Great Moments in Unintended Consequences: Obscenity Blocks, Cooking Oil, and D.C.'s Tipped Minimum Wage (Vol. 19)
Good intentions, bad results.
Energy & Environment
Trump's Immigration Crackdown Could Make Wildfire Season Deadlier This Year
Two firefighters were recently detained by federal law enforcement while fighting the Bear Gulch fire in Washington state. The arrests appear to be immigration-related.
Trump Promised Lower Electricity Bills. His Trade War Could Drive Them Higher.
The Trump administration recently expanded its list of tariffs to include grid transformers, parts of nuclear reactors, and parts for offshore oil drilling.
The Europoors Are Choosing To Have Less Than Americans. It Doesn't Have To Be This Way.
It's no coincidence why Europeans don't have air conditioning, clothes dryers, or ice.
Joe Biden Paid $89 Million To Boost Electric Motorcycle Production. It's Failing.
LiveWire, an electric motorcycle company, sold just 55 motorcycles in Q2 2025 despite receiving millions of dollars in federal backing.
Nova Scotia Bans Everyone From Hiking in the Woods Until October
The province says this will prevent forest fires. Those who violate the ban will face a $25,000 fine.
Colorado Wants To Make Its Garbage Cleaner. A New Regulation Might Just Make It Pricier and Dirtier.
One rural county expects the regulation to cost its landfill almost $4 million up front, and an additional $1 million annually.
What Caused the Serial Killing Spike of the 1970s and '80s?
A new book draws a rich, informative, but not entirely convincing account of a crime wave.
Hurricane Katrina Devastated New Orleans. Some of It Came Back Better.
Hurricane Katrina was a chapter in the history of man's struggle both to control nature and to accept what he cannot control.
Louisiana Wildlife Officials Killed a Blind Deer After a Family Nursed It Back to Health
The family also faced over $1,600 in fines, which were ultimately dropped.
The Department of Energy Just Admitted Climate Change May Not Be Catastrophic
A report affirms that greenhouse gases are warming the planet, but it also found no convincing evidence that U.S. hurricanes, tornadoes, floods, or droughts have become more frequent or intense in recent decades.
San Francisco's All-Electric Ordinance Will Make Housing More Expensive
San Francisco’s new ordinance would impose all-electric building standards for new construction projects or buildings undergoing “major renovations.”
A Terrible Environmental Law Finally Did Something Good: It Paused Construction of Alligator Alcatraz
A federal judge issued a temporary restraining order against any additional construction at the immigration detention center amid plans to increase the facility’s capacity to 4,000 detainees.
Trump's War on Economic Data Is a Dangerous Move for MAGA's Own Agenda
The Bureau of Labor Statistics, the CBO, and the Fed are far from perfect. But the U.S. needs a statistical system that is modern, agile, and protected from political interference.
The Trump Administration's Move To Halt Wind and Solar Development on Federal Lands Reverses a Biden Priority
Reducing the government’s ownership of federal lands is the best way to protect against this energy policy whiplash.
Wild Animals Are Thriving on South Africa's Private Reserves and Game Farms
Land safeguarded by private industry in South Africa is almost three times greater than land under government protection.
Science Needs Dissent: NIH Director Jay Bhattacharya on COVID, Autism, and Climate Change
NIH Director Jay Bhattacharya defends open disagreement, criticizes groupthink, and argues that democracy depends on our ability to speak and listen across political and scientific divides.
If Trump Wants American Businesses To Thrive, He Should Get Rid of Government Subsidies
Federal subsidies undermine American companies, breed dependency, and stifle competition.
Curtailing Federal Control Over Emissions Should Be Done by Congress, Not the EPA
By going through the courts, the Trump administration risks perpetuating the regulatory ping-pong that has plagued Washington, D.C., for decades.
Marjorie Taylor Greene Is Dead Wrong About Outlawing Climate Geoengineering
An unholy alliance between MAGA and progressives to ban research on an emergency backup plan to cool the planet may be emerging.
NYT: EPA Embarking on Endangerment Finding Fool's Errand
A new report suggests the Trump EPA is not content with cutting off stationary source regulation of greenhouse gases.
Sacramento Uses Smart Electric Meters To Spy on Residents
The city’s police consider “high” power consumption evidence of cannabis cultivation.
Trump Says Coke Will Be Made With Real Sugar. His Policies Make That More Difficult.
Government policy bears much of the blame for the use of high-fructose corn syrup, and Trump's policies will not change that.
Congress Cut $500 Billion in Energy Subsidies. That's Good—and Proof Reform Is Possible.
Green energy is promising. But subsidies distort the tax code, misallocate capital, and favor companies already in the game.
How Environmental Groups Use Hysteria To Get Rich—and Stop Progress
Most of Big E spends little on cleaning rivers or parks and far more on filing lawsuits.
There's No Evidence That Climate Change Has Increased the Rat Population
A widely reported study relies on weak data, inaccurate statistics, and misleading references to support its claims.
In Just 1 Year, 134 Lifeguards Cost Los Angeles Taxpayers $70 Million
The highest earner received a grand total of $523,351.
Watch a New Mexico Sheriff's Deputy Jovially Hurl a Baby Rabbit to Its Death As His Supervisors Laugh
Deputy Alejandro Gomez, who is accused of repeatedly harassing a colleague, faces one charge of extreme animal cruelty and four charges of aggravated assault on a police officer.
Blame California Politicians for the State's Sky-High Gasoline Prices
Taxes and regulations pinch supply and hike prices at the pump.
Trump Reiterates His Promise To Protect Farm and Hospitality Workers From 'Pretty Vicious' Deportation
The president is torn between the economic concerns of his supporters and the demands of immigration hardliners.
With Environmental Regulatory Reform, California Gov. Gavin Newsom Finally Does Something Substantial
Without Newsom's efforts, major reforms to California's stifling environmental laws would have died on the vine.
Environmental Regulations Are Literally Baking Europeans to Death
Europe’s lower GDP, higher electricity prices, and strict environmental regulations impede the use of air conditioning, contributing to the continent’s annual 175,000 heat-related deaths.
Under the 'Big, Beautiful Bill,' Car Companies Won't Be Fined for Failing To Hit Arbitrary Fuel Efficiency Goals
CAFE standards try to accomplish a reasonable goal but in an ineffective way.
The 'Big, Beautiful Bill' Keeps Most of Joe Biden's Energy Subsidies
While the bill may terminate subsidies for electric vehicles and energy efficiency, it falls short of fully eliminating government intervention in the energy sector.
She Got a Permit for Her Chickens. Now the City Is Fining Her $80,000.
The Douglas, Michigan, city government is hitting a homeowner with crushing fines after reversing its own approval. She’s fighting back in federal court.
'We Can't Let These Sheep Go'
A New Deal–era program nearly eradicated the sacred Navajo-Churro sheep—and still reverberates through the Navajo Nation today.
The Problem With Mike Lee's Public Lands Proposal Is That It Doesn't Sell Off Enough Land
America's housing shortage is worst in Western states. That's also where the federal government owns the most land.
A Supreme Court Course Correction for NEPA
The significance of the Supreme Court's decision in Seven County Infrastructure Coalition v. Eagle County
Reason Earns 15 Southern California Journalism Awards
First-place finishes include a piece on the Dutch "dropping" rite of passage, a documentary exploring citizen journalism and free speech, and a long-form interview with exoneree Amanda Knox.
The Biggest Impediment to Kathy Hochul's Pro-Nuclear Plan for New York Is the Government
Hochul's plan for the government to lead in building a new nuclear power plant is a surprising one, given New York's history of using top-down policies to shut down the energy source.
Trump Takes the Off-Ramp From the Israeli-Iranian War
War with Iran was a risky, destructive gamble. But the worst outcome has been avoided, for now.
North Carolina Lawmakers Are Trying To Kill the State's Booming Shrimp Industry
For some restaurants in the state, local shrimp sales account for 90 percent of their revenue.
Mass Deportations Are Putting America's Food Supply at Risk
From California to Florida, farmers face a shrinking domestic workforce, burdensome labor regulations, and a bureaucratic mess that makes hiring legally very difficult.
Trump Shreds the Constitution by Bombing Iran
The attack on Iranian nuclear sites is a risky gamble. And it was completely by choice.
The Federal Government Owns Too Much Land. Selling It Helps Rural Communities.
Why Sen. Mike Lee's plan to sell public land doesn't go far enough
War With Iran Should Be Determined by Congressional Debate, Not Presidential Whim
With lives on the line, whether to wage war shouldn’t be decided by one person.
