Prof. Holmes delves into the life and literary legacy of Samuel Taylor Coleridge, one of the most significant poets of the Romantic era. Holmes offers a comprehensive overview of Coleridge’s early education, highlighting how classical learning deeply influenced his worldview and writings.
Joe Selvaggi talks with Bill Smith, Director of the Life Sciences Initiative at Pioneer Institute, about the Inflation Reduction Act’s impact on drug pricing negotiations and its potential effects on drug development, consumers, and taxpayers.
NYT’s South Asia correspondent, Anupreeta Das discusses how she became interested in writing her acclaimed biography, Billionaire, Nerd, Savior, King: Bill Gates and His Quest to Shape Our World, emphasizing Gates’ corporate and philanthropic influence on our era.
Joe Selvaggi talks with Tax Foundation Vice President William McBride about the details and potential effects of the tax policy proposed by Kamala Harris’s presidential campaign
Views on legislative pay change when voters learn of 2023 analysis that found MA had nation’s “least efficient state legislature” BOSTON – Eighty percent of registered voters support eliminating the exemption to the state public records law claimed by the Massachusetts Legislature, governor and Supreme Judicial Court and making the records public, according to a new poll commissioned by Pioneer Institute and conducted by Emerson College Polling. Only 6 percent support keeping the records private. “Massachusetts is the only state in which the governor’s office, the legislature and the judiciary all claim this exemption,” said Pioneer Institute Director of Transparency Mary Connaughton. “Clearly, that doesn’t sit well with voters.” Registered voters also support ending the state legislature’s exemption from audits the […]
Starlee Coleman discusses her role as CEO of the Texas Public Charter Schools Association, highlighting the growth of charter schools in Texas, as well as the broader efforts to expand school choice.
Joe Selvaggi talks with Cato Institute legal fellow Brent Skorup about the split in the court of appeals over the Constitution’s 4th Amendment protections concerning law enforcement’s search of location tracking data.
The Hon. Frank J. Bailey (ret.) will Advance to Chair in 2026 (Boston, Mass.)- The Pioneer Public Interest Law Center today announced that its president, Hon. Frank J. Bailey (ret.) has been elected as the next Vice Chair of the Judicial Division of the American Bar Association (ABA). Judge Bailey will advance to chair-elect and then chair in 2026. “The American Bar Association is proud to welcome retired U.S. Bankruptcy Judge Frank J. Bailey as our Judicial Division’s next Vice Chair, ” said ABA President Bill Bay. “Judge Bailey’s extensive experience and dedication to the rule of law makes him a strong leader for the division. His commitment to addressing the challenges faced by the judiciary today will be vital […]
Review of Becker’s List of Health Systems with Strong Finances finds more transparency needed in hospitals that receive federal aid to improve access to care. (Boston, Mass) – Pioneer Institute of Public Policy Research today released a paper that found that higher levels of transparency in hospital operations is needed in hospitals that receive federal aid to improve access to care. The Institute selected names for the hospitals from the Becker’s List of Health Systems with Strong Finances, and compared it to data of the hospitals falling under 340B classifications in Pioneer’s 340B Data Tool. Of the 53 hospitals originally listed in Becker’s, 29 are classified as 340B hospitals/health systems. Of those 29, 18 health systems underperformed the national average […]
Mr. Miles reflects on his lifelong dedication to public service, starting as a soldier, then a diplomat, and later as an educational leader. He shares insights into his family background and formative experiences that shaped his commitment to serving the public.
Joe Selvaggi talks with Pioneer’s Senior Housing Fellow, Andrew Mikula, about the recently passed $5.2 billion bond bill, discussing its key features and how it might impact the supply and cost of homes in Massachusetts.
Dr. David Heidler discusses the transformative period of Jacksonian Democracy, from 1829 to 1837. He explores the political changes, sectionalism, and reforms that characterized the era, alongside the controversial figure of Andrew Jackson, whose volatile nature and strategic political management propelled his rise and image.
Joe Selvaggi discusses the emergence of the massive, costly, and rapidly growing register of federal rules and regulations with Competitive Enterprise Institute’s Wayne Crews.
Prof. Angrist explores the controversies and his motivations behind studying K-12 education, emphasizing what policymakers often overlook about education and labor markets. He discusses his groundbreaking research on charter schools, highlighting how his findings have influenced policymakers. Angrist also talks about his Nobel-winning work on the analysis of causal relationships in economics and the innovative research currently underway at Blueprint, his lab at MIT.
Joe Selvaggi talks with Marty Walz, the interim president of the Boston Municipal Research Bureau, about more viable, long-term alternatives to Mayor Wu’s property tax classification proposal.
Governor Healey should veto a provision in the recently passed economic development bill that would ease restrictions on public entities seeking to use project labor agreements on public works or building projects. PLAs require that all trade labor on a project come from unions, essentially locking out the nearly 82 percent of Massachusetts construction workers who choose not to affiliate with a union. Such a provision reduces competition and, in turn, raises costs. A 2021 RAND report on the effects of PLAs on affordable housing production in Los Angeles found a 14.5 percent increase in construction costs for projects subject to PLAs. RAND also found that without PLAs approximately 800 additional units of housing (an increase of 11 percent) could […]
Stanford University Prof. Arnold Rampersad, author of Jackie Robinson: A Biography, discusses the life and legacy of Robinson, the hall of fame baseball player and history-changing civil rights leader.
Joe Selvaggi talks with the CATO Institute’s Dr. Norbert Michel about the shift in the Republican vision and policy goals from decades past, as reflected in the nominees and guest speakers at the 2024 GOP Convention.
Slow, inefficient system that discourages entrepreneurship puts U.S. at a competitive disadvantage
Mr. Bird focuses on the life and legacy of J. Robert Oppenheimer, “father of the atomic bomb.” He discusses Oppenheimer’s impact on history, his early life and education, and his academic achievements in quantum physics. Bird covers Oppenheimer’s political views, relationships, as well as his leadership in the Manhattan Project and his role in the Trinity test.
Joe Selvaggi talks with MIT Professor Charles Stewart III about the political party’s presidential candidate nomination process and what or who ultimately decides who is chosen.
Dr. Roza explores the complexities of education finance and its impact on American K-12 education. She outlines the three phases of school funding over the past 40 years and their effect on equity and student achievement. She highlights that only about half of the K-12 education dollars reach student instruction, with significant funds absorbed by the ever-expanding education bureaucracy.
Joe Selvaggi speaks with Manhattan Institute Senior Fellow Dr. Stephen Eide about the Grants Pass v. Johnson Supreme Court decision and its impact on homeless encampments in Boston and across the country.
Mr. Unger delves into the life of Patrick Henry as the country celebrates the Fourth of July. He explores Henry’s early life, his rise as a lawyer and political figure, and his fiery opposition to British policies. Mr. Unger highlights Henry’s famous “Give me liberty, or give me death!” speech and his influential role as governor of Virginia, underscoring his enduring legacy in helping forge American independence. In closing, he reads a passage from his book, Lion of Liberty: Patrick Henry and the Call to a New Nation.
Joe Selvaggi talks with Pioneer Institute’s Director of Healthcare Initiatives, Dr. Bill Smith, about the challenges posed by new regulations and price controls for developing alternatives to addictive opioids.
Massachusetts shed more than double the amount of adjusted gross income (AGI) in 2022 than any year prior to 2020, making it fifth among states in net AGI out-migration behind only California, New York, Illinois and New Jersey, according to data released Thursday by the Internal Revenue Service.
BOSTON – On June 27, Massachusetts’ Supreme Judicial Court agreed with an amicus brief jointly filed by Pioneer Public Interest Law Center, former Boston Public Schools Superintendent Michael Contompasis and former Worcester Superintendent James Caradonio, rejecting the Massachusetts Teachers Association’s (MTA’s) challenge to the language of a November ballot initiative that would eliminate the requirement that students pass English language arts, math and science MCAS tests to graduate from the Commonwealth’s public high schools. Massachusetts law requires the attorney general and secretary of state to jointly prepare a fair and neutral one-sentence statement describing the effect of a yes or no vote. The “yes” statement slated to appear on the ballot reads: “A YES VOTE would eliminate the requirement that […]
Prof. Joel Richard Paul discusses the statesman Daniel Webster, highlighting his reputation as the “conscience of New England” and one of America’s greatest orators. Prof. Paul shares that Webster, despite a modest upbringing, became a leading attorney whose arguments in landmark U.S. Supreme Court cases shaped constitutional law.
Joe Selvaggi talks with Pioneer Institute Housing Fellow Andrew Mikula about his research on the causes and cures for our region’s highest-in-the-nation housing costs.
A new online tool from Pioneer Institute shows a gradual increase in non-commercial (public payer) revenue at Massachusetts hospitals and also reveals a strong relationship between the hospitals with the highest commercial revenue and those with the highest relative prices.