Cato Event Podcast

From front-page news stories featuring transcripts of wiretapped campaign officials to dramatic cyberattacks using hacking tools stolen from the National Security Agency, intelligence and surveillance issues have saturated the news in 2017. Yet there were also plenty of important surveillance stories that didn't get the exposure they deserved: the ongoing debate over reauthorizing the NSA's controversial section 702 spying authority, set to expire at year's end; the Supreme Court's pending consideration of Carpenter v. United States, which could radically alter the contours of Fourth Amendment law; law enforcement's growing reliance on sophisticated data mining to attempt to identify criminals or terrorists before they act. The Cato Institute's annual surveillance conference will gather prominent experts, policymakers, technologists, and civil society advocates to explore these issues and more — and debate how much monitoring we should accept in a society that aspires to be both safe and free. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

From front-page news stories featuring transcripts of wiretapped campaign officials to dramatic cyberattacks using hacking tools stolen from the National Security Agency, intelligence and surveillance issues have saturated the news in 2017. Yet there were also plenty of important surveillance stories that didn't get the exposure they deserved: the ongoing debate over reauthorizing the NSA's controversial section 702 spying authority, set to expire at year's end; the Supreme Court's pending consideration of Carpenter v. United States, which could radically alter the contours of Fourth Amendment law; law enforcement's growing reliance on sophisticated data mining to attempt to identify criminals or terrorists before they act. The Cato Institute's annual surveillance conference will gather prominent experts, policymakers, technologists, and civil society advocates to explore these issues and more—and debate how much monitoring we should accept in a society that aspires to be both safe and free. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

How is the Pentagon faring under the Trump administration? More than many administrations, the Trump administration seems determined to rely on the Department of Defense as the primary tool of U.S. foreign policy. With the President’s open acclaim for his ‘generals,’ the Pentagon looms large in today’s U.S. foreign policy.Yet the new administration’s policies also create questions about the future of U.S. defense policy, from increased deployments in the Middle East to ongoing debate over the defense budget.Join us for a live taping of our new foreign policy podcast, Power Problems, where Cato’s own Trevor Thrall and Emma Ashford offer a skeptical take on U.S. foreign policy and discuss some of today’s big questions with guests from across the political spectrum. In this episode, they sit down with Aaron Mehta, Senior Pentagon correspondent at Defense News to discuss a variety of defense-related issues. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

From front-page news stories featuring transcripts of wiretapped campaign officials to dramatic cyberattacks using hacking tools stolen from the National Security Agency, intelligence and surveillance issues have saturated the news in 2017. Yet there were also plenty of important surveillance stories that didn't get the exposure they deserved: the ongoing debate over reauthorizing the NSA's controversial section 702 spying authority, set to expire at year's end; the Supreme Court's pending consideration of <em>Carpenter v. United States</em>, which could radically alter the contours of Fourth Amendment law; law enforcement's growing reliance on sophisticated data mining to attempt to identify criminals or terrorists before they act. The Cato Institute's annual surveillance conference will gather prominent experts, policymakers, technologists, and civil society advocates to explore these issues and more&mdash;and debate how much monitoring we should accept in a society that aspires to be both safe and free. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

From front-page news stories featuring transcripts of wiretapped campaign officials to dramatic cyberattacks using hacking tools stolen from the National Security Agency, intelligence and surveillance issues have saturated the news in 2017. Yet there were also plenty of important surveillance stories that didn't get the exposure they deserved: the ongoing debate over reauthorizing the NSA's controversial section 702 spying authority, set to expire at year's end; the Supreme Court's pending consideration of Carpenter v. United States, which could radically alter the contours of Fourth Amendment law; law enforcement's growing reliance on sophisticated data mining to attempt to identify criminals or terrorists before they act. The Cato Institute's annual surveillance conference will gather prominent experts, policymakers, technologists, and civil society advocates to explore these issues and more—and debate how much monitoring we should accept in a society that aspires to be both safe and free. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

From front-page news stories featuring transcripts of wiretapped campaign officials to dramatic cyberattacks using hacking tools stolen from the National Security Agency, intelligence and surveillance issues have saturated the news in 2017. Yet there were also plenty of important surveillance stories that didn't get the exposure they deserved: the ongoing debate over reauthorizing the NSA's controversial section 702 spying authority, set to expire at year's end; the Supreme Court's pending consideration of Carpenter v. United States, which could radically alter the contours of Fourth Amendment law; law enforcement's growing reliance on sophisticated data mining to attempt to identify criminals or terrorists before they act. The Cato Institute's annual surveillance conference will gather prominent experts, policymakers, technologists, and civil society advocates to explore these issues and more — and debate how much monitoring we should accept in a society that aspires to be both safe and free. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Some members of Congress are committed to holding the line on spending, but they face opposition from others more focused on busting spending caps and securing funds for pork programs. Yet federal deficits are soaring, and inefficient spending impedes economic growth by crowding out better state, local, and private alternatives.Sen. James Lankford (R-OK), on the discretionary side, has created a new and updated list of wasteful spending programs in his latest report, Federal Fumbles: 100 Ways the Government Dropped the Ball, vol. 3. Join the senator and leading budget experts to discuss the report and ways that fiscal hawks can cut unneeded spending today and set up responsible spending reforms for the future. Fortunately, around the world practical and successful systems are in place that U.S. lawmakers could, and should, consider emulating. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

On December 5, 1933, the Twenty-First Amendment to the Constitution was ratified, supposedly ending our nation’s failed experiment with alcohol prohibition.Prohibition brought with it violence, organized crime, unsafe alcohol practices, and denial of basic civil liberties — and it almost killed the cocktail.Yet, 84 years later, we continue to feel the lingering effects of prohibition, both in policy and in culture —  from blue laws, dry counties, and state-run liquor stores to the selection of alcoholic beverages available and the culture surrounding them.On Wednesday, December 6, please join the Cato Institute for a celebration of the 84th anniversary of the repeal of alcohol prohibition and a discussion of the way in which Prohibition still impacts us today. Then, continue the conversation at a reception featuring beer, wine, and specialty Prohibition-era cocktails. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Nearly four years have passed since Ukraine’s Revolution of Dignity brought down the corrupt government of Viktor Yanukovych. The revolution inspired widespread support and generated hope for a better future; yet Ukrainians’ expectations are far from being met. The economy has shrunk by 16 percent; the authorities have devalued the currency and defaulted on debt; living standards have plummeted; and growth remains weak. Levels of corruption and of political and civil liberties have hardly changed. The government’s unwillingness to reform has frustrated Ukrainians and foreign allies alike. Join us to hear a panel of experts explain Ukraine’s trajectory, make policy recommendations, and discuss prospects for change. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Amid much controversy, Secretary of Education Betsy DeVos recently began dismantling the federal guidance on campus sexual assault put in place by the Obama administration. DeVos said her predecessors had created a “failed system” that served neither accuser nor accused. Ending campus sexual assault was a signature issue of the Obama administration, which waged a concerted five-year effort to end what it said was an epidemic of sexual violence on college campuses. Emily Yoffe, contributing editor at the Atlantic, recently wrote a three-part series that examined federal and school policies on campus sexual assault and documented the systematic denial of due process for the accused, the junk trauma science used in adjudications, and the disproportionate number of African American students who are punished. In conversation with the Washington Post’s Ruth Marcus, Yoffe will discuss how this issue came to grip the nation, what the proposed Trump administration changes mean, and the strange new politics of campus sexual assault. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.