United Kingdom
U.K. Officials Want Even More Power To Punish You for Being Mean Online
A Scottish man was just convicted for tweeting an insult about a dead person. The authorities already have too much power to censor.
The U.K. Government's Latest Encryption Fearmongering Relies on Child Sex-Trafficking Panics
British police want greater surveillance powers and they’re willing to destroy everybody’s cybersecurity to get them.
Omicron vs. the Unvaccinated and the Vaccinated
The unvaccinated are 5 times more likely to be hospitalized when infected.
Anthony Fauci Is Right To Distinguish COVID-19 Infections, Which Are Exploding, From Severe Disease, Which Is Not
Based on the experience in South Africa, the Biden administration's top medical adviser says "this thing will peak after a period of a few weeks and turn around."
Recent COVID-19 Trends Suggest That Initial Fears of Omicron Were Overwrought
Focusing on infections rather than severe disease is more misleading than ever.
U.K. Rules Julian Assange May Be Extradited to the U.S. To Face Espionage Charges
In a significant threat to the free press, WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange faces decades in federal prison for leaking classified documents.
Omicron Brings Another Round of Pointless Travel Restrictions
Instead of impoverishing the world, we have to learn to live with COVID-19.
The Kinks vs. the People in Grey
Happy 50th birthday to Muswell Hillbillies, a concept album about nostalgia, conformity, and the evils of urban renewal programs.
The U.S. May Stand Alone as a Haven for Free Speech
The First Amendment shields Americans from censorship, but authoritarian legislation in Britain and Canada warns of what could be in store if that protection fails.
Social Media Isn't To Blame for the Deadly Stabbing of a British Member of Parliament
Attempts by British lawmakers to erase online anonymity would lead to radical speech being pushed underground.
We Have Vaccines. We Don't Need Pandemic Restrictions.
Denmark recently lifted all COVID mandates. The U.S. should do the same.
Don't Ask Politicians To Fix a Supply Chain Crisis They Created
Governments may not be able to make an economy, but they've proven they can break it.
Boris Johnson Taxes the Young To Pay for the Old
The highest tax burden in a generation confirms the Conservative Party has no interest in small government.
The New York Times Assumes a Scientific Consensus on School Mask Mandates That Its Own Reporting Shows Does Not Exist
If all sensible people agree that students should be forced to wear masks, why do other countries reject that policy?
Study: As Delta Proliferates, Vaccines Are Less Effective at Preventing Infection but Still Sharply Reduce That Risk
The results also indicate that vaccinated people infected by delta have lower viral loads and less severe symptoms than unvaccinated people.
What We Can Learn From the U.K. About the Delta Variant
Plus: Apple privacy concerns, changes to digital subscriptions, and more...
The UK Beat COVID-19, But Can It Beat Lockdowns?
Even with coronavirus deaths at a trickle, Prime Minister Boris Johnson won’t rule out more lockdowns.
Do People Want Their Pre-Pandemic Freedom Back?
Polling finds wide support for draconian lockdowns and permanent restrictions.
Boris Johnson's Britain Leans Into Nanny State Food Policies
New marketing restrictions on junk food will affect bottom lines, not waist lines.
GB News Stands Up to U.K. Cancel Culture and Wins
Advertisers found that appeasing an illiberal mob wasn’t a safe choice after all.
Hong Kong's Experiment in Freedom Nears a Brutal End
China’s government emphasizes control over prosperity while a demoralized West offers little opposition.
The World Loves Free Speech—Except When They're Offended
Americans oppose restrictions, but report feeling less free to speak about political matters.
Performative Pandemic Panic
Officials’ cynical manipulation of the public damaged their own credibility as well as the world at large.
Prince Harry's First Amendment Aversion Is Funny; the Governments That Agree Are Scary
We expect British royals to favor muzzling commoners, but too many lawmakers feel the same way.
Land-Use Restrictions Cause Housing Shortages in Britain, too
As in the US, they often block the building of new housing in response to demand.
Europeans Embrace America's Policing Mistakes
The pandemic pushed Americans to consider police reform while other countries moved to unleash their cops.
Leave Walgreens Alone. They're Doing a Better Job Than the FDA and the CDC.
Yet the company is still getting stupidly scolded by public health busybodies
England Gave Police Temporary Power During COVID-19 To Shut Down Protests. Now British Cops Want to Keep It.
Cracking down on protesters angry about police violence doesn't exactly inspire civic trust.
How Britain Lost the Lockdown Battle
Even though COVID-19 spread is low, Brits love their lockdown.
Oxford-AstraZeneca COVID-19 Vaccine's Benefits Far Outweigh Risks, Say E.U. Regulators
The precautionary principle kills again.
London NIMBYs and YIMBYs Unite To Build More Housing
Could allowing blocks to upzone themselves end the most intractable feud in urban development?
U.S. Lifts Tariffs on Scotch Whisky, but American Distillers Remain on the Rocks
The announcement signals a possible deescalation in the transatlantic trade war and raises hopes for a U.S.-U.K. trade agreement.
Despite Starkly Different COVID-19 Policies, the U.S. and the U.K. Saw Similar Drops in Cases Around the Same Time
The same is true of Texas and California, which suggests that legal restrictions are not as important as politicians imagine.
U.K. Approves Clinical Trial That Will Deliberately Expose Volunteers to the COVID-19 Virus
It's a good idea, but it should have been done much earlier.
Boris Johnson Is Doling Out £10,000 Fines for Starting Snowball Fights During COVID-19
The United Kingdom has instituted one of the most rigorous lockdowns in the world.
After Brexit, Good News for Free Trade in the U.K.
So far, Britain has signed 63 new trade deals, including with the E.U.
The Case Against Julian Assange Is Also a Case Against a Free Press
Contrary to what the judge who blocked his extradition implied, the Espionage Act does not include an exception for "responsible" journalism.
The U.K. Uses COVID-19 to Justify More Nanny State Junk Food Crackdowns
Bans on ads, displays, refills, and buy-one-get-one-free offers
Britain Is Granting Record Numbers of Passports to Hongkongers. America Should Take a Hint.
America has undone its longstanding policy of granting special treatment to individuals with Hong Kong passports at exactly the wrong time.
As Britain Prepares to Fully Reopen, Americans Should Listen to Boris Johnson's Message
Individuals, not governments, will have to take charge of the next phase of the coronavirus response. That means more freedom, but also more personal responsibility.
The British Government Forced Universities to Narrow The Gender Pay Gap. This Made It Worse.
British universities thought they'd found the formula that would roll back discrimination. Instead, the pay gap widened.
