Blog
The End of the Imaginary Age of Civility
Blog
Morning Media Summary
Tech: Internet is easy prey for governments: “For all that the revolution in Egypt tells us about the power of…
Blog
“Blue Laws” May Make Super Bowl Fans “Blue”
With the Super Bowl around the corner, many Americans are stocking up on yummy treats — including spirits, beer, and wine. But in some localities…
Blog
TSA Given Approval To Unionize
As the New York Times says, this is a debate that has been brewing for potentially a decade: the “right” for Transportation Security Administration…
Blog
Afternoon Links: February 4, 2011
Blog
CEI Co-Sponsoring CPAC + Breitbart/GOProud “Big Party”
Blog
The Double Edged Sword: How Union Leaders Support Policy that Hurts Union Members
In the 2008 and 2010 elections, labor unions were one of the largest contributors and supporters of President Obama and Democrats. Union officials applauded Obamacare…
Blog
Tweeting Around Egypt’s Web Blackout: Meet John Scott-Railton
Recently, the Egyptian government blocked Egyptians’ access to the Internet. However, it couldn’t block the Internet itself. Consequently, John Scott-Railton figured out a way to…
Blog
CEI Weekly:Florida Judge Strikes Down Obamacare
Blog
Egyptian Riots Fueled by Ethanol Subsidies and Biofuel Mandates
As world food prices hit a record high, protests in Egypt demand the removal of the country’s pro-American dictator, Hosni Mubarak. No one can…
Blog
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.
Blog
Parent-in-Chief
Libertarian Paternalism. The very name is oxymoronic and deceptive. Popularized by authors Richard Thaler and Cass Sunstein in their book, Nudge, “libertarian paternalism” is a…
Blog
Morning Media Summary
Tech: A Shortage of Power in Data Centers?: “You don’t know what you have until it’s gone, right? If you’ve ever experienced a…
Blog
When Unions Refuse To Take “No” for an Answer
By Barbara Comstock/Capital Research Center In November 2010, Delta Air Lines Flight Attendants voted against unionization. This was the third time that the employees have…
Blog
Egypt and Global Oil Supplies
The ongoing situation in Egypt has U.S. elected officials in a huff over volatile oil prices, as significant amounts of oil are shipped to the…
Blog
Ruling Striking Down Health Care Law Was Not “Judicial Activism”
On Monday, a federal judge in Florida struck down Obamacare as unconstitutional. Judge Vinson concluded that the law’s cornerstone — a requirement that…
Blog
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.
Blog
Arlington County Kills I-5/395 HOT Lanes Inside the Beltway
An innovative project that would have converted high-occupancy vehicle (HOV) lanes to high-occupancy toll (HOT) lanes, increased highway capacity, reduced congestion, expanded transit, and improved…
Blog
American Apparel Almost Bankrupt; Supply and Demand Alive and Well
American Apparel has started dumping shares, so stock up on your leggings and Ts now. Explanations are below, if you’ll try for a moment to…
Blog
Senate Repeals Obamacare’s 1099 Mandate — OTC Drug Rules Should be Next
Although the U.S. Senate voted along partisan lines to defeat repeal of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act — also known as Obamacare —…
Blog
Why Have a Legal System at this Point?
In the recent court decision declaring Obamacare unconstitutional, the Judge wrote the following on page 75 of the opinion: “[T]he award of declaratory relief is…
Blog
Free Online Porn Still Legal in California
A three panel judge in California concluded that adult websites that “give it away for free” are not engaging in predatory pricing. According to…
Blog
Morning Media Summary
Tech: News Corp. Launches Digital Daily: “News Corp. on Wednesday unveiled The Daily, a tablet newspaper that Chairman Rupert Murdoch described as “the…
Blog
Ethanol and the Egyptian Riots
Ethanol subsidies helped cause the Egyptian riots, contributing to the “skyrocketing food prices” that triggered “the massive unrest now occurring in Egypt,” argues economist…
Blog
More Presidential Hopefuls Embracing Ethanolism
As the Wall Street Journal noted earlier this week, potential 2012 GOP presidential nominees are making the rounds in Iowa singing the praises of…
Blog
Afternoon Links: February 2, 2011
Blog
Thomas Sowell on the Value of Consumer Choice
One of Thomas Sowell’s greatest insights is that in public policy, there are no solutions, only trade-offs. That extends to deciding what to spend money…
Blog
Suspend Obamacare’s 1099 and OTC Drug Rules Pending Supreme Court Action
Monday’s decision by Florida federal judge Roger Vinson striking down the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act — also known as Obamacare — in its…
Blog
The GOP and the Health Insurance Mandate
With the health insurance individual purchase mandate looking more vulnerable than ever, Democrats are trying desperately to get some mileage out…
Blog
Morning Media Summary
Tech: Google accuses Microsoft on search data: “Google has accused arch-rival Microsoft of plagiarising its internet search results in an attempt to narrow…
Blog
FCIC Report Perhaps Too Communicative
Because I so often write letters — which are not always published — I thought I’d share them here. Here’s one to the WSJ regarding…
Blog
Smart-Growthers Still Upset by Introduction of Newfangled Horseless Carriages
As somewhat of an anti–“smart growth” groupie, I try to keep up with their various online writings. Everyday, it’s like finding buried treasure. Take yesterday,…
Blog
Nanny of the Month (Jan 2011)
Reason.TV has come out with their “Nanny of the Month” for January 2011. Apparently, New York’s problems are fixed because a politician is advocating in…
Blog
On Mountaintop Mining Veto, EPA Is Guilty of Environmental Hyperbole
On January 13, the Environmental Protection Agency vetoed the issuance of a Clean Water Act permit by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers to the…
Blog
Long Island Nanny-State Lawmakers Need to Get Priorities Straight
As Suffolk County residents face serious challenges, county lawmakers continue to waste time and tax dollars considering nonsensical “nanny-state” regulations. Today they are holding hearings…
Blog
Morning Media Summary
Tech: 200GB to 25GB: Canada gets first, bitter does of metered Internet: “Metered Internet usage (also called “Usage-Based Billing”) is coming to Canada,…
Blog
If Obamacare Is Repealed, Conventional Wisdom is Defeated
After Obamacare was passed into law, those who articulated conventional wisdom argued that “repeal” would be impossible. Instead, we heard that the best anyone could…
Blog
Afternoon Links: January 31, 2011
Blog
Obamacare Struck Down by Florida Judge; Properly Applies Severability Principles to Invalidate Whole Law
A judge in Florida just declared the health care law known as “Obamacare” unconstitutional, ruling it void in its entirety. Judge Vinson rightly…
Blog
New EPA Report Confirms Biofuel Policy Harms Environment
A draft EPA report released a few days ago largely confirms what we already know, that conventional biofuels produced on a large scale in the…
Blog
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.”…
Blog
Morning Media Summary
Tech: Without Internet, Egyptians find new ways to get online: “”When countries block, we evolve,” an activist with the group We Rebuild wrote…
Blog
TSA Shuts Door on Private Airport Screening Program That Exposed TSA’s Inefficiency
The Transportation Security Administration has shut the door on a private airport screening program that was making the inefficient agency look bad by outperforming it…
Blog
Fannie Mae Backers Unrepentant Despite Its Fraud and Colossal Bailout
Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac were bailed out at a cost to taxpayers of between $148 billion and $363 billion. Their recklessness…
Blog
California Businesses Vote With Their Feet
According to this report, 204 businesses left California for greener less green pastures in 2010. That is up from the 51 businesses which left in 2009. This…
Blog
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…
Blog
Afternoon Links: January 28, 2011
Blog
Short-Term Problems
Blog
The American Subsidy is Coming to an End
Two items on the front page of yesterday’s Washington Post: “Record U.S. Deficit Projected this Year” and “Two lawmakers from Michigan propose billions in incentives for…
Blog