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January 15, 2025

Welcome to The Lighthouse ([link removed]) , the weekly email newsletter of the Independent Institute covering politics, economics, current events, and everything in between.

Dear Readers,

2025 has already been a challenging year as devastating wildfires have swept through Southern California. At this point, the causes of the fires are unknown, but hundreds of thousands of people have been displaced, and many lives have been lost. The Independent Institute’s experts have long voiced concerns about the dangers of current wildfire policies and have called for reforms that reduce fire risk and increase community preparedness. As government power becomes stronger, we stay committed to innovative and transformative reforms. Our goal is to advance peaceful, prosperous, and free societies. In addition to environmental policy, that includes work on financial surveillance, public health, the shattering of economic myths, and countless other matters.

Happy reading.

Jonathan Hofer
Managing Editor

Top picks this week
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** The Urgent Need to Reform America’s Fire Policy ([link removed])
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** California’s wildfires are the direct result of recent and current forest management decisions. ([link removed])
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** by Spenser Stenmark
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Over the past forty years, wildfires have moved out of the wilderness and into our backyards, becoming a fixture of life in the West. These conditions are the legacy of nearly a century of fire suppression policies.
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** Beneficial Ownership Information is More Government Overreach ([link removed])
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** The new Treasury Department protocol reinforces how the U.S. regulatory state has become a form of soft tyranny. ([link removed])
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** by Scott Beyer
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The federal government will increase surveillance on millions of Americans, but how many actual crimes will it stop? (Don’t expect a coherent answer...)
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** Will the FDA Make 2025 the Year of Healthy Eating? ([link removed])
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** by Raymond J. March
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The most common New Year's resolutions focus on losing weight and eating healthier. Unfortunately, many resolutions fail to become lasting habits. The FDA is stepping in to “help” … but history suggests the FDA’s assistance comes with some concerns.
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** No, Marx Was Not an Important Economist ([link removed])
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** by Phillip W. Magness
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Many people believe that Karl Marx is a central figure in economic theory. That’s a mistake.
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** FEATURED BOOK - COMING SOON!
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** Race & Liberty (Updated Edition) ([link removed])
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** The Essential Reader ([link removed])
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** Edited by Jonathan J. Bean
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With new contributions from Thomas Sowell, Coleman Hughes, Thomas Chatteron Williams, Kenny Xu, David Bernstein, and Ilya Somin—as well as a plethora of primary source evidence from recent landmark US Supreme Court decisions—Bean champions the values of colorblindness, freedom, and equal constitutional protection for all individuals—regardless of race. It’s a message that couldn’t be more timely.
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