California Is a Cautionary Tale for America
California bounds from one crisis to another; most of them being self-imposed.
Regulation
Do Car Seat Mandates Reduce the Number of Children Families Have?
A new working paper argues that car seat laws are discouraging moms from having a third child.
Will Anyone Ever Be Able To Build Again in San Francisco?
How did California's housing shortage happen and why is it so intractable?
Florida Leads the Way on 2020 Occupational Licensing Reforms
House Bill 1193 loosened or abolished rules governing more than 30 different professions.
Federal Proposal Would Expand Hair Testing of Job Applicants and Employees To Make Sure They Are Obeying Drug Prohibition
The method, which can detect drug metabolites for up to a year, does not measure impairment or recent use.
Federal Regulations Have Made Western Wildfires Worse
Controlled, prescribed burns can stop wildfires from spreading. Too bad they are effectively prohibited by rules like the Clean Air Act.
Massachusetts Abandons Its Puzzling Public Health Distinction Between Casinos and Video Arcades
A week after being sued over his arbitrary COVID-19 policy, Gov. Charlie Baker says he will allow arcades to reopen.
Trump Says He Downplayed the Coronavirus Threat To Avoid 'Panic.' That Helps Explain His Policy Failures.
In interviews with Bob Woodward, the president said he knew COVID-19 was much more serious than he let on.
Today's Deadline for Seeking FDA Approval of Vaping Products Means Small Businesses Have To Pray for Bureaucratic Flexibility
The industry's fate depends on the whims of an agency charged with deciding what is "appropriate for public health."
'Limited, Arbitrary, and Unsystematic:' Flawed Federal Dietary Report Targets Alcohol
Experts are blasting proposed federal guidelines that call for men to consume no more than one alcoholic beverage per day.
California's Political Leaders Made Wildfire Season Worse
Firefighting resource shortages are caused by a legislature that is more interested in preserving union wages than in creating a firefighting system that works for the public.
Andrew Cuomo Says 4,000-Person NYPD Social-Distancing Taskforce Needed Before He'll Allow Indoor Dining in NYC
New York City restaurants have been excluded from the reopening of dining rooms in the rest of the state.
Philadelphia Ordered Restaurants Closed. Then the City's Mayor Went Out To Eat in Maryland.
Public officials are routinely undermining the legitimacy of coronavirus countermeasures by ignoring their own (often arbitrary) rules.
Voters Will Have a Chance To Save Ride-Sharing and Delivery Services From California's Regulators
In November, California voters will decide on Proposition 22, a measure would carve out a contracting exemption for independent drivers.
It's Time to Permanently Suspend Regulatory Barriers to Telehealth
Patients and providers should be able to meet remotely without bureaucrats getting in the way.
A Coronavirus Bailout Won't Save (or Fix) the USPS
The postal service stands to lose $13 billion this year. But this is an ongoing trend, not a new problem created by the coronavirus pandemic.
He Wanted To Make Some Money for School Clothes by Selling Mexican Street Corn. The Government Says He Owes $1,415 in Permit Fees.
"I just wanted to help out my community and family," said Miguel Lozano.
Australia Imposes Curfews, Closes Internal Borders To Slow COVID-19 Pandemic.
Will the U.S. be next?
The Private Space Race
Competition is cutting the cost of space travel to a fraction of what it was.
The Federal Government's Eviction Moratorium Expires This Week. Will an Eviction 'Tsunami' Be the Result?
Democrats in Congress are floating plans for billions more in rental assistance, and a blanket nationwide moratorium on evictions to forestall a potential housing crisis during the pandemic.
What State and Local Governments Can Learn From the Coronavirus Crisis
Why should the responsible states bail out the irresponsible ones?
Don't Bail Out Bars, Let Them Reopen
So long as governments view lockdowns as their primary tool for combating COVID-19, they are in effect sentencing bars and other shuttered businesses to a likely death.
California Gov. Gavin Newsom Orders Dine-In Restaurants To Close Statewide
The Golden State has seen a rise in the number of new COVID-19 cases and hospitalizations.
'Music City' Finally Legalizes Home Studio Businesses
Nashville's Metro Council repeals the city's blanket ban on home businesses servicing customers onsite.
California's Energy Regulations Hurt the Poor, While 'Green' Subsidies Benefit the Rich
Incentive programs for electric cars and solar panels mostly benefit those who can afford those things, while regulations that drive up the cost of energy hurt those who can't afford much to begin with.
A Legal Challenge to New York's Latest Rent Control Laws
Government growth and abuses are not challenged nearly enough.
Massachusetts Regulators Knowingly Drive Vapers to the Black Market
Bay State officials expect a new ban on flavored tobacco products to benefit illegal suppliers.
I Don't Want To Be Anybody's Employee
The push to reclassify independent contractors is harming many of the workers it's supposed to help.
Empowered by Excessive Regulations, 'Permit Karen' Harasses Her Neighbors and Calls the Cops
How invasive questions about a stone patio permit turned into a Black Lives Matter protest
As Bastiat Would Say, Peer Past the Obvious With Pandemic Policies
Don’t forget the unseen costs of government actions.
Florida and Texas Close Their Bars In Response to Surge in New COVID-19 Cases
Rising rates of new cases and hospitalizations have seen both states' governors reverse course on reopening businesses.
Why Is California Targeting the Tech Firms That Drive Its Economy?
There's no need to pity successful companies or grant them special deals, but state officials shouldn't be so blinded by an anti-corporate ideology that they drive businesses away, either.
Phased Reopenings May Be Too Little, Too Late for the Restaurant Industry
Falling demand and strict social distancing requirements are leaving many restaurants with no path to profitability.
Business Licensing Makes It Too Easy for Politicians To Punish People They Don't Like
Making a living is a right, not a privilege, and should be respected as such.
Treating Mental Illness With Care, Not Punishment, Goes Beyond Defunding Police
We need to remove all the ways that government deters people from seeking treatment.
Governments Are Cutting Red Tape To Keep Americans Fed
Regulators ought to take a scalpel to the many burdensome rules still on the books.
California County Will Allow Outdoor Social Gatherings of 12 People—and Outdoor Protests of 100 People
The phased reopenings happening around the country are becoming increasingly arbitrary.
Is a Universal Basic Income Program Worth the Costs?
There are problems with the UBI idea.
Did COVID-19 Lockdown Orders Help Fuel Riots Nationwide?
Millions of people out of a job and stuck at home for months is a recipe for civil unrest.
The Pandemic Is a Reminder That Many Regulations Are Both Costly and Unnecessary
It took a crisis for policymakers to see that hundreds of rules were not worth the burdens they imposed.
Make 'Temporary' Regulatory Relief Permanent After the Pandemic Passes
The health crisis revealed red tape that hobbles our lives even in good times.
It's Going To Be Hard Enough To Get Kids Back to Day Care After COVID-19
The pandemic has exposed many of America’s destructive barriers to work. It’s time to eliminate them.
Washington, D.C., May Permanently Legalize To-Go Cocktails
If there's a silver lining for the bars and restaurants that have been hit by the COVID-19 lockdowns, it's the widespread loosening of liquor laws.
To Stanch COVID-19 Meat Crisis, Let Small Farmers Sell Meat to Local Grocers
The ability of Americans to buy meat in grocery stores is at risk due to serious supply-chain issues caused by COVID-19.
Coronavirus Has Devastated Uber and Lyft's Business. Now California Is Suing Them.
A lawsuit filed yesterday by California Attorney General Xavier Becerra accuses the companies of misclassifying their drivers as independent contractors.
Plastic Bag Bans Do More Harm Than Good
Why are politicians suddenly cancelling their plastic bag bans? Because of COVID-19, of course.
