Cato Event Podcast

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For longer than modern health insurance has existed—and nearly as long as there has been a federal income tax—the federal tax code has treated employee health benefits differently from cash compensation. Cash compensation is subject to income and payroll taxes. When employers instead pay workers with health insurance, that compensation avoids both types of tax.Economists have argued for decades that Congress should limit or eliminate the tax exclusion for employer‐​sponsored health insurance. They argue that the exclusion distorts labor and health care markets, such as by increasing medical prices and health insurance premiums. Some say the exclusion is the single most harmful federal intervention in health care. Others say it is simply a tax cut that benefits workers by making health care coverage more accessible.Please join our panel of experts to explore the impact of the tax exclusion and whether Congress should reform or end it. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The United States has expansive goals in Europe, the Middle East, and the Indo‐​Pacific, and spends nearly a trillion dollars per year on defense. Yet the strategy is still arguably insolvent. Former Acting Defense Secretary Chris Miller argues that the defense budget should be cut dramatically to support a fundamentally different grand strategy. Please join Secretary Miller and Justin Logan, Cato’s director of defense and foreign policy studies, for a conversation on defense budgets and strategy. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Few 20th‐​century figures have had as much impact, and been so criticized, as Friedrich Hayek—Nobel Prize‐​winning economist, social theorist, leader of the Austrian School of Economics, and champion of classical liberalism.In Hayek: A Life, historians of economics Bruce Caldwell and Hansjoerg Klausinger draw on never‐​before‐​seen archival and family material to produce an authoritative account of Hayek’s first five decades. This includes portrayals of his early career in Vienna; his relationships in London and Cambridge; his family disputes; and definitive accounts of the creation of The Road to Serfdom and of the founding meeting of the Mont Pèlerin Society. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Senator Tim Kaine (D‑VA) will conclude the event with a keynote address covering the efforts to repeal the 1991 and 2002 Authorizations for the Use of Military Force against Iraq. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

On March 20th, 2003, the United States and an allied coalition launched a bombing campaign against Iraq and began the Iraq War to overthrow Saddam Hussein. A protracted campaign led to U.S. occupation and nation‐​building long after the fall and capture of Hussein. Twenty years later, the Cato Institute invites you to join us for a discussion about the war and the state of affairs today.Our first panel examines the political climate and context surrounding the run‐​up to war in 2002–2003. To what extent was the debate surrounding the war characterized by groupthink? Does the phrase “marketplace of ideas” accurately describe that debate? What were the major factors shaping that debate, and what were their effects?Our second panel contrasts the climate of opinion in politics and media today with that of 2002–2003. Is there more debate surrounding U.S. foreign policy today than there was then? Why or why not? Are there meaningful constraints on executive action in foreign policy from Congress

On March 20th, 2003, the United States and an allied coalition launched a bombing campaign against Iraq and began the Iraq War to overthrow Saddam Hussein. A protracted campaign led to U.S. occupation and nation‐​building long after the fall and capture of Hussein. Twenty years later, the Cato Institute invites you to join us for a discussion about the war and the state of affairs today.Our first panel examines the political climate and context surrounding the run‐​up to war in 2002–2003. To what extent was the debate surrounding the war characterized by groupthink? Does the phrase “marketplace of ideas” accurately describe that debate? What were the major factors shaping that debate, and what were their effects?Our second panel contrasts the climate of opinion in politics and media today with that of 2002–2003. Is there more debate surrounding U.S. foreign policy today than there was then? Why or why not? Are there meaningful constraints on executive action in foreign policy from Congress

Parents and pundits have expressed concerns about the online content young people are consuming as well as their overall online experience. Policymakers have responded by introducing various regulatory proposals they feel will improve children and teenagers’ online safety. For example, President Biden highlighted the impact of technology on young people and expressed a desire to improve their online privacy in his State of the Union address in February. Legislative proposals focused on improving child online safety have been introduced in the United Kingdom, Congress, and various U.S. states, but there are also concerns that these proposals will negatively impact online speech and privacy. Are these proposals a solution to children’s online safety, or do they create new issues for parents and young people? Join us as we discuss these policy developments and their potential consequences. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

As deaths from drug overdoses and drug‐​related diseases continue increasing, policymakers in cities across the United States have become more willing to consider implementing overdose prevention centers (OPCs) as the next step toward a more effective harm reduction strategy. For more than 30 years, OPCs have prevented overdose deaths, HIV and hepatitis, and other diseases and helped people with substance use disorder find treatment. OPCs, also known as safe consumption sites or drug consumption rooms, began in Europe in the mid‐​1980s. Governments and harm reduction organizations now operate OPCs in 16 developed countries, including many European countries, Canada, Mexico, and Australia. Unfortunately, a federal law that prosecutors and harm reduction opponents call the “crack house” statute makes them illegal in the United States. Yet New York City sanctions two such facilities in defiance of federal law.Joining us to discuss the worldwide experience with OPCs, and to share data and experienc

Interest in central bank digital currencies (CBDCs) has dramatically increased over the past few years. What was once limited to passing ideas in academic papers has now become a leading policy discussion. Yet with it has also come a growing concern for the future of freedom. Will CBDCs spell doom for financial privacy? Do they pose a fundamental threat to the banking system? And how should policymakers think about the future of money?The Cato Institute is pleased to welcome Representative Tom Emmer (R‑MN) to provide an opening address as the first member of Congress to introduce legislation prohibiting the Fed from launching a retail CBDC. Following Rep. Emmer’s address, Norbert Michel, vice president and director of the Center for Monetary and Financial Alternatives at Cato, will moderate a panel discussion with Greg Baer, Christina Skinner, Christian Kameir, and Nicholas Anthony. Come join us on March 9 for this important conversation. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy fo

Freedom of the press is a cornerstone of our democratic political system. But reporters, pundits, and editors face intense pressure to adopt and amplify government messages in their coverage of U.S. foreign policy. In Unreliable Watchdog, Ted Galen Carpenter focuses on the nature and extent of the American news media’s willingness to accept official accounts and policy justifications, too often throwing skepticism aside. Unreliable Watchdog jump‐​starts a badly needed conversation about how the press must improve its coverage of foreign policy and national security issues if it is to serve its proper role for the American people. Join us as the author and discussant explore why so many journalists―as well as social media platforms―seem willing to collaborate with government officials in pushing an activist foreign policy. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

On February 21, the Supreme Court will hear oral arguments in Gonzalez v. Google, a case that risks reshaping the internet for the worse. In Gonzalez, plaintiffs have sued Google, the parent company of YouTube, alleging that YouTube’s algorithms aided terrorist recruitment by helping would‐​be terrorists find radicalizing videos. They argue that YouTube’s video “recommendations” are distinct from publishing and thus unprotected by Section 230. If accepted, their argument would expose many websites’ algorithmic matching features to litigation. This will be the first time the Supreme Court interprets Section 230, the bedrock intermediary liability shield that enables the modern internet, and whatever the court decides will echo throughout the web.Join our panelists Thomas Berry, Jess Miers, Nicole Saad Bembridge, and Gabrielle Shea for a discussion of the oral arguments in Gonzalez, moderated by Will Duffield. We will explain the implications of the case and attempt to read the tea leav

Personal and financial privacy are key components of life in free societies, where individuals enjoy—or at least should enjoy—a private sphere free of government involvement, surveillance, and control. However, laws that were written before the digital era now result in financial institutions collecting untold amounts of consumer data to which the government has easy—and often unfettered—access, intruding on Americans’ financial privacy and endangering their Fourth Amendment rights.The root of this problem is the Bank Secrecy Act of 1970 (BSA) and its later amendments, including those in the Patriot Act of 2001. The BSA now forms the basis of an extensive—and costly—regulatory framework that forces private financial companies to act as law enforcement agents. The evidence shows that this framework has placed major burdens on law‐​abiding Americans but has not significantly reduced criminal activity.Is it time to rethink how financial privacy is treated in the digital era? Join us

Can I teach that book? What kind of reaction am I going to get from my administration or parents if I do? Is it worth the hassle?Across the country, educators are struggling with an evolving and confusing landscape when it comes to what they can teach. The number of banned and challenged books is skyrocketing. Some teachers have been told to hide or remove their classroom libraries out of fear of violating the law. Unsurprisingly, this has left educators afraid and confused.Sphere Education Initiatives is pleased to welcome Jonathan Friedman, Director of Free Expression and Education Programs at PEN America, for our webinar Challenging Classroom Conversations: Banned and Challenged Books to discuss his research on banned and challenged books in America, what’s driving this phenomenon, and how educators can respond during these confusing times. Join us on Wednesday, February 15th from 7:30 – 9:00 Eastern for this timely and important conversation.Following the openi

The Cato Institute is pleased to welcome South Dakota governor Kristi Noem Thursday, February 16, from 11 a.m. to noon for a panel discussion with Cato senior fellow Jeffrey Singer, MD, on what the COVID-19 pandemic taught us about how to deal with a public health emergency and the need for health care regulatory reform. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The Cato Institute is pleased to welcome Iowa governor Kim Reynolds this Friday, February 10, from 11 AM–noon for a panel discussion with Chris Edwards, Kilts Family Chair in Fiscal Studies and primary author of the Fiscal Policy Report Card on America’s Governors, and Neal McCluskey, the director of Cato’s Center for Educational Freedom.Governor Reynolds received the highest score on the Report Card in 2022. She has been a lean budgeter and dedicated tax reformer since entering office in 2017. She slashed the Iowa corporate income tax from 9.8 percent to 5.5 percent, and she transformed the individual income tax from a nine‐​bracket system with a top rate of 8.98 percent to a 3.9 percent flat tax.Edwards and the governor will cover the importance of tax reform in today’s competitive economy and the challenges of restraining spending, and balancing an annual state budget. McCluskey and the governor will discuss education policy and school choice. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/pr

ince September 2022, when the 22‐​year‐​old woman Mahsa Amini died at the hands of “religion police,” Iran has been shaken by massive anti‐​regime demonstrations. The protestors demand freedom from an authoritarian regime that has ruled in the name of religion since 1979. Do they have a chance? Or is the Islamic republic strong enough to survive for the foreseeable future? And what are the lessons from Iran for other Muslim‐​majority nations, where the role of religion in public life keeps being contested?Cato fellow Sahar Khan will moderate and Mustafa Akyol will discuss these questions with Mohamad Machine‐​Chian, an Iranian intellectual who has been on the forefront of the freedom movement within the Islamic republic and who only recently moved to the United States. He has personally experienced the regime’s brutality and has studied both its structure and also its critics. Come join us on January 25 for this important conversation. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Joining Sphere Education Initiatives for this conversation will be a trio of experts: John Malcolm, vice president for the Institute for Constitutional Government and director of the Meese Center for Legal and Judicial Studies at the Heritage Foundation, Demetrius Minor, national manager of Conservatives Concerned About the Death Penalty, and Clark Neily, senior vice president for legal studies at the Cato Institute. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The bankruptcy of centralized crypto exchange FTX has led to congressional hearings and calls to further scrutinize and regulate cryptocurrency and decentralized finance (DeFi). But how does DeFi compare to centralized or traditional finance in terms of its risks and benefits, and how should regulation take into account these distinctions? This panel will explore what it means for financial instruments and exchanges, as well as networked organizations, to be decentralized, the proper role of regulators when confronting decentralized financial markets, and the future of financial technology policy and innovation. Please join us for an in‐​person lunch, or online, to hear from a panel featuring Linda Jeng, Dane Lund, and Tiffany J. Smith in discussion with Jack Solowey, hosted by Jennifer Schulp. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.