We're a free market think tank advancing real solutions to complex policy problems. We work on tech, cybersecurity, clean energy, justice, occupational licensing, flood insurance, and more. Book our experts/media: PR@rstreet.org See our work: rstreet.orghttps://bsky.app/profile/rstreet.bsky.socialhttps://bsky.app/profile/rstreet.bsky.social/post/3kjsoh47ysk2n"[The bill] would prevent professional licensing boards from denying licensing applications based on applicants’ unrelated criminal records or vague character standards." https://www.times-herald.com/opinion/georgia-criminal-justice-reforms-languish-near-finish-line/article_9a0d65fa-b949-11ee-8a71-978dc5878914.html#:~:text=Two%20common%20sense%20pieces%20of,these%20off%20just%20yet%2C%20though25 Jan 2024 13:24 +0000at://did:plc:5mwnd4renqcvf522cixqq42e/app.bsky.feed.post/3kjsoh47ysk2nhttps://bsky.app/profile/rstreet.bsky.social/post/3kjqz72u4n22wJust 6 commodities—corn, soy, wheat, cotton, peanuts, rice—account for 94% of FCIP support. Many of these are not used to provide affordable nutrition but are heavily processed into the fillers and sugars that are likely a large part of people’s health problems https://www.washingtonexaminer.com/opinion/2803351/government-must-stop-subsidizing-unhealthy-foods/24 Jan 2024 21:31 +0000at://did:plc:5mwnd4renqcvf522cixqq42e/app.bsky.feed.post/3kjqz72u4n22whttps://bsky.app/profile/rstreet.bsky.social/post/3kjobaodjbh2o"Had the internet, personal computing, or e-commerce been burdened with such a contradictory and costly patchwork of technocratic state and local policies, it is unlikely the U.S. would have become the global leader in digital technology" @adamthierer.bsky.social https://thehill.com/opinion/4420144-state-and-local-meddling-threatens-to-undermine-the-ai-revolution/23 Jan 2024 19:17 +0000at://did:plc:5mwnd4renqcvf522cixqq42e/app.bsky.feed.post/3kjobaodjbh2ohttps://bsky.app/profile/rstreet.bsky.social/post/3kjo2zqmywg2kRather than codifying unfounded fears about on-the-job fentanyl exposure, legislators and departmental decision-makers should promote science-based education and provide practical training. https://www.rstreet.org/commentary/floridas-bad-samaritan-bill-wont-protect-first-responders-but-it-will-endanger-overdose-victims/23 Jan 2024 17:26 +0000at://did:plc:5mwnd4renqcvf522cixqq42e/app.bsky.feed.post/3kjo2zqmywg2khttps://bsky.app/profile/rstreet.bsky.social/post/3kjnrgr5ug32g"The inaccurate narratives that underpin FL SB 718 have unfortunately driven very real fears and misunderstandings about safety among first responders." https://www.rstreet.org/commentary/floridas-bad-samaritan-bill-wont-protect-first-responders-but-it-will-endanger-overdose-victims/23 Jan 2024 14:34 +0000at://did:plc:5mwnd4renqcvf522cixqq42e/app.bsky.feed.post/3kjnrgr5ug32ghttps://bsky.app/profile/rstreet.bsky.social/post/3kjlzzq323t2g"Georgia law prevents a host of people from working in their preferred profession, but lawmakers should remember that 'Having a job [...] has been shown to reduce recidivism.'" https://www.times-herald.com/opinion/georgia-criminal-justice-reforms-languish-near-finish-line/article_9a0d65fa-b949-11ee-8a71-978dc5878914.html#:~:text=Two%20common%20sense%20pieces%20of,these%20off%20just%20yet%2C%20though22 Jan 2024 22:03 +0000at://did:plc:5mwnd4renqcvf522cixqq42e/app.bsky.feed.post/3kjlzzq323t2ghttps://bsky.app/profile/rstreet.bsky.social/post/3kjlmtbftws22"The inaccurate narratives that underpin FL SB 718 have unfortunately driven very real fears and misunderstandings about safety among first responders." https://www.rstreet.org/commentary/floridas-bad-samaritan-bill-wont-protect-first-responders-but-it-will-endanger-overdose-victims/22 Jan 2024 18:07 +0000at://did:plc:5mwnd4renqcvf522cixqq42e/app.bsky.feed.post/3kjlmtbftws22https://bsky.app/profile/rstreet.bsky.social/post/3kjl37dxzcn2wAmericans get 60% to 90% of their calories from highly processed foods and drinks https://www.washingtonexaminer.com/opinion/2803351/government-must-stop-subsidizing-unhealthy-foods/22 Jan 2024 12:51 +0000at://did:plc:5mwnd4renqcvf522cixqq42e/app.bsky.feed.post/3kjl37dxzcn2whttps://bsky.app/profile/rstreet.bsky.social/post/3kipo5i7nek2oCongrats to R Street friend @benjaminwittes.bsky.social! https://www.dogshirtdaily.com/p/to-mock-power-which-seems-omnipotent?utm_source=post-email-title&publication_id=1190156&post_id=140534492&utm_campaign=email-post-title&isFreemail=false&r=2pxw7&utm_medium=email11 Jan 2024 15:16 +0000at://did:plc:5mwnd4renqcvf522cixqq42e/app.bsky.feed.post/3kipo5i7nek2ohttps://bsky.app/profile/rstreet.bsky.social/post/3kglpkbvn3x27By eliminating solitary confinement for juveniles in all but the most extreme cases, Pennsylvania has the chance to end what many psychologists have come to regard as a form of torture https://www.rstreet.org/commentary/pennsylvanias-juvenile-justice-reform-moment-is-here15 Dec 2023 14:40 +0000at://did:plc:5mwnd4renqcvf522cixqq42e/app.bsky.feed.post/3kglpkbvn3x27https://bsky.app/profile/rstreet.bsky.social/post/3kgj2xvcxec2h"When it was discovered that many of these solar panels were made with slave labor and ought not to be imported, officials have slow-walked or skirted such restrictions since it would be harder to meet their "'clean energy objectives.'" https://realclearwire.com/articles/2023/11/01/policies_meant_to_address_climate_change_can_worsen_human_suffering_989985.html14 Dec 2023 13:26 +0000at://did:plc:5mwnd4renqcvf522cixqq42e/app.bsky.feed.post/3kgj2xvcxec2hhttps://bsky.app/profile/rstreet.bsky.social/post/3kggkz32ju324"Restorative justice alternatives reduce negative emotions and feelings of hopelessness among victims, improve participant self-esteem, reduce recidivism and save taxpayers’ money." https://www.rstreet.org/commentary/spotlight-on-criminal-justice-observing-national-restorative-justice-month-november/13 Dec 2023 13:35 +0000at://did:plc:5mwnd4renqcvf522cixqq42e/app.bsky.feed.post/3kggkz32ju324https://bsky.app/profile/rstreet.bsky.social/post/3kgeywteb2d2s"Florida tops lists with more than 20 percent of drivers uninsured, compared to the national average of about 12 percent." https://www.rstreet.org/commentary/pip-lawsuit-abuse-and-the-uninsured-why-your-florida-auto-insurance-is-out-of-control/12 Dec 2023 22:39 +0000at://did:plc:5mwnd4renqcvf522cixqq42e/app.bsky.feed.post/3kgeywteb2d2shttps://bsky.app/profile/rstreet.bsky.social/post/3kgdzltmrsi2a"Policymakers rarely want to reckon with what that might look like or be forced to admit that sometimes their policies got it wrong and made problems worse." https://realclearwire.com/articles/2023/11/01/policies_meant_to_address_climate_change_can_worsen_human_suffering_989985.html12 Dec 2023 13:18 +0000at://did:plc:5mwnd4renqcvf522cixqq42e/app.bsky.feed.post/3kgdzltmrsi2ahttps://bsky.app/profile/rstreet.bsky.social/post/3kgcga5scyn2z"For years, Florida has topped lists of states with the highest auto insurance rates in the nation, averaging about $2,500 a year for full coverage. Ohio has the lowest rates at about $1,000 annually" https://www.rstreet.org/commentary/pip-lawsuit-abuse-and-the-uninsured-why-your-florida-auto-insurance-is-out-of-control/11 Dec 2023 21:59 +0000at://did:plc:5mwnd4renqcvf522cixqq42e/app.bsky.feed.post/3kgcga5scyn2zhttps://bsky.app/profile/rstreet.bsky.social/post/3kgbhvc5ucu2uReclaim AI would be liable if it moves meetings for terrorists on a calendar even if they don't know they're moving meetings for terrorists @senatorshoshana.bsky.social https://www.rstreet.org/commentary/10-of-your-favorite-tools-that-the-blumenthal-hawley-ai-bill-would-destroy/11 Dec 2023 12:56 +0000at://did:plc:5mwnd4renqcvf522cixqq42e/app.bsky.feed.post/3kgbhvc5ucu2uhttps://bsky.app/profile/rstreet.bsky.social/post/3kg2qopn6ad2t10 of your favorite tools that the Blumenthal-Hawley AI bill would destroy @senatorshoshana.bsky.social https://www.rstreet.org/commentary/10-of-your-favorite-tools-that-the-blumenthal-hawley-ai-bill-would-destroy/08 Dec 2023 20:45 +0000at://did:plc:5mwnd4renqcvf522cixqq42e/app.bsky.feed.post/3kg2qopn6ad2thttps://bsky.app/profile/rstreet.bsky.social/post/3kfzwykr37t2m"The backlog is staggering; over 2,000 GW of capacity sits in interconnection queues currently, exceeding the installed capacity of the entire domestic generation fleet." https://www.rstreet.org/commentary/finishing-generator-interconnection-reform/08 Dec 2023 13:05 +0000at://did:plc:5mwnd4renqcvf522cixqq42e/app.bsky.feed.post/3kfzwykr37t2mhttps://bsky.app/profile/rstreet.bsky.social/post/3kfye5z3yn42r"One study found that the propensity to re-offend was reduced by 32 percent after participating in a restorative justice program." https://www.rstreet.org/commentary/spotlight-on-criminal-justice-observing-national-restorative-justice-month-november/07 Dec 2023 21:55 +0000at://did:plc:5mwnd4renqcvf522cixqq42e/app.bsky.feed.post/3kfye5z3yn42rhttps://bsky.app/profile/rstreet.bsky.social/post/3kfxjac6msv2l🎧 "The good news is youth use has been declining since 2019 when it had peaked." — Mazen Saleh https://www.rstreet.org/commentary/red-tape-podcast-episode-3-ban-it-all/07 Dec 2023 13:53 +0000at://did:plc:5mwnd4renqcvf522cixqq42e/app.bsky.feed.post/3kfxjac6msv2lhttps://bsky.app/profile/rstreet.bsky.social/post/3kfvkjhg2bd23"Project completion rates in the interconnection queue and the reliability value assigned to generator capacity vary by fuel type. Accounting for these, PJM’s firm generation capacity queue backlog is 69 percent renewables and 31 percent natural gas." https://www.rstreet.org/commentary/finishing-generator-interconnection-reform/06 Dec 2023 19:11 +0000at://did:plc:5mwnd4renqcvf522cixqq42e/app.bsky.feed.post/3kfvkjhg2bd23https://bsky.app/profile/rstreet.bsky.social/post/3kfv2nzxprk2y"The average wait time in interconnection queues doubled from two to four years between the 2000s and 2010s. A typical generation project in 2022 spent five years waiting for interconnection approval, and the trend is worsening." https://www.rstreet.org/commentary/finishing-generator-interconnection-reform/06 Dec 2023 14:27 +0000at://did:plc:5mwnd4renqcvf522cixqq42e/app.bsky.feed.post/3kfv2nzxprk2yhttps://bsky.app/profile/rstreet.bsky.social/post/3kftdiyziht2b"Project completion rates in the interconnection queue and the reliability value assigned to generator capacity vary by fuel type. Accounting for these, PJM’s firm generation capacity queue backlog is 69 percent renewables and 31 percent natural gas." https://www.rstreet.org/commentary/finishing-generator-interconnection-reform/05 Dec 2023 22:00 +0000at://did:plc:5mwnd4renqcvf522cixqq42e/app.bsky.feed.post/3kftdiyziht2bhttps://bsky.app/profile/rstreet.bsky.social/post/3kfsxs6ufw22i"The term 'restorative justice' was coined in 1977 by Albert Eglash, who believed perpetrators gain a renewed sense of self-respect by admitting wrongdoing, apologizing, repairing the harm and creating space for forgiveness." https://www.rstreet.org/commentary/spotlight-on-criminal-justice-observing-national-restorative-justice-month-november/05 Dec 2023 18:31 +0000at://did:plc:5mwnd4renqcvf522cixqq42e/app.bsky.feed.post/3kfsxs6ufw22ihttps://bsky.app/profile/rstreet.bsky.social/post/3kfpwiewqzw2i"In 2009, it was estimated that 437,400 Americans died due to smoking-related disease and that number has changed little with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reporting 480,000 tobacco-related deaths in 2022." https://www.rstreet.org/commentary/impact-of-missing-science-on-fda-ctp-decisions/04 Dec 2023 13:29 +0000at://did:plc:5mwnd4renqcvf522cixqq42e/app.bsky.feed.post/3kfpwiewqzw2ihttps://bsky.app/profile/rstreet.bsky.social/post/3kfihplxjaq2d"Policymakers should first take advantage of the extensive array of existing regulations being enforced by the federal government’s 434 different existing departments." @adamthierer.bsky.social https://www.rstreet.org/commentary/artificial-intelligence-legislative-outlook-fall-2023-update/01 Dec 2023 14:16 +0000at://did:plc:5mwnd4renqcvf522cixqq42e/app.bsky.feed.post/3kfihplxjaq2dhttps://bsky.app/profile/rstreet.bsky.social/post/3kffzb3a5pq2d"In a randomized controlled trial of a California program called 'Make-it-Right,' juveniles in the intervention group were 19 percent less likely to be rearrested 12 months post-program compared to their peers in the control group." https://www.rstreet.org/commentary/spotlight-on-criminal-justice-observing-national-restorative-justice-month-november/30 Nov 2023 14:52 +0000at://did:plc:5mwnd4renqcvf522cixqq42e/app.bsky.feed.post/3kffzb3a5pq2dhttps://bsky.app/profile/rstreet.bsky.social/post/3kfe7bhel7d26Spotlight on Criminal Justice: Observing National Restorative Justice Month – November https://www.rstreet.org/commentary/spotlight-on-criminal-justice-observing-national-restorative-justice-month-november/29 Nov 2023 21:35 +0000at://did:plc:5mwnd4renqcvf522cixqq42e/app.bsky.feed.post/3kfe7bhel7d26https://bsky.app/profile/rstreet.bsky.social/post/3kesps64pio27"AI is not inherently more polluting than other electric uses; in fact...it may be cleaner than average. Concerns about AI energy use should be directed at the environmental impacts of electric power generation in general." https://www.rstreet.org/commentary/how-to-productively-worry-about-ai-energy-use/22 Nov 2023 22:42 +0000at://did:plc:5mwnd4renqcvf522cixqq42e/app.bsky.feed.post/3kesps64pio27https://bsky.app/profile/rstreet.bsky.social/post/3kery3tekb324"Our kids are going to grow up to be adults in an information saturated world where computers and the internet are going to be central to their success in life." https://www.rstreet.org/commentary/red-tape-podcast-episode-7-its-230-do-you-know-where-your-children-are/22 Nov 2023 15:38 +0000at://did:plc:5mwnd4renqcvf522cixqq42e/app.bsky.feed.post/3kery3tekb324