Cato Event Podcast

On February 21, the Supreme Court will hear oral arguments in Gonzalez v. Google, a case that risks reshaping the internet for the worse. In Gonzalez, plaintiffs have sued Google, the parent company of YouTube, alleging that YouTube’s algorithms aided terrorist recruitment by helping would‐​be terrorists find radicalizing videos. They argue that YouTube’s video “recommendations” are distinct from publishing and thus unprotected by Section 230. If accepted, their argument would expose many websites’ algorithmic matching features to litigation. This will be the first time the Supreme Court interprets Section 230, the bedrock intermediary liability shield that enables the modern internet, and whatever the court decides will echo throughout the web.Join our panelists Thomas Berry, Jess Miers, Nicole Saad Bembridge, and Gabrielle Shea for a discussion of the oral arguments in Gonzalez, moderated by Will Duffield. We will explain the implications of the case and attempt to read the tea leaves of justices’ reactions and remarks. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Personal and financial privacy are key components of life in free societies, where individuals enjoy—or at least should enjoy—a private sphere free of government involvement, surveillance, and control. However, laws that were written before the digital era now result in financial institutions collecting untold amounts of consumer data to which the government has easy—and often unfettered—access, intruding on Americans’ financial privacy and endangering their Fourth Amendment rights.The root of this problem is the Bank Secrecy Act of 1970 (BSA) and its later amendments, including those in the Patriot Act of 2001. The BSA now forms the basis of an extensive—and costly—regulatory framework that forces private financial companies to act as law enforcement agents. The evidence shows that this framework has placed major burdens on law‐​abiding Americans but has not significantly reduced criminal activity.Is it time to rethink how financial privacy is treated in the digital era? Join us for an outstanding panel discussion—moderated by Fox News Analyst Kat Timpf—featuring Norbert Michel, Jennifer Schulp, and Aaron Klein. Representative John Rose (R‑TN) will provide introductory remarks to kick off the event. Rep. Rose introduced the Bank Privacy Reform Act, a bill that would keep the Bank Secrecy Act’s record‐​keeping requirements intact but prevent the government from accessing consumers’ transaction history without first obtaining a warrant, thus reaffirming the Fourth Amendment protections against unreasonable searches and seizures. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Can I teach that book? What kind of reaction am I going to get from my administration or parents if I do? Is it worth the hassle?Across the country, educators are struggling with an evolving and confusing landscape when it comes to what they can teach. The number of banned and challenged books is skyrocketing. Some teachers have been told to hide or remove their classroom libraries out of fear of violating the law. Unsurprisingly, this has left educators afraid and confused.Sphere Education Initiatives is pleased to welcome Jonathan Friedman, Director of Free Expression and Education Programs at PEN America, for our webinar Challenging Classroom Conversations: Banned and Challenged Books to discuss his research on banned and challenged books in America, what’s driving this phenomenon, and how educators can respond during these confusing times. Join us on Wednesday, February 15th from 7:30 – 9:00 Eastern for this timely and important conversation.Following the opening conversation on banned and challenged books, there will be a professional development workshop introducing Sphere’s latest classroom resource, “Practicing Civil Discourse Through Literature.” Elyse Alter, Content Development Manager for Sphere Education Initiatives, will be joined by Stephanie Hasty, the author of the resource and an English Language Arts instructor, to discuss the role of civil discourse in the ELA classroom, preview some of the materials, and discuss ways to practically respond to the specter of banned and challenged books in your community. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The Cato Institute is pleased to welcome South Dakota governor Kristi Noem Thursday, February 16, from 11 a.m. to noon for a panel discussion with Cato senior fellow Jeffrey Singer, MD, on what the COVID-19 pandemic taught us about how to deal with a public health emergency and the need for health care regulatory reform. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The Cato Institute is pleased to welcome Iowa governor Kim Reynolds this Friday, February 10, from 11 AM–noon for a panel discussion with Chris Edwards, Kilts Family Chair in Fiscal Studies and primary author of the Fiscal Policy Report Card on America’s Governors, and Neal McCluskey, the director of Cato’s Center for Educational Freedom.Governor Reynolds received the highest score on the Report Card in 2022. She has been a lean budgeter and dedicated tax reformer since entering office in 2017. She slashed the Iowa corporate income tax from 9.8 percent to 5.5 percent, and she transformed the individual income tax from a nine‐​bracket system with a top rate of 8.98 percent to a 3.9 percent flat tax.Edwards and the governor will cover the importance of tax reform in today’s competitive economy and the challenges of restraining spending, and balancing an annual state budget. McCluskey and the governor will discuss education policy and school choice. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Please join us for a virtual policy conversation with Chris Sununu, the governor of New Hampshire. In the past two years, Governor Sununu and the State of New Hampshire have topped Cato’s rankings for both our Fiscal Policy Report Card on America’s Governors and our recently released Freedom in the 50 States report. The online discussion will feature Governor Sununu and William Ruger and Jason Sorens (authors of the Freedom in the 50 States report). Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

ince September 2022, when the 22‐​year‐​old woman Mahsa Amini died at the hands of “religion police,” Iran has been shaken by massive anti‐​regime demonstrations. The protestors demand freedom from an authoritarian regime that has ruled in the name of religion since 1979. Do they have a chance? Or is the Islamic republic strong enough to survive for the foreseeable future? And what are the lessons from Iran for other Muslim‐​majority nations, where the role of religion in public life keeps being contested?Cato fellow Sahar Khan will moderate and Mustafa Akyol will discuss these questions with Mohamad Machine‐​Chian, an Iranian intellectual who has been on the forefront of the freedom movement within the Islamic republic and who only recently moved to the United States. He has personally experienced the regime’s brutality and has studied both its structure and also its critics. Come join us on January 25 for this important conversation. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Joining Sphere Education Initiatives for this conversation will be a trio of experts: John Malcolm, vice president for the Institute for Constitutional Government and director of the Meese Center for Legal and Judicial Studies at the Heritage Foundation, Demetrius Minor, national manager of Conservatives Concerned About the Death Penalty, and Clark Neily, senior vice president for legal studies at the Cato Institute. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The bankruptcy of centralized crypto exchange FTX has led to congressional hearings and calls to further scrutinize and regulate cryptocurrency and decentralized finance (DeFi). But how does DeFi compare to centralized or traditional finance in terms of its risks and benefits, and how should regulation take into account these distinctions? This panel will explore what it means for financial instruments and exchanges, as well as networked organizations, to be decentralized, the proper role of regulators when confronting decentralized financial markets, and the future of financial technology policy and innovation. Please join us for an in‐​person lunch, or online, to hear from a panel featuring Linda Jeng, Dane Lund, and Tiffany J. Smith in discussion with Jack Solowey, hosted by Jennifer Schulp. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

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Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Public schooling has always been a site of social conflict, with diverse people forced to contend with each other to determine what the schools for which they all must pay will teach. But something seems to have changed in the past few years, with battles feeling more heated than ever before.In this forum, historian Jonathan Zimmerman will discuss the newly revised, 20th anniversary edition of his book Whose America: Culture Wars in the Public Schools, which dives into both historical conflicts and our present‐​day battles and contemplates how to find common ground. He will be joined by Cato Center for Educational Freedom Director Neal McCluskey, whose own new book, The Fractured Schoolhouse: Reexamining Education for a Free, Equal, and Harmonious Society, contemplates much of the conflict Zimmerman has chronicled and suggests that educational choice offers the best hope for peace and unity. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Sphere Education Initiatives and iCivics are excited to invite you to a free professional development webinar on “Students, Teachers, and Free Speech”to be held over Zoom from 7:30 – 9:00 pm Eastern on December 13th. As we approach Bill of Rights Day, join educators from across the country and leading experts on the Constitution and the Supreme Court to learn more about the history of free speech cases and the impact they have on you as an educator.Our featured panelists include Thomas A. Berry, a research fellow in the Cato Institute’s Robert A. Levy Center for Constitutional Studies and managing editor of the Cato Supreme Court Review, Linda R. Monk, constitutional scholar and author of The Bill of Rights: A User’s Guide, and Julie Silverbrook, Senior Director of Partnerships and Constitutional Scholar in Residence at iCivics. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Rochelle Walensky, Director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), said, “For 75 years, CDC and public health have been preparing for COVID-19, and in our big moment, our performance did not reliably meet expectations.” She announced plans to “reset” the agency by restructuring its communications team, changing its organizational structure, and emphasizing applied rather than academic scientific research.Where did the CDC fail, and where did it succeed in responding to the COVID pandemic? Did the agency’s leadership suffer from politicization and groupthink? Is the Director’s proposed “reset” enough of a reform? Are there other systematic agency failures that reformers should remedy? Joining us to discuss these and other questions are Martin A. Makary, MD, MPH, Professor of Surgery at Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine and Professor of Health Policy and Management at Johns Hopkins University Bloomberg School of Public Health; Ari N. Schulman, editor of The New Atlantis, and The New Atlantis Books; and Ronald A. Bailey, science correspondent for Reason Magazine and an adjunct scholar at the Cato Institute. The discussion will be moderated by Cato Institute senior fellow Jeffrey A. Singer, MD. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In recent decades, estimates of Chinese defense spending have varied wildly. Recognizing that market exchange rates cannot provide the best picture of Chinese defense spending on their own, analysts began using a blend of purchasing power parity and market exchange rates to represent Chinese military expenditures. With no agreed‐​on methodology, however, estimates have ranged from roughly $250 billion to near $600 billion. Since the Defense Department has identified China as the “pacing challenge” for the United States, the size and shape of China’s military has significant implications for the U.S. defense budget, U.S.-Chinese relations, and the future of security in Asia. Please join our panel for a wide‐​ranging discussion of how best to represent China’s growing military power. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Environmental, social, and governance—or ESG—has captured the attention of the financial world. From large inflows to investment funds that market themselves as ESG‐​friendly to battles over ESG‐​framed shareholder proposals, ESG cannot be ignored. But what is ESG? Will it leave a lasting mark on financial regulation? Is ESG changing corporate governance? What role should ESG play in investment decisions? Should ESG be considered in assessing financial stability? Join us for an outstanding program featuring leading policymakers and experts discussing ESG and the future of financial regulation at Cato’s eighth annual Summit on Financial Regulation. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Environmental, social, and governance—or ESG—has captured the attention of the financial world. From large inflows to investment funds that market themselves as ESG‐​friendly to battles over ESG‐​framed shareholder proposals, ESG cannot be ignored. But what is ESG? Will it leave a lasting mark on financial regulation? Is ESG changing corporate governance? What role should ESG play in investment decisions? Should ESG be considered in assessing financial stability? Join us for an outstanding program featuring leading policymakers and experts discussing ESG and the future of financial regulation at Cato’s eighth annual Summit on Financial Regulation. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Environmental, social, and governance—or ESG—has captured the attention of the financial world. From large inflows to investment funds that market themselves as ESG‐​friendly to battles over ESG‐​framed shareholder proposals, ESG cannot be ignored. But what is ESG? Will it leave a lasting mark on financial regulation? Is ESG changing corporate governance? What role should ESG play in investment decisions? Should ESG be considered in assessing financial stability? Join us for an outstanding program featuring leading policymakers and experts discussing ESG and the future of financial regulation at Cato’s eighth annual Summit on Financial Regulation. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Environmental, social, and governance—or ESG—has captured the attention of the financial world. From large inflows to investment funds that market themselves as ESG‐​friendly to battles over ESG‐​framed shareholder proposals, ESG cannot be ignored. But what is ESG? Will it leave a lasting mark on financial regulation? Is ESG changing corporate governance? What role should ESG play in investment decisions? Should ESG be considered in assessing financial stability? Join us for an outstanding program featuring leading policymakers and experts discussing ESG and the future of financial regulation at Cato’s eighth annual Summit on Financial Regulation. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Environmental, social, and governance—or ESG—has captured the attention of the financial world. From large inflows to investment funds that market themselves as ESG‐​friendly to battles over ESG‐​framed shareholder proposals, ESG cannot be ignored. But what is ESG? Will it leave a lasting mark on financial regulation? Is ESG changing corporate governance? What role should ESG play in investment decisions? Should ESG be considered in assessing financial stability? Join us for an outstanding program featuring leading policymakers and experts discussing ESG and the future of financial regulation at Cato’s eighth annual Summit on Financial Regulation. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Critics of libertarianism argue that it is an ideology created by and for privileged white men. But the modern libertarian movement was founded and kept alive thanks to the writings and advocacy of three unstoppable women: Isabel Paterson, a literary critic; Rose Wilder Lane, a journalist; and Ayn Rand, a philosophical immigrant.In 1943, Paterson published The God in the Machine, Lane The Discovery of Freedom, and Rand The Fountainhead. These three books changed the course of libertarianism in the United States.Timothy Sandefur’s new book Freedom’s Furies tells the story of how this trio created a movement based on the principles of individualism and individual rights. Debunking the stereotypes of libertarians, Sandefur shows how these women inspired future generations to fight for freedom.Please join us for an introduction to Freedom’s Furies by Timothy Sandefur and interim director of Lib​er​tar​i​an​ism​.org Paul Meany, followed by a discussion featuring Libertarian activist Carla Howell, Reason Magazine’s Elizabeth Nolan Brown, and Kat Murti from the Cato Institute. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

With massive U.S. debt and deficits, inflation at a 40‐​year high, and popular/​political pressure for expanding the Fed’s mandate, it’s time to assess the Fed’s performance and future. Please join leading scholars and policymakers to discuss “The State of Monetary Policy after 40 Years.” Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

With massive U.S. debt and deficits, inflation at a 40‐​year high, and popular/​political pressure for expanding the Fed’s mandate, it’s time to assess the Fed’s performance and future. Please join leading scholars and policymakers to discuss “The State of Monetary Policy after 40 Years.” Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

With massive U.S. debt and deficits, inflation at a 40‐​year high, and popular/​political pressure for expanding the Fed’s mandate, it’s time to assess the Fed’s performance and future. Please join leading scholars and policymakers to discuss “The State of Monetary Policy after 40 Years.” Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

With massive U.S. debt and deficits, inflation at a 40‐​year high, and popular/​political pressure for expanding the Fed’s mandate, it’s time to assess the Fed’s performance and future. Please join leading scholars and policymakers to discuss “The State of Monetary Policy after 40 Years.” Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Join Sphere Education Initiatives in advance of the election for a professional development webinar on Election Reform and the Midterm Election. Held via Zoom on November 1st from 7:30 – 9:00 pm eastern, we’ll hear from a panel of experts on the Electoral Count Act, a major legislative initiative in Congress that aims to modernize federal law around presidential elections, particularly in response to the events of January 6th.Joining Sphere will be Andy Craig, staff writer for the Cato Institute, Kevin Kosar, senior fellow at the American Enterprise Institute, and Genevieve Nadeau, counsel for Protect Democracy. These experts will consider some of the events of January 6th and the need for Congressional action, the proposed legislation, and some of the broader issues around election reform. In addition to our panel conversation, David Olson of Retro Report will offer a professional development workshop on their Midterm Elections Collection, a suite of videos and classroom resources for teaching about Midterm Elections in your classroom. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

t his 2022 State of the Union address, President Biden focused the nation’s attention on “a national mental health crisis.” Mood disorders and suicidal thoughts and behaviors have been rising at alarming levels for years. The pandemic and government‐​mandated lockdowns increased anxiety, isolation, and despair while also reducing access to mental health services. Approximately 40 percent of Americans currently cannot access mental health services, particularly services requiring drug‐​based therapy.Clinical psychologists can play a greater role in meeting those needs. Some federal agencies, five states, and the territory of Guam authorize competent clinical psychologists to prescribe medications that affect mood and mental functions. Those jurisdictions refer to such psychologists as prescribing psychologists, medical psychologists, or RxPs. However, most states prohibit competent clinical psychologists from prescribing such medication. To address the mental health crisis, should state lawmakers expand the scope of practice of competent clinical psychologists to include prescribing?Joining us to discuss this are Dr. Beth Rom‐​Rymer, a clinical psychologist, chair and president of the board of directors of the National Register of Health Service Psychologists, and CEO of the Illinois Association of Prescribing Psychologists; Dr. Rebecca Weintraub Brendel, an assistant professor of psychiatry at Harvard Medical School, director of the master’s degree program at Harvard Medical School’s Center for Bioethics, and president and distinguished fellow of the American Psychiatric Association; Dr. Thomas D. Lee, a psychiatrist at the Ascension Alexian Brothers Center for Mental Health in Arlington, Illinois, who supervises psychology fellows in the Ascension RxP Fellowship Program; and Dr. Claudia Mosier, a prescribing psychologist licensed in Illinois and Louisiana. The discussion will be moderated by Cato Institute senior fellow Jeffrey A. Singer, MD. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The public’s reliance on social media platforms has created new opportunities for censorship by proxy, despite the First Amendment’s prohibition on government speech regulation. Will Duffield’s recent policy analysis “Jawboning against Speech: How Government Bullying Shapes the Rules of Social Media” details how government officials increasingly use informal pressure to compel the suppression of disfavored speakers on platforms like Facebook and Twitter.However, the specifics of this bullying, and what to do about it, remain contested. Does jawboning require a threat? When can coordination between platforms and government be voluntary? Solutions to jawboning must respect platforms’ rights and cannot inhibit congressional debate. What, then, can be done?Please join Will Duffield, Adam Kovacevich, and Jenin Younes at the Cato Institute or online for a conversation about this novel threat to free speech. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In 2001 there were only 12 private school choice programs in the country, including vouchers, tax credit scholarships, and personal tax credits and deductions. College prices were rising at “crisis” rates and calls for “free” government pre‐​kindergarten were regularly heard. During that same year, the idea to create Cato’s Center for Educational Freedom (CEF) was born, and in 2002 CEF came to life.In this special event, we will examine the changing state of American education over the past 20 years. What has improved? What has gotten worse? What has CEF’s impact been? And what might the next 20 years have in store?We hope you’ll join CEF analysts and friends past and present as they tackle 20 years of change in American education. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The January 6, 2021, assault on the U.S. Capitol and the related attempt to overturn the election results featured elements of three white supremacist or militia‐​type elements: the Oath Keepers, the Three Percenters, and the Proud Boys. The rise of such groups was a cause for concern well before January 6, and that concern has only intensified since.What has not received as much attention is the reaction from the far left to these developments.Groups such as the Socialist Rifle Association, Latino Rifle Association, Yellow Peril Tactical, and the multichapter John Brown Gun Clubs are populated with Americans with decidedly leftist—and even Marxist—political outlooks. Coupled with a facility with the latest versions of the popular AR-15 sporting rifle, precision rifle optics, body armor, and other gear normally seen on police or military personnel, they offer—in their own words—a direct response to the likes of the Patriot Front, Proud Boys, and anti‐​LGTBQ activists. These developments raise the specter of lethal confrontations between such armed right‐​wing and left‐​wing groups.How numerous are these ideologically oriented armed elements? What are the key political, legal, and social drivers leading to their formation and activities? How does the patchwork of federal, state, and local laws govern this kind of activity? Is the American political and judicial system capable of preventing these groups from becoming an endemic threat to public safety and the functioning of our republic? Join us as our expert panel delves into these and related issues. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

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Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

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Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

We typically think of school choice as something that benefits students by helping them find the educational options that work best for them. But teachers also benefit from more options. In the past, the vast majority of teaching jobs have been in conventional public schools. But educational entrepreneurship—encouraged by expanded school choice programs—is changing the landscape.A recent Morning Consult teacher survey found high levels of support for a variety of school choice programs. For education savings accounts, which let parents use a portion of state education funding for a variety of education‐​related expenses, 76 percent of teachers expressed support—including 73 percent of district school teachers. But many teachers are unfamiliar with school choice programs and alternative education opportunities or don’t realize how they can benefit from these options. Red tape, lack of autonomy, and inability to serve kids’ needs are some of teachers’ biggest complaints. School choice would help solve each of those problems.The Cato Institute will be hosting a virtual panel of former public school teachers sharing their experiences within a variety of teaching environments. This will be an opportunity for teachers to learn about other options and see how they can create their own paths with nearly limitless possibilities. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In the more than 50 years that the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) has been on the books, it has helped revolutionize Americans’ understanding of how their government works in practice. But the agencies and departments of the executive branch that are covered by the FOIA have persistently attempted to thwart its effective implementation.The most recent statutory update to FOIA took place in 2016, and with several years of experience with the revised law behind us, it’s fair to ask: Is FOIA working better now? If not, why not? What is it like to battle federal agencies and departments weekly to pry loose information dealing with immigration policy, telecommunications policy, and the national security establishment? What additional changes to FOIA are needed to truly make the law work as intended? Join our expert panel as we discuss these and related issues. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

With massive U.S. debt and deficits, inflation at a 40‐​year high, and popular/​political pressure for expanding the Fed’s mandate, it’s time to assess the Fed’s performance and future. Please join leading scholars and policymakers to discuss “The State of Monetary Policy after 40 Years.” Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.