February 17, 2026

Now, on to the news…

Even as the high cost of living has become a defining feature of American life, politicians resist lowering state sales taxes. In fact, it’s the one tax category in which rates have risen almost continuously for the past century. Just five states— Alaska, Delaware, Montana, New Hampshire, and Oregon—lack a general sales tax.

“Taken together, general sales taxes and selective sales taxes—special levies on goods such as cigarettes or rental cars—now constitute the largest source of revenue raised by state and local governments,” Judge Glock writes. “Politicians truly concerned about the cost of living could start by reducing the one charge that most directly increases it.”

Read more about the history of the tax, why some states institute sales-tax exemptions, and how progressives have used the revenue to fund their political priorities.

The U.S. spends a lot on education. In fact, outside of our major entitlement programs, K–12 education consumes more public funding than any other category of government spending. President Trump recently signed a $79 billion budget into law for the Department of Education—$217 million more than last year.

And yet, American students are leaving school unprepared. Proficiency in math and reading is virtually unchanged from 2000s levels. “We spend more every year, but researchers have yet to develop a good way to measure what taxpayers get for their money,” William Henson writes.

That’s why, in a new Manhattan Institute study, he offers a framework that combines financial inputs with concrete academic milestones like high school graduation and college completion. “The goal is to help taxpayers and policymakers compare how different school systems translate dollars into achievement,” he writes.

Read more about how it could work.

The U.S. currently has 11 federal holidays. Josh Blackman argues that while some of the dates make sense, others do not. “As a whole, these national holidays create complexities for Americans’ school, work, and vacation calendars,” he writes. “We should rearrange this lineup.”

Read his take on which holidays should stay, which should move, and why a new calendar would promote both efficiency and relaxation.

“The fact that it’s an issue at all is one more indicator of just how far we have fallen in reality, in medical science, in common sense and in honesty . . . and given way to the politics of dishonesty, mental illness, stupidity, and pretense.”

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mattcoul, commenting on gender ideology 

Photo credits: Lindsey Nicholson/UCG/Universal Images Group/Getty Images