Archives

• By: Ryan Young
• 02/08/2010

There is great wisdom in Mark Twain’s famous adage: “No man's life, liberty, or property are safe while the congress is in session.”…

Consumer Freedom

• By: Ryan Young
• 02/08/2010

The federal government is loosening its restrictions on importing pork rinds from Brazil.

Consumer Well-Being

• By: Ryan Young
• 02/06/2010

It is illegal for grocery stores to sell wine in the state of New York. Only liquor stores are allowed to sell the stuff.

Consumer Freedom

• By: Ryan Young
• 02/04/2010

In 2002, Robert Fidler built his family a house that resembles a castle. It is his dream home. Authorities want to require him to demolish…

Regulatory Reform

• By: Ryan Young
• 02/03/2010

A Los Angeles couple recently paid an artist to paint a mural on the wall in front of their house. The city is threatening the…

Consumer Freedom

• By: Ryan Young
• 02/02/2010

Fear is a terrorist's only effective weapon. There are so few of them, and their attacks are so rare, that fear is all they have.

Consumer Freedom

• By: Ryan Young
• 01/29/2010

It's a good idea to be in control of your car when you're driving. This good idea is also law in most places. But sometimes…

Regulatory Reform

• By: Ryan Young
• 01/27/2010

Welcome to CEI's live-blog of the 2010 State of the Union address.

Regulatory Reform

• By: Ryan Young
• 01/27/2010

Some homeowners' associations ban clotheslines. For people who would like to use clotheslines and aren't allowed to, this presents a problem. Now regulators want to…

Regulatory Reform

• By: Ryan Young
• 01/26/2010

John Delacey of St. John’s, Newfoundland, Canada, received a court summons for keeping a car in his driveway and not driving it.

Consumer Freedom

• By: Ryan Young
• 01/25/2010

Haggis is the national dish of Scotland. It has also been banned in the United States since 1989. Fortunately, the ban may soon be reversed.

Consumer Freedom

• By: Ryan Young
• 01/22/2010

Two states have regulations for when stores can say their products are on sale.

Consumer Freedom

• By: Ryan Young
• 01/22/2010

CEI released a comprehensive report card this week on the Obama administration's first year in office. My contribution is below; read the full report card…

Regulatory Reform

• By: Ryan Young
• 01/21/2010

The White House is expected to propose today a maximum allowable size for banks.

Regulatory Reform

• By: Ryan Young
• 01/20/2010

[A]ny child who has a meal in day care or is in care for more than four hours will be required to brush their teeth,…

Consumer Freedom

• By: Ryan Young
• 01/13/2010

$40 million and change plus some antitrust troubles is a really small price to pay for a legal guarantee of vastly increased business, forever.

Consumer Well-Being

• By: Ryan Young
• 01/12/2010

New York City is seeking to regulate how much salt is in peoples' food. Enforcement will prove difficult; most food that New Yorkers eat comes…

Consumer Freedom

• By: Ryan Young
• 01/08/2010

Did you know that the federal government has a Gastrointestinal Drugs Advisory Committee?…

Consumer Freedom

• By: Ryan Young
• 01/07/2010

Today is the fourth working day of the new year. The Federal Register has already exceeded 1,000 pages.

Regulatory Reform

• By: Ryan Young
• 01/06/2010

These warning labels have nothing to do with letting people know that their phones can make them look like jackasses.

Consumer Freedom

• By: Ryan Young
• 01/05/2010

It is illegal to buy more than 288 bottles of wine per year in Ohio.

Consumer Freedom

• By: Ryan Young
• 01/04/2010

Washington, DC’s city government is now requiring stores to charge customers five cents for each plastic bag they use at checkout. There were 84 unsolved…

Consumer Freedom

• By: Ryan Young
• 01/02/2010

The CCARD Act is, completely unintentionally, a wealth transfer from poor people to richer people. Congress is actively hurting the very people it intended to…

Regulatory Reform

• By: Ryan Young
• 01/02/2010

Each time you board a plane, your odds of being a victim of terrorism are about 1 in 10,408,947. Your odds of being struck by…

Consumer Freedom

• By: Ryan Young
• 12/31/2009

In Oregon, it is illegal to set up a tent at most beaches.

Consumer Freedom

• By: Ryan Young
• 12/30/2009

An environmental group is suing to cancel an upcoming AC/DC concert in Austria because they think loud music poses a threat to birds.

Consumer Freedom

• By: Ryan Young
• 12/29/2009

Having solved all the nation’s other problems, the federal government has a National Poultry Improvement Plan.

Regulatory Reform

• By: Ryan Young
• 12/22/2009

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…

Regulatory Reform

• By: Ryan Young
• 12/21/2009

On the other hand, legislators do less harm when they spend their time on college football rather than, say, health care.

Consumer Freedom

• By: Ryan Young
• 12/18/2009

The House passed the Commercial Loudness Act on Wednesday. If it becomes law, the FCC would control the volume level of television commercials.

Consumer Freedom

• By: Ryan Young
• 12/17/2009

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…

Regulatory Reform

• By: Ryan Young
• 12/16/2009

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,…

Consumer Freedom

• By: Ryan Young
• 12/15/2009

Talk about attention to detail. The federal government regulates the size of hole in Swiss cheese.

Consumer Freedom

• By: Ryan Young
• 12/14/2009

The Code of Federal Regulations contains a regulation on how to cite the Code of Federal Regulations.

Regulatory Reform

• By: Ryan Young
• 12/12/2009

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…

Regulatory Reform