'I Relied on Others,' 'Documents Were Filed in the Wrong Place,' and Other Memorable Excuses
The year's highlights in blame shifting.
Regulation
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.
The Best of Reason: The Abundance Agenda Promises Everything to Everyone All at Once
Some progressives want to remove bureaucratic obstacles to growth—in the service of Democrats and big government.
Gun Hobbyists (and Liberty) Win Big in Court
Fifth Circuit judges slap the ATF for making up illegal rules against homemade guns.
L.A. Wants To Commandeer Vacant Hotel Rooms as Homeless Housing
Los Angeles voters will decide in March whether to force hotels to report empty rooms to the city and accept vouchers from homeless people.
The Abundance Agenda Promises Everything to Everyone All at Once
Some progressives want to remove bureaucratic obstacles to growth—in the service of Democrats and big government.
The Endangered Species Act at 50
Why have so few species been taken off the endangered species list?
Did Chuck Schumer Just Come Out Against Top-Down AI Licensing?
"Duty of care has worked in other areas," the senator said, "and it seems to fit decently well here in the AI model."
Remember the Teen Vaping 'Epidemic'?
Policies inspired by that exaggerated threat continue to undermine the harm-reducing potential of e-cigarettes.
Ohio Becomes the 24th State To Legalize Recreational Marijuana
Voters approved a ballot initiative that will allow possession, home cultivation, and commercial distribution—assuming that state legislators don't interfere.
State-Licensed Pot Suppliers Say Federal Prohibition Is Unconstitutional As Applied to Them
A federal lawsuit argues that it is time to reassess the Commerce Clause rationale for banning intrastate marijuana production and distribution.
No Malarkey: Even Democrats Think Biden Is Too Old
Plus: A listener asks the editors about requiring gun buyers to pass a psychological assessment.
Safety First
Plus: Israeli forces get close to Gaza City, scenes from the Sam Bankman-Fried trial, mini-millionaires, and more...
Biden Issues 'A.I. Red Tape Wishlist'
Biden's new executive order will slow the development and deployment of artificial intelligence technologies.
Daniel Radcliffe Gets To Be an Auctioneer, Thanks to Licensing Reform
New York City no longer requires a permission slip to sell to the highest bidder.
Bill Maher Attacks 'the Real Deep State' of Government Regulators, Administrators, and Zoning Officers
The comedian blames America's endless reams of regulatory red tape for slowing down new wind farms, housing, and public toilets.
Free the Meds: 5 Drugs You Should Be Able To Buy Over the Counter
The FDA is unnecessarily making your life more difficult.
Lawmakers and Unions Defend Burdensome Airline Regulations With Bogus Statistics
The world's largest union of pilots says this requirement is necessary for safety and not unduly burdensome, but its data are misleadingly cherry-picked.
Texas School District Backs Off Effort To Seize a 79-Year-Old Man's Home for Stadium Parking
The Aldine Independent School District had wanted the property as part of a $50 million redevelopment of its high school football stadium.
California Environmental Regulations Are Driving Truckers Out of Pennsylvania
The Golden State's new rules—which Pennsylvania's Environmental Quality Board opted to copy—will increase the cost of a new truck by about one-third.
Cities Want 'YIMBY Grants' To Pay for Bureaucratic Busy Work
Cities are asking for federal zoning-reform dollars to pay for plans that might never pass.
California Gov. Gavin Newsom Nixes Psychedelic Decriminalization and Cannabis Cafés
Newsom vetoed both reforms, which he deemed excessively permissive.
California Quietly Repeals Restrictions on Doctors' COVID-19 Advice
Several federal judges had expressed skepticism about the constitutionality of penalizing physicians for departing from a government-defined "consensus."
Airlines Ask FAA To Regulate Competitor Out of Business
American Airlines, Southwest Airlines, and the largest union of pilots want the government to change regulations that allow a smaller competitor to operate.
What If They Amended the Administrative Procedure Act and No One Noticed?
Congress made a small addition to the requirements for notice-and-comment rulemaking.
The Social Media Moral Panic Won't Help Teens
We should all be skeptical that the same government that can't balance a budget can revamp the dominant form of modern communications and boost young people's self-esteem.
D.C.'s Food Truck Underworld
Despite their popularity, food trucks at the National Mall are paying a hefty price to operate.
California's Housing Crisis Looms Over the State's GOP Convention
Away from the speeches of the party's presidential candidates, the Republican Huntington Beach city attorney talked up his efforts to thwart state zoning reforms.
