Cato Event Podcast

Over the past two years, much of the conversation around technology has been focused on artificial intelligence (AI). While AI may have increased in popularity and already been used in a wide array of products, we are still only just discovering many of its beneficial applications.AI is much more than popular products like ChatGPT and is truly saving and changing lives in fields like medicine and disaster response. But as we’ve seen in Europe, the wrong policy approach could prevent the development or deployment of many of these beneficial products.Among the questions to be addressed are: How has policy supported or hindered US innovators and consumers in developing and accessing AI? What lessons might we learn from the policy approaches to past general-purpose technologies? Where does AI and AI policy go next?This policy forum will start with a fireside chat with Rep. Jay Obernolte (R‑CA), a leading voice on AI policy and co-chair of the House Task Force on Artificial Intelligence.Following that conversation, a panel of policy experts will discuss the future of AI, the potential impact of policy on this innovation, and more. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

For much of the 21st century, public health officials and policymakers have blamed doctors for overprescribing opioids and causing the overdose crisis. In response, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention issued pain management guidelines aimed at reducing opioid prescriptions. Most states have codified them into law.Federal and local drug task forces have arrested doctors whom they accuse of overprescribing opioids. This has led to a situation where many physicians either undertreat pain or choose to abandon their long-term pain patients. As a result, opioid prescribing has dropped below 1992 levels, while overdose deaths among nonmedical users have skyrocketed.This crackdown has also created a population of “pain refugees”—chronic pain patients who have lost or were abandoned by their doctor and are left searching for a doctor willing to treat them. Many, out of desperation, turn to the black market for relief, while others resort to suicide.Join us to discuss the pain refugee crisis, its causes, and potential solutions. Our panel includes a physician who treats and advocates for pain patients, an attorney who defends these doctors, a civil rights attorney who is also a patient advocate, and a pain refugee. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The development and deployment of artificial intelligence (AI) software for a range of applications has sparked intense debate over its implications for privacy and surveillance in multiple contexts. At the same time, police organizations argue that AI could help revolutionize and speed up police investigations by allowing for faster identification of crime suspects or missing or kidnapped persons.What are the kinds of dangers posed by the use of AI by law enforcement agencies? Are there types of crimes where the application of AI might be beneficial? How well or poorly are legislative bodies dealing with this new technology? What is the state of the law at the federal, state, and local levels regarding AI use by law enforcement organizations? Our panel will tackle all these topics. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Georgetown University law professor Randy Barnett has played an integral role in the rise of originalism—the movement to identify, restore, and defend the original meaning of the Constitution. But Barnett’s path to becoming an influential professor of constitutional law was not an easy one. Starting from a working-class childhood in Calumet City, Illinois, Barnett’s unusual resume has included stints as an ice cream truck driver, newspaper ad salesman, prosecutor, libertarian theorist, contract law professor, and Supreme Court advocate. In his new autobiography, A Life for Liberty, Barnett tells the complete story of his personal and professional journey.Barnett’s life story is a model for how libertarians can put their ideas into practice and help change the world. As a young Harvard law student, Barnett had living room debates with Murray Rothbard and served on the board of a libertarian institution with Leonard Liggio and other notable thinkers. Barnett’s focus on individual rights prepared him for the turning point in his career, when he was the only person on a high-profile panel willing to argue that the Ninth Amendment protects “unenumerated rights” from government infringement.After establishing himself as “Mr. Ninth Amendment,” Barnett eventually pivoted his career to constitutional law. His mission to restore “the lost Constitution” took him from the schoolhouse to the courthouse, where he argued the medical marijuana case Gonzales v. Raich in the Supreme Court—a case now taught to every law student. Later, he devised and spearheaded the constitutional challenge to Obamacare. Today, thanks in part to his efforts, a majority of sitting Supreme Court justices self-identify as originalists.In this book forum, Professor Barnett will discuss his life story, the lessons he’s learned, and the ways in which his thinking continues to evolve. Professor Jonathan Turley of the George Washington University Law School will offer commentary on the book, drawing from his own perspective as a fellow legal academic. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This panel discussion will feature the researchers behind the Foundation for Individual Rights and Expression’s (FIRE’s) 2025 College Free Speech Rankings, which offers insights into the state of free speech across US colleges. The panelists will share and explain the methodology used to rank schools, the contemporary challenges of measuring speech climates, and salient trends discovered from this year’s data. Panelists will address issues affecting free expression, including administrative policies, student activism, and faculty perspectives on free speech. The discussion will provide a breakdown of the highest- and lowest-ranking schools to inform students, parents, and policymakers about campus speech environments and encourage colleges to foster a culture of open expression. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Civil discourse is an important aspect of a free and pluralistic democracy. That said, many people do not participate in civil discourse. There are several reasons for this: fear of being wrong, lack of rhetorical skill, negative emotionality, etc. What’s more, this refusal or inability to speak to those with whom we disagree is growing by the day.Join our virtual discussion as scholars Erec Smith and Jonathan Rauch discuss the art of “mutual persuasion” in a turbulent time.This conversation is being supported by Project Sphere, a collaboration between the Cato Institute and the Brookings Institution that creates a constructive space to discuss areas of disagreement in a civil forum. Our goal is to resist political polarization by emphasizing areas of agreement even within contentious conversations. To learn more, visit Pro​ject​Sphere​.org. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

What role should tariffs play in the economy? Would tax credits for newborns ease childhood poverty? How might housing be made to be more affordable? In many ways, the 2024 presidential election has been one of dueling and sometimes complementary economic proposals from both major candidates. Join Sphere Education Initiatives on October 29 from 7:30–8:30 p.m. EDT for this webinar exploring the economic policy visions and proposals of Vice President Kamala Harris and former President Donald Trump.In their attempts to persuade voters and build winning coalitions, both major party candidates have offered a slew of proposals to change everything from the tax code to the core tenets of trade policy. Which policies have a realistic shot of implementation? And what would be the practical effect on the economy and our lives should they be successful? Brendan Duke, the senior director of economic policy at the Center for American Progress, and Scott Lincicome, the vice president for general economics at the Cato Institute, will join Sphere Education Initiatives for this timely pre‐​election conversation. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Cato will continue rising to meet liberty’s greatest challenges—from executive power to out-of-control spending in Congress—because doing so is our moral responsibility. Cato president and CEO Peter Goettler will provide an overview of Cato’s commitment to keeping liberty alive for future generations, our priorities, and the investments we are making to advance our vision of a free and open society in which liberty allows every individual to pursue a life of prosperity and meaning in peace. Peter also looks forward to receiving your feedback in a Q&A session.In 2008, Senior Vice President for Policy Gene Healy wrote The Cult of the Presidency: America’s Dangerous Devotion to Executive Power because he believed the American presidency had become an extraconstitutional monstrosity and a libertarian nightmare, “the source of much of our political woe and some of the gravest threats to our liberties.” For the 2024 presidential election, Cato is re-releasing Healy’s book with a new foreword calling on Americans to change what we ask of the office—or we’ll continue to get, in a sense, what we deserve.The modern presidency has become a job that is everything from culture warrior in chief to guardian angel. And in our partisan myopia, we’ve unwittingly created the infrastructure for autocratic rule and sectarian warfare. How did we get here, and what can we do to prevent the presidency from tearing the country apart? Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Cato will continue rising to meet liberty’s greatest challenges—from executive power to out-of-control spending in Congress—because doing so is our moral responsibility. Cato president and CEO Peter Goettler will provide an overview of Cato’s commitment to keeping liberty alive for future generations, our priorities, and the investments we are making to advance our vision of a free and open society in which liberty allows every individual to pursue a life of prosperity and meaning in peace. Peter also looks forward to receiving your feedback in a Q&A session.In 2008, Senior Vice President for Policy Gene Healy wrote The Cult of the Presidency: America’s Dangerous Devotion to Executive Power because he believed the American presidency had become an extraconstitutional monstrosity and a libertarian nightmare, “the source of much of our political woe and some of the gravest threats to our liberties.” For the 2024 presidential election, Cato is re-releasing Healy’s book with a new foreword calling on Americans to change what we ask of the office—or we’ll continue to get, in a sense, what we deserve.The modern presidency has become a job that is everything from culture warrior in chief to guardian angel. And in our partisan myopia, we’ve unwittingly created the infrastructure for autocratic rule and sectarian warfare. How did we get here, and what can we do to prevent the presidency from tearing the country apart? Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Journalists have been the targets of government surveillance, harassment, and violence for over a century—both in America and abroad. Modern surveillance technologies—facial recognition, artificial intelligence, spyware, and more—make it increasingly easy for governments to track not only journalists but also their sources, putting both at risk.How many journalists or news organizations have been negatively impacted by these developments? How is the journalism profession responding to these threats? What measures can democratic governments take to help protect journalists facing these perils? How has the resolution of the Julian Assange case affected the political, legal, and technological dynamics involved in protecting journalists and their sources? Our panel will tackle these and related questions. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

n the four years since nationwide protests against police misconduct rocked the nation, momentum for police reform has stalled. At the same time, state and local law enforcement entities are constantly seeking to upgrade their abilities to conduct various forms of surveillance—whether using traditional human informants or emerging digital or forensic technologies. These developments arguably represent major day-to-day threats to individual rights.What changes, if any, have we seen in policing practices at the federal, state, and local levels since the George Floyd murder protests in the summer of 2020, particularly as they pertain to monitoring protests and civil society groups? To what extent are law enforcement organizations using human informants to infiltrate groups engaged in First Amendment–protected activities? How have federal courts been dealing with cases involving surveillance, human or technical, since the summer of 2020? Our panel will discuss these and related issues. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Congress exempts short-term, limited-duration insurance (STLDI) from nearly all federal regulation. On September 1, the federal government imposed new regulations limiting STLDI policies to no more than three months. Supporters claim the new rules enhance consumer protections. Critics argue the new regulations eliminate consumer protections and will strip health insurance from the sick, leaving them uninsured for up to 12 months. The panelists will discuss whether this rule benefits or harms patients and whether it is vulnerable to legal challenge. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Gary Shapiro’s new book Pivot or Die looks at the challenges facing today’s technology entrepreneurs and innovators and examines the flexibility and agility that is needed to survive in an increasingly competitive market. How does the regulatory framework enable or prevent such pivots? What lessons are there for future entrepreneurs and policymakers from past case studies? Join us for a conversation with the author and leading scholars about competition, innovation, and the impact of policy and regulation. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Earlier this year, Congress reauthorized Section 702 of the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act for two years. The final bill included provisions sought by civil liberties advocates, but some critical reforms didn’t make it into the final version. Moreover, that same bill also included a potentially radical expansion of the number of entities that could have their communications traffic swept up under 702. Additionally, Congress has thus far not legislatively addressed several other surveillance abuses and controversies, including those involving new or emerging technologies.What is the actual track record of the Section 702 program, both in terms of constitutional rights violations and successes in the foreign intelligence field? What other federal surveillance programs and authorities need revision or revocation? What role do technology companies play in facilitating government surveillance? What has been the impact on America’s Fourth Amendment and related constitutional rights of federal court decisions involving federal surveillance? The panel will cover all these developments. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The medical diagnosis of shaken baby syndrome, or abusive head trauma (SBS/AHT), arose from a hypothesis developed in the early 1970s. Over the decades, it has led to thousands of criminal court convictions and family court determinations taking children from their parents. The National Center on Shaken Baby Syndrome claims that law enforcement authorities process at least 1,300 SBS/AHT cases per year. The diagnosis has attained iconic status within the medical specialty of child abuse pediatrics. Yet, for the past few decades, outside of the child abuse pediatrics specialty, the scientific, medical, and legal literature has been replete with challenges to the reliability of the diagnosis. With the first-in-the-nation execution of Robert Roberson based on the SBS/AHT diagnosis scheduled two weeks from now in Texas, the trustworthiness of the diagnosis is increasingly relevant. A panel of medical and forensic science experts will examine the issue in depth. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Discussing presidential elections in a hyperpolarized environment can be challenging. Sphere is excited to support you in these conversations with your students by bringing civil discourse to your classroom. In this webinar, we will equip you with tools and resources that will help you effectively embed healthy conversation habits in your classes when discussing election topics. You will hear from Sphere’s content development team and content contributors Betty Nordengren and Kelly Young‐​Raymore about best practices and strategies so that you can bring these discussions to your classroom in a productive, meaningful manner. The webinar will be broken into two parts. The first part will provide context and guidance on thoughtfully discussing elections with your students; the second part will take a deeper dive into the practical application of these resources by facilitating breakout discussions for middle and high school educators. Attendees will leave with tangible, practical tools to apply in their classes and feel empowered to implement civil discourse in class discussions around the upcoming election. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Part memoir, part rumination on the declining moral compass of the American political class, The Unraveling is the first book to place restoring political ethics at the center of the renewal of American democracy. Politics is a brutal game, but Bauer asks: Where does the line fall between the “hardball” of politics and attacks on the very foundation of democracy? Looking back on 46 years in the political arena, Bauer examines what has gone wrong and what shaped his decisions and actions. He also recounts his heresies on campaign finance regulation and his efforts to work across the aisle on issues vital to democracy. He writes about the various personal experiences along the way—the highs, the lows, and the absurd. Bauer presents a smart and serious look at our political culture and the role he has played in shaping it. The Unraveling will be essential reading for anyone interested in American politics of the past 50 years—and the next. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The horrific terror attacks of October 7 and the catastrophic war in Gaza once again put the Israeli-Palestinian conflict on the global agenda. Some pessimists believe that peace is unattainable, as the conflict is not merely between two peoples claiming the same land but also between two civilizations with clashing values: the Judeo-Christian West versus the Muslim world.In his new book, Mustafa Akyol offers a remarkably different vision. By going through much-forgotten episodes in history, and by a careful study of theology, he reminds audiences of all religious persuasions that for over a millennium, there was a Judeo-Islamic tradition. He shows that Islam and Judaism are kindred religions whose adherents have often coexisted peacefully, supported each other, and even learned from each other. He also argues that Jews and Muslims can still be partners for peace in the Middle East and stand together for freedom everywhere.Join Akyol for a discussion of the key ideas in The Islamic Moses, followed by commentary by Ari Gordon on the past and the future of the Judeo-Islamic tradition. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.