This week we cover childcare in the 50 states, employers and health coverage, the new Institute for Consumer Financial Choice at George Mason University, and rising costs for climate policy in New York. Our guest this week is Derek Freifels, CEO of Prospr Aligned. We’ll talk about federalism, taxes, regulation, and Derek’s recent article for National Review, “Why Corporate America Is Coming Home to the Heartland.” 

Keep up with new episodes by following us on Twitter at @freethe_economy and read our episode summaries, with links to the stories we cover, at cei.org/blog. Interview transcripts are at greatcapitalism.substack.com. 

This week we cover the dwindling number of U.S. public companies, a pro-consumer merger in California, and how to end the housing affordability crisis. Our guest this week is Todd Myers, Vice President for Research at the Washington Policy Center. We’ll talk about what Earth Day and environmentalism mean for Americans in the 21st century.

Keep up with new episodes by following us on Twitter at @freethe_economy and read our episode summaries, with links to the stories we cover, at cei.org/blog. Interview transcripts are at greatcapitalism.substack.com. 

This week we cover AI development in China, how large investors recycle homes, and the need for reform of the Clean Air Act. Our guest this week is Josh Bandoch, Head of Policy at the Illinois Policy Institute and author of the new book How to Get What You Want: Mastering the Art and Science of Persuasion. We talk about putting other people first, understanding that values come before logic, cultivating our emotional intelligence, and investing in long-term professional relationships.

Keep up with new episodes by following us on Twitter at @freethe_economy and read our episode summaries, with links to the stories we cover, at cei.org/blog. Interview transcripts are at greatcapitalism.substack.com. 

This week we cover economic growth in China, the political legacy of Viktor Orban in Hungary, and the one-year anniversary of President Trump’s “Liberation Day” tariffs. Our guest this week is Travis Fisher, director of energy and environmental policy studies at the Cato Institute and previously our guest for Episode 49. We’ll talk about energy policy in a world of abundance, new demand from AI data centers, islands versus the grid, and how to create a large-scale reform of electricity regulation in the U.S.

Keep up with new episodes by following us on Twitter at @freethe_economy and read our episode summaries, with links to the stories we cover, at cei.org/blog. Interview transcripts are at greatcapitalism.substack.com.

This week we cover deficit spending, the burdens of Total Boomer Luxury Communism, and how to renounce the villainization of business. Our guest this week is Jessica Melugin, director of the Competitive Enterprise Institute’s Center for Technology & Innovation. We’ll talk about social media platforms, keeping kids safe online, why we shouldn’t be following Europe’s example, and how to protect our constitutional rights from government encroachment.

Keep up with new episodes by following us on Twitter at @freethe_economy and read our episode summaries, with links to the stories we cover, at cei.org/blog. Interview transcripts are at greatcapitalism.substack.com.

This week we cover income inequality, myths about homelessness, First Amendment protections for AI, and reforming unfunded mandates. Our guest this week is Gale Pooley of the Discovery Institute. We’ll talk about the death of Paul Ehrlich, the lives of Julian Simon and Norman Borlaug, the politics of population, and the ideas of growth, prosperity, innovation, and optimism.

Keep up with new episodes by following us on Twitter at @freethe_economy and read our episode summaries, with links to the stories we cover, at cei.org/blog. Interview transcripts are at greatcapitalism.substack.com. 

This week we cover housing affordability, train safety, Paul Ehrlich (1932-2026), and Brian Doherty (1968-2026). Our guest this week is Richard Stern, Vice President of the Plymouth Institute for Free Enterprise at Advancing American Freedom. We’ll talk about tariffs, the federal budget, tax policy, the national debt, and the North Star values that should guide economic policy.

Keep up with new episodes by following us on Twitter at @freethe_economy and read our episode summaries, with links to the stories we cover, at cei.org/blog. Interview transcripts are at greatcapitalism.substack.com. 

This week we cover the 250th anniversary of Adam Smith’s Wealth of Nations, fighting fraud in broadband deployment, and cutting red tape to boost housing affordability. Our guest this week is James Copland, senior fellow and director of legal policy at the Manhattan Institute. We talk about stock, bonds, cryptocurrency, the SEC, the CFTC, and the future of financial regulation in the U.S.

Keep up with new episodes by following us on Twitter at @freethe_economy and read our episode summaries, with links to the stories we cover, at cei.org/blog. Interview transcripts are at greatcapitalism.substack.com. 

This week we cover housing abundance, capitalism’s approval rating, audits of state finances, and the consumer nostalgia of Stranger Things. Our guest this week is Douglas Carswell of the Mississippi Center for Public Policy. We talk about literacy, school choice, workforce development, taxes, and how the people of Mississippi are creating a new generation of prosperity for themselves and their neighbors.

Keep up with new episodes by following us on Twitter at @freethe_economy and read our episode summaries, with links to the stories we cover, at cei.org/blog. Interview transcripts are at greatcapitalism.substack.com. 

This week we cover the Supreme Court’s recent decision on tariff powers, myths of the Great Recession, and fiduciary duty for asset managers in Oklahoma. Our guest this week is Spence Purnell of the R Street Institute. We talk about Big Tech companies, European regulators, compliance costs, and the First Amendment.

Free the Economy is hosted by Richard Morrison. Keep up with new episodes by following us on Twitter at @freethe_economy and read our episode summaries, with links to the stories we cover, at cei.org/blog. Interview transcripts are at greatcapitalism.substack.com.