The Consumer Price Index (CPI) announced this week that inflation eased slightly in July, dropping from 9.1 percent in June to 8.5 percent. For the first time in months, there seems to be a sign of relief from an inflation peak not seen in 40 years. Tulane University economist Felix Rioja said this is good news for consumers when it comes to some energy prices but warned that electricity and food costs continue a steady rise. He also points to higher interest rates as a source of the inflation decline.

America’s overheating economy and unrest overseas have inflation soaring to heights not seen since the early 1980s. While the Federal Reserve is expected to raise interest rates again, Tulane economist Felix Rioja doesn’t see much relief on the horizon for consumers squeezed by the rising cost of food, gasoline and other necessities.

Voting is the staple of democracy and has been done in person in the United States since the nation’s founding. While the controversy over the integrity of mail-in voting continues, never in our country’s history has voting in person been more fraught with potential security risks that could alter the outcome.

On Tuesday, President Joe Biden signed the historic Inflation Reduction Act, which is the first major piece of federal climate legislation ever to be signed into law in the United States. Tulane University climate change policy and politics expert Joshua Basseches is available to discuss how much of the new law’s success will depend on how states decide to move away from fossil fuels to take advantage of clean energy incentives.

As the nation prepares for a showdown between President Biden and House Republican leadership over the impending default date of the federal debt ceiling, a House Republicans’ proposal to avoid the country’s first default could raise the federal debt limit but would undermine President Biden’s climate law— the Inflation Reduction Act.

“Juice jacking” is a maneuver that has recently gained traction by cybercriminals stealing data from unsuspecting users when their phone is plugged into a public USB at airports, hotels, malls and other high-traffic areas.

Although the concept is not new, the attacks have become so common they caught the eye of the FBI, which issued a warning to users. The FBI suggested that people not use public charging stations, and public Wi-Fi poses a greater risk.

As summer arrives, residents in Texas are especially feeling the heat with no end in sight.

Two consecutive days earlier this week, the state’s power grid set records with its highest-ever demand for a single day in June. On Tuesday, the Electric Reliability Council of Texas (ERCOT), which oversees the state’s power grid, asked residents to conserve electricity as temperatures climb late in the day.

In recent days, President Donald Trump announced a U.S. ban Tik Tok, an extremely popular application that features short videos where their creators often dance or lip-sync to viral audio clips. Trump issued the ban because U.S. officials have become increasingly concerned that the Chinese government could access personal information about Americans who use TikTok. Tik Tok is owned by the Chinese company ByteDance.

How does the government remove an application from its users, and can it in fact remove it 100 percent?

The Tulane University football program experienced an incredible turnaround season in 2022. One of the programs that contributed to the team’s success was a new, unconventional initiative to strengthen players’ mental game by practicing in virtual worlds using virtual reality headsets.

Tulane University climate change policy and politics expert Joshua Basseches is available to discuss the historic vote on the Inflation Reduction Act and how it will impact efforts to combat climate change. Basseches is the David and Jane Flowerree Professor in Environmental Studies and Public Policy at Tulane University School of Liberal Arts.