Nanny State
Florida Lawmakers Are Cracking Down on Secret Snitches
Two state bills would generally prohibit local code enforcement officials from acting on anonymously reported violations.
Backpage Judge Accused of Bias Will Remain on Case
Plus: Effort to decriminalize psychedelics gains traction in California, crony capitalism at its worst, and more...
Matt Gaetz Story Shifts From Child Sex Trafficking to Consorting With Sugar Babies
Plus: Marijuana legalization in New Mexico, Republicans are coming for OnlyFans, and more…
Violent Crime in Baltimore Plunges After City Ditches Prosecution of Prostitution, Drug Possession, Other Minor Offenses
Plus: The "infrastructure plan" that isn't, the Institute for Justice challenges cash seizures at airports, and more...
Consumer Groups Ask FDA To Force Alcohol Makers To Hide Facts from Consumers
Knowledge is probably not more dangerous than alcohol, but why risk it?
Sex Trafficking Panic and Victim Blaming Follow Atlanta Massage Parlor Murders
Rhetoric around the shootings risks putting massage workers everywhere in more danger.
Tennessee Tries To Limit Residents' Access to Wine From Other States (Again)
After losing at the Supreme Court in 2019, state lawmakers are now targeting fulfillment houses in an attempt to stop consumers from buying what they want.
These Big Tech Bills Are Unconstitutional. State Lawmakers Don't Care.
Plus: Problems with the PRO Act, what libertarian feminism isn't, and more...
The Town That Didn't Lock Down
A Reason reporter went to Paso Robles, California, where many businesses defied state orders to close. He enjoyed it. He also got COVID.
U.S. Lifts Tariffs on Scotch Whisky, but American Distillers Remain on the Rocks
The announcement signals a possible deescalation in the transatlantic trade war and raises hopes for a U.S.-U.K. trade agreement.
Science-Based Policy Means Decriminalizing Sex Work, Say Hundreds of Researchers
Plus: ACLU joins fight for donor privacy, Parler drops lawsuit against Amazon, and more...
Michigan Farmer Rescued Injured Animals Without the Proper Permits. State Officials Have Charged Her With a Misdemeanor and Euthanized the Animals.
State officials euthanized six of Julie Hall's animals, including Sassy, a blind raccoon, and Po, a one-legged crow.
Democrats Demand Bureaucrats Regulate Bureaus More Heavily
The STURDY Act would mandate new testing standards to prevent dressers from killing people.
Federal Suit Seeks Damages for Men Illegally Recorded at Florida Massage Parlors, Falsely Smeared as Sex Traffickers
Two women still face felony charges, though the cases against all male defendants were dropped.
Conviction for Praising Prostitutes (as "Promoting Prostitution") Upheld
Not sure that paying for sex makes you an "extraordinary gentleman," even if you do try to "give something back" by providing expert consumer reviews.
California Bill Would Give $1,000 Fines to Retailers With Separate 'Girls' and 'Boys' Toy Sections
The proposed bill from Assembly Members Evan Low and Cristina Garcia would require stores to have one unisex section for children's products and apparel.
Seattle Forces Beloved Takeout-Only Cider Bar To Close
One complainer managed to shut down a popular local business.
American Distillers Face a Double-Shot of Tariffs in June. Will Biden Save Them?
Biden's new trade representative should outline a plan to remove the economically nonsensical and politically pointless tariffs on European steel and aluminum in order to deescalate this costly conflict.
Larry Flynt Made the World Freer for Everybody by Pushing Boundaries
Abrasive, tasteless, and uncompromising, Flynt undoubtedly made the world safer for speech of all varieties.
Lawmakers in Hawaii, Texas, and Georgia Are Making Alcohol Sales More Difficult, While Pols in Alabama and Wisconsin Embrace Liberalization
Hawaii's 10-cent booze tax draws ire of brewers, while Alabama moves toward legalizing alcohol delivery.
Menthol Cigarette Bans Will Fail Like Every Other Prohibition Scheme
The winners in every battle over restrictions are the people who do whatever they please without regard for government officials.
In a Year of Wild Conspiracy Theories, Super Bowl Sex Trafficking Is a Classic
Plus: A reminder that censorship backfires, Wyoming city considers ban on "performance prostitution," and more...
A Higher Minimum Wage Lowers Opportunities for America's Poorest Workers
Minimum wage jobs aren't supposed to be career choices, but stepping stones on the way to other things. Everyone has to start out somewhere.
Cops Must Destroy Illegal Surveillance Videos From Spa Visited by Robert Kraft
Authorities "shall destroy the videos unlawfully obtained through the surveillance of the Orchids of Asia Day Spa," a federal judge says.
Fort Worth Regulators Target Community Fridges Providing Free Food for People in Need
Using obscure laws to prevent people from helping each other is obscene.
Closing Bars and Restaurants Didn't Stop People From Gathering
Now officials in Chicago and New York are reconsidering their rules.
In a Last-Minute Reversal, HHS Voids FDA Fees on Distillers Who Produced Emergency Hand Sanitizer
Thanks to coverage at Reason and pushback from the industry, the federal government voided $14,000 fees on do-gooder craft distillers just in time for the new year.
When There Wasn't Enough Hand Sanitizer, Distilleries Stepped Up. Now They're Facing $14,060 FDA Fees.
Distilleries just learned that to cap off a brutal year, the FDA is charging them a fee normally reserved for drug manufacturing facilities.
The U.K. Uses COVID-19 to Justify More Nanny State Junk Food Crackdowns
Bans on ads, displays, refills, and buy-one-get-one-free offers
This California City Will Let the Neighbors Sue You for Vaping on Your Own Balcony
Concord's ban on smoking and vaping in private apartments allows residents to take civil action against their neighbors for violating the policy.
Strip Club Ban on Unaccompanied Women Spawns LGBT Rights Controversy
Plus: House votes on $2,000 stimulus checks, another win for Brooklyn churches challenging lockdown orders, and more...
'We're Not Doing Anything Wrong': This Pennsylvania Brewery Refuses To Obey State's Indoor Dining Ban
And it isn't alone. Pennsylvania has banned indoor dining through the end of the year, but dozens of businesses are banding together to defy the mandate.
Sally Satel: The Secret History of the Opioid Epidemic
The story of why pain relievers took root in Appalachia begins decades before the introduction of OxyContin.
To Protect 'Children' From E-Cigarettes, Congress Imposes New Restrictions on Everything Related to Vaping of Any Kind
The law bans mail delivery of vaping products and requires all vendors to comply with burdensome tax reporting rules.
Pornhub Isn't the Problem. That Won't Stop the Politicized Crusade Against It.
The case against the popular pornography site rests on misleading data and hidden agendas.
Visa and Mastercard Submit to Politicians Trying To Put the Squeeze on Pornhub
Neither company will accept charges for Pornhub purchases going forward.
The Ultimate 2020 Libertarian Gift Guide
Reason's writers and editors share their suggestions for what you should be buying your friends and family this year.
Southern California Sheriffs Rebel Over Gavin Newsom's New Stay-at-Home Order
Policymakers "must not penalize residents for earning a livelihood, safeguarding their mental health, or enjoying our most cherished freedoms," said Orange County Sheriff Don Barnes.
Biden's Choice To Head Health and Human Services Is a Lawsuit-Happy Government Nanny
California Attorney General Xavier Becerra loves to tell people what they can and cannot do with their bodies.
Inside the NYPD's Biased Prostitution Policing
Plus: White women and Trump votes, Biden taps California AG as HHS Secretary, and more...
San Francisco Board of Supervisors Passes Ban on Smoking Tobacco, but Not Cannabis, in Private Apartments
Violators face fines of up to $1,000.
Florida Masseuse Ordered to Pay $31,573 After 'Soliciting' Robert Kraft To 'Commit Prostitution'
Charges against Kraft were (rightfully) dismissed. The women he patronized now have criminal records.
Cops Raid New York Bar and Arrest Owner for Defying COVID-19 Restrictions
Using police to forcefully shut down Mac's Public House is a violation of liberty and a waste of resources.
Maryland County Piles New Regulations on Struggling Restaurants
Regulations meant to curb childhood obesity will be more effective at hampering restaurants.
Coronavirus Curfews Are Trending Again, Despite Total Lack of Evidence They Help
Plus: Against the conservative case for antitrust action, New York City shuts down schools again, and more...
