Hawaii County Tells Homeowner His 38-Year-Old House Is Actually Illegal
Shahzaad Ausman has had to sue the county to confirm that he can continue to live in his own home.
Local Government
Zoning Police Come for Cape Cod Lobsterman
Jon Tolley and his family have been serving fresh lobster from their home for over 50 years, but an anonymous complaint to town regulators threatens to shut their business down for good.
The Government Threatened To Seize His Home Over Tall Grass
Bureaucrats in Dunedin, Florida, originally hit Jim Ficken with a fine close to $30,000. When he couldn't pay that, things turned dire.
Judge Orders Newspaper To Delete Editorial Critical of City Government
After a lawsuit from the Foundation for Individual Rights and Expression, the city backed down. But it's still part of a worrying trend.
Fresh Starts on Starter Homes
Lawmakers in Arizona and California are attempting to overcome local resistance to meaningful starter home reforms.
Research Says Big Federal Grants to Local Governments Breed Corruption
DOGE may not just save money; it may encourage honesty.
Lawsuit Over New Hampshire Donut Mural Heads to Trial
Conway, New Hampshire, is trying to make a local bakery take down a mural of colorful baked goods. The bakery says that violates its First Amendment rights.
America Is Going Broke. Will the Department of Government Efficiency Help?
Eliminating the deficit requires cutting the biggest spending—defense, Medicare, Social Security. So far, Trump says he won't touch those.
Town Uses Eminent Domain To Stop Private Affordable Housing Project
Johnston, Rhode Island, Mayor Joseph Polisena promised to "use all the power of government" to stop the privately financed 252-unit project.
Schools Are Spending Billions To Fight Campus Culture Wars
As tensions rise on campus and in board chambers, districts dish out more for security, lawyers, and staff turnover.
Rise of the 'Constitutional Sheriffs'
Two new books dissect the "constitutional sheriffs" movement, which seeks to nullify laws adherents see as unconstitutional.
As Fires Burn, Private Firms and Personal Effort Step In Where California Officials Fail
Californians are turning to private firefighting and security, but officialdom gets in the way.
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.
Why Building a Lot of 'Affordable' Housing Is Bad News for Affordability
Cities become affordable when lots of new housing is built, not when a larger percentage of a small amount of new housing is made "affordable" by regulation.
Housing Policy 2024: the Good, the Bad, and the Ugly
Cities and states are passing lots of productive reforms, local courts are increasingly striking them down, and local governments continue their harassment of homeless shelters.
North Carolina Passes Sweeping Surprise Ban on 'Downzoning'
To the bewilderment of many, North Carolina's hurricane relief bill includes the nation's strongest property rights protections against new zoning restrictions.
The Death and Life of New York Outdoor Dining
What began as a vibrant, organic solution to a crisis has been stifled by overregulation.
New York City Should Not Run a Grocery Store
If you think “everything-bagel liberalism” makes transit and affordable housing projects expensive, wait till you see what it does to the price of literal everything bagels.
The Great American City Upon a Hill Is Always Under Construction
American history is often a story of people leaving to try to build their voluntary utopias.
Tampa Bay Rays Cancel New Stadium Plans After Local Government Stalls Funding
If funding were approved, St. Petersburg residents would have been on the hook for a new stadium for one of baseball’s least attended teams.
The New York Times Claimed D.C.'s Minimum Wage Hike Created Jobs. We Exposed Their Error.
The reporting was cited by One Fair Wage as proof that its policy worked.
Chicago Mayor Johnson's Budget Betrayal Would Raise Taxes on Small Businesses
A proposed alcohol tax hike will hit immigrant-owned liquor stores while city spending on nonessential projects remains high.
Abolish the Department of Education
The federal government furnishes a relatively tiny amount of K-12 funding—but the feds need relatively little money to exert power.
California Voters Opt for Orderly Urbanism on Election Day
Golden State voters decisively rejected progressive approaches to crime and housing.
Dallas Voters Nix an All-Purpose Excuse for Police Harassment: 'I Smelled Marijuana'
The ballot initiative says a whiff of weed does not establish probable cause for a search or seizure, which was already doubtful in light of hemp legalization.
Body Cam Footage Shows Atlanta Cop Knew Felony Charges Against Cop City Protesters Were 'a Reach'
In bodycam footage, the police major—now the deputy chief—asks for "anything we can get" after being told felony charges would be difficult.
How Donald Trump and Elon Musk Could Cut $2 Trillion in Government Spending
If Musk is truly serious about fiscal discipline, he'll advise the president-elect to eschew many of the policies he promised on the campaign trail.
Citizen Journalism Is Under Attack. This Texas Woman Is Fighting to Save It.
After being arrested for doing journalism, Priscilla Villarreal has taken her fight to the courts.
Napa's Wineries Battle Local Restrictions
In the heart of California Wine Country, rigid local rules are choking small businesses and stifling growth
Local Governments Are Seizing and Selling Homes Over Small Tax Debts
Home equity theft happens when governments auction off seized houses and keep the profits—even once the tax bill is paid.
