OpenMarket: Food and Beverage Regulation

With all the other added stress created by the outbreak of COVID-19, most states have chosen to relax alcohol laws in a pragmatic bid to save struggling businesses and encourage compliance with social distancing. CEI has prepared this handy list of states that currently allow alcohol delivery or curbside pickup. Enjoy responsibly.

The first indication that PBS’s new documentary on agronomist Norman Borlaug will not be overly laudatory is its title. Anti-hunger activist Leon Hesser called his biography of the 1970 Nobel Peace Prize winner The Man Who Fed the World. But film writer/director/producer Rob Rapley was only willing to call Borlaug The Man Who Tried to Feed the World. Still, while the program struggles to find fault with Borlaug and his methods, the positives cannot help but shine through.

It’s only a matter of time before Phusion Projects' new hard seltzer hits shelves, which means that it’s only a matter of time before alarmists begin calling for the ban of a product that is no more or less dangerous than any other alcoholic beverage on the market. People will not be worse off for having the option to purchase a stronger seltzer, and people will ultimately be better off for having the choice to do what they want with their bodies. So it’s only right to call out the hysteria around Four Loko’s new release for what it is: absolutely loco.

The trend of younger voters allegedly becoming more favorable to socialism has alarmed and chagrined many observers recently, from members of the New York Post editorial board (“Socialism’s millennial fans don’t even know what it is”) to an Arizona Republic columnist writing in USA Today (“If millennials choose socialism, fine. Just don't make this mistake”).

America is a decidedly liberal (in the sense of being tolerant) nation comprised of people with different­—often competing­—worldviews. As a culture, we value the ability to determine for ourselves what makes for a good life more than assurances that the life we choose to lead is, in fact, good. This unwavering American individualism is why we tend to reject overt attempts to control or restrain our choices.

The goal of the government's Dietary Guidelines for Americans is to provide simple advice that promotes nutritional health, but for millions of Americans it may do exactly the opposite. The recommendations, issued by the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), may appear harmless. There remains, however, little evidence that the Guidelines have helped reduce obesity in America and some evidence that it may actually have made it worse.

Most people consider selfishness to be a negative quality. When it comes to choosing the diet that promotes our own individual health and well-being, however, being focused on one’s own needs can be a virtue—indeed, it is often a necessity.

News reports this week described the tragic death of a British woman, who died last November while using a metal straw. Apparently, Elena Struthers-Gardner, a former jockey who was disabled from a work-related injury, tripped while holding a mason jar with a metal straw affixed to the lid. When she fell, the straw went through an eye and then into her brain.

There is good news for young entrepreneurs coming out of the Lone Star State, as Texas Gov. Greg Abbott (R) recently signed a bill allowing children to operate lemonade stands without needing a permit. Specifically, it “prohibits cities and neighborhood associations from enacting rules that block or regulate minors trying to sell nonalcoholic beverages on private property.”

The Competitive Enterprise Institute first started its two-donut campaign back in 2010. There were some formidable issues back then, from childhood obesity to international tensions to the alleged terrors of atmospheric carbon dioxide. Those issues are still with us, but the volume of political debate over them has been ramped up way past Spinal Tap’s eleven mark.