Cigarette Taxes Are Costing States Billions in Lost Revenue
Punitive levies drive black markets, fuel criminal enterprises, and—perhaps counterintuitively—help people evade the tax man.
Nanny State
How Lina Khan Is Busy Striving To Maximize Mamdani's Power
Using the mighty power of government to…make stadium hot dogs cheaper? It's one of many ways Khan's petty populism could be coming to New York City.
Moral Panic About Rough Sex Gives Way to Censorship in the UK
British regulators and lawmakers are hot on a measure that would make possessing or publishing strangulation porn a crime.
There's More Than One Way To Get Sober
Author Katie Herzog examines new approaches to treating addiction, the cultural obsession with moralizing sobriety, and why she believes freedom means choosing how to heal.
No One Is Winning the YouTube TV Dispute With ESPN. It's Time for Both Sides To Call It Off.
Plus: Betting scandals come to baseball, and happy Veterans Day
California's Fast-Food Minimum Wage Hike Is Killing Jobs
You can’t legislate your way to prosperity.
Wyoming Woman Sues Her Town To Let Her Keep Her Pet Pygmy Goat
Venus Bontadelli thought she'd left the nanny state behind when she fled California. But her new home of Powell, Wyoming, wasn't as free as she'd hoped
What Mamdani's Win Means for Sex
While it wasn't a part of his campaign, Mamdani has been a vocal supporter of sex work decriminalization.
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.
Don't Get a Nazi Tattoo or Praise Hitler: Advice for New Politicians
Graham Platner's excuses aren't exactly persuasive.
NBA Betting Scandal Shows How Legalized Gambling Actually Helps Root Out Corruption
FBI Director Kash Patel called it “the insider trading saga for the NBA,” with Chauncey Billups and Terry Rozier among those charged.
Pennsylvania Lawmakers Propose Titty Tax
Plus: It's not illegal to protest while dressed as a giant penis. DHS seeks OpenAI data. And more...
Original Zyn: FDA Failures Allow Fake Nicotine Pouches To Flood U.S. Market
By refusing to approve safer nicotine pouches, regulators have turned gas stations into gray markets for knockoffs.
Oregon's E-Cigarette Censorship Is Unconstitutional—and Makes No Sense
Sometimes the state's rules require stores to cover almost the entire label of products—in places that don't even admit minors.
Americans Are Turning Against Sports Betting—But It's Not Going Anywhere
Plus: World Cup ticket prices, Michael Jordan against NASCAR, and The Smashing Machine
Whoops—Ohio Accidentally Excludes Most Major Porn Platforms From Anti-Porn Law
Ohio lawmakers set out to block minors from viewing online porn. They messed up.
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.
Tariffs Are Starting To Crush America's Small Liquor Businesses
Trump’s trade war is hitting wineries, distillers, and distributors with product shortages and soaring costs—leaving customers to pick up the tab.
The Ryder Cup Was a Cakewalk—Until America Let the Rest of Europe Play
Plus: Fewer people are betting, and did ABC pick Jimmy Kimmel over the NFL?
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.
Photo: Artificial Intelligence Tattoos Are Here
The makers of this AI-powered robot promise greater precision and less pain.
Alcohol Escapes a Government Crackdown—for Now
A quiet push to declare “no safe level” of drinking has officially fizzled.
With Cigarette Taxes Sky High, More New Yorkers Than Ever Turn to the Black Market
In New York City, just one in six cigarette packs collected by researchers came through legal channels.
Fact Check: Did Trump and RFK Jr. Hide the Link Between Alcohol and Cancer?
No. Federal dietary guidelines have made that connection since the 1980s, but some anti-alcohol activists are mad they didn't get to rewrite the rules this year.
Lawmakers Want To Shield Kids From AI Chatbots. But Restricting Them Could Cut Off a Mental Health Lifeline.
Crackdowns on AI chatbots over perceived risks to children's safety could ultimately put more children at risk.
The Federal Trade Commission Goes After Pornhub
Plus: Nepal bans social media platforms and kills protesters, MAGA's war on the tech industry intensifies, and more...
More Age Verification Fallout: Artist Blogs Blocked, Porn Data Leaked, Traffic Boosts for Noncompliant Sites
Unintended—but entirely predictable—consequences abound!
The Weird Law That Keeps the NFL Off (Most) Friday Nights
An antiquated law gives high school and college football first dibs on Fridays and Saturdays.
Zombie Knives Don't Kill People, but Banning Them Kills Liberty
Britain’s crackdown on “zombie-style” knives shows how politicians blame objects instead of criminals—and how bans only hurt the law-abiding.
Bluesky Blocks Mississippi Users
Age verification laws are already coming for Americans’ access to free speech.
Georgia: The Possible Birthplace of Wine and Definite Birthplace of Stalin
If geography really is destiny, then the Georgian situation has understandably necessitated a stiff, perpetual drink.
Trump's New Trade 'Deal' With the E.U. Leaves Out Beer, Wine, Booze
The deal locks in the 15 percent tariffs that Trump has imposed on most European goods imported into the U.S., including beers and other booze that isn't made here.
What If Fewer Americans Drinking Is a Bad Thing?
Moderate drinking might be bad for you. But it's also pretty fun.
Rob Manfred Can't Fix Baseball. But These 4 Changes Might.
Plus: College football insanity, fans jailed in Venezuela, and the benefits of betting
CBP Is Deporting Cruise Ship Crew Over Child Pornography Allegations Without Evidence
Advocacy groups say more than 100 cruise ship crew members have been deported in recent months, and they're not being shown the evidence against them or given any due process.
The Anti-Porn Crusade Comes for Online Games
Activists pressure payment processors, who in turn pressure game marketplaces. The result? A whole lot of video games and visual novels are disappearing.
Keep Government Funding—and Political Meddling—Far Away From Olympic Athletes
Plus: Congress might blow up the pro sports business model, and Las Vegas is struggling
Child Protective Services Investigated Her 4 Times Because She Let Her Kids Play Outside
A mom who trusted her kids to play outside ended up under repeated investigation.
How Protectionist Wine and Liquor Laws Violate the Constitution
The Commerce Clause protects free trade between the states.
Alabama's Porn Tax Starts Soon
Websites are being told to create "Material Harmful to Minors tax accounts."
Pennsylvania's Liquor Monopoly Is Imposing a New Fee That Will Cost $15 Million Per Year
The new warehousing fee targets booze producers, but drinkers could end up paying most of the tab.
