Rail shippers face the potential for new regulations. One specifically, would require railroads to share their privately-owned infrastructure. One skeptic of this regulation is Steve Pociask, an economist with the American Consumer Institute Center for Citizen Research, a nonprofit think tank that aims to examine how public policy impacts consumers. He co-authored an October 2021 report with Liam […]
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DOJ Should Dismiss the Airline Antitrust Suit
When antitrust issues make the news, it is usually centered around lawmakers and federal regulators seeking to reign in the power of big tech. However, despite the laser focus on big tech, the airline industry has also been in the crosshairs of antitrust enforcers, notably the Northeast Alliance Agreement between American Airlines and Jet Blue. […]
Town Hall: DOJ Gets a New Anti-Consumer Trustbuster
The confirmation of Jonathan Kanter to lead the DOJ’s antitrust division completes a progressive takeover of antitrust enforcement. Kanter’s past views and activities in the realm of antitrust provide further evidence that Washington will continue its assault on big tech and enshrine big is bad into law. Unfortunately, moving away from the consumer welfare standard […]
Right to Repair Takes a First Step
Every day, Americans discard 416,000 cell phones simply because they are broken and it is often more cost-effective to purchase a new device than repair the old phone. That number equates to over 151 million discarded devices each year. The staggering number of phones that are discarded daily not only represents wasted money for consumers, […]
FAA Wants to Holdup Your 5G Spectrum for Itself
The future of America’s 5G wireless services may be threatened by unwarranted concerns coming from the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA). A few weeks ago, the FAA issued a Guidance Bulletin that called on manufacturers to evaluate the host of altimeters in use and report back on possible interference from 5G wireless services, and issued a […]
Inside Source: Congressional Bill Will Cripple Start-Up Ecosystem
Over the past two years, lawmakers in Washington have turned their attention to reforming competition and antitrust laws, concerned that big tech companies have abused their market position. One of the most troubling proposals currently under consideration is Reps. Hakeem Jeffries and Ken Buck’s Platform Competition and Opportunity Act (PCOA) that, if passed, would prevent big tech companies […]
Washington Times: Congress Pushes for Tobacco Death and Taxes
Electronic cigarettes have been the single greatest advancement in tobacco harm reduction since scientists proved a link between smoking and cancer in the 1960s. While the use of electronic cigarettes is not without risk, studies have shown that they are far healthier than combustible products. Georgetown University Medical Center recently estimated that replacing combustible cigarettes […]
Maine Wire: Push to Ban Flavored Tobacco Products Undermines Public Health
On November 9, the Portland City Council’s Safety Committee voted to approve a sweeping ban on the sale of all flavored tobacco products. The full City Council is expected to take up the measure in the coming weeks. If adopted, Portland’s ordinance would make it the latest in a string of Maine jurisdictions — including Bangor and […]
Town Hall: Build Back Better Risks Supercharging “Greenflation”
Over the past year, the surging cost of energy has punished household budgets across the country. By driving up demand for critical minerals without facilitating their domestic extraction and procurement, the Build Back Better bill risks supercharging greenflation. Before sleepwalking into a foreseeable problem, the president needs to pre-emptively clear the regulatory roadblocks and capricious […]
Real Clear Policy: Strangling Generic Drugs is the Wrong Path to Lower Prices
Lowering drug prices is a public policy objective that everyone can agree on. About 18 million patients can’t afford their prescribed medications, according to a recent poll, including nearly 1 in 5 members of the poorest households. Unfortunately, Congress’ plan to control pharmaceutical prices consists of half-baked proposals that would do serious harm to consumers, including the decimation […]