Supreme Court Tells Cops To Stop Playing Doctor
The unanimous decision is a good first step for getting law enforcement out of prescription decisions.
Public Health
The U.S. Government Had What It Needed To Prevent the Spread of Monkeypox. It Happened Anyway.
Foot-dragging and red tape by the CDC and the FDA have fueled an avoidable outbreak.
The FDA Perversely Seeks To Make Both Cigarettes and Harm-Reducing Alternatives Less Appealing
The agency’s policies would boost the black market and smoking-related deaths.
Oregon Health Officials Delayed a Meeting Because 'Urgency Is a White Supremacy Value'
A second public health official cited the work of antiracist educator Tema Okun after several people on the thread objected.
'Ghost Kitchens' Spur Overheated Health Concerns From Regulators
Regulators are setting their sights on ghost kitchens and virtual restaurants.
The FDA's War on Juul Will Kill People
Bureaucrats say they want to save lives. But they're moving to block a tool that is proven to help smokers quit entirely.
COVID-19 Exposed the Truth About the CDC
The agency will never be controlled by fact-driven experts shielded from politics.
Mandating Low-Nicotine Cigarettes Could Make Smoking More Dangerous
Plus: Supreme Court rules on school choice and criminal justice reform, Louisiana's trigger law criminalizes abortion at any stage, and more...
CDC Advises 'Virtual Sex' and Socially Distanced Masturbation To Stem Spread of Monkeypox
"Have sex with your clothes on" and "wash your fetish gear," offers the agency, which has in the past given us the brilliant advice to "cook your prosciutto" during times of salmonella spread.
Public Health Officials Who Didn't Stop Global Monkeypox Outbreak Now Say the Name Is Problematic
The WHO said it will rename the virus after researchers complained that the current name is "stigmatizing" and "discriminatory."
New York City Toddlers Can Finally Take Off Their Masks
Plus: trans teens, trouble at the FTC, and more...
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.
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.
Lingering COVID-19 Restrictions Are Costly Hazards
Travelers and families find that some officials just can’t let go of pandemic powers.
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.
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...
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.
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.
Alito, Abortion, and Autonomy
Plus: ruminations on public health, misinformation, and media literacy
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.
California Is Forcing Smokers To Buy More Dangerous Products
Banning less harmful tobacco alternatives is not a way to improve public health.
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.
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.
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."
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.
A CDC Study Suggests Three-Fifths of Americans Have Been Infected by the Coronavirus
The estimate implies an overall infection fatality rate of about 0.5 percent, although that number should be viewed with caution.
FDA Case for Menthol Ban Undermined by New Study
Menthols aren’t harder to quit than other cigarettes.
How 'Cranks' Advance Science
A major lesson of the pandemic is that science is "not a priesthood," says Dr. Jeffrey A. Singer, a general surgeon and senior fellow at the Cato Institute.
Anthony Fauci Thinks Scientific Expertise Trumps the Rule of Law
The president’s COVID-19 adviser embodies the arrogance of technocrats who are sure they know what’s best for us.
If the CDC's Mask Mandate Is 'Necessary for the Public Health,' Why Didn't the DOJ Seek a Stay To Restore It?
The Biden administration's main priority seems to be leaving the agency's authority vague enough to allow future interventions.
Jared Polis: The Most Libertarian Governor in America?
The Colorado Democrat supports abortion rights, school choice, letting kids play unsupervised, an end to COVID-19 overreach, and an income tax rate of "zero."
More on the Transportation Mask Mandate Litigation
Some implications of the government's decision not to seek a stay of the district court ruling. Plus, the low quality of the trial judge's opinion doesn't necessarily mean there are no good arguments against the mandate's legality.
Fauci Says CDC Mandates 'Should Not Be a Court Issue'
That's a fundamentally anti-democratic attitude.
Facing Fauci's Fury: Q&A with Dr. Jay Bhattacharya
The Stanford professor and Great Barrington Declaration coauthor stands up to COVID-19 autocrats and disastrous lockdowns by following the science.
Dr. Jay Bhattacharya: How To Avoid 'Absolutely Catastrophic' COVID Mistakes
The anti-lockdown Stanford public health professor on being attacked by Fauci, the loss of trust in medical experts, and how to save science going forward.
The DOJ Is Reluctant To Continue Defending the CDC's Mask Mandate Because It Worries It Will Lose Again
Clarifying the agency's authority could impede future power grabs.
Airplane Mask Mandate May Not Be Gone for Good
Plus: Conspiracy theories are undergoing a vibe shift, Florida won't stop attacking private companies, and more...
Even If the CDC's Mask Mandate Made Sense, That Would Not Make It Legal
The decision against the rule hinged on whether the agency had the power it asserted.
CDC Removes All Countries From COVID-19 'Do Not Travel' List
Though travel isn't completely back to normal, this change is an overdue acknowledgment that we can't always view COVID-19 transmission as catastrophic.
Federal Court Rules Against CDC Transportation Mask Mandate
The decision holds that the CDC exceeded its legal authority. But it may be vulnerable to reversal on appeal.
Florida Judge Declares CDC's Federal Travel Mask Mandate 'Unlawful' and Vacates It
"Our system does not permit agencies to act unlawfully even in pursuit of desirable ends," writes Judge Kathryn Kimball Mizelle.
New Investigation Finds FDA's Food Side Is 'Broken'
Among experts on food safety, the consensus is that the FDA's food division isn't functional.
