Cato Video

A recent New Yorker article has awakened many Americans to the scourge of civil asset forfeiture in which police can seize property without charging anyone with a crime and pocket the proceeds. Many police organizations call the proceeds of civil asset forfeiture a vital source of funding. Scott Bullock, senior attorney at the Institute for Justice, describes the practice and the best avenues for reform. http://www.cato.org/multimedia/daily-podcast/policing-profit Video produced by Caleb O. Brown and Austin Bragg.

When President Barack Obama signed the Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act (Dodd-Frank) into law on July 21, 2010, he promised that "because of this law, the American people will never again be asked to foot the bill for Wall Street's mistakes." Three years on, the implementation of Dodd-Frank has turned out to be more costly, lengthy, and complex than most proponents anticipated. As of July 1, 2013, nearly 63 percent of the rulemaking deadlines under Dodd-Frank have been missed. To mark Dodd-Frank's third anniversary, panelists will discuss whether Dodd-Frank really addressed the root causes of the 2008 financial crisis, the implementation progress to date, and the way forward.Video produced by Blair Gwaltney.

Lewis E. Lehrman, President Ronald Reagan's gold commissioner and co-signer of the iconic commission minority report, The Case for Gold, will make a rare Washington, D.C., public appearance to debut his latest work, Money, Gold, and History. In his new book, Lehrman, founder and chairman of the Lehrman Institute, compiles many of his key writings from almost 40 years of publications and complements them with new and important essays on the classical gold standard. Among the works included are his testimonies at the request of former representative Ron Paul before the House Subcommittee on Domestic Monetary Policy, his address before the Parliament of France, and many essays in leading publications, including the Wall Street Journal, the American Spectator, and the Weekly Standard. Lehrman, a student of iconic French economist Jacques Rueff, and author of the critically acclaimed book The True Gold Standard, is a preeminent advocate of restoring a modern classical gold standard.

Julian Sanchez discusses Edward Snowden and NSA surveillance on MSNBC

One of the most disturbing trends in American policing in recent years has been the militarization of police weaponry and tactics. In his new book, The Rise of the Warrior Cop, author Radley Balko traces the arc of American law enforcement from the constables of colonial times to present day SWAT teams and special response units. With the martial rhetoric surrounding the "war on drugs" and the "war on terrorism," policymakers have signed off on a dangerously aggressive style of policing that too often leads to unnecessary deaths and injuries. Is modern law enforcement on a collision course with our Bill of Rights?Video produced by Blair Gwaltney

After leaks about the NSA's surveillance of tens of millions of Americans, the President says he's willing to reform the agency. He also denies that the programs under NSA's control are being abused. Jim Harper, director of information policy studies at the Cato Institute, discusses how reform might occur.Video produced by Caleb O. Brown and Austin Bragg.

Team Obama feels entitled to keep the public in the dark about the most fundamental decisions a self-governing people can make. http://www.cato.org/publications/commentary/obama-thinks-americans-dont-need-know Video produced by Caleb O. Brown and Austin Bragg.

David Boaz - http://www.cato.org/people/david-boaz Books: The Politics of Freedom: Taking on the Left, the Right, and Threats to Our Liberties Libertarianism: A Primer Related Materials: Chris Christie Does Bellyflop on NSA Spying Libertarians to Christie: Bring It On

Limiting government means expanding the sphere of the individual. And given recent scandals with the NSA and IRS, the struggle for liberty clearly continues. At Cato University, Kentucky's Junior Senator Rand Paul addressed the crowd, covering NSA surveillance, the misunderstood Lochner decision and natural rights. Produced By: Kevin Sennett and Blair Gwaltney

Rep. Justin Amash cosponsored an amendment that would have defunded the National Security Agency's unwarranted bulk collection of Americans' phone data. The measure failed narrowly, but has re-energized the legislative struggle for civil liberties. Amash believes that James Clapper, the Director of National Intelligence, should be prosecuted for lying to Congress. He also says he doesn't appreciate the "condescending" tone of New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie with respect to the debate over national security.Video produced by Caleb O. Brown and Austin Bragg.

Sources:S. 744 http://www.gpo.gov/fdsys/pkg/BILLS-113s744es/pdf/BILLS-113s744es.pdfFor RPI points: Section 2101 / For green card: Section 2102 Text:Opponents of increased immigration say the main bill being debated in Congress is nothing more than "amnesty," a free pass for unauthorized workers. The real implications of the bill are far more complex. An immigrant in this country illegally can qualify for "registered provisional immigrant status" - a work permit - if he ... was in the country prior to 2012, pays any and all outstanding tax bills, goes through national security and background checks, AND pays a thousand dollar fine and a 500 dollar fee. Only then will he get a work permit -- which is valid for six years. But if an immigrant wants to continue working in the United States after that ... he'll have to apply for a new permit and ... Pay another 500 dollar fee, Prove that he's been employed during the entire 6 year period at no less than the federal poverty line, And prove he's paid all necessary taxes. That permit is good for just four years. After that, an immigrant can apply for a green card, right after he.... proves can speak English proves he hasn't been on welfare passes another round of security and background checks, pay all the normal fees associated with a green card. ... and he'll only get his green card if the federal government has met all of its various immigration enforcement goals ... Does that sound like a free pass to you? Video produced by Caleb O. Brown and Austin Bragg.

From federal agencies independently attaching jail time to otherwise noncriminal behavior to U.S. lawmakers punishing crimes best dealt with by states, the problem of overcriminalization is growing. Molly M. Gill of Families Against Mandatory Minimums argues that the urge to regulate and delegate is a powerful one for federal lawmakers, but there should be clear areas of agreement to reduce the range of activity subject to criminal penalties. Video produced by Caleb O. Brown and Austin Bragg.

In his new book, Poverty and Progress: Realities and Myths about Global Poverty, renowned development economist Deepak Lal draws on 50 years of experience around the globe to describe developing-country realities and rectify misguided notions about economic progress. Part One of Poverty and Progress assesses poor-country realities by tracking growth through globalization, the rapid rate of change in standard-of-living indicators over the last half century, and in how political economy affects economic growth rates in developing countries. In Part Two, Lal examines the myths and confusion about poor countries, including calculations that exaggerate the extent of poverty; overstated claims made on behalf of microfinance; the resurrection of discredited theories, such as vicious circles of poverty; and the need for massive foreign aid to save Africa. Deepak Lal is the James S. Coleman Professor Emeritus of International Development Studies at the University of California at Los Angeles, professor emeritus of political economy at University College London, and a senior fellow at the Cato Institute.

"India grows at night while the government sleeps" is an Indian expression referring to the country's impressive economic rise despite the presence of a large, burdensome state. Gurcharan Das will explain how India's story of private success and public failure is not sustainable and that the country's recent growth slowdown signals the need for a strong liberal state that would ensure accountability, perform limited and well-defined functions, and base itself on the rule of law. Swami Aiyar will discuss contemporary Indian society and the prospects of Das's proposals.

The Supreme Court's decisions on same sex marriage are just the beginning of a long process of determining what roles marriage will play in the legal environment of states and the country. Walter Olson and Ilya Shapiro detail some of the implications of the rulings. Video produced by Caleb O. Brown and Austin Bragg.