Regulation
Republicans Defend Texas Social Media Law—and Compelled Speech
Plus: Twitter defends user anonymity, Oklahoma legislature approves abortion ban, and more...
California's Water Bureaucrats Are Making a Bad Drought Worse
Fifty percent of the state's water flows to the Pacific Ocean. Another 40 percent is used for agriculture. But it's average residents who are being forced to cut back.
FDA Will Ease Enforcement of Baby Formula Regulations To Address Shortage
Plus: Supreme Court sides with Ted Cruz in campaign finance case, gender quota for corporate boards ruled unconstitutional, and more...
Former FDA Official: The Prohibition on European Baby Formula Isn't About Safety
"The knot in getting that product into the U.S. isn't safety, it's a regulatory issue," says Peter Pitts.
Billionaire Michael Saylor Believes in Bitcoin More Than Ever
Despite bitcoin's steep slide, the CEO of MicroStrategy is bullish on its mass adoption.
How Bad Government Policy is Fueling the Infant Formula Shortage
Trade restrictions and over-zealous FDA regulation are a big part of the problem, but there's more.
The End of Roe Heralds the Rise of Pro-Abortion, Big Government Policies
Liberal states don't want to treat abortion as a personal, private choice either. Instead, blue state policy makers want to spend tax dollars subsidizing and promoting it.
This Michigan Town Repealed a Ban on Fortunetellers, but Might Break State Law if It Tries To Regulate Them
Petoskey's draft ordinance would require both "legitimate" fortunetellers and people pretending to tell fortunes to be licensed, calling into question the sense of licensing at all.
GMOs Are Good for Us
The activists who say otherwise are wrong on the costs and wrong on the science.
Study: Europe's Aggressive Privacy Regulations Are Killing App Innovation
Consumers lose out when compliance costs prevent services from ever entering the market.
The U.S. Baby Formula Shortage Is the FDA's Fault
Plus: Trusting the science is now an explicitly partisan issue, stocks are still plummeting, and more...
NYC Mayor Defends Decision To Handcuff and Strip Search Woman Selling Mangos on a Subway Platform
Maria Falcon doesn't have a business license. So New York police officers detained her and confiscated all of her merchandise.
A New Report Explains How California Screwed Up Marijuana Legalization
Heavy regulation, high taxes, and local bans combined to cripple the legal cannabis industry, which accounts for just a third of the state's pot market.
The Impact of Overturning Roe v. Wade Will Be Less Dramatic Than Abortion-Rights Advocates Fear
Abortion is likely to remain legal in most states, and workarounds will mitigate the effects of bans.
Montana's Ban on Mask Mandates Is Stopping Local Governments From Enforcing Their Zoning Codes
Officials in Gallatin County, Montana, say a state law that prohibits local governments from forcing businesses to turn customers away is preventing it from cracking down on zoning code violators.
The FDA Uses Its New Authority To Close Off the Last Remaining Legal Option for Vapers Who Like Flavor Variety
In a move that is likely to undermine public health, the agency warns that products containing synthetic nicotine "will be subject to FDA enforcement."
Consistent Paternalists Should Back Restrictions on Voters, Too
In an important new article, political philosophers Jason Brennan and Christopher Freiman explain why standard justifications for paternalistic restrictions on consumers also apply to voters.
Europe Escalates the Threat to Online Free Speech
While Americans debate what should be allowed on social media, the EU wants government to decide.
The FDA's Menthol Cigarette Ban Is a 'Racial Justice' Issue, but Not in the Way Its Supporters Mean
The proposed rule, which targets the cigarettes that black smokers overwhelmingly prefer, will harm the community it is supposed to help.
Time Is Running Out for South Carolina's Over-the-Counter Birth Control Bill
The Pharmacy Access Act is good policy stuck in legislative limbo.
No, Florida Republicans Do Not Care About Crony Capitalism
The state has 1,288 independent special districts. But we aren't hearing significant GOP complaints about anyone's but Disney's.
FDA Case for Menthol Ban Undermined by New Study
Menthols aren’t harder to quit than other cigarettes.
Her Dream Was To Open a Vegan Tattoo Shop. Zoning Officials Shut Her Down.
"It's a lot to try and put this stuff all together all on my own, using my own savings, and then having to start all over," says Venus Vegan Tattoo owner Selena Carrion.
Texas' Social Media Law Recycles Left-Wing Media Theory
Forcing private companies to host speech violates the First Amendment.
If the CDC's Mask Mandate Is 'Necessary for the Public Health,' Why Didn't the DOJ Seek a Stay To Restore It?
The Biden administration's main priority seems to be leaving the agency's authority vague enough to allow future interventions.
California's New Food Waste Law Is Backfiring
Compliance is proving to be expensive and confusing.
Business Tax on Freelance Writers Heads to Virginia Supreme Court
Plus: The roots of the housing crisis, the U.S. Supreme Court reconsiders Miranda warnings, a judge halts Kentucky's abortion law, and more...
Alcohol Delivery Doesn't Lead To Underage Drinking
The history of wine delivery is pretty clear.
Even If the CDC's Mask Mandate Made Sense, That Would Not Make It Legal
The decision against the rule hinged on whether the agency had the power it asserted.
Kentuckians Left Without Abortion Access After Lawmakers Override Governor's Veto
Plus: The end of travel mask mandates, pundits out of touch with how normies use social media, and more...
The Restaurant Industry Doesn't Need Another Bailout
The Restaurant Revitalization Fund Replenishment Act would give restaurants another $42 billion in grants to cover the lingering costs of the pandemic.
The FDA's Rejection of a Major Vaping Brand Shows It Is Arbitrarily Applying a Nebulous Legal Standard
The agency's obsession with adolescent vaping is driving decisions that undermine public health.
D.C. City Council Narrowly Fails To Destroy the Country's Freest Marijuana Market
An emergency measure proposed by Council Chairman Phil Mendelson would have given city officials the power to fine and close the city's unregulated cannabis "gifting shops."
When Will Democrats Get Serious About Repealing Pot Prohibition?
Instead of building on Republican support for federalism, they seem determined to alienate potential allies.
Under Oregon's Proposed Rules, Legal Psilocybin Will Be All-Natural, Organic, and GMO-Free
The state's regulators plan to start accepting applications from manufacturers and "service centers" on January 2.
California Can't Mandate Diversity on Corporate Boards
Plus: Prayer on football field faces SCOTUS, Mike Tyson's ear-shaped edibles banned in Colorado, and more...
Elizabeth Warren Compares Buying Bitcoin to 'Buying Air'
The Massachusetts senator also came out in favor of creating a central bank digital currency
The House Just Approved Marijuana Legalization Again, but GOP Support Remains Nearly Nonexistent
Just three Republicans voted for the MORE Act, two fewer than in 2020.
Gigi Sohn, Biden's Pick for FCC Vacancy, Is Still Pushing Pointless 'Net Neutrality' Regulations
Sohn, whose nomination could go before the Senate for a final vote within the coming weeks, is stuck in the past.
Veggie 'Meat' Maker Tofurky Wins Free Speech Challenge to Food-Labeling Law
Plus: Meta's campaign to smear TikTok, new research on immigrants and welfare, and more...
Biden Is Poised To Make Freight Trains Less Safe. You Can Thank Special Interests.
Once again, Washington is giving us every reason to believe it's selling favors to cronies even if it means everyone else loses.
San Francisco Passes Moratorium on Delivery Warehouses To Shake Down Amazon
City politicians and union activists have said the temporary ban on new delivery warehouses is meant to send a message that the company can't just open a new facility without first providing generous "community benefits."
Occupational Licensing Hurts the Vulnerable Without Helping the Public
Hispanics get slammed the hardest by licensing requirements that regulators can’t justify.
How the War on Sprawl Caused High Housing Prices
Since the 1960s, planners have convinced many state and regional governments to limit the physical spread of urban areas.
Corruption and Crackdowns in California's Marijuana Market
Black markets thrive under mismanaged legalization.
With Just 10 Signatures, This Gas Station Owner Could Kill a Ban on Pumping Your Own Gas
Legislators in New Jersey and Oregon keep failing to repeal their states' bans on self-service gas stations. Is Massachusetts' small town direct democracy the solution?
Berkeley NIMBYs Are Taking Advantage of California's Flawed Environmental Regulations
Liberal Berkeley officials might be coming around to the view held by conservative business leaders, who have long argued that California's Environmental Quality Act needs an overhaul.