Abolish the Commerce Department
Donald Trump has tabbed Howard Lutnick to be the next secretary of the Department of Commerce. He should also be the last.
Department of Commerce
Trump Promised To 'Drain the Swamp.' He Did the Opposite.
Total spending under Trump nearly doubled. New programs filled Washington with more bureaucrats.
If Semiconductor Chip Demand Is High, Why Do We Need More Subsidies?
Commerce Secretary Gina Raimondo says more chip subsidies are needed, even before the Biden administration has distributed $52 billion or measured how effective that spending was.
A Rare Win for Sanity in U.S. Tariff Policy
The U.S. International Trade Commission voted unanimously to reject a nakedly protectionist proposal that would have made canned goods more expensive.
New Tariffs on Tin Cans Get Biden Administration Approval
There's no good reason for the government to block Americans' access to cheaper tin cans.
Companies Seeking CHIPS Act Subsidies Are Encouraged To Double-Dip
At least a dozen states have beefed up targeted incentives to coincide with handouts from the Commerce Department.
Season 1, Episode 6 Podcasts
Why We Can't Have Nice Things: Can You Afford Tariffs on Tin Cans?
"There's nobody that says, wait, is this good for America? Is this good for the American consumer?"
Biden Administration Considering New Tariffs That Will Hike Prices for Canned Goods
The Commerce Department and the International Trade Commission are considering a petition that would impose tariffs of up to 300 percent on tinplate steel.
The RESTRICT Act Would Restrict a Lot More Than TikTok
Once again, politicians use popular fears to push for open-ended power.
Charter Boat Captains Don't Have To Share Their Location Data With the Government, Court Rules
Plus: More lawmakers move to decriminalize psychedelic plants, Tennessee's "adult cabaret" law, and more...
The Government Is Subsidizing Microchip Firms—While Making It More Expensive To Produce Microchips
Politicians say they want to subsidize various industries, but they sabotage themselves by weighing the policies down with rules that have nothing to do with the plans.
Now the CHIPS Act Is Going To Subsidize Child Care Too
If Congress wants to spend taxpayer money on child care services, it should pass a bill authorizing that.
Tariffs Are Adding to Inflation. Biden's Commerce Secretary Says Repealing Some 'May Make Sense.'
Tariffs imposed by President Donald Trump and kept in place by President Joe Biden are costing consumers $51 billion annually.
The Stossel State of the Union
"If I do my job right, you should barely know I'm here."
Massive Subsidies Won't Solve the Semiconductor Supply Chain Crisis
Chipmakers don't need the money, and they won't get it until after the current mess has been resolved.
Put the Whole Department of Transportation on Paternity Leave
Pete Buttigieg attracted some criticism for taking time off. But it's telling that no one initially realized he was gone.
You Can Now Read the Secret Trump Administration Report That Claimed Your Toyota Is a National Security Threat
The never-released Trump administration report is a reminder that "national security" is usually a bogus reason to impose tariffs
TikTok After Trump
TikTok may have outlasted the Trump administration, but whether it will find another enemy in Biden is unclear.
Biden's Pick To Run the Commerce Department Is No Progressive
Rhode Island Gov. Gina Raimondo seems unlikely to double down on the past four years of economic foolishness at the Commerce Department.
Trump's 'National Security' Steel Tariffs Are Just Old Fashioned Protectionism. Here's the Data To Prove It.
The department has granted just 1 percent of the tariff exemption requests that were challenged by domestic steel producers.
Steel Company CEO Says Everyone Else Should Have To Pay for Trump's Tariffs, but Not Him
Robert Wetherbee says steel tariffs might force his business to shutter. But instead of asking for the tariffs to be lifted, he wants special treatment.
The Trade War Is Still Inflating the Trade Deficit
Trump's trade war is failing to achieve its primary policy goals, but the really bad news is elsewhere.
This Steelmaker Looked Like a Winner in the Trade War. Now It's Suing the Commerce Department Over Tariffs.
Protectionism fails, even for those who were supposed to benefit.
Commerce Secretary Wilbur Ross Can't Stay Awake During Meetings. Does That Mean It's Time to Put His Whole Crony Capitalist Department to Rest?
The Commerce Department is a major dispenser of corporate welfare.
At Least 80 Workers Are Losing Their Jobs at This Pennsylvania Steel Plant. Tariffs Are To Blame.
Trump's steel protectionism seems to have failed. Again.
Trump's Census Surrender Hints at the Real Reason He Tried to Add a Citizenship Question
Even if the president's motives were partisan, a more plausible cover story would have been enough to pass judicial muster.
No Citizenship Question on 2020 Census as Trump Backs Down
Instead, the president signed an executive order directing government agencies to sift through documents and databases to determine Americans' citizenship status.
The Trump Administration's Double Reversal on the Census Highlights the Difficulties of Dealing With a Mercurial President Who Rules by Tweet
Did Trump change his mind about the citizenship question twice, or did his underlings ignore him? Which is worse?
SCOTUS Ruling on Adding a Citizenship Question to the Census Shows Wilbur Ross Was Defeated by His Own Lies
The Court concludes that the commerce secretary's "contrived" explanation frustrated "meaningful judicial review."
Wilbur Ross Says He Did Not 'Intentionally' Mislead Congress About the Census
The commerce secretary falsely portrayed the decision to include a citizenship question as a response to a Justice Department request.
Why Wilbur Ross's Census Lies Matter
The commerce secretary's phony rationale for adding a citizenship question is inconsistent with the rule of law.
Federal Judge: Commerce Secretary Wilbur Ross 'Violated the Public Trust' with Census Citizenship Question
The Trump administration can't ask about citizenship on the 2020 census, Judge Jesse Furman ruled.
Wilbur Ross Says Consumers Won't Notice the New Tariffs. Then Why Impose Them?
The only goal of tariffs is to change consumer behavior. If consumers won't notice the costs, the tariffs have already failed. Or maybe Ross is lying.
Imported Cars Are Not a National Security Threat
Representatives of the auto industry are in Washington to deliver an obvious message to the oblivious Commerce Department.
Is President Trump a 'Climate Menace'?
None of his cabinet picks seem to think that man-made climate change is hoax.
Trump's First Week
Four federal departments and one agency that could be shut down first.
Wilbur Ross, Crony Capitalist
Donald Trump's pick to run the Commerce Department loves it when the government picks winners and losers.
Senior Commerce Official Saw Nothing Wrong With Bringing Home Seven Government Computers for Her Kids to Watch Porn On
She's still working for the federal agency, obviously.
Department of Cronyism
The Department of Commerce's Economic Development Administration is a favor-dispensing machine.
Does It Actually Matter if U.S. 'Gives Up Control' of the Internet?
Worries about growing influence by oppressive countries and operational issues
Obama to Nominate Longtime Chicago Supporter, Major Fundraiser, as Next Commerce Secretary
Penny Pritzker would be third Commerce Secretary under Obama. Acting Secretary has been in place since last June
Penny Pritzker Leading Candidate for Commerce Secretary
Hyatt Hotels heiress and friend of the president
