Commentary Magazine
“The Power Broker Her: The Rise and (Maybe) Fall of Lina Khan”
Adam J. White from the American Enterprise Institute provides a comprehensive analysis of Lina Khan’s tenure as FTC Chair.
Washington Examiner
“House Republicans Seek Interviews with FTC Staff over Alleged Legal Breaches by Lina Khan”
The Washington Examiner reports on the House Committee on Oversight and Accountability’s latest inquiry into whether FTC Chair Lina Khan ignored federal ethics laws.
Wall Street Journal
“The Story Behind Biden’s Trade Failure”
The Wall Street Journal‘s editorial board explains how the the FTC under Chair Lina Khan is hijacking US trade policy.
Boston Herald
“Leftists Out to Slay ‘Monster’ Amazon”
Former US Senator and Ambassador Scott Brown talks about the lost jobs resulting from the FTC’s scuttling of the merger between Amazon and iRobot.
The Seattle Times
“FTC, Amazon Spar Over Antitrust Lawsuit that Could ‘Alter’ the Company”
The Seattle Times provides the latest on the FTC’s suit against Amazon.
Libertarian Institute
“New Merger Guidelines Could Make 2024 a Difficult Year for Business and Biden”
Norman Singleton from the Market Institute discusses the problems with the new merger guidelines and argues that court should ignore the new guidance.
Blog
Biden liquefied natural gas export ‘pause’ hurts Americans and our allies
The Biden administration recently announced plans to pause approvals for new liquefied natural gas (LNG) exports to countries in which the United States doesn’t…
City Journal
Ignoring the Science
A new CDC study reports that the first updated Covid-19 vaccine—the bivalent vaccine approved in fall 2022—was about 50 percent effective in blocking infection over a two-month…
American Radio Journal
Ryan Young on Persistent Inflation
Letters
Coalition Letter on FCC Digital Discrimination rule
December 13, 2023 The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) is out of control. On November 15, the agency voted to adopt a Report and Order on…
News Release
January’s inflationary numbers higher than most realize: CEI analysis
The Consumer Price Index numbers for January reportedly rose 0.3 percent compared to the month before, but CEI’s senior economist Ryan Young explains why…
The Federalist Society
Explainer 62 – FDA’s Regulation of Laboratory Developed Tests
CEI’s Joel Zinberg joined a podcast hosted by The Federalist Society for the Regulatory Transparency Project on the FDA’s regulation of laboratory developed tests:…
National Review
We Must Reject Our Elites’ Failed, Top-Down Environmentalism
Last month in Davos, the World Economic Forum (WEF) held its 54th annual meeting where world leaders suggested countries should make significant concessions to address climate…
Washington Examiner
Two energy rules threaten grid reliability
In its recent annual electricity report, the International Energy Agency found that U.S. electricity demand is likely to grow in the next three years. It projects…
Washington Examiner
White House pushes ‘shrinkflation’ messaging to assign blame to corporations
CEI’s Ryan Young is cited on the Washington Examiner: “Shrinkflation is real, but it’s not a partisan issue. Shrinkflation is part of the great COVID…
Blog
The GOP is souring on free trade
It is no secret that the median voter is either unaware or doesn’t care how most policies actually work, from immigration to health care policy.
Blog
Adam Smith, national ruin, and human progress
During the American Revolution, British Member of Parliament John Sinclair wrote a letter to Adam Smith. He was worried about how badly the war was…
Blog
This week in ridiculous regulations: Horseracing and postal products
The Supreme Court heard a case about whether Donald Trump should be disqualified from holding public office under the Fourteenth Amendment. A lawyer’s memo called…
Blog
Energy and Environment Regulatory Tracker: EV mandates, EPA confuses science and policy, and more!
Keeping track of the most important energy and environmental federal rules can be difficult. The following lists some important proposed rules with open comment periods: …
Blog
Regulatory reform in the 118th Congress: The POST IT Act
When navigating federal regulations, small businesses frequently encounter challenges in understanding and adhering to them. This lack of clarity poses significant hurdles for both new…
Sound Cloud
Young Could A Trade Agreement Between Switzerland And The US Make Other Trade Agreements Easier
CEI’s Ryan Young is cited as a special guest on the Lars Larson Show discussing international trade: Listen to the recording on Sound…
Blog
FTC commissioner wants to regulate worker misclassification, decries ‘unfair competition’
Federal Trade Commissioner Alvaro Bedoya has announced that the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) will get into the business of enforcing labor law. That was the…
The Center Square
Oregon to make state employee retirement fund net-zero on carbon emissions
CEI’s Daren Bakst is cited on The Center Square on employee retirement fund in Oregon State: Daren Baskt, Director of the Center for Energy…
Blog
Free the Economy podcast: Understanding AI with Matthew Mittelsteadt
In this week’s episode we cover Elon Musk’s controversial pay package, protecting children online, and the Biden administration’s slamming the breaks…
Blog
The Greenhouse Gas Reduction Fund: A slush fund for the EPA and favored nonprofits
President Joe Biden signed the so-called Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) into law on August 16, 2022. The bill, enacted on a purely partisan basis,…
Forbes
Reimagining Antitrust In A Post-Consumer Welfare Standard World
The consumer welfare standard that has guided antitrust enforcement for four decades is under attack. That standard, often associated with the ideas of legal scholar and failed…
Forbes
Convincing Voters That Less Choice Means Stronger Democracy Isn’t Easy
CEI’s Iain Murray is cited on Forbes on the Department of Labor’s new rule: In a January 26 column on the Department of Labor’s…
Daily Caller
‘A Bad Day For Sound Science’: Republicans, Energy Experts Torch Biden’s Newest Air Quality Regulation
CEI’s Daren Bakst is cited on Daily Caller about new energy regulations: “Today is a bad day for sound science, scientific integrity, and more…
Fox News
Why gas stove owners should still be worried
In response to a strong public backlash, the Biden administration Department of Energy (DOE) has decided to backtrack on its proposed new energy efficiency regulation of stoves…
Blog
Congress takes on anti-consumer furnace regulation
CEI suggested five bad appliance regulations Congress should reject with the Congressional Review Act last November. Now, Congress has taken up the first target…
Blog
‘Right to repair’ advocates likely to fail at the FTC
CEI submitted comments on a 53-page petition for rulemaking last week that asked the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) to promulgate rules “to protect consumer’s…
Blog
New CEI paper: Toward a US-Swiss Free Trade Agreement
Free Trade Agreements (FTAs) have gotten so large and unwieldy that they are almost impossible to pass. The result is lost economic opportunities for America…
Blog
Biden admin’s particulate matter rule: premature, rejects sound science, will hurt American families
Only six months ago, the Biden administration rightfully declined to revise the ozone standards in part because it wanted to be able to consider…
Blog
Proof of the PROVE IT Act’s carbon tax agenda
A recent post explains how S. 1863, the PROVE IT Act, could empower narrow partisan majorities to enact carbon tariffs and taxes in…
Blog
Trump proposes 60 percent China tariff
Donald Trump recently pledged to enact a 60 percent tariff against China if he becomes president again. His latest comments indicate, “Maybe it’s going…
News Release
Report: A US-Switzerland Trade Agreement could be Swift, Beneficial, and Influential
The US and Switzerland could swiftly forge a trade agreement to greatly benefit the people of both countries and, equally as important, lead the way…
Study
Toward a US-Swiss Trade Agreement
This paper examines the benefits and challenges of a potential free trade agreement (FTA) between the United States and Switzerland. Such an agreement would do…
Blog
Attention regulators: Be on the lookout for the ALERT Act
It has been almost a quarter-century since the federal government performed an assessment of the aggregate costs of regulation of regulatory intervention. Late last year,…
E&E News
These industries pitched Chevron’s demise to a pro-business Supreme Court
CEI’s Devin Watkins is cited in E&E News on the Chevron’s doctrine’s modern-day role in business: While larger companies have resources to influence the way…
Blog
Charlotte-area police departments are rolling in forfeiture funds
I’ve always loved William Blake’s poem “Auguries of Innocence,” which begins by asking the reader “To see a World in a Grain of Sand.”…
News Release
House Oversight and Accountability Committee advances pro-transparency ALERT Act
The House Oversight and Accountability Committee today advanced H.R. 262, the All Economic Regulations are Transparent (ALERT) Act sponsored by Rep. Bob Good (R-VA).
The Center Square
Will the cap-and-trade repeal initiative succeed? The markets might think so
CEI’s Stone Washington was cited in The Center Square on the repeal of cap-and-trade: Stone Washington, research fellow with the Competitive Enterprise Institute’s Center for…
Washington Times
Two-thirds of hotels report staff shortages despite record wages
CEI’s Sean Higgins was cited in the Washington Times on hotel staffing shortages: However, Sean Higgins, an analyst at the libertarian Competitive Enterprise Institute,…
NewsTalk STL
Ryan Young on December inflation numbers heading into 2024
CEI’s Ryan Young was welcomed as a guest on NewsTalk STL regarding economy, jobs, interest rates & unemployment:…
Blog
Federal courts to the rescue on bad appliance regulations?
The US Supreme Court recently heard a case that could impact how much deference judges give to regulatory agencies. To be certain, any relief…
Blog
This week in ridiculous regulations: Energy labels and human food guidance
The Federal Reserve kept interest rates steady. Employment grew by 353,000 workers in January. The Energy Department partially backed off its proposed…
Comment
CEI comments on ‘right to repair’ petition for rulemaking
Docket ID No.: FTC-2023-0077 Introduction On behalf of the Competitive Enterprise Institute (CEI), we respectfully submit comments on the Petition for Rulemaking to Protect Consumer’s…
Daily Caller
Biden Has Cracked Down On Big Business Mergers And Monopolies. Are Americans Better Off Because Of It?
CEI’s Jessica Melugin is cited in Daily Caller on mergers and monopolies: “The Biden administration’s government-wide attack on American businesses has stifled efficiency and…
The Hill
East Palestine anniversary calls for careful attention, not rushed legislation
One year ago today, there was a terrible rail accident in East Palestine, Ohio that shocked the nation. Thousands of gallons of hazardous materials were…
Blog
The good and bad of Nippon Steel deal
There is good and bad in everything. This includes Nippon Steel’s planned buyup of US Steel, which politicians from both parties are criticizing. The good…
American Thinker
The SEC Oversteps its Powers on Climate Change
CEI’s Stone Washington was cited in American Thinker on government overreach: The Competitive Enterprise Institute (CEI) just produced a comprehensive study addressing all these…
News Release
U.S. economy adds 353,000 jobs in January, employers eager to hire new workers: CEI analysis
In the first month of 2024, the U.S. economy added 353,000 jobs and the unemployment rate remained steady at 3.7 percent. Employers are ready…
The Dispatch
Let Parents, Not Politicians, Keep Kids Safe Online
Many parents today are rightly concerned about what their kids see on social media and how much time they spend online. And politicians have noticed.
Blog
CEI’s The Surge: Carbon tariffs, Natural Asset Companies, and weird emissions math
If you are interested in analysis and perspective on current energy and environmental issues, then we encourage you to subscribe to this new publication…
Blog
Businesses ask courts if the NLRB is constitutional
The National Labor Relations Board has made a point in recent years of re-examining the laws and regulations that the federal agency enforces, offering up…
Blog
Free the Economy podcast: Moving the rocks off the lawn with Andrew Langer
In this week’s episode we cover elite opinion versus the average American, the popularity of vocational training, why Millennials are suddenly investing…
Reason
Bipartisan Tax Credit Bonanza
CEI’s Ben Lieberman is cited on Reason on bipartisan tax credit bonanza: The Energy Department’s final rule “is less stringent than the initial proposal that…
Forbes
Surge In Academic Retractions Should Put U.S. Scholars On Notice
A December article in Nature highlighted an alarming new record: more than 10,000 academic papers were retracted in 2023 alone, largely stemming from manipulation of the peer…
News Release
Interest rates to hold steady for now: CEI analysis
The Federal Reserve held interest rates steady at its most recent meeting, as expected. The speculation is now about when it will begin cutting…
Blog
The full Scope of problems with the SEC’s climate disclosure rule
I have a paper out today, examining the Securities and Exchange Commission’s (SEC) proposed rule on mandatory climate disclosures. The SEC’s rule seeks…
Fox 5 Washington D.C.
Contentious Senate hearing on social media draws criticism
CEI’s Jessica Melugin is cited in an interview with Fox 5 News Washington D.C. regarding Senate social media criticism: View the interview on…
News Release
Report: SEC climate disclosure rule imposes costs without value
The Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) is finalizing a rule to require publicly traded companies to disclose climate and energy-use related data and information. The…
Study
Big Problems with SEC Climate Disclosure Mandate
The US Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) is finalizing its mandatory climate disclosure rule[1] that will require publicly traded companies to provide the…
Blog
This week in ridiculous regulations: Burning trash and methane emissions
GDP grew at a healthy 3.3 percent in the fourth quarter of 2023. Regulators blocked an airline merger, and a carbon tariff moved…
Blog
During government shutdowns, Lina Khan shuts down you
The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) updated its contingency plan for how it will operate if Congress fails to fund the government last week. Likely the…
E&E News
DOE scales back stove rule. Republicans still hate it.
CEI’s Ben Lieberman is cited on E&E News about government scale down in effort to limit consumer appliances: “While the Department of Energy’s…
Blog
CFPB Data Breach Shows Danger of its Attempted Power Grab Over Fintech
My friend Patrick Brenner, president of regional free-market think tank the Southwest Public Policy Institute, recently had a great op-ed at FoxNews.com on data…
News Release
Biden Energy Department Unveils New Rules Against Residential Cooking Appliances
Today the U.S. Energy Department unveiled its final rule mandating energy efficiency standards for residential cooking appliances such as gas stoves. CEI Senior…
Real Clear Markets
“Apple’s Vision Pro Is Set to Embarrass the FTC’s Storytellers”
Jonathan Decker of the Parkview Institute argues that the Apple’s new product is evidence that antitrust regulators can’t predict the future.
Truth on the Market
“How the FTC’s Amazon Case Gerrymanders Relevant Markets and Obscures Competitive Processes”
Geoffrey Manne, president of the International Center for Law & Economics, discusses several of the shortfalls of the FTC’s relevant market definition in the Amazon…
Bloomberg Law
“FTC to Pause Merger Review Filings if Government Shuts Down”
Bloomberg Law reports on the FTC’s revised contingency plan on how the Commission will operate during a government shutdown.
Letters
Coalition Letter on DCA Perimeter Rule
Dear Chairwoman Cantwell and Ranking Member Cruz: We write to inform you that we support expanding the number of flights permitted in and out of…
Fox News
Biden admin backs off gas stove crackdown after widespread pushback
CEI’s Ben Lieberman is cited on Fox News addressing the gas stove crackdown: “A reasonable regulation is better than an unreasonable regulation,” Ben Lieberman,…
Comment
Comment on FTC Unfair or Deceptive Fees
Dear Commissioners, On behalf of the Competitive Enterprise Institute, I respectfully submit the following comments in response to the Federal Trade Commission’s proposed rulemaking concerning…
National Review
When Science Is Not Science
Just 22 percent of all adults and 41 percent of those 65 and older — the most vulnerable group — have received the updated 2023–24 Covid-19 vaccine.
Blog
Free the Economy Episode: Sensory Pleasures and Public Health with Michelle Minton
In this week’s episode we cover an environmentalist culture war, foreign investment in U.S. manufacturing, corporate diversity efforts, and the call…
Blog
Vote on Capito amendment unmasks PROVE IT as carbon tax enabler
Last week, the Senate Environment and Public Works (EPW) Committee approved the PROVE IT Act (S. 1863) by a vote of 14 to 5.
Blog
Crushed: The Weight of Heavy Regulation on Broadband
In the NFL, it’s a penalty for a defensive lineman sacking a quarterback to land on the quarterback with his full body weight. The NFL…
News Release
Strong Growth Report Will Allow Federal Reserve to Stay the Course on Fighting Inflation
The Department of Commerce’s Bureau of Economic Analysis released a report today showing the U.S. economy grew by 2.5 percent in 2023. Gross domestic…
Blog
The Ray Charles Theory of Marginal Utility
Musician Ray Charles’ nickname was “The Genius,” given on account of his ability to blend different genres of music – big band, rhythm and blues,…
Blog
The Natural Asset Hydra
The New York Stock Exchange (NYSE) recently proposed a radical rule to amend its manual for listing public companies to include a new form…
North State Journal
NC attorney general wants cash apps regulated by CFPB
CEI’s John Berlau is cited on the North State Journal on CFPB regulations in North Carolina: John Berlau, senior fellow and Director of Finance…
The Center Square
Op-Ed: Labor Department stuck in 1930s with rule against independent contractors
The Department of Labor is stuck in the 1930s. That’s the most likely explanation for its new rule that could lead to thousands of freelancers…
Blog
Use the Congressional Review Act to strike rules not reported to Congress and GAO
Significant attention is likely to turn to Joe Biden’s ambitious regulatory agenda before summertime. That’s because rules the administration finalizes “late”—during the last 60 in-session…
Blog
Study Finds that Outlawing Work Reduces Employment
George Mason’s Mercatus Center has provided further proof that California’s AB5 law, which was intended to boost worker employment by preventing them from being misclassified…
The Washington Examiner
A dishwasher decision that is great news for consumers
A recent court ruling set new limits on the power of federal bureaucrats to impose unwanted mandates on consumer appliances. In a Jan.
Blog
This week in ridiculous regulations: address labels and consumer reviews
Yet another federal shutdown crisis was averted, this time until March. The Senate Environment and Public Works Committee marked up the PROVE It Act,…
Washington Examiner
A dishwasher decision that is great news for consumers
Competitive Enterprise Institute was cited in the Washington Examiner with a reemergence of a 2018 petition: By 2018, however, a consumer outcry along with…
Blog
Virginia Senate Democrats block repeal of EV mandate
Democrats on a Virginia state Senate committee voted down Republican attempts to roll back the state’s vehicle emissions law on Tuesday. The law, passed…
Blog
Nuclear phaseouts strike again
While there has been some good news in the US recently on nuclear power issues, including a partial removal of the Illinois nuclear ban, the…
Daily Caller
Here’s Why The Biden Admin’s Multi-Billion Dollar EV Charging Program Has Short-Circuited
CEI’s Marlo Lewis was cited on the Daily Caller regarding the Biden administration’s multi-billion dollar EV charging program: Marlo Lewis, senior fellow at the…
Blog
Flight attendants try to decertify union that most never voted for
One of the underlying flaws with US labor law is that it sees workers and the unions that represent them as synonymous, rather than as…
Blog
The threat to sound economics isn’t over
This week, the New York Stock Exchange withdrew its proposal to create a new designation for public companies called Natural Asset Companies, or NACs.
News Release
CEI Scholar Selected for Hoover Institution Initiative on Policies Impacting Small Business
CEI is delighted that the renowned Hoover Institution has chosen CEI Senior Fellow James Broughel as a Visiting Fellow for its Small Business Regulation program.
Blog
Free the Economy podcast: The culture of economic freedom with Sam Gregg
In this week’s episode we cover the old-fashioned roots of ESG investing, the blocked merger of JetBlue and Spirit Airlines, the future…
Comment
CEI comments on SEC’s proposed adoption of NYSE listing standards for “Natural Asset Companies”
TO: Securities and Exchange Commission FROM: Stone Allen Washington; Research Fellow at the Competitive Enterprise Institute RE: No. SR-NYSE-2023-09 To the Honorable Gary Gensler,…
The National Law Review
Three Legal Takeaways from Fifth Circuit Decision Scrubbing Away DOE Rules on Appliance Efficiency
CEI’s 2018 petition was cited on The National Law Review about a Fifth Circuit Decision on appliance efficiency: In 2018, the Competitive Enterprise Institute…
Independent Women's Forum
Reliability is a Concern for Much of the U.S this Winter
The North American Electric Reliability Corporation’s (NERC) latest annual Winter Reliability Assessment sheds light on the vulnerabilities of the electrical grid across North America in the…
Letters
Coalition Letter on American Consumer Institute – Risk Transfer
Chief Counsel’s Office Attention: Comment Processing, Office of the Comptroller of the Currency 400 7th Street SW, Suite 3E–218 Washington, DC 20219 Ann E. Misback…
News Release
Supreme Court hears challenge to regulator deference: CEI analysis
Today the U.S. Supreme Court heard oral argument in a case that could upend deference judges give to regulators over citizens. Competitive Enterprise Institute attorneys…