2022
Democrats must not be allowed to replicate Europe’s energy disaster
In the Alpine nation of Austria, where I currently live, residents are receiving the euro equivalent of $490 as a “climate and anti-inflation” bonus. This will be a godsend for those struggling with rocketing European energy prices and sustained inflation . Other European nations are doing the same, as well as more than a dozen…
The Sam Bankman-Fried Hold on the Trillion-Dollar Crypto Trade Leaves It Vulnerable
Throughout the cascading cryptocurrency collapses and bankruptcies this summer, one name rose to the top: Sam Bankman-Fried, also known as SBF. The Bahamas-based American billionaire entrepreneur heads FTX, the world’s second-largest cryptocurrency exchange. This year, he’s become a primary protagonist in the folding of crypto platforms and hedge funds like Celsius Network, Voyager and Three…
Thailand takes the dangerous path of denying harm reducing alternatives
In a move that sent waves across South and Southeast Asia last week, Thailand’s Public Health Minister and Deputy Prime Minister Anutin Charnvirakul iterated that the importation and production ban on vaping products will continue, depriving Thai smokers of provable alternatives to quit. Harm-reducing alternatives to combustible cigarettes, including vaping devices, heated tobacco, and oral…
Canada’s shaky rules on cryptocurrencies have their root in Ontario
The notoriously volatile cryptocurrency market has seen more downs than ups, lately. But for Canadians curious about Bitcoin and cryptocurrency — which, notwithstanding the crash of earlier this year is now once again a $1 trillion global asset class — buying and selling any of these digital assets will hinge on where you live. Quebecers or British…
Energy costs struggle against judicial activist squeeze
YAËL OSSOWSKI In the traditional American view of self-government, we prefer decision-making to be as local as possible. Government works best when decisions are made closest to those affected, whether at the city, municipal, or state level, depending on the question. This makes democratic accountability easier and lets states and municipalities become “laboratories of democracy,”…
Harm Reduction Takes a U-Turn on Vaping
Public health officials and those with significant sway in setting health policy were joyous last month when the Food and Drug Administration denied the ability of Juul Labs to continue selling its vaping device. Handed down as a Marketing Denial Order, the decision forces gas stations, retailers and vape shops to pull Juul devices off the shelves, depriving…
The FDA is waging an irrational war against nicotine, vaping
Last week, the Food and Drug Administration handed down a consequential decision affecting millions of consumers: a marketing denial order for the pod-based Juul vaping company. This forced gas stations, convenience stores, and vape shops to immediately stop selling them to customers. Now, the FDA’s actions have been temporarily halted by the D.C. Appeals Court,…
Consumer Choice Center’s FDA Menthol Melee
In response to the FDA’s proposed rules to outlaw both menthol cigarettes and all flavors in cigars, the Consumer Choice Center hosts its own session, called the Menthol Melee. Given that the FDA has yet to heed the warnings of the impact of the bans, we think it’s time they listen to those who will…
Not your keys, not your coins: Claiming better ownership of your stack with Bitcoin privacy
The tools to be a better sovereign Bitcoin user are at your disposal – and recent developments suggest you should use them When significant consolidations happen in the cryptocurrency market, Bitcoiners have a habit of sounding the alarm, reminding folks to remove their hard-earned Satoshis from exchanges and brokerages. It’s sound advice both from a price perspective…