Technology
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California Leads the Nation in Attacks on Its Own Communications Networks. Sacramento Should Act Like It.
California likes to lead. On this one, leading is nothing to brag about. New industry data released this summer counted 18,327 nationwide intentional attacks on communications networks, the cables, fiber lines, and towers that keep phones and internet working, in 2025. That’s a whopping 59 percent increase over the prior ...
AI
Newsom Picked the Right Tool but the Wrong Playbook
Should government be doing deals like this? Yes. The free-market complaint about government has never been that it uses modern tools. Rather, the complaint is that government so often refuses to use them. Californians wait in DMV lines, stay on hold for hours with state agencies, and get stuck in ...
Blog
California’s Bad Energy Policy Is the Real Threat to the AI Boom
In early 2026, data centers consumed roughly 1,000 megawatts of electricity, about 2% of California ISO’s peak load. The California Energy Commission projects that figure will reach 4,500 megawatts, or 9% of peak demand, by 2040. That projection sits on top of overall peak demand the CEC expects to rise between 42 and ...
AI
Big Tech Lost in Monterey Park. California’s First Data Center Ban Is a Warning
I grew up in Monterey Park, attending both middle school and high school there. The Monterey Park I know is a small, family-centered community where people go to the park, kids go trick-or-treating, and youth sports are full of life. It has been recognized as one of America’s best places ...
Blog
California Should Get Out of the Way of the Charter-Cox Merger
Of course, the CPUC regulates public utilities in California. The Commission gains a say in many mergers because of its broad oversight to evaluate potential effects on the price and access to telecommunications services for California residents. In that, the CPUC works with the Federal Trade Commission to align state ...
AI
Has California Created A Free Speech Problem?
He is deliberating whether to sign or veto Senate Bill 771, which would impose civil penalties of up to $1 million against social media companies that knowingly or recklessly aid their users in violating the state’s hate speech and civil rights laws. “Hate speech” isn’t mentioned by name, but the bill contains references to ...
Blog
The future is now: Robots take aim at urban gridlock
Machines already flip burgers, fry potatoes and slice avocados for lunch. Some even deliver meals. While it’s still a bit of a novelty, especially to those who see for the first time a food-bearing wheeled robot roll by them on the sidewalk, it appears they are about to become far ...
AI
Murdering The First Amendment, California Style
Free speech, guaranteed by both the U.S. and California constitutions, has been whipsawed back and forth in California like a regrettable stock purchase for more than a month. The wild ride began when the Legislature passed Assembly Bill 2839, which bans political parody, by wide margins in both chambers (63-8 ...
Election
Bartlett Cleland – All Things Tech in Sacramento and Washington
As we conclude our look back at the 2024 legislative session, PRI senior fellow in tech and innovation Bartlett Cleland joins us for a look back at this year’s big tech debates on issues ranging from AI to how social media companies are disrupting traditional media outlets. We also explore ...
Blog
What a Web AG Bonta Weaves
With good reason, we are encouraged to understand history, but for some, perhaps, the temptation to repeat past mistakes is just too great. The ancient Greek philosopher Plato described sophists, paid philosophers often involved in public works, as those who twisted words and truth to win arguments. According to the ...
California Leads the Nation in Attacks on Its Own Communications Networks. Sacramento Should Act Like It.
California likes to lead. On this one, leading is nothing to brag about. New industry data released this summer counted 18,327 nationwide intentional attacks on communications networks, the cables, fiber lines, and towers that keep phones and internet working, in 2025. That’s a whopping 59 percent increase over the prior ...
Newsom Picked the Right Tool but the Wrong Playbook
Should government be doing deals like this? Yes. The free-market complaint about government has never been that it uses modern tools. Rather, the complaint is that government so often refuses to use them. Californians wait in DMV lines, stay on hold for hours with state agencies, and get stuck in ...
California’s Bad Energy Policy Is the Real Threat to the AI Boom
In early 2026, data centers consumed roughly 1,000 megawatts of electricity, about 2% of California ISO’s peak load. The California Energy Commission projects that figure will reach 4,500 megawatts, or 9% of peak demand, by 2040. That projection sits on top of overall peak demand the CEC expects to rise between 42 and ...
Big Tech Lost in Monterey Park. California’s First Data Center Ban Is a Warning
I grew up in Monterey Park, attending both middle school and high school there. The Monterey Park I know is a small, family-centered community where people go to the park, kids go trick-or-treating, and youth sports are full of life. It has been recognized as one of America’s best places ...
California Should Get Out of the Way of the Charter-Cox Merger
Of course, the CPUC regulates public utilities in California. The Commission gains a say in many mergers because of its broad oversight to evaluate potential effects on the price and access to telecommunications services for California residents. In that, the CPUC works with the Federal Trade Commission to align state ...
Has California Created A Free Speech Problem?
He is deliberating whether to sign or veto Senate Bill 771, which would impose civil penalties of up to $1 million against social media companies that knowingly or recklessly aid their users in violating the state’s hate speech and civil rights laws. “Hate speech” isn’t mentioned by name, but the bill contains references to ...
The future is now: Robots take aim at urban gridlock
Machines already flip burgers, fry potatoes and slice avocados for lunch. Some even deliver meals. While it’s still a bit of a novelty, especially to those who see for the first time a food-bearing wheeled robot roll by them on the sidewalk, it appears they are about to become far ...
Murdering The First Amendment, California Style
Free speech, guaranteed by both the U.S. and California constitutions, has been whipsawed back and forth in California like a regrettable stock purchase for more than a month. The wild ride began when the Legislature passed Assembly Bill 2839, which bans political parody, by wide margins in both chambers (63-8 ...
Bartlett Cleland – All Things Tech in Sacramento and Washington
As we conclude our look back at the 2024 legislative session, PRI senior fellow in tech and innovation Bartlett Cleland joins us for a look back at this year’s big tech debates on issues ranging from AI to how social media companies are disrupting traditional media outlets. We also explore ...
What a Web AG Bonta Weaves
With good reason, we are encouraged to understand history, but for some, perhaps, the temptation to repeat past mistakes is just too great. The ancient Greek philosopher Plato described sophists, paid philosophers often involved in public works, as those who twisted words and truth to win arguments. According to the ...