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Bad Week in Courts for EPA Policy
If the Trump administration had folded the Obama-era appeal of Judge Bailey’s decision, then the only legal precedent regarding the relevant section of the Clean…
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Energy Week: Moving on from Energy Submission
President Donald J. Trump gave a speech at the Department of Energy in which he said that “our country is blessed with extraordinary energy abundance,”…
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Kids’ One-Sided Climate Change Lawsuit Scheduled for Trial
Judge Thomas Coffin, U.S. Magistrate for the District of Oregon, yesterday set a trial date of February 5, 2018 to hear a lawsuit by a group of…
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Fred Smith on Free Markets, Trump, and Climate Change
Fred Smith talks with the PanAm Post at a recent conference on international politics in Miami, Florida.
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Metropolitan Museum of Art Class Action Ends in Counter-Productive Settlement
It is up to courts to scrutinize the actual benefit achieved by class-action litigation before signing off on a settlement.
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The Questionable Economic Feasibility of Carbon Capture Technology
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New Bill Requires VA Employees to Serve Veterans Instead of Union
Sen. Jeff Flake (R-AZ) has introduced legislation to ensure federal employees working at the Department of Veterans Affairs serve veterans instead of performing union business.
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Amend Clean Water Act, Restore Private Property Rights
It is past time for the U.S. Congress to revisit the Clean Water Act.
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Is Shareholder Activism Surging or Peaking?
We could be seeing the crest of a movement juiced by the false expectation that Hillary Clinton would become president.
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Congress Should Embrace Airport Financing Reforms
Today, the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee held a markup on its Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) reauthorization bill. The Senate Commerce Committee is considering…
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U.S. Supreme Court Agrees to Hear Sports Betting Case
This morning, the United States Supreme Court announced it would hear New Jersey’s case on gambling and federalism. The decision seems to reflect concerns raised…
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Seattle Minimum Wage Hike Shrinks Workers’ Incomes
A credible new study on Seattle’s $15 minimum wage has bad news for liberals, notes Max Ehrenfreud at The Washington Post’s Wonkblog. The City…
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CHOICE Act Helps Sharing Economy and FinTech, but a Senate Bill May Harm It
Earlier this month, the U.S. House of Representatives passed the Financial CHOICE Act along partisan lines with all Democrats present voting against it and all…
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Big Oil Wants Congress to Gouge Consumers
Earlier this week, the carbon tax advocacy group Climate Leadership Council (CLC) announced its List of Founding Members. “Founding Corporate Members” include three oil…
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Proposed Education Department Cuts Are Long Overdue
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Why OLC is Unlikely to Criminalize Online Gambling
I have immense esteem for my friend Norm Singleton at the Campaign for Liberty. His lengthy Capitol Hill experience, depth of knowledge, and humor have…
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Is Greed Really Good for Business?
Is the for-profit world only about making profits and nothing else?…
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Reforming Air Traffic Control with the 21st Century AIRR Act
To aid in the public understanding of this important but complex reform proposal, CEI has released two policy briefs on the 21st Century AIRR Act.
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Can Federal-Employee Unions Continue Automatic Dues Deductions from Retirees?
Siphoning off dues, at the taxpayers’ expense, from federal employee retirees’ benefits is absurd.
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Rep. Dent Tries Again to Sneak Online Gambling Ban Through Congress
All Americans, regardless of political affiliation or their opinion on gambling, should resist attempts to bypass the democratic process.
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Should Whole Foods Employees Fear Amazon?
Yes, individuals will lose their jobs to automation, but increases in productivity will boost demand that will, ultimately, require more human workers.
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Five Big Reforms for Trump Labor Nominees
It is imperative for the Senate to confirm President Trump’s nominees so they can bring fairness and predictability to agency decisions. …
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Cut Crime By Repealing Useless Occupational Licensing Regulations
Many occupations that pose no special risks or need for regulation are off-limits to people who have criminal convictions, or never committed a crime, but…
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This Week in Ridiculous Regulations
New rules from the last week are as wide-ranging as ever, from dental effluence to reciprocating engines.
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New Study Finds Carbon’s Private Benefits Exceed Social Costs
Private benefit of carbon dioxide exceeds social cost by anywhere from about 4:1 to 34:1.
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Federal Government Finally Powers Down on Y2K Crisis
Regulating new technologies is especially risky. The high-tech sector is an evolving frontier. Frontiers are always a bit chaotic, and it is inherent in their…
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Treasury Report Good First Step towards Financial Reform
CEI welcomes many of the recommendations and looks forward to the further three reports in the series.
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Government Documents on EPA-VW Settlement Highlight Need for Congressional Oversight
It is well past time for a committee of jurisdiction to ask of the EPA: How much are you spending on the VW settlement?…
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A Birthday Wish List for the President
Here are four gifts Congress should give the president before its annual July 4th recess.
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The Key to Prosperity in the Southern Hemisphere and around the World
We have the potential to put developing economies on a path to avoid the mistakes made in America and among our European friends.
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Arguments Against Cash Economy Bolster Government Power
The way people spend money and time reveals what they truly value.
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Law Enforcement Joins Coalition to End Sports Gambling Ban
The American Gaming Association (AGA) launched a new coalition with one mission: end the unconstitutional ban on legal sports betting.
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Exiting Paris Should Weaken Carbon Tariff Threat
Will other nations attempt to punish President Trump for pulling out of the Paris Agreement by imposing “border taxes”—aka carbon tariffs—on U.S. exports?…
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EPA Should Use Review of Mercury and Air Toxics ‘Supplemental Analysis’ to Put ‘Co-benefits’ in the Grave
The Trump EPA should undertake its own supplemental analysis, including a review of the one performed by the previous administration.
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CEI Seeks to Extend Landmark Walgreen Ruling in Favor of Shareholder Class Members
Over 90% of merger deals over $100 million have at least one thing in common: They are challenged in a strike suit—or subject to what…
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This Week in Ridiculous Regulations
The majority of new regulations coming out are still of the routine procedural variety—Coast Guard safety zones for fireworks shows, Federal Aviation Administration airworthiness directives…
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What Congress and the Trump Administration Need to Do to Fix the EPA’s Broken Budget
Congress should demand that EPA submit a budget that is capable of being understood by lawmakers.
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Emoluments Clause Does Not Ban Sales to Foreigners
The Constitution is not hostile to the free market or international trade. Indeed, many…
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Cooking Up Fewer Regulations: Trump’s Significant Proposed Rules Down Over 70 Percent Compared To Obama
Whether looking at predecessors’ first or final years, Trump is so far the least regulatory president of all.
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Justice Department Ends Diversion of Federal Settlements to Left-Wing Groups
Attorney General Session Sessions has prohibited Justice Department lawyers from diverting legal settlement funds to special interest groups outside the government.
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CEI in Wonderland: The 2017 CEI Dinner Movie
This year, inspired by Lewis Carroll's famous characters, our theme was “Through the Looking Glass: Washington Gets Curiouser and Curiouser.”…
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Through the Looking Glass: Washington Gets Curiouser and Curiouser
The following remarks were delivered by CEI President Kent Lassman at CEI’s Annual Dinner and Reception held on June 7, 2017. Thank you. Despite her…
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Capitalism for the Little Guy
One of the single greatest achievements in human history has been playing out almost unnoticed over the past few decades.
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Let Private Markets Finance Aircraft Sales
There is no good reason to keep the Export-Import Bank —or its international brethren—around.
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The Clear Case for Restructuring the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau
The Financial CHOICE Act would go a long way towards righting the wrongs inflicted on American financial consumers by this erroneously-named agency.
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Vox.com Snookered by Debunked 2016 CBO Score of Air Traffic Control Reform
The Trump administration released its “legislative principles” for reforming U.S. air traffic control, which closely mirror a reform proposal introduced in 2016 by House Transportation…
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Will Paris Exit Harm U.S. ‘Clean Tech’ Firms?
We’ve heard it for months. If President Trump pulls out of the Paris Agreement, America will be “hobbled in the global race for clean energy…
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Janus v. AFSCME Could End Forced Union Dues in Public-Sector
Today, the National Right to Work Legal Defense Foundation and the Liberty Justice Center asked the United States Supreme Court to hear a case…
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A Short & Concrete Defense of the Legal Risk Rationale behind the Paris Exit
The agreement could have been used to muck up the Trump administration’s planned rollback of Obama-era climate rules, including the Clean Power Plan…
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Five Things You’ll Encounter at the CEI Dinner
This week, almost a thousand of Washington’s finest liberty lovers will travel through the rabbit hole to CEI’s Annual Dinner and Reception.
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This Week in Ridiculous Regulations
After a lengthy delay, several Obama-era rules are starting to come into effect, especially energy-use rules ranging from refrigerators to ceiling fans.
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Laptop Bans Harm Tourism and Airlines
Banning laptop computers from airplane cabins could not only harm safety, but also the tourism industry.
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Paris Exit Enjoys Electoral Legitimacy Agreement Itself Lacked
Trump’s Paris exit fulfills a 2016 campaign pledge.
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Roundup of Recent D.C. Telecom Events
Recent events aimed at restoring Internet freedom.
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Federal Trade Commission Eyes Costly New Contact Lens Rules
Despite a decent track-record when it comes to promoting an open and competitive market for eyeglasses and contact lenses, the FTC recently made a notable…
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Remembering Aaron Wildavsky
Aaron Wildavsky, born on this day in 1930, died tragically and all too young in 1993, but left behind an incredible legacy in the public policy…
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Trump’s Reported Decision to Withdraw from Paris Agreement Right Choice for America and the World
It is now widely reported that President Trump has decided to keep his campaign promise to “cancel” America’s participation in the Paris Climate Agreement.
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TSA Delays Transatlantic Laptop Ban, Which CEI Questioned in Petition
On May 31, the Secretary of Homeland Security said the TSA “might” still impose a ban on transatlantic flights in the future.
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New York City Passes Automation-Inducing Labor Laws
In the ongoing battle between New York City and San Francisco to enact the nation’s costliest labor laws, the Big Apple may have just pulled…
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Top Stats from ‘10,000 Commandments’ for 2017
The 2017 report is unique and will serve as a benchmark to measure President Trump’s efforts to cut red tape against those of his predecessors.
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Canada’s Air Traffic Provider Announces Lowered Fees; U.S. Should Embrace Same Model
Since the Canadian government decided 20 years ago to spin off air traffic control from the nation’s transportation department, Nav Canada has seen its inflation-adjusted…
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Dog Bites Man (Climate Science Establishment Attacks EPA Administrator Pruitt)
This week the journal Nature: Scientific Reports published an article by Ben Santer and eight other climate science establishmentarians rebutting a comment made by…
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Gottlieb Tells Congress FDA Will Base E-Cig Regulations on Science
Democrats like to portray their party as the “party of science.” Yet, when it comes to harm-reducing tobacco alternatives that offer millions of smokers a…
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Paid Parental Leave Proposal Increases Cost of Employment and Burdens States
President Trump’s first budget proposal includes an unfunded mandate that likely will lead to tax hikes. This comes in the form of a paid family…
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Sports Gambling Bill Might Unite Groups in Opposition
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Why Not a “Nuclear Option” for Legislative Vetoes?
For the sake of clarity, I start with questions presented in this blog, which serve as a useful guide: Is it constitutional for one Congress…
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Rep. Meadows Introduces Transportation Performance-based Regulatory Reform Bill
Today, Rep. Mark Meadows (R-NC) introduced the Revamping American Infrastructure Act of 2017 (H.R. 2714), which aims to “facilitate the use of outcome-based performance…
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Breaking: Gambling Bill Could Restore Freedom to States
Congress may soon consider a bill that would repeal outdated federal gambling prohibitions, and thus allow states to legalize and regulate any form of gambling,…
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Congress Should Repeal Overbroad College Harassment Rules
The Clinton/Obama demands completely ignored the very purpose of a university, which is to follow wherever the truth may lead, even when that offends people.
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Paris Agreement: Is the State Department Running Its Own Game?
Secretary of State Rex Tillerson caused a stir when, on May 11, he signed the Fairbanks Declaration at the Tenth Ministerial Meeting of…
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New York Times Again Misses Mark with Pruitt Hit
The truth is a lot blander then what the journalists would have you believe.
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Two GOP Governors Support Paris Agreement, But President Trump Shouldn’t Be Impressed
So, if the Governors’ stated reasons don’t explain their support for the Paris Agreement, what does? Perhaps cheap environmental virtue combined with a belief that…
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Olive Oil Settlement Uses Slippery Tactics to Reward Attorneys at Consumers’ Expense
When companies deceive consumers, the class action device provides a way to compensate those harmed.
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Top Five Reasons the U.S. Must Cancel the Paris Climate Treaty
Abundant, affordable, and reliable energy is critical to modern-day life powering everything from our stoves to our cars.
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Confusing EPA Budget Process Calculated to Resist Meaningful Oversight
Congress can’t exercise the power of the purse to rein in an administrative agency when lawmakers have no idea how the money is spent.
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Update on Paris Climate Treaty
In last week’s report on developments in the debate over the Paris Climate Treaty, we focus on activities by those of us who support the…
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Cheers to Whiskey, the ‘Oil of Conversation’
Whiskey culture is characteristically welcoming, with whiskey makers and aficionados ever eager to share a dram and a story.
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President Trump Should Ignore Advice of Obama Administration Officials on Paris Agreement
Trump’s greatest contribution to American democracy and international energy policy would be to repudiate the politics of plunder, starting with its most grandiose embodiment—the Paris…
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Center for American Progress’ Make-Work Scheme Needs Details
A debate over income inequality and job growth is worth having.
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Powerful Officials, Like the Director of the CFPB, Should Be Democratically Accountable
While a three-judge panel of the appeals court ruled against the CFPB’s constitutionality, the full appeals court will re-hear arguments in the case on May…
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The Community Reinvestment Act’s Absurd Unintended Consequences
Many neighborhoods designated as poor under the federal Community Reinvestment Act are among the wealthiest in the nation.
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Drone Hobbyist Defeats FAA’s Illegal Model Aircraft Registration Rule
Today, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit ruled in favor of Maryland attorney John Taylor, a drone hobbyist who challenged the…
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Supreme Court Should Overturn Congress’ Sports Betting Ban
The Professional and Amateur Sports Protection Act is blatantly unconstitutional and ought to be struck down in full.
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Biggest Study Yet Shows the Dangers of War on Salt
History, and consumers, will not look kindly on organizations that continue to cling to their unjustified war on salt.
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Greater Government Economic Intervention Isn’t the Only Way for Workers to Receive More Paid Leave
President Trump, along with his daughter Ivanka, have frequently advocated for mandated paid family leave. Most recently, on Mother’s Day, Trump touted his desire…
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Center for Class Action Fairness Changes Landscape of ‘Cy Pres’ Settlements
The CEI’s Center for Class Action Fairness (CCAF) has long opposed abusive “cy pres” settlements that benefit third-party beneficiaries instead of compensating class members…
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Industrial Energy Consumers to White House: “No Benefit” to Paris Agreement
There is “no benefit” to U.S. participation in the Paris Agreement, the Industrial Energy Consumers of America (IECA) argues in a letter sent to President…
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CEI Leads Coalition Supporting DeFazio-Massie PFC Uncap Bill
Today, a coalition of free market groups sent a joint letter to House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee leadership urging them to support the “Investing…
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Trump Must Show Energy Companies He Will Fight Politics of Plunder
Energy producers will stand up for themselves only if Trump shows, by his actions, that he will fight for them.
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A Rose by Any Other Name Would Smell Just as Sweet, but These Flower-Delivery Settlement Coupons Are Noisome Even When You Call Them “E-Credits”
Of the actual $12.5 million of real money changing hands in this settlement, somehow only $225,000 is making its way to the class members for…
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This Week in Ridiculous Regulations
The number of new final regulations this year passed the one-thousand mark. While many of the new rules are delays or repeals of older rules,…
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Trump DOJ Nominee Unlikely to Bend to Anti-Gamblers’ Will
Steven Engel—Trump’s nominee to head this powerful office—indicated during his confirmation hearing that would not be swayed by political pressure or convenience.
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How Flying Dog Brewery Fought Government Censors and Won
Jim Caruso, CEO of Flying Dog Brewery, sits down with Reason TV’s Nick Gillespie to discuss the brewing business, marketplace diversity, evolving consumer taste, and…
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How FDA Commissioner Gottlieb Can Save E-Cigarettes and Lives
Now that he has triumphed over the confirmation process, Gottlieb’s real challenge—streamlining the FDA for the benefit of consumers—begins.
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Paris Agreement: Carbon Tax Elders Offer More Bad Advice
The same GOP elders who have been pushing what American Enterprise Institute economist Ben Zycher charitably calls “The Deeply Flawed Case for a Carbon Tax”…
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There is No Consumer – or Small Business – Case for the Durbin Amendment
Two new studies demonstrate that there is no consumer case for keeping the Durbin Amendment, and neither is there a small business case for doing…
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Attorneys Targeting Holographic Weapon Sight Owners For Excessive Fees
Attorneys can create the illusion of relief to rationalize excessive attorneys’ fees that ultimately come at the expense of consumers.
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This Week in Ridiculous Regulations
Another droll week on the regulatory front, with new rules ranging from UHF television to restaurant menus.
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The Paris Agreement and the Imperial Presidency: My Response to David Bookbinder
The Paris Agreement thus casts a long dark shadow not only on U.S. energy producers but our future as a self-governing polity.
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Misdirected Paris Agreement Debate Fixates on Meaning of ‘May’
This being Washington, D.C., the world capital of misdirection, debate on whether President Trump should keep his campaign promise to “cancel” America’s participation in the…