Reason
Parents Don’t Want Schools to Confiscate Kids’ Phones
CEI’s Jessica Melugin is cited in Reason on parents position of schools confiscating student’s phones: Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis signed a law restricting teen use…
Blog
Two cheers for the gas stove protections in FY 2024 spending bill
There is a provision in the recently-passed appropriations bill prohibiting any federal funds from being used by the Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) to…
WNG
Another push for electric vehicles
CEI’s Marlo Lewis is cited on WNG about another push for electric vehicles: MARLO LEWIS: Ford has lost $4.7 billion on its electric vehicle…
News Release
Florida social media law puts all users’ privacy at risk: CEI analysis
A new social media bill signed into law by Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis will ban people younger than 14 years old from using social…
Epoch Times
‘Green Innovation’ Study Shows California CO2 Policies Mainly Help China
CEI’s Daren Bakst is cited in the Epoch Times on a recent study on C02 policies in China: Daren Bakst, the director of CEI’s…
Blog
This week in ridiculous regulations: NASA penalties and emergency alerts
The 2024 Federal Register topped 20,000 pages. The Justice Department sued Apple for having an iPhone monopoly. Russia held an election-themed event where Vladimir Putin…
Daily Caller
This Union Is Plotting To Take Over The Auto Industry. Can It Be Done?
CEI’s Sean Higgins is cited in the Daily Caller a union agenda to take over the auto industry: “Chattanooga is anybody’s guess,” Sean Higgins,…
The Hill
The right way to neutralize China’s unfair economic advantage on climate
There’s a big push in Congress to eliminate any competitive edge handed to China as a result of domestic and international climate change policies. The…
News Release
Government Antitrust Lawsuit Against Apple Undermines Consumer Choices
The U.S. Justice Department along with 16 states and the District of Columbia, filed an antitrust lawsuit against Apple on March 21, arguing the company…
Forbes
Libertarian Victory: You Mean We Can Shut Down Government Without Even Passing A Law?
It is happening again. Congress will enact another bloated, pork-laden and largely unread omnibus spending bill to complete formal appropriations for the 2024 fiscal year…
https://www.thecollegefix.com/university-launches-semester-long-climate-emergency-campaign-to-protect-mother-earth/
University launches semester-long ‘climate emergency’ campaign to protect ‘Mother Earth’
CEI’s Daren Bakst is cited in The College Fix on a Western Michigan University climate campaign: But Daren Bakst, director of the Center for…
Blog
Lina Khan’s tenure as FTC Chair highlights need for reform of the agency
Three years ago, today, President Biden nominated Lina Khan to the Federal Trade Commission (FTC). The Senate confirmed Khan as a commissioner later in…
The National Desk
Federal Reserve keeps waiting for more data before cutting interest rates
CEI’s Ryan Young is cited on The National Desk about Federal Reserve interest rates: “The Fed has done just about all that it can…
E & E News
Murky deadline looms for Biden’s regs
CEI’s Clyde Wayne Crews is cited in E & E News on a murkey deadline for Biden regulations: The Biden administration “might not be so…
News Release
The House passes anti-carbon tax resolution: CEI analysis
Today, the House voted in a bipartisan manner to approve a concurrent resolution “expressing the sense of Congress that a carbon tax would be…
Blog
Free the Economy podcast: Paying for organs with Pete Jaworski
In this week’s episode we cover the future of AI and employment, why we shouldn’t trust Chinese economic statistics, and how the…
The Federalist Society
Boiling Down the Enumerated Powers: CEI Challenges the Federal Ban on Home Distilling
CEI’s Devin Watkins was cited in a recent blog posting on The Federalist Society about the home distilling ban: In a recently filed lawsuit, the Competitive…
Blog
EPA’s latest unlawful assault on vehicle affordability and choice
The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) today announced final emission standards for passenger cars, light-duty trucks, and medium-duty vehicles for model years 2027 through 2032…
Blog
Energy Week: Legislators have a chance to support important bills
This week is “Energy Week” in the US House of Representatives.House Republicans are going to vote on important legislation to help unleash American energy and…
News Release
Fed ignores congressional pressure and keeps interest rates steady: CEI analysis
On Wednesday, the Federal Reserve announced that it will keep interest rates steady in a continued effort to fight off inflation. CEI senior economist…
The Wall Street Journal
Biden’s EPA Gives Automakers More Leeway to Phase Out Gas-Engine Cars
CEI’s Daren Bakst was cited in the Wall Street Journal on phasing out of gas-engine vehicles: “If this rule survives, Americans should expect the…
Blog
Diversity, equity, and exclusion: How the NLRB’s double standard on job-related speech hurts workers
The National Labor Relations Act (NLRA) is supposed to protect workers who publicly raise questions about the policies in their workplace. A few recent cases…
News Release
EPA tailpipe rule an abuse of power, consumer freedom
The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) today released its final rule on vehicle tailpipe emissions, which mirrors the proposed rule on the expected percentage of…
Washington Examiner
“Lina Khan Opposes Private Investment in Healthcare. She’s Wrong.
Nathalie Voit from Young Voices discusses the inherent bias and misconceptions surrounding the FTC’s workshop on private equity in health care.
Blog
The Fifth Circuit blocks the SEC’s climate disclosure rule in the first legal challenge to the rule
The Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) recently voted to approve its highly-awaited climate disclosure rule. However, fewer than 10 days after its finalization, the…
Forbes
“This is Why the Concept of Antitrust Should Be Junked”
Steve Forbes explains why the FTC’s case against Kroger and Albertsons is preposterous and how it illustrates the flaws of antitrust laws.
Wall Street Journal
“Reddit Says FTC Looking into Licensing of User Content to Third Parties for AI Models”
The Wall Street Journal reports on the FTC’s inquiry into Reddit in the midst of the company’s upcoming IPO.
Comment
Comment on notice of proposed rulemaking: National Apprenticeship System Enhancements
Brent PartonPrincipal Deputy Assistant Secretary for Employment and TrainingU.S. Department of Labor200 Constitution Ave. NW, Room N-5641Washington, D.C. 20210 Docket No. ETA-2023-0004, RIN 1205–Ac13 Dear…
National Review
Critics of Capital One–Discover Merger Are Missing the Elephants
Blog
Classifying regulations is now more confusing thanks to Biden administration
Joe Biden’s Modernizing Regulatory Review executive order (E.O. 14094) raised the threshold for a “significant regulatory action” from $100 million to $200 million in…
News Release
SCOTUS Hears Troubling Jawboning Cases Involving Big Tech and Government
Today, the Supreme Court heard argument concerning jawboning – government pressuring private entities like social media companies to suppress politically disfavored speech. CEI expert Wayne…
News Release
Fifth Circuit hits pause on the SEC climate disclosure rule: CEI analysis
A controversial climate disclosure rule put forward by the Securities and Exchange Commission has been stopped by a federal appeals court. On Friday, March 15,…
Blog
This week in ridiculous regulations: Space innovation and mariner credentials
The House passed a bill to ban TikTok that could easily be repurposed for other companies. It now moves to the Senate. Agencies issued new…
Blog
Right to repair will not save households over $300 a year
You may have heard that so-called “right to repair” laws will provide big savings to consumers. Last week, Forbes published an article claiming that…
Op-Eds
Cutting Corners and Nickel-and-Diming Customers
In macroeconomics, the “circular flow of income” refers to the continuous flow of money between producers and consumers in the economy. Producers provide goods and…
Blog
Fueling discontent: Minnesota’s costly push for a low carbon fuel standard
Lawmakers in Minnesota are considering a Clean Transportation Standard (CTS) that would impose increasingly stringent carbon-intensity reduction targets on all motor fuels used in the…
Blog
CEI briefs the public on the need for administrative law court reform
The Competitive Enterprise Institute recently hosted our first Capitol Hill event of the year, urging Congress to propose administrative law court (ALC) reform. Our…
Blog
Biden’s budget: A continued attack on reliable energy and freedom
President Joe Biden’s FY 2025 budget request of $7.3 trillion is exactly what Americans should have expected: increased spending and taxes. A budget…
Forbes
How The Biden Administration’s ‘Junk Fee’ Policies Will Hurt Consumers
In his State of the Union address last week, President Joe Biden touted his policies against “junk fees,” vowing to save Americans billions…
Blog
The bait and switch of Government Owned Networks
We are all familiar with bait and switch, the deceptive practice where a customer is enticed by one offer and then forced into a higher…
Fox Business
Apple Vision Pro headset becomes tool in operating room
CEI’s Jessica Melugin is cited in Fox Business on Apple Vision Pro becoming an operating room tool: Jessica Melugin, director of the Competitive Enterprise…
Blog
Free the Economy podcast: Defending election integrity with Walter Olson
In this week’s episode we cover the Securities and Exchange Commission’s controversial new rule on climate change, federal science policy and indigenous…
Politico
Bank exec crackdown fades post-SVB
CEI’s John Berlau is cited in Politico regarding the exec crackdown’s subsiding: The free-market Competitive Enterprise Institute led a letter to Congress in February urging members…
Blog
ACLU said NLRB’s general counsel Abruzzo ‘lacks authority’
Here’s some news that slipped through the cracks last year: The American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) challenged the legitimacy of Jennifer Abruzzo’s appointment…
Delaware Valley Journal
PATNODE: Beyond Biden’s War on Cars: Analyzing New Jersey’s Electric Vehicles Mandate
States have been enacting extreme policies to limit the availability of gas-powered vehicles, surpassing even the Biden administration’s efforts at the national level. New Jersey recently…
Cato Institute
Is the Federal Trade Commission Serious about Premerger Notification?
The 1976 Hart–Scott–Rodino (HSR) Antitrust Improvements Act requires certain firms that are pursuing a merger to submit a Premerger Notification and Report Form, also called an HSR…
City Journal
A Solution in Search of a Problem
In his State of the Union address, President Biden touted the drug-price controls in his Inflation Reduction Act (IRA). Though the price controls have yet…
Blog
The FTC, the Kroger-Albertsons merger, and the relevant market fallacy
Over at National Review’s Capital Matters site, Alex Reinauer and I look at the FTC’s word games in its case against the proposed Kroger-Albertsons…
Daily Caller
Fresh Report Explains How International Climate Treaties Benefit China At America’s Expense
CEI’s Ben Lieberman is cited in Daily Caller on the Kigali Amendment: “China’s status as a developing nation in U.N. treaties has created an unfair…
News Release
China’s Beneficial Status as Developing Nation in UN Treaties Disadvantages US, Must End
China is now the world’s second largest economy and the largest exporter, yet it is designated as a developing nation in United Nations (UN) treaties.
National Review
SNAP Back to Reality: Why the FTC Needs a Broader View of the Kroger-Albertsons Case
The FTC’s court losses under Lina Khan’s leadership have a common theme: word games. In nearly every antitrust case it brings, the agency defines relevant markets…
National Review
SEC’s Climate Rule Is Finally Here, but for How Long?
The day many observers of financial regulation have long been awaiting (and dreading) has come. The Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) voted last week to approve its final rule on…
Study
Forcing the UN’s Hand on China
Most United Nations (UN) environmental treaties are a bad deal for America that are made worse by classifying China as a developing nation and thus…
Blog
Gov. Youngkin vetoes two-crew minimum bill in defiance of railroad unions
Virginia Gov. Glenn Youngkin recently vetoed a slew of bills by the commonwealth legislature. One rejection in particular was well-deserved: nixing an ill-advised…
Wall Street Journal
Where the Cheering Stopped
CEI’s Wayne Crews is cited in The Wall Street Journal on the State of the Union address: Budgets Are About PrioritiesWayne Crews writes for the Competitive…
News Release
Vague concerns about TikTok insufficient to justify divestiture or ban
The House of Representatives is scheduled to vote on legislation that would force ByteDance, the China-based parent company of TikTok, to sell the popular app…
Blog
40th Anniversary Commemorative: How CEI killed credit for early action
The Competitive Enterprise Institute (CEI) turned 40 this month. I’m proud to have been a CEI scholar for more than a quarter century. Our friends,…
News Release
Inflation numbers more nuanced than they seem: CEI analysis
The Consumer Price Index numbers released today for February 2024 shows inflation increased to 0.4 percent, up from 0.3 percent in January. CEI senior…
Washington Times
Environmental group pushes retail associates to discourage gas stove purchases
CEI’s Ben Lieberman is cited in the Washington Times about appliances: Ben Lieberman, a senior fellow in environmental policy at the Competitive Enterprise Institute,…
Blog
February inflation stays high, fiscal credibility remains a problem
Headline CPI inflation numbers sped up in February. Monthly inflation increased 0.3 percent in January, and 0.4 percent in February. Year-to-year inflation is 3.2…
Blog
One great moment in the budget battles: GOP’s ‘Policy Statement on Deregulation’
Today marks the release of the White House’s $7.3 trillion budget proposal for fiscal year 2025, even as policymakers continue their wrangling over the…
Reuters
“US Senate Confirms Republican Nominees to FTC”
Reuters reports on the Senate confirmation of Andrew Ferguson and Melissa Holyoak as commissioner to Federal Trade Commission.
National Review
“The FTC’s Case Against the Kroger/Albertsons Deal Puts Politics Before Economics”
Robert Bork Jr. explains how the Biden administration is attempting to blame high food prices on “Big Grocery,” rather than its own failed economic policies.
National Review
“FTC’s Incoherent Case Against Kroger-Albertsons Merger”
Editors for the National Review address several problems with the FTC’s case against Kroger and Albertsons.
News Release
NLRB Should Let Stand District Court Ruling On Joint Employer Rulemaking
Just days before the National Labor Relations Board’s new joint employer rule was set to go into effect, a federal judge in Texas struck down…
Blog
This week in ridiculous regulations: Taconite and lab fees
President Biden delivered his State of the Union address. Super Tuesday primaries all but settled this year’s presidential combatants. The FTC has a full slate…
Blog
Beware the labor regs of March!
A new rule from the federal government meant to protect workers is set to take effect today, March 11. It will instead leave most workers…
News Release
CEI Congratulates Andrew Ferguson and Melissa Holyoak on confirmation as FTC commissioners
The United States Senate confirmed Andrew Ferguson and Melissa Holyoak to terms as commissioners at the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) by voice vote. Holyoak was an…
News Release
275,000 jobs added in February, employers watching economy and new labor rules: CEI analysis
The economy added 275,000 jobs in February, but the overall unemployment rate is higher than this time last year, sitting at 3.9 percent compared…
Blog
Will EPA empower California to ban gasoline-powered cars?
Did Congress authorize the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to outlaw the sale of new internal combustion engine (ICE) vehicles? Did it authorize the EPA to…
Letters
CEI Joins Coalition Letter Supporting H.R. 2799
Dear Representative: We, the undersigned organizations, write to you today to express our support for Representative Patrick McHenry’s H.R. 2799, the Expanding Access to Capital…
Blog
One way for government to improve air quality: Remove obstacles to prescribed fires
The Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) final rule on particulate matter prematurely makes the primary annual standard for fine particulate matter (PM2.5) much…
Blog
SEC’s new climate disclosure rule a slow-motion train wreck
The day that many observers of financial regulation have long been awaiting (and dreading) has come; the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) has voted…
Washington Examiner
State of the Union 2024: Biden plays up ‘shrinkflation’ — what to know
CEI’s Ryan Young is cited in the Washington Examiner on current shrinkflation: “Shrinkflation is real, but it’s not a partisan issue. Shrinkflation is part…
Blog
Free the Economy podcast: Free markets and the common good with Iain Murray
In this week’s episode we cover fake environmentalism and the need to build, a look at policymaking inside the National People’s Congress…
Blog
CEI sues to end federal at-home distilling ban
The Competitive Enterprise Institute, which regularly litigates against federal overreach, represents the Hobby Distillers Association and its members in a lawsuit seeking an end…
News Release
SEC’s climate disclosure rule is redundant and vulnerable to legal challenge
The Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) released its final climate disclosure rule today, mandating public companies disclose information related to greenhouse gas emissions. The…
Blog
SOTU 2024: Unparalleled spending, regulation, and dependency
In bumper-sticker fashion, we have fondly summed up Joe Biden’s recent State of the Union Addresses (SOTU) as appeals for more spending, regulation and…
Forbes
How Tech Companies Are Powering Their Operations With Nuclear And Renewables
In a noteworthy move, Amazon Web Services (AWS) recently acquired Talen Energy’s 960MW data center campus in Pennsylvania, which draws power from the neighboring 2.5GW Susquehanna nuclear…
Blog
The Surge: New EPA rulemaking, Biden’s LNG ‘pause,’ and more
If you are interested in analysis and perspective on current energy and environmental issues, then we encourage you to subscribe to this new publication…
News Release
CFPB Price Controls on Late Fees Mean Less Credit, Higher Costs for Cardholders
Today, the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) finalized a rule on credit card late fees that would do far more harm than good, according…
The Hill
“Internal Emails Show FTC’s Lina Khan Is Trying to Win by Losing”
Robert Bork Jr. discusses FTC Chair Lina Khan’s losing antitrust strategy.
Blog
Spending bills fail to provide checks on Biden’s energy and environmental abuses
Over the weekend, House and Senate appropriations released the text of six final fiscal year (FY) 2024 spending bills: Energy and Water, Agriculture, Military…
Blog
Crickets: Congressional silence on a new communications act
In what seems to be news to legislators and regulators, the communications marketplace is innovative and dynamic. The platforms used to consume increasingly varied types…
Forbes
The Quiet Threat To Science Posed By ‘Indigenous Knowledge’
“Indigenous knowledge” is in the spotlight thanks to President Biden, who issued an executive order within days of taking office, aimed at ushering…
Blog
The Stop Woke Investing Act and ‘ESG fatigue’
The Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) has made it far too easy for activist shareholders to overturn the traditional proxy review process. The SEC’s…
Blog
This week in ridiculous regulations: Seabird mitigation and nuclear locations
CEI is hosting a hill event on March 5 about reforming administrative law courts. Politicians got upset about Wendy’s menus. GDP growth was…
Blog
FTC declares mergers to be union-busting
In a classic case of regulatory creep, the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) has recently asserted jurisdiction over labor unions and collective bargaining. The agency is…
National Review
The SEC’s Climate-Disclosure Rule Goes against 90 Years of Restraint
The Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) is finalizing a mandatory climate-disclosure rule for public companies — perhaps the costliest regulatory mandate in its entire 90-year history.
Fox News
Biden admin finalizes environmental regulations targeting clothes washers, dryers
CEI’s Ben Lieberman is cited in Fox News about environmental regulations targeting appliances: “What we’re learning is that the government ought to get out…
National Review
“The Organized-Labor Subplot in the FTC’s Decision to Block the Kroger/Albertsons Merger”
Dominic Pino from the National Review discusses the FTC’s strange relevant market definition of “union grocery labor” in its recent challenge to the Kroger/Albertsons merger.
ITIF
“Why the Robinson-Patman Act Revival May Backfire”
Trelysa Long with the Information Technology & Innovation Foundation (ITIF) explains why a revival of the Robinson-Patman Act would help neither small businesses nor consumers.
Blog
Where do regulations go when Congress shutters an agency?
The way the federal government spends money rarely changes until a crisis comes along. Arguably, we’re already there with federal debt service (interest) payments…
Blog
An exemplary climate debate on campus
I recently returned from Miami and the campus of Florida International University (FIU), where I was pleased to take part in the FIU Environment…
Blog
Free the Economy podcast: Politically homeless with John Tillman
In this week’s episode we cover an environmental conference in Miami, allegedly underfunded government schools, Google’s AI diversity debacle, and new…
Fox Business
Nobody is going to use Google’s woke chatbot unless they ‘fix’ its bias: Jessica Melugin
CEI’s Jessica Melugin is featured in a Fox News interview about Google’s woke chatbot: Watch the latest video at foxbusiness.com Watch the interview on…
National Review
Covid Vaccines: An Update on Balancing Risks and Benefits
A new large, multi-country study has confirmed what previous smaller studies found: Covid-19 vaccines have risks. In particular, the messenger RNA (mRNA) vaccines from Pfizer and…
News Release
Economy in a healthy spot for further growth: CEI analysis
Today’s GDP numbers for the fourth quarter of 2023 showed economic growth stood at 3.2 percent, a slight downward trend compared to the third…
News Release
CEI leads coalition of 20 groups in comment on EPA’s draft Scientific Integrity Policy
The Competitive Enterprise Institute (CEI) led a coalition of 20 groups in a comment on the Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) draft “Scientific Integrity Policy.”…
Blog
Senate should pass bill to stop Biden’s liquified natural gas export ‘pause’
The Biden administration announced a pause last month on new approvals for liquified natural gas (LNG) exports to non-Free Trade Agreement (non-FTA) countries. The…