The Lighthouse®
School closures may not have measurably reduced the incidence of COVID-19, but they have exacted a high cost on children’s academic success. Students under age 16 should return to their classrooms for summer school and make up for the proven inadequacies of remote-only instruction before their temporary educational setbacks become long-lasting problems.
READ MORE »
By Alvaro Vargas Llosa (The Washington Times, 6/24/20)
Although Western elites have long suffered feelings of guilt and anxiety from the excesses and legacy of colonialism, the doctrine of multiculturalism likely plays a greater role in fomenting the politics of identity and grievance. Whatever the cause of this toxic brew, decent people don’t want America turned into a war zone in the name of anti-fascism, anti-racism, or any other anti-ism.
READ MORE »
By Richard K. Vedder (Forbes, 6/17/20)
A recent public opinion poll from Gallup found that while 63% of white or Hispanic college alumni believed their professors had “cared about them as a person,” only 44% of Black students shared this sentiment. Although Gallup didn’t examine whether non-racial factors (such as prior academic preparation and performance) played a role in the gap, the polling organization should be commended for raising questions that could ultimately improve higher education and student satisfaction.
READ MORE »
By Craig Eyermann (The Beacon, 6/15/20)
With the coronavirus pandemic and safety restrictions putting a strain on state and local governments, the health of many public-employee pension funds has turned from bad to worse. There are three potential ways to fix the problem, but no guarantee that policymakers will choose the right path.
READ MORE »
By William F. Shughart II (The Hill, 6/24/20)
From Arizona to Colorado to Washington, cheap natural gas and subsidized renewable energy are driving coal plants to shut down. One consequence is that many localities are gaining opportunities to buy one of the American West’s most prized resources: water rights.
READ MORE »
The Lighthouse® is the weekly email newsletter of the Independent Institute.
Subscribe now, or browse Back Issues.
Volume 22, Issue 25: July 1, 2020
By Williamson M. Evers (Real Clear Education, 6/22/20)
School closures may not have measurably reduced the incidence of COVID-19, but they have exacted a high cost on children’s academic success. Students under age 16 should return to their classrooms for summer school and make up for the proven inadequacies of remote-only instruction before their temporary educational setbacks become long-lasting problems.
READ MORE »
By Alvaro Vargas Llosa (The Washington Times, 6/24/20)
Although Western elites have long suffered feelings of guilt and anxiety from the excesses and legacy of colonialism, the doctrine of multiculturalism likely plays a greater role in fomenting the politics of identity and grievance. Whatever the cause of this toxic brew, decent people don’t want America turned into a war zone in the name of anti-fascism, anti-racism, or any other anti-ism.
READ MORE »
By Richard K. Vedder (Forbes, 6/17/20)
A recent public opinion poll from Gallup found that while 63% of white or Hispanic college alumni believed their professors had “cared about them as a person,” only 44% of Black students shared this sentiment. Although Gallup didn’t examine whether non-racial factors (such as prior academic preparation and performance) played a role in the gap, the polling organization should be commended for raising questions that could ultimately improve higher education and student satisfaction.
READ MORE »
By Craig Eyermann (The Beacon, 6/15/20)
With the coronavirus pandemic and safety restrictions putting a strain on state and local governments, the health of many public-employee pension funds has turned from bad to worse. There are three potential ways to fix the problem, but no guarantee that policymakers will choose the right path.
READ MORE »
California Dreaming
Lessons on How to Resolve America’s Public Pension Crisis
Lessons on How to Resolve America’s Public Pension Crisis
By Lawrence J. McQuillan
By William F. Shughart II (The Hill, 6/24/20)
From Arizona to Colorado to Washington, cheap natural gas and subsidized renewable energy are driving coal plants to shut down. One consequence is that many localities are gaining opportunities to buy one of the American West’s most prized resources: water rights.
READ MORE »
The Beacon: New Blog Posts
- Dishonest Interpretation, by William J. Watkins, Jr.
- California Attorney General Xavier Becerra Makes Idaho a No-Go Zone, by K. Lloyd Billingsley
- To Make Drugs More Affordable, President Trump Should Focus on Price Competition, by Raymond J. March
- Pandemic Has Not Locked Down California’s Bullet Train Spending, by K. Lloyd Billingsley
- Five Steps for Taming the Federal Spending Beast, by Craig Eyermann
Catalyst: New Articles
- A Visa Halt Will Freeze Economic Recovery, by Brad Polumbo
- Can Private Intercity Passenger Rail Return to America?, by Scott Beyer
- Is the Uruguay Model the Perfect Pandemic Solution?, by Alvaro Vargas Llosa
- Prince William and the Fatherhood Secret America Could Use, by Annie Holmquist
