The Government's Permitting Regime Is Choking the Economy
Housing costs, job availability, energy prices, and technological advancement all hinge on a web of red tape that is leaving Americans poorer and less free.
Federal government
Mark Zuckerberg Blames Biden for 'Government Pressure' To Censor Facebook
The Meta CEO says his platforms will not blindly obey the bureaucrats again.
U.S. Officials Tried To Block Baby Formula Imports—During a Shortage
One official was concerned that lifting tariffs would lead to "lots of questions from domestic dairy producers."
'Transparency' Mandate Would Burden Small Brewers and Distilleries
Government pre-approval for every label could crush craft breweries. And do you really want to force the Carthusian monks who make Green Chartreuse to reveal their ingredients?
Code Games
Plus: An appeals court sides with property owners seeking compensation for the CDC's eviction ban, a Michigan court backs the would-be builders of a "green cemetery," and Kamala Harris' spotty supply-side credentials.
Harris Joins the FTC's Food Fight Against Kroger-Albertsons Merger
Amid rising grocery costs, the FTC's fight against the merger may end up hurting the very consumers it's supposed to protect.
The Secret Committee Behind America's Prohibition Comeback
Washington bureaucrats are rewriting the rules on drinking, and a hidden panel of unelected officials could be paving the way for Prohibition 2.0.
Mike Pence's Sensible (and Probably Doomed) Plan To Fix the National Debt
Lawmakers must be willing to reform so-called "mandatory spending," Pence's nonprofit argues in a new document.
The FBI Raided This Innocent Woman's House. Will She Ever Get Justice?
Thus far, the courts have barred Curtrina Martin from asking a jury for damages. She is appealing to the Supreme Court.
The U.S. Can't Afford To Cut Taxes on Social Security Benefits
The campaign promise from Donald Trump sounds nice, but it would be disastrous when considering the program is already racing toward insolvency.
New Bill Would Revive the Right To Sue Federal Cops for Constitutional Violations
The Supreme Court created, then gutted, a right to sue federal agents for civil rights violations.
Secret Service May Get Even More Money After Failing To Protect Trump
Government agencies are expensive, incompetent, and overreaching. The Secret Service is no exception.
RFK Jr. Pays Lip Service to the Debt While Pushing Policies That Would Increase It
It's good to hear a candidate actually talk about our spending problem. But his campaign promises would exacerbate it.
Majority of Public Comments Support Descheduling or Legalizing Marijuana
While lawmakers remain resistant to change, most of the public thinks it's high time to stop treating marijuana as dangerous.
The DEA Claims To Be Able To Search Your Bag Without Your Consent. But Can They?
Recent footage shows a federal agent attempting to search a citizen’s bag without their consent, despite precedent saying that’s illegal.
'The Problem Is Spending': Libertarian Presidential Nominee Chase Oliver's Vision for the Future
The candidate supports gun rights, wants to privatize government programs, and would radically reduce the number of federal employees.
The Federal Trade Commission Needs To Stay in its Lane
Recent actions by the FTC show that its officers should review the Constitution.
The Best of Reason: Congress 'Can Regulate Virtually Anything'
How legislators learned to stop worrying about the constitutionality of federal drug and gun laws by abusing the Commerce Clause.
Secret Service Director Receives Bipartisan Condemnation in Oversight Hearing
While there was some political grandstanding among members of Congress, the bipartisan demand for answers was refreshing.
The DOOBIE Act Would Limit Government Discrimination Against People Who Have Smoked Weed
Under the law, the feds couldn't deny you a job or security clearance just because you've used marijuana in the past.
Republicans Don't Even Pretend To Want To Cut Government Anymore
This week left no doubt that the GOP's current leadership wants the government to do more, spend more, and meddle more.
Trump Promises To Get Rid of Bad Regulations. Can He Deliver?
Growth of regulation slowed under former President Trump, but it still increased.
The Best of Reason: Why Did Americans Stop Caring About the National Debt?
Both parties—and the voters—are to blame for the national debt fiasco.
Republicans Hammer Biden on Inflation. But Do They Have a Better Plan?
Opening night of the Republican National Convention programmed a central issue with a Trumpian twist: "Make America Wealthy Again."
Congress 'Can Regulate Virtually Anything'
How legislators learned to stop worrying about the constitutionality of federal drug and gun laws by abusing the Commerce Clause
Why Did Americans Stop Caring About the National Debt?
Both parties—and the voters—are to blame for the national debt fiasco.
The 2024 GOP Platform Promises To 'Make America Affordable Again.' So Why Are They Embracing Fiscal Insanity?
Although former President Donald Trump's deregulatory agenda would make some positive changes, it's simply not enough.
He Immigrated to the U.S. as a Child. He Was Just Kicked Out—Despite Coming Here Legally.
"Documented Dreamers" continue to have to leave the country even though this is the only home many have ever known.
Federal Intervention in Campus Protests Is Going Too Far
Department of Education settlements with protest-wracked colleges threaten censorship by bureaucracy.
The National Debt Is Crossing an Ominous Line
The U.S. has successfully navigated past debt challenges, notably in the 1990s. Policymakers can fix this if they find the will to do so.
The Supreme Court Didn't Destroy the Regulatory State. It Stood Up for Due Process.
Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson says these cases will "devastate" the regulatory state. Good.
Biden, Cognitive Decline, and the End of American Empire
Plus: The editors reflect on the release of WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange.
Presidential Debate Debacle Was a Great Argument for Smaller Government
It’s impossible to reconcile big-government dreams with the reality of the clowns who rule us.
Numb to the Numbers
The national debt has become an alarm bell ringing in the distance that people are pretending not to hear, especially in the city that caused the problem.
Federal IOU: August/September 2024 Puzzle
"Period during which America's national debt was about $75 million"
The TikTok Ban Is a Blueprint for More Social Media Censorship
China's free speech record is bad, but the federal government's isn't so great either.
Politicians Need To Get Serious About Retaining Foreign Graduates
Donald Trump had a point before his campaign walked it back.
Ketanji Brown Jackson Joins Conservative Justices in Upending Hundreds of January 6 Cases
Her concurrence is a reminder that the application of criminal law should not be infected by personal animus toward any given defendant.
Liberals in Biden Panic Mode Should Learn To Love Limits on Executive Power
The Supreme Court's recent rulings limiting the powers of the administrative state are a blessing for liberals who might not control the White House for much longer.
SCOTUS Repudiates Doctrine That Gave Agencies a License To Invent Their Own Authority
The Court says Chevron deference allows bureaucrats to usurp a judicial function, creating "an eternal fog of uncertainty" about what the law allows or requires.
Why Has Joe Biden's $42 Billion Broadband Program Not Connected One Single Household?
The senior Republican FCC commissioner blames progressive politics, while lawmakers and telecom companies blame bureaucratic red tape.
Be Wary of the Department of Homeland Security's AI Ambitions
Americans shouldn’t count on the department to use the technology responsibly or in a limited way.
Julian Assange's Freedom Came at a Steep Price
Assange's plea deal sets a threatening precedent for free speech and journalism.
America Is in a Debt Crisis. Will Trump or Biden Address It at the Debate?
The candidate who grasps the gravity of this situation and proposes concrete steps to address it will demonstrate the leadership our nation now desperately needs. The stakes couldn't be higher.
SCOTUS Declines To Punish the Feds for Suppressing Social Media Speech
The verdict in Murthy v. Missouri is a big, flashing green light that jawboning may resume.
It's Time To Reform Environmental Litigation
Thanks to the lengthy approval process and special interests surrounding environmental review, it takes far longer to build anything in the United States than in other developed countries.
The Supreme Court Isn't as Radical as You Think
There is a great deal of panic surrounding the "extreme" nature of the current Court. But that is often not based in reality.
