Cato Podcast

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.

The rules that Florida has imposed governing hearing aid sellers and customers are onerous and in conflict with federal law. Larry Salzman, a senior attorney at the Pacific Legal Foundation, discusses a new lawsuit challenging those rules. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The confusion over trade that continues to infect the White House has real consequences. Don Boudreaux discusses the latest round of errors following the G-7 talks. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Using Amazon's “Rekognition," a video and image analysis program, police in at least two cities have the ability to identify and track many people as they go about their business. Matthew Feeney comments on the implications. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Kim Kardashian's advocacy on behalf of Alice Marie Johnson earns a commutation from the President as uncontroversial Congressional legislation to reform prisons appears to be stalled. Molly Gill of FAMM comments. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Can the President pardon himself? Donald Trump thinks so. Gene Healy comments. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

A new podcast from Libertarianism.org digs into the twin issues of civil forfeiture and eminent domain. Tess Terrible is the host and producer of the show. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

U.S. allies are preparing their retaliatory response to new tariffs on aluminum and steel. Colin Grabow and Simon Lester comment. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Puerto Rico still struggles to recover from Hurricane Maria. And yet the Jones Act continues to stymie potential economic progress. Colin Grabow comments. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Student loan balances in the United States recently crossed above $1.5 trillion. Should taxpayers be footing the bill for financing college education? Diego Zuluaga and Neal McCluskey comment. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The special deal President Trump cut for Chinese tech firm ZTE challenges both concerns about national security and free, open trade with few exceptions. Dan Ikenson discusses how we can take security concerns seriously while promoting more free trade. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Overcharged: Why Americans Pay Too Much for Health Care details, among other things, how Medicare fails and why it costs so much. Charles Silver is a coauthor of the book.Conference on June 8, 2018: Overcharged: Why Americans Pay Too Much for Health CareJoin the conversation on Twitter and stay tuned for updates with #OverchargedBook. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Two medical professionals operated virtually unchecked to put defendants away for long prison terms. Their methods were dubious and their science was bad. Two cases of exoneration are featured in the new book, The Cadaver King and the Country Dentist by Radley Balko and Tucker Carrington. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

What is the role of universities in defending freedom of speech? Keith Whittington makes his case in Speak Freely: Why Universities Must Defend Free Speech. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Things are getting better, and The Enlightenment deserves a large amount of the credit. Steven Pinker's new book is Enlightenment Now: The Case for Reason, Science, Humanism, and Progress. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

We tell ourselves stories about what motivates us to do we do what we do. The reality is far more complicated. Robin Hanson is the coauthor of The Elephant in the Brain: Hidden Motives in Everyday Life. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

How do well-meaning restrictions on so-called "hate speech" fail? How are the counterproductive? Nadine Strossen makes her case in Hate: Why We Should Resist It with Free Speech, Not Censorship. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The corruption revealed in Brazil's Operation Car Wash scandal was widespread, brazen, and seemingly unstoppable. One of the judges who helped bring the scandal to light is Sérgio Moro. Moro was interviewed by Mary Anastasia O’Grady of The Wall Street Journal during the 2018 Milton Friedman Prize for Advancing Liberty dinner held in New York this week. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Freedom of speech is worth protecting, and Europe is offering the United States lessons in how not to protect it. Jacob Mchangama directs the Danish think tank, Justitia. He spoke at the Cato Institute in April. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Questions remain about the White House Office of Legal Counsel and CIA attorneys over the approval of torture programs. Gina Haspel's nomination to head CIA was an opportunity to clear them up. Patrick Eddington makes his case. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

If you make some specific choices in life, a life of poverty is not in the cards, or so goes the argument. How should we think about the so-called "sequence for success"? Michael D. Tanner comments. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The Farm Bill is a collection of handouts unlike any other. It's designed almost entirely to earn majority support for hundreds of billions of dollars in handouts. Chris Edwards comments. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.