Brent Skorup The Federal Communications Commission today voted to reinstate Title II regulations for the Internet, needlessly extending the so‐​called net neutrality controversy into its third decade and opening the agency up to legal challenges. In 1996, before most Americans knew the sound of an AOL login dial tone (ask your parents), Congress passed a law announcing a national policy “to preserve the vibrant and competitive free market that presently exists for the Internet … unfettered by Federal or State regulation.” Lawmakers wanted to protect Internet services and companies fr ..read more

Colin Grabow Earlier this month Sen. Marco Rubio (R‑Florida) took to X (formerly Twitter) to address criticisms—including from me—of recent opinion pieces he penned calling for the expanded use of industrial policy. I’m normally not one to respond to social media call‐​outs, but since a sitting senator called me out by name—and called me names—I’m compelled to reply. The following are Sen. Rubio’s postings along with my responses. Sen. Rubio is selling the far‐​reaching nature of his argument a bit short. In both his National Affairs and Washington Post essays, the Florida senator ..read more

Marc Joffe Like mom and apple pie, the public library seems so intrinsically good that it should be beyond criticism. But like any institution that consumes millions of tax dollars, public libraries should not be free from scrutiny. And the facts are that neighborhood libraries have largely outlived their usefulness and no longer provide value for the public money spent on them. Consider the situation in Northern California, for example. In this fiscal year, four Bay Area counties (Alameda, Contra Costa, San Mateo, and Santa Clara) are collectively spending $270 million to operate their librar ..read more

Romina Boccia and Dominik Lett Congress recently approved a $95 billion foreign aid package to send aid to Ukraine, Israel, and the Indo‐​Pacific region. Including this new “one‐​time” emergency spending in fiscal projections distorts the Congressional Budget Office (CBO) baseline. With interest rates persistently high and long‐​term fiscal forecasts dire, Congress needs to budget honestly and transparently now more than ever. Congress should revise the baseline to exclude emergencies. Emergencies Distort the Baseline Each year, the independent, nonpartisan CBO produces a budget base ..read more

Travis Fisher and Alex Nowrasteh In a recent piece titled “Climate Change and Globalization,” Charles Kenny argues that globalization can help reduce the negative effects of climate change and even help reduce CO2 emissions. The essay was one of twelve in the Cato series Defending Globalization: Society and Culture. Although we agree with the call for liberalized global trade, we disagree with many of the essay’s recommendations regarding climate policy and multilateral agreements. First, let’s recognize some common ground. We greatly respect Dr. Kenny and value the open exchange of idea ..read more

Adam N. Michel Americans in ten states currently pay top tax rates above 49 percent, which is likely above the revenue‐​maximizing tax rate. Under President Biden’s proposed tax increases, almost three‐​quarters of the states would face top combined federal, state, and local tax rates above 49 percent.  Tax rates affect people’s decisions about how much to work and invest. The effects are often greatest for the highest‐​income individuals because they are able to change their behavior the most. Under the progressive tax rate system, additional income earned over certain income thresholds ..read more

Paul Matzko After years of legislative false starts, a TikTok ban bill has passed Congress. Notionally, the bill uses the threat of a ban to force a sale of the Chinese‐​owned app—thus allowing members of Congress to claim that it is not a ban—although the expert consensus is that China would rather stop US operations altogether than allow a sale to an immediate competitor. The legislation has been remarkably rushed; the bill was introduced in March and passed in April. During that time, no general and open hearings on the bill have been held and no unambiguous e ..read more

David Inserra In a ruling issued on April 17, the European Data Protection Board (EDPB) issued a decision that could unravel the very viability of social media company business models. The technical, inside‐​baseball nature of the case involving advertising and data privacy means it has flown under the radar but nonetheless presents a dangerous precedent that uniquely targets American tech companies.  So first, what is going on in this case? In the EU, the sprawling General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) places many demands on companies in how they manage the data of us ..read more

Michael Chapman Uri Berliner, a 25‐​year‐​long journalist at National Public Radio (NPR), recently resigned from his job after being suspended because he wrote about the entrenched left‐​wing/​woke mindset at NPR, calling it a “progressive silo.” Berliner’s tell‐​all confirms what media critics have long known, and reveals why taxpayer funding of the news media is not a good idea.  It would not matter whether NPR was liberally biased or conservatively biased. The bottom line is that if politicians (bureaucrats) control the funding of the news, then the news likely will be polit ..read more

Paul Best Merry Oaks Baptist Church in Chatham County, North Carolina, near the site of a new VinFast factory. North Carolina officials announced a long sought‐​after victory in early 2022: VinFast, a Vietnamese electric vehicle startup, will invest $4 billion to build a 2,000-acre automotive factory in Chatham County, creating 7,500 jobs for the community as it helps to restore the state to its former industrial glory. But skepticism grew about the plan as more details were released. The state intends to use eminent domain to purchase and then demolish over two dozen home ..read more