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Pennsylvania State Lottery Commission Opposes Internet Gambling
When a government agency is threatened, it will inevitably lash out in efforts to keep the government jobs safe and the tax money flowing. This…
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Afternoon Links: December 17, 2010
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Online Poker is Not Illegal: U.S. Courts
U.S. District Judge Jed Rakoff of New York sentenced convicted felon Anurag Dikshit, the co-founder of PartyGaming.com, to a meager year of probation and indicated his…
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Morning Media Summary
Tech: FCC’s net neutrality plan faces growing chorus of bipartisan opposition: “As the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) prepares to vote next week on…
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Nanny-Statist CSPI Sues to Ban Happy Meals at McDonald’s
An ill-informed left-wing group, the Center for Science in the Public Interest, is suing McDonald’s in California to ban toys from Happy…
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Afternoon Links: December 16, 2010
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“Odd Couple!” Nader/Public Citizen Attorney and Richard Epstein Urge Supreme Court to Hear CEI’s Tobacco Case
“Odd couple.” That’s how a Forbes report just described a pairing of former Nader/Public Citizen attorney Alan Morrison and University of Chicago Law School Prof.
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Should Obamacare Be Struck Down In Its Entirety Rather Than Just Having Its Unconstitutional Parts Severed?
In his ruling striking down Obamacare’s individual mandate (requirement that people buy health insurance), Judge Hudson in Richmond declined to strike down the rest…
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Security Theater, D.C. Metro Edition
Everyone wants our transportation systems to be safe. But safety must also be balanced with respecting the privacy of citizens, and not wasting money on…
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High-Speed Rail as the New Political Football?
Over at National Journal‘s Transportation Experts blog, Fawn Johnson asks whether or not high-speed rail has become a new political football in the United…
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Live Blogging: “Fixing The World Economy: Stresses And Solutions”
This is a Live Blog of a Thomson Reuters Event on “Fixing the World Economy.” The speakers are Dominique Strauss-Kahn, International Monetary Fund and Chrystia…
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Morning Media Summary
Tech: Approval of Internet traffic rules likely-analysis: “Contentious Internet traffic rules facing a vote next week are likely to be adopted without radically…
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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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Interchange Price Controls: Gift to Big Merchants, Lump of Coal for Consumers and Community Financial Institutions
On Thursday, the Federal Reserve — at the direction of Congress in the Durbin Amendment to the Dodd-Frank financial “reform” bill — will give…
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An Update on State Alcohol Regulations
Here is another installment in the roundup of news regarding the weird and wacky state of alcohol regulation in the U.S.: California: The “sangria…
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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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Useless College Degrees Proliferate; Millions Waste Lives in Academic Bubble
“Do we need more college grads?,” asks John Leo in Minding the Campus. The answer is surely no: a study highlighted in the Chronicle…
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Afternoon Links: December 15, 2010
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Morning Media Summary
Tech: Air Force Blocks Media Sites: “The U.S. Air Force is blocking its personnel from using work computers to view the websites of…
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Is Obamacare’s Government Healthcare Takeover a “Civil Right”?
Doug Powers takes aim at the silly argument by the Obama administration that opposing Obamacare is analogous to opposing basic civil rights. As he…
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In Offense of Ben Bernanke, Part III: Bernanke, Blinder, and Underpants Gnomes
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In Offense of Ben Bernanke, Part II: The Natural Rate of Unemployment
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In Offense of Ben Bernanke, Part I: The Fed is Competent?
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Unemployment Benefits Keep People from Working
Wintery Knight has an interesting discussion of how unemployment benefits keep people from working, drawing on coverage from The New York Times and academic…
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Afternoon Links: December 14, 2010
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Reactions to Court Ruling Striking Down Part of Obamacare in Virginia v. Sebelius
Yesterday, a federal judge in Richmond struck down Obamacare’s requirement that individuals buy health insurance. Cato Institute’s Ilya Shapiro reacts to the decision…
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Morning Media Summary
Tech: Gawker Media Hacked, Warns Users to Change Passwords: “E-mail addresses and password details for 200,000 registered users of Gawker…
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The Day Four Loko Died
Last month, when Phusion Projects announced they were removing caffeine from their popular alcoholic-energy drink Four Loko, they told the FDA that “original recipe”…
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Alcohol Regulation Roundup
As alcohol regulations vary state-by-state and constantly shifting here is a quick roundup of booze news from around the states: In federal news, following…
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Afternoon Links: December 13, 2010
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There are No Victors in Trade Wars
Today the World Trade Organization issued a decision confirming that the United States did not break any of its obligations with China over the…
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V.A. Judge Rules Against Obama’s Health Care Law
A Virginia federal judge has declared federal health care legislation unconstitutional. In response to the decision, which was handed down earlier today, CEI General…
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CEI Weekly: Federal Regulations Are Killing Jobs
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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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Supreme Court will not Hear Columbia University Eminent Domain Case
It was announced today that the U.S. Supreme Court will not take up a challenge to the Empire State Development Corporation’s property takings in…
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Ruling in Virginia’s Challenge to Obamacare Individual Mandate Expected Today
A ruling in Virginia’s constitutional challenge to Obamacare’s individual mandate is expected later today. The Competitive Enterprise Institute joined in an amicus brief filed…
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Objection in Ercoline v. Unilever (Breyers Smooth & Dreamy) class action
We had to mail it to the court rather than electronically file it so it may not immediately show up in the docket, but today…
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More Disincentives to Work, Thanks to the Federal Government and the Stimulus Package
Thanks to food stamps, Medicaid, and housing subsidies, and other welfare benefits, many “poor” people have far more disposable income than self-supporting households earning $40,000…
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Are Government Employee Unions Losing the Democrats?
Government employee unions have long been renowned as one of the Democratic Party’s most loyal and dedicated supporting constituencies. For years, Democratic politicians have supported…
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New Fast Food Restaurants Banned in South Los Angeles
New fast-food restaurants are now banned in South Los Angeles. Say goodbye to many entry-level jobs in that poor urban area. The cockamamie idea behind this ban is…
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Energy Drink Ban? What’s Next?
Lynne Nowick, a legislator in Suffolk County, New York, wants to ban energy drinks for anyone under the age of 19 years old. Why?…
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The Extension of Ethanol Subsidies
Despite opposition from academics, environmental organizations, libertarian organizations, editorial boards across the country, and dozens (PDF) of other…
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Wine and Cheese Gift Baskets: Illegal in New York State
Here’s a whole new spin to “assembly required.” It is against New York State law to ship wine and cheese in one box, basket, or…
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Court Rejects Obesity Class-Action Against McDonald’s
A New York court has refused to certify a class-action lawsuit against McDonald’s by people claiming it made them obese. As Ted Frank notes,…
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The Insanity of Ethanol Policy
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Child-Snatching to Reap Federal Funds: The Adoption and Safe Families Act of 1997
An article called “The 7 Most Horrifying Cost-Cutting Measures of All Time” decries the role of the Adoption and Safe Families Act of 1997…
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Why Insurance Rates Rise in Calm Seasons
This year’s hurricane season, which officially ended at the beginning of this month, was the third most active season on record for the Atlantic. However,…
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Afternoon Links: December 9, 2010
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Stimulus Impact: Zero, or Less Than Zero?
In The Wall Street Journal, economists John F. Cogan and John B. Taylor argue that the impact of the $800 billion “Obama stimulus” was…
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17 Million Unnecessary College Degrees; Obama Administration Seeks to Increase the Number
In America today, 317,000 waiters and waitresses have college degrees. Over 18,000 parking lot attendants have college degrees. So do thousands of janitors.