Stossel

It is the story of who we are and of what we believe. The story of ordinary people who have created an extraordinary place – America.

Politicians spend so much time creating new laws that they rarely pay attention to one law even they can't repeal: the law of unintended consequences. For every upside to a new law, there is usually at least one downside, often one that doesn't reveal itself right away. Featured: Cash for Clunkers, the minimum wage, Title IX, sports arenas, alpaca subsidies, credit card regulations, health care reform, ethanol subsidies, programs to increase home ownership, and pledges of fiscal responsibility.

John Stossel takes on global warming in the debut of his new show, "Stossel."

Tonight’s show is about government’s promises. The “reformers” say they will improve American health care, and slow the growth in costs. To believe that Congress will do this is magical thinking.

John Stossel explores Ayn Rand's classic novel, Atlas Shrugged.

From John Stossel's blog: The future looks bleak. Government grows bigger, debt grows, and politicians constantly pass new regulations. But there is good news. Technology helps us avoid clumsy government. Developments like the Internet bring us what I call "Freedom 2.0." Wikipedia founder Jimmy Wales - who cites Hayek as an inspiration for creating Wikipedia - tells me about how the fewer rules he imposed on the site, the better it did. Economist Ed Stringham argues that the Internet proves we don't need much government regulation. The Internet will also make it easier for us to keep an eye on what government does, although Chris Horner says that our government uses every trick it can to avoid scrutiny. "Hating Breitbart" producers Maura Flynn and Evan Coyne Maloney say cell phone cameras create "Freedom 2.0" by empowering citizen journalists to expose groups like ACORN. And Instapundit.

From John Stossel's blog: When tragedy strikes, what do you do if your company is at the center of it? What if you manufacture the Bushmaster rifle? What if you run BP when it spills oil? On this week's show, Rohit Bhargava and Fraser Seitel explain crisis management strategy, like how Apple handled Steve Jobs' illness, and how the company that makes Skittles reacted after Trayvon Martin was killed holding them. The media exaggerate bad news. "The Skeptical Environmentalist" author, Bjorn Lomborg, addresses claims about genetically modified food, and global warming, as in this Newsweek article about "The End of Pasta." Julie Gunlock of the Independent Women's Forum points out how the danger of BPA products has been overblown by activists. Some people earn money thanks to people's (often irrational) fear of bad news.

From John Stossel's blog: This week, a showdown between the 2 states. Their differences reflect the battle for America's future. Moving to California was once the dream for many Americans. Its population grew at more than double the national average--until 1990. Last decade, 2 million more Americans moved out of California than moved in. They moved to states like Texas. In the last decade, Texas' total population grew at double the national rate. Why? Reason Magazine's Matt Welch and Chuck Devore of the TX Public Policy Foundation give a few reasons: Texans pay less in taxes. There's more job creation. And government takes less of your paycheck. Both states have too many government workers--in fact, Texas has more than California. But California pays them so much more that California's pensions are bleeding the state dry, says Dan Mitchell of the CATO Institute. Kevin James, a mayoral candidate in Los Angeles, says L.A.