Are We Battling an Unprecedented Pandemic or Panicking at a Computer-Generated Mirage?
A close look at the new study from Imperial College which models worst-case scenarios and makes the case for social distancing.
Coronavirus
Will Aggressive COVID-19 Control Measures Cost More Than They Are Worth?
Politicians seem to be proceeding on the dangerous assumption that cost-effectiveness does not matter.
Richard Epstein: 'More Probable Than Not…Total Number of Deaths at Under 50,000'
The worst-case scenarios projecting millions of deaths don't take into account adaptive behaviors.
$1 Trillion Coronavirus Stimulus Unveiled: Corporate Bailouts and Loans, Checks for All
The package seeks to curb the economic chaos caused by COVID-19.
Keep Coronavirus Out of Jails by Arresting Fewer People in the First Place
Police departments turn to summons instead of processing people into cells—a change they should keep after this is all over.
Police Powers During a Pandemic: Constitutional, but Not Unlimited
Weighing the state and local response to COVID-19
Tyler Cowen Thinks Coronavirus Could Be This Generation's World War II
The Mercatus economist on why the private sector could provide the best response to the coronavirus, why the government should go big anyway, and how the current crisis could help America reinvent itself.
An Epidemic Big Enough to Accommodate Everyone's Wish List
Politicians of both major parties are using COVID-19 to advance their pre-existing policy agendas.
Why Price Gouging Laws Are a Bad Idea
What politicians call "gouging" is just supply and demand. Prices rise and fall all the time.
Congress and the White House Are Inching Closer to a 'Helicopter Money' Response to Coronavirus Crisis
In the past, the federal government has sent everyone checks to stimulate the economy. But paying for all the losses that come with a coronavirus-induced shutdown would require more novel policies.
How the Coronavirus Might Kickstart the 21st Century
In the pandemic's wake, we'll learn, work, and live more online than ever.
Stop It With the Coronavirus Curfews Already
Self-imprisonment orders from panicky politicians are not a prudent way to flatten the curve.
Trump's Tariffs Weakened America's Hospitals. Then Coronavirus Hit.
Some of Trump's tariffs hit medical equipment and supplies from China. We need more trade, not less, to be prepared for pandemics.
Ohio Releases 28 Low-Level Offenders To Reduce Spread of Coronavirus
One man was arrested because he didn't have enough bus fare to make his court date.
Maybe Doctors Shouldn't Need the Government's Permission To Fight Coronavirus
Plus: Trump wants to bail out airlines, and he called COVID-19 the "Chinese virus."
Pandemics Don't Kill Compassion. Actually, They Bring It Out.
The coronavirus is narrowing class divisions and creating an amazing outbreak of compassion.
Trump Says Coronavirus Crisis Could Last Until July or August
The White House has issued new 15-day guidelines for slowing the spread of the coronavirus. The president implied at a press conference that crisis measures could be needed for much longer.
Is Government Doing Too Much or Too Little With Coronavirus?
How do libertarians react to a pandemic? It depends, judging by the Reason Roundtable podcast.
The Cronyism Buried in the Latest Coronavirus Relief Bill
It requires companies to allow its workers to take paid sick leave, unless the business employs more than 500 people. What?
The CDC's Shift From Vaping to COVID-19 Highlights the Crucial Differences Between Real and Metaphorical Epidemics
The agency's scaremongering about e-cigarettes undermined its credibility on the eve of a true public health crisis.
Mitt Romney, Tulsi Gabbard Agree: The Federal Government Should Give Everyone $1,000—or More
Politicians across the political spectrum embrace UBI-style relief to ease the pain of the coming coronavirus-induced recession.
Coronavirus Is the Health of the State
The disease will leave behind a residue of laws, spending, and precedents for future government actions.
COVID-19 Reminds Us: Social Media Is Good, Actually
Will coronavirus help rehabilitate tech's rep?
Coronavirus Epidemic May Be Slowed by Warm and Humid Weather
The U.S. may get a respite from COVID-19 this summer.
The Coronavirus Debate Was Bernie Sanders' Last Chance. He Blew It.
Joe Biden rightly noted that Medicare for All "would not solve the problem" posed by the coronavirus.
Price-Gouging Laws Will Do More Harm Than Good During the Coronavirus Pandemic
High prices for sought-after goods cause temporary pain, but not as much as government efforts to "help" frustrated consumers.
When Should Lay Voters Defer to the Views of Scientists?
My 2015 post on this subject includes points relevant to our current situation.
Biden Promises 'Major, Major, Major Bailouts' in Response to Coronavirus
Not to be outdone, Bernie Sanders promises that every single American will "be made whole" despite economic losses due to the outbreak. That's totally impossible.
Social Distancing Dramatically Improved the Democratic Debate
Coronavirus fears prompted organizers to drop the live audience, which was just as well.
Tired: There Are No Libertarians in a Pandemic. Wired: There Are Only Libertarians in a Pandemic.
From relaxed TSA rules to speedy FDA approvals, the coronavirus is forcing authorities to admit many of their regulations are unnecessary.
Coronavirus Is Going To Be Expensive. Too Bad the Government Is Already in Massive Debt.
Having failed to be fiscally responsible when it would have been relatively easier, our elected officials will now likely hike spending even further.
Trump Declares National Emergency To 'Unleash the Full Power of the Federal Government'
But what he will do with that power remains uncertain.
Politicians Declare Eviction Moratoriums To Combat Coronavirus. Will They Give Up That Power After the Virus Fades?
Emergency measures can easily become routine policy.
Americans Act To Flatten the Coronavirus Epidemic Curve
"Individual behavior will be crucial to control the spread of COVID-19."
Biohackers Are on a Secret Hunt for the Coronavirus Vaccine
DIY biologists propose creating a public domain SARS-CoV-2 vaccine with $25,000 in funding.
Force Mineure and Contracts That Aren't Performed Because of Epidemics
I can't give a substantive legal analysis, but I dibs the label.
America Doesn't Have Enough Hospital Beds To Fight the Coronavirus. Protectionist Health Care Regulations Are One Reason Why.
Federal bureaucracy slowed America's response to the new coronavirus outbreak. Now state-level red tape is now poised to cause more problems.
China Bans Pandemic Video Game From App Store and Steam
Plague Inc. simulates the spread of coronavirus.
New York Bans Gatherings of 500 People Unless They Are Children Penned in Enclosed Spaces
Scientists, teachers, and parents are asking: Why is one of the most coronavirus-impacted cities keeping its schools open "at all cost"?
Coronavirus. We Got This.
Despite the slow-growing anxieties and government incompetence, expect Americans to be resilient in fighting the pandemic.
Will Trump's New Travel Restrictions Help Combat Coronavirus?
Here's what public health experts are saying.
COVID-19: A National Problem With Local Solutions
Also: Chelsea Manning finally freed, coronavirus appropriations, and more...
Prizes for Progress Against Coronavirus
The Mercatus Center Emergent Ventures Project is awarding prizes for important Coronavirus-related work
The Most Important Coronavirus-and-the-Law Issues
... have to do, I think, with business insurance law (and in particular with the interpretation of business insurance contracts).
Do Pandemics Strengthen the Case for Restricting Immigration? [updated with response to Jason Richwine]
Temporary quarantines and other targeted restrictions might be justified. But pandemics do not justify more general migration restrictions. Indeed, the latter often actually imperil health.
