Congress Still Has a Chance To Curb Section 702 Surveillance Abuses
Sen. Ron Wyden warns that Americans would be “stunned” at how officials have used the law.
Legislation
A New Age-Verification Bill Could Make You Show ID To Use a Computer or Smartphone
Plus: The war with Iran is raising condom prices, increased legal liability for chatbot advice could backfire, and more...
Democrats and Republicans Both Want To Regulate AI. They Just Can't Agree on How.
As lawmakers of both major parties hustle to regulate their preferred villains, they're losing sight of the big picture. The possible gains to humanity from AI are enormous.
Maine Bill Proves States Are Capable of Adopting Bad Data Center Policies Without Federal Intervention
A week after Bernie Sanders introduced legislation to pause AI data center construction indefinitely, Maine is poised to institute the first statewide ban.
Colorado Becomes First State To Protect Defendants Against Faulty Roadside Drug Tests
A 2024 study estimated that 30,000 people every year may be getting wrongly arrested due to unreliable roadside drug tests used by police.
The Republican Plan To Nationalize Elections Is Performative Nonsense
There is no voting crisis that demands federal intervention.
Trump Keeps Taking Equity Shares of Private Companies. A New GOP Bill Would Codify the Practice.
The bill would not only codify Trump's actions into law, it would establish a framework for both this and future administrations to do it too.
We Could Have Flying Cars by 2028
But only if politicians learn to focus on the boring basics of aviation policy.
Minnesota Bills Would Create State Right To Sue Government Officials for Constitutional Violations
Two different pieces of legislation aim to create state workarounds to the procedural quagmire of federal civil rights litigation.
Trump Backs Section 702 Reauthorization After Once Calling To 'KILL FISA'
The president is much less concerned about the law's potential for overreach now that he's in charge of the government wielding it.
Section 230's Legal Protections for Internet Speech Face New Challenge
This week, senators heard testimony over the foundation for modern online conversations.
Josh Hawley Moves To Ban Abortion Pills
His push relies on dubious data about the pills' safety.
The 'Fairness' Law That Could Raise Grocery Prices for New Yorkers
Legislators are trying to pass their own state version of an outdated antitrust law—one that is dead at the federal level for a reason.
California Billionaire Wealth Tax Would Cost the State $25 Billion, New Research Finds
"If Californians approve this measure in November, they may discover too late that the wealth they hoped to tax has already left the state—with jobs and economic opportunities not far behind."
We Lost the Lyme Vaccine. Under Rand Paul's New Vaccine Liability Bill, We'll Lose More.
The End the Vaccine Carveout Act would expose vaccine makers to lawsuits that once drove companies out of the industry.
Katie Miller Is Trying To Sell MAGA on Solar Energy
Stephen Miller's wife is giving renewables a P.R. boost.
Politicians Consider Soviet-Style Controls on 3D Printers
Panic over guns drives government officials to propose restricting popular technology.
Virginia Democrats' Push for Mandatory Government Unions Is Not an 'Affordability' Agenda
The legislation would almost certainly lead to a higher cost of living in the form of substantial tax increases.
The U.S. House Just Voted To Stop Trump's 'Emergency' Tariffs on Imports From Canada
But the numbers are a long way from a veto-proof majority, so Wednesday's vote may be a purely symbolic victory for free traders.
Can Congress Get 'YIMBY Grants' Right?
Plus: The House passes housing reform, Florida advances ADUs, and Zohran Mamdani hosts show trials for bad landlords.
Dumping State Income Taxes Could Mean High Sales Taxes—or an Opportunity for Smaller Government
A new report warns that some plans for replacing income tax revenue rely on unrealistic assumptions.
Democrats Advance 7 Bills Restricting Gun Rights in the Virginia State Senate
They’re not getting the whole “shall not be infringed” part of the U.S. and Virginia constitutions.
Congress Is Aiming To Avoid Another Shutdown by Spending More on Almost Everything
The bill includes $1 million for new elevators at New York City's Metropolitan Opera, among other wasteful earmarks.
California's 'Billionaire Tax' Could Bite Harder Than Advertised
The proposed tax is already driving people and businesses to flee the state.
Trump's 'Great Healthcare Plan' Has Promise but Should Add More Freedom for Americans
Empowering patients is good. Let’s give them a lot more choice and independence.
Data Centers Use Lots of Electricity. This Bill Would Let Them Go Off the Grid.
The DATA Act, introduced by Sen. Tom Cotton, would exempt electrical utilities from federal regulation if they don't touch the electrical grid.
How Politicians and Cops Tried To Dodge Responsibility in 2025
Presidents, legislators, and police officers were desperate to blame anyone but themselves.
The TRUMP AMERICA AI Act Is Every Bit As Bad As You Would Expect. Maybe Worse.
Sen. Marsha Blackburn’s latest is an anti-tech omnibus, combining years' worth of dangerous policy ideas into one big, bad bill.
Bail Reform Faces Backlash as Policymakers Move To Require Cash Bond for Pre-Trial Defendants
Critics of cash bail say it creates a two-tiered justice system: Those who can pay maintain their freedom, while those unable to pay remain behind bars.
MAHA Republicans Are Imposing New Food Labeling Mandates
New Louisiana and Texas laws will require businesses to disclose the use of seed oils, certain dyes, and many other ingredients.
Virginia's New Blue Trifecta Puts Right-To-Work on the Line
Democrats retook full control in Richmond and are already advancing right-to-work repeal, testing whether incoming Gov. Abigail Spanberger will stand by her campaign promise.
Lawmakers To Consider 19 Bills for Childproofing the Internet
KOSA is back, along with more than a dozen other bills that will erode free speech and privacy in the name of protecting kids.
California Clears Path for Gig Unions
Even after the Prop 22 rebuke, California is pushing a system that could standardize schedules and undermine gig work.
Why Are Lawmakers Crusading Against Surge Pricing in Restaurants?
Progressive politicians want to ban restaurants from adjusting prices based on demand—even when no one’s actually doing it.
Maybe AI Therapists Will Suck. That Doesn't Mean We Should Ban Them.
It is possible to be both skeptical of the supposed effectiveness of AI therapy and wary of sweeping state regulations.
Help Legislators Legislate Again
Legislative disfunction is at the root of many current controversies, and past legislation bears part of the problem.
Utah's New Union Law Faces a Ballot Box Battle
Lawmakers passed sweeping limits on public sector union power, but opponents have gathered record-breaking signatures to attempt to overturn it in 2026.
California's Fast Food Minimum Wage Hike Cost the State 18,000 Jobs. That Shouldn't Surprise Anyone.
Lawmakers made an exception for smaller restaurant chains, implicitly acknowledging that the law would come with costs.
Tennessee Alcohol Wholesalers Are Grabbing Control of the State's Hemp Market
A new law hands hemp distribution to the same powerful middlemen who dominate liquor sales and block out-of-state suppliers.
SCOTUS Will Consider a Challenge to Hawaii's Default Rule Against Guns on Private Property Open to the Public
The law is one of several attempts to override the right to bear arms by making it impractical to exercise.
Michigan Anti-Porn Bill Would Criminalize ASMR, Written Erotica, and Even Nonsexual Depictions of Trans People
Under the law, transgender people writing about their gender identity online could face 20 years in prison and a $100,000 fine.
California's Tech Regulations Could Strangle AI Innovation for the Whole Country
Federalism works best when state-level policy experiments stay contained.
Trump's 1 Percent Tax on Money Immigrants Send Home Is a Tax on the Global Poor
Analysts expect the One Big Beautiful Bill Act to reduce the number of remittance payments sent abroad.
I'm a Gamer. The NO FAKES Act Could Get Me in Trouble.
A bill meant to fight AI deepfakes could devastate creativity in games like Fallout: New Vegas, Skyrim, and Minecraft, where mods keep old titles alive.
Walz's Gun Plan Wouldn't Stop Shootings, but It Might Shred Civil Liberties
Minnesota's proposed firearm restrictions raise serious constitutional questions—and offer little in return.
The IRS Is Now 25 Percent Smaller (and, Hopefully, Less Dangerous)
We still need real tax reform and much lower federal spending.
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.
