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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…
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The Politics of Children’s Literature
Liberty-loving individuals with children in their lives should take a second look at what’s on the shelf.
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Learn Liberty on Capitalism and Liberation
Learn Liberty’s recent video, featuring historian Thaddeus Russell, highlights how capitalism created an environment where women were increasingly free to make their own decisions and…
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Financial Choice Act Advances National Small Business Week
As National Small Business Week is unfolding, the House Financial Services Committee is now marking up a bill to lend small businesses a helping hand.
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Paris Agreement: Why Trump Should Ignore Obama Officials’ Legal Counsel
President Trump is expected to decide soon whether he will keep his campaign promise to “cancel” America’s participation in the Paris Agreement.
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European Populism Is Nationalist Conservatism
As European conservative governments deploy authority and ignore economic forces, it is likely that the problems facing their nations will intensify rather than decrease.
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Celebrate National Small Business Week
There is no better way to celebrate National Small Business Week than for the Trump administration to rollback red tape that discourages business formation and…
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Democrats Kill Vape Amendment, Possibly Thousands of Americans
It is a dark day for science-based regulation. In the early hours of Monday morning, Congress finally rolled out its $1 trillion budget deal in…
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This Week in Ridiculous Regulations
While most of the week’s new final regulations are either routine or procedural, they still range from rural phone calls to airplane batteries.
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Trump Issues Executive Order on ‘America-First Offshore Energy Strategy’
President Trump issued an executive order on Friday directing the Departments of Interior and Commerce to “encourage energy innovation, exploration, and production” in U.S. offshore areas including…
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Double Dose of Good News from D.C. Circuit Court
In a double dose of good news, the D.C. Circuit Court this week put on hold litigation surrounding two major Obama-era EPA rules for existing…
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White House Debate on Paris Climate Treaty Heats Up
Senior members of the Trump Administration met on Thursday afternoon to try to agree on a recommendation to President Trump on whether and how to…
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Technology and Process Failures at TSA
The Transportation Security Administration has a history of tripping over itself to rush out technologies that are ill-considered and invasive.
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March for Climate Another Demonstration of Groupthink
Trump threatens the climate industrial complex by questioning its certitudes, demoting its policy priorities, and proposing to cut its budget.
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People’s Climate March: Recycled Humor for a Sustainable Society
We're recycling our March for Science jokes from last week for tomorrow’s People’s Climate March, with a few additions.
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The Future of Liberty and Democracy in Europe
The classical liberal tradition calls for respecting the liberty of individuals and of conscience, the freedom to trade goods and services, and even the mobility…
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Reason TV Interviews Ajit Pai on the Future of the Internet
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Time to Repeal Special Interest ‘Prevailing Wage’ Laws
If Congress passes a massive infrastructure spending plan, it is imperative to ensure the best rate of return for tax dollars spent on these projects.
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Five Reasons President Trump Should Withdraw from the Paris Climate Agreement
President Trump should keep his campaign promise to withdraw from the Paris Climate Treaty and submit it to the Senate with a recommendation against ratification.
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Reviewing Trump’s First 100 Days
This Saturday, April 29th, marks President Trump’s 100th day in office, which offers us the opportunity to reflect on what his administration has accomplished so…
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Activist Attorneys General Urge Trump to Stay in Paris Agreement
New York Attorney General Eric Schneiderman is the gift that keeps on giving. Yesterday, Schneiderman and 13 other Democratic attorneys general urged President…
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An Overdue Review of the Antiquated Antiquities Act
Kudos to President Trump for signing the Antiquities Act executive order today directing Interior Secretary Zinke to undertake the long overdue review of the misuses and…
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VIDEO: CEI Releases Second Digital Ad Urging Trump to Withdraw from Paris Climate Agreement (April 26, 2017)
White House senior advisers continue to meet about the future of U.S. involvement in the Paris Climate Treaty, even though President Trump made a campaign…
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Left-wing Groups Attack Civil Rights Official for Enforcing Civil Rights Act
Civil rights laws do not contain exceptions for particular races, much less countenance segregation.
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CFPB Delays Prepaid Card Rule
Earlier today, the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) announced it will delay its 1,700-page prepaid spending cards rule until April 1, 2018. This follows…
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California’s Proposed Automated Vehicle Regulations under Fire
Unless they cease attempting to involve their state in matters of federal responsibility, California’s politicians and bureaucrats will have blood on their hands.
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Energy Policy in Trump’s First 100 Days
President Trump’s energy and climate record is one of solid achievement so far. However, until Trump cancels America’s participation in it, the Paris Agreement will…
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Senate Moves to Confirm Acosta as Labor Secretary
There is much work to do at the Department of Labor. The Obama administration’s DOL spent eight years imposing huge costs on the economy and…
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Bipartisan Attorney General Letter Opposes Electric Vehicle Industrial Policy in EPA-VW Settlement
A bipartisan group of state attorneys general has released of a letter opposing the electrical vehicle infrastructure plan that the EPA negotiated with Volkswagen over…
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Big Changes to Banking and Finance Regulation on the Horizon
Major reform of banking and finance regulation could be coming soon to Washington, D.C.
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Labor and Employment in Trump’s First 100 Days
The White House should fill key personnel positions at labor agencies so that they can get to work on repealing numerous roadblocks erected by the…
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This Week in Ridiculous Regulations
The Federal Register continues its slow march to the 20,000-page mark, but is still on pace for lowest page total since 1993.
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Class Action Lawyers in Target Case Hoard the Settlement Pie
It’s time to restore justice and fairness in our nation’s legal system, and the Target case would be a valuable step in the right direction.
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Justice Department Disability Demands Raise Serious Free Speech Issues
The Justice Department’s demands exceeded its authority under the Americans with Disabilities Act.
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Darcy’s Story: The Need for Donor Privacy Protections
When the government forces nonprofit groups to disclose their supporters to the public, they threaten the free speech and free association rights of those involved.
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African Development Requires Economic and Legal Reforms, Affordable Energy
If the African continent is to achieve the prosperity it deserves, then African policy makers and non-governmental organizations alike should strive to implement pro-growth policies.
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Archbridge Institute Releases Optimistic New Research on Economic Mobility
The best way to encourage more economic mobility is to foster a cultural and regulatory environment where innovation, openness, and change are encouraged.
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The Science March: No Laughing Matter? Says Who?
Using street protests to handle scientific controversies like climate change is only a few steps above using animal sacrifice.
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Separating Financial Interest from Clients Backfires for Class Action Attorneys
If class action lawyers tie their fate to their clients’, there will be ups and downs. But if they jump ship, few people will be…
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Healthy Kids Can Coexist with Flavored E-cigarettes for Adults
Research indicates that flavored e-cigarettes help smokers switch to vaping and not go back to their deadly traditional cigarette habit.
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Stop Paying Federal Employees to Perform Union Business
There are an estimated 1,000 federal employees who spend 100 percent of their work hours on labor union business instead of actual government work.
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VIDEO: CEI Digital Ad Urges Trump to Withdraw from Paris Climate Agreement (April 18, 2017)
White House senior advisers continue to meet about the future of U.S. involvement in the Paris Climate Treaty, even though President Trump made a campaign…
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Saving Coal: Most Foolish Reason to Support Paris Agreement
A gaggle of coal-industry interests is aggressively lobbying the Trump administration to stay in the Paris Agreement, which they claim President Trump could modify to…
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White House Floats Excuses to Break Trump’s Promise to Cancel Paris Climate Treaty
This week, White House senior advisers will meet to discuss the future of U.S. involvement in the Paris Climate Treaty.
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Legal Reformers Call for Repeal of Race-Based School Discipline Guidance
Two legal foundations are calling for an end to federal pressure on school districts to adopt racial quotas in suspensions. And rightly so: It…
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Trump Can Fund Chemical Safety Review while Cutting EPA Budget
A recently leaked EPA memo reveals there are plenty of discretionary programs to cut.
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This Week in Ridiculous Regulations
The 2017 Federal Register had another sub-thousand page week, though it is still already more than 18,000 pages long.
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In Wake of United Debacle, Give Airlines – and Travelers – More Flexibility
Most of the time it’s actually government policies that end up ruining a traveler’s day.
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How Payday Lenders & Check Cashers Help the Poor
Our friends at Reason TV have another fascinating video out on the ethics and politics of short-term financial services like payday lending and check cashing.
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A ’21st Century Glass-Steagall’ Would Be Bad for the Financial System
A UK-style "ring-fencing" plan for banking regulation would be a bad idea.
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Feds Back Down After Seeking to Unmask ‘Rogue’ Agency Twitter Account
Hopefully this saga marks the end of this administration’s efforts to unconstitutionally unmask anonymous critics.
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Appeals Court Revives Fair Housing Act ‘Blog Post Harassment’ Lawsuit
A recent ruling by the Third Circuit Court of Appeals menaces free speech in condominiums, apartment buildings, and the Internet.
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White House Should Drop Support for Cronyism of Export-Import Bank
With the Trump administration’s early emphasis on deregulation, there was hope that cronyist agencies such as the Export-Import Bank, Overseas Private Investment Corporation, and Economic…
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A Time for Choosing: Will Trump Side with Taxpayers or Unions?
If keeping construction unions as an ally comes at the expense of efficient use of tax dollars and competition, the White House must side with…
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CEI Submits Comments on Proposed Vehicle-to-Vehicle Communications Mandate
Last week, CEI and a coalition of free-market organizations sent a letter to Secretary of Transportation Elaine Chao asking her to temporarily suspend the current…
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Glass-Steagall Would Not Have Prevented the Financial Crisis
The Glass-Steagall Act was an ineffective and harmful regulation for a bygone era. To re-impose it now would be to inject additional risk into the…
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Lawmakers Should Shun Long-Repealed Bank Restrictions
The Glass-Steagall Act is the bad idea that never seems to die.
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Want Better Airline Service? Deregulate to Enhance Competition
If American consumers wish to enjoy improved service quality in air travel, they should demand that Congress repeal 90 years of anti-competitive federal law.
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CEI E-Cigarette Lawsuit Takes on Activist Agencies
The battle over electronic cigarettes heats up even more this week as the Competitive Enterprise Institute’s general counsel Sam Kazman argued in court against a…
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Yet Another Study Confirms Ecological Benefits of Carbon Dioxide
So-called carbon pollution has done much more to expand and invigorate the planet’s greenery than all the climate policies of all the world’s governments combined.
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Paris Climate Treaty Garners Unlikely Supporters
The White House announced on March 30th that it would decide whether and how the United States will withdraw from the Paris Climate Treaty before…
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This Week in Ridiculous Regulations
Things remain slow on the regulatory front, with a large chunk of new rules being routine safety-zone and drawbridge scheduling regulations from the Coast Guard.
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Freethink Media on the Folly of the Overpopulation Panic
Freethink Media takes a look back on the overpopulation debate of the 1960s and 1970s, and work of one exceptional human being.
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Capitol Hill Climate Science Dispute Yields Advantage to Skeptics
Earlier this week, American Meteorological Society executive director Keith Seitter clashed with University of Alabama atmospheric scientist John Christy over global warming claims.
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A New Approach to Allocating Broadcast Spectrum
More technology that uses the internet means demand on the spectrum can quickly outpace supply. Luckily, private markets have a solution.
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Increasing Worker Satisfaction Shouldn’t Be an Unfair Labor Practice
Companies should be permitted to establish a system so they can receive feedback from employees and remedy worker dissatisfaction. Unfortunately, national labor law generally prohibits…
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For Virgin Islands Climate Subpoena, A Not-So-Happy Birthday
One year ago, on April 7, 2016, CEI received a memorable, hand-delivered envelope from U.S. Virgin Islands Attorney General Claude Walker.
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White House Reiterates Support for Air Traffic Control Reform
It’s time for members of Congress to set aside their petty differences and get to work on something truly transformative.
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National Security Is No Argument against Regulatory Reform
On the Lawfare blog, Professor Ganesh Sitaraman of Vanderbilt Law School and the Center for American Progress offers an argument about regulatory reform that…
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CEI Praises Trump Signature of Broadband Privacy Rule Repeal
President Trump signed a Congressional Review Act resolution yesterday repealing the Federal Communications Commission’s broadband privacy rule. The FCC’s privacy rule, adopted by the agency…
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Congress Should Reject CFPB Prepaid Card Rule
One reason why the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) has engendered such controversy is because it was set up on a false premise. As I…
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Time to End Official Time
The Official Time Reform Act of 2017 (H.R. 1364) would prohibit federal employees from conducting political activity on union official time. Union official time…
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SEIU Spending Big on Fight for $15
Why has the Service Employee International Union (SEIU) spent at least $19 million last year and $90 million since 2012 financing the Fight for…
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Non-Profits and Litigation: When Ideas Get Judged
If you support nonprofit policy groups, you understand that ideas matter. They matter in education, in public discourse, and in the halls of government. But…
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This Week in Ridiculous Regulations
There were 63 final regulations and 28 proposed regulations last week, but again, few of them amounted to much. We’ll have more to say on…
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FTC Launches Economic Liberty Task Force to Fight Overregulation
Federal agencies have a well-deserved reputation for issuing regulations, publishing guidance documents, and bringing enforcement actions against American businesses. But when the stars align, agencies…
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The Great Greenhouse Rollback Begins
On Tuesday, March 28, President Trump signed his Executive Order on Promoting Energy Independence and Economic Growth. The E.O. directs agencies to suspend, revise,…
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Seattle Forced Union Dues Scheme Faces Legal Challenge
In 2015, the City of Seattle enacted a misguided ordinance that allows Uber and Lyft drivers, who operate as independent contractors, the privilege to collectively…
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Lessons from a Humble Pencil about Economics and the World
On National Pencil Day, we salute this marvel of capitalism and Leonard Read’s classic story about an everyday object.
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Top Three Silliest Reactions to Trump’s Climate Executive Order
#3 Silliest Reaction: Red Scare! According to Nathan Richardson at Resources for the Future, the big problem with Trump’s Executive Order is what it signals…
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Raiders’ Vegas Move Signals NFL Warming to Legal Sports Gambling
Next to the National Collegiate Athletics Association (NCAA), there has been no greater opponent to legalizing sports gambling in the U.S. than the National Football…
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Columnist Misrepresents Civil Service Reforms
In a recent column, The Washington Post’s Joe Davidson presents a gravely distorted view of Republican civil service reform efforts, which seek to save…
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Transportation Safety Best Ensured by Performance Goals, Not Micromanaging
Transportation safety is a top priority in America, whether it’s passenger travel by air, rail, or vehicle or moving commercial freight where it needs to…
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United Kingdom Invokes Article 50 to Leave the European Union
In a historic moment, British Prime Minister Theresa May today invoked Article 50 of the Treaty on European Union, which formally starts the process…
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Regulations – How Much Do They Cost You?
From the labels on our food to the shoes on our feet, regulations are a part of our everyday lives. And there…
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Two Potential Outcomes for the Office of American Innovation
Yesterday the White House announced the launch of an Office of American Innovation. This is the latest of several moving and overlapping parts to President Trump’s…
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Six Reasons FCC Rules Are Not Needed to Protect Privacy
The Competitive Enterprise Institute has been long been skeptical of the Federal Communication Commission’s (FCC) approach to regulating how Internet service providers (ISPs) use subscriber…
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President Trump Expected to Block Blacklisting Rule
Today, President Trump is expected to approve a Congressional Review Act resolution of disapproval to repeal what is known as the Blacklisting rule. Upon signing,…
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March 27 Is International Whisk(e)y Day!
Cheers! It’s International Whisk(e)y Day! Not to be confused with World Whisky Day (May 20). What should you do to celebrate? Anything you like! International…
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New Report: Federal Employee Union Subsidy Costs $162 million
Last Friday afternoon, the Office of Personnel Management (OPM) released its biennial report, “Official Time Usage in the Federal Government—Fiscal Year 2014.” The survey…
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This Week in Ridiculous Regulations
The Trump administration’s 60-day regulatory freeze is now over, but many of this week’s new regulations are simply extensions of previous delays. So despite a…
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Cheers to the Whiskey-preneurs
On International Whisk(e)y Day, we toast this spirit’s storied history and the countless individuals responsible for its global renaissance today.
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Let’s Make a Commitment to Human Ingenuity
Tomorrow, between 8:30 and 9:30 PM, environmental activists will show their commitment to Mother Nature by sitting in the dark for so-called “Earth Hour.” But…
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Capitol Hill Staff Meet the Experts on Policy
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Human Achievement of the Day: The Written Word
Writing is a classic example of what the economist F.A. Hayek called spontaneous order.
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Mr. Acosta Goes to Washington
Mr. Acosta came off as smart, accomplished, and an individual who will enforce the laws on the books, not pursue a political agenda.