The Federal Government has No Plan to Fix Its Fiscal Mess
In testimony before a Senate Finance subcommittee, U.S. Comptroller General Gene L. Dodaro said the federal government was on an unsustainable fiscal path before the coronavirus and had no plan…
Fraudsters get Caught Buying Luxury Cars, Boats, Trips, and More With PPP Relief Funds
The federal government’s hastily assembled Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) was intended to help businesses keep workers on the payroll during the early weeks of the coronavirus pandemic. It largely succeeded…
California Imposes Equity Criteria for Reopenings
California imposed an additional layer of requirements before counties can lift restrictions on businesses. As the Cato Institute’s Walter Olson writes, the new health equity metric requires counties to show:…
Virginia Takes Steps to Demilitarize Police
Virginia’s General Assembly has taken a step toward demilitarizing local police departments. The House and Senate have passed competing measures that would prevent local law enforcement from obtaining and deploying…
Bipartisan Congressional Effort Seeks to Remove ‘Internet Kill Switch’
A bipartisan group of House and Senate members is pushing legislation to prevent a president from using a so-called “Internet kill switch” to take control of online communications during an…
Republicans take the ‘A’ grades, Democrats the ‘Fs’ in fiscal report card
The Cato Institute has released its “Fiscal Report Card on America’s Governors” for 2020 and four of the nation’s top state executives have earned “A” grades for cutting tax and…
Michigan Supreme Court Strikes Down Whitmer’s Emergency Powers
In a 4-3 decision, Michigan’s Supreme Court said Gov. Gretchen Whitmer (D) lacked the power to unilaterally extend a state of emergency declaration, and also held that a 1945 law…
How a Senate Virus Outbreak Could Complicate Barrett Confirmation
Even as Republicans press ahead with plans to begin hearings on Judge Amy Coney Barrett’s nomination to the U.AS. Supreme Court, there are still potential hazards in the way of…
Republicans Intend to Hold Barrett Confirmation Hearings as Scheduled
Despite two GOP members of the Senate Judiciary Committee testing positive for the coronavirus, Sen. Mitch McConnell still intends to begin hearings for Supreme Court nominee Amy Coney Barrett on…
Export-Import Bank Puts Taxpayers on Hook for Bailout of Mexico’s State-Owned Oil Company
The Export-Import Bank is back in the news, this time for putting U.S. taxpayers on the hook for a bailout of Mexico’s national oil company – and long-time Ex-Im Bank…