher operating costs, which are also the product of inflation. Drought throughout the West and Midwest has meant less grass, hay, and water, which has forced farmers and ranchers to sell their cattle earlier to save the cost of feeding them rather than saving them for breeding. (The extended drought is most likely the consequence of climate change, but that is a topic for another column.)

At the same time, farm operating costs have gone up. Diesel fuel, which powers most farm equipment, is at a record high. Fertilizer is more expensive, in part because of the Ukraine war and tariffs. Because there is less grass due to drought, farmers have to buy more processed feed, which is more expensive. High interest rates add to the problem, since farmers annually borrow at the beginning of the season and then repay the loans when they sell their crops or cattle. These are all factors that encourage farmers to sell their herds early--or, in the case of smaller farms, to go out of the cattle business entirely. In addition, raising calves to market weight takes at least 30 months, so rebuilding herds--the correct solution--is a long-term proposition. There are also trade-related factors. The arrival of the New World screwworm in the United States led, until recently, to an embargo on cattle entering from Mexico, and tariffs on imported beef also contributed to price increases.

Finally, and perhaps most controversial, is the role of meat-packing companies, which buy the cattle and then slaughter and market the products. The sector is dominated by four large companies--JBS, Tyson Foods, Cargill, and National Beef--which economists argue create an oligopoly that limits farmers' leverage in selling their cattle, keeping prices they get for their cattle low while enabling the companies to maintain high prices to consumers. At the same time, the industry's costs have gone up, including higher labor costs, driven in significant part by the administration's immigration policies. The companies are currently subject to a federal antitrust investigation led by the Department of Justice, but no results have been announced.

In the "what do we do about it" category, recent administration actions have aroused controversy in the ranching community. Trump is trying to lower ground beef prices by increasing the import quota subject to lower tariffs contingent on a commitment to sell the product at a 25 percent discount. It is too soon to know whether that will work--experts are skeptical--but it has irritated ranchers who believe it will lead to lower cattle prices for them. In this case, I have a bit of sympathy for the president. Although his policies on tariffs and immigration have clearly made the problem worse, it has developed over a long period of time, and it will take a long period of time to solve it. Quick fixes are not going to do the job.

A creative set of proposals is the Department of Agriculture's Ranchers First Initiative. It has several elements, but the two particularly interesting ones are an insurance program that would essentially pay farmers to keep heifers for later breeding by matching their slaughter price and a program to strengthen independent and midsize processors. These are designed to deal with the two biggest problems: shrinking herd size and concentration in the processing industry. This year's election cycle may once again feature ads about beef, but instead of asking where it is, they'll be asking why it costs so much.

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William A. Reinsch is a senior adviser (non-resident) and Scholl Chair emeritus with the Economics Program and Scholl Chair at the Center for Strategic and International Studies in Washington, D.C. He can be reached at wreinsch7@gmail.com.

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Original text here: https://www.csis.org/analysis/wheres-beef-time

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