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CEI Podcast for March 17, 2011: Are Biotech Crops Coming to Kenya?
CEI Senior Fellow Greg Conko discusses his recent trip to Kenya where he met with members of Parliament and other officials about the best way…
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Are Text Messages an Antitrust Issue?
Text messages cost 20 cents to send, even though they use a fraction of a penny of bandwidth. What gives? Antitrust authorities want to know.
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The War on Scent Continues
Nevada's legislature is considering restricting or banning pesticides, potpourri, air fresheners, candles, and pretty much anything with a scent in public places.
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Regulation of the Day 167: Wearing Perfume
Portland, Oregon is banning city government employees from wearing perfume or cologne at work.
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Legislating the Way to Prosperity
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A Tsunami is Not a Stimulus
Tragedy struck Japan this morning. It will be some time before we know just how many lives the tsunami took, and how much damage was…
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$6 Billion More in Cuts
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CEI Podcast for March 10, 2011: Keeping Private Data Private
Associate Director of Technology Studies Ryan Radia talks about rampant how to prevent data privacy violations in the Internet age.
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Popularizing Hayek
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Mission Creep
Andy Greenberg reports that the TSA would like to expand its scanning operations to pedestrians and train passengers.
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Setting a New Tone
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Regulation of the Day 166: Cowboy Poetry
This year’s budget battle is especially heated. Democrats want the federal budget to be $3.7 trillion. Republicans want it to be $3.6 trillion. Both sides…
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How to Help Small Businesses
Politicians love small businesses. Almost every campaign stump speech gushes about how important they are for the economy. Never afraid to put our money where…
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CEI Podcast for March 3, 2011: Citizens United, Annie Leonard, and Free Speech
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CEI Podcast for February 24, 2011: On, Wisconsin
Vice President for Strategy Iain Murray discusses the labor reforms that have led a thousands-strong protest in Madison, Wisconsin.
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Are the Wisconsin Protests Backfiring?
Protests in Wisconsin over public sector compensation cuts have been the big story this week. Over at the Daily Caller, I explain why some of…
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Eliminate the Cap on H-1B Visas
My colleague Alex Nowrasteh has an op-ed in Investor's Business Daily where he makes the case for liberalizing the H1-B visa for skilled immigrants.
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CEI Podcast for February 17, 2011: Let the Best Bulb Win
Brian McGraw, a Policy Analyst for CEI's Center for Energy & Environment, talks about the coming incandescent light bulb ban, who it benefits (bulb manufacturers),…
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More Corporate Welfare on the Way?
Politico headline from today: "Qualcomm exec calls for small-business research funding." Alternative headline: "Businessman asks government to give money to businesses."…
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Regulation of the Day 165: Singing in Public
It is against the law to sing in public in Anderson, South Carolina. But the ban could be lifted as soon as today.
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CEI Podcast for February 10, 2011: How Not to Stop Eminent Domain Abuse
Land Use and Transportation Policy Analyst Marc Scribner takes a close look at an eminent domain reform bill just passed by the Texas State Senate.
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Regulation without Representation
Congress never actually votes on most regulations. As Wayne Crews and I explain in today's Investor's Business Daily, this is regulation without representation.
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Regulation of the Day 164: Panhandling
If Montgomery County Executive Ike Leggett gets his way, panhandlers will need a government permit to ask people for money if they’re near a road.
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Regulation of the Day 163: Switchblades
Maine state representative Sheryl Briggs would like to end her state’s switchblade ban – but only for people with one arm.
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CEI Podcast for February 3, 2011: The EPA vs. West Virginia
Energy Policy Analyst William Yeatman looks over the EPA's recent decision to deny a mining permit in Logan County, West Virginia.
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Regulation of the Day 162: Breaking Wind
The southeast African country of Malawi is about to make farting illegal. The government there is trying to “mould responsible and disciplined citizens.”…
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Regulation of the Day 161: Crossing the Street
Three states are proposing to make it illegal to listen to your iPod while crossing the street. Legislators in California, New York, and Oregon are…
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Bush’s Third Term Continues
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State of the Union Live-Blogging
CEI's Ryan Young live-blogs President Obama's State of the Union address. Coverage will begin shortly before the speech at 9:00pm EST.
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Tim Carney Knows How Washington Works
Tim's latest column is a must-read. Lobbying wouldn't be such a booming business if regulation wasn't, too.
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The Economics of Toilet Seats
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CEI Podcast for January 20, 2011: The Future of Space Policy
CEI Adjunct Scholar and space policy expert Rand Simberg explains why NASA stagnated after its early success in bringing man to the moon.
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Six Painless Ways to Cut Federal Red Tape
President Obama signed an Executive Order this week that will initiate a "government-wide review of the rules already on the books to remove outdated regulations…
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CEI Podcast for January 12, 2011: Public-Private Partnerships
Land-use and Transportation Policy Analyst Marc Scribner talks about his new CEI Issue Analysis, "The Limitations of Public-Private Partnerships."…
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CEI Podcast for January 6, 2011: D.C.’s Plastic Bag Tax
Warren T. Brookes Journalism Fellow Kathryn Ciano talks about Washington, DC's five-cent tax on plastic bags.
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New Jersey Trying to Seize Unused Gift Card Balances
That's one way to fix a busted budget. Here's another: spend less.
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TSA’s High Failure Rate Is the Least of its Problems
If policymakers were rational, they would give twenty times more attention to lightning strike prevention than to terrorism. But they aren't, and they don't.
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2010 Federal Register is Third-Largest Ever
The final unadjusted page count is 82,589 pages. That's the third highest ever.
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New CEI Podcast — December 28, 2010: IRS as Tax Preparer?
Fellow in Regulatory Studies Ryan Young looks at the IRS' proposal to save you time by doing your taxes for you.
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Alfred E. Kahn, 1917-2010
The man behind airline deregulation passed away yesterday at age 93. Let us learn from his example of a life well lived.
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CEI Podcast — December 21, 2010: What’s Next for Immigration Reform?
CEI Policy Analyst Alex Nowrasteh goes over the good and the bad of the DREAM Act, which recently stalled in the Senate, and offers his…
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Once Again, the Terrorists Win
All it takes to turn the tables is a bit of common sense. Unfortunately, that may be asking too much.
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CEI Podcast — December 15, 2010: Alcohol Regulations Across the Country
Michelle Minton, CEI's Director of Insurance Studies, takes a whirlwind tour of alcohol regulations across the country.
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TSA’s Bad Policies Aren’t Going Away
Public outrage at the TSA's new policies has died down. That's a real shame, because people are still having experiences like this one.
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CEI Podcast — December 8, 2010: What’s Driving Ethanol Subsidies
CEI Research Associate Brian McGraw takes a look at what's behind the federal government's multi-billion dollar subsidies for ethanol.
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Printing Money Troubles
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Fuzzy Math on Foreign Aid Shows Why Spending Cuts Are Difficult
Most Americans want to increase government-to-government transfers ten-fold from current levels while also cutting them in half.
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From Poor and Sick to Healthy and Rich
I'm always impressed with creative, compelling ways to use data to tell a story. And this story is one of the most important in human…
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Federal Register Hits 75,000 Pages
At its current 327-page per day pace, the 2010 Federal Register would be 81,560 unadjusted pages long.
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Do You Want the IRS Doing Your Taxes?
The income tax is a pain in the neck. The obvious solution is the simplify the 70,000-page tax code. But some are proposing to have…
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CEI Podcast — November 30, 2010: Food Safety, Washington-Style
CEI Senior Fellow Greg Conko looks at the major provisions of the food safety bill that the Senate is voting on today.
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The War on Terror, the TSA, and Useful Partisans
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TSA Sexual Harassment: Disappointing, but Not Surprising
Woman: TSA Agents Singled Me Out For My Breasts…
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TSA Exempts Politicians from Body Scans and Pat-Downs
Don't like dealing with the TSA's body scanners or pat-downs? Consider getting into politics.
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TSA Roundup
The Thanksgiving travel rush is officially underway.
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CEI Podcast — November 23, 2010: The Crusade Against Alcohol Energy Drinks
Baylen Linnekin, author of the recent CEI On Point "Extreme Refreshment Crackdown: The FDA’s Misguided Campaign Against Alcohol Energy Drinks" looks at the recent push…
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Regulation of the Day 160: Sleeping in Public
In Roselle Park, New Jersey, it is against the law to fall asleep in public.
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Regulation of the Day 159: Playing Chess
"A squad of cops in bulletproof vests" arrested seven men for playing chess in a New York City park.
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Joe Biden vs. Adam Smith
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TSA’s John Pistole Offers to Probe Senators: Shouldn’t He Buy Them Dinner First?
TSA chief John Pistole offered to give enhanced pat-downs to senators at a hearing today on TSA's new screening policies.
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The Power of Incumbency: Charlie Rangel Edition
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Pat-Downs or Full-Body Imaging? TSA Airport Security Backlash
The TSA has crossed a line. Its new security procedures require employees to either touch passengers’ genitals or take pictures of them. The public backlash…
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CEI Podcast — November 15, 2010: Free Speech and Video Games
Associate Director of Technology Studies Ryan Radia gives his take on a Supreme Court case concerning California’s ban of violent video game sales to minors.
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Debunking the Abner Doubleday Myth: Baseball as Spontaneous Order
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12 Ridiculous Regulations
In Texas, computer repair technicians are required to get a private investigator's license, plus more.
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CEI Podcast – November 11, 2010: Taxing New IRS Regulations
Fellow in Regulatory Studies Ryan Young explains how an IRS proposal for mandatory certification of tax preparers would hurt consumers and taxpayers.
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Joe Biden’s Weak Case for Government Meddling
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The Washington Version of Spending Cuts
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Adam Smith on Lotteries
I didn’t know there were state-run lotteries in 1776, but apparently there were, because Adam Smith explains what a bad deal they are in The…
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Regulation of the Day 158: Preparing Taxes
The IRS wants to require all tax preparers to register with them, pass an exam, and take continuing education classes.
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Regulation of the Day 157: Unlicensed Barbering
In Orange County, Florida, barbering without a license is illegal. The regulation is being enforced with armed raids.
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Regulation of the Day 156: Happy Meals
With an 8-3 vote, San Francisco's Board of Supervisors banned the greatest menace facing it or any other city: happy meals.
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CEI Podcast: November 4, 2010 — Election Dissection
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An Optimistic Take on the Election
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Why I Didn’t Vote This Year
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Halloween Roundup
Silly string forbidden in Hollywood on Halloween, man arrested for wearing a mask, plus more.
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Regulation of the Day 155: Miniskirts
Police officers would be tasked with paying close attention to women’s hemlines; no doubt many already do. Women who catch an officer’s eye could be…
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The Rise of Negative Campaigning?
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2010’s Record Election Spending Is Surprisingly Small
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The Nobel Case for Immigration
In today's American Spectator, my colleague Alex Nowrasteh and I make the case for expanding skilled immigration.
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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."…
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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…
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New CEI Podcast — October 21, 2010: Relic of Prohibition
CEI Director of Insurance Studies Michelle Minton analyzes proposals to privatize Virginia's liquor stores.
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The East German Immigration Model
A U.S. Senate candidate in Alaska thinks that the U.S. should follow East Germany's example when it comes to immigration.
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Regulation of the Day 153: Pentagon Cybersecurity
The military’s cybersecurity experts are governed by 193 documents. They are all conveniently listed in a chart. It is two feet long.
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CEI Podcast — October 14, 2010: Antitrust Follies and Regulatory Reform
CEI Vice President for Policy Wayne Crews talks about why antitrust actually hurts competition, and offers some ideas for regulatory reform.
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Why Trade and War Are Different
Over at the American Spectator's AmspecBlog, I highlight why real wars and trade wars are very, very different…
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Foreign Money is Not the Problem
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Regulation of the Day 152: Locking Your Car Door
The government of Bucks County, Pennsylvania plans to issue $25 fines to people who forget to lock their cars.
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First, Try Getting the Little Things Right
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Misplaced Ire
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CEI Podcast – October 7, 2010: Trade, Jobs, and Korea
CEI Adjunct Fellow Fran Smith talks about the EU-Korea free trade agreement that takes effect next year, and why the US-Korea FTA stalled, to the…
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Timothy Geithner, Political Strategist
The TARP bank bailout program polls poorly. Timothy Geithner, in recent remarks, subtly reminded voters that the hated bailouts were originally a Republican proposal. It's…
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Skilled Immigrants: More, Please
For every H-1B position requested, U.S. technology firms increase their employment by five workers. The government's artificial limit on skilled immigration is prolonging the recession.
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The 10:10 Project and Zeno’s Paradox
Annual 10 percent reductions would move emissions asymptotically towards zero. That's a fancy way of saying they never actually get there.
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Mises on Political Parties
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CEI Podcast – September 30, 2010: William F. Buckley
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Regulation of the Day 151: Water Heaters
The EPA recommends setting your water heater to 20 degrees Fahrenheit. But OSHA recommends setting it to 140 degrees Fahrenheit. Why the difference?…
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CEI Podcast – September 23, 2010: The Frankenfish Myth
CEI Senior Fellow Greg Conko, author of The Frankenfood Myth, talks about the promise and imagined peril of genetically modified salmon.
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Study: Regulations Cost $1.75 Trillion in 2008
State and local regulations, of course, cost extra.