Nanny State
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.
Tom Lehrer Satirized the National Security State From the Inside
The Cold War comedian and rumored Jell-O shot inventor had a lesser known side as an NSA operative.
Michigan Wineries Win $50 Million in Fight Against Local Zoning Rules
A federal judge ruled that Peninsula Township’s former restrictions on music, events, and grape sourcing violated the rights of local wineries.
New Hampshire's New Booze Law Will Hamstring the State's Brewpubs
Despite passing two bills to reduce barriers to enjoying a drink, the Granite State is making it harder for brewpubs to grow.
California's Minimum Wage Hike Cost 18,000 Fast-Food Jobs as Employment Ticked Up in Other States
The law transferred wealth from workers who lost their jobs to those who didn’t.
Americans Don't Party Enough. Here's How To Change That.
In our increasingly antisocial world, the best way to bring people together is a good party. This weekend, if possible.
Warning: These Social Media Rules Will Erode Civil Liberties
Plus: Pittsburgh lowers prostitution penalty, FSC v. Paxton, the Diddy verdict, and more…
There's No Good Reason for Cities and States To Build or Subsidize Sports Stadiums
“There's no such thing as a free stadium,” says J.C. Bradbury. “You can't just pull revenue out of thin air.”
Cincinnati's Beer-Loving Germans Endured Anti-Immigrant and Anti-Alcohol Resistance
The city's German immigrant experience suggests that immediate assimilation isn't necessary to eventual assimilation.
Legislation Will Not Protect Kids Online
New laws aimed at protecting kids online won’t work, and could even make things worse. Parents, not politicians, are the best defense against digital dangers.
10 of the Worst State Laws Going Into Effect in July
From minimum wage hikes to bans on cellphones in public schools, here are some of the most ridiculous ways state governments are interfering with Americans’ lives.
America Has Plenty of Experience With Government-Run Stores, and It Isn't Pretty
New York mayoral candidate Zohran Mamdani wants to open city-owned grocery stores. The U.S. already has a few, and they're a cautionary tale.
Sports Absolutely Do Not Need Politicians More Involved
Plus: A case for gambling freedom, the NHL’s tax dilemma, and a soccer movie.
Some Federal Agencies Are Actually Getting More Efficient
Downsizing pushed the Tobacco Tax and Trade Bureau to adopt tech solutions that it could have tried years ago.
Trad Wives and Tallow Fries: How the Wellness Wars Flipped Health and Food Politics Upside Down
Does RFK Jr.'s MAHA movement want to loosen the government's grasp on food and medicine—or use government power to impose blueberries on everyone else?
Aspiring Barbers and Cosmetologists in Iowa Can Now Learn on the Job Instead of Paying Thousands for Classes
A new law creates an apprenticeship program allowing unlicensed Iowans to make an income from providing cosmetology and barbering services.
FTC Pivots From Competition to Children
The result is the same: attacks on tech companies and attempts to violate Americans' rights.
How Making GLP-1s Available Over the Counter Can Unlock Their Full Potential
Drugs like Ozempic might not only address obesity but also alcoholism, smoking, and drug addiction.
Is Buying OnlyFans Content Now Illegal in Sweden?
Swedish authorities voted to criminalize the purchase or procurement of online sex acts, in a move targeting customers of webcam platforms and sites like OnlyFans.
Trump Promised To 'Save Vaping.' His FDA Head Does Not Seem Inclined To Do That.
Marty Makary grossly exaggerates the prevalence of adolescent nicotine addiction, the concern underlying his agency's restrictions on e-cigarette flavors.
The Supreme Court Said States Can't Discriminate in Alcohol Sales. They're Doing It Anyway.
Two decades after Granholm v. Heald was supposed to end protectionist shipping laws, states and lower courts continue to undermine the decision.
Come July, Keys Will Be De Facto Illegal In Minnesota
The vast majority of keys on the market contain more lead than is allowed by the state's strict new heavy metal standards.
Texas Bans Delta-8 THC, Which Is Only Popular Because of Prohibition
Six years after legalizing hemp and its by-products, the state is revising its drug policies and criminalizing products sold by thousands of Texas businesses.
ICE Helps Round Up Sex Workers in Florida
In Operation Fool Around and Find Out, 244 "human trafficking" arrests, but no human trafficking.
Men Caught In Prostitution Sting Aren't Sex Traffickers, Massachusetts High Court Says
But the ruling suggests prostitution clients could be convicted of sex trafficking in other circumstances.
Trade War Means Higher Prices, Fewer Customers for This Vermont Distillery: 'It's Just Chaos'
Scenes from a trade war.
Republicans Want To Redefine Obscenity
A new bill would ban sharing visual content that might "arouse" or "titillate."
California Sex Trafficking Fight Erupts Over Punishment for Soliciting Minors
Democrats did the right thing, got attacked for it, then caved.
The Trump Administration Is Using Tattoos, Logos, and Clothes To Identify Supposed Gang Members
ICE deported Andry Hernandez Romero because his "mom" and "dad" tattoos were allegedly related to a Venezuelan gang.
ESG Is Coming for Your Candy Bars
As climate and equity proposals lose steam, activist investors are targeting junk food, soda, and alcohol in the name of corporate responsibility.
Trump's Tattoo Fantasy Raises the Question: If He Were Senile, How Would We Know?
The president's bizarre insistence that Kilmar Abrego Garcia "had MS-13 tattooed" on "his knuckles" makes him seem like a confused old man.
The TAKE IT DOWN Act's Good Intentions Don't Make Up for Its Bad Policy
Congress just approved a new online censorship scheme under the auspices of thwarting revenge porn and AI-generated "nonconsensual intimate visual depictions."
In Boston's Scooter 'Wild West,' Lawmakers Take Aim at the Wrong Target
The city passed a law cracking down on food delivery companies rather than the reckless drivers creating chaos on sidewalks and streets.
Does Legalizing Sex Work Increase Human Trafficking?
A go-to study for advocates of restricting sex work used a flawed economic model and abysmal data.
With Proposed Glue Trap Ban, San Francisco Sides With the Pests
Glue traps are a cheap and effective pest control tool. Naturally, San Francisco is considering banning them.
Are We Still Living in 1999?
A new book argues that late-20th-century lowbrow culture created the modern world.
Cops Denied Qualified Immunity After Arresting Sober Teenager for DUI
"I blew a zero, so now you're trying to think I smoked weed?” Tayvin Galanakis asked the officer who arrested him in 2022. “That's what's going on. You can't do that, man.”
Are Trump's 'Liberation Day' Tariffs Illegal?
Several businesses harmed by Trump's "Liberation Day" tariffs have filed a lawsuit challenging his use of emergency economic powers.
Gen Zyn: Nicotine Pouches Help Curb Youth Smoking Rates
As young adults swap cigarettes and vapes for oral nicotine products, policymakers should recognize this shift as harm reduction instead of cracking down on personal choice.
'Libertarian' Gov. Jared Polis Signs 'Restrictive' Gun Law and Booze Ban
Is the small-government Democrat beefing up state power?
All Vapes Are Flavored Vapes, Some Just Have Cigarette Flavors
A plea for more accurate descriptions of non-combustible nicotine products.
