New Federal Rules for Independent Contractors Will Destroy Freelancers' Livelihoods
A similar law in California had disastrous consequences.
California
San Francisco Bill Would Let People Sue Grocery Stores for Closing Too Quickly
A proposed ordinance would empower people to sue supermarkets that close without giving the city six months' advance notice.
California Cops Tased a Man Having a Seizure, Then Booked Him on Bogus Charges To Cover Their Mistake
Bruce Frankel was tased by a police officer in 2022 after his fiancee called 911 seeking medical help. Now he's suing.
What the Biden Administration Could Learn From California's Attempt To Ban Independent Contracting
Instead, the White House is pushing for similar job-killing regulations on the national level.
In California and Elsewhere, Fear of Crime Drives the Surveillance State
Concerns about public safety will eventually recede, but Big Brother will still be watching.
Licenses and Dead Bodies
Plus: Evil tech bros want to teach kids math, Utah and Texas tackle DEI, Trump loves Sinéad, and more...
Why Palantir Cofounder Joe Lonsdale Left California for Texas
The entrepreneur, who founded the Cicero Institute to fix government and the University of Austin to fix higher education, wanted space to flourish.
Birth of a YIMBY Folk Hero
Plus: The White House's rent controls, San Francisco's bad-to-worse turn on housing, and the latest unintended consequence of eviction moratoriums
California Won't Let Homeowners Insurance Companies Raise Rates, so They're Leaving the State Instead
Giving the state control over insurance rates turned pricing into a Byzantine regulatory process.
Minimum Wage Laws Make for Great Politics, but Fewer Jobs
Hiking wages through law is a crowd-pleaser, but it kills employment unless you’re a robot.
Zoning Versus the Good Samaritan. Again.
Plus: New York refreshes rent control, AOC and Bernie Sanders call for more, greener public housing, and California's "builder's remedy" wins big in court.
The CCP Sucks. So Does Banning TikTok.
Plus: A listener asks about Republicans and Democrats monopolizing political power in the United States.
Senate Race Revealed Shortcomings of California's 'Top Two' Primary Reform
A change that promised to be a moderating influence on politics has instead made campaigns more vicious than ever.
California's High-Speed Rail Needs Another $100 Billion. That's a Great Reason Not To Build It.
The whole project was supposed to cost $33 billion when it was initially proposed.
Expanding the Drug War To Include Tobacco Would Be a Big Mistake
The judicially approved Brookline ban reflects a broader trend among progressives who should know better.
A Brand New City in Northern California Will Show if the State Is Serious About Housing Solutions
The project might determine whether new generations will be able to take part in the American Dream.
Here's Why Government Should Stop Throwing Money at Green Energy
In California, which has a slew of renewable energy regulations, the cost of electricity increased three times faster than in the rest of the U.S.—and the state still doesn't even get reliable energy.
After 17 Years, Feds Stop Trying To Imprison a Licensed Medical Marijuana Provider
Charlie Lynch’s ordeal is a vivid reminder of a senseless prohibition policy that persists thanks to political inertia.
Supreme Court Tells Texas to Hold On
Plus: More reactions to the Supreme Court's other decision in the Trump ballot disqualification case, D.C.'s continued minimum wage confusion, California's primary elections, and more...
Of Course Special Interests Shaped California's New Minimum Wage Law
Gov. Gavin Newsom's response to allegations of favoritism only serve to underline how the entire fast food minimum wage law was a giveaway to his buddies.
California Violated the Second Amendment by Disarming People Based on Nullified Convictions
A federal judge ruled that three men who committed nonviolent felonies decades ago are entitled to buy, own, and possess guns.
More Evidence That COVID School Closures Wrecked Student Performance
California's poorly served public school students need more than a few more dollars diverted to tutoring programs. They need an escape hatch.
Berkeley Students Violently Shut Down Event Featuring Israeli Attorney
Students should be able to peacefully protest events, but they shouldn't disrupt a speaker or assault attendees.
Why Is Panera Exempted From California's New Minimum Wage Law?
Probably because Greg Flynn, who operates 24 of the bakery cafes in California, is a longtime friend of Gov. Gavin Newsom.
California Bill Banning Landlords' No-Dog Policies Is Anti-Choice and Anti-Urban
The market has created a lot of dog-free housing for a reason. A bill from Assemblymember Matt Haney would destroy it.
Proposition E Would Make It Easier for Police To Surveil San Francisco
The measure, which will be on the March 5 ballot, would greatly expand the SFPD's power while subjecting it to even less scrutiny.
California Senate Hopeful Barbara Lee Wants $50 Per Hour Minimum Wage
If you’re going to set arbitrary prices for labor, why not shoot for the moon?
Tucker Dreams of Moscow
Plus: Aid for Ukraine, remote learning for 5-year-olds, intermittent fasting for Palestine, and more...
San Francisco Police Spent 193 Hours Over 3 Months Watching Private Surveillance Footage
The surveillance yielded 49 arrests, of which 42 were for possession or sale of narcotics.
Endless War Continues
Plus: An immigration deal that's already collapsing, more expensive Big Macs, and Taylor Swift (because why not).
Bipartisan Tax Credit Bonanza
Plus: California reparations bills drop, the Biden administration continues the war on gas stoves, and D.C.'s rising crime rate.
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.
California Stopped San Francisco's $1.7 Million Toilet. The City Can't Build Something Cheaper.
"Why isn't there a toilet here? I just don't get it. Nobody does," one resident told The New York Times last week. "It's yet another example of the city that can't."
A Constitutionally Dubious California Bill Would Ban Possession of AI-Generated Child Pornography
The proposal seems to conflict with a Supreme Court ruling against laws that criminalize mere possession of obscene material.
Canada's Trucker Crackdown
Plus: TED's "genocide apologists," California's speed limits, NYPD's inability to handle road blockages, and more...
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).
Massive Migrant Reduction
Plus: Deepfakes of Biden, complaints of Californians, filters for aircrafts, and more...
Long Beach, California, Police 'Brutally' Arrested a Cancer Patient. Now, the City Is Paying $300,000.
Johnny Jackson had just had surgery for his prostate cancer when three officers arrested him with "brutal force" over his expired vehicle registration.
California's Attack on Gig Work Predictably Drove Workers Out of Jobs
Self-employment in California fell by 10.5 percent and overall employment tumbled by 4.4 percent after A.B. 5's implementation.
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.
Labor Department's New Regs Aim To Rescue Gig Workers From Their Own Preferences
Biden undid Trump-era rules for independent contractors, but the new rule will likely last only until another Republican is elected president. This is no way to regulate an economy.
Gavin Newsom Defies the Supreme Court's 'Very Bad Ruling' on the Right To Bear Arms
California made carry permits easier to obtain but nearly impossible to use.
