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 ...
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 ...
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 ...
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 ...
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, ...
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 ...
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 ...
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 ...
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. ...
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 ...
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 ...
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 ...
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 ...
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 ...
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, ...
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 ...
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 ...
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 ...
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. ...
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 ...
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