Monday is Labor Day. Will you celebrate unions? The media does. “Unions are cool again,” reports CBS News. They suggest unionization is booming. “Reporters” practically cheered when a Starbucks in Buffalo, New York, became the first Starbucks to unionize. “A big symbolic win for labor,” The New York Times called […]
John Stossel
75 posts
Want to pay no federal income tax? Move to Puerto Rico. Really. If you move to the island, you can legally pay none. There’s also no capital gains tax. You just have to give 4% of your income to Puerto Rico. The tax break was started by a Puerto Rican […]
At least the pandemic had a silver lining. It taught parents that there are better alternatives to government schools. When COVID hit, bureaucrats in control were eager to close schools. Many closed them if just one child tested positive, even though COVID is little threat to kids. Union teachers seemed […]
How can it be that with so much cattle in America, we sometimes can’t buy meat? At the beginning of the pandemic, Costco, Wegmans and Kroger limited purchases of beef. Hundreds of Wendy’s outlets ran out of hamburgers. “How the hell can this be?” says Rep. Thomas Massie, R-Ky., in […]
Some Western leaders envy dictators’ powers. President Donald Trump said, when North Korea’s Kim Jong-un speaks, “his people sit up at attention. I want my people to do the same.” President Barack Obama told reporters it would be so much easier to be the president of China. Canada’s foolish Prime […]
This Fourth of July, watching people fight over what the Constitution means, I ask people, if you could change the Constitution, what would you change? “The forefathers knew what they were doing,” said one woman. But the Constitution originally accepted slavery. It’s good that we can amend it. So what […]
A woman tells the cop who stopped her in a carpool lane she’s allowed to drive there because her pronouns are “they” and “them.” That’s from a video by a conservative Christian satire site called the Babylon Bee. Their humor gets millions of views. “Christian conservatives used to … be […]
Rents have reached record highs. But have no fear, renters! In the Minnesota cities of St. Paul and Minneapolis, progressives persuaded people to vote for rent control. That’ll punish those greedy landlords! Except, profits are what persuade builders to build things. When profits are high, other builders build. That’s what […]
The president now brags that he cut the deficit! “We’re on track,” he says, to have “the biggest decline in a single year ever in American history.” It’s actually true. But utterly deceitful. President Joe Biden’s deficit will be down from last year, but that’s only because he spent such […]
Parents still struggle to find baby formula. The left and most media (sorry, same thing?) blame “corporate power run amok.” House Speaker Nancy Pelosi says, “There might be a need for indictment!” They blame Abbott Laboratories, because it shut down a Similac plant. The Food and Drug Administration says unsanitary […]
Planning to fly this summer? Good luck. Delays are up. Cancellations, too. Why? Because of the pilot shortage. A pilot shortage? How can this be? Flying is a popular job. Some people fly small planes just for fun. Why aren’t there enough commercial pilots? Because the government passed another dumb […]
The price of gas keeps rising. “The reason for that is because of Putin’s war,” said President Joe Biden. But that’s impossible. Most of the price rise came before Putin attacked Ukraine. So some politicians simply blame “corporate greed.” Sen. Sheldon Whitehouse accuses the oil industry of collecting “excess profit.” Sen. […]
Activists have convinced Americans that “organic” food is better — healthier, better-tasting, life-extending. As a result, poor parents feel guilty if they can’t afford to pay $7 for organic eggs. This misinformation is spread by people like Alexis Baden-Mayer, political director of the Organic Consumers Association. She says organic food […]
Did you know that in some states, if you miss one tax payment, local politicians will take your home, sell it and keep all the profits? Really. Tawanda Hall was behind on her taxes. She was on a payment plan but had missed $900. She didn’t expect Southfield, Michigan, to take […]
I love Wikipedia. I donated thousands of dollars to the Wikimedia Foundation. Before Wikipedia, all we had were printed encyclopedias — out of date by the time we bought them. Then libertarian Jimmy Wales came up with a web-based, crowd-sourced encyclopedia. Crowd-sourced? A Britannica editor called Wikipedia “a public restroom.” […]
The media’s ignorance about basic economics is galling. I expect it from politicians. I expect it from The New York Times. But it’s sad to see in the New York Post, my town’s rare alternative to Democrat media. Recently the tabloid freaked out over higher prices imposed by ride-share companies. […]
Bookstores now sell only certain kinds of children’s books. “Go into Barnes & Noble,” says Bethany Mandel in my new video, “and you will be met with a wall of biographies. Probably 27 different books about former Supreme Court justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg. Great. A ton about Kamala Harris. Great.” […]
President Joe Biden says he never talked business with his son. Maybe he didn’t. Maybe that Ukrainian gas company paid Hunter Biden half a million dollars because he has unique business skills that no one else noticed. It’s possible. But unlikely. Now a Justice Department investigation may tell us whether […]
Millions flee Ukraine. Where will they go? Some want to come to America. But doing that legally is hard. A complex system is supposed to determine which people deserve to get in line to get in. “The line is broken,” explains Reason Magazine editor at large Matt Welch in my […]
The “Greens” promise renewables, solar and wind power, will replace fossil fuels. After all, the wind and sun are free, and they don’t pollute! Oops. Now countries that embraced renewables are so desperate for power that they eagerly import coal, the worst polluter of all! Do they apologize? No. Greens […]
I dislike politicians. I don’t trust people who are so desperately eager to run others’ lives. But Rep. Ron Paul is different. He wants government to leave us alone. He promoted the benefits of limited government and free markets long before I’d even thought about them. I first interviewed Paul […]
Russia’s invasion revealed big differences in how politicians deal with threats. The president of Ukraine, when offered evacuation, said, “I need ammunition, not a ride.” He’s a leader. By contrast, in Canada a few weeks before, when truckers staged a protest against COVID-19 rules, the cowardly Prime Minister Justin Trudeau […]
President Joe Biden just gave his State of the Union Address. Here’s what I wish Biden said: “Russia’s unwarranted invasion of Ukraine reminds us why it’s crucial that America’s military remains strong, and focused on defense, not distractions like gender equity. “I stand with the people of Ukraine, and I […]
The American Medical Association now tells doctors: Use woke language! It’s issued a 54-page guide telling doctors things like, don’t say “equality”; say “equity.” Don’t say “minority”; say “historically marginalized.” Much of the AMA’s advisory sounds like Marxism: “Expose … property rights … Individualism is problematic … Corporations … limit […]
Joe Rogan is amazing. Five years ago, I left Fox to start Stossel TV. I left because I was frustrated by live TV. Guests talked so much but said little. I now produce videos like the ones I used to do on “20/20.” I like having a month or more […]
Companies tell us they support justice. “Believe in something, even if it means sacrificing everything,” says former 49ers quarterback Colin Kaepernick in a Nike ad. “Speak for the people who may not be able to be heard,” says the NBA. “Corporate PR hogwash,” says journalist Melissa Chen in my new […]
Inflation is the worst in 40 years. The price of cars is up 37%. Gas is up 49%. During the last few years, as politicians spent ever more money, experts told us not to worry. Jerome Powell, chair of the Federal Reserve, said inflation would be “transitory.” Treasury Secretary Janet […]
San Francisco’s liberal mayor declared a “state of emergency” to try to deal with the city’s “nasty streets.” How did it get so bad? Journalist Michael Shellenberger’s new book, “San Fransicko,” argues that it happened because of progressive ideas. “The town I love is sick,” says Shellenberger in my new […]
Omicron spreads. The media say, “Governments must act!” Many have, bringing back mask mandates and closing schools. Do these rules work? No. My new video shows why Florida’s approach is better. Gov. Ron DeSantis ended pandemic restrictions last spring and refuses to impose new ones. “The definition of insanity is […]
Glenn Youngkin recently was elected Virginia’s governor partly because he promised to ban teaching of CRT. CRT stands for critical race theory, which argues that every American institution upholds white supremacy. Before Youngkin’s surprise victory, the media mocked him for complaining about CRT. NBC’s Nicolle Wallace said it isn’t even […]
Independents are now America’s largest group of voters. After George Bush’s presidency, fewer people called themselves Republicans. After Obama’s, fewer called themselves Democrats. How will these independents vote? Andrew Yang hopes they’ll vote for him. In my latest video, the former Democrat explains why he’s started a new party, the […]
It’s the season for giving. I’ll give. This week I’ll donate to the Doe Fund, a charity that helps drug users and ex-cons find purpose in life through work. “Work works!” they say. It sure does. Most Doe Fund workers find more joy in supporting themselves than they ever found […]
When people criticize Dr. Anthony Fauci, he says: “They’re really criticizing science. Because I represent science.” Pretty arrogant. I assume Fauci is a top-notch scientist. My brother worked with him at the National Institutes of Health and respected him. But power tends to corrupt, and Fauci has been given a […]
COVID-19 deaths are up. Politicians tell us to wear masks and get vaccinated. Amid the fear, I’m surprised that we haven’t heard more about two drugs that could make COVID-19 much less of a threat. In blind tests, Pfizer’s Paxlovid was found to reduce the risk of hospitalization and death […]
People want “public” rather than “private.” Public is … free, right? Wide open. Sharing. Available to everyone. All good things. “Private” is … selfish, closed, for the rich. Clearly, public must be better. But then why do the words “public toilet” make me cringe? I think: dirty, smelly, ugly, maybe […]
I’ve reported how Facebook censors me. Now I’ve learned that they also censor environmentalist Michael Shellenberger, statistician Bjorn Lomborg and former New York Times columnist John Tierney. Facebook’s “fact-checkers” claim we spread “misinformation.” In my new video, Tierney argues that the “people guilty of spreading misinformation are Facebook and its […]
“Why does Louisiana have the right to stop me from doing what I love to do?” asks Ursula Newell-Davis in my new video. Newell-Davis has helped people. She’s a social worker who’s worked with kids with special needs for 20 years. She’s really good at it. “She helped teach me […]
As Virginia’s gubernatorial election drew to a close last week, Democrat Terry McAuliffe brought in teachers union president Randi Weingarten. He thought that would help? I suppose he, like many progressives, believes everyone thinks the way he does. “I’m not going to let parents come into schools and … make […]
We’re out of Afghanistan. Good. We should have gotten out before. Our involvement there was America’s longest war, longer than the Civil War, World War I and World War II combined. We accomplished little good and plenty of bad. Tens of thousands killed. A trillion dollars spent. Now the Taliban […]
Democrats say President Joe Biden won “a strong mandate.” His government can do all sorts of good things! I don’t believe he has a mandate, but thanks to the selfishness of former President Donald Trump, Democrats control Congress, and that may give them power to shove their worst ideas down […]
There’s so much negative news these days. I was glad to see that a new podcast, “American Optimist,” features good things that are coming. It’s hosted by Palantir founder and venture capitalist Joe Lonsdale. He interviews entrepreneurs like Sal Churi, who funds companies like Icon, which found a way to 3D […]
America remains bound by often extreme pandemic restrictions. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommends staying 6 feet away from others. In Oregon, everyone must wear a mask outdoors. In parts of the country, 2-year-olds must wear masks. Are such rules necessary? Recently, Denmark lifted all pandemic restrictions. “Go Denmark!” […]
Jim Caruso, CEO of Flying Dog Brewery, calls his business a “First Amendment brewery.” That’s because he keeps going to court to defend beer labels. It started in 1995, when Colorado’s Liquor Commission objected to the label, “Good Beer, No S—.” Bureaucrats told him, “Pull the beer from the market, […]
I just sued Facebook. I didn’t want to sue. I hate lawsuits. I tried for a year to reach someone at Facebook to fix things, but Facebook wouldn’t. Here’s the problem: Facebook uses “independent fact-checkers” to try to reduce fake news on their site. That’s a noble goal. Unfortunately, at […]
Government-run schools fail kids. Teachers unions and education bureaucrats say, “We need more money!” But America already spends a fortune on public schools. My town, New York City, spends $28,000 per student — half-a-million dollars per classroom! Think about what you could do with that money: Hire five teachers? Pay […]
Today’s politicians want to spend more on EVERYTHING: Amtrak subsidies, sports stadium subsidies, green energy subsidies, even fossil fuel subsidies … President Joe Biden says the handouts will “put more money in your pocket.” House Speaker Nancy Pelosi claims they will “protect the planet for the children.” They might. But […]
Are you a racist? All white people are, says “White Fragility” author Robin DiAngelo. Race explains everything, says bestselling “How to Be an Antiracist” author Ibram X. Kendi. “Every policy is either racist or anti-racist.” Kendi’s and DiAngelo’s books are now recommended reading at schools, corporations and in the military. […]
Politicians love force. The idea of leaving us alone to make our own decisions goes against their nature. To be sure, civilized society sometimes needs government force: police to punish killers, soldiers to protect us from foreign invaders, environmental police to stop my smoke from flowing to your lungs … […]