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Celebrate National School Choice Week
Openmarket.org This week, a collaboration of over 200 organizations will hold the second annual National School Choice Week. National School Choice Week highlights the need…
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Planned Parenthood’s Voluntary Donations Help Case for Federal Defunding
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Celebrate National School Choice Week
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Today’s Links: January 23, 2012
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Regulation of the Day 207: Cold Medicine
The people of Illinois must present valid ID and be entered into a state database when buying cold medicine. Talk about adding insult to illness.
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Doctors Grow Disenchanted With Obamacare’s Costs and Burdens; Health Care Law Arbitrarily Discriminates
69% of physicians are “pessimistic about the future of medicine” because of the 2010 healthcare law, notes Dr. Marc Siegel in USA Today. “Just…
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CEI Weekly: What’s Wrong With the Stop Online Piracy Act?
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Dodd-Frank Claims 4,300 More Jobs, Reduces Consumer Choice in Mortgage Market
The Dodd-Frank law passed in 2010 in the name of “financial reform” has wiped out another 4,300 jobs: MetLife is closing down its growing…
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The History of Liberty
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Today’s Links: January 20, 2012
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The Ever-Expanding Concept of “Bullying” Casts an Ominous Shadow Over Free Speech
A school superintendant has labeled a column in a school newspaper that criticized homosexuality as “bullying.” (The Shawano High School newspaper decided to run…
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Obama Administration to People Needing Bone Marrow Transplants: Drop Dead
In December, a federal appeals court ruled in Flynn v. Holder that the National Organ Transplant Act of 1984 (NOTA)…
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Court Ruling Broadening Americans with Disabilities Act Will Harm Taxicab Safety and Cost Hundreds of Millions
A federal judge last month barred New York City's “Taxi and Limousine Commission from issuing permits for taxicabs unless they're accessible to people who…
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Today’s Links: January 19, 2012
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War on Drugs Keeps Badly Needed, Perfectly Legal Medicine Away from Sick People
Sick people, like those suffering from narcolepsy, are suffering from a manufacturing shortage of Adderall. That shortage was caused by the Drug Enforcement Agency,…
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CEI Podcast for January 18, 2012: Dropping the SOPA
Wikipedia, Reddit, and other popular websites all went black today to protest SOPA and PIPA, two bills currently before Congress. Critics charge that the bills…
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Today’s Links: January 18, 2012
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Ninth Circuit briefing in In re HP Inkjet complete
We filed our reply brief today. Opening brief Plaintiffs’ response brief HP response brief Reply brief See if you can spot…
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John Kay on the Market Economy
In a truly excellent column for the Financial Times today, John Kay lays out in a few hundred words a clear defense of the…
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The Non-EU Space Code of Conduct
For over a year, there has been concern that the White House would sign an executive order requiring U.S. space activities to adhere to the…
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Obama Seeks $1.2 Trillion Increase in National Debt Ceiling, To Pay for More Wasteful Spending
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Media: If You Wear Headphones while Walking, You’re as Good as Dead
Various media outlets are trying to scare the bejesus out of us by reporting on a new study published in this month's issue of Injury Prevention,…
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Judge Criticizes American Law Schools
A prominent federal judge has added to the growing chorus of criticism for American law schools and their failure to provide practical training for…
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Social Security: Gateway Drug to Tyranny
Social Security remains the most popular, and therefore politically untouchable, program ever instituted by the United States government. Just last year, 79 percent of respondents to a CNN/ORC poll rated Social Security…
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Self-Esteem Fad Harms Students and Education System
Two politically-correct beliefs have inflicted enormous harm on our education system: the belief that inflated, unearned self-esteem is a good thing, and the belief that…
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Today’s Links: January 17, 2012
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Wisconsin union holding federal funds hostage
The Washington Examiner Federal health care funds are being held hostage by the Wisconsin Education Association Trust, a not-for-profit health insurance company created by…
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Eleven More Solyndras in Obama Clean-Energy Program
There are 11 more Solyndras in the Obama administration’s clean-energy program, reports CBS News. These companies are in financial trouble — five have already…
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WaPo Columnist Calls for Cordray’s Consumer Bureau to be “Big Brother”
"Big Brother." When commentators use that phrase to describe a government agency, it is most often not meant as a compliment. Rather, it is wielded…
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Feds Should Stay Out of Google/Twitter Social Search Spat
By Berin Szoka, Geoffrey Manne, and Ryan Radia As has become customary with just about every new product announcement by Google these days, the company’s…
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CEI Weekly: The EPA’s Latest Power Grab
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New York Times Documents the Case for Freedom
It’s not every day that the front page of The New York Times has two articles that highlight the importance of limited government, but today’s…
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Re-organizing the Federal Government to Crush Opposition
One of the few virtues of the federal government has been its inefficiency. With functions spread out across different agencies and duplicated powers and responsibilities,…
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Abandoning the Future: The Ruinous Consequence of Debt
Mere months after President Obama and Congress last tussled over the debt ceiling, the United States has once more reached its legal borrowing limit. But it still…
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Today’s Links: January 13, 2012
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Alcohol Regulation Roundup: January 13, 2012
Out with the old year and out with the old alcohol laws! 2012 is off to a great start with several states reducing the regulatory…
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Regulation of the Day 206: Buying Drain Cleaner
The state of Illinois now requires consumers to show valid ID to buy drain cleaner.
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CEI Podcast for January 12, 2012: Mistaken Deportations
Immigration Policy Analyst Alex Nowrasteh tells Jakadrien Turner's story and what it means for the immigration reform debate.
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EEOC Says High-School Diploma is Discriminatory Requirement, Stretches Employment Laws to Harm Small Employers
The Equal Employment Opportunity Commission recently posted a letter on its website claiming that it is illegal for employers to have a high-school diploma requirement…
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Price Fixing Causes Greek Medicine Shortage
Greece is rapidly degenerating into third-world status. The UK’s Daily Mail reports: Youngsters are being dumped by their parents who are struggling to make…
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U.S. Economic Freedom Declines as Regulations Increase
Economic Freedom in the United States declined over the past year, according to the newly released 2012 edition of the Heritage Foundation/Wall Street Journal global…
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Big Labor Political Influence Does Not Make Union Bosses Labor Experts
Openmarket.org A well-known fact is Big Labor’s powerful political influence. According to Opensecrets.org, five of the top 10 all-time federal campaign political donors are unions.
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Fed’s Plan to De-Mystify Interest Rate Intentions Won’t Induce Recovery
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Big Labor Political Influence Does Not Make Union Bosses Labor Experts
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Stuck in a High-Priced Box
The United Launch Alliance just got an Air Force launch contract for 159 launches, which I guess means that they didn’t get the 40-launch block…
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Supreme Court Rejects Obama Administration Power Grab Over Churches in Hosanna-Tabor v. EEOC
The Supreme Court has rejected the Obama administration's argument that it can dictate who churches hire as ministers or clergy in Hosanna-Tabor Evangelical…
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Today’s Links: January 11, 2012
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Rules for Dictators
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New York MTA Contract Negotiations Show Dangers of Binding Arbitration
In most jurisdictions, government employees responsible for public safety and other essential government services are not allowed to strike. In exchange for unions giving up…
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The Lunar Yellow (Non)Peril
Over at PJMedia today, I have a piece on the recently released white paper from the Chinese space program that lays…
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Today’s Links: January 10, 2012
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Regulation of the Day 205: Singing the National Anthem
Indiana state Sen. Vaneta Baker has introduced a bill that would make it illegal to sing the national anthem incorrectly.
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Regulation Roundup
The latest goings-on in the world of regulation:…
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Fannie and Freddie Helped Spawn the Mortgage Crisis, and So Did Affordable Housing Mandates
In a recent letter in The New York Times, I noted the role played by the government-sponsored enterprises, Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac, in…
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Regulation of the Day 204: How to Buy Liquor
Self-checkout lanes have been popping up in grocery stores across the country over the last several years. Some people worry that without the adult supervision…
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The Dying Duopoly
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Today’s Links: January 9, 2012
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Wisconsin: The Canary in the Coal Mine
Faced with a $9.2 billion budgetary shortfall next year, California Gov. Jerry Brown has not surprisingly reached for the only tool in the Democratic shed…
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Regulatory Capture
Businesses, especially larger ones, aren’t afraid of regulation. They often welcome it. They can use rules to stifle competitors, or can pad their profits by…
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Economic vs. Political Processes, or Why More Students Should Major in Economics
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Reply brief filed in Cobell v. Salazar
Today, we filed our reply brief in the Cobell v. Salazar appeal (No. 11-5205 (D.C. Cir.)). Oral argument is scheduled for February 16.
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Today’s Links: January 6, 2012
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Profits and Losses
Capitalism is a system of both profit and loss. Wishing losses away would have consequences quite different from Bhidé’s good intentions.
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Cordray Already on Board — In a Video — At Consumer Financial Protection Bureau
The Obama administration wasted no time in putting in place – in a home-page video — Richard Cordray as head of the Consumer Financial…
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Judge Upholds Michigan Union Power Grab
A federal judge in Michigan has denied class action status to a lawsuit brought by a group of independent child care workers who objected to…
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CEI Files Amicus Brief in Magner v. Gallagher, to Guard Against Financial Meltdowns and Racial Preferences
To help prevent another financial crisis, CEI helped file an amicus brief in a pending Supreme Court case, Magner v. Gallagher. The case tests…
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Rhode Island’s Bold Pension Reforms Point the Way Forward
To describe pension reform, Utah State Senator Dan Liljenquist put it best: "This is not a conservative-versus-liberal issue, this is a reality issue." Liljenquist…
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Congressional Democrats Join Republicans’ Call for GAO Investigation into California High-Speed Rail Boondoggle
In a letter sent Tuesday to the Government Accountability Office, 11 House Democrats called on the watchdog agency to investigate California's high-speed rail program. The…
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CEI Podcast for January 5, 2012: The Iowa Caucuses
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Today’s Links: January 5, 2012
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Public Pensions Fuel Government Growth
The straitened finances afflicting state and local governments across the nation have brought unprecedented scrutiny to government employees’ compensation, particularly pensions. As pro-market critics have…
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Cordray Recess Appointment is Travesty for Government Accountability
News is just breaking that President Obama will today make a "recess" appointment of Richard Cordray to head the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, a powerful and…
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Today’s Links: January 4, 2012
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Obamacare Causes Layoffs in Medical Device Industry, Harms Medical Innovation
Ramesh Ponnuru writes about the layoffs and lost jobs resulting from Obamacare's new tax on medical devices at Bloomberg News: A year from…
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Driving Continues to Decline in 2011
October 2011 marked the eighth straight month [PDF] of declining year-over-year vehicle-miles traveled (VMT) in the U.S. Compared to October 2010, driving was down…
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Good News, Bad News for Gamblers’ Freedom
President Obama’s Department of Justice (DOJ) has waged a hostile war against online gamblers including federal arrests and asset seizures of major Internet poker…
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Today’s Links: January 3, 2012
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Pension Tsunami, Record Federal Spending Increase U.S. Debts by $4.2 Trillion; State Debts Explode
Massive budget deficits and mushrooming pension, Social Security, and Medicare obligations increased the federal government's long-term obligations by $4.2 trillion in 2011 -- more than three…
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CEI Weekly: Federal Handouts Can’t Save Solar Energy Industry
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Regulation of the Day 203: Sledding
Out-of-towners are not allowed to go sledding in Beaver Borough, Pennsylvania.
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Today’s Links: December 30, 2011
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CEI Podcast for December 29, 2011: A Record Year for Regulation
Vice President for Policy Wayne Crews talks about why 2011 was a record year for both new regulations and their cost, and his ongoing "Ten…
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Today’s Links: December 29, 2011
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America’s Businesses Get It: Immigration Is Good
Anti-immigration advocates believe that harsh new laws will drive illegal immigrants out of the United States. They ignore the fact that the primary victim…
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Boom and Bust Madness: An Empirical Look at the Fed’s Dollar Binge
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Obamacare Stifles Job Creation, Causes Layoffs
At Bloomberg News, Andrew Puzder, CEO of CKE Restaurants, Inc., explains how the 2010 healthcare law is preventing jobs from being created and resulting…
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Today’s Links: December 28, 2011
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Record Red Tape
Over at Big Government today I noted the Federal Register of 2011 has almost reached the level of last year’s record. Given that 2011’s…
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Newt’s “Zany” Space Policy
Over at PJMedia over the weekend, I asked some space policy questions of Mitt Romney: So, Governor, if you want to…
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Washington Post: “Obama’s Green Technology Program was Infused with Politics at Every Level”
The Obama administration’s green-energy programs were driven by politics, not the public interest or sound policies. As The Washington Post recently noted in discussing…
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Today’s Links: December 27, 2011
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Gov. Mark Dayton (D-Big Labor)
National Right to Work Committee Trey Kovacs looks at Minnesota Governor Mark Dayton’s quest to empower union bosses by any means necessary: Minnesota State Senator…
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Festivus update
In the Toys “R” Us baby products antitrust case, the E.D. Pa. approved a settlement and fee request that pays $14M to attorneys and $8.1M…
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CEI Weekly: Merry Christmas!
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Today’s Links: December 23, 2011
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Regulation of the Day 202: Farting Pigs
It isn’t often that one sees Nobel-winning economist Ronald Coase’s name and pig farts in the same sentence. Thanks to a recent court decision in…
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Businessmen: Obamacare Stops Them from Hiring
Journalist John Stossel describes how "three successful businessmen came on" his TV show last week "to explain how Obamacare is a reason that unemployment stays…
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Holiday Travel Travails
Just in time for the holiday travel season, Vanity Fair’s Charles C. Mann took a trip through airport security with security expert Bruce Schneier.
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NAFTA: North Atlantic Free Trade Agreement?
The North American Free Trade Agreement liberalized trade between the three North American nations -- Mexico, the United States, and Canada -- to great…
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