Economy
Business & Economics
Basel Accord’s expanded banking rules could tank Trump’s economy — unless he acts fast
Since Congress passed President Donald Trump’s “One Big Beautiful Bill” this summer, strong real-GDP growth has combined with minimal inflation, boosting American prosperity. But one potential misstep could end this decisive, action-oriented administration’s hope of making the American economy great again — while losing the midterm elections and Republican control ...
Blog
Ronald Reagan Opposed Tariffs – And For Good Reason
Having worked with Dr. Laffer for several years, I heard him explain the tenets of supply-side economics, or “the five pillars of prosperity” many times. These policies are (1) a low-rate broad-based flat tax; (2) a moderate level of government spending to ensure that the benefits from the government program ...
Blog
It Was A Cruel, Cruel Summer For California Teens
California has a jobs problem. It’s not only failing to create them, it’s been destroying existing ones. Unemployment sits at 5.5%, the worst among the states. Only in the District of Columbia is the situation more grim. The jobless rate in the nation’s capital is 6%. This isn’t due to a run of bad luck. It’s the greasy residue of poor public policy ...
Blog
Government Shutdown Threatens Billions in IPO Funding
The federal government has been shut down since October 1 because of a funding disagreement between Democrats and Republicans in Washington. Though a deal could theoretically be struck at any moment, there does not appear to be any end in sight. Only services deemed essential are permitted through the shutdown, which means ...
Blog
Read the latest from PRI's Free Cities Center
It’s not just AI: California city minimum wages also kill jobs
As if it didn’t kill enough jobs, 39 cities have imposed their own, even higher minimums. A dozen of the cities did so on July 1. The highest general minimum is Emeryville’s, at $19.90. Some cities also mandate higher minimums for certain jobs. For the city of Los Angeles, the ...
Blog
Fact Checking The Governor on Manufacturing
While announcing last month the state’s Regional Investment Initiative “to fund ready-to-go projects,” Newsom’s office declared that “California is the nation’s top state for” a number of economic sectors, including manufacturing. It’s a recurring message from the governor’s press team. It is true that California has the most manufacturing jobs in the country. Federal data ...
Blog
The fast food minimum wage hike continues to kill jobs
Governor Newsom Protests Too Much – the Minimum Wage Increase Did Destroy Jobs
As the New York Post reported, Newsom’s deputy director of communications Tara Gallegos disputed the findings of the piece, pointing out to Fox News Digital that the research paper was linked to the Hoover Institution, a public policy think tank she claimed has published “false or misleading information” about California’s ...
Agriculture
Fourth of July cookout costs emphasize the need for agriculture
As in years’ past, the American Farm Bureau Federation highlights our food production history by examining the cost of cooking for our family and friends on Fourth of July in the present. The West Coast has retained the dubious distinction of being the most expensive region of the country to ...
Blog
Slowing Consumption Poses an Additional Fiscal Threat to California
The California New Car Dealers Associationnotes that total new vehicle registrations in the state stagnated in 2024 and are expected to decline slightly in 2025. The California Chamber of Commerce reports that tourism, which generated over $12 billion in tax revenue from both international and domestic visitors in 2024, is ...
Blog
Learn why California's unemployment rate is rising
Disaster looms with California’s high unemployment
Currently, California currently ranks as the fourth-highest unemployment rate of any state (including the District of Columbia) in the nation, at 5.3 percent. California’s unemployment rate steadily increased by a full percentage point between March 2023 and September 2024 and, despite continued economic growth, has plateaued ever since. By contrast, ...
Basel Accord’s expanded banking rules could tank Trump’s economy — unless he acts fast
Since Congress passed President Donald Trump’s “One Big Beautiful Bill” this summer, strong real-GDP growth has combined with minimal inflation, boosting American prosperity. But one potential misstep could end this decisive, action-oriented administration’s hope of making the American economy great again — while losing the midterm elections and Republican control ...
Ronald Reagan Opposed Tariffs – And For Good Reason
Having worked with Dr. Laffer for several years, I heard him explain the tenets of supply-side economics, or “the five pillars of prosperity” many times. These policies are (1) a low-rate broad-based flat tax; (2) a moderate level of government spending to ensure that the benefits from the government program ...
It Was A Cruel, Cruel Summer For California Teens
California has a jobs problem. It’s not only failing to create them, it’s been destroying existing ones. Unemployment sits at 5.5%, the worst among the states. Only in the District of Columbia is the situation more grim. The jobless rate in the nation’s capital is 6%. This isn’t due to a run of bad luck. It’s the greasy residue of poor public policy ...
Government Shutdown Threatens Billions in IPO Funding
The federal government has been shut down since October 1 because of a funding disagreement between Democrats and Republicans in Washington. Though a deal could theoretically be struck at any moment, there does not appear to be any end in sight. Only services deemed essential are permitted through the shutdown, which means ...
Read the latest from PRI's Free Cities Center
It’s not just AI: California city minimum wages also kill jobs
As if it didn’t kill enough jobs, 39 cities have imposed their own, even higher minimums. A dozen of the cities did so on July 1. The highest general minimum is Emeryville’s, at $19.90. Some cities also mandate higher minimums for certain jobs. For the city of Los Angeles, the ...
Fact Checking The Governor on Manufacturing
While announcing last month the state’s Regional Investment Initiative “to fund ready-to-go projects,” Newsom’s office declared that “California is the nation’s top state for” a number of economic sectors, including manufacturing. It’s a recurring message from the governor’s press team. It is true that California has the most manufacturing jobs in the country. Federal data ...
The fast food minimum wage hike continues to kill jobs
Governor Newsom Protests Too Much – the Minimum Wage Increase Did Destroy Jobs
As the New York Post reported, Newsom’s deputy director of communications Tara Gallegos disputed the findings of the piece, pointing out to Fox News Digital that the research paper was linked to the Hoover Institution, a public policy think tank she claimed has published “false or misleading information” about California’s ...
Fourth of July cookout costs emphasize the need for agriculture
As in years’ past, the American Farm Bureau Federation highlights our food production history by examining the cost of cooking for our family and friends on Fourth of July in the present. The West Coast has retained the dubious distinction of being the most expensive region of the country to ...
Slowing Consumption Poses an Additional Fiscal Threat to California
The California New Car Dealers Associationnotes that total new vehicle registrations in the state stagnated in 2024 and are expected to decline slightly in 2025. The California Chamber of Commerce reports that tourism, which generated over $12 billion in tax revenue from both international and domestic visitors in 2024, is ...
Learn why California's unemployment rate is rising
Disaster looms with California’s high unemployment
Currently, California currently ranks as the fourth-highest unemployment rate of any state (including the District of Columbia) in the nation, at 5.3 percent. California’s unemployment rate steadily increased by a full percentage point between March 2023 and September 2024 and, despite continued economic growth, has plateaued ever since. By contrast, ...
