Political and Policy Reporter

Tony Mecia

89 articles 2010–2018

Tony Mecia is a journalist who contributed extensively to The Weekly Standard from 2010 to 2018, writing nearly 90 pieces for the magazine. He covered a wide range of topics including healthcare policy, political campaigns, and congressional races, with particular attention to Republican primary contests and domestic policy issues.

The Real China Threat

December 10, 2018 · Magazine, Politics, Foreign Policy

High-tech dominance won’t be solved with tariffs.

High-Altitude Hideout

December 2, 2018 · Magazine, Books & Arts, travel

Tony Mecia on how a Bond villain’s Alpine lair came to house a museum for 007.

Inside Ocasio-Cortez's Finances

November 26, 2018 · Web Only, Politics, Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez

Actually, AOC is a perfectly typical late-20s Millennial. And that's a good thing.

Trump Close to NAFTA Deal?

July 31, 2018 · NAFTA, Web Only, Politics

The president campaigned on the idea that the pact was a “total disaster.” Can he do better?

Blood Con

June 29, 2018 · Theranos, fraud, scammers

Tony Mecia on the spectacular rise and dangerous lies of a Silicon Valley darling

Reefer Madness

June 8, 2018 · Features, Marijuana, Marijuana legalization

Colorado legalized marijuana in 2014 and the Pot Rush is on—but the ERs are filling up and a generation of kids is at risk.

Reefer Madness

June 8, 2018 · Features, Marijuana, Marijuana legalization

Colorado legalized marijuana in 2014 and the Pot Rush is on—but the ERs are filling up and a generation of kids is at risk.

The Dragon in Our Midst

June 1, 2018 · China, Spying, Intellectual Property

The real action with spies nowadays lies not with Russia but with China.

The End of the Line

May 25, 2018 · Public Transportation, trains, Infrastructure

Light rail is a very expensive way to move very few commuters.

The End of the Line

May 25, 2018 · Public Transportation, trains, Infrastructure

Light rail is a very expensive way to move very few commuters.

Peak Facebook?

April 11, 2018 · Facebook, Politics, culture

The one big thing Zuckerberg's testimony didn't address.

The Heavy Price of Metal Tariffs

March 16, 2018 · Tariffs, Charlotte, Steel

Glenn Sherrill’s company buys steel. Tons and tons of steel. So much steel that his grandfather put the word in the company’s name when he started it. In the last 60 years, family-owned SteelFab has grown from a small maker of ornamental handrails in Charlotte, N.C., to a large metal fabricator. It…

Greenbacks from Red China

March 9, 2018 · China, debt ceiling, Trade

The United States welcomes foreign investment. When companies from overseas buy into American firms, they provide a source of money that creates jobs and boosts innovation. But if the investor is Chinese, there is a wrinkle—increasingly, the wary eyes of regulators and intelligence officials want…

Can California Lurch Leftward?

February 23, 2018 · Democrats, California, Elections

On election night 2016, political activist Jess Self wasn’t in much of a partying mood. She’d just spent four days knocking on doors in neighboring Nevada. Her efforts helped elect a Democratic U.S. senator and representative and pass two controversial ballot measures.

The Case for Free Money

February 10, 2018 · Entitlements, Features, entitlement reform

At first blush, universal basic income sounds like something dreamed up on a California commune or in a late-night college bull session. The idea: Just give people money. Ask nothing in return. Impose no requirement to work or to look for work. And don’t just give taxpayer money to people living in…

Whirlpool Goes to Washington

February 9, 2018 · Features, Free Trade, Magazine

You are going to pay more for your next washing machine. To understand why, let’s look at what happened at Whirlpool’s headquarters in Benton Harbor, Mich., in 2011. The company was feeling pressure from foreign competition. Its stock price had fallen by half. It had announced plans to slash 5,000…

Telemarketers, Ahoy

December 22, 2017 · Marketing, Features, Magazine

There are plenty of people working to make the world a better place. Doctors vaccinate children in Africa. Researchers hunt cures for cancer.

The Phony Case Against Tax Cuts

December 8, 2017 · Democrats, tax rates, Middle Class

There are plenty of understandable objections to the tax bill sailing through Congress. Some people think it will increase the deficit. Others cry foul that it is being rushed through without sufficient deliberation. And there are those who like big government and frankly oppose the idea of letting…

A Trigger Warning (for Tax Reform)

November 29, 2017 · Today's Blogs, Magazine, Tony Mecia

Let’s hope all this talk from a small group of senators about inserting “triggers” into the tax bill triggers an outpouring of common sense among everybody else.

The Ultimate in Deregulation

November 24, 2017 · CFPB, Magazine, Tony Mecia

In the first 10 months of the Trump presidency, the blueprint for peeling back regulations has looked something like this:

It Won't Be Easy This Time Either

November 10, 2017 · Ronald Reagan, Tax Cuts and Jobs Act, House Ways and Means Committee

Tax reform looked like it was in peril. Influential business groups, including real estate agents and homebuilders, opposed it. Lobbyists were working feverishly against it. Opinion polls showed the public was as unenthusiastic as many members of Congress.

Big Tech Is Eating the Economy

October 27, 2017 · culture, Microsoft, Twitter

Well-known tech companies are surpassing analysts’ expectations in reporting earnings this week, the latest sign that tech companies are increasingly finding ways to take in more money as we live more of our lives online.

Watch 'The Amazon Race'—Where CNBC Meets 'The Bachelor'

October 20, 2017 · Today's Blogs, Magazine, Tony Mecia

As bids pour in from more than 100 locations clamoring to become Amazon’s second headquarters, we need to address a question nobody is asking: Why isn’t Amazon televising this spectacle?

Trump vs. H&R Block

October 17, 2017 · Federal Debt, Donald Trump, Republican Party

Jennifer MacMillan is a tax preparer. Her business ebbs and flows with the season. In the months before April 15, she talks with clients and pores over the records of their financial lives. She deciphers statements from their brokerages, determines how much they can claim for their home offices,…

It's Trump vs. H&R Block

October 13, 2017 · Federal Debt, Donald Trump, IRS

Jennifer MacMillan is a tax preparer. Her business ebbs and flows with the season. In the months before April 15, she talks with clients and pores over the records of their financial lives. She deciphers statements from their brokerages, determines how much they can claim for their home offices,…

Tax Reform Aims to Simplify the Code, Slash Some Rates, Boost the Economy

September 27, 2017 · Paul Ryan, Today's Blogs, Conservative Newsstand

Republican leaders plan to unveil a tax plan today that dramatically cuts taxes on businesses, eliminates many deductions and credits, and drops tax rates for most individual taxpayers, a senior Republican source told THE WEEKLY STANDARD.

It's the Corporate Tax Rate, Stupid

September 22, 2017 · GDP, Spending, tax rates

As they devise a strategy to place a tax bill on President Trump’s desk, Republicans in Congress are grappling with thorny issues: What can pass the Senate? How much should they add to the deficit? How will tax changes play with voters in 2018?

Apple's iPhone X: Will It Be Enough to Keep Tim Cook on Top?

September 12, 2017 · Tim Cook, culture, Today's Blogs

Tuesday is a big day for fans of Apple’s iPhone: The company announced a slick new iPhone, called the iPhone X, with features including a bigger screen, thinner edges, and facial recognition for security.

Plowed Under

August 11, 2017 · Regulation, Farming, California

On a rainy afternoon in late November 2012, Matthew Kelley, a project manager for the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, pulled his truck over to the side of a road in Tehama County in northern California.

A Glimpse Inside a Violent Gang

August 9, 2017 · magazine_repost, Table of Contents, gangs

Six years ago, on a July Tuesday in Los Angeles, members of MS-13’s downtown cell got into a fight with a rival gang. “Porky,” its leader, was none too pleased.

Sanctuary City Showdowns

August 8, 2017 · Immigration, Sanctuary Cities, Today's Blogs

Sanctuary cities are finding themselves suddenly on the defensive, as the Justice Department and state legislatures are looking to force cooperation between local police and federal immigration enforcement.

Who Gets Credit for the Good Jobs Report?

August 4, 2017 · Donald Trump, Barack Obama, Jobs

In his first six months on the job, President Trump has presided over an economy that is creating jobs at a pace that is 50 percent faster than under President Obama.

A Glimpse Inside a Violent Gang

August 4, 2017 · Table of Contents, gangs, Magazine

Six years ago, on a July Tuesday in Los Angeles, members of MS-13’s downtown cell got into a fight with a rival gang. “Porky,” its leader, was none too pleased.

GOP Keeps Mulvaney's Seat in South Carolina, But Just Barely

June 21, 2017 · ralph norman, Today's Blogs, Magazine

In the race to fill the seat vacated by President Trump’s budget director, Republican real estate developer Ralph Norman on Tuesday beat his Democratic opponent in South Carolina’s 5th congressional district.

Will Regulators Scrutinize Amazon's Purchase of Whole Foods?

June 19, 2017 · Amazon, Today's Blogs, Magazine

The company that is the 12th biggest in the U.S., larger than all the big banks, is staunchly anti-union. It's putting mom-and-pop retailers out of business and driving even big chains into bankruptcy.

Rolling Back the Obama Rules

June 2, 2017 · Regulation, Regulatory Reform, Donald Trump

When Laura Campbell heard about new water regulations emanating from President Barack Obama's Environmental Protection Agency a few years back, she started calling up maps on her computer.

Can Trump Compromise on the Paris Climate Accords?

May 30, 2017 · Donald Trump, Today's Blogs, Paris Agreement

President Donald Trump's upcoming decision on whether to keep the United States engaged in the Paris climate accord sounds like an important moment. It's being cast as a yea or nay decision: Stay in and show global leadership on an issue world leaders find important. Or get out and do what's best…

Uh-oh. The Markets Have Noticed Trump's Problems.

May 17, 2017 · Donald Trump, Today's Blogs, Magazine

Well, this should attract people's attention: Stocks plunged big-time on Wednesday, as Washington political drama reached a fever pitch and investors worried that politicians won't deliver on tax reform and a health care overhaul.

The Entrepreneurial Spirit is Alive, Well, and Youthful

May 2, 2017 · magazine_repost, Millennials, technology

By most measures, Will Manidis is like many other American high school students. He plays lacrosse for Westtown, his Quaker boarding school outside Philadelphia. He’s captain of Westtown's robotics team, which has deepened his interest in math and computer science. Last fall, in the heat of the…

Teen Tech Times

April 28, 2017 · technology, Tony Mecia

By most measures, Will Manidis is like many other American high school students. He plays lacrosse for Westtown, his Quaker boarding school outside Philadelphia. He's captain of Westtown's robotics team, which has deepened his interest in math and computer science. Last fall, in the heat of the…

The Main Problem With School Lunches

April 13, 2017 · magazine_repost, Tony Mecia, Blog

Oh, what Bridget O'Brien Wood could do if the government allowed her just a little more salt. She could serve potato salad that isn't bland. She could experiment with curry sauces. And O'Brien Wood, food service director with Buffalo Public Schools, could finally tell parents that the French fries…

Simply Unpalatable

April 7, 2017 · Magazine, Tony Mecia, Michelle Obama

Oh, what Bridget O’Brien Wood could do if the government allowed her just a little more salt. She could serve potato salad that isn't bland. She could experiment with curry sauces. And O'Brien Wood, food service director with Buffalo Public Schools, could finally tell parents that the French fries…

ACLU Will Denounce 'Unmasking'--If You Ask

April 4, 2017 · Susan Rice, Tony Mecia, Blog

The ACLU, the nation's preeminent civil liberties organization, isn't loudly denouncing the Obama administration's apparent "unmasking" of Trump associates in intelligence intercepts.

Feel-Good Investing

March 31, 2017 · liberalism, Table of Contents, Magazine

Picture in your mind, for a moment, the Monopoly man. You know, the guy in the Parker Brothers board game who has a top hat and white handlebar mustache. He makes his money in real estate and railroads. Think how he probably invested that money.

Trump Gets an Early Victory with Jobs Report

March 10, 2017 · Donald Trump, Jobs, Tony Mecia

The stock market is through the roof. Consumer confidence is at a 15-year high. And this morning, in the first full monthly jobs report from the Labor Department, comes news that the country added 235,000 jobs in February. That pace is about the same as it was the month before and about double the…

Cash for Doctors

March 25, 2013 · Obamacare, Healthcare, Magazine

With Obama-care poised to kick in to high gear next year, Dr. Brian Forrest routinely hears skeptics ask if the new laws and regulations will stifle his innovative primary care practice outside Raleigh, N.C.