Consumer Freedom
Russia's Track-and-Trace System Will Make Consumer Goods More Expensive
This new system won't benefit consumers, it'll just cause prices to increase and allow purchasing activity to be tracked by the government.
Tax-Prep Cronyism Revealed in IRS Emails
Plus: Texts encouraging suicide yields charges again, California fires, Rep. Katie Hill and #MeToo politics, impeachment news, and more...
Banned Microplastics Pose No Risk to Human Health, Says World Health Organization
Plus: More on the 1619 Project, a chart shows how crazy U.S. military spending is, and more...
Next Round of Tariffs Will Be $1 Billion Tax Increase on Smartphones, TVs, Tablets, and More
Thanks to the trade war, Americans are already importing fewer laptops, speakers, and other electronic items—and paying a higher price for the items they do buy. A bigger hit is coming.
Passing Laws, Passing Taxes, and Passing the Buck
Understanding the real economic impact of higher taxes.
What's Really in Your Fish Oil? Labdoor Uses a Market-Based Approach to Taming the Supplement Industry.
Founder Neil Thanedar aims to bring accountability to the $36 billion unregulated market without quashing its dynamism.
'New Rights' for Air Travelers in Senate Bill Are Anything But: Reason Roundup
Plus: Kavanaugh vote slated for Friday, Houston bans sex with dolls, and Supreme Court considers trucker pay.
Walmart Shoppers Could Be Next Victims of Trump's Trade War
Walmart warns the Trump administration it may be forced to raise prices in response to tariffs.
A Jump in Soda Prices Should Make it Clear that Tariffs Are Just Taxes on Ourselves
Don't blame progressive city leaders for this increase.
You'll Soon Be Able to Manufacture Anything You Want and Governments Will Be Powerless to Stop It
From DIY guns to designer drugs, classic-car parts, and human livers, 3D printing promises a dynamic and uncontrollable world.
Despite the Recent News, Bounce Houses Are Very Safe—If Set Up Properly
I'd suggest granting "Gold Bouncy Star" ratings for houses secured with particularly long, particularly strong spikes.
Cambridge Analytica Was Doing Marketing, Not Black Magic
There's no reason for alarm (yet) over a Facebook data "breach" that benefited a firm with ties to Trump's campaign.
The Dangerous Toys of Christmas Past
Hungry Cabbage Patch Kids, loose bear eyeballs, hot Creepy Crawlers, and more
Would Data Breach Notification Laws Really Improve Cybersecurity?
Responses to top-down federal dictates are hard to predict.
Shove Your Manufactured 'Bodega' Vending Machine Outrage
The day everybody got angry at the equivalent of an upgraded hotel mini-bar
The Government Is Here to Make Sure Your Fidget Spinner Doesn't Kill Everybody
Please don't eat your toys.
Banks Flagging Frequent Pharmacy Trips, Bulk DVD Rentals, and Other Ordinary Activity to Turn Over Tips to Government Snoops
All sorts of normal behavior are now triggering financial surveillance as banks try to comply with confused government policies on human trafficking.
Vault 7 Versus Snowden: Why Was One Such a Bigger Story?
Vault 7 serves as another reminder of the inherent folly in building government-mandated backdoors into secure systems.
Shocker: Dairy Industry Urges FDA to Crack Down on Milk Alternatives
A new bill not surprisingly has several Wisconsin lawmakers' support.
10 Ridiculous Recent Food-Marketing Lawsuits
And why these class-action endeavors are on the rise. (Hint: it's not consumer protection.)
Driverless Cars and the Revenge of the Moral Equivalent of Hostlers and Horse-Drawn Carriage Makers
A perplexingly stupid op-ed against self-driving cars in The New York Times
Ted Cruz Takes a Stand Against Operation Choke Point
"The Obama administration initiated Operation Choke Point to punish law-abiding small businesses that don't align with the president's political leanings," says Cruz.
Who's Afraid of Self-Driving Cars? 75 Percent of Americans, Says Poll
Are you among the timorous or will you embrace the hands-free future?
Shut Up, Explained the Businessman: How Consumers Like You Get SLAPPed Down
Free market groups support Federal SPEAK FREE Act opposing "strategic lawsuits against public participation"
The 'Pink Tax' Is a Myth
Is the "pink tax" a corporate conspiracy, patriarchy in action, or just market preferences at work?
Libertarian History/Philosophy
It's Time To Embrace Free-Market Existentialism!
Capitalism provides the most choices and opportunities for philosophical self-definition.
The FDA Targets Vegan Mayonnaise
The presence of ingredients such as pea protein and beta-carotene violates federal mayonnaise law.
Confederate Flag Purge Goes Nuts Almost Immediately, Hits Harmless Strategy Games
Apple Store, Amazon drop products that are clearly not about upholding racist or segregationist views.
Everybody Has Suddenly Noticed Confederate Flag Stuff Is Widely Available (Update: eBay and Amazon Join Ban)
Stores like Walmart and Sears drop the merchandise.
Is This the End of RadioShack?
Once-dominant consumer tech company's best days behind it.
GamerGate: How Consumers Are Influencing the Culture Battle
Video games have become America's favorite hobby. A culture clash over identity was probably inevitable.
The Government's Bogus Lawsuit Against Buckyballs' Creator Craig Zucker Ends In a Settlement
The Consumer Product Safety Commission's lawsuit against Zucker violated the agency's own rules.