How the Government Almost Killed the Apple
...and how the free market is saving it.
Regulation
European Union's AI Law Will Heavily Regulate a Technology Lawmakers Don't Understand
And in the process, it will stifle innovation and competition.
Political Stupidity and Bureaucratic Bungling Created New York's Pot Legalization 'Disaster'
Three years after the state legalized recreational marijuana, unauthorized weed shops outnumber licensed dispensaries by 23 to 1.
After Nearly 20 Years, They Finally Freed the Frozen Cherry Pie
The market offers many alternatives to bad desserts. We don’t need the FDA to step in.
Online Sports Betting Giants Place Their Bets Against Growing Rivals
Online sports betting companies are using the same legal playbook that once threatened their operations to eliminate competitors.
No Ice Cream Price Gouging Thanks to Substitutes
Unilever’s split from its ice cream division shows market share and market power are very different concepts.
The Best of Reason: After a Century, the Federal Tea Board Is Finally Dead
Imported tea was required for decades to pass a literal taste test before it could be sold in the United States.
The One-Man 'Cult' That Put St. Louis Under Surveillance
The story behind the city's ban on unlicensed drone businesses is even weirder than the ban itself.
After a Century, the Federal Tea Board Is Finally Dead
Imported tea was required for decades to pass a literal taste test before it could be sold in the United States.
Don't Let E.U. Bureaucrats Design Americans' Tech
Some Democrats want to mimic Europe's policies on phone chargers and more.
Expanding the Drug War To Include Tobacco Would Be a Big Mistake
The judicially approved Brookline ban reflects a broader trend among progressives who should know better.
Feds Enforcing Unconstitutional Reporting Law Against Most Businesses
Are you in compliance with the Corporate Transparency Act? Have you even heard of it?
The SEC Conscripts Corporate America in Its New Climate Change Fight
The new reporting rules will force companies to disclose whether they are prioritizing climate change concerns.
SCOTUS Takes on Chevron Deference
New Jersey fishermen are challenging a 40-year-old precedent that gives executive agencies too much power.
Here's Why Government Should Stop Throwing Money at Green Energy
In California, which has a slew of renewable energy regulations, the cost of electricity increased three times faster than in the rest of the U.S.—and the state still doesn't even get reliable energy.
The Political Sabotage of Nuclear Power
Abundant, emissions-free energy was once the promise of a nuclear-powered future. What happened?
DeSantis Vetoed a Social Media Age-Verification Law, but That Doesn't Mean He Won't Sign a New One
A law forcing kids off social media sites is still likely coming to Florida.
Texas and Florida Say the First Amendment Must Be Sacrificed to Save It
Supreme Court arguments about two social media laws highlight a dangerous conflation of state and private action.
Most Justices Seem Skeptical of the Florida and Texas Social Media Laws
The Supreme Court seems inclined to recognize that content moderation is protected by the First Amendment.
DEA Shuts Down Drug Factory Even as Adderall Shortage Persists
The DEA is cracking down on manufacturers, hurting patients who genuinely need those drugs.
California Bill Banning Landlords' No-Dog Policies Is Anti-Choice and Anti-Urban
The market has created a lot of dog-free housing for a reason. A bill from Assemblymember Matt Haney would destroy it.
Expanding the Child Tax Credit Would Perpetuate Systemic Poverty
The policy is a true budget buster and is ineffective in the long term.
Liquor Regulators Are Seeking Revenge on Bars That Broke Pandemic Rules
"The people who violated the governor's mandates and orders should face some consequences," a Pennsylvania Liquor Control Board member said in 2022.
Biden Is Trying To Motivate Voters Who Oppose Pot Prohibition. Maybe He Should Stop Supporting It.
The supposedly reformed drug warrior's intransigence on the issue complicates his appeal to young voters, who overwhelmingly favor legalization.
Goodbye, Navalny
Plus: A listener asks if the editors have criteria for what constitutes a good law.
How a New York Judge Arrived at a Staggering 'Disgorgement' Order Against Trump
The law that Attorney General Letitia James used to sue the former president does not require proof that anyone was injured by his financial dishonesty.
Shrinkflation Is Real—and It's Largely Biden's Fault
The president criticized companies for selling "smaller-than-usual products" whose "price stays the same." But it was his and his predecessor's spending policies that caused the underlying issue.
Shoshana Weissmann: Online Age Verification Rules Are Unconstitutional and Ineffective
"None of these laws prevent kids from viewing anything. They just prevent kids from posting," argues Shoshana Weissmann.
Do Americans Really Only Want Sprawl?
Plus: the House votes for more affordable housing subsidies, Portland tries to fix its "inclusionary housing" program, and is 2024 the year of the granny flat?
12 Senators Urge the DEA To Legalize Marijuana, Which Only Congress Can Do
Under the Controlled Substances Act, the agency does not have the discretion to "deschedule marijuana altogether."
Argentina, Once One of the Richest Countries, Is Now One of the Poorest. Javier Milei Could Help Fix That.
The new libertarian president believes in free markets and the rule of law. When people have those things, prosperity happens.
A New Pain Medication Could Reinforce the Disastrous Crackdown on Prescription Opioids
When the government is systematically interfering with medical decisions, a non-opioid alternative may not actually increase treatment options.
Portland Requires Homeowners Get Permits To Remove Trees Knocked on Their Homes by Winter Storm
In some cases, the city is also requiring homeowners to pay to replace trees that squashed their houses.
California Stopped San Francisco's $1.7 Million Toilet. The City Can't Build Something Cheaper.
"Why isn't there a toilet here? I just don't get it. Nobody does," one resident told The New York Times last week. "It's yet another example of the city that can't."
Virginia May Finally Fix a Dumb Drink Law
The infamous food-beverage ratio may be reformed, but not abolished.
Microschool Parents Zoned Out of Operation
In states like Utah, microschools are up against burdensome building regulations.
SCOTUS Ponders the Ambiguity of 'Ambiguous' and Other Chevron Doctrine Puzzles
The justices seem inclined to revise or ditch a 1984 precedent that requires deference to executive agencies' statutory interpretations.
California's Attack on Gig Work Predictably Drove Workers Out of Jobs
Self-employment in California fell by 10.5 percent and overall employment tumbled by 4.4 percent after A.B. 5's implementation.
Want to Use Social Media? Utah Wants You to Hand Over Your ID.
A new lawsuit is challenging a Utah law that requires age verification to use social media and forces minors to get their parents permission first.
The Chevron Doctrine Discomfits the Weak
Excessive judicial deference gives administrative agencies a license to rewrite the law in their favor.
Zoning Board Orders Longtime Tenants' Homes Dismantled
Plus: the Supreme Court weighs housing fees and homelessness, YIMBYs bet on smaller, more focused reforms, and a new paper finds legalizing more housing does in fact bring costs down.
The Newly Unveiled HHS Rationale for Rescheduling Marijuana Underlines Drug Warriors' Dishonesty
The points about marijuana's risks and benefits that the department now concedes were clear long before last August.
Wonka Fights the Candy Cronies
When regulators block entrepreneurs, they take away a golden ticket.
On Economic Issues, the Populist Right and Left Share a Lot of Common Ground
That's bad news for Americans.
Labor Department's New Regs Aim To Rescue Gig Workers From Their Own Preferences
Biden undid Trump-era rules for independent contractors, but the new rule will likely last only until another Republican is elected president. This is no way to regulate an economy.
Elizabeth Warren's Terrible Model for Tech Regulation
Bad ideas never seem to truly die in Washington.
