Morning Bell: See America’s Ranking in the 2013 Index of Economic Freedom
When we talk about “economic freedom,” what do we mean—and why does it matter? Economic freedom is the fundamental right of every human to control… Read More
Obama Continues to Skin the Cat with More Coal Closures
The skin continues to come off the cat. President Obama’s wish of a cap-and-trade plan to reduce greenhouse gas emissions would have bankrupted the coal… Read More
EPA Gives Green Light for California’s Costly Car Program
Last week, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) granted a waiver to the state of California to move forward with its Advanced Clean Cars Program. The… Read More
Beware! Regulations Incoming!
Buckle up, job-creators: The administrative state is set to grow steadily larger in 2013 with a slew of new regulations. “For months, federal agencies and… Read More
EnergyNews
Managing Nuclear Waste
Few think of a calm pool of water when they think of nuclear waste. While nuclear waste must be handled with skill and care, the… Read More
Soot, Soot Riot: EPA’s New Rule Costly and Unnecessary
Faced with a court-ordered deadline, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) finalized more stringent rules for National Ambient Air Quality Standards for Particulate Pollution (PM2.5), more… Read More
Hearing Exposes Obamacare’s Implementation Challenges for States
Yesterday, the House Energy and Commerce Committee held a hearing to discuss the implementation of Obamacare’s exchanges and Medicaid expansion, both of which are slated… Read More
Morning Bell: Businesses Cutting Hours, Bracing for Costs of Obamacare
It seems that every day now brings another business owner in the news talking about cutting workers’ hours or making other cost-cutting moves in anticipation… Read More
Uber Gives Taxi Regulators an Economics Lesson
Regulators around the country are looking to shut down an innovative startup that provides on-demand taxi and limousine services at the push of a button…. Read More
Virginia’s Uranium Working Group Releases Report
The Uranium Working Group (UWG)—established by Governor Bob McDonnell (R–VA) to help Virginia state legislators determine the regulatory requirements for uranium mining—released its final report… Read More
News
Disabilities Treaty Will Not Help Americans with Disabilities
Earlier today, Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D–NV) announced his intention to proceed to executive session tomorrow to consider the Convention on the Rights of… Read More
Just in Time for Thanksgiving: Bloomberg Puts Homeless on a Diet
Thinking of giving food to the homeless this Thanksgiving? Well, if you’re in New York City, that food had better comply with new nutrition standards… Read More
Thankless Regulations an Affront to Pilgrims
After 66 days of turbulent sailing across the Atlantic, the Pilgrims were understandably eager to touch land at Plymouth Rock. But before allowing themselves to… Read More
The Right Time for a Carbon Tax Is Never
Once the electorate was made to realize that cap-and-trade bills (Lieberman-Warner, Waxman-Markey, etc.) were actually taxes on fossil energy, cap and trade became political poison…. Read More
Cybersecurity Act of 2012 Defeated, but a Similarly Flawed Executive Order Is Around the Corner
Last night, the Cybersecurity Act of 2012 (CSA) failed to pass the U.S. Senate. The vote is already being portrayed as Republican obstructionism, even though… Read More
Morning Bell: Do You Trust the Government with Your Computer?
Do you trust the federal government to keep your personal data safe? What about your business’s records and trade secrets? If you answered “no,” you… Read More
Cybersecurity Act of 2012 Is Back, but Same Problems and Questions Remain
Senate majority leader Harry Reid (D–NV) has vowed to bring the Cybersecurity Act of 2012 (CSA) up for a vote in the lame-duck session, and… Read More
Morning Bell: The Threats of a Lame Duck Congress
The lame-duck session begins today, with retiring and defeated Members of Congress coming back to Washington to make their last legislative decisions. Because of the… Read More
Green-Energy Projects Face Opposition From Green Groups
“We need green energy. Just not here.” Do those words sound familiar? That’s quite often the case with so-called proponents of green energy. The acronym… Read More
Cybersecurity Executive Order Touts More Regulation as the Solution
As if the flood of regulations coming after the election weren’t bad enough, a draft of the newest cybersecurity executive order obtained by Heritage reveals… Read More
Morning Bell: Unemployment Rate Inches Back Up
The October jobs report essentially agrees with the rest of the current data on the economy—the economy is growing slowly, too slowly to bring down… Read More
America Doesn’t Need a Federal Department of Subsidies
Politicians too often confuse “free money” with “free markets”—that is, they consider themselves pro-business when they work deals that make some businesses happy, even though… Read More
Chart of the Week: Major Benefits of Free Trade
Nations that embrace international trade enjoy significantly stronger economies, achieve lower rates of hunger, and maintain a better stewardship of the environment, according to new… Read More
Morning Bell: Obama’s Imperial Presidency, Part II
Sometimes the law just gets in the way. The Obama Administration hasn’t needed Congress to enact new regulations on the Internet, businesses, energy production, and… Read More
INTERVIEW: Norman Reimer on Overcriminalization
Norman Reimer is executive director of the National Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers (NACDL). He sat down with us to discuss his organization’s efforts to… Read More
America’s Regulatory Competiveness Continues to Lag
According to the World Bank’s just-released Doing Business 2013—which looks into various reform measures to rank 185 economies on the ease of doing business—the United… Read More
Cybersecurity Flaws at Department of Labor Continue the Trend of Government Cyber Failures
A recent investigation into the Department of Labor’s (DOL) secure information systems revealed “very serious” cybersecurity flaws. Together with many other cybersecurity breaches and failures… Read More
Debate Analysis: Did Regulation Quadruple Under Obama? The Numbers Say Yes
Regulatory policy made a cameo appearance in last night’s presidential debate when Governor Mitt Romney took aim at the Obama Administration’s penchant for making rules…. Read More
Morning Bell: Heritage Experts Analyze Second Presidential Debate
During last night’s debate between President Obama and former Governor Mitt Romney, Heritage’s policy experts were live-blogging their analysis of the ideas discussed. Below are… Read More
Tales of the Red Tape #36: USDA Lays a Regulatory Egg
The Obama Administration fervently opposes state laws requiring voter identification to cast a ballot. But it is insisting that the nation’s farmers prove the identity… Read More
