Tax Comparisons Show 'Free' Stuff is Very Expensive
And the stuff you get is of the government’s choosing—not yours.
Policy
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.
SpaceX's New Company Town Considers Adopting NIMBY Zoning Code
Starbase, Texas, is rushing to restrict development in the newly incorporated city.
Missouri Town Wants To Seize Local Businesses Over Chipped Paint and Cracked Sidewalks
Brentwood business owners are challenging the city’s definition of blight in an ongoing lawsuit against city officials' use of the dubious designation to invoke eminent domain.
Democratic FTC Commissioner Quits—But That Doesn't Mean He's Dropping His Lawsuit
Trump fired Federal Trade Commissioner Alvaro Bedoya in March. Yesterday he gave up his claim to the job, but he's still challenging the White House's right to dismiss him.
Iowa Landowners Fight Seizure of Private Property for a Pipeline
The proposed 2,500-mile pipeline would transfer carbon dioxide from ethanol plants in five states to a permanent storage site in North Dakota.
New Study Highlights Housing Shortages Caused by Regulatory Barriers to Construction
The study by leading housing economists Edward Glaeser and Joseph Gyourko finds there are 15 milion fewer housing units in the US than there would be if construction in 2000-2020 had continued at the same pace as in 1980-2000.
The 5 Worst Green Energy Projects Funded by Biden
From financing eminent domain abuses in Tennessee to climate-friendly ketchup, the Biden administration approved billions of dollars in wasteful spending.
U.S. Abandons Afghan Allies as Trump Administration Shuts Down Resettlement Programs
The State Department is eliminating the CARE office and ending the Enduring Welcome program, stranding U.S. allies who risked their lives and were told America would protect them.
The Dreadful Policies Halting Archeological Discoveries
Italy is full of treasures from the ancient world, but its government is discouraging their discovery.
Texans Gain the Right To Try Individualized Medical Treatments
Ailing Americans are winning expanded freedom to try experimental medicine.
Starter Homes Live in Texas, Die in Arizona
Plus: A new constitutional challenge to inclusionary zoning fees, a vetoed ban on rent-recommendation software, and a ill-conceived rent freeze in New York City.
Nevada Becomes the 21st State To Strengthen Donor Privacy Protections
A new law prohibits the state from requiring nonprofits to disclose the personal information of their supporters, protecting Americans’ First Amendment right to free association.
Is the American Bar Association's Accreditation Monopoly about to End?
My latest Civitas Outlook column looks at the growing pressure on the ABA's role in law school accreditation.
How Trump's Tariffs and Immigration Policies Could Make Housing Even More Expensive
Out-of-control housing costs helped Trump win the 2024 election. Is he about to make the problem worse?
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.
DOGE's Newly Listed 'Regulatory Savings' for Businesses Have Nothing to Do With Cutting Federal Spending
DOGE says regulatory changes will save $29.4 billion, but that does not amount to a reduction in government outlays, the initiative's ostensible target.
Congress Must Vote on Tariffs
For both practical and constitutional reasons, this is the obvious way out of the chaos Trump's tariffs have created.
More Government Intervention Won't Make Concert Tickets Cheaper
There's only one way to eliminate the scalping market: Charge more for tickets.
Will Trump's Regulatory Reforms Do Enough To Unleash Nuclear Energy?
The good parts of his executive order could easily get mired in the swamp.
Texas Revs the Growth Machine
Plus: The near death of starter-home reform in Texas, Colorado's pending ban on rent-recommendation software, and a very Catholic story of eminent domain abuse.
New Jersey Town Seeks to Condemn Church to Build a Park and Pickleball Courts
The move may be a pretext for blocking the church's plan to build a homeless shelter. If the town proceeds, it will face near-certain litigation under the federal and state constitutions.
A Top Antitrust Enforcer Is Open To Prosecuting People Who Disagree With Him
Mark Meador thinks the Federal Trade Commission may have the legal right to investigate nonprofits that “advocate for the interests of giant corporations” if they don’t disclose their donors.
Congress Is Giving Energy Lobbyists a 3-Year Window to Keep Up to $2 Trillion in Subsidies
The "one big, beautiful bill" keeps the corporate welfare that Republicans claim to hate.
Trump's FTC Chair Is Continuing To Push Lina Khan's Antitrust Ideology
The Federal Trade Commission was established to protect consumers. Under Biden and Trump, its focus has shifted.
A Judge Blocked Apple From Collecting These Commissions
"It's hard to see how completely ripping [the system] apart will be helpful to consumers," warns one economist.
Antitrust Remedies Against Google Would Punish Consumers, Not Protect Them
Forcing the sale of Chrome or banning default agreements wouldn’t foster competition—it would hobble innovation, hurt smaller players, and leave users with worse products.
Pope Leo's Childhood Home Faces Eminent Domain as He Relocates to a More Eminent Domain
The last Pope Leo denounced state seizures of private property as "emphatically unjust."
How To Fix California's Self-Inflicted Homeowner's Insurance Crisis
A recent policy report points to much-needed market-based reforms.
Judge Rules in Favor of New Hampshire Bakery in Fight Over Donut Mural
Conway, New Hampshire's attempt to force a local bakery to take down the mural "does not withstand any level of constitutional scrutiny," a judge ruled this week.
A Major Property Rights Case Idles on Supreme Court Docket
The Court has been punting for months on whether it will take up a legal challenge brought by Los Angeles landlords alleging their city's COVID-era eviction ban was a physical taking.
Trump and Congress Target 'Efficiency' Rules That Hobble Home Appliances
Make dishwashers great again.
Gavin Newsom Wants To Make the Country's Most Expensive Gas Even More Expensive
All to shovel more money at wasteful and ineffective programs.
Miami Beach Homeless Arrests Spiked in February Under Anticamping Law
During one week in February, arrests of homeless people accounted for 66 percent of all arrests in Miami Beach.
New Jersey Town Uses Flimsy Blight Allegations To Seize Tire Shop, Apartment Building
Plus: The White House proposes stiff funding cuts at HUD, Baltimore proposes "missing middle" reforms, and Gov. Gavin Newsom urges local governments to clear encampments.
Draft Lotteries Suck for Die-Hard Fans
Plus: Yetis, The Seat, and a political letter that will make your eyes roll.
New Jersey Town Says Small Setbacks, Stray Cats Allow It To Seize Private Property
Two business owners say the city of Perth Amboy is using exceedingly flimsy blight allegations to take, and potentially demolish, their property.
How Britain's Protectionist Trade Policies Created Valley Forge
The site of George Washington's famed winter encampment might not have existed without colonial-era iron regulations.
The App Store Freedom Act Compromises User Privacy To Punish Big Tech
The bill "raises the risk of malware," warns one tech expert.
Trump's Antitrust Enforcer Says 'Big Is Bad'
Federal Trade Commissioner Mark Meador wants conservatives to sacrifice Americans’ economic well-being to break up big businesses.
Abundance Makes the Case for 'Supply-Side Progressivism'
Progressives used to believe in building more stuff. Ezra Klein and Derek Thompson want to do that again.
Skype's Shutdown Proves Bigger Isn't Always Better
The death of a onetime powerhouse carries a lesson for antitrust enforcers—if they’ll listen.
Rent Control Delayed but Not Dead in California
Plus: Arkansas legalizes ADUs, activists sue to stop missing middle housing, and Trump's housing plans for federal lands
Trump Tries To Defund NPR and PBS by Executive Order
A new executive order would keep the Corporation for Public Broadcasting alive while telling it to cut off the two biggest public broadcasting networks. Get ready for a legal fight.
