State Governments
Brickbat: Hearty Appetite
In Madera County, California, federal authorities arrested former welfare benefits worker Leticia Mariscal for using her position to steal food assistance funds. Prosecutors say Mariscal accessed county databases through her…
The Minnesota fraud scandal is just the tip of the iceberg
Growing national outrage over Minnesota's welfare fraud is justified, but not because of where it took place or because it implicates members of any immigrant community. It's much more than a "Minnesota"…
The Minnesota welfare fraud story is really about Medicaid’s broken system
A sprawling welfare scheme that saw fraudsters steal over $9 billion in Minnesota is a damning indictment of a federal and state bureaucracy that failed at some of its most basic responsibilities to taxpayers. That fraud is…
MAHA movement mandates labels on seed oils and other food ingredients
Burdensome food labeling mandates were once the province of Democrats, who pushed for calorie count requirements on restaurant menus and insisted packaged food must feature warnings about genetically modified ingredients and…
Trump’s executive order on AI tries to override state regulations
President Donald Trump announced his executive order, "ensuring a national policy framework for artificial intelligence," on Thursday. While the order self-admittedly does not create a national regulatory framework…
Why small housing reforms matter just as much as big ones
Happy Tuesday, and welcome to another edition of Rent Free. Looking back over the stories this newsletter has covered over this past year, much of the focus has been on bigger-swing reforms aimed at meaningfully increasing…
Will Spanberger back Virginia Democrats’ right-to-work repeal?
Given its proximity to Washington, D.C., Virginia has long had a reputation for its off-year elections swinging to whatever political party does not control the White House. After four years of Republican Gov. Glenn…
Texas governor strips two Muslim groups of the right to buy land in the state by calling them terrorists
For years, Americans have complained about watch lists that subject people to extra scrutiny and harassment—sometimes making air travel impossible—without due process. FBI agents were caught adding people to the no-fly list…
Why a patchwork of state AI regulations could threaten U.S. innovation
Artificial intelligence is advancing rapidly in the United States, but one thing threatens the industry's growth: state regulations. In July 2025, 38 states passed about 100 AI measures, according to the National…
Did Wisconsin AG Undermine His Alternate Electors Case?
Wisconsin Attorney General Josh Kaul’s office twice asserted that a slate of alternate electors contesting the 2020 election was legal before bringing criminal charges on the matter in the heat of a presidential election in…
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