America Wasn't Ready for Coronavirus
Early takeaways from the country's response to a pandemic
Latest
Chicago Mayor Lori Lightfoot Warns Stay-At-Home Violators: 'We Will Take You To Jail, Period'
She then proceeded to yell at a group of teens.
What It's Like To Be a Rational Optimist in a Pandemic
Matt Ridley on how the coronavirus caught him by surprise, the crucial role of dissent in politics, and the importance of innovation for survival
What Is Government's Proper Role in Reopening the Food Economy?
When it comes to the food economy, government should remember that workers and consumers call the shots.
The Focus on COVID-19 Is Hurting Other Patients: Dr. Jeffrey A. Singer
A surgeon and policy analyst tallies up the steep costs of delaying and denying elective surgery and other care during the coronavirus pandemic.
The Seen and the Unseen of COVID-19
As long as it's neither safe nor legal to conduct normal business, Bastiat's seen economic activity is beyond our reach. The unseen doubly so.
North Carolina Supreme Court: Flipping Off Cop Did Not Justify Traffic Stop
A state trooper believed a man driving by and flipping the bird at the cops constituted disorderly conduct. (It didn't.)
Coronavirus Stimulus Has Cost $3.6 Trillion, but Oversight Is Still Severely Lacking
Before spending another dollar, Congress should make sure someone is keeping an eye how the largest pile of government cash in American history is being spent.
Seemingly Small Differences in the Accuracy of COVID-19 Antibody Tests Can Make a Big Practical Difference
When infection prevalence is low, a test with relatively low specificity can generate highly misleading results.
The Logan Act Doesn't Justify Mike Flynn's Prosecution—It Further Politicizes It
If you’re invoking an obscure law designed for the purpose of punishing political adversaries, don’t be surprised when it backfires.
Canada Bans 'Assault Weapons' by Executive Order
Such bans have already proven to be essentially valueless for crime-fighting.
COVID-19 Modeling: How Many Coronavirus Deaths by the End of Summer?
Benchmarks for determining accuracy of projections are set.
A Woman Set Up a Little Free Pantry Without a Permit. The County Threatened Criminal Charges.
A civil rights lawsuit alleges that the government violated Kathy Hay's constitutional rights when it shuttered her free pantry.
Past Crises Have Ratcheted Up Leviathan. The COVID-19 Pandemic Will Too.
People sometimes regret actions taken hastily during a crisis but find reversing them diabolically difficult.
Will Americans Actually Use Contact Tracing Apps?
Apps that track users are being hyped as the way to lift lockdowns. But there are reasons to be skeptical.
Brickbats: May 2020
News of politicians, police, and bureaucrats behaving badly from around the world
'Lockdown' and 'Liberation' Aren't America's Only Choices
We need to think of more targeted approaches to protect high-risk people and our freedoms.
Dems' Hazard Pay Proposals Are a Recipe for a Lot Fewer Essential Workers
We need essential workers right now. We also need markets and the price signals they provide.
The Pandemic Has Produced a Radical Experiment in Federalism
Varying state responses will provide the thing we need most right now: information.
As Pandemic Spending Rises, Pentagon Spending Needs Cuts
The coronavirus pandemic should certainly occasion more prudence at the Pentagon in strategy and spending alike.
Texas Is Allowing Restaurants To Reopen Starting Today. Many Restaurant Owners Fear It Won't Go Well.
"You can't exactly eat with a mask on, and I have a small space where people would be in close proximity to each other."
Justin Amash: People Want a President 'Who Is Normal, Honest, Practical, Capable.'
The Libertarian presidential hopeful makes his case for your vote.
Criticize the Michigan Protesters for Crowding Into a Building Without Masks On, Not for Peacefully Carrying Weapons
Plus: Michigan Gov. Whitmer will veto measure saying state lawmakers can sue her, Biden addresses sexual assault allegations, and more...
Joe Biden Denies Sexual Assault Accusation, Fails To Explain Why 'Believe Victims' Doesn't Apply to Tara Reade
"This never happened," Biden told Morning Joe co-host Mika Brzezinski.
Freedom Is a Pandemic Casualty in Authoritarian Regimes and Liberal Democracies
Around the world, governments are taking advantage of COVID-19 to tighten the screws on their subjects.
Justin Amash Wants To Be the First Libertarian President
The Michigan congressman on why Donald Trump is too erratic, Joe Biden is too old, and his vision of a freer country.
Ugly Delicious
Is tahini salsa verde an insidious form of cultural appropriation or two immigrants from Oaxaca riffing on food traditions they love?
The Consequential Frontier
The "privatization" of space has already expanded the possibilities of the cosmos for all mankind far beyond what six decades of federal bureaucracy could.
Justin Amash: If Biden Assaulted Tara Reade, He Is Disqualified From Being President
The Libertarian congressman and presidential hopeful says both Biden and Trump "are disqualified if they've engaged in some kind of assault, especially a sexual assault."
In the Middle of a Pandemic, This Alabama City Is Still Throwing People in Jail for Unpaid Traffic Tickets and Missed Court Dates
County offices and courts are closed for COVID-19, but the jails are full.
A Formerly Secret Memo Explains the DEA's Long Delay in Approving New Producers of Marijuana for Research
The Justice Department concluded in 2018 that an anti-drug treaty requires stricter controls than the DEA originally planned.
Federal Judge Rules Forced Catheterization by South Dakota Police Violates Fourth Amendment
Suspected low-level drug crimes don't "justify subjecting the plaintiffs to involuntary catheterization, a highly invasive—and in these cases—degrading medical procedure."
When the Supreme Court Upheld a Compulsory Vaccination Law
Infectious disease, public health, and the Constitution
Sen. Josh Hawley Wants a Bogus Criminal Investigation Into Amazon
The lawmaker says that the company's data practices violate antitrust law. They do not.
Trump's 'National Security' Steel Tariffs Are Just Old Fashioned Protectionism. Here's the Data To Prove It.
The department has granted just 1 percent of the tariff exemption requests that were challenged by domestic steel producers.
Trump's Immigration Pause Won't Outlast Him
Those claiming that the pandemic means Trump's restrictions are here to stay, regardless of the November elections, are being too pessimistic.
Much of the FBI's Treatment of Mike Flynn Was Business as Usual, and That's the Scandal
Agents regularly attempt to catch suspects in lies to threaten them with prosecution, even when they can’t prove underlying crimes.
New York Paid $69 Million to a Shady Vendor for Ventilators That Were Never Delivered
New funding and new powers haven't made government bureaucracies more competent.
On Biden Sexual Assault Allegation, Silence Then Hypocrisy
Plus: Backlash to Amash's presidential run, new SCOTUS cases, and more...
Celebrity Criminals Are Leaving Prison Early Because of COVID-19. What About the Drug Offenders?
If officials want to ease the burden of the pandemic behind bars, there are hundreds of thousands of inmates who can help them do it.
The Outrage Over Rhode Island's State-Funded Coronavirus Art Is Overblown
The similarities between the image and totalitarian propaganda of old are unmistakable. But we all have bigger things to worry about right now.
San Francisco's Economically Ignorant COVID-19 Response
If politicians really want to help citizens, they should brush up on the laws of supply and demand.
