Business & Economics
Business & Economics
Paul Atkins – ESG Investing: Doing well and doing good? Or not?
Our guest this week is Paul Atkins, CEO of Potomak Partners, a financial services consulting firm in Washington, DC. Paul was also a commissioner at the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission from 2002 to 2008. We discuss with Paul ESG – environmental, social, and governance – investing and its negative ...
Pacific Research Institute
July 31, 2023
Blog
Los Angeles Moves Forward with Public Bank Proposal
There are nearly 400 bank branches in the city of Los Angeles, according to one source. Another says there are about 325 branches and 63 banks. Whatever the true number is, it doesn’t seem the city is underserved, especially in an era in which banks don’t even have to have ...
Kerry Jackson
July 24, 2023
Business & Economics
Read why tort reform is important for the economy
Tort Reform Offers A Win-Win Stimulus For The Economy
Alleviating the long-term burdens created by tort abuse should be a top priority regardless of the economic outlook. Considering our current economic struggles, however, the benefits from effective tort reform are more important than ever. The inflationary surge that began in mid-2021, even if it is ending, has left far ...
Wayne Winegarden
July 20, 2023
Blog
The Starbucks Index Shows California’s Growing Urban Crime Problem
For anyone who’s visited or lived in the American South, the much-loved Waffle House is everywhere. Open 24 hours, the Waffle House is known for its good service and consistent if not perhaps gourmet offerings. Of course, breakfast is served all day (and night). There are 1,981 Waffle Houses in ...
Steve Smith
July 18, 2023
Business & Economics
NEW STUDY FINDS
Americans Pay $1,300 ‘Tort Tax,’ Fixing Legal System Would Grow Economy by 2 Percent
Americans pay a “tort tax” of $1,300 per person thanks to lawsuit abuse, and reforming the legal system could boost the U.S. economy by 2 percent over time, finds a new study released today by California-based, nonpartisan, free-market think tank, the Pacific Research Institute. “Frivolous lawsuits reduce economic opportunities, jobs, ...
Wayne Winegarden and Kerry Jackson
July 12, 2023
Blog
Read about new study on minimum wage and homelessness
At The Intersection Of Homelessness And Minimum-Wage Hikes
It’s widely though not universally acknowledged that minimum-wage increases are job killers. When statutes require employers to pay wages above market value, they will take avoidance measures. In the 2020s, automation becomes an appealing alternative for many. But not all businesses can replace their workers with robots. They are left ...
Kerry Jackson
July 5, 2023
Economy
Ken Pope – Victims of Communism
On this Independence Day week our guest is Ken Pope, CEO of the Victims of Communism Memorial Foundation. It’s been nearly 35 years since the Berlin Wall has fallen, but communism continues to thrive in many areas around the world. Ken discusses the continuing threat of communism, why it’s important ...
Pacific Research Institute
July 3, 2023
Business & Economics
Stephen Soukup – The Dictatorship of Woke Capital
Stephen Soukup joins us this week to discuss the newly released paperback edition of his book The Dictatorship of Woke Capital, which explores how Wall Street and corporate investing has gone woke on issues like ESG. We discuss the evolution of American business and the economic philosophies that shaped the ...
Pacific Research Institute
June 26, 2023
Blog
Read latest on Titan submarine tragedy
The Loss of the Titan
(Note: PRI senior fellow Steve Smith, a former Coast Guardsman and merchant mariner, shares his thoughts on last week’s Titan submarine tragedy.) Some went out on the sea in ships; they were merchants on the mighty waters. They saw the works of the Lord, his wonderful deeds in the deep. ...
Steve Smith
June 26, 2023
Blog
Read about California's outmigration problem
California: Economic Laggard or Leader?
Digging into the analysis quickly reveals that California’s top five ranking results from the state’s past achievements, not its current economic health nor its future growth prospects. Documenting this reality is essential because the state’s top ranking can be easily misconstrued as confirmation that California’s current policy mix is promoting ...
Wayne Winegarden
June 20, 2023
Paul Atkins – ESG Investing: Doing well and doing good? Or not?
Our guest this week is Paul Atkins, CEO of Potomak Partners, a financial services consulting firm in Washington, DC. Paul was also a commissioner at the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission from 2002 to 2008. We discuss with Paul ESG – environmental, social, and governance – investing and its negative ...
Los Angeles Moves Forward with Public Bank Proposal
There are nearly 400 bank branches in the city of Los Angeles, according to one source. Another says there are about 325 branches and 63 banks. Whatever the true number is, it doesn’t seem the city is underserved, especially in an era in which banks don’t even have to have ...
Read why tort reform is important for the economy
Tort Reform Offers A Win-Win Stimulus For The Economy
Alleviating the long-term burdens created by tort abuse should be a top priority regardless of the economic outlook. Considering our current economic struggles, however, the benefits from effective tort reform are more important than ever. The inflationary surge that began in mid-2021, even if it is ending, has left far ...
The Starbucks Index Shows California’s Growing Urban Crime Problem
For anyone who’s visited or lived in the American South, the much-loved Waffle House is everywhere. Open 24 hours, the Waffle House is known for its good service and consistent if not perhaps gourmet offerings. Of course, breakfast is served all day (and night). There are 1,981 Waffle Houses in ...
NEW STUDY FINDS
Americans Pay $1,300 ‘Tort Tax,’ Fixing Legal System Would Grow Economy by 2 Percent
Americans pay a “tort tax” of $1,300 per person thanks to lawsuit abuse, and reforming the legal system could boost the U.S. economy by 2 percent over time, finds a new study released today by California-based, nonpartisan, free-market think tank, the Pacific Research Institute. “Frivolous lawsuits reduce economic opportunities, jobs, ...
Read about new study on minimum wage and homelessness
At The Intersection Of Homelessness And Minimum-Wage Hikes
It’s widely though not universally acknowledged that minimum-wage increases are job killers. When statutes require employers to pay wages above market value, they will take avoidance measures. In the 2020s, automation becomes an appealing alternative for many. But not all businesses can replace their workers with robots. They are left ...
Ken Pope – Victims of Communism
On this Independence Day week our guest is Ken Pope, CEO of the Victims of Communism Memorial Foundation. It’s been nearly 35 years since the Berlin Wall has fallen, but communism continues to thrive in many areas around the world. Ken discusses the continuing threat of communism, why it’s important ...
Stephen Soukup – The Dictatorship of Woke Capital
Stephen Soukup joins us this week to discuss the newly released paperback edition of his book The Dictatorship of Woke Capital, which explores how Wall Street and corporate investing has gone woke on issues like ESG. We discuss the evolution of American business and the economic philosophies that shaped the ...
Read latest on Titan submarine tragedy
The Loss of the Titan
(Note: PRI senior fellow Steve Smith, a former Coast Guardsman and merchant mariner, shares his thoughts on last week’s Titan submarine tragedy.) Some went out on the sea in ships; they were merchants on the mighty waters. They saw the works of the Lord, his wonderful deeds in the deep. ...
Read about California's outmigration problem
California: Economic Laggard or Leader?
Digging into the analysis quickly reveals that California’s top five ranking results from the state’s past achievements, not its current economic health nor its future growth prospects. Documenting this reality is essential because the state’s top ranking can be easily misconstrued as confirmation that California’s current policy mix is promoting ...