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How SAFER Banking Act poses new dangers to marijuana and other legal industries
Marijuana has been in the news lately, and the news seems to be overwhelmingly favorable to the industry in terms of reducing uncertainty as to…
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House GOP prepares CRA resolutions against Biden climate-risk rules, including SEC climate disclosure rule
Members of the House Financial Services Committee have passed four Congressional Review Act (CRA) resolutions targeting four Biden-era climate-risk rulemakings. Among these is a…
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Free the Economy podcast: Technology and society with Will Rinehart
In this week’s episode we cover nuclear radiation, luxury handbags, rent control in Maryland, net neutrality, and fighting malaria…
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Fed flirts with stimulus
As expected, the Federal Reserve signaled its commitment to fighting inflation by holding interest rates steady at this week’s Federal Open Market Committee meeting. It…
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Distinguished guests celebrate liberty movement jubilee
I recently returned to D.C. from Tampa, Florida, where I attended the 60th anniversary meeting (“Diamond Jubilee”) of the Philadelphia Society. For those who…
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Myths and facts about the PROVE IT Act
Myth: Supporting the PROVE IT Act (S. 1863) does not mean support for carbon taxes.Fact: Many bill supporters readily acknowledge that it will…
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New FDA lab tests rule could bankrupt small labs
Yesterday the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) announced that on May 6 it will promulgate a rule under its authority to regulate medical devices.
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Why policymakers should reject the PROVE IT Act: It’s a pro-tax, anti-energy bill
The PROVE IT Act (S. 1863) requires the collection and regular updating of the carbon intensity of domestic and foreign goods. It establishes the…
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California’s $20 fast food worker minimum wage a regressive tax
California’s new $20 an hour minimum wage for fast food restaurants has turned into a regressive tax on the state’s low-income residents. People who wanted…
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FDA makes lab test power play
The Food and Drug Administration has just released its long anticipated final rule that explicitly asserts its claim of authority to regulate laboratory-developed-tests (LDTs)—tests that are designed, manufactured,…
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Subsidy-free capitalism may require a constitutional amendment
Automobiles, electrification, ample consumer goods and mass marketing, a construction boom, and access to credit helped fuel the Roaring Twenties of a century ago.
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Why the PROVE IT Act would result in carbon taxes
The PROVE IT Act (S. 1863) is not a benign information collection bill on the carbon intensity of domestic and foreign goods. Instead, it…
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This week in ridiculous regulations: airline fees and greenhouse gas reporting
The Federal Register grew at nearly triple its usual pace last week. It is on pace for its first-ever 100,000-page year. GDP growth slowed to…
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Free the Economy podcast: Frontier economics with Kendall Cotton
In this week’s episode we cover the diamond jubilee of the Philadelphia Society, the cost of government regulation in the UK, the…
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EPA’s new powerplant rule is the Clean Power Plan on steroids
The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) yesterday announced its final rule establishing carbon dioxide (CO2) emission performance standards for existing coal powerplants and new…
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Weak GDP is first stress test for inflation fighters
I have been saying for a while that inflation expectations will remain high until policymakers prove they can restrain their stimulus spending during an economic…
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Small banks targeted as FDIC cracks down on technology partnerships
Earlier this week, Politico’s “Morning Money” column reported an astonishing finding that almost certainly points to politicization in enforcement by federal bank regulators. The…
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US move to ban TikTok a troubling signal for our great experiment in self-determination
As a part of a foreign aid funding package, the Senate passed a bill mandating TikTok’s divestiture from Chinese-based parent company, ByteDance. Biden…
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The flawed foundations of radiation risk assessment
The debate surrounding nuclear power has long been shaped by complex scientific, political, and social factors. At the heart of this debate lies the question…
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FTC approves ban on noncompete agreements, sets up potential court battle
The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) voted to ban the vast majority of noncompete agreements in employment contracts during a special open commission meeting this…
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Major questions on net neutrality: A new report
A new Competitive Enterprise Institute report, Major Questions on Net Neutrality: A primer on the FCC’s brewing broadband legal fight, analyzes the FCC’s effort…
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New UK report recommends ‘rules about rules’ for regulation
In a new report, the Center for Policy Studies in the UK surveys that nation’s regulatory landscape – and doesn’t like what it sees.
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The vital role of private conservation: A different perspective on Earth Day
Amidst the jubilation over government-led environmental initiatives on yet another Earth Day yesterday, it’s crucial to highlight a perspective too often overlooked: private conservation, rather…
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FTC tightens grip over its in-house judges
The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) possesses one of the most conflicted administrative law court (ALC) systems. The agency recently began hiring new administrative…
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This week in ridiculous regulations: service lamps and summer meals
Congress debated aid bills to Ukraine and Israel. Donald Trump’s hush money trial began. Agencies issued new regulations ranging from incinerator permits to effluent analysis.
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Seattle’s new minimum wage rule undermining delivery drivers
A new Seattle minimum wage law meant to boost the incomes of app-based delivery drivers has instead backfired, resulting in less work for drivers. Some…
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Department of Energy is coming after our light bulbs – again
We have already said goodbye to the incandescent light bulb, thanks to federal regulations. Will its replacement be next? Department of Energy (DOE) efficiency regulations…
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Free the Economy podcast: Heroes of Progress with Alexander Hammond
In this week’s episode we discuss venture capitalists fighting red tape, challenges to electric vehicle adoption, Americans sleeping on the job,…
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The FCC regulation web – again
In a January blog I discussed the needless web of regulation created by the FCC’s classification of broadband as a Title II common carrier…
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Biden says his steel tariffs totally different from Trump’s, speculates uncle was eaten by cannibals
President Joe Biden vowed Wednesday that he would get tough on China’s steel dumping by tripling tariffs on imports. He argued this was totally different…
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Sunshine in Wyoming’s civil forfeiture
Transparency in civil forfeiture took a small step forward last week when the Wyoming Liberty Group published its latest report. One difficulty in writing about…
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The eventual federal regulatory budget has bipartisan roots
With apologies to Margaret Thatcher, I’ll often joke that when the federal government runs out of other people’s money, it keeps spending anyway. The Congressional…
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This week in ridiculous regulations: train crews and airport concessions
Our colleague R.J. Smith passed away. R.J. coined the term “free-market environmentalism,” ran CEI’s private conservation efforts for many years, and was a valued…
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Bees are flourishing again. Thanks, capitalism!
You can relax, everyone: The honeybees are back. As Andrew Van Dorn of the Washington Post reported recently, America suddenly now has a record…
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Wi-Fi on wheels: FCC oversteps its authority with school bus ruling
This week the Competitive Enterprise Institute filed an amicus brief regarding yet another case of mission creep in the Biden administration. In this instance,…
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Spectrum spectacle: Security and competitiveness demand action on spectrum
We are familiar with the proverb “He who hesitates is lost.” Unfortunately, the United States is hesitating in allocating more spectrum to the marketplace and…
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Free the Economy podcast: Censorship by proxy with Jenin Younes
In this week’s episode we cover Gen Z job satisfaction, dumb biotech policy in the European Union, and figuring out how…
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Green rules, red tape: What American farmers can learn from EU protests
The European Union (EU) has been implementing various measures to fundamentally transform the agricultural sector, notably through initiatives such as the European Green Deal…
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RJ Smith (1937-2024)
Freedom has lost a true champion with the passing of longtime CEI analyst RJ Smith. RJ’s tireless advocacy for private property rights will be especially…
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The Inflation Reduction Act’s EPA slush fund gets going: Now it needs to be stopped
Last week, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) announced eight nonprofit organizations will be able to hand out $20 billion of taxpayer dollars to recipients…
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‘Fast Track’ series looks at states’ permit progress: First up, Pennsylvania
The Competitive Enterprise Institute is pleased to announce the release of a new policy paper series called “Fast Track.” The series, overseen by CEI senior…
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R.J. Smith – In Memoriam
The Competitive Enterprise Institute has lost a treasured friend and mentor, Robert J. Smith. All my thoughts about R.J. run to superlatives. He was a…
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This week in ridiculous regulations: energy labeling and wheel weights
Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida is set to visit President Biden this week. The moon may get assigned a time zone. Agencies issued new regulations…
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The Biden administration once again puts its climate agenda above home affordability
The Biden administration talks a good game about making housing more affordable, but in truth it is actively boosting costs through expensive climate change…
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Free the Economy podcast: Extremely online with Brad Polumbo
In this week’s episode we cover how honeybees came back from colony collapse disorder, why you shouldn’t believe the government’s nutrition advice,…
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OSHA tries to walk union officials into workplaces
The Occupational Health and Safety Administration (OSHA) issued a new rule Friday that will result in union organizers accompanying agency representatives during worksite inspections.
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New lunar time zones reinforce importance of keeping regulators earthbound
Maybe when actually applied to the blackness of space, regulatory dark matter can be a good thing. Joe Biden this week directed NASA to collaborate…
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Hailstorm exposes vulnerabilities in solar infrastructure: A wake-up call from Texas
Recent destruction of solar cells at the Fighting Jays Solar Farm in Texas has sparked concerns amongst locals about potential land contamination and drawn…
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Shocking: A federal agency’s new rule could harm electrical grid reliability
Last July the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) finalized FERC Order No. 2023, which makes significant changes to the procedures for adding new transmission to…
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Another ban from California: Say goodbye to most new gas-powered lawn and garden equipment
California is not just banning gas-powered vehicles and trying to ban diesel locomotives. The state is also banning the sale of new gas-powered…
