Blog
Who Took from Who’s Pocket (?) – Haiti, Colonialism, and Third World Wealth Overall
Killa Mike – one half of my 3rd favorite rap crew, Run the Jewels – recently went hyper-viral for his televised “wither Haiti” argument with hip comedian Bill Maher. During a live taping of Maher’s hit TV show, the hip-hopper and community activist accused European France of “eating off” and ...
Agriculture
Ag-to-Urban law creates a farmer’s market for Arizona housing
Ag-to-Urban law creates a farmer’s market for Arizona housing By D. Dowd Muska | January 9, 2026 If it unites farmers, developers and environmentalists, it’s probably a sound policy reform. Some observers consider Senate Bill 1611, approved last summer by a GOP-majority Legislature and a Democratic governor, “one of the ...
Blog
Climate warriors should offer more incentives, fewer lectures
The “Week Without Driving” campaign took place nationwide in October to reduce pollution, lower carbon emissions and break Americans’ dependence on automobiles. Cities including Santa Cruz and Alameda, Calif., encouraged residents to give the car-free lifestyle a try and opt for public transportation or bicycles instead. That’s fine enough, but ...
Blog
Politicized Investments, Not Growth-Maximizing Investments, Top Priority for State’s Public Employee Pension Fund
The California Public Employees Retirement System has a reputation for making questionable investments. Some might say they are merely “political” in nature, therefore they are bound to draw criticism. But past “political” investments have turned sour, leaving them open to question. The track record hasn’t stopped the system, known as CalPERS, though, from charging on. It reported ...
Blog
How New State Law Will Be Another Costly Business Burden
On October 13th, 2025, the California legislature passed into law AB692, a bill which would void any contract that requires employees to repay their employer, training provider, or debt collector upon termination of their employment. These training repayment agreement provisions, colloquially known as TRAPs, allow employers to recoup investment and ...
Blog
What’s Killing Our Kids? It’s Not Alcohol.
Four decades later, the promised benefits are difficult to find. In California, arrests of underage drivers for driving under the influence are exceedingly rare. In 2024, just 45 juveniles were arrested for driving under the influence—a figure that has remained consistently low for years. Rather than eliminating youth drinking, the ...
Blog
Can Seattle’s new democratic socialist mayor deliver?
Can Seattle’s new democratic socialist mayor deliver? By Sal Rodriguez | January 2, 2026 While the election of Zohran Mamdani to be the next mayor of New York City dominated national headlines, voters in Seattle also elected a self-described democratic socialist to be their next mayor. With 50.4% of the ...
Blog
How can we make drugs more affordable without sacrificing future cures?
How can we make drugs more affordable without sacrificing future cures? To a large extent, the current system works fairly well already to make most of the drugs that Americans take affordable. And that’s because of our robust generics market. Around 90% of prescriptions filled each year are for generics ...
Blog
2025 Year in Review: How PRI Advanced the Cause of Liberty
Thanks to the steadfast support of our donors throughout the nation, this past year we have advanced policies to reduce health care costs, promoted education reforms that improve student outcomes, and expanded our work to counter the narrative that heavy-handed government control is the future of America. Our team has ...
Blog
Revisiting an age-old issue: How good is zoning?
Revisiting an age-old issue: How good is zoning? By R.C. Hoiles | December 26, 2025 As we approach the nation’s 250th anniversary, the Pacific Research Institute is spotlighting leading Western thinkers in the nation’s history. This column was written by The Orange County Register publisher and president of Freedom Communications ...
Who Took from Who’s Pocket (?) – Haiti, Colonialism, and Third World Wealth Overall
Killa Mike – one half of my 3rd favorite rap crew, Run the Jewels – recently went hyper-viral for his televised “wither Haiti” argument with hip comedian Bill Maher. During a live taping of Maher’s hit TV show, the hip-hopper and community activist accused European France of “eating off” and ...
Ag-to-Urban law creates a farmer’s market for Arizona housing
Ag-to-Urban law creates a farmer’s market for Arizona housing By D. Dowd Muska | January 9, 2026 If it unites farmers, developers and environmentalists, it’s probably a sound policy reform. Some observers consider Senate Bill 1611, approved last summer by a GOP-majority Legislature and a Democratic governor, “one of the ...
Climate warriors should offer more incentives, fewer lectures
The “Week Without Driving” campaign took place nationwide in October to reduce pollution, lower carbon emissions and break Americans’ dependence on automobiles. Cities including Santa Cruz and Alameda, Calif., encouraged residents to give the car-free lifestyle a try and opt for public transportation or bicycles instead. That’s fine enough, but ...
Politicized Investments, Not Growth-Maximizing Investments, Top Priority for State’s Public Employee Pension Fund
The California Public Employees Retirement System has a reputation for making questionable investments. Some might say they are merely “political” in nature, therefore they are bound to draw criticism. But past “political” investments have turned sour, leaving them open to question. The track record hasn’t stopped the system, known as CalPERS, though, from charging on. It reported ...
How New State Law Will Be Another Costly Business Burden
On October 13th, 2025, the California legislature passed into law AB692, a bill which would void any contract that requires employees to repay their employer, training provider, or debt collector upon termination of their employment. These training repayment agreement provisions, colloquially known as TRAPs, allow employers to recoup investment and ...
What’s Killing Our Kids? It’s Not Alcohol.
Four decades later, the promised benefits are difficult to find. In California, arrests of underage drivers for driving under the influence are exceedingly rare. In 2024, just 45 juveniles were arrested for driving under the influence—a figure that has remained consistently low for years. Rather than eliminating youth drinking, the ...
Can Seattle’s new democratic socialist mayor deliver?
Can Seattle’s new democratic socialist mayor deliver? By Sal Rodriguez | January 2, 2026 While the election of Zohran Mamdani to be the next mayor of New York City dominated national headlines, voters in Seattle also elected a self-described democratic socialist to be their next mayor. With 50.4% of the ...
How can we make drugs more affordable without sacrificing future cures?
How can we make drugs more affordable without sacrificing future cures? To a large extent, the current system works fairly well already to make most of the drugs that Americans take affordable. And that’s because of our robust generics market. Around 90% of prescriptions filled each year are for generics ...
2025 Year in Review: How PRI Advanced the Cause of Liberty
Thanks to the steadfast support of our donors throughout the nation, this past year we have advanced policies to reduce health care costs, promoted education reforms that improve student outcomes, and expanded our work to counter the narrative that heavy-handed government control is the future of America. Our team has ...
Revisiting an age-old issue: How good is zoning?
Revisiting an age-old issue: How good is zoning? By R.C. Hoiles | December 26, 2025 As we approach the nation’s 250th anniversary, the Pacific Research Institute is spotlighting leading Western thinkers in the nation’s history. This column was written by The Orange County Register publisher and president of Freedom Communications ...
