As Bastiat Would Say, Peer Past the Obvious With Pandemic Policies
Don’t forget the unseen costs of government actions.
Economics
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.
Here We Go Again: Trump Wants New Tariffs on Canadian Aluminum
Just days before the new North American trade deal is set to take effect, the Trump administration reminds everyone that it prefers protectionism to free trade.
The Pandemic's Economic Carnage Looks Worse Than Expected
Get ready for more pain caused by COVID-19 as well as by the policies intended to hold it in check.
White House (Sort of) Admits Tariffs Are Paid by Americans
For two years, the president and his defenders have stubbornly claimed, contra both theory and evidence, that the duties are absorbed by China and other exporters.
Congress Drops the Ball on Small Business Coronavirus Rescue
Another case of typical congressional carelessness.
All Statues Should Be Private
We should celebrate our fandom on our own dime, and on our own property.
The British Government Forced Universities to Narrow The Gender Pay Gap. This Made It Worse.
British universities thought they'd found the formula that would roll back discrimination. Instead, the pay gap widened.
Bostock v. Clayton County and the Debate over the Meaning of "Ordinary Meaning"
Both sides in the landmark employment discrimination decision agree that laws should generally be interpreted based on the "ordinary meaning" of their words. But they differ on what that entails.
A Labor Council Has Expelled Seattle's Police Union. Good.
Police unions exist to protect cops at the expense of the public.
Bolton: Trump's Tough-on-China Stance Was a Campaign Strategy, Not a Trade Policy
In a new book, former White House national security advisor John Bolton says Trump's trade deal negotiations with Chinese President Xi Jinping "commingled the personal and the national."
Give Individuals and Small Businesses a Government-Backed Line of Credit
An economic response to COVID-19 that's fiscally responsible.
Police Violence, COVID-19 Lies, and the End of Legitimate Authority
Our leaders and institutions are failing us spectacularly. It's up to us to reboot society.
Business Licensing Makes It Too Easy for Politicians To Punish People They Don't Like
Making a living is a right, not a privilege, and should be respected as such.
Trump Is Still Losing His Own Trade War
The president’s tariffs have hiked prices and harmed consumers.
Minneapolis Police Chief Ends Contract Negotiations With Police Union
After George Floyd’s death, the city will bring in outside advisers to recommend changes to make policing more transparent and accountable.
Rory Sutherland on How Red Bull Explains Why Capitalism Is Great
The Ogilvy ad man and Alchemy author says Ludwig von Mises is his hero and that efficiency has nothing to do with free markets.
How Many COVID-19 Infections and Deaths Did Lockdowns Avert?
Two new studies create counterfactual pandemic scenarios seeking to answer that question.
Will Big Labor Give the Boot to Police Unions? Be Skeptical.
Union leaders show very little interest in considering collective bargaining’s role in protecting bad cops.
Negative Interest Rates Will Damage an Already Crippled Economy
Some economists believe that a negative interest rate policy will stimulate the economy by reducing the cost of loans. That isn’t how it has worked in practice.
Professionalizing Police Hasn't Worked. Try Privatizing Instead.
No amount of protesting is likely to reduce police brutality in the absence of structural reforms that increase accountability, competition, choice, and incentives.
China Is Not Coming Close To Meeting Its Import Goals Under the 'Phase One' Trade Deal
That's probably because those goals were always completely unrealistic. Less than six months after the deal was signed, it's already coming apart.
3 Libertarian Tips for the #DefundPolice Movement
Reducing law enforcement requires more than merely cutting and shifting a budget.
The COVID-19 Recovery Is Starting. Extending 'Bonus' Unemployment Benefits Will Slow It.
If Congress extends boosted temporary unemployment benefits into early 2021, nearly five out of every six beneficiaries would be earning more money by not working.
Markets Are Finding Ways To Survive the COVID-19 Shutdowns
Even after government had imposed an almost unfathomable level of intervention on the economy, the markets are chugging along much better than expected.
Face Mask Volunteers DIY Their Own Kind of Division of Labor
Making masks, face shields, and other protective equipment is the bottom-up, COVID-19 version of rolling bandages or knitting socks for the troops.
Is a Universal Basic Income Program Worth the Costs?
There are problems with the UBI idea.
The Panic About China Cutting Off America's COVID-19 Drug Supply Was Fake News
The Food and Drug Administration now says there is no evidence that any country attempted to cut off America's essential pharmaceuticals.
Michael Munger Says 'Price Gouging' Gives Us Information We Need
Such laws end up causing more shortages than they solve, especially during a crisis.
NASA Astronauts Hitch a Ride With Elon Musk's SpaceX
Today's Crew Dragon launch marks the first time a private company has sent humans into orbit.
Police Unions and the Problem of Police Misconduct (Updated)
The available evidence suggests that police unions are a major obstacle to holding rogue police officers accountable.
Congress' Pathetic Effort at Revoking Trump's Trade War Powers Has Failed
Sen. Chuck Grassley says it's dead because lawmakers feared upsetting the president.
In Future Crises, Let People Make Their Own Decisions
Top-down, one-size-fits-few mandates are recipes for conflict.
Trump's Executive Order on Twitter Is a Total Mess
Plus: the weird new battle lines on warrantless surveillance, more CDC incompetence, Minneapolis on fire, and more…
It's Going To Be Hard Enough To Get Kids Back to Day Care After COVID-19
The pandemic has exposed many of America’s destructive barriers to work. It’s time to eliminate them.
The Trump Administration Wants To Subsidize Domestic Drug Manufacturing. The First Contract Looks Like a $350 Million Grift.
A member of the five-month-old company's board has been touting bogus stats about America's supposed dependency on Chinese-made drugs.
Charitable Giving Helps Mitigate the Impact of COVID-19. What's Wrong With That?
Rather than criticize the charitable donations of the very rich, we should be grateful for them.
Josh Hawley Wants To Wreck America's Economy To Own the Libs
In a Senate floor speech Wednesday, Hawley outlined a half-baked plan to tear down global trade. It's aimed at winning elections, not helping America prosper.
L.P. Presidential Candidate Jacob Hornberger Wants 'To Live in a Free Society'
The longtime activist is the front-runner for the L.P. presidential nomination and has a special message to young people.
A Third Option Beyond State Bailouts and Bankruptcy
John Baker and Robert Miller identify an alternative
South America Won the U.S.-China Trade War
Two economists calculate that U.S. farms lost $14 billion because of retaliatory tariffs, while South American countries boosted their exports by $13 billion to fill the gap.
Red Bull Is Disgusting. And It Perfectly Captures Why Capitalism Is So Great.
Ludwig von Mises is “my hero,” and free markets have nothing to do with efficiency, says Ogilvy ad man Rory Sutherland.
Twitter Is Shifting to Remote Work. Will Other Firms Follow?
Will changes to how many of us work outlast the pandemic?
