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April 17, 2025

Welcome to The Lighthouse ([link removed]) , the weekly email newsletter of the Independent Institute covering politics, economics, current events, and everything in between.

Dear Readers,

Here at Independent, we’re often ahead of the curve. We don’t say it to brag; it’s just true.

Our new book, Let Colleges Fail ([link removed]) , hit shelves just as news of the Department of Ed.’s closure was running through the headlines. Our list of recommended readings on free trade ([link removed]) has run perfectly parallel with this administration’s unfortunate protectionist policies. And now, as moral outrage over the fate of Kilmar Abrego Garcia sweeps the nation, our recent Golden Fleece® report ([link removed]) on the
government's response to gang violence has never been more timely.

Following news reports about the botched deportations of alleged gang members and subsequent court rulings, Independent Institute’s Golden Fleece® Awards team joined contributor Jonathan Fuentes in discussing their previous warning about the dangers of sacrificing due process in the name of public safety. This collaboration concluded that international gangs are a serious problem that cannot be taken lightly, but without safeguards, justice and injustice would be blurred. That prediction has now sadly played out in real time, resulting in a standoff between the executive branch and the Supreme Court and several District Court judges.

Meanwhile, Ethan Yang argues why broad restrictions on international students will backfire.

Ross Marchand discusses using the Administrative Procedure Act to expedite deregulation and budget cuts.

Andrew Locke (Cox) also explains the money mechanics behind the weakened dollar.

Finally, Brady Leonard explains the factions in the White House when it comes to international trade and tariffs.

Read more about these topics in the latest issue of Independent Weekly!

Jonathan Hofer
Managing Editor

Top picks this week
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** We Were Right to Warn About Reckless Gang Prosecutions ([link removed])
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** by Jonathan Hofer, Jonathan Fuentes, Lawrence J. McQuillan, and Kristian Fors
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Though our report focused on California’s CalGang database system, it is now clear that the same issues exist nationwide at the federal level. We must remember that what differentiates the United States from most countries, both today and historically, has been a commitment, however imperfect at times, to the principles and procedures that support natural rights and human dignity.
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** Banning Chinese Student Visas: A Cure Worse Than the Disease ([link removed])
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** by Ethan Yang
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Banning all Chinese student visas, like advocating for total economic decoupling or sweeping industrial policy, greatly exaggerates the threat from Beijing.
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** One Simple Trick to Nixing Needless Federal Rules ([link removed])
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** The Trump administration can bypass bureaucratic delays and roll back costly regulations faster by using interim final rulemaking. ([link removed])
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** by Ross Marchand
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Spending cuts alone won't offset the trillions spent by the U.S. government. Bold regulatory reform is needed. The Trump administration should utilize "interim final rulemaking" to reduce unnecessary regulations quickly.
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** The Federal Reserve Money Machine ([link removed])
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** Why the system feels broken. ([link removed])
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** by Andrew Locke (Cox)
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Managing money effectively is crucial for any economy. The Federal Reserve has devalued the U.S. dollar, widened the wealth gap, and flooded the system with money, making a return to the "old way" unlikely.
Read More ([link removed])

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** Trump Caves On Tariffs For Now ([link removed])
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** Excluding China, President Trump paused new tariffs for 90 days. ([link removed])
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** by Brady Leonard
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The internal debate over trade policy within the White House has raged for weeks, with free-trade supporters Scott Bessent and Elon Musk butting heads with Lutnick and Navarro.
Read More ([link removed])


** FEATURED BOOK - AVAILABLE NOW!
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** Let Colleges Fail ([link removed])
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** The Power of Creative Destruction in Higher Education ([link removed])
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** by Richard K. Vedder
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Everyone knows American universities are more expensive and less impressive than ever. But no one has come up with a plan to fix them … until now. Let Colleges Fail: The Power of Creative Destruction in Higher Education is the hard-hitting instruction manual America needs in order to save its institutions of higher learning.
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