BIRTHDAY OF THE DAY: Caroline Kitchens, director of government affairs at the R Street Institute
How/where are you celebrating your birthday and with whom? “Tonight I’m going to dinner at Del Mar with my fiance, and tomorrow I’m doing a winery day at Breaux Vineyards with some friends and our pups.”
How did you get your start in your career? “I applied for an internship at the American Enterprise Institute on a whim back when I was in college, and I've been working at think tanks ever since.”
What’s an interesting book/article you’re reading during coronavirus social distancing? And why? “‘Give Me Liberty and Give Me a Drink!’ by my colleague Jarrett Dieterle. It gives a really interesting history of America's absurd and paternalistic liquor laws. (Also, everyone needs a drink these days and this book has more than a few appropriately named recommendations. Bonus: He has a podcast called ‘The Right to Drink,’ if you prefer to listen to your stories.)”
What’s a trend going on in the U.S. or abroad that doesn’t get enough attention? “One positive thing to come out of the pandemic is that we’ve seen many U.S. states easing or temporarily suspending occupational licensing laws. This is a great way to remove barriers to employment and give people more opportunity, both in normal times and pandemic times. A lot of people don’t realize that medical professionals can’t work across state lines or that some states even require licenses for people that arrange flowers!”
How’s the Trump presidency going? “Never a dull moment, never an empty inbox, never an empty Twitter feed.”
What’s a fun fact that people in Washington might not know about you? “I grew up in a really small town in northeast Wisconsin, and my dad is a state representative there.”
