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When flavored vapes were banned in parts of Canada, cigarette sales jumped nearly 10%.
This is a life-or-death shift. People who had moved to safer alternatives went back to smoking, the leading cause of preventable death.
Well-meaning laws can still cause harm.
This is a life-or-death shift. People who had moved to safer alternatives went back to smoking, the leading cause of preventable death.
Well-meaning laws can still cause harm.
Canada banned flavored vapes. Cigarette sales surged.
Policymakers should reconsider flavor restrictions in light of mounting evidence that such policies generate unintended consequences that undermine public health.
reason.org
January 20, 2026 at 11:16 PM
When flavored vapes were banned in parts of Canada, cigarette sales jumped nearly 10%.
This is a life-or-death shift. People who had moved to safer alternatives went back to smoking, the leading cause of preventable death.
Well-meaning laws can still cause harm.
This is a life-or-death shift. People who had moved to safer alternatives went back to smoking, the leading cause of preventable death.
Well-meaning laws can still cause harm.
California passed 16 new tech laws in 2025. While the state regulates aggressively, many of these measures are narrower than past efforts. And because California’s market sets the standard, its transparency, privacy, and AI rules are likely to shape tech nationwide—not just in the state.
Recapping California's 2025 tech policy bills
California’s market size often makes compliance with its laws a national default, so the impact of these new tech laws is likely to extend well beyond the state’s borders.
reason.org
January 16, 2026 at 11:23 PM
California passed 16 new tech laws in 2025. While the state regulates aggressively, many of these measures are narrower than past efforts. And because California’s market sets the standard, its transparency, privacy, and AI rules are likely to shape tech nationwide—not just in the state.
When housing gets expensive, it’s tempting to blame easy targets like Airbnb. But bans won’t solve what’s actually hurting people: regulations that prevent us from building enough homes. When housing supply is constrained, each new wave of demand pushes prices higher.
Blaming short-term rentals won’t solve the housing crisis
Blaming and banning short-term rental platforms for high housing costs ignores the history of laws that have contributed to the current problem.
reason.org
January 12, 2026 at 8:53 PM
When housing gets expensive, it’s tempting to blame easy targets like Airbnb. But bans won’t solve what’s actually hurting people: regulations that prevent us from building enough homes. When housing supply is constrained, each new wave of demand pushes prices higher.
The path to better public schools is clear: schools need to spend money in ways that improve student outcomes, be held accountable for results, and give parents greater say and choice. That’s how we ensure every child has access to a high-quality education, no matter where they live.
How to rethink unions, resource allocation, and school choice in American education
The current landscape of K-12 public education in the United States is at an inflection point.
reason.org
January 10, 2026 at 9:36 PM
The path to better public schools is clear: schools need to spend money in ways that improve student outcomes, be held accountable for results, and give parents greater say and choice. That’s how we ensure every child has access to a high-quality education, no matter where they live.
Well-designed pension reform is essential to safeguarding public services, protecting taxpayers, and ensuring sustainable retirement security for workers.
Pension reform does not increase inequality
Well-designed pension reform is essential to safeguarding public services, protecting taxpayers, and ensuring sustainable retirement security.
reason.org
January 10, 2026 at 6:02 PM
Well-designed pension reform is essential to safeguarding public services, protecting taxpayers, and ensuring sustainable retirement security for workers.
K–12 education in America is at an inflection point. Student outcomes have stagnated. Our research shows: it’s not just what we spend, but how we spend and whether families are empowered with real choices
Read the full research here:
Read the full research here:
Staffing surges and student outcomes: Rethinking unions, resource allocation, and school choice in American education
Despite declining student enrollment in many U.S. school districts, K-12 education spending and staffing have grown substantially over the past two decades.
reason.org
January 10, 2026 at 12:44 AM
K–12 education in America is at an inflection point. Student outcomes have stagnated. Our research shows: it’s not just what we spend, but how we spend and whether families are empowered with real choices
Read the full research here:
Read the full research here:
A Michigan cannabis lawsuit shows how federal marijuana law can be used to avoid paying small suppliers—even when businesses follow state law. Without clear rules from Congress, states with legal marijuana markets face significant market instability.
Cannabusiness lawsuit highlights need for Congress to clarify federal treatment of marijuana
Without reform, lawsuits like this may force federal courts toward decisions that destabilize existing state markets or that effectively go around Congress.
reason.org
January 9, 2026 at 11:23 PM
A Michigan cannabis lawsuit shows how federal marijuana law can be used to avoid paying small suppliers—even when businesses follow state law. Without clear rules from Congress, states with legal marijuana markets face significant market instability.
Housing affordability is largely a supply problem driven by restrictive land-use rules. The housing section of the Annual Privatization Report examines how regulations and zoning laws limit new housing construction and why enabling more housing is key to improving affordability.
Annual Privatization Report 2025: Housing - Reason Foundation
Enabling more housing construction is essential to addressing housing affordability challenges across the country.
reason.org
January 7, 2026 at 12:48 AM
Housing affordability is largely a supply problem driven by restrictive land-use rules. The housing section of the Annual Privatization Report examines how regulations and zoning laws limit new housing construction and why enabling more housing is key to improving affordability.
New Hampshire lawmakers are considering a bill to expand open enrollment, allowing more public school students to choose and transfer to schools with open seats.
An analysis of school funding under New Hampshire’s open enrollment proposal
New Hampshire lawmakers are considering House Bill 741, legislation that would strengthen the state’s public school open enrollment law.
reason.org
January 6, 2026 at 11:16 PM
New Hampshire lawmakers are considering a bill to expand open enrollment, allowing more public school students to choose and transfer to schools with open seats.
This month’s Surface Transportation News looks at what’s changing in U.S. transportation, from the rise of priced managed lanes to new bipartisan NEPA reform, plus fresh insights on congestion, EVs, and infrastructure policy. ⬇️
Surface Transportation News: Priced managed lanes come of age - Reason Foundation
Plus: Conflicting measures of U.S. traffic congestion, bipartisan NEPA reform passed in Congress, and more.
reason.org
January 6, 2026 at 6:09 PM
This month’s Surface Transportation News looks at what’s changing in U.S. transportation, from the rise of priced managed lanes to new bipartisan NEPA reform, plus fresh insights on congestion, EVs, and infrastructure policy. ⬇️
California just took a new approach to kids’ online safety—using encrypted age signals instead of forcing families to upload IDs.
It’s a positive step for privacy, but it would work better if parents could choose to opt in, keeping California families in control of their children’s digital lives.
It’s a positive step for privacy, but it would work better if parents could choose to opt in, keeping California families in control of their children’s digital lives.
Examining California’s Digital Age Assurance Act
California’s Assembly Bill 1043 represents a meaningful advancement in the national debate on age verification.
reason.org
January 6, 2026 at 1:55 AM
California just took a new approach to kids’ online safety—using encrypted age signals instead of forcing families to upload IDs.
It’s a positive step for privacy, but it would work better if parents could choose to opt in, keeping California families in control of their children’s digital lives.
It’s a positive step for privacy, but it would work better if parents could choose to opt in, keeping California families in control of their children’s digital lives.
Louisiana Gov. Jeff Landry should give as much attention to the state’s public pension debt as he has to LSU football.
Gov. Landry should give as much attention to Louisiana’s pension crisis as he does to college football
The greatest test of fiscal leadership is not found on the football field—it is found in the balance sheet of the state’s multi-billion dollar public pension systems.
reason.org
January 5, 2026 at 11:43 PM
Louisiana Gov. Jeff Landry should give as much attention to the state’s public pension debt as he has to LSU football.
Housing instability is often mistaken for parental failure, pulling families into the child welfare system even without abuse. A harm reduction approach shows that stabilizing housing, not removing children, better protects families and reduces long-term costs.
Housing instability is driving child welfare involvement
To improve child safety outcomes, eviction and homelessness should not be treated as proxies for parental failure.
reason.org
January 2, 2026 at 11:23 PM
Housing instability is often mistaken for parental failure, pulling families into the child welfare system even without abuse. A harm reduction approach shows that stabilizing housing, not removing children, better protects families and reduces long-term costs.
Rationing menstrual products in jails and prisons turns a basic biological need into a preventable health risk. Providing adequate menstrual care costs far less than the medical harm, human degradation, and public expense created by denial.
The real cost of rationing menstrual products in jails and prisons
When the state takes control of people, it has an obligation to ensure that it is preventing serious health issues and other avoidable harms.
reason.org
January 1, 2026 at 2:24 AM
Rationing menstrual products in jails and prisons turns a basic biological need into a preventable health risk. Providing adequate menstrual care costs far less than the medical harm, human degradation, and public expense created by denial.
The FDA seized 7-OH kratom products despite little evidence they are dangerous and strong evidence they may help people manage pain and overcome opioid addiction. At a time when more treatment options are urgently needed, the agency’s action prioritizes regulatory control over harm-reduction tools.
What is 7-OH and why did the FDA seize this potentially life-saving substance?
There’s no real basis to conclude that the products are dangerous. In fact, there’s far more evidence that they may help people overcome opioid addiction.
reason.org
January 1, 2026 at 12:13 AM
The FDA seized 7-OH kratom products despite little evidence they are dangerous and strong evidence they may help people manage pain and overcome opioid addiction. At a time when more treatment options are urgently needed, the agency’s action prioritizes regulatory control over harm-reduction tools.
When the state takes control of people, it has an obligation to ensure that it is preventing serious health issues and other avoidable harms.
The real cost of rationing menstrual products in jails and prisons
When the state takes control of people, it has an obligation to ensure that it is preventing serious health issues and other avoidable harms.
reason.org
December 29, 2025 at 10:12 PM
When the state takes control of people, it has an obligation to ensure that it is preventing serious health issues and other avoidable harms.
With broad bipartisan support and a growing track record of success, open enrollment is one of the most achievable, family-friendly education reforms in America. Since 2021, states have steadily improved these laws, and in 2025, three states passed major reforms.
Examining the K-12 open enrollment laws passed in 2025
Three states—Arkansas, Nevada, and New Hampshire–significantly improved their open enrollment policies this year.
reason.org
December 24, 2025 at 12:48 AM
With broad bipartisan support and a growing track record of success, open enrollment is one of the most achievable, family-friendly education reforms in America. Since 2021, states have steadily improved these laws, and in 2025, three states passed major reforms.
This edition of Reason Foundation’s Pension Reform Newsletter examines how political pressures, rising pension debt, and deferred reforms continue to strain public finances. ⬇️
Pension Reform News: The political push for Connecticut's pensions to invest in the WNBA - Reason Foundation
Plus: San Diego pension debt drives taxes and fees on residents, pensions are a major contributor to state and local government debt, and more.
reason.org
December 23, 2025 at 11:16 PM
This edition of Reason Foundation’s Pension Reform Newsletter examines how political pressures, rising pension debt, and deferred reforms continue to strain public finances. ⬇️
Congress is weighing a bill that would force Apple and Google to open their app stores to outside stores and payment systems. While meant to boost competition, it would weaken security and make phones less safe for users. Europe’s experience shows these changes bring risks without clear benefits.
U.S. law shouldn't copy Europe's app store regulation
The App Store Freedom Act would undermine security features and complicate the user experiences of hundreds of millions of consumers.
reason.org
December 23, 2025 at 1:55 AM
Congress is weighing a bill that would force Apple and Google to open their app stores to outside stores and payment systems. While meant to boost competition, it would weaken security and make phones less safe for users. Europe’s experience shows these changes bring risks without clear benefits.
A new Ohio ruling bans Kratom for 180 days. This will push the market underground, eliminate safe access for adults, and criminalize consumers across the state. Far from addressing legitimate safety concerns, the rule is likely to create new and more severe ones.
Ohio’s reckless kratom ban could create new public safety concerns and grow the illegal market
By banning nearly every kratom product, save for unprocessed leaf kratom, the state has functionally outlawed the entire consumer market.
reason.org
December 22, 2025 at 11:43 PM
A new Ohio ruling bans Kratom for 180 days. This will push the market underground, eliminate safe access for adults, and criminalize consumers across the state. Far from addressing legitimate safety concerns, the rule is likely to create new and more severe ones.
By comparing performance data for rail and bus routes across the county, our new transportation study highlights the need to take a hard look at how Amtrak is structured and subsidized.
Evaluating Amtrak and intercity bus performance for smarter federal investment - Reason Foundation
Six of the eight Amtrak routes examined are losing more than $100 per passenger.
reason.org
December 20, 2025 at 6:02 PM
By comparing performance data for rail and bus routes across the county, our new transportation study highlights the need to take a hard look at how Amtrak is structured and subsidized.
A new Reason Foundation study compares Amtrak and intercity buses across eight major travel corridors, examining prices, travel times, reliability, and subsidies. On average, Amtrak requires taxpayer subsidies of $109.85 per passenger, while most bus routes receive little or no public funding.
Comparing Amtrak and bus service in key corridors - Reason Foundation
The average per-passenger subsidy on the eight Amtrak routes examined in this study was $109.85 per rider.
reason.org
December 19, 2025 at 8:15 PM
A new Reason Foundation study compares Amtrak and intercity buses across eight major travel corridors, examining prices, travel times, reliability, and subsidies. On average, Amtrak requires taxpayer subsidies of $109.85 per passenger, while most bus routes receive little or no public funding.
Washington is doubling down on a tax policy that ignores the science of harm reduction.
By slapping a 95% tax on nicotine pouches, products that do not carry the same health risks as smoking, the state risks pushing people back toward cigarettes, the far more dangerous option.
By slapping a 95% tax on nicotine pouches, products that do not carry the same health risks as smoking, the state risks pushing people back toward cigarettes, the far more dangerous option.
Punishing safer nicotine alternatives backfires on public health
Taxing products equally, despite their unequal risks, is the exact opposite of desirable fiscal and public health policy.
reason.org
December 19, 2025 at 1:19 AM
Washington is doubling down on a tax policy that ignores the science of harm reduction.
By slapping a 95% tax on nicotine pouches, products that do not carry the same health risks as smoking, the state risks pushing people back toward cigarettes, the far more dangerous option.
By slapping a 95% tax on nicotine pouches, products that do not carry the same health risks as smoking, the state risks pushing people back toward cigarettes, the far more dangerous option.
This edition of our psychedelics policy newsletter highlights new evidence from Oregon’s legal market on the positive benefits of psilocybin and Reason Foundation’s series of ibogaine educational materials.
Psychedelics Policy Newsletter: New real-world psilocybin study, ibogaine educational materials, and more
Plus: A real-world study on mental health outcomes from Oregon, providing educational ibogaine documents to lawmakers, and more.
reason.org
December 19, 2025 at 12:36 AM
This edition of our psychedelics policy newsletter highlights new evidence from Oregon’s legal market on the positive benefits of psilocybin and Reason Foundation’s series of ibogaine educational materials.
As more families choose learning options beyond traditional district schools, transportation systems struggle to keep up. In this issue of Funding Education Opportunity, Jude Schwalbach explores how states can modernize school transportation and why it matters for student success.
Funding Education Opportunity: School buses and changing transportation needs
Plus: Texas finalizes rules for new private school choice program, and states opt into federal tax-credit scholarship program.
reason.org
December 18, 2025 at 12:13 AM
As more families choose learning options beyond traditional district schools, transportation systems struggle to keep up. In this issue of Funding Education Opportunity, Jude Schwalbach explores how states can modernize school transportation and why it matters for student success.