Independent Institute Sr. Fellow Williamson Evers speaks with Andy Caldwell about Evers’ list of Best Books on the Folly of Socialism and authoritarian governments and how it relates to spread of the COVID-19 pandemic. Evers also talks about the Open Letter to California Governor Gavin Newsom and the California legislature to suspend CA AB5, a law which limits the rights of freelance workers and forces them to limit their work hours or become full-time employees. The Open Letter is signed by over 150 scholars, economists and political scientists.

An influential group of 151 economists and political scientists, are calling for the immediate suspension of California’s AB-5, a law that was passed in 2019 to regulate the use of independent contractors in a variety of activities. The “Open Letter to Suspend California AB-5” that is addressed to California Governor Gavin Newsom and all members of the California State Legislature, calls for the immediate suspension of the law, which prevents individuals from working part time in a variety of indispensable positions, especially during the coronavirus crisis. Each of the signatories is affiliated with one of forty colleges, universities, and think tanks in California.

Independent contractors, or "gig" workers have been stifled by California's law known as AB5 which forces these workers to become employees of the organization they work for. Evers initiated an Open Letter to California Governor asking him to suspend the law during the pandemic to allow critically needed workers, such as delivery services and ride share drivers, and some nurses, to continue to work as freelance workers. The Open Letter is signed by over 150 economists, scholars, and political scientists.

California Golden Fleece® Award Briefing: "How to Restore the California Dream: Removing Obstacles to Fast and Affordable Housing Development," by Fleece Awards Director Dr. Lawrence J. McQuillan.

The U.S. recently overtook Italy as the country with the most confirmed cases of COVID-19. Some believe this is just the beginning. Dr. Brian Monahan, attending physician to the U.S. Congress and Supreme Court, estimates between 70 and 150 million Americans will become infected. The White House has projected COVID-19 will result in between 100,000 and 240,000 deaths.

Sr. Fellow Richard Vedder, author of Restoring the Promise appears on the Carolina Journal Radio show to talk about the problems facing higher education today.

Graham H. Walker (Executive Director) and Mary L. G. Theroux (Senior Vice President) at the Independent Institute examine the folly and hypocrisy for the Bay Area San March 16th “Shelter in Place” edict.

Many headline scientific findings in recent years have turned out to be false. They can’t be reproduced—and if you can’t reproduce a result, it isn’t science. The headlines are just the tip of the iceberg. A huge amount of ordinary scientific findings published in peer-reviewed journals doesn't replicate. Something has gone terribly wrong in contemporary scientific procedures.

Science’s failure is called the "Irreproducibility Crisis." It is the result of improper use of statistics, arbitrary research techniques, lack of accountability, political groupthink, and a scientific culture biased toward producing positive results. By some estimates, half of recent scientific research could be irreproducible.

In his presentation, Barry Smith discusses the irreproducibility crisis in ontological terms of misuse of data analysis or p-hacking (selective reporting of data, data fishing, data dredging) and how to restore the scientific enterprise. Dr. Smith is the SUNY Distinguished Professor of Philosophy and Julian Park Chair, Philosophy Department at the University at Buffalo.