Reason Alert: Afghanistan, Social Media Laws, Infrastructure Bill, Sha’Carri Richardson, and More

Reason Alert Friday, July 9, 2021     Friday Funnies Learning from the war in Afghanistan. By Scott Stantis Friday Movie Review: Black Widow  Scarlett Johansson and Florence Pugh lead Marvel into a new age.   By Kurt Loder  Black Widow Is a Step Back for the Marvel Cinematic Universe  Is the biggest brand in movies better off on the small screen?   By Peter Suderman  Darkness at Dawn  In politics, things don't have to get worse before they can get better.  By Katherine Mangu-Ward  Denied American Visas, These Afghans Were Forced To Make a Perilous Escape After Helping U.S. Troops for Years  Unable to tap into the immigration pathway for Afghan helpers, these men and their families opted to flee elsewhere.   By Fiona Harrigan  Trump's Class Action Lawsuit Against Facebook, Twitter, and YouTube Is an Absurd Farce  It will fail, and fail badly.   By Robby Soave  The Campaign Against 'Extremism' Looks Like an Attack on Speech  Efforts against violence are turning into restrictions on ideas.   By J.D. Tuccille Florida’s Social Media Law Is Unconstitutional  As this social media bill worked its way to the governor’s desk, it was widely pointed out that these restrictions are blatantly unconstitutional.  By Adrian Moore  If the CDC Can Impose a Nationwide Eviction Moratorium, Why Can't It Impose a Nationwide Vaccine Mandate?  It could, if it actually had the vast public health powers that the Biden administration claims it does.  By Jacob Sullum  Public Schools Still Can't Figure Out How To Reopen  Democrat-heavy districts remain most likely to stay partly closed.   By Matt Welch  Paying for the Bipartisan Infrastructure Bill and Rebuilding Interstates  America should be trying to address a several-trillion-dollar backlog of infrastructure needs, not maximize the amount of federal spending.  By Robert Poole  Public Pensions Shouldn’t Prioritize Political and Social Goals Over Investment Returns  Policymakers should avoid making political statements with pension funds and instead focus on fulfilling the promises made to retirees. By Jen Sidorova  An Unbeatable Sprinter Is Defeated by an Irrational Prejudice  Sha’Carri Richardson’s suspension for marijuana use highlights an arbitrary distinction that makes less sense than ever before.   By Jacob Sullum  Andrew Cuomo Declares a Gun Violence 'Disaster Emergency' and Signs a Bill That Invites Lawsuits Against Firearm Suppliers  New York's new law seems to conflict with a federal statute that protects manufacturers and dealers from liability for gun crimes.   By Jacob Sullum  Los Angeles Is Squandering $1.2 Billion While Homeless Face a 'Spiral of Death'  Federal Judge David O. Carter says Los Angeles' “inaction" is "so egregious, and the state so nonfunctional" that it's likely "in violation of the Equal Protection Clause."  By Zach Weissmueller    If this email has been forwarded to you and you would like to subscribe to Reason's email newsletters, please go here. Donate Reason Foundation 5737 Mesmer Avenue Los Angeles, CA 90230, USA Privacy Policy   Manage Your Preferences Unsubscribe - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -