Blog
Fed flirts with stimulus
As expected, the Federal Reserve signaled its commitment to fighting inflation by holding interest rates steady at this week’s Federal Open Market Committee meeting. It…
Blog
Distinguished guests celebrate liberty movement jubilee
I recently returned to D.C. from Tampa, Florida, where I attended the 60th anniversary meeting (“Diamond Jubilee”) of the Philadelphia Society. For those who…
Blog
Myths and facts about the PROVE IT Act
Myth: Supporting the PROVE IT Act (S. 1863) does not mean support for carbon taxes.Fact: Many bill supporters readily acknowledge that it will…
News Release
House Poised to Vote on Legislation to Reverse Biden’s Attacks on Oil and Gas Lease Sales
The House is expected to vote this week on legislation to reverse the Biden administration’s cancellation of oil leases in the Arctic National Wildlife…
Blog
New FDA lab tests rule could bankrupt small labs
Yesterday the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) announced that on May 6 it will promulgate a rule under its authority to regulate medical devices.
Blog
Why policymakers should reject the PROVE IT Act: It’s a pro-tax, anti-energy bill
The PROVE IT Act (S. 1863) requires the collection and regular updating of the carbon intensity of domestic and foreign goods. It establishes the…
Blog
California’s $20 fast food worker minimum wage a regressive tax
California’s new $20 an hour minimum wage for fast food restaurants has turned into a regressive tax on the state’s low-income residents. People who wanted…
Blog
FDA makes lab test power play
The Food and Drug Administration has just released its long anticipated final rule that explicitly asserts its claim of authority to regulate laboratory-developed-tests (LDTs)—tests that are designed, manufactured,…
Blog
Subsidy-free capitalism may require a constitutional amendment
Automobiles, electrification, ample consumer goods and mass marketing, a construction boom, and access to credit helped fuel the Roaring Twenties of a century ago.
Blog
Why the PROVE IT Act would result in carbon taxes
The PROVE IT Act (S. 1863) is not a benign information collection bill on the carbon intensity of domestic and foreign goods. Instead, it…
Blog
This week in ridiculous regulations: airline fees and greenhouse gas reporting
The Federal Register grew at nearly triple its usual pace last week. It is on pace for its first-ever 100,000-page year. GDP growth slowed to…
Blog
Free the Economy podcast: Frontier economics with Kendall Cotton
In this week’s episode we cover the diamond jubilee of the Philadelphia Society, the cost of government regulation in the UK, the…
Blog
EPA’s new powerplant rule is the Clean Power Plan on steroids
The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) yesterday announced its final rule establishing carbon dioxide (CO2) emission performance standards for existing coal powerplants and new…
National Review
Administrative State Hits Warp Speed
As my colleague Ryan Young noted on X, this week’s Federal Register is a bumper edition of new rules and regulations, almost triple the normal…
Wall Street Journal
‘Net Neutrality’ Faces a Stiff Judicial Test
The Federal Communications Commission voted Thursday along partisan lines to reclassify broadband internet access service as a common carrier telecommunications service under Title II of…
News Release
EPA rule against power plants – bad for energy reliability and prices, bad for rule of law
The EPA today announced its final rule establishing carbon dioxide (CO2) emission guidelines for existing coal power plants and CO2 performance standards for new…
Blog
Weak GDP is first stress test for inflation fighters
I have been saying for a while that inflation expectations will remain high until policymakers prove they can restrain their stimulus spending during an economic…
The Wall Street Journal
‘Net Neutrality’ Faces a Stiff Judicial Test
The Federal Communications Commission voted Thursday along partisan lines to reclassify broadband internet access service as a common carrier telecommunications service under Title II of…
Daily Caller
Biden’s EPA Says Sweeping Power Plant Regs Won’t Harm America’s Grid — Experts Are Saying The Exact Opposite
CEI’s Marlo Lewis is cited in an article in Daily Caller on the on power plant regulation: “The final rule differs from the EPA’s May…
Blog
Small banks targeted as FDIC cracks down on technology partnerships
Earlier this week, Politico’s “Morning Money” column reported an astonishing finding that almost certainly points to politicization in enforcement by federal bank regulators. The…
Blog
US move to ban TikTok a troubling signal for our great experiment in self-determination
As a part of a foreign aid funding package, the Senate passed a bill mandating TikTok’s divestiture from Chinese-based parent company, ByteDance. Biden…
News Release
Report: ‘Radiophobia’ Drives U.S. Nuclear Policy
A new Competitive Enterprise Institute report challenges an anti-nuclear power policy that is a case study on how not to regulate and govern. Nuclear power…
Blog
The flawed foundations of radiation risk assessment
The debate surrounding nuclear power has long been shaped by complex scientific, political, and social factors. At the heart of this debate lies the question…
Study
Myths and Facts in Radiation Risks
Introduction Nuclear power is probably the only known energy source that can support the world’s growing energy needs while simultaneously reducing global carbon dioxide emissions.1…
Forbes
“FTC Rule Barring Non-Compete Agreements Likely Will Fail”
Alden Abbott, former FTC general counsel, outlines why the FTC’s noncompete rule will ultimately be struck down in court.
Bloomberg
“US Sues to Block $8.5 Billion Union of Coach, Michael Kors”
Bloomberg reports on the FTC’s recent challenge to stop Tapestry Inc. from acquiring of Capri Holdings Ltd.
Real Clear Markets
“The FTC’s Unhealthy Obsession with Private Equity”
David McGarry with the Taxpayers Protection Alliance discusses FTC Chair Lina Khan’s obsession with the relationship between healthcare and private equity.
Blog
FTC approves ban on noncompete agreements, sets up potential court battle
The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) voted to ban the vast majority of noncompete agreements in employment contracts during a special open commission meeting this…
Blog
Major questions on net neutrality: A new report
A new Competitive Enterprise Institute report, Major Questions on Net Neutrality: A primer on the FCC’s brewing broadband legal fight, analyzes the FCC’s effort…
Blog
New UK report recommends ‘rules about rules’ for regulation
In a new report, the Center for Policy Studies in the UK surveys that nation’s regulatory landscape – and doesn’t like what it sees.
Blog
The vital role of private conservation: A different perspective on Earth Day
Amidst the jubilation over government-led environmental initiatives on yet another Earth Day yesterday, it’s crucial to highlight a perspective too often overlooked: private conservation, rather…
News Release
FCC move to impose utility-style regulation on broadband providers vulnerable to legal challenge – CEI paper
The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) is expected to vote Thursday to impose utility-style regulation on broadband internet access providers under Title II of the…
Study
Major Questions on Net Neutrality
The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) is poised once again to change and classify broadband internet access service (BIAS), the mass market wireline and wireless broadband…
Blog
FTC tightens grip over its in-house judges
The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) possesses one of the most conflicted administrative law court (ALC) systems. The agency recently began hiring new administrative…
The Center Square
As the U.S. adds jobs, Illinois continues to lag in unemployment numbers
CEI’s Sean Higgins is cited in The Center Square on worker shortages: Researcher Sean Higgins with the Competitive Enterprise Institute said despite the robust job…
Blog
This week in ridiculous regulations: service lamps and summer meals
Congress debated aid bills to Ukraine and Israel. Donald Trump’s hush money trial began. Agencies issued new regulations ranging from incinerator permits to effluent analysis.
New York Post
Layoffs at Tesla reveal the need for fresh ‘green’ thinking
Tens of billions of dollars in subsidies for electric vehicles. Billions more coming to subsidize charging stations. Non-stop jibberjabber about “sustainable” this and “Green New Deal” that.
Blog
Seattle’s new minimum wage rule undermining delivery drivers
A new Seattle minimum wage law meant to boost the incomes of app-based delivery drivers has instead backfired, resulting in less work for drivers. Some…
Blog
Department of Energy is coming after our light bulbs – again
We have already said goodbye to the incandescent light bulb, thanks to federal regulations. Will its replacement be next? Department of Energy (DOE) efficiency regulations…
Forbes
TikTok Is A Beacon Of Democracy In The Social Media Landscape
Recent developments in the U.S. House of Representatives have put TikTok, the immensely popular Chinese-owned social media app, in the crosshairs of lawmakers. The House…
Blog
Free the Economy podcast: Heroes of Progress with Alexander Hammond
In this week’s episode we discuss venture capitalists fighting red tape, challenges to electric vehicle adoption, Americans sleeping on the job,…
Blog
The FCC regulation web – again
In a January blog I discussed the needless web of regulation created by the FCC’s classification of broadband as a Title II common carrier…
The Federalist
More Than Two Dozen AGs Sue Biden Administration Over EV Mandate
CEI’s Daren Bakst is cited in The Federalist over a new emissions rule: Daren Bakst, director of the Competitive Enterprise Institute’s Center on Energy and Environment,…
Blog
Biden says his steel tariffs totally different from Trump’s, speculates uncle was eaten by cannibals
President Joe Biden vowed Wednesday that he would get tough on China’s steel dumping by tripling tariffs on imports. He argued this was totally different…
News Release
CEI praises measure to overturn CFPB’s destructive price controls on credit card late fees
On Wednesday, the House Financial Services Committee is expected to approve a Congressional Review Act (CRA) resolution sponsored by Rep. Andy Barr (R-KY) to overturn…
Real Clear Markets
“Lina Khan Isn’t Qualified to Define Market Competition”
Charles Sauer, president of the Market Institute, provides a reality check for the FTC’s current Chair.
Truth on the Market
“Kroger/Albertsons: Is Labor Bargaining Power an Antitrust Harm?”
ICLE’s Brian Albrecht casts doubt on the FTC’s view of labor markets in the agency’s challenge to the Kroger/Albertsons merger.
American Action Forum
“FTC’s COVID-19 Grocery Supply Chain Study Taught Us…Nothing”
Fred Ashton from the American Action Forum explains why the FTC’s recent report provides little reason to resurrect antitrust enforcement under the Robinson-Patman Act.
Blog
Sunshine in Wyoming’s civil forfeiture
Transparency in civil forfeiture took a small step forward last week when the Wyoming Liberty Group published its latest report. One difficulty in writing about…
Blog
The eventual federal regulatory budget has bipartisan roots
With apologies to Margaret Thatcher, I’ll often joke that when the federal government runs out of other people’s money, it keeps spending anyway. The Congressional…
Blog
This week in ridiculous regulations: train crews and airport concessions
Our colleague R.J. Smith passed away. R.J. coined the term “free-market environmentalism,” ran CEI’s private conservation efforts for many years, and was a valued…
Fox News
California’s green agenda is targeting every mode of transportation, despite wide opposition
CEI’s Marlo Lewis is cited on Fox News about California’s green agenda: “Commerce is the lifeblood of the economy and transportation of goods —…
Blog
Bees are flourishing again. Thanks, capitalism!
You can relax, everyone: The honeybees are back. As Andrew Van Dorn of the Washington Post reported recently, America suddenly now has a record…
Blog
Wi-Fi on wheels: FCC oversteps its authority with school bus ruling
This week the Competitive Enterprise Institute filed an amicus brief regarding yet another case of mission creep in the Biden administration. In this instance,…
American Institute for Economic Research
Biden Redoubles Effort to Crush Crypto With EIA’s Mining Survey
The Biden administration has launched yet another attack against the cryptocurrency industry–an environmental impact “survey” to bolster a politically motivated attack on the crypto mining…
Blog
Spectrum spectacle: Security and competitiveness demand action on spectrum
We are familiar with the proverb “He who hesitates is lost.” Unfortunately, the United States is hesitating in allocating more spectrum to the marketplace and…
The Center Square
Study: Mixed record on permitting reform offers some hope
CEI’s James Broughel provided comments to The Center Square about a study he authored: “Pennsylvania’s a state where energy is very important to its…
Deseret
The Biden admin wants to change home appliances, Republicans are pushing back
CEI’s Ben Lieberman is cited on Deseret News about republican pushback to home appliance regulation: Ben Lieberman of the Competitive Enterprise Institute told Fox News the…
The Center Square
FACT CHECK: Biden touts inflation has “fallen”
CEI’s Ryan Young is cited in The Center Square on a Biden fact check: Ryan Young, senior economist at the Competitive Enterprise Institute, called…
Blog
Free the Economy podcast: Censorship by proxy with Jenin Younes
In this week’s episode we cover Gen Z job satisfaction, dumb biotech policy in the European Union, and figuring out how…
Blog
Green rules, red tape: What American farmers can learn from EU protests
The European Union (EU) has been implementing various measures to fundamentally transform the agricultural sector, notably through initiatives such as the European Green Deal…
Letters
Coalition Letter Opposition to the California Air Resources Board In-Use Locomotive Regulation
Re: Opposition to the California Air Resources Board In-Use Locomotive Regulation Docket EPA-HQ-OAR-2023-0574 We, the undersigned individuals and representatives of national organizations and think tanks…
Blog
RJ Smith (1937-2024)
Freedom has lost a true champion with the passing of longtime CEI analyst RJ Smith. RJ’s tireless advocacy for private property rights will be especially…
Blog
The Inflation Reduction Act’s EPA slush fund gets going: Now it needs to be stopped
Last week, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) announced eight nonprofit organizations will be able to hand out $20 billion of taxpayer dollars to recipients…
Legal Brief
CEI Issues Amicus Brief in Support of Petitioners in Molak vs. FCC
Molak-v.-FCC_No.-23-60641-amicus-brief-of-the-Competitive-Enterprise-Institute-1Download…
Blog
‘Fast Track’ series looks at states’ permit progress: First up, Pennsylvania
The Competitive Enterprise Institute is pleased to announce the release of a new policy paper series called “Fast Track.” The series, overseen by CEI senior…
Reason
Inflation Is So Back
CEI’s Ryan Young is cited on Reason about rising inflation: “If the Federal Reserve was thinking of cutting interest rates at its next meeting…
Blog
R.J. Smith – In Memoriam
The Competitive Enterprise Institute has lost a treasured friend and mentor, Robert J. Smith. All my thoughts about R.J. run to superlatives. He was a…
News Release
Lasting reforms needed to break Pennsylvania’s environmental permitting backlog
Pennsylvania has a long history of reforming its permitting practices to improve efficiency, but despite periods of progress and some improvements in average review times,…
News Release
Inflation still too high to lower interest rates: CEI analysis
The Consumer Price Index report for March again read 0.4 percent, though the 12-month rate is now up to 3.5 percent. CEI senior economist…
Study
Breaking the Backlog
Pennsylvania has a long history of reforming its environmental permitting practices to improve efficiency. Despite periods of progress and some improvements in average review…
Letters
CEI Coalition Letter in Support of the Renewing Efficiency in Government by Budgeting Act
News Release
Spirit Announces Furloughs after Biden, Court Scuttle Merger with JetBlue
In the wake of an adverse court ruling and a Biden administration threat to stop a merger between budget airlines Spirit Airlines and JetBlue, the…
Daily Caller
Robinette Hood: Here’s How Biden’s EV Agenda Will Take From The Poor And Give To The Rich
CEI’s Marlo Lewis is cited on Daily Caller on the Biden EV Agenda: “As the mandated market share of EVs grows, the number of…
Blog
This week in ridiculous regulations: energy labeling and wheel weights
Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida is set to visit President Biden this week. The moon may get assigned a time zone. Agencies issued new regulations…
Daily Caller
Biden’s Electric Vehicle ‘Mandate’ Might Just Be A Surprise Gift To China
CEI’s Marlo Lewis is cited in an article on Daily Caller regarding the Biden electric vehicle mandate: “China’s EV production would pose no risk to…
Forbes
Truth Social Trading Frenzy Shouldn’t Concern The SEC
This past week, the stock price of Trump Media & Technology Group (TMTG), the parent company of Donald Trump’s social media start-up Truth Social, has…
Fox News
New England’s last coal plants set to shutter, ushering in era of green energy
CEI’s Daren Bakst is cited in a Fox News article on plans to coal plant shut downs: “There’s a concerted effort to shift away…
Blog
The Biden administration once again puts its climate agenda above home affordability
The Biden administration talks a good game about making housing more affordable, but in truth it is actively boosting costs through expensive climate change…
Real Clear Markets
“The FTC’s Investigation of Reddit Underscores a Scattered, Wrathful Khan”
Juan Londoño with Taxpayers Protection Alliance explains why FTC Chair Lina Khan’s agenda will hamper small companies and new technologies, not help them.
Daily Caller
“Against Khanservatism”
Tom Hebert with Americans for Tax Reform dispels the notion that there is broad conservative support for FTC Chair Lina Khan’s agenda.
Real Clear Markets
“The Federal Trade Commission vs. Cutting Edge Innovation”
Dr. James Edwards from the Committee for Justice explores how the current FTC often views the assertion of intellectual property rights as antitrust violations.
ITIF
“Why Labor Monopsony Shouldn’t Be Included in Merger Guidelines”
Trelysa Long with the Information Technology & Innovation Foundation discusses the problems with including labor market monopsony in the new Merger Guidelines.
The Hill
“Department of Justice Is Best Choice to Police AI Competition”
Curt Levey, president of the Committee for Justice, explains why the FTC is unfit to regulate competition in the AI industry.
News Release
Economy adds 303,000 jobs in March, unemployment stays stable: CEI analysis
The Labor Department’s March jobs report show 303,000 jobs were added last month, with unemployment staying steady at 3.8 percent. Employers show that they…
Blog
Free the Economy podcast: Extremely online with Brad Polumbo
In this week’s episode we cover how honeybees came back from colony collapse disorder, why you shouldn’t believe the government’s nutrition advice,…
Blog
OSHA tries to walk union officials into workplaces
The Occupational Health and Safety Administration (OSHA) issued a new rule Friday that will result in union organizers accompanying agency representatives during worksite inspections.
National Review
The Return of the Cadillac Tax?
Like the phoenix, a key piece of the Affordable Care Act has risen from the ashes, resurrected, believe it or not, by the Republican Study Committee…
Blog
New lunar time zones reinforce importance of keeping regulators earthbound
Maybe when actually applied to the blackness of space, regulatory dark matter can be a good thing. Joe Biden this week directed NASA to collaborate…
Daily Caller
Here’s Why It Could Take Longer To Rebuild The Baltimore Bridge Than The Whole Transcontinental Railroad
CEI’s Ryan Young is cited in Daily Caller about the length of time it is going to take to rebuild the Balitmore bridge: “If…
Blog
Hailstorm exposes vulnerabilities in solar infrastructure: A wake-up call from Texas
Recent destruction of solar cells at the Fighting Jays Solar Farm in Texas has sparked concerns amongst locals about potential land contamination and drawn…
Blog
Shocking: A federal agency’s new rule could harm electrical grid reliability
Last July the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) finalized FERC Order No. 2023, which makes significant changes to the procedures for adding new transmission to…
Blog
Another ban from California: Say goodbye to most new gas-powered lawn and garden equipment
California is not just banning gas-powered vehicles and trying to ban diesel locomotives. The state is also banning the sale of new gas-powered…
Blog
More credit card competition? Not really
Sen. Dick Durbin (D-IL) is worried about a lack of competition in payment card networks, so he’s planning to force the issue. His Credit…
Heritage
EPA’s Tailpipe Emissions Rule Rides Roughshod Over Our Freedoms
CEI’s Marlo Lewis was cited in a recent article in Heritage on an EPA emissions rule: Marlo Lewis, senior research fellow at the Competitive…
Blog
This model AI legislation would regulate government instead of the private sector
Brand new guidance from the Office of Management and Budget governing uses of artificial intelligence (AI) throughout the federal government was issued last week.
Blog
This week in ridiculous regulations: Trademark fees and threatened sloths
A cargo ship struck and collapsed the Francis Scott Key Bridge in Baltimore. The psychologist and economist Daniel Kahneman died at age 90.
Forbes
Model Legislation On Artificial Intelligence To Regulate Government, Not Big Tech
While there’s considerable chatter, Congress seems unlikely to enact legislation regulating artificial intelligence (AI) this election year. The wait can be worth it, though. There…
Blog
California laggin’: As Golden State minimum wage rises, so does unemployment
California has been a pioneer in raising the minimum wage for decades, consistently putting its state-wide minimum well above the federal rate. Over that same…
Blog
Questions about EPA’s electric vehicle rule—some answered, some not
The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) last week posted the pre-Federal Register version of its de facto electric vehicle (EV) sales mandate rule. The rule…