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George and Sam: A friendship forged in freedom and entrepreneurship
In August 1783, after General George Washington had secured victory in the Revolutionary War but was still awaiting negotiation of Great Britain’s surrender, he penned…
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Congress should short-circuit the nation’s electric vehicle charging program
Congress recently finalized the fiscal year 2026 budget to end the partial government shutdown while spending billions of taxpayer dollars along the way. One line…
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Free the Economy podcast: What’s wrong with Congress with Kevin Kosar
In this week’s episode we talk about we talk about Consumer-Regulated Electricity, the amazing falling US poverty rate, and how smart…
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Trump’s deregulation meets invisible rulemaking: The real 2026 challenge
After a brief shutdown, most fiscal year 2026 appropriations have been enacted, despite continued debate over Department of Homeland Security (DHS) funding. We may soon…
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Congress gets into the PBM business
In the recently passed appropriations bill, Congress enacted several Pharmacy Benefit Manager (PBM) reforms it has been contemplating for years. On the surface, these…
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Congress keeps propping government-backed deposit insurance up, risk keeps rising
On Sunday, the Federal Deposit Insurance Reform Act of 2005 marked its 20th anniversary. This Act consolidated the Bank Insurance Fund and the Savings…
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Yes, executive branch employees should answer to the executive
The Office of Personnel Management (OPM) has issued a new rule that has some in Washington aghast. The rule says that executive…
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The week in regulations: Beet food coloring and crab housekeeping
Culture warriors got upset over the Super Bowl halftime show. A mini-shutdown over ICE funding delayed some labor market indicators. Agencies issued new regulations ranging…
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CEI’s The Surge: The PROVE IT Act, ‘green’ policies raising housing costs, and more
If you are interested in analysis and perspective on current energy and environmental issues, then we encourage you to subscribe to this new publication and…
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NHTSA’s proposed fuel economy reset: Putting consumers in the driver’s seat
On Wednesday, I submitted comments in support of the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration’s (NHTSA) proposed Safer Affordable Fuel Efficient (SAFE) Vehicles Rule III.
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Free the Economy podcast: Social mobility in the 50 states with Justin Callais
In this week’s episode we talk about satellite shot clocks at the Federal Communications Commission, Federal Reserve nominee Kevin Warsh’s digital-dollar beliefs,…
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A light to live by: Candles or the sun?
Timeless wisdom often comes from stories rather than textbooks. Aesop’s fables, such as The Tortoise and the Hare and The Boy Who Cried Wolf, convey…
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Halfway through the 119th Congress, CEI’s Agenda is turning into action
As the 119th Congress reaches its halfway mark, it is a good time to look back on what lawmakers have done in the past year.
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New WOTUS rule has a problem: The use of ‘wet season’
The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the US Army Corps of Engineers, have proposed a new rule defining the “Waters of the United States”…
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Greener housing is costlier housing
There are many policy ideas for addressing rising housing costs, ranging from good ones like tax code changes that bring more homes onto the…
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It’s time to kill the equal time rule
While the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) is commendably repealing many outdated regulations, one major form of broadcast content regulation stubbornly remains: the “equal time”…
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The week in regulations: Reimagining education and underground mines
Kevin Warsh is President Trump’s nominee for the next Federal Reserve chairman. The Fed held interest rates steady at its most recent FOMC…
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Full steam ahead: How 50 years of deregulation revitalized US freight rail
This week marks the 50th anniversary of the Railroad Revitalization and Regulatory Reform Act of 1976, better known as the 4R Act. For much…
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Free the Economy podcast: The meaning of GDP with Brian Albrecht
In this week’s episode we talk about the last 50 years of regulatory reform, a new study on climate adaptation, and reforms…
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Durbin-Marshall’s new provisions enable lawfare from state AGs
Even though President Trump unfortunately endorsed earlier this month the Credit Card Competition Act (CCCA) – a bill that attempts to force down fees that…
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From heavy hand to light touch: How CFPB rulemaking shifted in 2025
The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) was established in response to the 2008 financial crisis to serve as a watchdog over financial markets and champion…
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The week in regulations: Homework gaps and cannabimimetic agents
At Davos, President Trump withdrew his threats to invade Greenland and tariff European countries. The Supreme Court appeared skeptical about his attempt to fire Lisa…
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Free the Economy podcast: Permitting for speed with Grant Dever
In this week’s episode we talk about making a living in podcasting, confronting our mounting national debt, and assessing President Trump’s new…
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When airline competition gets squeezed, so do airline seats
Aircraft cabins are under more pressure than ever. With every inch of space accounted for, airlines are making increasingly visible choices about who gets how…
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FTC appeals Meta antitrust ruling with a wooden racket
The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) could take a lesson in humility from Björn Borg, one of the true greats of tennis’s Open Era. By…
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Trump withdraws from UN Framework Convention; ends illusion we’ll always have Paris
President Trump is withdrawing the United States from 66 intergovernmental organizations he has determined are “contrary to the interests of the United States.” This is…
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The executive order explosion: When counting counts
What stands out in the Trump administration is the unnerving tension between executive orders (EOs) that shrink government and those that expand it. EOs date…
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The week in regulations: Neck floats and glazed bus portals
President Trump opened a criminal investigation into Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell. He also proposed capping credit card interest rates at 10 percent, effective January…
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Free the Economy podcast: Total boomer luxury communism with Russ Greene
In this week’s episode we talk about Trump’s 10 percent credit card interest proposal (and the dangers of populist economics in general),…
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Lots of good in the RSC’s “Restoring America’s Golden Age” Budget Blueprint
The Republican Study Committee’s new 119-page Budget for the 119th Congress, Restoring America’s Golden Age, covers a wide range of policy priorities—notably a 10-year balanced…