Nearly half (49%) of Americans don’t understand that Social Security is a pay-as-you-go program, a new Cato Institute and YouGov poll shows. ➡️ https://ow.ly/PZsP50XNnfA

🌍 Sports prove globalization works. From foreign-born stars to booming leagues worldwide, competition and open markets make everyone richer, and the games better. Dominic Pino breaks it down in Defending Globalization: https://ow.ly/ewZy50XFSlt

The United States ranks 15th in the latest Human Freedom Index, down from 8th place in 2000. The Human Freedom Index 2025 measures economic, personal, and civil freedom in 165 countries using 87 distinct indicators across 12 categories. Check it out here: https://ow.ly/yULZ50XLLiZ

Before this year, the federal government hadn’t taken a direct stake in a healthy private company since the 1950s. Now it’s taken 14, creating a system of “state corporatism” that distorts markets and threatens American capitalism itself. Cato’s Scott Lincicome explains: https://ow.ly/hSCP50XLGJ9

Americans want to take politics out of Social Security, a new Cato Institute survey finds. There is strong bipartisan support for tasking a commission of independent experts to fix the retirement program. Read more from Romina Boccia and Ivane Nachkebia ➡️ https://ow.ly/H1Ms50XLH15

What is the libertarian answer to the “affordability crisis”? Remove government regulation and protectionism that restricts the supply of key goods and services. Cato’s Ryan Bourne lays it out: https://www.cato.org/commentary/libertarian-approach-affordability

🔍 A patchwork of state-level AI laws could freeze progress before it starts. From compliance costs to conflicting model-level rules, AI innovators risk navigating 50 different systems. Jennifer Huddleston outlines why a durable federal approach to AI policy is necessary. https://ow.ly/8Qva50XLuUq

Powerful words from P. J. O’Rourke, reminding us that with freedom comes responsibility. O’Rourke was a libertarian, satirist, and a staunch defender of individual liberty.

Declaring fentanyl as a weapon of mass destruction is not going to make the war on drugs any less unwinnable than it already is, says general surgeon and Cato Institute’s senior fellow Jeffrey Singer.

SNAP costs are rising, eligibility rules are weakly enforced, and waste is rampant. Our new fact sheet shows why these problems persist—and how devolving SNAP to the states will resolve these problems by aligning program authority with funding responsibility. https://ow.ly/zPV850XMF3F

From Soviet repression to Western “misinformation” crackdowns, Flemming Rose has seen it all. The former Jyllands-Posten editor, now a Cato fellow, tells Jonathan Fortier why war and fear always shrink freedom, and what that means for free speech. Full story: ​​https://ow.ly/P3by50XFQHP

Rescheduling cannabis is a small step in the right direction, but it unfortunately keeps prohibition in place. “True cannabis reform means removing it from the Controlled Substances Act, not reshuffling it within it,” the Cato Institute’s Dr. Singer explains. ➡️ https://ow.ly/OXYR50XLMka

Thanks to DOGE, the number of federal employees has been reduced by at least 270,000 since January. A decline that large has not happened since the military demobilizations at the end of World War II and the Korean War, reports Cato’s Alex Nowrasteh. ➡️ https://ow.ly/9pWj50XLE5g

President Trump’s legal immigration ban is the most extreme of his two terms, explains David Bier. It bans nearly all legal immigration from about 40 countries, covering about 1 in 5 legal immigrants from abroad and nearly 400,000 legal immigrants over three years. ➡️ https://ow.ly/Bn7050XLAxW

Global human freedom deteriorated sharply following the COVID-19 pandemic and remains well below pre-pandemic levels four years after the outbreak, states the Human Freedom Index 2025. Check out the report here: https://ow.ly/1QKx50XLelU

Affordability comes from productivity, not politics — from letting markets work, letting prices convey real information, and letting Americans keep more of what they earn. Learn more from Cato Institute’s Romina Boccia.

Few Americans understand why Social Security has severe financial problems, a new survey shows. 55% don’t know that the earliest recipients contributed little compared to the large benefits they received; 74% don’t know the worker-to-retiree ratio has collapsed. Learn more: https://ow.ly/NCjB50XKuqg

We trust adults to weigh the risks and benefits of drinking, and we rely on age restrictions and enforcement, not broad bans, to keep alcohol out of minors’ hands. “Why should we treat cannabis differently?” asks Jeffrey A. Singer, MD. Read more: https://ow.ly/QUeI50XLcuR

To lower costs on everything starting with food, health care, and appliances, officials should cut the red tape that inflates these prices. “A real affordability agenda would unleash free markets, not constrain them”, explains Cato Institute’s Ryan Bourne. https://ow.ly/Mne850XL6Qi

Digital services taxes are bad and largely aimed at American tech firms, but they mostly harm the countries that impose them and are far less destructive than the OECD Pillar One plan or retaliatory trade actions.DSTs are not a threat worth overreacting to,says Adam Michel. https://ow.ly/EciT50XKXzJ

Worried about kids bonding with AI toys? Look closer. Dr. Jeffrey Singer shows these concerns aren’t new—and that well-designed AI can support creativity and language, while poorly built tools exploit trust. Parents, not Washington, set the right guardrails. Read here: https://ow.ly/FXiu50XKACw

Nearly two-thirds of Americans say Congress’s management of Social Security has resulted in “mostly broken promises” to workers, a new Cato and YouGov survey finds. 58% say Social Security offers a “worse deal” to younger workers compared to current retirees. Learn more: https://ow.ly/JJBz50XKtf2

DHS clearly has an official nationwide policy of threatening people who attempt to follow, record, document, and protest their activities. The DOJ asserts that this is “domestic terrorism” activity. Check out this report, where Cato’s David Bier lays out the facts ➡️ https://ow.ly/eaL750XKsv4

Countries with the highest levels of human freedom are 1) 🇨🇭Switzerland, 2) 🇩🇰 Denmark, 3) 🇳🇿New Zealand, 4) 🇮🇪 Ireland, and 5) 🇱🇺 Luxembourg, according to the Human Freedom Index 2025. Check out more: https://ow.ly/nIVG50XKp0W

Switzerland is ranked No. 1 with the highest level of human freedom and Denmark comes in 2nd, according to the Human Freedom Index 2025. The United States is ranked 15, behind Canada (12), but ahead of Germany (17), Japan and the UK (both 19). ➡️ https://ow.ly/BBVS50XKncE

70% of Americans expect benefit cuts in Social Security, and 30% believe the program will not exist when they retire, a new Cato Institute survey finds. Learn more from Emily Ekins and Hunter Johnson: https://ow.ly/U3Zc50XK0UU

A Hong Kong court convicted Jimmy Lai, the territory’s most prominent champion of democracy and basic human rights, of breaching national security. “The sham trial and conviction confirm Hong Kong’s tragic descent into tyranny”, writes Cato Institute’s Ian Vasquez. https://ow.ly/G9Uh50XK21T

This past weekend, the Islamic State (ISIS) killed three Americans in Syria. “The best course of action is removing the needless and counterproductive US military presence in Syria,” Cato’s Jon Hoffman writes. Learn more: https://ow.ly/JQoH50XK1mE

December 15 is Bill of Rights Day! 234 years ago today the first 10 amendments to the US Constitution were ratified, forever enshrining key protections for individuals against government overreach. Read more from Cato’s Mike Fox: https://ow.ly/nGIz50XJYSQ

Rescheduling cannabis doesn’t end prohibition—it only reshapes it, says Dr. Singer. Real reform requires Congress to remove cannabis from the CSA and allow states to regulate it openly, without burdening patients, clinicians, researchers, or businesses with a legal illusion.https://ow.ly/aQj850XIEg7

Globalization has produced undeniable benefits — for the United States and the world. Learn how the free exchange of goods, ideas, and people across borders drives innovation and prosperity. Learn with Cato Courses! 🎓 https://ow.ly/Y6vW50XHVMw

An effort is underway to archive the papers of humorist and libertarian P. J. O'Rourke, whom the WSJ once dubbed “the funniest writer in America.” To learn more about the project, click the link. ➡️ https://ow.ly/EuMV50XIAJk

Ever heard of the Christmas tree tax? There is a 15-cent tax, which is part of the federal commodity promotion authority, also known as checkoff programs. It’s time for these programs to go away, says Cato Institute’s Adam N. Michel.

Federal preemption is an important part of allowing the conversation on AI policy to continue without risking a single state derailing important developments of AI and its applications, Cato's Jennifer Huddleston explains. Read more on the topic: https://ow.ly/jCNx50XII9P

The US Surgeon General and the Public Health Service Commissioned Corps are relics of a bygone era - expensive, redundant, and counterproductive to modern public health. We need a decisive reform. Learn more from Dr. Singer.

American satirist P. J. O'Rourke believed that Americans could get along better through humor, civility, and good scotch—what he called "extreme moderation." To learn more about preserving P. J.'s writings for posterity, click on the story. ➡️ https://ow.ly/7xAQ50XIAEy

App stores are a huge driver of innovation and opportunity for both developers and consumers—they do not need legislation to create an “antitrust" solution. Regulatory intervention would make things worse for consumers and small app developers, Jennifer Huddleston explains.https://ow.ly/ailJ50XHNZf

Data from DHS shows that its “worst of the worst” claims account for just 4% of ICE arrests since January, reports Cato’s David Bier in a new analysis. ➡️ https://ow.ly/3vTB50XHVKN

“The annual chance of being murdered in an Afghan terrorist attack is about 1 in 14.2 billion per year. The annual chance of being murdered in a normal homicide is about 1 in 14,000 per year, approximately one million times greater,” writes Cato Institute's Alex Nowrasteh. https://ow.ly/u6TE50XH9Th

On paper, SAVE was a student loan repayment plan. In practice, it was a mass student loan forgiveness scheme, explains Cato's Andrew Gillen. Learn more: https://ow.ly/r1L750XHF48

Champion of liberty David Boaz believed that most change in America doesn’t come from politicians but from “people inventing things and creating.” David Boaz played an indispensable role in the development of the Cato Institute and was a foundational figure of modern libertarian thought.

“The math simply doesn’t work”: In this video clip, the Cato Institute’s Clark Packard explains why President Trump’s $2,000 “tariff dividend” doesn’t add up.

🎄 That Christmas tree you bought? It came with a hidden 15¢ federal tax. It’s all part of billion-dollar USDA "checkoff” programs that forces private companies to fund research and marketing like the “Got Milk?” campaign. Learn more from Adam Michel. ➡️ https://ow.ly/C7V650XHsRV

The attack was a serious crime, but Afghan-origin terrorism on US soil is rare. Punish the killer to the maximum. But don’t target “entire nationalities with no demonstrated connection to terrorism,” says Cato’s Alex Nowrasteh. https://ow.ly/VoTf50XH9KE

Australia’s new social media ban for kids “will have a drastic impact on the free expression and online privacy of kids and adults alike,” says Cato's David Inserra. Instead of bans, real solutions should empower parents, not the government, and teach kids how to safely use the internet.

Javier Milei became president of Argentina two years ago on Dec. 10, when he promptly began to implement far-reaching market reforms. “Unsurprisingly, Milei’s policies have started to reverse the country’s long-standing decline,” says Cato’s Marcos Falcone. ➡️ https://ow.ly/4szR50XH8O5

If Lakanwal is a terrorist, his murder of Beckstrom will mark him as the deadliest-ever Afghan-born terrorist on US soil, explains Alex Nowrasteh. That’s no consolation to the victims who deserve justice, but Afghan terrorism on US soil is a rare and manageable threat. ➡️ https://ow.ly/1vKg50XH5R3

Wishing María Corina Machado our heartiest and warmest congratulations for being formally awarded the Nobel Peace Prize today!

In America today, you need a government permission slip just to build on your own land. 🏡 Stephen Slivinski argues in Free Society Magazine that red tape, not demand, is what’s keeping homes scarce and freedom to build out of reach. Read here:

America is a tech powerhouse because it embraces light-touch regulation. Cato’s Jennifer Huddleston emphasizes that we should do the same for AI if we want innovation to flourish for all.