TikTok Gets 9 Months
Plus: Masking protesters, how Google Search got so bad, Columbia's anti-apartheid protests of the '80s, and more...
Health
The Best of Reason: A Big Panic Over Tiny Plastics
Science can detect increasingly small particles of plastic in our air and water. That doesn't mean it's bad for you.
New Georgia Law Allows Birthing Centers To Open Without Needing Permission From Nearby Hospitals
Certificate of need laws were supposed to ensure high-quality health care in rural places. Instead, they allowed hospitals to veto potential competitors.
It Took Me Months To Get the ADHD Meds the DEA Says Are Overprescribed
I'm the DEA's poster child for prescription stimulant abuse: a 30-something adult who needs a telehealth psychiatrist and can't remember what day the garbage truck comes.
Two Cheers for the Proposed End Kidney Deaths Act
Giving kidney donors a $50,000 tax credit isn't as good as full legalization of organ markets would be. But it would still be a major step in the right direction.
A Big Panic Over Tiny Plastics
Science can detect increasingly small particles of plastic in our air and water. That doesn't mean it's bad for you.
Regulating Smartphones? Jonathan Haidt vs. Libertarians
The author of The Anxious Generation argues that parents, schools, and society must keep kids off of social media.
Government Data Refute the Notion That Overprescribing Caused the 'Opioid Crisis'
The CDC’s numbers show that pain treatment is not responsible for escalating drug-related deaths.
Say No to This: America's Fiscal Norms Are in Decline
Despite their informal nature, those norms have historically constrained U.S. fiscal policy. But they're eroding.
Why Did Harvard Fire Martin Kulldorff?
Martin Kulldorff talks about his dismissal from Harvard Medical School, persisting college vaccine mandates, and surviving COVID-era censorship on the latest episode of Just Asking Questions.
Abigail Shrier: Stop Obsessing Over Our Children's Happiness
The author of Bad Therapy argues that we have created a generation of "emotional hypochondriacs."
Report: Adderall Shortage Led to 10 Percent Fewer Prescriptions Filled
The government still blames the private sector despite its own role in creating, exacerbating, and prolonging the shortage.
First Pig Kidney Transplant Patient Goes Home
Potentially good news for the nearly 100,000 Americans on the transplant waiting list.
The Bad Science Behind Jonathan Haidt's Call to Regulate Social Media
Only 22 of the 476 studies in The Anxious Generation contain data on either heavy social media use or serious mental issues among adolescents, and none have data on both.
FDA Aims To Stifle Medical Innovation Again
After botching COVID test approvals, the Food and Drug Administration wants power over thousands of other tests.
Biden and Trump Try To Wish Away the Looming Entitlement Crisis
Neither presidential candidate is willing to back the reforms necessary to close the gap between revenue and benefits.
Dr. Kevorkian Was Convicted of Murder 25 Years Ago Today
Examining the mixed legacy of a fighter for patient autonomy.
The Lesson of COVID-19: Don't Give Government More Power
The pandemic showed that America's founders were right to create a system of checks and balances that made it hard for leaders to easily have their way.
'15 Days To Slow the Spread': On the Fourth Anniversary, a Reminder to Never Give Politicians That Power Again
In the name of safety, politicians did many things that diminished our lives—without making us safer.
The Supreme Court Should Reject Clandestine Government Censorship of Online Speech
The Biden administration’s social media meddling went far beyond "information" and "advice."
The New York Times Again Worries That Free Speech Endangers Democracy
The newspaper portrays the constitutional challenge to the government's social media meddling as a conspiracy by Donald Trump's supporters.
Because 'Marijuana Is Dangerous,' 2 Inveterate Drug Warriors Say, 'Legalizing It Was a Mistake'
William Barr and John Walters ignore the benefits of legalization and systematically exaggerate its costs.
CDC Vastly Overestimated U.S. Maternal Death Rates, Says New Study
Maternal health care has actually improved substantially in many areas.
Expanding the Drug War To Include Tobacco Would Be a Big Mistake
The judicially approved Brookline ban reflects a broader trend among progressives who should know better.
A Bipartisan Tax Hike Won't Fix This Deficit
The government needs to cut back on spending—and on the promises to special interests that fuel the spending.
The Federal Government Doesn't Know How Many of Its Buildings Contain Asbestos
A new report from the Government Accountability Office finds that two-thirds of government-owned buildings haven't been inspected for asbestos in at least five years.
Virginia Surrogacy Bill Doesn't Go Far Enough
Allowing surrogacy brokers to be paid is good. Allowing surrogates themselves to be paid would be better.
Bryan Johnson: Can This Rich Transhumanist Beat Death?
Bryan Johnson, venture capitalist and founder of Blueprint, discusses his $2 million a year effort to reverse aging on Just Asking Questions.
Brian Riedl: Who Bankrupted Us More—Trump or Biden?
"I'm concerned about a Trump-Biden rematch," argues Riedl. "You have two presidents with two of the worst fiscal records of the past 100 years."
Congress Continues To Make the Tax Code Ridiculously Hard To Understand
I shouldn't have to spend so much money on an accountant every year. But I don't really have a choice.
DEA Shuts Down Drug Factory Even as Adderall Shortage Persists
The DEA is cracking down on manufacturers, hurting patients who genuinely need those drugs.
Feds Make a Pharma Patent Grab
A Biden administration ploy could give the federal government control over drug prices.
The Justice Department Quietly Ends Reprosecution of Man Who Received Clemency From Trump
Philip Esformes was sentenced for charges on which a jury hung. After receiving a commutation, the federal government vowed to try to put him back in prison.
When Doctors Are the Source of Public Health Misinformation
Medical professionals are often unaware of the relevant research on the relative risks of tobacco products, and that can matter for public health.
Did Decriminalization Boost Drug Deaths in Oregon?
Recent research finds "no evidence" that it did, undermining a key claim by critics of that policy.
Biden's Cognitive Shrinkflation
Plus: A listener asks if the state of Oregon’s policy on drug decriminalization should be viewed as a success.
Was Amazon 'Free to Ignore' White House Demands That It Suppress Anti-Vaccine Books?
The Biden administration's interference with bookselling harks back to a 1963 Supreme Court case involving literature that Rhode Island deemed dangerous.
Politicians Need To Stop Pretending the National Debt Is Sustainable
The reality raises questions about the kind of future we want to leave for the next generation.
Do New Documents Prove a COVID Lab Leak?
Health reporter Emily Kopp and biologist Alex Washburne discuss new documents that detail plans to manipulate bat-borne coronaviruses in Wuhan on the latest episode of Just Asking Questions.
A New Pain Medication Could Reinforce the Disastrous Crackdown on Prescription Opioids
When the government is systematically interfering with medical decisions, a non-opioid alternative may not actually increase treatment options.
Why We Went Crazy During COVID Lockdowns
The Things Fell Apart host Jon Ronson explains how a 1988 quack medical concept inspired George Floyd's death in 2020 and how Plandemic is basically a rewrite of Star Wars.
The World Economic Forum Is Begging You To Trust the Science
"There has been a deliberate attempt to inflame the public against experts," warned one Davos panelist.
How To Assemble a Vegan Plate
Lab-grown chicken, vegan mac and cheese, animal-free ice cream, and more.
