12 States Sue, Call Paramount–Warner Bros. Merger an Antitrust Violation
If successful, it could do more harm than good to the entertainment industry.
Economics
The Fed's Tough Mission
Plus: More strikes on Iran, Nayib Bukele runs for a third consecutive term, private dinosaur-bone ownership, and more...
The Push for an Embargo on Israel Is Vague and Confused
Are critics talking about a government-to-government weapons embargo, or are they trying to shut down private trade? There's a big difference.
Ohio Cut Red Tape. Now Its Business Sector Is Thriving.
America's most business-friendly states are proof that permitting reform works. Still, they have a bad habit of handing out tax breaks to favored industries.
4 Takeaways From the Supreme Court's 2025–2026 Term
From executive power to civil liberties, what to make of a momentous year at SCOTUS?
Trump Accounts Add Confusion to Savings Accounts Without Adding Much Benefit
Let's simplify this system instead of making it even more complicated.
Tariff Refund Update [Updated]
Important progress has been made on repaying illegally collected tariffs. But serious problems remain, including some caused by the Trump Administration's efforts to keep some of the illegally collected loot.
Trump's Tariffs Have Been Particularly Costly for Small Businesses
The Federal Reserve reports that small businesses were less likely to be able to avoid tariff costs during 2025 and are more pessimistic about employment and revenue in 2026.
How Do We Feel About Women's Work?
Plus: Rampant illiteracy, teen-suicide rates and screens, and more...
Trump's 'Anti-Weaponization Fund' Marks a Pattern of Trying To Profit From the Presidency
Since the beginning of his first term, the president has repeatedly used his office for personal gain.
The Social Security Fix That Would Send Tax Rates Soaring
There are only a handful of ways to shore up Social Security. Sens. Bernie Moreno and Elizabeth Warren are backing one of the most expensive.
Rhode Island Is Regulating Grocery Checkout Lines Now
A new law requires grocery stores to keep one staffed checkout open for every three self-checkout stations.
Robert Reich's CEO Pay Chart Is Wrong. Here's the Real Math.
The former U.S. labor secretary presents economic data in deceptive ways.
Clarence Thomas Doubled Down on Presidential Power
The conservative justice pushed for greater executive authority even in cases in which Trump won.
The Sindex: Gas Prices Rose 29% in 2 Months After Trump Went to War With Iran
The Reason Sindex tracks the price of vice: smoking, drinking, snacking, traveling, and more.
Video of National Constitution Center Conference on "2026 Supreme Court Review: Key Decisions, Executive Power, Civil Discourse"
Three different VC bloggers were among the speakers: Jonathan Adler, Keith Whittington, and myself.
Trump Tries To Take Credit for a Walmart July 4 Grocery Sale
He understands economics about as well as he understands the limits of presidential power.
Warren's Plan To 'Fix' Social Security Would Be Largest Tax Increase in Over 40 Years
Her plan is being pitched as a tax on the wealthy, but half the burden would fall on businesses. That would have dire consequences for the economy.
Europe, A.C., and the Housing Exception to America's Economic Success Story
Plus: L.A. criminally charges contractors offering to build an ADU in the Palisades, South Carolina streamlines squatter removal, and a Florida city uses eminent domain to thwart state housing law.
The U.S. Could Eventually Win a Men's World Cup—With Enough Immigration and Capitalism
Plus: Should Folarin Balogun have been allowed to play? The simple fix for red card suspensions.
The Roberts Court vs. the Trump Court
Why Trump lost big in the Supreme Court cases he cared the most about
Shipping Thrived After Trump Waived the Jones Act
Perhaps it's time to scuttle the law once and for all.
A.I. Predictions Failing To Come True
Plus: Democrats taking a new tack, the popularity of social media bans, an influencer correspondent, and more...
America Was Not Founded by 'Tariff Men,' Contrary to This Painting in Trump's White House
Free trade is "a direct affront to our Founding Fathers," President Donald Trump said during his first presidential campaign.
Trump Called the USMCA His 'Best Deal.' Now, He Wants Out of It.
The decision not to renew the USMCA is less dramatic than it might appear. Even so, Trump is exchanging stability for more uncertainty.
The New Transportation Bill Puts Special Interests Above Safety
Some safety recommendations are treated as essential—while others become negotiable once influential people object.
84% of American Students Use AI. They're Still Worried About What Comes Next.
AI anxiety is widespread, but American students are best placed to succeed.
Nancy Pelosi Is the Wrong Namesake for Berkeley's 'Institute for Representative Democracy'
If you want to devote an institute to "strengthening America's democratic institutions," you shouldn't name it for someone who degraded the public's trust in those institutions.
Trump's Fertilizer Tariff Retreat Is Another Admission That Tariffs Raise Prices
The White House quietly repealed tariffs on Moroccan fertilizer this week.
My Family Fled Socialism. Then I Voted for Bernie Sanders.
An immigrant's journey to the radical left and back
Can the Supreme Court Slaughter Slaughter Without Cooking Cook?
Tensions between today's two major presidential removal power decisions.
L.A. Delays Its $30 Hotel 'Olympic Wage' Until After the Olympics
It's a temporary reprieve for a sector that has been struggling for years. But the fight is just getting started.
Mamdani Got His Rent Freeze Wish. Don't Expect New York City Housing To Become More Affordable.
The NYC Rent Guidelines Board voted to freeze rent for approximately 1 million apartments on Thursday night.
Don't Let Sanctions Strangle Cuba's Transition To Markets
If the promised Cuban economic reforms are for real, the U.S. should step out of the way.
Michigan Spent $1.8 Billion and Only Created 602 Jobs
Gov. Gretchen Whitmer promised "generational" investments in her state, but as she leaves office, there's little to show for it.
America's Nuclear Industry Doesn't Need Cronyism To Thrive
Privately funded nuclear reactors are achieving critical milestones on their own, but the Trump administration wants to prop up a single company.
The Right Way To Fight a Trade War
Economist Soumaya Keynes discusses Trump’s tariff policies, how China changed the global economy, and why trade wars require restraint.
Reflecting Pool Debacle Is a Shorthand for Trump's Failing Second Term
The president is forcing his biggest supporters to choke down his incompetence and delusions like so much algae.
Even a Global Wealth Tax Can't Solve This Problem
Raise the price of an activity and people do less of it or restructure how they report it. Mobility was never the sole issue.
The DSA and the Democrats' Retreat Into Economic Fantasyland
The party's new crop of Mamdani-backed socialists are just the latest sign of a long slide into economic radicalism.
DOJ Says Equal Opportunity Officials Pressured Employers Into Race-Based Discrimination
A new Office of Legal Counsel opinion says disparate impact rules pushed employers to treat workers as members of racial groups rather than individuals.
Elizabeth Warren Wants To Raise Taxes and Give All the Money to Senior Citizens
Her plan to fix Social Security's fiscal flaws would ask workers to cover the full cost. Some Republicans are supporting it too.
G.T. School's Bet on Gifted Ed: Cash Rewards, 2 Hours of AI Tutoring, No Lectures
Pamela Hobart of G.T. School says a lot of schools are lying to parents.
