Cato Event Podcast

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, the media, or elsewhere? What are the keys to a productive debate about security policy? Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

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 experiences at sanctioned OPCs in North America, are Chelsea Boyd, research fellow in the R Street Institute’s integrated harm reduction program; Darwin Fisher, Senior Program Manager at PHS Community Services Society in Vancouver, British Columbia, and manager of Insite, North America’s oldest sanctioned overdose prevention center; and Kailin See, Senior Director of Programs for OnPoint NYC and program and development lead for New York City’s two sanctioned overdose prevention centers, the first approved OPCs in the United States. Cato Institute senior fellow Jeffrey A. Singer will moderate the discussion. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

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 for more information.

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 leaves of justices’ reactions and remarks. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

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 for an outstanding panel discussion—moderated by Fox News Analyst Kat Timpf—featuring Norbert Michel, Jennifer Schulp, and Aaron Klein. Representative John Rose (R‑TN) will provide introductory remarks to kick off the event. Rep. Rose introduced the Bank Privacy Reform Act, a bill that would keep the Bank Secrecy Act’s record‐​keeping requirements intact but prevent the government from accessing consumers’ transaction history without first obtaining a warrant, thus reaffirming the Fourth Amendment protections against unreasonable searches and seizures. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

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 opening conversation on banned and challenged books, there will be a professional development workshop introducing Sphere’s latest classroom resource, “Practicing Civil Discourse Through Literature.” Elyse Alter, Content Development Manager for Sphere Education Initiatives, will be joined by Stephanie Hasty, the author of the resource and an English Language Arts instructor, to discuss the role of civil discourse in the ELA classroom, preview some of the materials, and discuss ways to practically respond to the specter of banned and challenged books in your community. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

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/privacy for more information.