The Buffalo Chronicle
Commerce
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A review of the current and proposed duration of “pandemic” unemployment benefits
BY MATT WEIDINGER State unemployment insurance (UI) programs typically offer laid-off workers up to 26 weeks of benefits that replace, on average, nearly half their previous wages. Except for the brief recession…
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Big Tech won’t take over higher education, but tech entrepreneurs might
BY MARK JAMISON Universities are scrambling to figure out what to do if the COVID-19 pandemic keeps many students off campuses this fall. But they might do better to watch out for…
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Cuomo tasks Hochul to ‘think big’ in Niagara’s economic recovery — but will she deliver?
In recent weeks Governor Andrew Cuomo has repeatedly said that the economy is unlikely to “just bounce back” from the COVID-19 pandemic shut down. He has been arguing that the government will…
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Empire Center report highlights Albany’s secret healthcare taxes
Billions of dollars in hidden state taxes are driving up the cost of health insurance for New York consumers and employers, according to a report published today by the Empire Center. The taxes, collected…
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Pegula may sell Bandits, Knighthawks lacrosse teams to Seneca Nation of Indians in cash crunch
Pegula Sports & Entertainment may be in such a serendipitous cash crunch that billionaire Terry Pegula may be willing to sell his two National Lacrosse League franchises — the Buffalo Bandits and…
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Senecas plan to roll out ‘gaming apps’ for Players Club members during COVID-19 outbreak
Rumor has it that the Seneca Gaming Corporation is developing a ‘top-secret’ gaming application for home play on phones and computers during the COVID-19 outbreak, which prompted the Seneca Nation Tribal Council…
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Determining the optimal duration of the COVID-19 suppression policy: A cost-benefit analysis
BY ANNA SCHERBINA We investigate the optimal duration of the COVID-19 suppression policy. We find that absent extensive suppression measures, the economic cost of the virus will total over $9 trillion, which…
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What does Boston’s TD Garden teach Buffalo about stadium financing?
TD Garden, often called The Garden, is a multi-purpose arena in Boston, Massachusetts named after a subsidiary of Canada’s Toronto-Dominion Bank. It opened in 1995 as a replacement for the original Boston…
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‘Hockey Stick’ spending hikes make even less sense now
BY MATT WEIDINGER Last October, the House Ways and Means Committee approved, along party lines, legislation to extend and expand the Health Profession Opportunity Grants (HPOG) program. HPOG is one of more than 40 federal education…
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Making it easier to cross the border will have huge economic benefits for WNY
The federal government over-regulates nearly everything, and the northern border with our largest trading partner is no exception. But making it easier to traverse this international boundary line will have enormous economic…
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Lorraine exits its investment in Bush Industries
Lorraine Capital, LLC (“Lorraine”), a Buffalo NY private equity firm, in partnership with Landon Capital Partners, LLC (“Landon”), a Boston MA family office and Ironwood Capital, LLC (“Ironwood”) an Avon CT based…
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Surgical robot market projects growth at 24.4% through 2025
Global Market Insights, Inc. has recently added a new report on the surgical robots market which estimates the global market valuation for surgical robots will cross US$ 24 billion by 2025. Rising patient preference…
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Asia’s first compliant crypto fund: Circle Fund
As the digital currency market matures from wild speculation to trust and integrity, a new crypto hedge fund has emerged — the first to be compliant in Asia. Circle Fund is working…
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Don’t expect anti-tech antitrust to boost innovation
BY JAMES PETHOKOUKIS It’s easy to sound like a knee-jerk, anti-business agitator when calling for the breakup of Big Tech. These are America’s biggest and most innovative companies. China is trying to…
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Census Bureau still hiring felons, while child sex offenders pass background checks
A decade after a federal probe exposed the U.S. Census Bureau for hiring serious criminals to enter the homes of unsuspecting Americans to gather statistics for the decennial count, the shocking practice continues. As…
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How more housing will boost economic growth: A long-read Q&A with Daniel Shoag
BY JAMES PETHOKOUKIS Why have housing costs skyrocketed in the past few decades? To what extent do these costs keep people from moving to prospering cities in search of opportunity? And how…
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Census Bureau is planning to hire non-citizens to conduct 2020 Census
In early August, Census told U.S. News & World Report, it was ‘actively working through flexibilities’ to see if it could hire alien workers Judicial Watch announced today that it filed a Freedom of…
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Uber’s business model is so crooked, their insurance carrier may collapse
Critics of Uber Technologies — the tiny San Francisco company with the mammoth equity valuation that is threatening America’s local taxi companies — are calling the firm’s business model so ‘crooked’ and…
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Higgins may retire to take a position at Delaware North
Rumor has it that Rep. Brian Higgins, the six-term Democrat of South Buffalo, is “inclined to prefer” taking a position as Delaware North‘s top federal lobbyist, rather than to run for a…
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Avoid another Amazon by learning from Essex Crossing
BY FELIX CIAMPA Amazon’s decision to withdraw its plans to build a second headquarters in Long Island City sparked dire predictions from many observers. Some argued it would now be impossible to…
