The Millennial Internet Is Dead, and Politicians Killed It.
Social media use is declining, and what's left has shifted from conversation to passive scrolling.
Regulation
Rand Paul Was Right To Block the Senate's Attempt To Censor the Internet
The bill’s “duty of care” could pressure platforms to suppress lawful speech in the name of protecting children.
Federal Contractors Responsible for 'Biased' Alcohol Study Should Be Punished, Oversight Committee Says
Rep. James Comer is asking the HHS to consider disciplinary action against anti-alcohol activists empowered by the Biden administration.
Smoking Is Bad for You. Nicotine Isn't—but Politicians Keep Trying To Ban It.
Nicotine has become associated with the worst harms of smoking, even though the chemical is not responsible for the cancers or lung disease caused by combustible tobacco.
Trump Wants AI Companies To Police Themselves. His FTC Isn't Waiting.
While the White House settles for a voluntary accord, the Federal Trade Commission is preparing subpoena-like demands and plans to compel testimony from frontier lab executives.
Trump Orders Mosquitoes and Rats Out of the District of Columbia
Time to deploy gene drives to eliminate these disease-carrying pests?
The FDA Promises To Streamline the Dauntingly Complex Rules for Approving Nicotine Products
The planned reforms could promote harm reduction by addressing a huge backlog that has resulted in routine violations of a statutory deadline.
Hazy Drug Classification Criteria Invite Dubious Bureaucratic Judgments
A GAO report notes that the Controlled Substances Act does not define "potential for abuse" or "accepted medical use."
The Way the FDA and DEA Ban Drugs Is Unaccountable and Arbitrary
A new report from the Government Accountability Office reveals that federal drug regulators do not have any clear policies or procedures for making scheduling decisions.
In Chicago, Putting a Hot Dog in a Bun Can Get You in Trouble
I've been working in law and public policy for over 15 years, and even I had a hard time making sense of Chicago's permit rules for food vendors.
Is AI Going To Wipe Out Humanity? Don't Build That Bunker Yet.
Measures to slow AI development are more likely to trigger human lawsuits against AI companies than accomplish anything useful.
Review: Jeremy Clarkson vs. British Bureaucracy
On Clarkson's Farm, the Top Gear star runs afoul of local government.
OpenAI Preaches AI Safety. The Australia Incident Shows What It Practices.
Sam Altman called for international regulation and "speedy incident reporting" at the U.N. on the same day Australia's prime minister said OpenAI took too long to disclose a breach.
Half the Public Wants To Pause AI. Would Regulation Actually Make It Safer?
A new poll finds widespread support for slowing advanced AI, but government controls could create risks of their own.
The 'AI Safety' Movement Is Making AI Less Safe
The fear of superintelligence is driving decisions that make AI less transparent and more consolidated.
Congress Doesn't Agree on Much. Except That Your Car Needs AM Radio.
The push to mandate AM radios has brought Ted Cruz together with Bernie Sanders.
Trump's $1.4 Billion Crypto Haul Sinks the Senate's Crypto Bill
The Clarity Act's ethics provisions leave plenty of room for the president to keep profiting, and its regulatory framework hands bureaucrats too much discretion.
AI Could Make Our Lives Better. So Why Are We Trying To Stop It?
Anthropic's CEO wants federal regulation that would slow down AI (and his competitors' innovations). Has that ever worked?
AI Executives Want International Regulation. They Could Just Slow Down Themselves.
Dario Amodei is calling for coordinated international limits on AI development while Anthropic prepares to go public.
Can the Feds Ban You From Making Liquor in Your Own Home?
A challenge to the federal prohibition on home distilling could give the Supreme Court a chance to rein in Congress’ Commerce Clause power.
Can a New Weight Loss Treatment Escape the Legal and Regulatory Thicket?
It’s Eli Lilly vs. RFK Jr. in a battle over the rules around retatrutide.
NYC Law Could Force Uber and Lyft to Keep Dangerous Drivers on the Road
A federal judge temporarily blocked it from taking effect. But the legal fight is ongoing.
Study: Even Well-Intentioned Regulators Do More Harm Than Good
Bureaucrats who intend to do good still restrict competition and suppress liberty.
A Connecticut Couple Is Fighting for the Right To Let People Hike on Their Land
Charles and Elizabeth Copley have big plans for their 50-acre property, but the town insists they need a business license to let people to hike or walk their dogs.
The Backlash Against Data Centers Is Bipartisan, Nationwide, and Wrong
From Texas to Ohio, political candidates are backing voters’ bad arguments for opposing data centers.
1 in 5 Americans Still Need Government Permission To Work
Occupational licensing raises costs and limits mobility without improving safety.
This Mamdani-Backed Bill Would Kill Jobs, Boost Unions, and Make Deliveries More Expensive
The misleadingly named "Delivery Protection Act" would require companies like Amazon and FedEx to directly hire employees for last-mile delivery, rather than contracting this service out to subcontractors.
Harry and Meghan's Security Problem Is Really a Gun-Control Problem
Taxpayers shouldn’t have to pay for the royal family’s security, but British law prevents them from paying for armed security themselves.
Utah Needs More Housing. The Army Corps Shut Down 265 New Homes Because of a Small Ditch.
Despite the Supreme Court's best efforts to rein them in, federal regulators continue to abuse their authority under the Clean Water Act.
New Jersey Revives the Fight To Reclassify Gig Workers as Employees
California notoriously fought to do the same, which led to a slew of exemptions and job declines.
Government Regulations Are Keeping Drone Delivery Grounded
To fly a drone out of sight, you must get airline-level certification, which requires a lengthy approval process from the Federal Aviation Administration.
Klein and Thompson's Abundance Shows Abundant Lack of Introspection
The authors recognize the need to reconsider policies that make it hard to innovate and build, but do not ask why they and their allies were blind to such concerns for so long.
RFK Jr. Wants More FDA Oversight of Food Ingredients. It Could End Up Costing $210 Million.
A proposed FDA rule would require food manufacturers to disclose ingredients they deem safe, which the agency admits would have a “significant economic impact” on small businesses.
America Invented Elevators. Now We Suck at Building Them.
America’s elevator shortage is making housing more expensive, buildings less accessible, and cities less dynamic—all because of bad regulations and union protectionism.
One Night Only Is a Rare Rom-Com About Regulation
In The Purge: but for Sex, everyone takes a crackdown on sexual freedom for granted.
A Viral Tweet Set Off a Discourse on $20 Burritos. Here's the Truth About Inflation.
Americans are angry because everyday goods are much more expensive, and politicians think they should “stop whining.”
FCC Rule Change Would Allow More Broadcast Mergers, but It's Not Clear the FCC Has That Power.
It's not clear if the agency even has the legal authority to make the change. But if it goes through, there's little to worry about.
People Have Got To Try Being Normal About Caitlin Clark, Sophie Cunningham, and the WNBA
Plus: Congress struggling to regulate college sports, looking at the economics of World Cup hosts, and why are golf shows all the same?
'AI Kill Switch Act' Won't Stop Rogue AI, but It Will Slow Down Innovation
A bipartisan bill would give the Department of Homeland Security sweeping power to shut down powerful AI systems, with serious costs for competition and security.
Bureaucracy, Labor, & Tariffs: How Government Is Making BLTs More Expensive
The BLT—a delicious celebration of the power of markets—exemplifies political attacks on the free movement of goods and people.
California's War on Goats Could Worsen the Wildfire Crisis
Standard minimum wage and overtime laws now apply to the state's goat herders, whose animals clear brush and reduce fire danger. The costs are unsustainable.
For Thousands of New York City Apartment Buildings, the Math Doesn't Math
This year’s rent freeze is just the latest regulation pushing New York City’s rent-stabilized housing stock toward financial and physical collapse.
Trump's FAA Moves To End the 50-Year Ban on Domestic Supersonic Flight
Supersonic flight is legally limited to the ocean. But the federal bureaucracy is (slowly) changing, and at least one company wants to take advantage.
From Weed to Whiskey: Is This the Supreme Court's Next Big Commerce Clause Case?
What’s at stake in Ream v. U.S. Department of the Treasury.
Where Can the Data Centers Go?
In a committee hearing yesterday, Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez complained about data centers' impacts on rural areas and industrial parks.
