Blog
This Week in Ridiculous Regulations
Inflation remained high at 8.3 percent and Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell was confirmed to a second term. A baby formula shortage is exposing the…
Blog
Ten Terrible Tech Bills from the 117th Congress: Ending Platform Monopolies Act
Imagine shopping for a bicycle. You decide on a Trek bike after evaluating the options, user reviews, and specifications. The bicycle is delivered but without…
Blog
This Week’s Civil Forfeiture Outrages: Do People Facing Forfeiture Get Due Process?
A high-profile reversal of a recent civil forfeiture case makes me wonder: Do those who face civil forfeiture generally receive due process of law? That…
Washington Examiner
What Elon Musk gets wrong about Apple App Store fees
Elon Musk’s purchase of Twitter has some in the throes of ecstasy and others fearing a social media apocalypse. But, whatever happens, it’s good news that the…
National Review
After Elon Musk’s Takeover of Twitter, Will Conservatives Learn to Love Section 230?
Elon Musk’s purchase of Twitter has many on the political right hopeful that, once under his control, the site will take down less…
Blog
Terra Troubles Should Not Spur Stablecoin Regulation
The crypto market is suffering a severe correction. One asset feeling the pinch is LUNA, which, along with its related nonprofit the Luna Foundation Guard…
News Release
Biden Cancels Oil Lease Auctions
With gas prices way up, the Biden administration has just canceled significant oil and gas lease sales pending before the Department of the Interior. CEI…
Blog
House Staffers Can Now Unionize
The House of Representatives on Tuesday approved, for the first time ever, allowing congressional staff to form unions. This will be an interesting experiment. How…
The Washington Examiner
What Elon Musk gets wrong about Apple App Store fees
Elon Musk’s purchase of Twitter has some in the throes of ecstasy and others fearing a social media apocalypse. But, whatever happens, it’s good news that the…
Blog
Ten Terrible Tech Bills from the 117th Congress: Filter Bubble Transparency Act
In Book VII of Plato’s Republic, Socrates introduces his allegory of the cave. Prisoners are chained in an underground cavern since birth. Their necks are…
News Release
Inflation Still 4x Higher than Target Rate, New Government Numbers Show
The inflation rate isn’t much changed from last month’s high figure, 8.3 percent compared to 8.5 percent, new government data shows. CEI Senior Fellow Ryan…
New York Post
Billions in COVID relief haven’t been spent … but Biden still demands more!
That great sloshing sound you hear is the tens of billions of dollars of unspent COVID-19 relief funds slopping around federal, state and local government…
Vapor Voice
Unnatural Response
Vapor Voice cites CEI Senior Fellow Michelle Minton on nontobacco nicotine regulation: Michelle Minton, writing for the Competitive Enterprise Institute, states that given the…
Blog
Act Now! The Bipartisan Innovation Act Is a Reminder of the Urgent Need for a Bold National Elevator Plan
President Biden on numerous occasions of late has complained about the miracle that one can simply drive to a McDonald’s in rural areas and…
The Washington Times
Teachers’ unions scrutinized over Harvard study of COVID-19 learning
The Washington Times cites CEI Research Fellow Sean Higgins on teachers’ unions: Sean Higgins, a research associate at the libertarian Competitive Enterprise Institute, said these…
Blog
What Is Core Inflation?
The new inflation numbers are out, and they aren’t pretty. The Consumer Price Index (CPI) went up 0.3 percent during April, and is up…
Blog
Biden’s Inflation Speech: Top Domestic Priority
President Biden gave remarks on Tuesday declaring inflation his top domestic priority. Like many people, he seems not to understand that inflation is a…
Blog
A Brief Outline of a Regulatory Report Card Congress Should Enact
Measure what is measurable, and make measurable what is not so. — Quote frequently attributed to Galileo, that, alas, probably was not…
Forbes
Congress Is Causing Rising Regulatory Burdens. That Needs Fixing
Mid-terms are approaching, and that means market-oriented policy groups, classical liberals, libertarians and others will resume the tradition of dusting off, polishing and updating …
Blog
Ten Terrible Tech Bills from the 117th Congress: Platform Competition and Opportunity Act
Tech startups are thriving. The COVID-19 pandemic and the corresponding government response created unique problems for facilitating communication, goods, and services. Fortunately, tech innovation helped…
Blog
U.S. to Lift Tariffs against Ukraine for One Year: China Next?
In 2018, President Trump enacted a 25 percent tariff on Ukrainian steel, on what he claimed were national security grounds. They remained in place throughout…
Blog
Countries Move Forward with CBDCs Despite Public Mistrust
New research from the Bank for International Settlements (BIS) reveals that countries are plowing ahead with central bank digital currencies (CBDCs) despite little public…
Blog
CEI Joins Groups in Telling SEC to Stay Away from Private Markets
It’s bad enough that Congress and the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) have made it so costly for smaller companies to go and stay public…
Blog
This Week in Ridiculous Regulations
The Federal Reserve took another small step to tamping down inflation, and the latest jobs report had mixed news. Agencies issued new regulations ranging…
Blog
Ten Terrible Tech Bills from the 117th Congress: EARN IT Act
There is no shortage of legislation addressing Section 230 of the Communications Decency Act introduced in the 117th Congress, with some legislators seeking to amend…
News Release
April 2022 Job Gains Demonstrate Government Intervention Not Necessary
Today the federal government reported that the U.S. economy gained 428,000 jobs last month (similar to the number added in March). Those gains demonstrate that…
Letters
36 Organizations Sign Coalition Letter Condemning Menthol Prohibition Proposal
We, the undersigned 36 organizations, representing millions of taxpayers and consumers across the United States, strongly urge you to reject any proposed ban on menthol…
Inside Sources
Point: There’s No Evidence That Masks Work
Joe Biden proclaimed, “Wearing masks is not a political statement, it is a scientific imperative.” He was wrong. There is little evidence supporting generalized use of masks.
Blog
Environmental and Social Factors in Investing too Vague for Legal Definitions
Recently, Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) chairman Gary Gensler released a video explaining his concerns about investment products that market themselves using terms like…
Blog
Fed Hikes Interest Rate: Bigger News on Bond Portfolio Mostly Neglected
The Fed this week announced a half percentage point hike in its federal funds rate. This is the right thing to do, but it…
Blog
Ten Terrible Tech Bills from the 117th Congress: Prohibiting Anti-Competitive Mergers Act of 2022
Mergers are on Congress’ mind, clearly. Legislation aimed at increasing both the powers and budgets of antitrust enforcers are plentiful, with technology companies being the…
Blog
How Biden’s “Building a Better America” Agenda Consolidates Permanent Federal Power
Biden’s “Building a Better America” is not about building America, but rather about spending to fatten an already overfed central government with a…
News Release
CEI and Allied Free Market Groups Send Letter to Senate Urging “No” Vote on Treaty Restricting Refrigerants
The Competitive Enterprise Institute (CEI) and nineteen allied groups and individuals sent a letter to the Senate urging a “no” vote on the…
Finger Lakes Times
Commentary: Diversity training is unpopular because it doesn’t work (but companies could change that)
Diversity is one of the hottest topics in corporate management today. And while corporate managers have been implementing diversity initiatives since at least the 1960s,…
Letters
CEI Leads Coalition Letter on Kigali Amendment to the Montreal Protocol on Substances That Deplete the Ozone Layer
Real Clear Policy
SEC’s Gensler Wants to Regulate Green Funds, But Definitions Are Elusive
In a recently released video, Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) chairman Gary Gensler explains his concerns about investment products that market themselves as…
Blog
Ten Terrible Tech Bills from the 117th Congress: Open App Markets Act
Congress has an unhealthy fixation with app stores—and Congress isn’t alone. Both government and private parties filed antitrust lawsuits last year against the largest…
Blog
Unions Are Getting Smarter by Returning to Old-School Organizing Tactics
A new wave of union activism has swept the country in recent months with workers at Starbucks, Amazon, and even Apple pushing to organize. The…
Blog
This Week in Ridiculous Regulations
The economy shrank at an annualized 1.4 percent pace in the first quarter of 2022. The Department of Homeland Security announced a new “…
Blog
Ten Terrible Tech Bills from the 117th Congress: American Innovation and Choice Online Act
As Congress enters its final weeks before the midterm elections, many expect a late push to pass legislation targeting the largest technology companies. Dozens of…
Blog
The DHS “Disinformation Governance Board” Needs to Be Dismantled
In recent months, an escalation of various forms of federal surveillance has become apparent. That’s bad enough, but the trend is rendered more problematic…
Blog
Sorting Out Some Confusion on Trade and GDP
While inflation is the biggest economic problem right now, trade policy is another reason why GDP shrank last quarter. It is also a common…
Blog
GDP Shrinks: The Good and the Bad
The advance estimate for 2022’s first quarter gross domestic product (GDP) is in, and the news is not good. Adjusting for inflation, GDP shrank…
Blog
A Bad Day for Incandescent Light Bulbs – and Freedom of Choice
Consumers are better off with choices, and worse off when federal regulators step in and take them away. That’s the best way to view today’s…
Blog
Crypto and Crowdfunding Could Spur U.S. Economy
Crypto and equity crowdfunding (Reg CF) are two relatively new concepts that are combining to create new economic models that could overtake current economic paradigms.
News Release
Competitive Enterprise Institute Announces Speakers for Julian L. Simon Memorial Award Dinner
The Competitive Enterprise Institute is pleased to announce its complete speaker line up for the annual Julian L. Simon Memorial Award Dinner on Thursday,…
The New York Post
Studies Prove that Most Politicians and Experts Handled COVID Terribly
During the 2020 election, multiple public health “experts” claimed President Trump had “blood on his hands” and was responsible for “preventable” loss of life. They…
Blog
SEC’s War on Crypto Savers Continues
Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) Chairman Gary Gensler claims he is “animated every day” to protect working families through securities laws. It’s a nice…
The Federalist Society
AUDIO: CEI’s Joel Zinberg Joins the Federalist Society to Discuss Mask Mandates
Senior Fellow Joel Zinberg joined The Federalist Society to discuss the CDC’s mask mandate and examine the strategy behind the Department of Justice’s decision to…
Fox Business
VIDEO: CEI’s Jessica Melugin Joins Fox Business to Discuss Twitter and Elon Musk
CEI Director for the Center for Technology and Innovation Jessica Melugin joins Fox Business to discuss Elon Musk’s deal to buy Twitter.
The Regulatory Transparency Project
AUDIO: Joel Zinberg Joins the Regulatory Transparency Project to Discuss CDC Mask Mandates
Senior Fellow Joel Zinberg joined the Regulatory Transparency Project to discuss the CDC travel mask ruling and more: Click here to read more.
Blog
Lisa Cook’s First Amendment Problem Should Concern Senators
As early as Tuesday, the U.S. Senate could vote on the nomination of Lisa Cook to be a governor of the Federal Reserve, along with…
Blog
CEI Comments Explain Why FERC’s Greenhouse Gas Regulatory Policy Cannot Pass a Cost-Benefit Test
Today, the Competitive Enterprise Institute (CEI) filed comments on the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission’s (FERC) proposal to consider climate change impacts in reviews…
Blog
Elon vs. the Regulators
A $43 billion sale of Twitter to Elon Musk looks more and more like a done deal. Depending on who you ask, Musk will…
Action Institute
Do Libertarians Have a Political Home Anymore?
For many years, libertarians and economic conservatives lived in harmony. The philosophy of fusionism said that the conservative party, when it governed, would seek to…
Inside Sources
Don’t Believe the Government’s Talking Points about Civil Asset Forfeiture
Every year, federal, state and local government agents take — and permanently keep — billions of dollars of Americans’ property through a practice known as…
Comment
CEI Comments to Federal Energy Regulatory Commission: Docket No. PL21-3-000
Federal Energy Regulatory Commission, Order on Draft Policy Statements, March 24, 2022. Docket No. PL21-3-000 Comments submitted by Marlo Lewis, Patrick Michaels, and Kevin Dayaratna.
Wall Street Journal
Amazon Takes On the National Labor Relations Board
Amazon is pushing back against the recent union election at its Staten Island facility in a novel way: by taking on the National Labor Relations…
Blog
This Week in Ridiculous Regulations
Air travelers no longer have to wear masks, although the decision is being appealed. Having solved all of the state’s other problems, Florida Republicans passed…
Comment
Joint Comments on the Securities and Exchange Commission’s Incursion into Private Markets.
RE: Private Fund Advisers; Documentation of Registered Investment Adviser Compliance Reviews (SEC Release Nos. IA-5955; File No. S7-03-22) Dear Ms. Countryman: The undersigned organizations appreciate…
Blog
My Response to the CFPB’s “Junky” Regulatory Inquiry on Fees
In response to the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau’s (CFPB) “request for information” on what its Director Rohit Chopra has labeled as “junk fees” on financial…
Blog
Protecting Pensions from Politicized Mismanagement
Recently the American Legislative Exchange Council (ALEC), an organization of state legislators from across the country, unveiled model legislation aimed at protecting the retirement…
Blog
Peer Review for Thee but Not for Me
In February 2017, the Competitive Enterprise Institute petitioned the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to reconsider the 2009 Greenhouse Gas Endangerment Finding. CEI explained in detail…
Issues & Insights
The Dark Side Of Earth Day
If I wanted America to fail,To follow, not lead,To suffer, not prosperTo despair, not dreamI’d start with energy.I’d cut off America’s supply…
Blog
The Flipside of Earth Day
If I wanted America to fail,To follow, not lead,To suffer, not prosperTo despair, not dreamI’d start with energy.I’d cut off America’s supply…
Blog
The Updated Case for Free Trade
Trade is a core value of civilization. The very act of trade implies respect for people’s rights. Suppose you have something I want. I could…
National Review
Breathing Easier: End of the Mask Mandate?
There was almost an audible sigh of relief nationwide following Monday’s ruling by a federal district-court judge in Florida vacating the Centers for…
New York Post
Ex-McDonald’s CEO Ed Rensi: Companies Have ‘No Business’ Being in Politics
The New York Post cites Senior Fellow Richard Morrison on companies and environmental, social, and governance standards: “Time and again, US companies…
News Release
Court Rules VA Attorney General Must Turn Over Emails Related to “Law Enforcement for Rent” Scheme
A Circuit Court in Richmond, VA on Tuesday ordered the Office of the Attorney General (OAG) of Virginia to conduct a proper search for…
News Release
Report: Government Seizes Billions in Private Property, but Citizens Have Little Recourse
Every year, federal, state, and local government agents take and permanently keep, collectively, billions of dollars of Americans’ property through a practice called civil forfeiture,…
Blog
Countering Civil Forfeiture Myths with Facts
Every year, federal, state, and local government agents take—and permanently keep—billions of dollars of Americans’ property through civil forfeiture. The practice of civil forfeiture creates…
Study
Five Myths of Civil Forfeiture
Executive Summary Every year, federal, state, and local government agents take—and permanently keep—billions of dollars of Americans’ property through civil forfeiture. The practice of civil…
News Release
Final NEPA Rule Will Encourage Anti-Development Lawsuits Against Fossil Fuel Projects
The White House today released its final rule updating the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA), the law governing permitting and environmental review for new federal…
Ballotpedia
Economy and Society: State pension funds draw scrutiny for ESG
Ballotpedia cites Senior Fellow Richard Morrison’s blog post “Bipartisan Policy Center Highlights Concerns with SEC Climate Disclosure Rule” discussing Bipartisan Policy Center (BPC)’s event:…
City Journal
A Breath of Fresh Air
In the latest of a long line of judicial rebukes to the Biden administration’s expansive view of administrative-agency power, a federal district court in Florida…
Legal Brief
Brief of Amicus Curiae – Case No. 22-60008
UNITED STATES COURT OF APPEALS FOR THE FIFTH CIRCUIT Case No. 22-60008 Consumers’ Research, et al., v. Federal Communications Commission, et al., Brief of…
News Release
Judge Rejects CDC’s Unfounded Mask Mandate for Travel
U.S. District Court Judge Mizelle today vacated the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) mask mandate for public transit, such as airports, train stations, airplanes,…
Blog
Federal Judge Invalidates Federal Mask Mandate
For over a year, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has threatened criminal and civil penalties and mandatory removal for not wearing a…
Blog
Biden’s Escalating Fusion of Regulation and Censorship Requires Decisive Pushback
President Joe Biden’s “whole of government” advancement of numerous elements of an-interventionist “Building a Better America” agenda is accompanied by an alarming level…
Blog
This Week in Ridiculous Regulations
The flagship of Russia’s Black Sea fleet was sunk. Baseball season began, marking the unofficial start of spring. Agencies issued new regulations ranging from Potato…
The Tribune-Democrat
Earth Day Should Be Retired
After more than five decades, it is time to let go of Earth Day. Conceived by peace activists and initially promoted by international labor unions,…
Blog
Escalation of Surveillance Threatens Right to Anonymity
The Biden administration has pressured big tech social media platforms to advance its policies in areas like cultural debates, climate interventions, and to stifle dissent…
Blog
NLRB General Counsel Calls for End to Secret Ballots in Workplace Elections
The general counsel for the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) is calling on the agency to unilaterally adopt “card check” rules for all union…
Blog
Members of Congress Push Back on SEC Climate Proposal
Skeptical members of Congress have begun weighing in on the Securities and Exchange Commission’s (SEC) recent climate disclosure proposal, and their objections are significant.
American Energy Alliance
In the Pipeline, Daily Energy News
The American Energy Alliance cites Senior Fellow Marlo Lewis, Jr.’s “SEC Ignores the Easiest Way to Reduce Climate Policy Risks – Oppose the NetZero Agenda”…
FOX Business
Biden Administration Moves on Taxing, Regulating Cryptocurrency
FOX Business cites Senior Fellow John Berlau on the Biden Administration’s recent moves to tax cryptocurrency: Thanks to a provision in the…
Blog
SEC Ignores the Easiest Way to Reduce Climate Policy Risks – Oppose the NetZero Agenda
The Security and Exchange Commission’s (SEC) rationale for its proposed climate risk-disclosure rule does not pass the laugh test. The SEC claims it seeks…
Blog
New Inflation Numbers Show Folly of Price Controls
Today’s release of inflation numbers by the Bureau of Labor Statistics confirms that the loudest voices in favor of price controls are usually the…
Blog
E-15 May Do More Food Price Harm than Gas Price Good
The Biden administration Environmental Protection Agency has announced an emergency waiver allowing gasoline blends containing up to 15 percent ethanol in a bid to…
Blog
Addressing Forever Crises
It does not suffice for this administration to attribute record 8.5 percent inflation to “Putin’s price hike.” We have endured not just…
National Review
New York’s Child-Masking Madness
One of the more curious storylines playing out in the early days of Eric Adams’s tenure as mayor of New York City is his stance…
Ballotpedia
Economy and Society: SEC Disclosure Rule Continues to Attract Attention
Ballotpedia cites Senior Fellow Richard Morrison’s blog post “Bipartisan Policy Center Highlights Concerns with SEC Climate Disclosure Rule” discussing Bipartisan Policy Center (BPC)’s event:…
The Washington Times
Conservative Shareholders Target ‘Woke’ Corporate Board
The Washington Times cites Senior Fellow Richard Morrison on conservative activism: “Conservative activism is finally beginning to counterbalance progressive activism on issues…
Blog
Inflation Rises to 8.5 Percent: Straining for Optimism
High inflation will likely be with us for a while, which means I’ll be writing a lot of posts like this. So, for the sake…
Blog
Rep. Van Duyne Confronts Excesses of Climate Policy at SEC
Last week Rep. Beth Van Duyne (R-TX) and a dozen co-sponsors introduced the Stopping Excessive Climate Reporting Act (H.R.7355) to prevent the Securities and Exchange…
City Journal
Obamacare’s Hollow Celebration
Last week, Barack Obama joined President Biden at the White House to mark the 12th anniversary of the Affordable Care Act, also known…
Blog
Algae and High Gasoline Prices
If you have managed to avoid record-high gasoline prices by using algae fuel instead, you have former President Barack Obama to thank. If not, you…
E&E News
Inside a Legal Doctrine that Could Derail Biden Climate Regs
E&E News cites CEI Attorney Devin Watkins on the EPA’s new legislation outlining vehicle emissions standards: As in the Supreme Court…
Comment
Comments to the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau on its Request for Information on “Junk Fees”
Dear Director Chopra: On behalf of the Competitive Enterprise Institute (CEI), I respectfully submit the following comments in response to the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau’s…
Blog
This Week in Ridiculous Regulations
The Senate confirmed Ketanji Jackson Brown as the newest Supreme Court Justice. A rabid fox bit nine people on Capitol Hill, this time literally…