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HEADLINES
Three years ago, states sprinted to adopt national curriculum standards – the Common Core – in hopes of getting a chunk of $4.35 billion in federal “stimulus.†Forty-five states ultimately adopted, but over the last few months a firestorm has spread as the standards have hit districts and previously unaware citizens have denounced a federal takeover of their schools. Common Core, which once seemed like a done deal, now seems like anything but.
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COMMENTARY
Restrain the Abusive Administrative State
by Doug Bandow
Few Americans dread anything more than receiving a letter from the IRS. But imagine a full field audit, with intrusive questions about your activities and spending habits. From suspicious agents convinced that you’ve violated the law. That’s essentially what political activists on the Right have been enjoying recently, courtesy the Obama administration.
Hot Money, Cold Credit
by Steven H. Hanke
Money matters — it’s a maxim of Prof. Milton Friedman that I repeat often in my columns. Since the Northern Rock bank run of 2007 — the "opening shot" of the financial crisis — the money supply, broadly measured, in the United States, Great Britain, and the Eurozone has taken a beating. Recently, in the United States, money supply growth has started to rebound, but only slightly.
[More Commentary]
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FROM CATO@LIBERTY BLOG
Can Congress Make Lois Lerner Talk?
by Ilya Shapiro
Lois Lerner is lucky that she’s testifying at a congressional hearing rather than at a criminal trial. In a courtroom, if Lerner were a defendant, then she couldn’t have simply read an “opening statement†and then refused to testify further; her statement would’ve “opened the door†to questioning about the subjects she raised (and then there are further wrinkles in civil, as opposed to criminal, cases).
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FROM DOWNSIZINGGOVERNMENT.ORG
The Realities of Government Infrastructure
by Chris Edwards
Politicians and liberal economists get misty-eyed when thinking about grand infrastructure projects. But recent stories in the Washington Post about D.C.-area projects illustrate the realities of government capital investments. Arlington County recently spent $1 million for a single bus stop, and the structure doesn’t even shelter passengers from wind or rain. The stop is one of 24 along a planned streetcar route, which is a mode of transportation that makes no sense in this area.
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MULTIMEDIA
Video: Julian Sanchez discusses the AP scandal on Al-Jazeera's Inside Story (17:51)
Podcast: States Press 'Pause' on Common Core, featuring Neal McCluskey (10:08)
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UPCOMING EVENTS
TODAY! The End Is Near and It’s Going to Be Awesome: How Going Broke Will Leave America Richer, Happier, and More Secure, featuring the author Kevin D. Williamson, with comments by Nick Gillespie, Reason.com; and Cato scholar Michael D. Tanner, May 23, Book Forum,12:00PM (Luncheon to Follow)
The 2013 Farm Bill: Reducing the Economic and Environmental Costs, featuring Chris Edwards, Cato Institute; Scott Faber, Environmental Working Group; Andrew Moylan, R Street Institute; and Josh Sewell,Taxpayers for Common Sense, May 30th, Hill Briefing, 12:00PM (Lunch Included)
The Heller Ruling, Five Years On, featuring Alan Gura of Gura & Possessky, Cato Chairman Robert Levy, Clark Neily of the Institute for Justice, and Senior Editor of the Washington Times Emily Miller, June 4, Policy Forum, 12:00PM (Luncheon to Follow)
The Great Biotechnology Debate: Food and Farming in the Balance, featuring Jon Entine, Founding Director, Genetic Literacy Project; and Kevin M. Folta, Interim Chair, Horticultural Sciences Department, University of Florida vs. Jeffrey Smith, Author, Producer, Genetic Roulette; and via Skype, Gilles-Eric Seralini, President, Committee for Research and Independent Information on Genetic Engineering; moderated by Kyle Gibson, Executive Producer, Women in the World Summit, June 4, Policy Forum, 2:00 PM (Reception to Follow)
Many events at the Cato Institute are also streamed live online. Please check the schedule for availability.
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Capitol Hill Briefing, May 17, 2013
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Cato Policy Forum, May 16, 2013
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PUBLICATIONS
The Public Choice Revolution in the Textbooks, by James D. Gwartney in the Cato Policy Report (May/June 2013)
The Federal Reserve's Unsound Policies, by John A. Allison in the Cato Policy Report (May/June 2013)
Bond v. United States, Legal Brief by Nicholas Quinn Rosenkranz, Ilya Shapiro and Trevor Burrus
McCutcheon v. FEC, Legal Brief by Ilya Shapiro, Trevor Burrus, and Sophie Cole
Keystone XL Pipeline: Examination of Scientific and Environmental Issues, Testimony by Paul C. "Chip" Knappenberger
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