Biden Pours Out Another $6.5 Billion for the CHIPS Act's Costly Protectionism
It's part of the government's expensive public-private partnership meant to address concerns over a reliance on foreign countries, like China, for semiconductors.
Policy
The Feds Give States Millions To Fix Homelessness, but States Are Sending It Back
Bureaucratic ineptitude leads to waste—and more people on the streets.
The "Migrant Crisis" is Caused by Flawed Work and Housing Policies, not Migrants
The difficulties some cities are experiencing arise because many migrants aren't allowed to work, and because of restrictions on construction of new housing.
After Supreme Court Denies Cases, Clarence Thomas Offers Hope to Rent Control Critics
Thomas agreed with the Court's decision to not take up two challenges to New York's rent stabilization law but said the constitutionality of rent control "is an important and pressing question."
Good Times, Bad Times: Eviction Edition
Plus: Voters in Massachusetts reject state-mandated upzonings, Florida localities rebel against a surprisingly effective YIMBY reform, and lawsuits target missing middle housing in Virginia.
New Article on "The Constitutional Case Against Exclusionary Zoning"
Coauthor Josh Braver and I argue exclusionary zoning violates the Takings Clause of the Fifth Amendment.
Shrinkflation Is Real—and It's Largely Biden's Fault
The president criticized companies for selling "smaller-than-usual products" whose "price stays the same." But it was his and his predecessor's spending policies that caused the underlying issue.
New York, New York
Plus: rent control behind financial problems at NYCB, public housing's corruption problem, and New York City's near-zero vacancy rate.
Delinquent Countries
Plus: RFK Jr.'s Super Bowl ad, New York's war on Airbnbs, Biden's TikToks, and more...
Was Amazon 'Free to Ignore' White House Demands That It Suppress Anti-Vaccine Books?
The Biden administration's interference with bookselling harks back to a 1963 Supreme Court case involving literature that Rhode Island deemed dangerous.
Do Americans Really Only Want Sprawl?
Plus: the House votes for more affordable housing subsidies, Portland tries to fix its "inclusionary housing" program, and is 2024 the year of the granny flat?
The Good and the Bad of the Senate Border Bill
It mixes much-needed reform with changes that could upend the asylum system in damaging ways.
ACLU Sues Ronald McDonald House for Refusing To House People Convicted of Assault
The ACLU's lawsuit is filed on behalf of a New York man whose application to stay in a Ronald McDonald House was denied because of his 12-year-old felony assault conviction.
Argentina, Once One of the Richest Countries, Is Now One of the Poorest. Javier Milei Could Help Fix That.
The new libertarian president believes in free markets and the rule of law. When people have those things, prosperity happens.
Nike Sued Him for Making 400 Pairs of a Reimagined Air Jordan 1
"How small do you have to be for Nike not to care?"
Debunking Antitrust Assumptions: More Concentration in an Industry Doesn't Necessarily Mean Higher Prices
The Biden administration's antitrust policy depends too much on the dubious belief that industrial concentration leads to higher prices.
The 2 Reasons California's YIMBY Reforms Are Failing
Plus: Ohio church sues the city trying to shut down its homeless services, another indigenous-owned megaproject approved in Vancouver, B.C., and a new report shows rapidly deteriorating housing affordability.
iRobot Lays Off 350 Employees as Amazon Kills Merger Elizabeth Warren Opposed
The robot vacuum company is based in Massachusetts, meaning some of the terminated employees are likely Warren's constituents.
Guarantors of Poverty
Plus: Chatbots vs. suicidal ideation, Margot Robbie vs. the patriarchy, New York City vs. parents, and more...
Microschool Parents Zoned Out of Operation
In states like Utah, microschools are up against burdensome building regulations.
Princeton's Matthew Desmond Gets Everything Wrong About Poverty's Root Causes
Desmond's analysis never goes deeper than his facile assertion that "poverty persists because some wish and will it to."
Zoning Bans the Good Samaritan
Plus: Beverly Hills homeowners can't build new pools until their city allows new housing, a ballot initiative would legalize California's newest city, and NIMBYs sue to overturn zoning reform (again).
Will Arizona Legalize Its Tamale Black Market This Year?
A veto from Gov. Katie Hobbs killed a bill that would’ve brought the trade above ground. Now lawmakers have launched a new legalization effort.
Zoning Board Orders Longtime Tenants' Homes Dismantled
Plus: the Supreme Court weighs housing fees and homelessness, YIMBYs bet on smaller, more focused reforms, and a new paper finds legalizing more housing does in fact bring costs down.
Homeless Encampments Cost These Cities Tens of Thousands of Dollars Per Tent
L.A., Portland, and other cities are spending millions to house homeless people in outdoor "safe sleeping" sites.
On Economic Issues, the Populist Right and Left Share a Lot of Common Ground
That's bad news for Americans.
Rent Control for the Rich
Plus: Fort Collins tries passing zoning reform for the third time, Coastal California cracks down on Airbnbs, and state lawmakers try to unban rent control.
Newsom Nixes Psychedelic Decriminalization and Cannabis Cafés
Gavin Newsom supported a ballot initiative to legalize recreational marijuana in California but rejected a social consumption measure.
Welfare Is Great—for the Welfare Bureaucrats
The clients get a confusing maze and a lot of incentives to stay on welfare.
3 Economic Myths That Need To Die
As we step into 2024, it's crucial to adopt a more informed perspective on these dubious claims.
Former Arizona Gov. Doug Ducey Loves Barry Goldwater and Milton Friedman
The former governor argues that beating up on businesses "is only sharpening the knife that the left will eventually use on us."
Former Arizona Gov. Doug Ducey Loves Barry Goldwater and Milton Friedman
The former governor argues that beating up on businesses "is only sharpening the knife that the left will eventually use on us."
The Best of Reason: Long Live the Conch Republic
The colorful, mostly libertarian history of Key West.
Court's Wild Zoning Decision Blocks 'Montana Miracle'
Plus: More local "missing middle" reforms pass in Maine and Virginia, Colorado court blesses crackdown on student housing, and Florida tries to escape its slow growth past.
Mickey Mouse Is Now In the Public Domain. Well, Sort Of.
Even though only one very specific version of the character is free to use, it still represents a positive step for creative expression.
Red State, Red Tape
How Florida’s legacy of slow-growth laws is holding back its post-COVID boom.
Milei Brings His Chainsaw to Argentina's Regulatory State
If passed, the new libertarian president's omnibus bill of reforms could help Argentina reverse decades of government failure.
How Florida Cut Red Tape To Fast-Track Hurricane Repairs
Bureaucracy usually mires construction projects in delays. Florida is trying to buck that norm.
12 Increasingly Off-the-Wall Housing Reforms
American cities and states passed a lot of good, incremental housing reforms in 2023. In 2024, we'd benefit from trying out some long shot ideas.
California Officials Force Elderly Couple To Dismantle Home, Citing Blocked Ocean Views
Plus: Austin's newly passed zoning reforms could be in legal jeopardy, HUD releases its latest census of the homeless population, and a little-discussed Florida reform is spurring a wave of home construction.
Thomas Massie: Why Not Vote 'No'?
Congressman Thomas Massie discusses his "no" votes on foreign aid, COVID-19 relief, and labeling anti-Zionism antisemitism on episode two of Just Asking Questions.
North Carolina Strip Club Now Safe From County's Eminent Domain Efforts
After public backlash, Hanover County Commission has decided to pursue a voluntary purchase of the Cheetah Premier Gentlemen's Club next door.
The Best of Reason: Monkey Herpes, Face Eating, and the Pork Chop Gang: The Origins of Florida Man
The growing anti-transparency atmosphere in the state might make the Florida Man extinct.
