OpenMarket

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Over at Vox.com, Alexia Fernández Campbell has a post discussing the Trump administration’s release of its “...

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We’ve heard it for months. If President Trump pulls out of the Paris Agreement, America will be “hobbled in the global race for clean energy businesses and jobs,” as one eco-group leader...

Today, the National Right to Work Legal Defense Foundation and the Liberty Justice Center asked the United States Supreme Court to hear a case that could end forced union dues payments in the public sector as a condition of employment. The plaintiffs argue that government employee unions’ collection of dues from non-members amounts to forced political speech and a violation of their First Amendment rights.

The National Right to Work Legal Defense Foundation explains how the case got to this point:

The request for the U.S. Supreme Court to hear this case follows a March ruling by the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 7th Circuit, which upheld forced dues and fees based on the Supreme Court’s 1977 Abood v. Detroit Board of...

A significant consideration in President Trump’s pullout from the Paris climate agreement was the legal risk of staying in. As reported by Politico a month ago:

Advocates for withdrawing the U.S. from the pact argue that its terms could somehow interfere with Trump’s plans to roll back the Obama administration's domestic climate regulations — even though State Department lawyers strongly argue that’s not the case.

The Politico reporters behind this article clearly question the legal argument advanced by pullout proponents. First, the journalists use the modifier “somehow” to intimate incredulity. Then they report that State Department lawyers strongly argue otherwise. (Nota Bene: These journos’ framing is perhaps explained by the...

This week, almost a thousand of Washington’s finest liberty lovers will travel through the rabbit hole to CEI’s Annual Dinner and Reception. The topsy turvy backdrop of Alice and Wonderland is perfect for both a dinner cited as one of Washington’s most enjoyable events and an evening focused on the nation’s regulatory landscape.

It’s no secret that CEI puts a lot of love into this dinner, as each staff member contributes to make this a special evening. It’s a very important date you won’t want to be late for! And if you step through the looking glass with us you will likely encounter the following:

1. A maze of the most beautiful decorations you’ve seen.

If you don’t see the elaborate event décor first, you’re sure to hear some oohs and awes when you enter the event. Our dinner has a reputation of...

We’re back from a vacation break, but regulators stayed busy, even with a Memorial Day-shortened work week. After a lengthy delay, several Obama-era rules are starting to come into effect, especially energy-use rules ranging from refrigerators to ceiling fans. Newer rules range from veal tariffs to highways.

On to the data:

• Last week, 61 new final regulations were published in the Federal Register, after 75 the previous week.
• That’s the equivalent of a new regulation every three hours and 46 minutes.
• Federal agencies have issued 1,227 final regulations in 2017. At that pace, there will be 2,921 new final regulations. Last year’s total was 3,853 regulations.
• Last week, 1,258 new pages were added to the Federal Register, after 1,314 pages the previous week.
• The 2017 Federal Register totals 25,666 pages....

Banning laptop computers from airplane cabins could not only harm safety, but also the tourism industry. Such bans reduce air travel to the U.S., judging from a story yesterday in Politico:

Air travel from the Middle East to the United States fell for the first time in seven years after DHS prohibited passengers from carrying large electronics in-cabin on flights from some airports in the region, according to the International Air Transport Association.

The portable electronics ban went into effect at 10 Middle Eastern and African airports in March. IATA said that its...

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I’ve seen reports that Trump’s exit from the Paris climate agreement is contrary to the will of American voters. This...

Washington, D.C. has seen some great events on telecommunications and technology policy recently, as enormous attention has been focused on the Federal Communications Commission’s recent notice of proposed rulemaking on “Restoring Internet Freedom.”

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One of President Donald Trump’s central campaign promises was to slash red tape by reducing government overregulation. As described in CEI’s new Ten Thousand Commandments report, the plethora of small, seemingly inconsequential rules promulgated by federal agencies adds up to...