Wednesday, November 12, 2025

Today, Condoleezza Rice and Jonathan Levin discuss the challenges facing elite US universities in an era of misinformation. Ben Domenech writes about how Thomas Sowell remains “an unlikely influencer” even at the age of 95. And John Cochrane breaks down why electric vehicle subsidies do little to reduce global carbon emissions.

Higher Education

Levin and Rice Discuss Challenges for Universities in “Era of Misinformation”

The Stanford Daily published an article on a panel called “The State of American Universities,” held on November 10, where Stanford President Jonathan Levin and Hoover Institution Director Condoleezza Rice discussed higher education amid an “era of misinformation.” Levin cited the value of universities’ research freedom and people-centered strength having less compute power than some of the Silicon Valley AI hyperscalers. Meanwhile, Rice called campuses marketplaces of ideas and encouraged the student body to be more supportive of students with diverse political leanings and viewpoints. Levin cited a line from the principal character in the television show Ted Lasso, saying students should “be curious, not judgmental.” Read more here.

Thomas Sowell Legacy

Why Thomas Sowell Still Matters

In a piece for The Spectator World, Ben Domenech offers his reflections on why, at age 95 and after many decades of public intellectual work, economist Thomas Sowell remains an “unlikely influencer.” Domenech shares several reflections from his attendance at the recent Thomas Sowell Legacy conference held at Hoover in October. Domenech notes that, “For an author whose books would weigh down even a strong back, Sowell’s aphoristic style fits the era of short attention spans.” To this day, he concludes, “his charm and intelligence are enough to intimidate his academic foes and inspirational enough to make Clarence Thomas cry.” Check out the column for more on how various thinkers including Victor Davis Hanson and Coleman Hughes paid tribute to Sowell at the conference. Read more here. [Subscription required]

The Economy

Your EV is a Non-Starter

In this week’s Grumpy Economist Weekly Rant for Freedom Frequency, Senior Fellow John H. Cochrane explains why electric vehicle subsidies don’t help the climate—and are very costly to the economy. He breaks down the hidden carbon costs of EV production and argues that government subsidies simply shift emissions rather than reduce them. He also argues that reducing carbon emissions in the short-term won't matter, as it won't have impact on the climate a century from now. Cochrane offers a clear-eyed alternative: focus on nuclear power, research, and innovation that make low-carbon energy truly competitive. Watch here.

China’s Green Energy “Revolution” is Powered by Coal

In The Wall Street Journal, Visiting Fellow Bjorn Lomborg documents the slowdown in China’s green energy industry. He says China’s solar industry shed a third of its workforce last year, and more than 40 of its firms went bankrupt, were delisted from equity markets, or sold. And even as its renewable energy and electric car industries soldier on, China is simultaneously hitting a ten-year high for the rate of new coal power plant construction. The real solution will be nuclear energy, Lomborg argues, and in that field, China is already speeding past the US. Read more here. [Subscription required]

California

Of Tip O’Neill and California Tipping Points

Looking past California Governor Gavin Newsom’s win on the Proposition 50 redistricting measure, Distinguished Policy Fellow Bill Whalen writes about new developments in the Golden State, such as the race to succeed Nancy Pelosi in Congress and the continued spending challenges of not just the state government, but also Santa Clara County. Whalen evaluates declared primary challengers for San Francisco’s House seat: Scott Wiener and Saikat Chakrabarti, as well as former San Francisco Mayor London Breed, who is considering entering the race. Meanwhile, as voters in Santa Clara County approved a ballot measure taking the local sales tax to nearly 10 percent, Whalen points out overall spending by the county has risen 69 percent over the past six years. Read more here.