Ramesh Ponnuru: The Case for a Conservative Economic Agenda
2021-05-12 12:00 - 12:45 (America/Chicago)
Conservatives have traditionally favored freeing markets and shrinking government. But new political and economic trends are leading many conservatives to question these old commitments. Join us on Wednesday, May 12 at noon for a talk by Ramesh Ponnuru who will make the case for a new conservative economic agenda.
Register Here
Questions may be submitted prior to the event by emailing them to Zach.Lawhorn@ShowMeOpportunity.org and during the event via the Q&A feature on your Zoom screen.
Ramesh Ponnuru is a senior fellow at National Review Institute and a senior editor at National Review, where he has covered national politics and policy for 25 years. He is also a columnist for Bloomberg Opinion, which syndicates his articles in newspapers across the nation. He is a visiting fellow at the American Enterprise Institute and he serves as a contributing editor to National Affairs, the quarterly journal of conservative ideas. His articles are frequently published in The Wall Street Journal, The New York Times, and The Washington Post. In 2015, he was included in the “Politico 50,” Politico’s list of “the thinkers, doers, and dreamers who really matter” in American politics.
In 2014, Ponnuru contributed to and (with Yuval Levin) edited the book Room to Grow: Conservative Reforms for a Limited Government and A Thriving Middle Class. New York Times columnist David Brooks called the book “the most coherent and compelling policy agenda the American right has produced this century.” Ponnuru was subsequently featured in a New York Times magazine cover story about reform-minded conservatives. In 2013 he was a resident fellow at the University of Chicago’s Institute of Politics. He is a regular speaker on policy, politics, and constitutionalism at the nation’s leading college campuses and law schools. He also appears regularly on television programs about public affairs. He is the author of a book on the sanctity of human life and American politics and of a monograph on Japanese industrial policy. Previously he has been a columnist for Time magazine and WashingtonPost.com. Ponnuru grew up in Kansas City, Kansas, and graduated from Princeton University. He now lives in the Washington, D.C., area with his wife and three children.

Live Event! Media Matters: The Impact of Storytelling on Culture
2021-06-14 17:30 - 19:00
Join us on Monday, June 14 (Flag Day) for an in-person presentation by Lee Habeeb on The Impact of Storytelling on Culture.
Lee Habeeb is the CEO and founder of the non-profit radio network American Private Radio and the on-air radio host of Our American Stories.
Event Details
NOTE: If you are not fully vaccinated, in accordance with CDC guidelines and St. Louis City Emergency Order 19, please wear a mask and observe social distancing.
Where: 5297 Washington Place | Saint Louis, MO 63108
When: Monday, June 14
Reception@5:30 pm
Presentation@6:00 pm
Click Here to Register

About Our American Stories

Download the Our American Stories podcast on Itunes, Google Play, Spotify, or wherever you find your podcasts, and visit ouramericanstories.com to find an affiliate station near you.
About Our Speaker
Lee Habeeb got his start in radio co-creating The Laura Ingraham Show, which launched in 2001. By 2007, it was the #1 show in America in its time slot. He moved to Salem Media Group, where he serves as VP of Content, overseeing shows hosted by some of conservativism’s greats: Bill Bennett, Dennis Prager, Hugh Hewitt, Larry Elder, and Eric Metaxas. Habeeb also writes a weekly column at Newsweek.

In-Person Legislative Update 2021 (Columbia)
2021-08-25 12:00 - 13:00
Please join us Wednesday, August 25 for a legislative update with Representative David Smith and Senator Caleb Rowden. Enjoy a delicious lunch while Rep. David Smith of the 45th District and Senator Caleb Rowden of the 19th District discuss the most recent legislative sessions in the Missouri House and Senate. Both will be available for questions following their presentations. Do not miss this chance to hear directly from your legislators!
Register Here

In-Person Legislative Update 2021 (St. Louis)
2021-09-08 07:30 - 08:30
You are invited to join us for a discussion with Rep. McCreery and Sen. Onder on the bills passed, pending, and defeated this past legislative session. Both will be available for questions following their remarks. Register early to claim your spot!
Register
This event is brought to you by Show-Me Institute and Show-Me Opportunity

In-Person: Critical Race Theory in Missouri (Kansas City)
2021-10-07 07:30 - 08:30
Patrick Ishmael, the Show Me Institute’s director of government accountability, sent Sunshine Law requests to Missouri schools to find out which schools are teaching Critical Race Theory. Parents, students, and taxpayers deserve to know what their schools are teaching. In October, come hear Patrick present the findings of the Show-Me Curricula Project and get a donut and coffee on us. Please RSVP to save your spot!
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This event is brought to you by Show-Me Institute and Show-Me Opportunity

Critical Race Theory in Missouri (Springfield)
2021-10-13 12:00 - 13:00
Patrick Ishmael, the Show-Me Institute’s director of government accountability, sent Sunshine Law requests to Missouri schools to find out which schools are teaching Critical Race Theory. Parents, students, and taxpayers deserve to know what their schools are teaching. In October, come hear Patrick present the findings of the Show-Me Curricula Project and enjoy some light refreshments on us. Please RSVP to save your spot!
Register

Tech Panic: Why We Shouldn't Fear Facebook and the Future
2021-10-21 18:00 - 19:00
This event is now a free virtual event!
In a time when some people argue that Big Tech has gotten too big, Robby Soave’s message is simple: don’t panic. In his new book, Tech Panic: Why We Shouldn’t Fear Facebook and the Future, Robby argues that whatever challenges the future holds, we will be better prepared to handle them as a country, as a society, and as individuals if the government hasn’t vaporized social media via some giant, metaphorical “Unfriend” button.
Robby is a senior editor at Reason and has also been published in The New York Times, The Daily Beast, and U.S. News & World Report. Named on Forbes’ “30 Under 30” list in 2017, he became well known for his correction of a Rolling Stone article on sexual assault at the University of Virginia and his correction of the highly reported incident concerning Catholic high school students at the Lincoln Memorial in 2019.
Please join the Show-Me Institute and Reason for an evening of conversation. The webinar link will be sent to you after you register.
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Douglas Murray: Reflections on the Revolution in America
2021-11-10 17:30 - 19:00
You are invited to join the Show-Me Institute, Show-Me Opportunity, National Review Institute, and NewsTalkSTL on Wednesday, November 10 for a complimentary event with Douglas Murray. Murray will give an outsider’s perspective on the recent shifts in American culture, the culture wars, and the attack on free speech and education. Please RSVP to secure your seat.
Murray is a best-selling author, an award-winning political commentator, and a senior fellow at the National Review Institute. He has written books on neoconservatism, terrorism and national security, freedom of speech, and the rise of woke culture and identity politics. His upcoming book, The War on the West: How to Prevail in the Age of Unreason, explores why in recent history it has become acceptable to discuss the flaws and crimes of Western culture, but celebrating the West’s contributions is condemned as hate speech.
The reception begins at 5:30 p.m. with hors d’oeuvres and a cash bar. The presentation begins at 6 p.m.
Register Here

Policy Lunch: Missouri School Rankings Project (St. Louis)
2021-11-18 12:00 - 13:00
Missouri schools are failing to teach the core subjects of reading and math, and the most recent test scores show that students are falling further behind. In response to the Missouri Department of Elementary and Secondary Education’s (DESE) failure to perform one of its most basic functions, the Show-Me Institute, in conjunction with Show-Me Opportunity, launched The Missouri School Rankings Project and MoSchoolRankings.org.
On November 18, Susan Pendergrass, director of research and education policy, will present her findings from the Missouri School Rankings Project and give an overview of how to use the website.
Register

Sponsored by Show-Me Institute and Show-Me Opportunity

The 2022 Blueprint for Missouri Virtual Town Hall
2021-12-08 14:00 - 15:00
Please join the Show-Me Institute for a Virtual Town Hall on Wednesday, December 8 at 2 p.m. The presentation will outline our 2022 Blueprint for Missouri, which consists of free-market policy solutions to the challenges facing our state. You will hear from our expert policy directors and analysts about a broad range of issues including education, healthcare, tax policy, transportation, and government accountability. Register through Zoom to receive the event link. We hope you can join us.
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This event is sponsored by Show-Me Institute and Show-Me Opportunity.

January 26 Virtual Event: Increasing Accountability in Education
2022-01-26 12:00 - 13:00
Joins us on Wednesday, January 26 from noon to 1:00 pm central time, for a virtual summit on increasing accountability around performance reporting in education.
Panelists Show-Me Institute’s Susan Pendergrass, and ExcelinEd’s Patricia Levesque join host Michael Q. McShane from EdChoice.
Register Here
The Need for More Accountability in Missouri
Missouri schools are failing to teach the core subjects of reading and math and the most recent test scores show that students are falling further behind.
Missouri’s Department of Secondary and Elementary (MO DESE) has not offered the level of transparency regarding student performance that is necessary to create an education system focused on higher standards, reducing achievement gaps, and results-based accountability.
The status quo is leaving thousands of students behind without the fundamental skills to pursue higher education or compete in the modern labor market.
In response to DESE’s failure to perform one of its most basic functions, we launched The Missouri School Rankings Project and MoSchoolRankings.org.

Election Security Panel with Hammond Institute (Saint Charles)
2022-02-10 17:30 - 19:00
You are invited to join the Show-Me Institute and the Hammond Institute for Free Enterprise for an expert panel discussion on election security on February 10. Four election officials will explain how they keep Missouri’s elections secure, offer suggestions for how to improve election security, and answer questions from the audience. We hope to see you there.
Panelists:

Eric Fey, St. Louis County Democratic Director of Elections
Brianna Lennon, Boone County Clerk
Kurt Bahr, St. Charles County Director of Elections
Shane Shoeller, Greene County Clerk

Register Here
Can’t make the event? Register here to watch the live stream

POSTPONED: Election Security Panel with Kinder Institute (Columbia)
2022-02-17 18:00 - 19:00
Due to the potential for inclement weather in Columbia, the Election Security Panel scheduled for this Thursday, February 17 at Mizzou has been canceled. We plan to reschedule for later this spring. Check back here for updates!

Missouri School Rankings Virtual Event
2022-02-23 15:00 - 16:00
THIS IS NOW A VIRTUAL EVENT
Missouri schools are failing to teach the core subjects of reading and math, and the most recent test scores show that students are falling further behind. In response to the Missouri Department of Elementary and Secondary Education’s (DESE) failure to perform one of its most basic functions, the Show-Me Institute, in conjunction with Show-Me Opportunity, launched The Missouri School Rankings Project and MoSchoolRankings.org.
On February 23, Susan Pendergrass, director of research and education policy, will present her findings from the Missouri School Rankings Project and give an overview of how to use the website.
Register

School Choice Mythbusting Virtual Event
2022-03-09 11:00 - 12:00
Have you ever wondered: Do the narratives continually pushed by defenders of the status quo in education actually hold up? Are they fact or just plain fiction? Is the proverbial sky falling in education as opponents would have us believe?

Join us on Wednesday, March 9, from 11:00 a.m. – 12:00 p.m. CT as EdChoice’s Jason Bedrick, Director of Policy, and Mike McShane, Director of National Research, challenge these narratives and share with us their published papers on two specific topics. Bedrick’s Who’s Afraid of School Choice? follows up on some of the dire predictions that school choice opponents have made over the years and sees how little they match reality. McShane’s The Accountability Myth attacks head-on the argument that public schools are accountable while private schools are not.

Attendees will also have the opportunity to ask questions via a Q&A session following the discussion.

Register here to reserve your spot for this virtual event today!

March 17: Russia, Ukraine, and the Impact on the United States Virtual Event
2022-03-17 12:00 - 13:00
Join us on March 17 for a virtual event with Senator Jim Talent and Heritage Foundation’s James Jay Carafano as they discuss the impact of the Russian invasion of Ukraine on the United States.

Attendees will have the opportunity to ask questions via a Q&A session following the discussion. You can submit questions ahead of the event to Zach.Lawhorn@showmeopportunity.org

Register Here
About the Speakers
Senator Jim Talent
Senator Jim Talent brings over 30 years of government and political experience including service in both chambers of Congress. He is a nationally-recognized leader on military affairs whose counsel is frequently sought by administrations and members of the House and Senate on both sides of the political aisle. During his service in the U.S. Senate and U.S. House, Senator Talent served on each chamber’s Armed Services Committee where he worked to advance a strong national defense and military readiness. In the U.S. House, in the aftermath of the end of the Cold War, he was a vocal opponent of cuts in the size and strength of the military On the Senate Armed Services Committee, he fought to rebuild the force, which even then was too small, too stressed and desperately in need of recapitalization. An advocate for expanding the U.S. Navy’s fleet to project American power abroad and keep the peace, he chaired the committee’s Naval Power Subcommittee.
James Jay Carafano
James Jay Carafano, a leading expert in national security and foreign policy challenges, is the vice president of Heritage’s Kathryn and Shelby Cullom Davis Institute for National Security and Foreign Policy and the E. W. Richardson Fellow. Carafano is an accomplished historian and teacher as well as a prolific writer and researcher. His most recent publication is “Brutal War” (Lynne Reinner, 2021), a study of combat in the Southwest Pacific. He also authored “Wiki at War: Conflict in a Socially Networked World” (Texas A&M University Press, 2012), a survey of the revolutionary impact of the Internet age on national security. He was selected from thousands to speak on cyber warfare at the 2014 South by Southwest (SXSW) Interactive Conference in Austin, Texas, the nation’s premier tech and social media conference.

Inflation in America: The Role of the Fed and the Risk of Recession
2022-05-10 12:00 - 13:00
Join us at noon Central Time on May 10 for a virtual event on inflation in America.
During the event, Aaron Hedlund, chief economist at the Show-Me Institute, and Tyler Goodspeed, Kleinheinz Fellow at the Hoover Institution at Stanford University, will discuss the impact of decades-high inflation on the economy, workers, and consumers, as well as the role of the Federal Reserve in solving the problem and the risk of the next recession.
Register Here

Live Event: 2022 Legislative Wrap Up
2022-05-24 07:30 - 08:30
On Tuesday, May 24, Senator Andrew Koenig and Representative Donna Baringer will join us to discuss the 2022 legislative session.
Attendees will have an opportunity to ask questions following remarks from Senator Koenig and Representative Baringer.
There is no cost to attend, but you must register ahead of May 24. There will be no walk up registration permitted.
REGISTER HERE

Taxes Have Consequences: Arthur B. Laffer, Jeanne Sinquefield and Brian Domitrovic
2022-09-20 17:30 - 18:30
Join us for a discussion with Arthur B. Laffer, Jeanne Sinquefield and Brian Domitrovic about their upcoming book Taxes Have Consequences: An Income Tax History of the United States.
Reception begins at 4:30 p.m.
Program begins at 5:30 p.m.

RSVP to events@showmeinstitute.org
Please include the first and last name of each guest planning to attend.

About The Book
Authors: Arthur B. Laffer, Brian Domitrovic and Jeanne Cairns Sinquefield
The definitive history of the effect of the income tax on the economy.
Ever since 1913, when the United States first imposed the income tax via constitutional amendment, the top rate of that tax has determined the fate of the American economy. When the top rate has been high, as in the late 1910s, the 1930s, 1940s, 1950s, and 1970s, the response of those with money and capital has been to curtail real economic activity in favor of protecting assets and income streams. Huge declines have come to the economy in these circumstances. The most brutal example was the Great Depression itself. When the top tax rate has been cut and held at reduced levels—as in the 1920s, the 1960s, in the long boom of the 1980s and 1990s, and briefly in the late 2010s—
astonishing reversals have occurred. The rich have brought their money out of hiding and put it to work in the economy. The huge swings in the American economy since 1913 have had an inverse relationship to income tax rates.
About the Speakers
Arthur B. Laffer is the legendary founder of supply-side economics and economic advisor to President Ronald Reagan and Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher. He was awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom by President Donald Trump in 2019.
Jeanne Cairns Sinquefield helped pioneer index-fund investing as executive vice president and head of trading at Dimensional Fund Advisors.
Brian Domitrovic is the author of five books, including the landmark history of supply-side economics Econoclasts.

CANCELED: Election Security Panel in Springfield, MO
2022-10-06 18:00 - 19:00
Due to unforeseen events, this event has been canceled. We apologize for any inconvenience.

What’s Next? Inflation, the Housing Market and the U.S. Economy
2022-11-07 12:00 - 13:00
Join us at noon on Monday, November 7 in Columbia, Missouri for a discussion on the state of the U.S. Economy.

RSVP HERE
About the Event
Dr. Aaron Hedlund, chief economist at the Show-Me Institute, will discuss the impact of decades-high inflation on the economy, housing market, workers, and consumers, as well as the role of the Federal Reserve in solving the problem and the risk of the next recession.
About the Speaker

Aaron Hedlund is an associate professor with tenure in the Krannert School of Management at Purdue University, as well as a research fellow at the Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis. From 2020 to 2021, Hedlund was the Chief Domestic Economist and Senior Adviser at the White House Council of Economic Advisers (CEA). Before joining the CEA, he was also the Acting Director of Academic Outreach and Senior Fellow at the Center for Growth and Opportunity. His other public policy experiences include stints at the Heritage Foundation and the International Trade Commission as well as service in senior state-level advisory roles. Hedlund’s research focuses on the intersection of macroeconomics, finance, real estate, and labor. Some of the topics he has studied extensively include the causes and consequences of housing booms and busts, the forces driving up college tuition and student debt, and the macroeconomic implications of China’s economic transformation. He has also written and spoken extensively on market-oriented reforms to the tax code and healthcare system. In addition to appearing in peer-reviewed academic journals, Hedlund’s work has been featured in the Wall Street Journal and National Review, has been used as expert testimony in state-level policy initiatives, and has been presented at numerous think tanks, academic institutions, and central banks both in and outside of the United States. Hedlund received his Ph.D. in economics from the University of Pennsylvania and his Bachelor’s in economics and mathematics from Duke University.
Presented by: Show-Me Institute, 93.9 The Eagle, and Show-Me Opportunity

NEXT GEN: The Red Vs. Blue Myth and the Real Threat to American Stability
2022-12-01 18:00 - 19:00
Join us for a special NEXT GEN presentation by Tony Woodlief, Executive Vice President at the State Policy Network, on how America can move toward depolarization, and reclaim our right to self-govern.
While pundits on the Left and Right perpetuate the notion that America is a deeply divided nation on the verge of civil war, ample data prove exactly the opposite. Most Americans are non-ideological and harbor a strong dislike of our two major political parties. What’s more, large majorities of Americans are patriotic, tolerant of others’ religious and political beliefs, enthusiastic about free enterprise, distrustful of big government, and firmly in favor of individual freedoms.
Despite what pundits and politicians assert, the real threat to America is not everyday Americans; it is a political class that has systematically taken authority that rightly belongs to individuals, communities, and states, and concentrated it in Washington, D.C.. This political class benefits from polarization and perpetuates the myth of looming civil war to justify its undemocratic impulses. Fortunately, there are actions any American citizen can take to resist. And by working in concert, we can even begin to restore the American self-governance bequeathed by our Founders.
Purchase Tickets Here

Host Committee
Stephanie Bell
Will Bubelis
Jake Burrola
Rich Chrismer
Susan Herold
Timothy Luby
James Moog
Brian Moore
Isaac Musselwhite
William Scharf
Katie Sinquefield
Carter Smith
Ethan Todd
James Townsend
Rebecca Willard

About the Speaker
Tony Woodlief is Executive Vice President at the State Policy Network. He helps oversee SPN operations, supports SPN’s president in her guidance of the leadership team, and helps ensure the organization’s projects and programs measure success, evolve as SPN grows, and maintain alignment with our vision and mission.
Tony previously served as president of the Bill of Rights Institute, and before that the Market-Based Management Institute. He has also served as president of the Mercatus Center at George Mason University. An alumnus of the University of North Carolina, he has a Ph.D. in political science from the University of Michigan, and an MFA from Wichita State University. Tony has appeared in media outlets including Fox News, The Wall Street Journal, The New York Post, National Review, and C-SPAN’s Washington Journal.
Tony is also the author of I, Citizen: A Blueprint for Reclaiming American Self-Governance. In writing I, Citizen, Tony conducted extensive research on American public opinion to find out what Americans believe and uncover the source of their political animosities. Through his research, Tony discovered that America is more united than divided, despite what the pundits tell us, and traced the source of our perceived animosity to a small minority of dedicated partisans within the political establishment of Washington, DC. I, Citizen tells the story of how these partisans have created the myth of a divided America and how they’ve concentrated power in the hands of unelected bureaucrats and partisan elites, and offers practical solutions for how we can reclaim our right to self-governance by focusing on solutions and commonalities closer to home.
Presented by Show-Me Institute

Election Security Panel - Columbia
2023-02-22 18:00 - 19:00
Reception at 5:30 pm
Program at 6:00 pm
You are invited to join the Show-Me Institute for an expert panel discussion on election security on Wednesday, February 22 at the Country Club of Missouri in Columbia, MO. Four election officials will explain how they keep Missouri’s elections secure, offer suggestions for how to improve election security, and answer questions from the audience. The event is free, but you must reserve your spot.
Panelists:

Eric Fey, St. Louis County Democratic Director of Elections
Brianna Lennon, Boone County Clerk
Kurt Bahr, St. Charles County Director of Elections
Shane Schoeller, Greene County Clerk

Register Here
Presented by Show-Me Opportunity

China, Russia, and the Changing Global Landscape Virtual Event
2023-03-21 11:00 - 12:00
Join us on March 21 at 11:00 am central time, for a virtual event with Senator Jim Talent and Heritage Foundation’s James Jay Carafano as they discuss rising tensions between the United States and China, the ongoing Russian invasion of Ukraine, the possibility of conflict over Taiwan, and more.

Attendees will have the opportunity to ask questions via a Q&A session following the discussion. You can submit questions ahead of the event to Zach.Lawhorn@showmeopportunity.org

Register Here
About the Speakers
Senator Jim Talent
Senator Jim Talent brings over 30 years of government and political experience including service in both chambers of Congress. He is a nationally-recognized leader on military affairs whose counsel is frequently sought by administrations and members of the House and Senate on both sides of the political aisle. During his service in the U.S. Senate and U.S. House, Senator Talent served on each chamber’s Armed Services Committee where he worked to advance a strong national defense and military readiness. In the U.S. House, in the aftermath of the end of the Cold War, he was a vocal opponent of cuts in the size and strength of the military On the Senate Armed Services Committee, he fought to rebuild the force, which even then was too small, too stressed and desperately in need of recapitalization. An advocate for expanding the U.S. Navy’s fleet to project American power abroad and keep the peace, he chaired the committee’s Naval Power Subcommittee.
James Jay Carafano
James Jay Carafano, a leading expert in national security and foreign policy challenges, is the vice president of Heritage’s Kathryn and Shelby Cullom Davis Institute for National Security and Foreign Policy and the E. W. Richardson Fellow. Carafano is an accomplished historian and teacher as well as a prolific writer and researcher. His most recent publication is “Brutal War” (Lynne Reinner, 2021), a study of combat in the Southwest Pacific. He also authored “Wiki at War: Conflict in a Socially Networked World” (Texas A&M University Press, 2012), a survey of the revolutionary impact of the Internet age on national security. He was selected from thousands to speak on cyber warfare at the 2014 South by Southwest (SXSW) Interactive Conference in Austin, Texas, the nation’s premier tech and social media conference.

Maverick: The Life of Thomas Sowell
2023-04-19 18:00 - 19:00
Join us on Wednesday, April 19, at the Saint Louis University Richard A. Chaifetz School of Business for a special event with Jason L. Riley, senior fellow at the Manhattan Institute and columnist for the Wall Street Journal. Riley will discuss his book Maverick: A Biography of Thomas Sowell .
Mr. Riley will be signing books prior to the program from 5:00 p.m. – 5:45 p.m. Copies of Maverick: A Biography of Thomas Sowell will be available for purchase. There will also be a reception starting at 5:30 p.m.
Program at 6:00 p.m. in the Anheuser-Busch Auditorium
Reserve Your Spot for This Free Event
Valet parking will be available at the circle drive off of Lindell Blvd.
About the Book
A biography of Thomas Sowell, one of America’s most influential conservative thinkers. Thomas Sowell is one of the great social theorists of our age. In a career spanning more than a half century, he has written over thirty books, covering topics from economic history and social inequality to political theory, race, and culture. His bold and unsentimental assaults on liberal orthodoxy have endeared him to many readers but have also enraged fellow intellectuals, the civil-rights establishment, and much of the mainstream media. The result has been a lack of acknowledgment of his scholarship among critics who prioritize political correctness. In the first-ever biography of Sowell, Jason L. Riley gives this iconic thinker his due and responds to the detractors. Maverick showcases Sowell’s most significant writings and traces the life events that shaped his ideas and resulted in a Black orphan from the Jim Crow South becoming one of our foremost public intellectuals.

About the Speaker
Jason Riley is an opinion columnist at The Wall Street Journal, where his column, Upward Mobility, has run since 2016. He is also a senior fellow at the Manhattan Institute and provides television commentary for various news outlets.
Mr. Riley, a 2018 Bradley Prize recipient, is the author of four books: “Let Them In: The Case for Open Borders” (2008); “Please Stop Helping Us: How Liberals Make It Harder for Blacks to Succeed” (2014); “False Black Power?” (2017); and “Maverick: A Biography of Thomas Sowell” (2021).
Mr. Riley joined the paper in 1994 as a copy reader on the national news desk in New York. He moved to the editorial page in 1995, was named a senior editorial page writer in 2000, and became a member of the Editorial Board in 2005. He joined the Manhattan Institute in 2015.
Born in Buffalo, New York, Mr. Riley earned a bachelor’s degree in English from the State University of New York at Buffalo.

Event sponsored by: Show-Me Institute, the Sinquefield Center for Applied Economic Research, the Sinquefield Charitable Foundation, and Show-Me Opportunity

K-12 Without Borders: Public School Students, Families, and Teachers Shut in by Education Boundaries
2023-04-26 11:00 - 12:00
Join us on Wednesday, April 26, from 11:00 a.m. – 12:00 p.m. CT as EdChoice’s Marty Lueken, Director of Fiscal Research & Education Center, and Mike McShane, Director of National Research, join Show-Me Institute’s Director of Education Research, Susan Pendergrass, to discuss their recently published reports K-12 Without Borders: Public School Students, Families, and Teachers Shut in by Education Boundaries, which examines what a K-12 education system with fewer school district borders would mean for students, teachers, and taxpayers, and Breaking Down Public School District Lines: Policies, Perceptions, and Implications of Inter-District Open Enrollment.
Attendees will also have the opportunity to ask questions via a Q&A session following the discussion.
Register Here
About the Speakers
Martin Lueken is director of EdChoice’s Fiscal Research and Education Center (FREC), where he focuses on research and analysis of issues that pertain to school choice bills, current programs, and school funding. His work includes providing expert support and advice for policy makers in helping understand the fiscal impact of current school choice programs and potential fiscal effects of programs introduced in state legislatures. He also conducts data analysis and research on school choice.

His research work and interests include education finance in general and teacher pensions. He has provided expert testimony and advice about fiscal issues for numerous states that have introduced education choice legislation. His work has been mentioned in various media and education-specific outlets, including The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, Education Next, Education Week, and The 74. He previously studied in the Department of Education Reform and received his doctorate in Education Policy from the University of Arkansas.

Michael Q. McShane is the director of national research at EdChoice. Mike is the editor of New and Better Schools, the author of Education and Opportunity and coeditor of Educational Entrepreneurship Today, Teacher Quality 2.0 and Common Core Meets Education Reform. His analyses and commentary have been published widely in the media, including in the Huffington Post, National Affairs, USA Today and The Washington Post. He has also been featured in education-specific outlets such as Teachers College Commentary, Education Week, Phi Delta Kappan and Education Next. In addition to authoring numerous white papers, McShane has had academic work published in Education Finance and Policy and the Journal of School Choice. A former high school teacher, he earned a Ph.D. in education policy from the University of Arkansas, an M.Ed. from the University of Notre Dame and a B.A. in English from St. Louis University.

Susan Pendergrass is the director of education policy at the Show-Me Institute. Before joining the Show-Me Institute, Susan Pendergrass was Vice President of Research and Evaluation for the National Alliance for Public Charter Schools, where she oversaw data collection and analysis and carried out a rigorous research program. Susan earned a Bachelor of Science degree in Business, with a concentration in Finance, at the University of Colorado in 1983. She earned her Masters in Business Administration at George Washington University, with a concentration in Finance (1992) and a doctorate in public policy from George Mason University, with a concentration in social policy (2002). Susan began researching charter schools with her dissertation on the competitive effects of Massachusetts charter schools. Since then, she has conducted numerous studies on the fiscal impact of school choice legislation. Susan has also taught quantitative methods courses at the Paul H. Nitze School for Advanced International Studies, at Johns Hopkins University, and at the School of Public Policy at George Mason University. Prior to coming to the National Alliance, Susan was a senior policy advisor at the U.S. Department of Education during the Bush administration and a senior research scientist at the National Center for Education Statistics during the Obama administration.

Jay Nordlinger in St. Louis: Adventures in Journalism
2023-05-09 18:00 - 19:00
When: Tuesday, May 9
Reception 5:30 pm
Program: 6:00 pm

Where: Lindenwood University (Harmon Hall Auditorium) 209 South Kingshighway Street, Saint Charles, MO, 63301
Register Here for This Free Event

About the Event
Jay Nordlinger surveys today’s media landscape with what has become frequent dismay.
“We’ve never had so much journalism and so many outlets, which is great,” the National Review senior editor says. “But politics and journalism have merged, and … I’ve seen a lot of journalists begin to act like politicians with political calculations. That’s crippling to a writer.”
“You’ve got to be free at the keyboard,” he says, “to pursue the truth as you find it.”
Nordlinger himself has gained a reputation for open-mindedness in writing about politics, foreign affairs, and the arts, among other subjects, for National Review. In an event co-presented by the Show-Me Institute, the John W. Hammond Institute for Free Enterprise , National Review Institute, and Show-Me Opportunity, he looks at journalists’ roles – from reporters to columnists, critics, and editors – and the practice of straight vs. opinion journalism. And he takes stock of his profession today. What’s good, and what’s bad? How does one navigate the current media environment? Is everyone siloed?
Nordlinger, who lives in New York, writes the column “Impromptus” for NationalReview.com and is a book fellow of the National Review Institute. He’s the author of two books, Peace, They Say: A History of the Nobel Peace Prize, the Most Famous and Controversial Prize in the World and Children of Monsters: An Inquiry into the Sons and Daughters of Dictators. Selections of his work have been republished in two anthologies.
He also is a music critic for The New Criterion and the host of two podcasts, Q&A and Music for a While.

Jay Nordlinger in Kansas City: Adventures in Journalism
2023-05-10 17:30 - 19:00
When: Wednesday, May 10
Reception: 5:30pm
Program: 6:00 pm
Where: Kansas City Central Library
Register Here for This Free Event

About the Event
Jay Nordlinger surveys today’s media landscape with what has become frequent dismay.
“We’ve never had so much journalism and so many outlets, which is great,” the National Review senior editor says. “But politics and journalism have merged, and … I’ve seen a lot of journalists begin to act like politicians with political calculations. That’s crippling to a writer.”
“You’ve got to be free at the keyboard,” he says, “to pursue the truth as you find it.”
Nordlinger himself has gained a reputation for open-mindedness in writing about politics, foreign affairs, and the arts, among other subjects, for National Review. In an event co-presented by the Show-Me Institute, National Review Institute, The Kansas City Public Library, the Sinquefield Charitable Foundation, and Show-Me Opportunity, he looks at journalists’ roles – from reporters to columnists, critics, and editors – and the practice of straight vs. opinion journalism. And he takes stock of his profession today. What’s good, and what’s bad? How does one navigate the current media environment? Is everyone siloed?
Nordlinger, who lives in New York, writes the column “Impromptus” for NationalReview.com and is a book fellow of the National Review Institute. He’s the author of two books, Peace, They Say: A History of the Nobel Peace Prize, the Most Famous and Controversial Prize in the World and Children of Monsters: An Inquiry into the Sons and Daughters of Dictators. Selections of his work have been republished in two anthologies.
He also is a music critic for The New Criterion and the host of two podcasts, Q&A and Music for a While.

Joplin, MO – From Markets to Main Street: The State of the U.S. Economy
2023-07-11 12:00 - 13:00
Join Dr. Aaron Hedlund, Chief Economist at the Show-Me Institute, in Joplin, Missouri for an engaging presentation on the state of the U.S. economy and macroeconomic trends. Dr. Hedlund will discuss the housing and labor markets, inflation, and the role of the Federal Reserve.
Refreshments will be provided.
Save your spot now for this free event.

Springfield, MO - From Markets to Main Street: The State of the U.S. Economy
2023-07-12 12:30 - 13:30
Join Dr. Aaron Hedlund, Chief Economist at the Show-Me Institute, in Springfield, Missouri for an engaging presentation on the state of the U.S. economy and macroeconomic trends. Dr. Hedlund will discuss the housing and labor markets, inflation, and the role of the Federal Reserve.
Refreshments will be provided.
Save your spot now for this free event.
