Op-Eds
U.S. Government Undermining Air and Rail Security
An alleged terrorist from Nigeria has been charged with plotting to blow up an airliner. He carried explosives onto a plane and set…
Blog
EPA’s Tailoring Rule: A Temporary, Legally Dubious, and Incomplete Antidote to Massachusetts v. EPA’s Legacy of Absurd Results
Today, I submitted a comment on EPA’s proposed Prevention of Significant Deterioration and Title V Greenhouse Gas Tailoring Rule. The gist of my…
Blog
Terrorist Charged After Trying to Blow Up Plane; Government Undermines Airline and Railroad Security
An alleged terrorist from Nigeria has been charged with plotting to blow up an airliner. He carried explosives onto a plane…
Blog
Flu Watch Dec. 24 – The U.S. Epidemic is Over
The Big Scare of 2009 is over, folks. The U.S. swine flu epidemic has ended. “The proportion of deaths attributed to pneumonia and influenza (P&I)…
Blog
Coverage at the Volokh Conspiracy
Todd Zywicki at the Volokh Conspiracy writes about the Center for Class Action Fairness, and commenters debate the issue.
Blog
Climategate Op-Ed in Detroit News
Here is my op-ed published in the Detroit News on December 23. Climategate: What e-mail really means Daniel Compton By now, most people…
Citation
Christmas Comes Early for the Big Drug Companies
Blog
Why Won’t Al Gore Debate?, Part 2
CEI has a gift for Al Gore, arriving just in time for the holidays. You may recall that CEI last month rushed to the cause…
Blog
Health care bill’s hidden tax on pain relievers, Pedialyte, and prenatal vitamins
Blog
Regulation of the Day 89: Purple Dye
Modern innovations such as synthetic dyes, the Minnesota Vikings, and purple M&Ms have taken away purple’s exotic reputation. But no worry. Federal regulators are doing…
Blog
The Financial Crisis Made Easy, Radio Edition
Some of OpenMarket.org’s readers may know that I’m in the middle of earning a Master’s of Journalism here in D.C. I’m concentrating in Broadcast and…
Blog
Fairchild v. AOL briefing
Additional issues arise in the response to the motion for settlement. 1) Is an email notifying subscribers of a pre-existing policy substantive injunctive relief…
Blog
Regulation of the Day 88: College Football’s Playoff System
On the other hand, legislators do less harm when they spend their time on college football rather than, say, health care.
Washington Times
Kleptocrats Attack
New York Times
Letter to New York Times, “Assessing Outcome of Climate Talks”
To the Editor: Re ’’Copenhagen, and Beyond’’ (editorial, Dec. 21): You claim that the results of the United Nations climate conference in Copenhagen…
New York Times
Comprehensive Redux
The Comprehensive Immigration Reform for America’s Security and Prosperity Act (CIR ASAP) was introduced last week by Rep. Luis V. Gutierrez, Illinois…
New York Times
Court’s Ruling on Banning Cigarette’s on Stage
The Colorado Supreme Court’s decision to uphold a clearly unconstitutional ban is deplorable, but worse is the way free-speech advocates are defending…
Richmond Times-Dispatch
EPA Delivers Lump of Coal to Appalachia
If a tree falls in a forest, and no one is around to hear it, the Environmental Protection Agency would still investigate. This corny…
Blog
An unhappy ending for CA’s adult film industry?
One reason people enjoy pornography (apart from the obvious benefit) is that it allows them to fantasize about activities in which they cannot or do…
Blog
Flu Watch Dec. 18 – What Swine Flu ISN’T Doing this Week
Blog
Bringing on the clowns at Copenhagen
I was intrigued with a reference in Wes Pruden’s Washington Times column today that the Copenhagen COP15 delegate from Tuvalu, weeping while pleading for…
Blog
Climategate and consensus nonsense
Cato’s Pat Michaels, one of the scientists attacked in the Climategate emails, has an excellent editorial in the Wall Street Journal today with examples…
Blog
CEI Weekly: CEI at Copenhagen
CEI weekly is a compilation of articles and blogs from CEI's staff. This week features reports from two CEI analysts, Myron Ebell and William Yeatman,…
Newsletter
Climate Change in Copenhagen, Intel and Antitrust and Rep. Barton Takes on the EPA
Tempers run high at the UN climate change conference in Copenhagen, Denmark. The Federal Trade Commission takes on Intel over allegedly anticompetitive practices. Rep. Joe…
Blog
Regulation of the Day 87: The Volume of TV Commercials
The House passed the Commercial Loudness Act on Wednesday. If it becomes law, the FCC would control the volume level of television commercials.
Fox News
Copenhagen Chaos Could Imperil Senate Climate Bill
All Voices
The Copenhagen Climate Conference Hullabo
Blog
Barton Or Bust! How to Stop Mass. v. EPA from Wrecking the Economy
Rep. Joe Barton (R-TX), ranking member of the House Energy and Commerce Committee, announced today that he plans to introduce a “resolution of disapproval” to…
Blog
Is “several degrees” of warming “virtually certain,” as NASA claims?
Earlier this week, at an American Geophysical Union meeting in San Francisco, NASA unveiled new data on atmospheric greenhouse gases (GHGs), notably carbon dioxide…
Blog
Hype is More Dangerous than Chemicals in the Water
Officials at the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) are working hard to hype drinking water risks as they ask Congress to expand their authority under…
Blog
Horner & Horner Fight Global Warming Alarmism
Blog
FDIC Prepares for “an even-larger number of bank failures” in 2010
[T]he increase is intended to “ensure that [they] are prepared to handle an even-larger number of bank failures” in 2010.
Blog
Comprehensive Immigration Reform Helps Highly Skilled Immigrants
Section 320 of the The Comprehensive Immigration Reform for America’s Security and Prosperity Act of 2009 H.R. 4321 (CIR ASAP) is fantastic. It exempts…
Blog
Chavez (and Marx) a hit at Copenhagen
Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez couldn’t resist another opportunity to bash capitalism — and the COP15 Copenhagen Conference on global warming gave him a perfect…
Blog
Regulation of the Day 86: Cockfighting Advertisements
If you’re thinking of sending out advertisements for a cockfight through the mail, you should be aware that a new regulation allows the postal service…
Yahoo! News
Russian Temps Turn up Heat on Warmers
Blog
The Big Business of Illegal Gambling
Tonight at 9pm CNBC will investigate the horrors of illegal gambling . It will doubtlessly delve into the shady underground economy of gambling, where…
Blog
What Nanny Doesn’t Want You to Know
Nanny state regulators got it all wrong back in 1977 when the feds placed a warning label on the sugar substitute saccharine. They said it…
Blog
Anti-Takings Abuse Bill Introduced in the House
The Strengthening the Ownership of Private Property Act of 2009, introduced by Rep. Stephanie Sandlin (D-SD), would prevent any federal economic development funding from being…
Newsletter
Immigration, Smoking Bans and Sarbanes-Oxley
Rep. Luis Gutierrez (D-IL) introduces comprehensive immigration reform legislation. The Colorado Supreme Court upholds a ban on smoking in stage performances. The battle over the…
Blog
Regulation of the Day 85: Peddlers
It is illegal to be a peddler in Wisconsin without a license. One of the requirements is five years of residency in Wisconsin. Because clearly,…
San Francisco Business Times
Intel and FTC Trade Punches While Rivals Cheer
Washington Times
Inside the Beltway: Coping with Copenhagen
News Release
FTC Suit Against Intel Misguided and Uninformed
Today the Federal Trade Commission filed a federal antitrust lawsuit against Intel Corporation. The suit, which accuses Intel of violating Section 5 of…
E-Commerce Times
Microsoft Agrees to Help Europeans Pick a Browser
E-Commerce Times discusses the European Commissions antitrust case against Microsoft with Wayne Crews. "Microsoft never had any power to prevent choice at all," Wayne…
Washington Times
A Green Woodstock
Don't be fooled by the lavish media attention given to raucous anti-globalization types at the 15th Conference of the Parties to the United National Framework…
Legal Newsline
AGs oppose Honda class action settlement
Legal Newsline reports on Center for Class Action Fairness' objection to a Honda settlement that provides the plaintiff lawyers with a huge payout at the…
Blog
Removing Antitrust Exemption Won’t Increase Healthcare Competition
The senators wisely state in their piece that making health insurance more affordable will require more competition in the marketplace. Unfortunately, their proposal to revoke…
Blog
Summary of Comprehensive Immigration Reform: Good and Bad
Blog
The Economist on Government Employee Unions
The current issue of The Economist leads off its United States section with a story on public sector unions that breaks down the issue very…
Blog
It’s Curtains on Free Speech in Colorado
Maybe the air is a little too thin out in Colorado and the supreme court justices aren’t getting enough oxygen to their brains. Perhaps that…
Blog
CEI Weekly: Sarbox in Court, EPA Ruling on Gases, and Copenhagen
CEI weekly is a compilation of articles and blogs from CEI's staff. This week features coverage on Sarbanes-Oxley's first day in the Supreme Court. This…
Blog
Bastiat’s Broken Window Fallacy isn’t even an analogy when it comes to Obama
One can only stand back in awe. President Obama said this at Home Depot today: “The simple act of retro-fitting” — installing…
Blog
Santa to move headquarters to Palm Springs!
Or somewhere new, anyway. By necessity. So says Al Gore. In a speech at the Copenhagen climate summit he declared: “These figures are fresh.
Blog
Schools call off Taliban debate
Newsletter
Wall Street Meets the White House, EPA Rules on Greenhouse Gases and Health Care Divided
President Obama hosts a White House summit with Wall Street banking leaders The Environmental Protection Agency publishes its final rule designating greenhouse gases as a…
Blog
Regulation of the Day 84: The Size of Holes in Swiss Cheese
Talk about attention to detail. The federal government regulates the size of hole in Swiss cheese.
News Release
Comprehensive Immigration Bill Helps H-1Bs, But Hurts All Employers
Comprehensive Immigration Reform Bill a Mixed Bag Bill Helps H-1Bs, But Hurts All Employers Washington, D.C., December 15, 2009—The Competitive Enterprise Institute obtained an…
Blog
LibertyWeek 73: Understanding ‘Obamanomics’
Blog
Washington Post Back to Pushing Avian Flu Panic
Remember avian flu? Until swine flu came along, that’s what was going to wipe out mankind.
Blog
Obama Summit: President’s goals of more loans and more heavy-handed regulation in conflict
Statement of John Berlau, director, Center for Investors and Entrepreneurs, Competitive Enterprise Institute: President Obama’s twin goals of more bank loans and more heavy-handed regulation…
Blog
Objection to Yahoo! “Sponsored Search” settlement
In In re Yahoo! Litigation, Case No. CV06-2737 CAS (FMOx), plaintiffs’ lawyers seek approval to settle a class action over alleged problems in…
Blog
Honda Civic Hybrid class action settlement objection
In True v. American Honda Motor Co., Case No. 07-cv-00287 VAP (OPx), trial lawyers seek to settle consumer fraud litigation over mileage claims…
Newsletter
Climategate in Copenhagen, Antitrust for Health Care and Swine Flu Takes a Dive
The “Climategate” science scandal looms over global warming negotiations in Copenhagen, Denmark. Senators Patrick Leahy (D-VT) and Sheldon Whitehouse (D-RI) lobby to end the long-standing…
Blog
On the Nature of Change: Calm Down!
Most people are convinced that we shall die in either fire or ice. The proportion crying each variety of wolf varies according to the fashion…
Blog
Regulation of the Day 83: Citations
The Code of Federal Regulations contains a regulation on how to cite the Code of Federal Regulations.
NCPA
Michigan’s Auto Insurers Make Only a Small Profit
Overlawyered
Colorado Supreme Court Upholds Ban of Smoking on Stage
Overlawyered
Big PhRMA Payoff: Hidden Tax on Pedialyte, Prenatal Vitamins, and Pain Relievers
Blog
Financial Fiasco
I recently finished reading Swedish economist Johan Norberg's book about the financial crisis, aptly titled Financial Fiasco. It's both short and informative. Six chapters and…
Blog
Flu Watch Dec. 11 – What Swine Flu ISN’T Doing this Week
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Utopia and totalitarianism — Revel’s new book
Blog
Marcus Aurelius: Emperor, Philosopher, Economist
Blog
World Meteorological Organization blows hot air on global warming
“The decade of 2000 to 2009 appears to be the warmest one in the modern record, the World Meteorological Organization reported in a new analysis…
Newsletter
Re-importing Drugs, TARP for Small Business and Palin on ClimateGate
The Senate health care debate stalls on the question of whether to permit the re-importation of drugs from countries with price controls. President Obama announces…
Blog
The Intoxicating Effects of Privatization
Blog
Lots of vituperative comments to Palin’s WaPo op-ed
Sarah Palin’s op-ed in the Washington Post yesterday on ClimateGate and the Copenhagen conference has spawned a blizzard of comments from Post readers. Almost…
Blog
Regulation of the Day 82: Veterinarians
Did you know that the federal government is in the veterinary accreditation business? It’s true.
Newsletter
EPA Power Grab, Antitrust for Insurance and an Immigration Stimulus
The Environmental Protection Agency finds that greenhouse gases endanger human health and welfare. The Senate may vote to repeal health insurance companies’ longstanding exemption from…
Overlawyered
Rebuttal: Michigan’s Auto Insurers Make Only a Small Profit
About the Nov. 30 article "Industry balks at bills aimed at auto insurance reform": Before we listen to politicians who claim greedy…
Overlawyered
Immigration Limits Don’t Protect Us
Patrick J. Buchanan’s "Halting immigration would be an instant stimulus package" (Dec. 9) blithely ignores economic reality when he states that a moratorium on…
Overlawyered
Brass banned in childrens’ toys
Blog
Innovations like “Living Stories” will help keep much of legacy media in business
Blog
MD doesn’t stand in Casino’s way
Blog
Tarp the TARP and give small biz relief from Sarbanes-Oxley and other burdensome regs
Statement of John Berlau, Director of CEI’s Center for Investors and Entrepreneurs, on extending TARP for small business and on Rep. Barney Frank’s plans to…
Blog
EPA moves to bypass climate change legislation
While climate experts were off at the Copenhagen summit working on their tans (in sunny Copenhagen), the EPA pulled a fast one. As the Washington…
Blog
GW alarmists continue their exploitation of children
This, I think, has to go down as one of the creepiest “editorials” written by global warming alarmists recently. Clive Hamilton, ABC News in…
Blog
Poll: Used Car Salesmen More Ethical than Congress
Blog
Antitrust as Corporate Welfare for Aggrieved Competitors
Wayne Crews and I have an article in today's American Spectator about the antitrust crusade against Intel. An FTC picking winners and losers is not…
Blog
Regulation of the Day 81: Porn
A proposed rule in California would reclassify adult film actors as being subject to certain employment regulations. The unintended consequences are potentially fatal.
Blog
In-Flight Rent-Seeking
Blog
Regulation of the Day 80: Falconry
The Code of Federal Regulations contains 12,834 words worth of rules concerning falconry, of all things.
Blog
Did Deregulation Cause the Great Recession?
Over at RealClearMarkets, I explain why the answer is a resounding no. Over 30,000 total new rules passed during the Bush years. Hardly any were…
Study
Congressional Misdiagnosis
Why Repealing McCarran-Ferguson Will Harm Competition in Health Insurance Markets…
News Release
Stripping Insurers’ Antitrust Exemption is a Congressional Misdiagnosis, New Report Shows
Stripping Insurers’ Antitrust Exemption is a Congressional Misdiagnosis, New Report Shows McCarran-Ferguson Repeal Won’t Help Consumers, May Hurt Competition Washington, D.C., December 8,…
Overlawyered
E-Mail Controversy Shifts Debate From Economy to Climate Science — but for How Long?
San Francisco Chronicle
EPA Declares Greenhouse Gases Pose Health Risk
USA Today
EPA’s Carbon Dioxide Emissions Ruling Could Raise Energy Costs
USA Today
An EPA Power Grab
Environmental Protec tion Agency Administrator Lisa Jackson yesterday an nounced that the EPA has determined that global warming, allegedly caused by mankind’s…
USA Today