Goodbye, Navalny
Plus: A listener asks if the editors have criteria for what constitutes a good law.
Regulation
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.
The New York Times Misrepresented a Shoddy Study Claiming Private Equity Worsened Hospital Care
Researchers trumpeted a statistically insignificant finding and attempted to explain away contrary data. The Gray Lady further garbled the evidence.
3 Economic Myths That Need To Die
As we step into 2024, it's crucial to adopt a more informed perspective on these dubious claims.
Former NIH Director: Ignoring 'Collateral Damage' Inflicted by COVID-19 Policies Was 'Really Unfortunate'
Francis Collins’ remarks highlight the folly of attaching "infinite value" to a life saved by government regulation.
We Absolutely Do Not Need an FDA for AI
If our best and brightest technologists and theorists are struggling to see the way forward for AI, what makes anyone think politicians are going to get there first?
Can the Government Be More Effective?
William D. Eggers discusses what he's learned about making the government less intrusive.
'I Relied on Others,' 'Documents Were Filed in the Wrong Place,' and Other Memorable Excuses
The year's highlights in blame shifting.
USDA Announces New Rules That Could Ease Another Baby Formula Shortage
The rules would allow the government to temporarily ease restrictions on WIC formula purchases during a shortage. But those restrictions shouldn't exist in the first place.
Self-Driving Cars Have Arrived. They Will Make Us Safer.
The good news: Regulators have exercised unusual restraint.
California Officials Force Elderly Couple To Dismantle Home, Citing Blocked Ocean Views
Plus: Austin's newly passed zoning reforms could be in legal jeopardy, HUD releases its latest census of the homeless population, and a little-discussed Florida reform is spurring a wave of home construction.
America Is Taking a High-Speed Train to Bankruptcy
Every dollar wasted on political pork, fraud, and poorly considered infrastructure makes the country’s fiscal situation even worse.
New York's Broken Housing Court Lets Tenant Stay For Years Without Paying Rent
Plus: Austin and Salt Lake City pass very different "middle housing" reforms, Democrats in Congress want to ban hedge fund–owned rental housing, and a look at GOP presidential candidate's housing policy positions.
Ohio Republicans Drop Last-Minute Effort To Derail Voter-Approved Pot Legalization
As of today, adults 21 or older in the Buckeye State may possess up to 2.5 ounces of marijuana and grow up to six plants at home.
Don't Kill the Au Pair Program
Biden has proposed further regulating the federal au pair program, which will disproportionately burden highly skilled working mothers.
Federal Shipping Regulations Sank One of America's Biggest Offshore Wind Projects
Yup, blame the Jones Act. Again.
Want To Challenge Your Speed Camera Ticket? That'll Be $100.
Only 536 people live in this Ohio town that issues 1,800 speeding tickets per month.
Proposed L.A. Ordinance Would Require Airbnb Hosts To Get Police Permission To Operate
The regulation is part of a suite of new restrictions on hotels sought by the local hotel workers union.
Yes, Heavy Regulation Hurts the Economy. Just Look at France.
We're often told European countries are better off thanks to big-government policies. So why is the U.S. beating France in many important ways?
The Best of Reason: The Endangered Species Act at 50
Why have so few species been taken off the endangered species list?
Florida vs. California
Plus: Send your questions for the editors to roundtable@reason.com ahead of this week’s special webathon episode!
All Hail the Grocery Store
American grocery stores are an underrated symbol of free market abundance.
Jeb Bush: What He Thinks of Trump, Biden, DeSantis, and 'Florida Man'
The former two-term governor discusses why Florida is attracting more people than any other state in the country.
SpaceX Makes Progress on Second Test of Starship
The private sector space company overcame red tape and government delays to get to launch day.
Starting Next Year, You Can Buy a Car on Amazon
While the partnership between Hyundai and Amazon is a good first step, states should get rid of laws that mandate franchise dealerships.
Mississippi Makes It a Crime to Advertise Legal Medical Marijuana Businesses
Clarence Cocroft filed a lawsuit this week challenging the state's virtual ban on advertising medical marijuana businesses, arguing the law violates his First Amendment rights.
New Labor Rules Will Screw Over Your Local McDonalds
A new joint employer rule from the NLRB threatens to fundamentally change the business relationship between a franchise and its parent company.
