Argentina’s economic turnaround will depend on whether President Javier Milei can overcome political opposition and deliver lasting reforms.

Argentina shows what can happen when taxes become too burdensome: workers and businesses move outside the formal economy, the tax base shrinks, and government revenues suffer. New research suggests lower tax rates could actually generate more revenue.

Marc Scribner argues that Washington, D.C.'s proposed tax on self-driving vehicles would unfairly penalize an important new transportation technology without meaningfully addressing traffic congestion. ⬇️

Louisiana has enacted a new law requiring corrections officials to help inmates obtain identification documents before release.

Maryland has adopted a process that allows people with criminal records to determine whether they qualify for an occupational license before investing in training and education, helping reduce barriers to work and improve reentry opportunities.

The DEA plans to ban several kratom-derived compounds despite limited evidence that they warrant a Schedule I designation. Regulation and safety standards could address many of the risks associated with these products without restricting access for people who use them as an alternative to opioids.

Louisiana voters rejected a proposal to use $2 billion from education trust funds to reduce teacher pension debt and support permanent pay raises, recognizing that the plan relied on a one-time budget maneuver rather than meaningful reform.

Separating air traffic control from the FAA and adopting a user-funded model like Canada's could help address chronic funding shortfalls, outdated technology, and persistent workforce challenges.

Canada solved many of the same air traffic control challenges facing the United States today by moving operations to the independent, nonprofit NAV CANADA, which is funded by user fees rather than taxpayers.

Robert Poole’s latest transportation newsletter explores the unintended consequences of concession fees for express toll lane projects, Congress’s battle over electric vehicle user fees, who should pay for the Key Bridge replacement, and more. ⬇️

As more fuel-efficient and electric vehicles reduce gas tax revenue, states are looking to mileage-based user fees to fund roads and highways. But to make these programs viable, they need to lower collection costs.

Instead of banning all tobacco and nicotine products, which risks feeding black markets, officials improve public health by focusing on proven harm reduction strategies.

Across the country, major cities trying to reduce traffic congestion are turning to express toll lanes to offer people and businesses congestion-free travel alternatives and more reliability.

Managed lanes have helped reduce traffic congestion in some large cities. The next step is creating a network of toll lanes that offer congestion-free routes across major regions.

Illinois’ five major state pension systems remain the most underfunded in the nation, carrying roughly $144.6 billion in unfunded liabilities.

Data centers are becoming essential infrastructure for the digital economy. Preemptively crossing hundreds of communities off the list for potential development, often without any local justification, will make the development and use of AI, not to mention other types of computing, more expensive.

When local governments rely heavily on fines and forfeitures to fund their budgets, they risk creating financial incentives that prioritize revenue generation over fair and impartial law enforcement.

Local governments across the 50 states collected $8.3 billion in fines and forfeitures in fiscal year 2022. While fines represent just 0.38% of general revenue on average, reliance is heavily concentrated in a small number of jurisdictions.

The Supreme Court unanimously protected regular marijuana users' right to own firearms, though it left open the possibility of narrower restrictions.

Pushing transit agencies to manage drug overdoses and a public health crisis places unsustainable pressure on transit workers and exposes the need for a more practical policy model.

Before expanding public pension benefits, California should fully fund the pension promises it has already made to workers and retirees.

Reminder: Our webinar on cryptocurrency and public pensions is tomorrow. Should public pension systems invest in Bitcoin and other digital assets? Join us to explore the risks, rewards, and fiduciary responsibilities involved and what these investments mean for workers, retirees, and taxpayers.

Eighteen years after voters approved California’s high-speed rail project, private investors still have not put their own money behind it. The project relies on taxpayer-funded contracts, not private capital.

LAUSD has chosen to prioritize large investments in non-teaching staff over boosting teacher pay. Only 5% of the $1.7 billion rise in compensation spending since 2013 went to teachers. reason.org/commentary/l...

Federal transportation grants have grown rapidly, but politics and geography too often drive funding decisions. Congress should focus transportation spending on the most needed projects that deliver clear, measurable public benefits.

Despite enrollment falling by 34.7%, LAUSD’s inflation-adjusted expenditure on employee compensation grew by about $1.7 billion, 27%. reason.org/commentary/l...

Evaluation of lifetime income products for public sector defined contribution plans, how public pension systems are failing women, and more in this edition of Reason Foundation’s Pension Reform Newsletter.

Robert Poole covers the congressional debate over safety technology since the tragic mid-air collision over Reagan National, examines new developments in airport security policy, and makes the case for terminating NASA's Space Launch System. ⬇️

As digital assets like Bitcoin and Ethereum become increasingly integrated into financial markets, public pension systems face important questions about whether and how to incorporate crypto into investment portfolios.

With public schools in 40 states losing students, officials owe it to families and taxpayers to ensure districts use public funds efficiently to best serve their remaining students.

As Bitcoin, Ethereum, and other digital assets become more prominent in financial markets, should public pension systems invest in them?

Alaska was right to veto a bill that would have added billions in costs and undone two decades of fiscal progress. Rather than restoring traditional pensions, Alaska lawmakers should improve the state's defined contribution plans by enhancing benefits for teachers, police officers, and firefighters.

Argentina won't restore long-term growth while its tax system drives workers and businesses into the shadows. Our research outlines a phased reform plan to simplify the tax code, reduce distortive taxes, and help Argentina reclaim the prosperity it once enjoyed. ⬇️

Javier Milei helped tame inflation and restore fiscal balance. But long-term growth will require tackling another problem: Argentina's tax system. With 155 taxes and nearly half the workforce operating informally, tax reform could bring workers and businesses back into the formal economy.

Robert Poole's latest transportation newsletter takes a closer look at the debate over Charlotte's proposed I-77 express toll lanes project, which has been put on hold due to opposition from nearby residents and local governments. ⬇️

The FAA both manages air traffic control and regulates aviation safety. This brief shows how more than 100 countries have eliminated this conflict of interest, as the US lags behind in air traffic control modernization.

As both the regulator of aviation security and the main provider of screening services, the TSA operates with a troubling conflict of interest. A better approach would have the TSA focus on oversight while airports manage passenger and baggage screening.

Georgia should not deny people occupational licenses based on criminal convictions unrelated to the work they want to perform. The state's new law creates a clearer, fairer licensing process that expands opportunity while safeguarding public safety.

Kentucky is removing unnecessary barriers to work by giving people with criminal records clearer rules, earlier answers, and a fairer review process when they seek occupational licenses.

Mandating ignition kill switches in cars is bad policy. There are more effective and far less intrusive ways to try to reduce impaired driving.

Lawmakers should not tax AI computing power before we understand how the technology will affect jobs, wages, and economic growth. Computing taxes risk limiting the benefits of AI while locking in policy responses to a future that remains highly uncertain.

Louisiana is criminalizing camping instead of addressing the severe housing shortage that drives much of the state's homelessness.

By limiting the use of artistic expression as criminal evidence, Maryland has taken an important step toward protecting free speech, reducing unfair prejudice, and strengthening due process.

Federal data shows the profile of the typical transit rider is far more varied than many political and policy debates assume.

States have passed more cybersecurity laws, but those laws have not automatically reduced cyber losses because they often fail to target the fraud, scams, and social engineering attacks that cause the greatest financial harm.

California has passed some of the nation's most ambitious housing reforms in recent years, and it's encouraging that the current gubernatorial candidates are competing to advance them further. But state laws alone won't solve California’s housing shortage.

A federally run security screening system leaves the entire system vulnerable to political whims and disruptions, and travelers pay the price.

From express toll lanes to major bridge projects, governments are increasingly using new financing methods for transportation infrastructure upgrades, including private-sector investments and public-private partnerships.

While much of the world has embraced airport privatization and corporatized air traffic control systems, the United States remains a notable outlier. This report details the latest developments in investment, management and modernization of airports and air traffic control systems worldwide.

Governments around the world are increasingly relying on private capital to finance, modernize, and operate major infrastructure projects. During 2025, infrastructure investors financed over $92 billion in public-private partnerships and other infrastructure and transportation projects. Read more: