Health
CDC Will Stop Forcing Travelers To Present Negative COVID Tests To Reenter U.S.
The policy, which only applied to people entering the country by air, not by land, was always ill-conceived. Good riddance.
Did Prescription Opioids Cause The Overdose Epidemic?
Doctors Adriane Fugh-Berman and Jeffrey Singer debate the harms of prescription opioids
COVID-19 'Lab Leak' Origin Theory Merits Further Investigation, Says New WHO Report
But the Chinese government continues to stonewall independent investigations.
Why Everything About Politics Sucks, in 1 Chart
Only 6 percent of Americans say the federal government is extremely "careful with taxpayer money," yet those same Americans consistently report that they want the government to do more.
Social Security Is Running Toward Insolvency
Despite a few encouraging analyses, the numbers just don't add up.
Biden Says the Deficit Is Falling. Actually, It's Rising.
Under Biden, Trump, and Obama, government federal spending almost doubled.
When a Tax Break Is Actually a Tax Penalty
The curious case of the tax exclusion for employer-sponsored health insurance.
America's Failed Opioid Policy Drove the Tulsa Shooter to Violence
Doctors can’t help people in pain because of restrictive opioid policy.
L.A.'s Eternal Eviction Moratorium
Now that the pandemic is fading and much of the available rent relief has been spent, L.A.'s eviction moratorium seems like pure regulatory inertia.
Lingering COVID-19 Restrictions Are Costly Hazards
Travelers and families find that some officials just can’t let go of pandemic powers.
The American Rescue Plan Bailed Out Unprofitable Government-Owned Golf Courses
Perhaps the government shouldn't be running golf courses in the first place?
Biden's Plan for Reducing Inflation Will Actually Make It Worse
The president's argument is amazing for its tone-deafness, inconsistent thinking, and sheer economic ignorance.
Government Employees Got $872 Million in Bonuses Out of COVID Aid Cash
The federal bailout of state and local governments padded the paychecks of many public employees.
COVID-19 Measures Magnified the Wars on Drugs and Sex Work
Plus: International Whores' Day, U.S. Postal Service sued over the seizure of Black Lives Matter masks, and more...
Only the Constitution Stands Between Us and Shanghai-Style Lockdowns
It would be a mistake to see these lockdowns as a foreign oddity to be pitied and tweeted.
Sixth Circuit Concludes Challenge to Michigan Mask Mandate Is Moot
The en banc Sixth Circuit concludes that the lawsuit seeking an injunction against Michigan's mask mandate is now moot.
Dr. Oz Warns That Legalizing Marijuana in Pennsylvania Would Aggravate Unemployment by Weakening 'Mojo'
The Republican Senate candidate is echoing decades of anti-pot propaganda, but evidence to support his hypothesis is hard to find.
Court Won't Let CDC End Migrant Expulsion Order Just Yet
Plus: Book bans come for Barnes & Noble, a blow to SEC enforcement power, and more...
Don't Panic Over Monkeypox
Plus: The wrong way to address formula shortages, Clinton approved the plan to share Trump-Russia information, and more...
Teenagers Who Use Marijuana Are Shifting From Smoking to Vaping. Should We Be Alarmed?
The overall prevalence of cannabis consumption among adolescents rose between 2017 and 2019 but has fallen since then.
Jerome Powell, Who Wildly Misjudged Inflation, Is Overwhelmingly Reconfirmed as Fed Chair
There is seldom any meaningful accountability for government incompetence.
Shanghai Authorities Say Normal Life Might Resume in Mid-June. COVID Lockdown Started in March.
China's "COVID zero" policy looks a lot like house arrest for Shanghai's 25 million residents who are only just now beginning to experience glimmers of freedom.
No, Gas Prices Didn't Spike Because of 'Corporate Greed'
Corporations were just as greedy when prices fell in 2019 and early 2020.
Medicare for All Would Be a Terrible Trade
Top-notch health care, delivered fast and for low cost, really isn’t on the government's menu.
In Defense of Roe
The last 50 years have been marked by a remarkably stable social consensus balancing the rights of women and fetuses. Let's not throw that away.
Alito, Abortion, and Autonomy
Plus: ruminations on public health, misinformation, and media literacy
Sheriff Agrees To Stop Stealing Cannabis Cash From Armored Cars, Saying His Deputies 'Are Not Highway Robbers'
The settlement came after the Justice Department agreed to return more than $1 million in proceeds from state-licensed marijuana businesses in California.
The Pandemic Killed Dissent in Hong Kong
Every June since 1990, residents had held a vigil for the Tiananmen Square dead. But in 2020, Hong Kong announced an extension of social distancing restrictions until June 5, the day after the anniversary.
Yet Another Study Blames Food Companies for Parental Choices
Food companies don't determine what parents put in their shopping carts.
Gov. Polis Wants You…To Be in Charge of Your Own Life
The libertarianish Colorado Democrat is devolving decision-making to parents and trying to lower the income tax to zero.
Biden Brags About Falling Deficits, but the Federal Fiscal Situation Is Still 'Unsustainable'
Under current policies, Social Security and Medicare will consume 85 percent of all federal tax revenue by 2050.
Ending Roe Threatens More Than Abortion Rights
Plus: Lawsuit against Twitter can move forward, antitrust bills targeting Big Tech falter, and more...
California Is Forcing Smokers To Buy More Dangerous Products
Banning less harmful tobacco alternatives is not a way to improve public health.
Planes, Buses, and COVID Tests: How the NHL Playoffs Are Spotlighting America's Dumb Border Rules
There's no reason to have one set of rules for airline passengers and another for people who cross the border in a bus, train, or car.
Harvard Students Slam Autism Awareness Panel as 'Violently Ableist'
The event was postponed in order to mollify students who said trying to treat autism was "hateful, eugenicist."
Was Censorship the Greatest COVID Threat to Freedom?
It wasn't just autocrats who were frequently tempted to address "fake news" about the pandemic through state pressure and coercion.
Politico Symposium on Broader Implications of the Leaked Supreme Court Opinion Overruling Roe v. Wade
Various experts, including co-blogger Josh Blackman and myself, discuss whether the draft opinion would threaten other constitutional rights, if adopted by the Court.
Josh Blackman: Sam Alito, Roe v. Wade, and Libertarians
Does returning decisions about abortion to the states increase liberty or shrink it?
The Biden Administration Sees Free Speech As a Public Menace
The alarm aroused by the Disinformation Governance Board is understandable given the administration’s broader assault on messages it considers dangerous.
The End of Roe? Everything You Need To Know About the Leaked Supreme Court Draft Opinion
Plus: Boston rebuked for rejecting Christian flag, Google will remove more personal information, and more...
Montana's Ban on Mask Mandates Is Stopping Local Governments From Enforcing Their Zoning Codes
Officials in Gallatin County, Montana, say a state law that prohibits local governments from forcing businesses to turn customers away is preventing it from cracking down on zoning code violators.
The FDA Uses Its New Authority To Close Off the Last Remaining Legal Option for Vapers Who Like Flavor Variety
In a move that is likely to undermine public health, the agency warns that products containing synthetic nicotine "will be subject to FDA enforcement."
Fauci Attended a White House Correspondents' Dinner Pre-Party
The good doctor's "individual assessment of my personal risk" apparently lets him attend brunch but not dinner.
Why Did Pandemic Authorities Treat Tattoo Shops Like Titty Bars?
"Government restrictions came in, which literally shut us down," says Paul Smith, who co-owns Red Stag Tattoo in Austin, Texas.
The FDA's Menthol Cigarette Ban Is a 'Racial Justice' Issue, but Not in the Way Its Supporters Mean
The proposed rule, which targets the cigarettes that black smokers overwhelmingly prefer, will harm the community it is supposed to help.
Time Is Running Out for South Carolina's Over-the-Counter Birth Control Bill
The Pharmacy Access Act is good policy stuck in legislative limbo.
