How Awful Policies Fueled the L.A. Fires
Plus: A listener asks the editors if Donald Trump is the most libertarian president ever.
California
California's Insurance Regulation Fixes Came Too Little, Too Late
Decades-old, voter-approved restrictions on insurers raising premiums have created a regulatory disaster to match the natural one.
Looting Is Bad. So Are Curfews.
The California National Guard should be helping to put out fires, not helping to restrict people's freedom of movement.
What's Wrong With a Private Firefighter?
Plus: Zuckerberg's metamorphosis, Trump's congestion pricing plans, and more...
California's Fire Catastrophe Is Largely a Result of Bad Government Policies
This year’s deadly wildfires were predicted and unnecessary.
Easing Zoning Restrictions Can Facilitate Rebuilding After the LA Fires
The destruction of numerous homes exacerbated the city's already severe housing crisis. Curbing exclusionary zoning is crucial to addressing the problem.
Los Angeles Zoning Laws Pushed People and Homes Toward Fire-Prone Areas
Single-family zoning makes it practically impossible to build more housing in central L.A.
Fires Incinerated the Facade of California Governing Competence
Virtue-signaling is no substitute for disaster preparedness.
California Schools Stay Open Despite Plummeting Enrollment
Ballooning costs and shrinking student populations have left districts facing financial crises, but political pressures have kept closures off the table.
Biden Ends Presidency How He Started It: Halting Oil Production
The president’s ban on offshore oil and gas drilling perfectly encapsulates his top-down legacy on energy.
Stop Overprotecting the Children, Say Courts in Tennessee and California
Courts block laws regulating algorithms and online porn.
State Tax Hikes Set To Raise Energy Costs in 2025
Residents of California, Minnesota, and Wisconsin will get hit with the higher taxes.
2024's Most Undercovered Stories
Surely 2025 will be a freewheeling romp, right?…Right? Happy New Year!
California Gov. Newsom Speaks Loudly, Carries Small Stick
Newsom is a prototypical modern progressive governor whose pro-democracy tour of Southern states evoked more mocking than fear.
Women Allegedly Raped in Prison by Trans-Identifying Inmate Will Have To Refer to Attacker as 'She/Her'
The recent ruling means that on the stand those women may be subject to speech policing from their alleged rapist—who has opted for self-representation.
A San Francisco Coder Built a Musical Surveillance System
With a name inspired by a controversial police surveillance technology, Bop Spotter scans the streets for ambient tunes.
No, California's $20 Minimum Wage for Fast-Food Workers Did Not Create Jobs
A University of California, Berkeley, study trumpeted in the media doesn't say what the press release claims.
Raising the SALT Cap Is a Gift to High-Tax States
Capping state and local tax deductions sparked a tax migration that rewarded pro-growth states. Raising the cap now would stall reform where it’s needed most.
DOGE Sets Its Sights on High-Speed Rail
After nearly two decades and billions in federal funding, California’s high-speed rail project still isn’t up and running.
UCLA Cultural Affairs Commission Cut Jews From the Hiring Process, Complaint Argues
According to a student complaint, the Commission's head directed other students to reject "Zionist" applicants.
Donald Trump Wants To End E.V. Subsidies. Gavin Newsom Is Trying To Save Them.
California's governor is considering revamping wasteful state rebate programs for low-emitting vehicles.
Deepfake Crackdowns Threaten Free Speech
From criminal penalties to bounty hunters, state laws targeting election-related synthetic media raise serious First Amendment concerns.
California Progressivism Is Not the Path Forward for Democrats
To deflect further assaults on democratic norms, Trump's foes will need a skilled, focused, and thoughtful leader. California Gov. Gavin Newsom is not that guy.
2024: The Year of the Driverless Car
Waymo is expanding its autonomous taxi fleet that can carry passengers on public roads, no human driver required.
Supreme Court Won't Hear a Qualified Immunity Case Where a Cop Disclosed an Abuse Report to a Woman's Abuser
Desiree Martinez says police officers ignored her attempts to report her abusive boyfriend, who was also a cop. Those officers now have immunity from her lawsuit.
California Voters Opt for Orderly Urbanism on Election Day
Golden State voters decisively rejected progressive approaches to crime and housing.
Kamala's California Problem
As skyrocketing costs and mass exoduses define the Golden State, Democrats face a crucial reckoning.
California's Rent Control Initiative Goes Down in Flames
A related initiative preventing the state's most prolific rent control–supporting nonprofit from funding future initiatives is headed for a narrow victory.
New Cities Offer a Chance To Rethink How Local Government Works
California would benefit from building more housing and having more experimentation with how public services are delivered.
Voters Like Early Voting and Voter ID, No Matter What Politicians Say
Majorities of Americans want casting a ballot to be easy and secure.
The Year's Most Important Housing Vote
Proposition 33 would repeal all of California's state-level limits on rent control. It's passage could prove to be a disaster for housing supply in the Golden State.
Napa's Wineries Battle Local Restrictions
In the heart of California Wine Country, rigid local rules are choking small businesses and stifling growth
Elon Musk Versus the California Coastal Commission
The state's powerful coastal land-use regulator is arguing its awesome development-stopping powers applies to rocket launches as well as housing.
In Rush to Redevelop, a California City Tramples Property Rights
Urban renewal efforts should recognize that existing businesses and new residents can coexist.
Expanding Rent Control Will Not Make Housing More Affordable for the Disabled
Advocates unconvincingly argue that repealing California's limits on rent control will open up more housing for people with disabilities.
Argentina Ended Rent Control. Guess What Happened Next.
A free market for housing is one that benefits both renters and landlords.
Kamala Harris Says She Owns a Handgun—Despite Fighting To Ban Others From Doing the Same
Journalists should be interested in interrogating this contradiction, should the 2024 presidential candidate continue giving interviews.
