Today, we preview next week’s celebration of the Thomas Sowell legacy; Drew Endy discusses the state of US-China competition in biotechnology research and innovation; and a recent Hoover wargaming event offers critical insights into how artificial intelligence could shape events during plausible US-China crisis scenarios.
Hoover Institution News
On Monday, October 20, the Hoover Institution will proudly celebrate the remarkable scholarly career and public impact of Thomas Sowell, the Rose and Milton Friedman Senior Fellow on Public Policy. Across a career spanning more than five decades, Sowell has authored over 40 books and countless essays on economics, education, race, and culture. Known for making complex ideas accessible to broad audiences, his fearless commitment to truth, reason, and independent thought continues to inspire scholars, policymakers, and citizens alike. At Monday’s event, distinguished guests including psychologist Steven Pinker, economist Roland Fryer, Kimberley Strassel of The Wall Street Journal, and leader of the UK Conservative Party Kemi Badenoch will join Hoover fellows to discuss Sowell’s contributions across numerous policy areas. We plan to publish recordings of the event’s panel discussions following the gathering. Learn more here.
Bio-Strategies and Leadership
Hoover Senior Fellow and Science Fellow Drew Endy, who leads Hoover’s Bio-Strategies and Leadership research team, joined The Bio Report with Daniel Levine to talk about the ongoing and consequential competition between the United States and China in biotechnology. While China’s emergence as a major biotech player may appear to have happened suddenly, Endy explains how in reality, this development reflects a long-term policy commitment by China’s leaders. The discussion covers China’s all-of-nation biotechnology strategy, how the United States has misallocated research dollars in this field, and why a cultural embrace of biotechnology will be critical for the success of either country. To learn more about Endy’s research on how to secure biology and preserve American competitiveness in the domain, check out his recent Hoover Press publication, Biosecurity Really: A Strategy for Victory. Listen here.
Confronting and Competing with China
How might the race to develop advanced artificial intelligence shape future crises that could potentially arise between the US and China? A recent panel discussion arranged by the Hoover Institution’s Wargaming and Crisis Simulation Initiative and Program on the US, China, and the World sought to entertain some plausible scenarios. Held at Hoover’s Washington, DC, office on October 7, 2025, the event explored how AI might both stabilize and dangerously escalate conflicts between the two nuclear powers. The discussion, moderated by Hoover Fellow Jacquelyn Schneider, opened with introductory remarks by Senior Fellow Elizabeth Economy and featured a distinguished panel of experts including Jimmy Goodrich (UC Institute on Global Conflict and Cooperation), Ryan Hass (Brookings Institution), Zack Cooper (American Enterprise Institute), and Distinguished Research Fellow Glenn Tiffert. Together, the panelists discussed military decision making and information warfare and explored how emerging technologies are reshaping strategy, deterrence, and crisis decision making. Read more here.
For a new episode of China Considered, Senior Fellow Elizabeth Economy interviews Dr. Chenjian Li on the fundamental differences between the Chinese and US systems. Li highlights China’s rapid progress in biotech and pharmaceutical development, predicting the country may produce its first truly innovative drug within five years. While the US excels at “zero-to-one” grassroots innovation stemming from decades of basic research, China has traditionally focused on “one-to-100” government-supported scaling and is now increasingly investing in breakthrough innovation. The conversation concludes with Dr. Li's recommendations for enhancing US competitiveness: continuing robust basic science funding, maintaining large-scale translational research programs, and preserving America’s traditional openness to global talent, which he argues brings not just technical expertise but also scientific thinking and open inquiry to societies worldwide. Watch or listen here.
Tennenbaum Program for Fact-Based Policy
A new short video from Hoover’s Tennenbaum Program for Fact-Based Policy Here’s What We Know series explains what the Social Security Trust Fund is, and why it is so important to America’s signature social insurance program. For decades, Social Security amassed surpluses from payroll taxes, credited to a trust fund of Treasury securities. But as the video explains, those securities aren’t actual investments—they’re government “I owe you” promises. As payouts now exceed contributions, the program draws down its principal, relying on increased taxes or borrowing to cover the shortfall. Once the trust fund runs dry, Americans’ benefits could face cuts of nearly 25 percent. Visit the Tennenbaum program’s webpage, linked above, to learn more about Hoover’s research into Social Security and how to sustain it long term. Watch here.
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