Newsletter
Election Spending, High-Speed Rail, and Sen. Grassley’s Hypocrisy
Blog
The Stealthy Public Pension Time Bomb
As state and local government budgets have come under increasing stress, greater public attention has come to focus on government employees’ compensation. This greater scrutiny…
Blog
Angela Logomasini On The Risk of BPA
Blog
Ignorant Food Snobbery: Judge Orders McDonald’s to Pay Obese Employee $17,500
From The New York Times: A Brazilian court ruled this week that McDonald’s must pay a former franchise manager $17,500 because he gained 65…
Blog
CEI Weekly: The Free Checking Restoration Act
Blog
Butcher’s Bill for Texting While Driving
In my LA Times piece “Texters, You’d Be Better off Driving Drunk,” Oct. 3, I stated “There are no reliable studies regarding deaths associated…
Blog
Morning Media Summary
Tech: Privacy Commissioner slams data retention: “The Australian Privacy Commissioner Timothy Pilgrim has slammed the Federal Government’s proposed data retention law and called…
Denver Post
PUC to Review Xcel Plan
Denver Post
Virginia Lawmakers Aren’t Entitled to Liquor Revenue (Letter to the Editor)
It is long past time for Virginia to shake its state monopoly on liquor sales, and it’s a shame that we’ll have to wait until…
Denver Post
Push Continues to let Ethanol Subsidies Expire Despite oil Subsidy Mountain
Denver Post
Fireman Strikes in Our Future
Denver Post
Virginia Lawmakers Aren’t Entitled to Liquor Revenue
It is long past time for Virginia to shake its state monopoly on liquor sales, and it’s a shame that we’ll have to wait until…
Blog
D.C. Minimum Wage Contributes to Decade of Heightened Unemployment
In a daring new approach to employment analysis, a report out today from the DC Fiscal Policy Institute advises implementing a higher minimum…
Blog
Washington Subway Terrorist Bomb Plot Leads to Arrest
Federal authorities arrested Farooque Ahmed for plotting to bomb the Washington Metro subway system. Ahmed, who immigrated from Pakistan, “conspired with people he thought…
Blog
2010’s Record Election Spending Is Surprisingly Small
Blog
Rare Earths — Not So Rare?
What do yttrium, ytterbium, erbium and terbium have in common? They are rare earth elements first found in the Swedish town of Ytterby between 1828…
Blog
Afternoon Links: October 28, 2010
Blog
Marlo Lewis on Hyundai’s Zero Emission Advertisment
Hyundai’s newest advertisement features their attempts at producing a “green” commercial. One of Hyundai’s slogans is “Prepare to want one,” yet as Marlo Lewis notes…
Blog
Common Sense Fact of the Day: Only 5 Countries Have Pension Systems That Can Survive (Hint: Not the USA)
This issue keeps showing up over the Internet, so it makes it an easy story to address: Most government pension programs are unsustainable. As…
Blog
Great Letter in Today’s Wall Street Journal
Blog
An Alcohol-Caffeine Ban Won’t Work
The genie is out of the bottle. Mixing energy drinks and distilled spirits has become a popular trend in the U.S., particularly, among college age…
Blog
Obama Pumps More Money into “High-Speed Rail” Boondoggles
The Department of Transportation announced today that another $2.4 billion is being doled out to high-speed rail projects around the country. This is on…
Blog
Sen. Grassley’s Selective Crusade Against Conflicts of Interest
Sen. Charles Grassley (R-Ia.) has been on a tear lately, badgering the Food and Drug Administration about whether it's doing enough to crack down on…
Blog
CBO: Obamacare Discourages Work
Even the Congressional Budget Office, which allowed supporters of Obamacare to hide its costs through gimmicks and dodges, admitted last “Friday that…
Newsletter
French Pensions, Porn Regulations, and Chinese Energy Subsidies
Blog
Morning Media Summary
Tech: Are texting and Facebook worse for teens than TV?: “Which raises an interesting question: Is Facebook really worse for teenagers’ brains than…
Denver Post
The Free Checking Restoration Act
Denver Post
The Real Richard Blumenthal
Denver Post
Fannie & Freddie Don’t Deserve Any More Tax Dollars (Letters to the Editor)
The Examiner was right to oppose more taxpayer bailouts for Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac, which are expected to receive between $73 billion and $215…
Denver Post
Angela Logomasini On The Risk of BPA
CEI Director of Risk and Environmental Policy Angela Logomasini discusses the risks and…
Blog
Supreme Court Case May Wipe Out Vaccine Industry
Back when Congress knew how to pass good legislation, in this case in the mid-1980s, it took most cases involving vaccine liability out of the…
Blog
Increase in American Corruption May Have Been Understated
Earlier, I wrote about how America had slipped to a historic low on the Global Corruption Index, becoming more corrupt. In retrospect, I think…
Blog
Afternoon Links: October 27, 2010
Blog
My Role Model, Jenna Jameson
As a self-made business mogul, a mother and wife, and a cancer survivor, there are many aspects of Jenna Jameson to admire and emulate.
Blog
Ethanol Shills Never Tire
This time it’s retired general Wesley Clark. The language is anything but honest, and unfortunately very convincing to the average reader. It’s an $821-million-a-day…
Blog
Clarity Regarding What the Left Believes
Recently, I wrote about french protesters shutting down France and destroying Paris. This is all due to the fact that Sarkozy is asking citizens…
Products
Biden’s Revisionist History, Green Products, and Four Loko
Blog
Foreclosure Moratorium Would Impose Huge Losses on Taxpayers
“Taxpayers and the federal government would be among the biggest losers if officials heed calls from some legislators and homeowners rights groups to stop millions…
Blog
“Cy Pres: A Not So Charitable Contribution to Class Action Practice”
I’m honored that Skadden’s John Beisner, one of the world’s leading class action attorneys, Jessica Miller, and Jordan Schwartz today released a new paper…
Study
Colorado’s Clean Air Clean Jobs Act Will Accomplish Neither
Government Officials and Special Interests Pushed HB 1365 on a Foundation of Fallacies…
Blog
Morning Media Summary
Tech: Free E-Books, With a Catch – Advertising: “Barnes & Noble may kick off a fresh price war today…
Blog
Dear Mr. Biden: Vice Presidents Were Meant to Be Seen, Not Heard
Denver Post
Morning Scan – Free Checking
Denver Post
Should Ethanol Subsidies Be Gone (With the Wind)?
Blog
U.S. Slips to Historic Low in Global Corruption Index
America has slipped to a historic low in the global corruption index, Reuters reports, and it is no longer one of the 20 least…
Blog
Afternoon Links: October 26, 2010
Blog
Soda Regulations for Everyone!
2010 hasn’t been a good year for soda. As Americans tune in to reality TV shows like The Biggest Loser and Too Fat for Fifteen,…
Blog
Global Food Crisis Forecast; Aggravated by Biofuels and Global Warming Legislation
A global food crisis is “forecast as prices reach record highs.” “Rising food prices and shortages could cause instability in many countries as the…
Blog
Ethanol in The Wall Street Journal
The editorial staff at The Wall Street Journal have not been kind to ethanol over the past months. They ran two editorials (one in July…
Newsletter
Trucking Regulations, Potatoes, and Alabama Insurance
Blog
Hugo Chavez Steals More Productive Sectors of the Venezuelan Economy
CBS is reporting today that Hugo Chavez “ordered the expropriation of U.S.-based glass maker Owens-Illinois Inc.’s unit in the South American country.” This is…
Blog
Stalled Korea FTA May Get a Boost
U.S. Trade Representative Ron Kirk is scheduled to meet today with Korean Trade Minister Kim Jong-hoon in San Francisco to discuss the pending U.S.-Korea…
Blog
Something (Useful) for the FTC to Do
I took a class at George Mason University with economist Tyler Cowen on industrial organization (IO).1 My apologies to Dr. Cowen…
Blog
The Nobel Case for Immigration
In today's American Spectator, my colleague Alex Nowrasteh and I make the case for expanding skilled immigration.
Blog
Another Reason Why Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac Need to Go
The monthly payments a home mortgage has depend on two variables (among others): the initial down payment and interest rates. A larger down payment means…
Blog
Morning Media Summary
Tech: “Fabric” To Weave Security Into Code: “As we become increasingly dependent on computers to manage our lives and businesses, our money…
News Release
Ethanol + Wind Power = #Fail
Washington, D.C., October 26, 2010 — Ethanol subsidies are set to expire at the end of the year, and, so far, American taxpayers have wasted…
Denver Post
The Free Checking Restoration Act
Having largely abandoned attempts to defend ObamaCare in the run-up to next week’s election, President Obama and his allies are now warning that opponents will…
Denver Post
The End of Free Checking?
Denver Post
H-1B Visas: A Case for Open Immigration of Highly Skilled Foreign Workers
The New American
EPA Proposes More Regulations
Acting On Its Own, EPA Sets New Rules On Truck Emissions
Acting On Its Own, EPA Sets New Rules On Truck Emissions
Acting On Its Own, EPA Sets New Rules On Truck Emissions
Acting On Its Own, EPA Sets New Rules On Truck Emissions
Acting On Its Own, EPA Sets New Rules On Truck Emissions
Big trucks may face fuel consumption regulations
American Spectator
The Nobel Case for Immigration
Only 1 in 20 people on earth live in America. But Americans won 4 of 11 Nobel prizes this year. Last year, it was…
Study
Is Wind the Next Ethanol?
One “Renewable” Energy Source Follows another’s History of Failure…
Blog
Regulation of the Day 154: Potatoes in School Lunches
The children are not pleased. One child told the Associated Press, "That would be so not cool. I love tater tots."…
Blog
Most Important Brands for Women: Marketing Works!
Blog
Insurance Lessons from Alabama
While Alabama certainly has some ambiguous laws and archaic regulations, the federal government ought to take a lesson from Alabama when it comes…
Blog
60 Minutes Reports Enormous Real Unemployment
Blog
Afternoon Links: October 25, 2010
Blog
William Lind’s Absurd “Conservative Case” for More Transit [Waste]
Over at enviro-blog Grist, conservative William Lind is interviewed on the subject of transit. Lind is an anomaly of sorts in the center-right transportation camp in…
Blog
Mysteries of the Liberal Mind: Inmate Voting Good, Soldiers Voting Bad
Liberal judges insist that it’s racist to keep prison inmates from voting, because inmates are disproportionately members of minority groups. See the dissents of liberal…
Blog
Unemployment Jumps Under Obama, Pelosi, and Reid
Unemployment averaged about 5.2 percent under both Clinton and Bush, but rose to an average of 9.43 percent under Obama (the current rate…
Blog
Government Unions Buying More Power
Yesterday The Washington Examiner showed how public sector unions are buying their power though campaign donations. In their excellent editorial “Public employee unions…
Newsletter
PETA Protests, Fannie & Freddie, and Condom Mandates
Blog
Morning Media Summary
Tech: Bees’ tiny brains beat computers, study finds: “Bees can solve complex mathematical problems which keep computers busy for days, research has…
Blog
New CEI Podcast — October 25, 2010: Regulating Every Room
CEI's Senior Fellow in Environmental Studies Ben Lieberman explains how new energy regulations affect every room in your house, from the basement to the bathroom…
Blog
Porn Stars Get Behind Personal Choice by Opposing Condom Mandates
The most recent case of porn actor testing positive for HIV has renewed calls (or at least media attention to the calls) for a…
American Spectator
Union Campaigns Against Fast Food Industry Should Concern Young Workers and Consumers
Decatur Metro
Who Needs an Atlanta Streetcar? “Most Americans Prefer to Drive”
Infrastructurist
TIGER II Proposals Already Under Attack by Auto Interests
News Release
Obama’s Truck Regulations Are Another Torpedo To US Economy
Washington, D.C., October 25, 2010 — As part of the Obama Administration’s ill-conceived energy-rationing campaign, today the Environmental Protection Agency has proposed to target heavy-duty…
Infrastructurist
Free Checking – How ‘Bout Them Democrats
Washington Examiner
We’ve Been LaHood-Winked on Transportation Mobility Grants that Push Big Green’s Anti-Car Agenda
On Wednesday, President Obama’s Transportation Secretary, Ray LaHood, announced the grant recipients of his department’s $600 million Transportation Investments Generating Economic Recovery (TIGER II)…
Washington Examiner
Victimizing Victimless “Criminals” for Fun and Power
Blog
Boom and Bust — Different Ideas Why…
Blog
PETA vs. CEI: A Surprisingly Amiable Exchange of Ideas
Yesterday, the DCist reported that PETA planned a protest outside of the Capital Grille, a meat-centric restaurant here in the nation’s capital. The…
Blog
Union Infringes on Freedom of Speech and Disses Military
While setting up for an Obama rally in California, the International Alliance of Theatrical Stage Employees (IATSE) Local 33 fired, Duane Hammet, a stagehand union member for…
Blog
The Chevy Volt: Just Another Hybrid
It turns out GM wasn’t being completely honest when they touted the Chevy Volt as an all electric vehicle. From Edmunds: GM Lied: Chevy…
Blog
Starbucks Slowdown
Proof that inefficiency is not only for government: Starbucks ordered baristas to slow down this month, capping coffee production at 2 drinks at a time.
Blog
Afternoon Links: October 22, 2010
Blog
Obamacare: More Broken Promises, More Premium Hikes, More Lost Health Insurance
In The Washington Times, Dr. Milton R. Wolf debunks six “unkeepable Obamacare promises” that have already been shown to be false. For example, President…
Blog
“The Cluster of Errors” — The Austrian Theory of Boom and Bust (Part III of III)
“Econ Stories” is back at it again with a new video. This time they explain the Austrian theory of the business cycle. What I like…
Blog
Over-indulging Alcohol Regulators
A new study on alcohol consumption raises questions about government attempts to protect adults from “over-drinking.” It is particularly relevant as citizens debate privatization…
Blog
Bureaucrats Disenfranchise Overseas Troops
Illinois officials missed the deadline to mail ballots to U.S. troops overseas, but they hand-delivered ballots to inmates, without even waiting for inmates…
Newsletter
CEI Weekly: The Ethanol Tax Credit is Set to Expire
Blog
Bailout of Fannie and Freddie Will Cost Double Earlier Estimates
The bailout of Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac will cost double earlier estimates, and could cost $363 billion over the next three years, report…
Blog
CEI Weekly: Ethanol Tax Credit Set to Expire
CEI Weekly is a compilation of articles and blog posts from CEI’s fellows and associates sent out via e-mail every Friday. This week features CEI…
Newsletter