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Government mandates

Kids line up at an ice cream truck in Manhattan. | Zhukovsky | Dreamstime.com

Government mandates

Brickbat: I Scream, You Scream

Charles Oliver | 8.16.2023 4:00 AM

Joe Biden | Sipa USA/Newscom

Economics

'Bidenomics' Is Nothing New

It's a familiar program. And it will result in higher prices, slower growth, and fewer jobs.

Veronique de Rugy | 7.13.2023 11:00 AM

A group of plants are seen between yellow lines | Illustration: Lex Villena; Fabrice Loyola

Regulation

Progressive Politicians Are Regulating Their Own Projects Into Oblivion

Excessive government interference in the market hurts consumers and thwarts policy goals. It also gets in the way of the government itself.

Veronique de Rugy | 3.30.2023 12:01 AM

Woman wearing mask | Anthony Behar/Sipa USA/Newscom

Mask Mandates

Where Do We Go To Get Our Mask Apology?

Plus: The editors reveal their favorite issues and articles from the Reason magazine catalog.

Matt Welch, Katherine Mangu-Ward, Nick Gillespie, and Emma Camp | 2.27.2023 4:30 PM

Mask mandates | Julian Wan

Mask Mandates

Masks Make 'Little or No Difference' on COVID-19, Flu Rates: New Study

The Cochrane Library's review of masking trials should sound the death knell for mask mandates everywhere.

Robby Soave | 2.7.2023 9:52 AM

Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro | Tom Williams/CQ Roll Call/Newscom

College

Pennsylvania's New Governor Dumps Excessive College Diploma Demands for State Jobs

More leaders should follow in the footsteps of Govs. Josh Shapiro, Larry Hogan, and Spencer Cox.

Scott Shackford | 1.20.2023 3:40 PM

Getting the vaccine | Dreamstime

Coronavirus

Adding the COVID-19 Vaccine to the Childhood Immunization Schedule Is a Mistake

Blue states may require the vaccine after the CDC recommends it, stripping families of a choice that should be theirs.

Robby Soave | 10.24.2022 3:59 PM

Gavin Newsom smirking at press conference | Bob Daemmrich/ZUMAPRESS/Newscom

California

Mandatory Kindergarten Won't Be Coming to California

Citing costs, California Gov. Gavin Newsom struck a victory for parental choice in education.

Addie Mae Villas | 10.5.2022 11:00 AM

Speeding car | H368k742 / Dreamstime.com

Brickbats

Brickbat: No Need for Speed

Charles Oliver | 7.18.2022 4:00 AM

v1 (1) | Dean Musgrove/ZUMAPRESS/Newscom

Government mandates

COVID Revealed America To Be a Nation of Rulers, Not of Laws

Life is returning to "normal" after two years, but that normal includes even fewer limits on executive powers.

Steven Greenhut | 3.25.2022 10:00 AM

erik-reardon-2ZjKLOe7vOI-unsplash | Photo by <a href=%40erikreardon900f.html reardon</a> on <a href=black-business0a0b.html
                data-lazy-src=
unmask_1161x653 | Sebastian Kummer / Dreamstime.com

Masks

California Citizens Get State's Blessing To Start Unmasking Soon

But not so fast, Angelenos. No return to normal for you.

Scott Shackford | 2.8.2022 12:00 PM

polspphotos867023 |  Andrea Renault/Polaris/Newscom

Mask Mandates

New York State Supreme Court Judge Strikes Down Statewide Mask Mandate

The New York State Supreme Court ruled that Governor Hochul and the health commissioner did not have the authority to mandate a masking requirement

Corey Walker | 1.25.2022 4:55 PM

Screen Shot 2022-01-19 at 1.34.08 PM | Stossel TV

Coronavirus

Florida's COVID Policies Defied the Media's Narrative

Ron DeSantis killed people because Florida didn't impose tougher rules, we're told. But it's not true.

John Stossel | 1.20.2022 7:00 AM

covphotos194213 | Yuri Gripas/POOL via CNP/INSTARimages/Cover Images/Newscom

Coronavirus

Against Faucism

The White House COVID-19 advisor and his ilk admit they will never let some mitigation measures expire.

Robby Soave | 12.20.2021 4:04 PM

reason-bowser | Lenin Nolly/Sipa USA/Newscom

Mask Mandates

D.C. Ends Brief Experiment With Letting People Make Their Own Choices About Masks

On Monday, Mayor Muriel Bowser announced that the city would be reimposing a mask mandate for all indoor public spaces in the District of Columbia.

Christian Britschgi | 12.20.2021 2:45 PM

naturalgasdreamstime | Kellydt | Dreamstime.com

New York City

NYC Declares War on Gas Stoves

The city is banning gas appliances in new housing.

Ronald Bailey | 12.17.2021 2:06 PM

sipaphotostwelve183007 |  CreditBrian Feinzimer/Sipa USA/Newscom

Reason Roundup

California Reinstates Mask Mandate as Omicron Panic Devours Team Blue

Plus: Trump's family members and cable news supporters pleaded with him to stop the January 6 riot, the D.C. metro needs a reckoning, and more...

Robby Soave | 12.14.2021 9:30 AM

evcharger_1161x653 | Warut Sintapanon / Dreamstime.com

Brickbats

Brickbat: Electrifying News

Charles Oliver | 11.30.2021 4:00 AM

zumaglobaleleven255661 | Lenin Nolly/ZUMAPRESS/Newscom

Coronavirus

Washington Mayor Muriel Bowser Will Finally Relax D.C.'s Stubborn Mask Mandate

Unlike in neighboring counties, D.C.'s mandate was never tied to specific metrics.

Robby Soave | 11.16.2021 1:37 PM

spnphotosten487622 | Tasos Katopodis / Pool via CNP / SplashNews/Newscom

Coronavirus

President Biden Doesn't Follow D.C.'s Absurd Mask Rules for Restaurants

End the mask mandates now.

Robby Soave | 10.18.2021 1:05 PM

vaccinecard_1161x653 | Michael Vi / Dreamstime.com

Vaccine mandates

Los Angeles Orders Local Businesses To Serve as Vaccination Enforcers

The fines for failure fall not on the unvaccinated, but the people serving them.

Scott Shackford | 10.7.2021 12:35 PM

dreamstime_l_145757683 | https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H03Ds3GNaBo

Government mandates

San Francisco Mayor London Breed Is Right: It's Crazy To Force Vaccinated Patrons To Mask Inside Bars!

While justifying why she defied her own indoor mask mandate, San Francisco's mayor unintentionally hit the nail on the head.

Liz Wolfe | 9.20.2021 4:20 PM

edwin-hooper-Q8m8cLkryeo-unsplash-3 | Edwin Hooper on Unsplash

Coronavirus

Learning To Live With Coronavirus

How the past two years of COVID-19 can better inform how we go about the next two

Katherine Mangu-Ward, Nick Gillespie, Peter Suderman, and Matt Welch | 8.30.2021 3:50 PM

ppaphotos624669 | Ryan Rahman/ Pacific Press/Newscom

Coronavirus

'Do I Look Like the COVID Police?'

Business owners in the Bronx respond to New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio’s vaccine passport mandate.

Liz Wolfe | 8.30.2021 10:15 AM

engin-akyurt-6_AtIfB4wEw-unsplash | engin akyurt / unsplash

Coronavirus

Oregon Will Require People To Wear Masks Outdoors Even if They're Vaccinated

The government "strongly recommends" masking at private outdoor gatherings as well.

Robby Soave | 8.24.2021 5:20 PM

maskedstudents_1161x653 | Syda Productions / Dreamstime.com

Brickbats

Brickbat: School Daze

Charles Oliver | 8.20.2021 4:00 AM

IMG_1207 | Liz Wolfe

New York City

When De Blasio's Vaccination Passport Plan Went Into Effect Yesterday, One-Quarter of Adult New Yorkers Were Barred From Going Out

Going out in Manhattan the first night patrons were required to prove their vaccination status

Liz Wolfe | 8.18.2021 5:05 PM

dreamstime_m_218219318 | D 218219318 © Jj Gouin | Dreamstime.com

Coronavirus

A Black Market in COVID-19 Vaccination Cards Was Inevitable

Mandates, instead of incentives, were always going to drive people away.

J.D. Tuccille | 8.11.2021 7:00 AM

kansascovid | Peter Kováč | Dreamstime.com

Coronavirus

Masks Have Helped To Blunt the COVID-19 Pandemic in Kansas

There's more evidence that community use of facial coverings is an effective tool for curbing COVID-19 transmission.

Ronald Bailey | 11.25.2020 4:35 PM

MasksNewscom | Salvatore Laporta/ZUMAPRESS/Newscom

Coronavirus

Masks Not Very Effective at Protecting Wearers, Says New Danish Study

But masks are still likely to prevent infected people from transmitting the virus.

Ronald Bailey | 11.18.2020 4:25 PM

topicslifestyle | pseudodaemon/iStock

Lifestyle

A Plague of Pandemic Restrictions Builds Herd Immunity to Arbitrary Rules 

Expect widespread cynicism toward official dictates to linger after the virus is history.

J.D. Tuccille | 10.21.2020 6:00 AM

Racine Wisconsin Walmart greeter tells customers about mask policy | Mark Hertzberg/ZUMA Press/Newscom

Reason Roundup

Emergency Coronavirus Orders Upheld in Wisconsin, Rejected in Michigan

Plus: Pandemic brings rise in electronic ankle monitoring, a court rules on stimulus checks for incarcerated people, and more...

Elizabeth Nolan Brown | 10.13.2020 9:30 AM

gavinnewsom_1161x653 | Daniel Kim/ZUMA Press/Newscom

Electric cars

Newsom Attempts To Mandate Full Transition to Electric Cars by 2035

Maybe California will figure out how to keep the lights on by then.

Scott Shackford | 9.24.2020 2:40 PM

sfphotosthree429951 | Alex Edelman/SIPA/Newscom

Election 2020

Trump Wants More Stimulus Spending. Biden Wants a National Mask Mandate. Both Are Wrong.

Is it too much to ask for a presidential candidate who cares about America's fiscal health and respects the limits of his office?

Eric Boehm | 9.18.2020 10:00 AM

maskcomputer_1161x653 | Fabio Iozzino / Dreamstime.com

Brickbats

Brickbat: Who Was That Masked Man?

Charles Oliver | 8.21.2020 4:00 AM

Bill de Blasio | Pacific Press/Sipa USA/Newscom

Coronavirus

From Drafting Doctors to Stealing Equipment, Politicians Violate the Limits of a Free Society

A pandemic becomes an excuse for treating people as playing pieces in a game.

J.D. Tuccille | 4.6.2020 11:20 AM

upiphotostwo733170 | RICHARD ELLIS/UPI/Newscom

Voting

Mandatory Voting Will Build Resentment, Not Democracy

Fining non-voters would show that government is all about forcing people to do things just to make politicians happy.

J.D. Tuccille | 3.2.2020 12:00 PM

Seriously, if you told me this was Will Ferrell wearing a bald cap, I'd believe you. | Jeff Topping/Polaris/Newscom

National Service

Presidential Candidate John Delaney Has a Plan for America's Young Adults. It's Called Forced Labor.

The only way mandatory national service would "unify" the teens of America would be to cause them to loathe the government together.

Scott Shackford | 7.29.2019 1:10 PM

StartScreen

Paid Leave

Stossel: The Paid Leave Fairy Tale

Why mandated paid family leave is bad for business and bad for most women.

John Stossel and Tanvir Toy | 6.4.2019 10:00 AM

Large image on homepages | AzFree/iStock

Science

Renewable Energy Mandates Are Making Poor People Poorer

Ronald Bailey | 5.28.2018 6:00 AM

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