Policy
Supreme Court Rules Against the Revised CDC Eviction Moratorium
This outcome was widely expected by legal commentators.
Candyman Is a Sharp Deconstruction of Political Horror Movies
Horror filmmaking has always been political, but the new Candyman takes it to a different level.
Once a Communist Backwater, Georgia Discovered the Benefits of Free Markets. Now It Risks Abandoning Them.
"Government should be very small. It should just regulate the minimum."
Rashida Tlaib Supports Legislation Canceling Rent. She Also Made Up to $50,000 as Landlord Last Year.
The Michigan congresswoman is a co-sponsor of a bill that would suspend all tenants' obligation to pay rent through April 2022.
Trademark Confusion Lawsuit Over "ASU: No More Social Distancing. No More Masks. It Is Time to Party!" Posts
ASU loses, even though the defendant “stopped participating in this action after his answer was stricken” “for litigation misconduct”: “[A]a reasonably prudent consumer would not be deceived or confused into believing that ASU was the ‘source or origin’ of the posts and messages emanating from the ‘asu_covid.parties.’”
Pioneer Institute Podcast on the Revised Federal Eviction Moratorium
Interviewer Joe Selvaggi and I explore the constitutional and policy issues at stake.
Even COVID-19 Couldn't Kill REAL ID
The ID overhaul, presented as a national security safeguard more than 15 years ago, still hasn't been fully implemented.
The Cuomo Pandemic Scandal No One Is Talking About
Setting aside the harassment claims and the nursing home debacle, the Cuomo administration’s inability to run a minimally functional rent relief program should forever end his reputation as a competent executive.
Kansas Wants This Experienced Eyebrow Entrepreneur To Get 1,000 More Hours of Training
Jigisha Modi can't hire her own mother-in-law—who has decades of eyebrow-threading experience—because of Kansas' occupational licensing rules. Now she's suing.
After Claiming It Didn't Have the Power To Impose A New Eviction Moratorium, the Biden Administration Imposes a New Eviction Moratorium
The new eviction moratorium applies to the 90 percent of counties in the U.S. where the spread of COVID-19 is "substantial" or "high."
A Takings Clause Lawsuit Against the CDC Eviction Moratorium
Thanks to the Supreme Court's decision in the Cedar Point case, this suit has much better odds of success than previous takings challenges to eviction moratoria.
The CDC's New Eviction Moratorium Has Virtually all the Same Flaws as the Old
It still covers some 90% of the country, and still rests on a theory of virtually limitless CDC authority. Even President Biden acknowledges the order is legally dubious.
China's Big Tech Crackdown Shouldn't Be Cheered by Antitrust Fans in the West
An onslaught of antitrust and data-security crackdowns have threatened the country's biggest ride-sharing platforms, cryptocurrency exchanges, and messaging services.
Unlicensed Dog Grooming Alarms Local News Reporter
Do we really need the state to step in over an unfortunate tragedy?
Should Taxpayers Be on the Hook for All Rental Debt Accrued During the Pandemic?
A new lawsuit from landlords argues that the CDC's eviction moratorium was a taking, and that they're entitled to compensation.
Federal Appeals Court Sneaks in One Final Ruling Against the CDC's Expiring Eviction Moratorium
Circuit Judge John K. Bush accuses the federal government of laying claim to "near-dictatorial powers."
Google CEO Sundar Pichai Is Right: Companies That Dominate Today May Be Gone Tomorrow
Today's antitrust activists forget that big companies with significant market share come and go.
Thoughts on the Sixth Circuit Ruling Against the CDC Eviction Moratorium
The ruling is unsurprising. But it does further strengthen the case against the moratorium, and increases the odds the issue might eventually make it to the Supreme Court.
Sixth Circuit Concludes CDC Eviction Moratorium Is Unlawful
The Sixth Circuit's decision is at odds with that of the D.C. Circuit, and features a Judge Thapar concurrence on delegation.
Was the MillerCoors Joint Venture Good for Craft Beers?
New empirical research suggests the answer is yes.
Housing-Starved San Francisco Fines Developer $1.2 Million For Building Too Many Units
The city approved developers' plans for a 10-unit complex. They built 29 homes instead. Now some of those illegal units could have to be dismantled.
11th Circuit Refuses to Issue Injunction Against CDC Eviction Moratorium - but Doesn't Rule on the Moratorium's Legality
The decision is based on the conclusion that the landlords failed to prove they suffered an "irreparable" injury. It upholds a trial court ruling denying a preliminary injunction to landlords challenging the moratorium.
Space Liberation!
Don't let naysayers fool you. Richard Branson's space flight is a boon for society.
Some Potentially Racially Offensive Terms Can't Be Trademarked—Because They're Too Common, Not Because They're Racially Offensive
The Trademark Trial and Appeal Board rejects the mark “Nigga” for clothing, because it’s so commonly used by others that it doesn’t serve to identify the applicant’s products (logic that equally applies to "Team Jesus," "Texas Love," and "God Bless the USA").
Joe Biden's Executive Order on 'Promoting Competition' Covers Everything From Farmers Markets to Net Neutrality
Plus: Treating social media platforms as common carriers, Norway criminalizes sneaky influencer editing, and more...
Antiquated Zoning Laws Are Worsening the Housing Crisis
Ending single-family zoning doesn't ban single-family homes from neighborhoods. It merely allows more freedom for people to build what they want.
The U.S. Has Strayed Far From Its Founding Ideals
Governments at the state, local, and federal levels can obstruct our pursuit of happiness and at times even jeopardize our safety.
Los Angeles Is Squandering $1.2 Billion While Homeless Face a 'Spiral of Death'
Federal Judge David O. Carter says Los Angeles' “inaction" is "so egregious, and the state so nonfunctional" that it's likely "in violation of the Equal Protection Clause."
My Washington Times Article Making the Case for Increasing Compensation and Procedural Protections for Property Owners Who Lose their Land to Eminent Domain
It's the second in a two-part series on eminent domain reform.
New Treasury Data Shows That the Rollout of Emergency Rent Relief Continues to Be a Hot Mess
Congress approved $25 Billion in emergency rental assistance in December. Only 6 percent of that money has been spent so far.
Should an Originalist Justice Support Overruling Kelo v. New London?
The general assumption that the Fifth Amendment bars takings for economic development purposes rests on shaky ground.
Three Supreme Court Justices Signal Willingness to Reconsider Kelo v. City of New London
It's an indication that the notorious decision holding that the government can take property for private "economic development" may be vulnerable.
Wisconsin Votes To Exempt Hair Braiders From Occupational Licensing Law
A measure awaiting the governor's signature would make it easier for natural hair braiders in Wisconsin to work.
Thomas and Gorsuch Say Kelo Eminent Domain Ruling 'Was Wrong the Day It Was Decided' and 'Remains Wrong Today'
The controversial 2005 case "strayed from the Constitution," say Thomas and Gorsuch.
The Deeply Flawed Studies Behind the Eviction Moratoriums
The government and media relied on studies plagued by shoddy statistics to make the case for blocking evictions during the COVID-19 pandemic.
At Least 5 Justices Seem To Think the CDC's Eviction Moratorium Is Illegal. SCOTUS Left It in Place Anyway.
Brett Kavanaugh, who provided a crucial fifth vote, said he agrees that the CDC does not have the authority to override rental contracts.
Did Congress Give the CDC More Authority Than the President?
The agency’s legal defense of its eviction moratorium implies that it has vast powers to order Americans around.
Supreme Court Refuses to Block CDC Eviction Moratorium - But also Signals Majority of Justices Believe the Moratorium is Illegal
A majority refused to lift a stay of a district court injunction against the order, but five justices indicated they believe the order is illegal.
Eminent Domain Prevails Over Sovereign Immunity in Supreme Court Case Both Sides Deserved to Lose
The Court's ruling in PennEast allows the federal government to delegate the power of eminent domain to private firms seeking to condemn state-owned property.
Seattle Is Proposing to Get Rid of Single-Family Zoning In Name Only. Literally.
More and more cities have taken preliminary steps toward allowing "missing middle" housing options in once exclusive single-family neighborhoods, but the devil is in the details.
Greg Abbott's Border Wall Plan Is Doomed To Fail
The Texas governor wants to keep incoming migrants out at all costs. But those costs are insurmountable.
Cigars Aren't Cigarettes. A New Bill Proposes That the FDA Regulate Them Accordingly.
A bipartisan bill in Congress seeks to get the FDA out of the premium cigar industry.
The FTC Fails To Prove Facebook Is a Monopoly
Plus: Retaliatory action in Syria, developments with the delta variant, Clarence Thomas on marijuana, and more...
Major Anti-Tech Antitrust Package in Congress Moves Forward
Taken together, these six measures would have a major impact on the way we shop, chat, and otherwise go about our business online.
Feeding the Homeless Should Not Be a Crime
A North Carolina city council member wants to make feeding homeless people a misdemeanor.
Critics Warned the Largest Tax Increase in San Francisco History Would Be Ill-Spent. It's Now Funding $60,000 Tents for the Homeless.
San Francisco politicians are raising eyebrows at the high costs of an emergency program that provides secure camping sites to the city's homeless.
