Cheering From the Press Box
Also: Oppenheimer and Godzilla win at the Oscars, Virginia state lawmakers nuke plans for taxpayer-funded arena, and more...
Virginia
Rudy Carey Was Pardoned, but the Unjust Law That Kept Him From Working Is Still on the Books
Virginia’s barrier crime law limits employment prospects for ex-offenders, who often find their way back into the penal system when they can’t find work.
Virginia Surrogacy Bill Doesn't Go Far Enough
Allowing surrogacy brokers to be paid is good. Allowing surrogates themselves to be paid would be better.
Good Times, Bad Times: Eviction Edition
Plus: Voters in Massachusetts reject state-mandated upzonings, Florida localities rebel against a surprisingly effective YIMBY reform, and lawsuits target missing middle housing in Virginia.
Virginia May Finally Fix a Dumb Drink Law
The infamous food-beverage ratio may be reformed, but not abolished.
No, Blocking Traffic Is Not Protected by the First Amendment
The freedom to protest is essential to the American project. It also does not give you carte blanche to violate other laws.
The Government Is Better at Picking Losers Than Winners
It's taxpayers who lose when politicians give gifts, grants, and loans to private companies.
Zoning Bans the Good Samaritan
Plus: Beverly Hills homeowners can't build new pools until their city allows new housing, a ballot initiative would legalize California's newest city, and NIMBYs sue to overturn zoning reform (again).
How Emily Blunt Copes With Her Stutter
John Stossel and the English actress discuss their shared problem—and why they'd like to destigmatize stuttering.
How Much Will Taxpayers Pay for Virginia's $2 Billion Arena Plan?
How much public money will be used remains unclear. The consensus answer seems to be "a lot."
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.
Virginia Should Refuse to Subsidize the Construction of a New Stadium for the Capitals and Wizards
The proposed deal could be the largest-ever government subsidy for a sports stadium. Studies consistently show such handouts don't benefit communities.
Prosecutors of 6-Year-Old Shooter's Mother Claim Gun-Owning Pot Users Are 'Inherently Dangerous'
Deja Taylor is going to federal prison because of a constitutionally dubious gun law that millions of cannabis consumers are violating right now.
Abortion's Big Night
Plus: RFK Jr., Wichita's libertarian mayor, Hamas' death toll accuracy, the cult of Erewhon, and more...
Martin Luther King's Lofty Dream Turns 60
Is our country getting closer to living out the true meaning of its creed, "All men are created equal"?
The Government Has Made College an Overpriced Scam
Thankfully, you don't need fancy dining halls or a college degree to have a good life or get a good job.
UVA Dean of Students 'Purposefully Tampered' With Investigations Into Student's Speech, Lawsuit Claims
UVA found "insufficient evidence" to conclude that Morgan Bettinger called protesters "good speed bumps." They punished her anyway.
Free-Range Kids in Virginia, Connecticut, and Illinois Celebrate a Very Special Independence Day
New reasonable childhood independence laws in these states will make it easier for parents to let children enjoy the holiday.
Virginia Wildlife Agents Came Onto His Land and Stole His Camera. Now He's Suing.
Eight weeks ago, a camouflaged game warden came onto Josh Highlander's land, scared his son, and stole his trail camera.
In Virginia, No Degree Is No Problem
The state is the latest of several in recent months that have moved to eliminate college degree requirements for the vast majority of state government jobs.
College Subjected Student to 'Extended Inquisition' Into Her Political Beliefs, Lawyer Claims
Morgan Bettinger might sue the University of Virginia for violating her First Amendment rights.
How an Ill-Informed Internet Mob Ruined a UVA Student's Life
Morgan Bettinger was accused on social media of telling protesters they would make good "speed bumps." It was more than a year before investigations cleared her.
College Debate Team Comes Out Against Debate
James Madison University's debate team says that "free speech should not extend to requiring us to platform or amplify ideas that are exclusionary, discriminatory, or hostile."
The First 'Missing Middle' Reform of the Year Has Passed. Will It Get Housing Built?
Arlington's successful passage of a modest missing middle housing reform bill after an intense debate raises the question of whether YIMBY politics can practically fix the problems it sets out to address.
'All the Parents Want Is a Chance To Make That Choice'
Virginia Lt. Gov. Winsome Earle-Sears wants state education dollars "to follow the child instead of the brick building."
Even After Bodycam Footage Release, Questions Remain Around Alleged Shoplifter Killed by Virginia Police
One officer was fired and another was placed on restricted duty this week, but there are still a lot of unanswered questions.
Arlington, Virginia Enacts "Missing Middle" Zoning Reform
The new policy isn't ideal. But it's an important deregulatory step in the right direction, making it easier to build new housing in response to growing demand.
Police Officers Charged With Murder in 'Smothering' of Virginia Man
"What I saw today was heartbreaking," said the victim's mother. "It was disturbing, it was traumatic. My son was tortured."
Virginia Next for Occupational Licensing Reform
The state will fast-track applicants who have out-of-state credentials or experience.
Virginia Police Shoot and Kill a Man Suspected of Shoplifting Sunglasses
Police have not yet determined whether the suspect was armed at the time of the shooting.
Hulu's 1619 Project Docuseries Peddles False History
The first episode paints an enslaver, plantation master, and Royalist autocrat as a leading and even celebrated agent of emancipation.
Winsome Earle-Sears: School Choice 'Is New Brown v. Board' Fight
Virginia's lieutenant governor wants state education dollars to fund students, not school buildings.
Virginia Is Considering 4 Different School Choice Bills
At least four different bills are before the General Assembly that would empower parents to use education funds in ways they see fit.
How Can Businesses Comply With Virginia's Proposal To Protect Children's Data? The Bill Doesn't Say.
Virginia’s children’s privacy proposal leaves businesses wondering how they can comply.
Youngkin Nixes Ford Electric Vehicle Plant Over Anti-China Paranoia
The factory may have been a bad deal for Virginia, but tying the decision to Chinese aggression is the wrong move.
A Top-Ranked High School Hid National Merit Recognition From Students for Years
Administrators at Thomas Jefferson High School for Science and Technology reportedly hid top academic awards from students to not "hurt" the feelings of their classmates.
Richmond Wants To Limit New Convenience Stores Because There Was a Shooting at an Old One
The Richmond City Council unanimously approved a resolution to study applying tougher zoning restrictions to new shops as a way of cutting down on crime.
Virginia Governor Glenn Youngkin Seeks to Expand Housing by Curbing Zoning
The move is a step in the right direction. It also highlights how the issue cuts across ideological lines.
My New The Hill Article on How Arlington, VA Battle over "Missing Middle" Housing is a Microcosm of Broader National Struggle Against Exclusionary Zoning
Barack Obama could have been referring to our community, when he said that “[t]he most liberal communities in the country aren’t that liberal when it comes to affordable housing.”
Open Virginia's Whiskey Market
Freeing up Virginia’s liquor market is more worthwhile than just busting its whiskey black market.
Don't Weaponize Child Abuse Hotlines Against Your Political Opponents
Too much government authority lends itself to swatting-style abuse.
Libertarian Party Faces State Rebellions
The Libertarian Party's state affiliates in New Mexico and Virginia have broken away amid ideological and procedural turmoil—and the Virginia branch may have dissolved entirely.
Virginia Can't Force Bookstores To Card Kids for Books on Gender and Sexuality
An effort to ban sales of two books to minors ended with a Virginia judge saying that the state’s obscenity statute is “unconstitutional on its face."
Glenn Youngkin Says NIMBY Regulations Are Making Virginia an Impossibly Expensive Place To Live
The governor blamed local restrictions on new development for the state's rapidly rising rents and home prices.
COVID Taught More Than 1 Million Parents the Value of School Choice
Educational freedom is good for everybody but unions, bureaucrats, and the education establishment.
