Cato Podcast

Changing the way the feds oversee higher education may be helpful, but it's not clearly a win for liberty. Neal McCluskey comments. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Distributing plans for 3-D printed guns and the attempt to restrain that distribution is a clear First Amendment issue. Josh Blackman is an attorney for Defense Distributed, the company currently mired in legal wrangling over gun blueprints. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Some in Congress seem mystified that the Jones Act, a law to stifle competition in shipping, is making recovery more difficult for Puerto Rico. Colin Grabow explains. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

If the United States has cut deals with Al Qaeda in the Saudi-led war in Yemen, what does that say about the corrosive nature of the relationship between the U.S. and Saudi Arabia? Sahar Khan and John Glaser comment. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Proposals to turn Social Security into a bank for families wishing to take time off to care for new kids are flawed along a number of dimensions. Charles Blahous and Vanessa Brown Calder comment. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Several changes to the terms of the Affordable Care Act have enabled more substantial health care choices for millions of Americans. Michael F. Cannon explains. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Congress can protect investors from bad fiscal and monetary policy changes by indexing capital gains taxes to inflation. Why won't they do it? Mattie Duppler of the National Taxpayers Union comments. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

How do states take their cues from the feds when it comes to drug laws? And how has that driven the massive increase in prison population in the United States? Economist Daniel J. D'Amico comments. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

"Quiet Skies" monitors American travelers who are on a secret watchlist. Are you on the list? Matthew Feeney discusses the problems with this unwarranted surveillance. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Immigration and Customs Enforcement is an agency that ought to go, but doing so would require removing the authorities granted to the agency by Congress. Alex Nowrasteh explains how best to #AbolishICE. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

A new estimate puts the cost of "Medicare for All" at more than $32-trillion over ten years. Charles Blahous says that estimate assumes that the program works according to plan. He and Michael Cannon discuss how it probably wouldn’t go according to plan. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

An agreement struck between the European Union and the United States over trade is less substantive than fans of free trade would hope. Simon Lester comments. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The President's threatened removal of security clearances for his public critics is a message to future whistleblowers, according to Patrick Eddington. He also discusses a recently released FISA warrant application. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

New federal laws are aimed at making communication more difficult for sex workers. Alice Little is a legal sex worker and sex educator in Nevada. She discusses the worlds of legal and illegal sex work. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

How will Pakistan's new leadership impact relations with the United States and security in the region? Sahar Khan comments. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The private sector collects a lot of data about you. What are the implications for liberty when that data inevitably leaks? Charles Fain Lehman is author of a new essay at libertarianism.org, "The Problem Is What They Know."  Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

What does a decades-old ruling on the First Amendment tell us about the right of associational privacy today. Bradley Smith of the Institute for Free Speech comments on the ongoing relevance on the 60th anniversary of NAACP v. Alabama. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

At the Voice and Exit Conference in Austin, Thaddeus Russell and Bret Weinstein discussed free speech on campus, why most universities are basically the same, and how those schools must adapt to changing circumstances. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Despite the dramatic rise in college costs relative to the benefits, college debt remains an attractive option for students and their parents. Isaac Morehouse and T.K. Coleman of Praxis discuss why they believe parents and young people still make that big bet on student loans. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh's record with respect to warrantless government surveillance of Americans is worthy of scrutiny. Matthew Feeney discusses Klayman v. Obama. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Bans or restrictions on so-called "high-capacity" magazines are at best ineffective, and at worst counterproductive. That's according to Matthew LaRosiere, author of "Losing Count: The Empty Case for 'High-Capacity' Magazine Restrictions." Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

On a scale of "Tremendous" to "Treasonous," how did the Trump/Putin summit in Helsinki go? Chris Preble comments. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The President is now considering levying additional tariffs on hundreds of billions of dollars of Chinese goods, amping up trade-related antagonism. Dan Ikenson discusses the likely fallout for workers, consumers, and downstream producers in the United States. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Brett Kavanaugh has extensive experience in federal executive branch matters, either as an investigator or staffer. What does his record show about how he might rule on executive power and federal surveillance if he is elevated to the Supreme Court? Gene Healy comments. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Brett Kavanaugh, the new nominee to the Supreme Court, doesn't have a deep record when it comes to many areas libertarians care about. Walter Olson comments. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Brett Kavanaugh is Donald Trump's pick to replace Anthony Kennedy on the Supreme Court. Cato adjunct scholar Andrew Grossman comments on Kavanaugh's record on the DC Circuit. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Even when the federal government began issuing dietary guidance to Americans, it wasn't clear if the advice was sound. Terence Kealey's new Cato paper is "Why Does the Federal Government Issue Damaging Dietary Guidelines?" Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Why have the feds strongly encouraged Americans to avoid dietary fat for more than 40 years? Terence Kealey is author of the forthcoming Cato paper, "Why Does the Federal Government Issue Damaging Dietary Guidelines?" Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Freedom of speech came before the Supreme Court in multiple ways this term. In National Institute of Family and Life Advocates v. Becerra, the court's opportunity was to address what crisis pregnancy centers are required to say by law. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Dramatically reducing legal immigration appears to be one of the primary ends of anything the Trump Administration calls reform. David Bier comments. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

What are the essential lessons of economics that stick with kids? Connor Boyack has written several books detailing these lessons for children. We spoke at FEECon in Atlanta in June. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

How will the victory of Andrés Manuel López Obrador change relations with the U.S. or Mexico's approach to trade, the drug war, and other issues? Ian Vásquez comments. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Since the Supreme Court found recently that cops generally need a warrant to access certain data that gives away your location, how does surveillance change? Patrick Eddington and Matthew Feeney comment. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In his new book, Habeas Data: Privacy vs. the Rise of Surveillance Tech, Cyrus Farivar details how courts have failed to update privacy protections for the digital age. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Anthony Kennedy has a decidedly mixed record on the Supreme Court. Walter Olson and Roger Pilon discuss Kennedy's record as he steps down from the bench. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The Jones Act was passed in response to worries about U.S. reliance on foreign shipping during World War I. Why is it still on the books, raising prices and damaging U.S. economic performance? Dan Ikenson discusses his new Cato paper on the subject. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The Supreme Court holds that government "extraction of agency fees from nonconsenting public-sector employees violates the First Amendment" in the case of Janus v. AFSCME. Trevor Burrus comments on the case. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The rise of ICOs has raised the question of whether cryptocurrencies are securities. Is the nascent, but valuable technology deserving of that kind of treatment? Diego Zuluaga is author of a new Cato paper on the subject. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The Supreme Court upholds the original Trump travel ban imposing restrictions on would-be immigrants from several majority-Muslim countries. Ilya Shapiro discusses the case. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

How much security are we getting for a more-than $80 billion increase in military spending? Caroline Dorminey examines the new Pentagon budget.  Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

China and the United States continue to trade threats of tariffs. Where does this end? Colin Grabow and Simon Lester comment. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

If the police want your cell-based location, they'll need to first get a warrant, at least most of the time. Cato's Ilya Shapiro and Julian Sanchez comment on the Supreme Court's decision in Carpenter v. United States. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The newly clarified role and status of administrative law judges will drive litigation for years, now that the Supreme Court has weighed in. Walter Olson and Trevor Burrus comment on Lucia v. SEC. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

American patriotism now seems synonymous with fealty to the state and its military. But did patriotism ever have a moment that wasn't marred by ugly history? Historian Anthony Comegna comments. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Various new policies adopted by the Trump Administration have resulted in parents and children being separated at the U.S. border. Alex Nowrasteh discusses the problems created by the changes. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

If the U.S. military had understood insights from psychology in 2001, the mission in Afghanistan might have been substantially smaller. Erik Goepner is author of the new Cato paper, "War State, Trauma State." Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The U.S. mission in Afghanistan may have been compromised before it began. Decades of trauma visited upon people in Afghanistan may have left the country a poor candidate for reform. Erik Goepner is author of "War State, Trauma State,” a new Cato Institute paper. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

A case recently decided at the Supreme Court again chips away at the Contracts Clause in the Constitution. Roger Pilon discusses Sveen v. Melin. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The recent meeting between leaders of North Korea and the United States may help the Hermit Kingdom engage positively with a broader part of the world. Doug Bandow and Eric Gomez discuss what should come next. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Author Zak Slayback says too few young people seriously consider the costs and benefits of college versus other choices. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.