The War on Interns

It’s intern season, but many aspiring students aren’t able to get internships—because a lot of them are illegal. Federal law restricts companies from hiring unpaid interns if they’re performing actual useful duties, which means it’s harder for workers to get a foot in the door. In the latest Mostly Weekly Andrew Heaton proposes that consenting adults should be able to do whatever they want with and to each other, including unpaid internships. Legislation meant to stamp out exploitation is really just gutting opportunities because they fall short of a perceived ideal.