-
1 week ago | 
pacificresearch.org | Wayne Winegarden |Kerry Jackson
California has long fancied itself a beacon of environmental progress, a state willing to lead the charge in combating global warming. But the reality is that this pursuit of a “green” future is coming at a staggering cost to California consumers and businesses, a cost that’s becoming increasingly unsustainable.
-
1 week ago | 
foxnews.com | Wayne Winegarden |Kerry Jackson
Oil giant walks back green energy funding EPA Administrator Lee Zeldin joins 'America's Newsroom’ to discuss oil giant BP’s decision to lower their spending on green energy initiatives. NEWYou can now listen to Fox News articles! California has long fancied itself a beacon of environmental progress, a state willing to lead the charge in combating global warming.
-
1 week ago | 
pacificresearch.org | Wayne Winegarden |Nikhil Agarwal
Wayne Winegarden and Nikhil Agarwal As we noted in an earlier Spending Watch piece, growing economic volatility will likely cause revenue growth to be much weaker than expected for the upcoming FY2025-26 budget. It is, consequently, fiscally irresponsible for the Governor and Legislature to be considering any new government programs – the focus should be on imposing strict spending control. Given this context, Assembly Bill 4 (AB 4) is disconcerting. If passed, AB4 would extend health...
-
1 week ago | 
pacificresearch.org | Wayne Winegarden
Simple and neat solutions are alluring but often wrong. A case in point is President Trump’s proposal to adopt a most favored nation (MFN) policy. The MFN sets Medicaid’s price for a drug at the lowest price charged in other developed countries each of which has price controls on drugs. If implemented, this policy will make a bad situation much worse.
-
1 week ago | 
forbes.com | Wayne Winegarden
Simple and neat solutions are alluring but often wrong. A case in point is President Trump’s proposal to adopt a most favored nation (MFN) policy. The MFN sets Medicaid’s price for a drug at the lowest price charged in other developed countries each of which has price controls on drugs. If implemented, this policy will make a bad situation much worse.
-
2 weeks ago | 
forbes.com | Wayne Winegarden
The House Committee on Financial Services’ April 29th hearing titled “Exposing the Proxy Advisory Cartel: How ISS & Glass Lewis Influence Markets” examined “the role and influence of proxy advisory firms…in shaping corporate governance and shareholder voting outcomes.”It’s about time. Proxy advisory firms exist because the SEC requires institutional investors to vote on all matters put forth in proxy statements, or the measures voted on during shareholder meetings.
-
3 weeks ago | 
pacificresearch.org | Wayne Winegarden |Kerry Jackson
As the US marks Earth Day, a new study released today by the Pacific Research Institute, a nonpartisan, California-based, free-market think tank, reveals the staggering costs California consumers and businesses will incur as the state pursues its aggressive green energy mandates. The paper, “The Cost of Going Green,” provides a comprehensive analysis of the economic burden placed on Californians by the state’s forthcoming green energy requirements.
-
3 weeks ago | 
pacificresearch.org | Wayne Winegarden
Surveys confirm that most Americans recognize the value of prescription drugs. But the same surveys also show that Americans are worried that they will be unable to afford needed medicines. These conflicting feelings exemplify the inherent tension when it comes to prescription drugs – how do we incentivize innovation to help patients who lack efficacious treatments while also promoting greater affordability for medicines today?
-
3 weeks ago | 
forbes.com | Wayne Winegarden
Surveys confirm that most Americans recognize the value of prescription drugs. But the same surveys also show that Americans are worried that they will be unable to afford needed medicines. These conflicting feelings exemplify the inherent tension when it comes to prescription drugs – how do we incentivize innovation to help patients who lack efficacious treatments while also promoting greater affordability for medicines today?
-
1 month ago | 
pacificresearch.org | Wayne Winegarden
The recently enacted tariffs are significant tax increases on consumption and production, as I discussed in a February 2025 PRI Issue Brief. These tariffs will increase costs for consumers and reduce profits for businesses both large and small. The tariffs will also reduce the amount of foreign investment in the U.S. economy. With less investment, productivity growth will be lower, and interest rates will be higher, which will also be detrimental to economic growth in the short- and long term.
