CEI’s broadband reply comments from earlier this week received a generous quotation by Ars Technica’s Nate Anderson. Mr. Anderson took issue, however, with our claim that net neutrality mandates are essentially price controls:

“In particular, [neutrality rules] require ISPs to offer content providers a price of zero, and to differentiate prices to consumers only in certain limited ways,” says CEI’s filing. “The disastrous consequences of price controls are all too familiar. And while neutrality may currently align with industry best practices, that fact…

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Rad Berky of NewsChannel 36 in Charlotte, North Carolina reports that fears of Hurricane Ike disrupting the supply of gasoline has caused massive runs on gas stations. This phenomenon was brought to my attention by CEI’s Vice President for Policy, Wayne Crews, who is currently with family in North Carolina and witnessing the shortages first hand. Berky reports that:

Even with the higher prices, [CITGO station owner Bipin] Ganhdi ran out of gas by mid-afternoon Friday. He is hoping his next shipment…

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Gas prices have climbed to record highs for many reasons, including expensive oil, cheap dollars, and strained refineries. But some have offered an especially novel explanation for consumers’ pain at the pump: credit card interchange fees.

A retailer-backed lobbying organization ran a full-page ad in the Washington Times yesterday in support of a bill being considered in the House of Representative to cap interchange fees. (We’ve discussed the potentially disastrous implications of the legislation in several blog posts and a media statement.)

The ad plots the growth…

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With all the recent talk of net neutrality, it’s easy to lose sight of the fundamental problem with broadband in America: the skewed ISP marketplace. At the heart of the issue is the FCC’s antiquated regulatory approach that discourages infrastructure investment and distorts market functions. 

America’s two largest phone companies, AT&T and Verizon, recently filed forbearance petitions asking the FCC for relief from various regulations. Verizon is asking for the freedom to set prices on wholesale connections to competitive local carriers, and AT&T has…

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I don’t visit ATMs much anymore. Instead, I mostly rely on credit cards. Credit cards are now accepted by all kinds of stores, from small, family-owned restaurants to national department stores. And since many credit card transactions no longer require a signature, paying with plastic is quick and easy, eliminating the need for cash withdrawals and coin-filled pockets.

Yet this recent explosion of credit card use may soon come to a halt thanks to a new law under consideration in Congress. CNN…

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