Americans Are Growing Less Willing To Beg for Permission To Make a Living
Officials claim doing business is a revocable “privilege,” but many Americans see it as a right that they’ll exercise with or without licenses and permits.
Economics
Trump's New Tariffs on Canadian Aluminum Are Indefensible
One month after signing a signature trade deal with Canada (and Mexico), Trump just launched an unnecessary and counterproductive new trade war against America's northern neighbor.
Trump Is Trying To Take Away Americans' Access to Popular Apps by Executive Order
Plus: the latest unemployment numbers, Biden apologizes for comment on diversity, Ohio governor gets flip-flopping COVID-19 results, and more…
The Trump Administration's $765 Million Kodak Deal Is More Proof That 'Economic Nationalism' Is a Scam
The Trump administration's "economic nationalist" agenda is little more than a cronyist attempt at propping up domestic companies with taxpayer cash.
The COVID-19 Pandemic Is Crushing State Budgets. A Federal Bailout Is Still a Bad Idea.
There is no state that will weather the COVID-19 pandemic without making difficult decisions. But the revenue hit will be less severe in places that were being thrifty and vigilant.
Manned SpaceX Capsule Returns From Orbit Without a Hitch
Two American astronauts splashed down to Earth after over 60 days aboard the International Space Station
Democrats Sharpen Tech Antitrust Messaging at Historic House Hearing
This isn't a debate about consumer needs. It's all about political control.
Don't Expand Coronavirus Unemployment Insurance
The negative impact of the program is well documented.
California's Attorney General Decides How Ballot Initiatives Are Summarized. He's Happy To Abuse This Power.
Xavier Becerra conceals tax increases and reframes a gig economy proposition to hurt its chances.
Why Pandemic Pods are 'the Ultimate In Parent-Driven Education Innovation'
With public schools largely out of commission, parents are putting together their own ad hoc schooling alternatives.
Coronavirus Cuisine
In the face of the greatest challenge in generations, America's chefs, bartenders, and restaurant owners are reinventing their food, their businesses, and themselves.
Economic Crisis Deepens as Business Closures and Unemployment Claims Rise
Data from Yelp shows that the long-term economic toll of the coronavirus pandemic is only starting to be realized. And federal unemployment data shows layoffs are climbing again.
Rand Paul on Republican Plans for Another Coronavirus Stimulus Bill: 'They Simply Don't Care About the Debt'
Congress is currently debating what should be included in the next trillion-dollar (and counting) stimulus bill, but nothing is likely to pass this week.
Don't 'Abolish the Police.' Privatize Them.
"A lot of people think that law enforcement must be provided by a [government] monopoly," says economist Edward Stringham. But "there are plenty of private examples of people working to create order and safety in society."
Kmele Foster on Why He Opposes Cancel Culture and the Anti-Capitalist Side of Black Lives Matter
The Fifth Column podcaster is done with cancel culture, identity politics, and political orthodoxy.
The Pandemic Is a Lucrative Revenue Opportunity for Incompetent Politicians
If there's one thing at which governments have excelled during this crisis, it's been collecting fines from anybody who steps out of line.
Congress Is Paying People a Lot of Money To Not Work
Though the unemployment insurance benefits boost eased the immediate pain of shuttering much of the economy, it made it harder to get things moving again.
What It's Like To Be a Business Owner During COVID-19
Cheese shop owner Jill Erber on why she's keeping her store open to take care of her customers and her community
Want To Reform Policing? Bust Police Unions.
As policy makers consider ways to reduce some of these shocking use-of-force incidents, they need to evaluate the role of unions in protecting overly aggressive officers.
What State and Local Governments Can Learn From the Coronavirus Crisis
Why should the responsible states bail out the irresponsible ones?
Don't Bail Out Bars, Let Them Reopen
So long as governments view lockdowns as their primary tool for combating COVID-19, they are in effect sentencing bars and other shuttered businesses to a likely death.
Cash Remains Healthy as the Pandemic Rages
People like the convenience of digital transactions, but they rely on the anonymity and reliability of physical money.
The Federal Budget Deficit in June Was Bigger Than the Entire Federal Budget Deficit for 2018
Remember when $1 trillion annual deficits were worryingly large? Last month’s budget gap was $864 billion.
Biden Tries To Buy Rust Belt Votes With Protectionist 'Buy American' Plan
Biden says he'll oppose attempts to repeal the Jones Act and will push for tighter "Buy American" policies that hike the price of infrastructure projects.
Trump's Trade War Made the Pandemic Worse, and Nationalism Will Slow the Recovery
Protectionism is now infecting the GOP to a degree that may be difficult to eradicate when the Trump era ends.
Lockdown Orders Have Devastated Restaurants. Politicians Think Price Controls Might Save Them.
The Portland City Council has approved an emergency ordinance capping the fees delivery apps like DoorDash and Uber Eats can charge restaurants.
The Next Coronavirus Stimulus Package Should Also Repeal Tariffs
Abolishing tariffs would have short- and long-term benefits for the economy.
Has the U.S. Government Finally Spent Too Much?
When COVID-19 arrived in America, Uncle Sam was already deep in debt.
A Legal Challenge to New York's Latest Rent Control Laws
Government growth and abuses are not challenged nearly enough.
Did Trump's Coronavirus Stimulus Save 51 Million Jobs? The Claim Relies on Shaky Math and Questionable Economics.
Even if it's true, taxpayers paid $58,000 for each saved job.
Supreme Court Strengthens First Amendment Protections for Religious Employers
SCOTUS rules 7-2 in Our Lady of Guadalupe School v. Morrissey-Berru.
Massachusetts Regulators Knowingly Drive Vapers to the Black Market
Bay State officials expect a new ban on flavored tobacco products to benefit illegal suppliers.
The High Risk of Learning the Wrong China Lessons
The trendy view of U.S.–China economic engagement lends itself to policy “fixes” that could make things worse, not better, for both the United States and the world.
The Paycheck Protection Program Is a Mess. Here's Who Is Benefitting From the Dysfunction.
A program designed to keep workers on payrolls showered benefits on lobbyists, advocacy groups, and even members of Congress.
To Get Americans Safely Back to Work and Play, We Need Cheap and Plentiful At-home COVID-19 Testing
Enable people to act responsibly toward their neighbors and co-workers.
Pennsylvania Is the Latest State To Loosen Occupational Licensing Rules for Individuals With Criminal Records
Finding a steady job is the best way to keep a person from going back to prison or jail. These changes make a lot of sense.
I Don't Want To Be Anybody's Employee
The push to reclassify independent contractors is harming many of the workers it's supposed to help.
Slavery, the Declaration of Independence and Frederick Douglass' "What to the Slave is the Fourth of July?"
Douglass' classic speech is an indictment of slavery, racism, and American hypocrisy - but also includes a great deal of praise of the American Revolution.
More Money Does Buy More Happiness, Says Study
If you think that money can't buy happiness, that means you just don't know where to shop.
Let's Have Fewer Public Statues
Those smitten by John Wayne, Robert E. Lee, or even Joseph Stalin should commission statues on their own property. The rest of us have more important issues to debate.
The Next Pandemic Will Be Caused by the National Debt. It Will Crater the Economy.
Debt held by the public equals about 100 percent of GDP. That's hurting growth and will fuel a major crisis.
As Bastiat Would Say, Peer Past the Obvious With Pandemic Policies
Don’t forget the unseen costs of government actions.
Florida Just Passed the Most Sweeping Occupational Licensing Reform in History
The Occupational Freedom and Opportunity Act "will save thousands of Floridians both time and money for years to come," says Gov. Ron DeSantis.
3 Things To Know About the 'New NAFTA' That Begins Today
The deal will affect more than $1 trillion in annual trade between the U.S. and its two neighbors.
Stock Market Suspiciously Healthy. The Federal Reserve Does All It Can to Keep Economic Reality From Setting In.
The government is doing what it can to help out Big Money.
