Demanding Charges Against His Enemies, Trump Conflates Justice With Revenge
The legal rationales for prosecuting James Comey, Adam Schiff, and Letitia James suggest the president is determined to punish them one way or another.
FBI
Will a Shutdown Finally Shrink Government?
Plus: the Comey indictment, Trump deploys the National Guard to Portland, Eric Adams exits New York City's mayoral race, and a listener asks about cyclical theories of history
Assata Shakur Stood With the Oppressors
The fugitive freedom fighter allied with a government known for imprisoning dissidents, curtailing civil liberties, and forging equality in the sense that people are more equally oppressed.
In Trump's Tussle With James Comey, You Should Hope Everybody Loses
The administration is pursuing a vendetta, but Comey and the FBI deserve scrutiny and reduced stature.
Trump's Public Comments Could Further Complicate the Shaky Case Against James Comey
By demanding that the Justice Department punish the former FBI director for wronging him, the president provided evidence to support a claim of selective or vindictive prosecution.
Kash Patel Tellingly Ties James Comey's Indictment to the Legally Unrelated 'Russiagate Hoax'
The FBI director's portrayal of the case exemplifies the emptiness of his promise that there would be "no retributive actions" against the president's enemies.
TikTok's (Sorta) American Owners
Plus: James Comey indicted, some New York schools stripped of funding, NATO being tested, and more...
Donald Trump and Peter Thiel Are Using AI To Supercharge the Surveillance State
Peter Thiel warns of a pending one-world totalitarian government—while himself pushing to supercharge the surveillance state.
FBI Blunders and Internet Panic: How the Search for Charlie Kirk's Killer Went Off the Rails
The alleged shooter was turned in by his family and roommates while the surveillance state remained clueless.
FBI Spied on Libertarian Sci-Fi Author Vernor Vinge In 'Espionage' Case
The late friend of Reason, who coined the term "technological singularity," landed on the feds' radar for his association with a foreign policy dissident.
After Years of Abuses, Approval of the FBI and DOJ Depends on Who Is in Power
With government agencies turned into partisan weapons, trust is a tribal matter.
Is It Too Late To End the Fed?
Plus: What the new E.U. trade deal means for tariffs and prices, a listener question about Rahm Emanuel’s presidential appeal, and the FBI raids John Bolton’s home.
Show Patrol
Plus: Zohran Mamdani courts the "it" crowd, Mexican cartel deal, shutting down microschools, and more...
Big Balls Attacked
Plus: Cuomo attacks rent stabilization, marijuana might be reclassified as Schedule III, and more...
The FBI Has No Business Tracking Down Texas Democrats
Using the FBI to track down AWOL Texas Democrats is an unnecessary expansion of federal law enforcement authority.
Violent Crime Rates Fell Again in 2024 and Are Likely To Keep Dropping in 2025
This is great news, but it also undercuts Donald Trump's claim that violent crime was out of control before he returned to office.
The FBI Seized Her $40,000 Without Explaining Why. She Fought Back Against That Practice—and Lost.
The twist underscores just how little accountability exists in civil forfeiture, which allows law enforcement to seize assets without charging the owner with a crime.
D.C. Police Worried That Fear of Terrorism Could Inspire More Terrorism
A recently disclosed bulletin from October 2023 shows the Inception-like nature of national security politics.
X's Win in Federal Court Is a Victory for Free Speech and Open Disclosure
The D.C. Circuit Court of Appeals has placed minor restraints on the government’s ability to impose gag orders on secret subpoenas issued to tech companies.
MAGA's Epstein Files Fight Shows the Long Tail of QAnon
Like sex trafficking panic more broadly, the Epstein files are a useful political tool—as long as they remain hidden.
The Kash Patel Loyalty Test
Plus: Canada tariffs, New York City overtaken by sharks, Paxton cheating scandal, and more...
Did the Secret Service Surveil James Comey Without a Warrant After '86 47' Post?
The former FBI director's cringey Instagram photos are not an "exigent circumstance" that allows law enforcement to circumvent the Constitution.
Federal Courts Shrug at Potentially Lethal Wrong-Door Raids
Cops should not be free to forgo the modicum of care required to make sure they’re in the right place.
Don't Let Rights-Violating Federal Agents Dodge Accountability
Plus: The Texas Chain Saw Massacre on wax.
Sen. Padilla Forcibly Removed From Kristi Noem's L.A. Press Conference
The California senator was trying to ask about immigration enforcement when federal agents handcuffed and ejected him.
The FBI Raided This Innocent Georgia Family's Home. The Supreme Court Just Revived Their Lawsuit.
Agents detonated a grenade and broke into the house, guns drawn. But while the decision is good news for Curtrina Martin and Toi Cliatt, their legal battle is far from over.
Would Releasing the Martin Luther King Files Help Curb the Surveillance State?
The FBI spied on the civil rights leader for years. Would releasing its surveillance files just be a further violation of King's privacy, or would it make future abuses less likely?
Federal Prosecutors Are Starting To Sound Like Campus Activists About Sex and Consent
With the OneTaste case, the Department of Justice has embraced infantilizing ideas about women, consent, and coercion.
That Time the FBI Conspired To Get George Foreman an Award for Boxing
In 1968, the feds thought that the boxing champion—and future grill salesman—could be a potent weapon against the left.
That Time L.A.'s Deputy Mayor for Public Safety Called in a Bomb Threat on His Own City Hall
Former official Brian K. Williams just admitted that he faked a bomb threat during a work meeting. Now he faces up to 10 years in prison.
James Comey's Deleted '86 47' Instagram Post Is Obviously Protected by the First Amendment
A lot of conservatives are falling prey to the same snowflakery they criticize.
Government Argues It's Too Much To Ask the FBI To Check the Address Before Blowing Up a Home
The Department of Justice told the Supreme Court there were "policy tradeoffs that an officer makes" in determining if he should "take one more extra precaution" to make sure he's at the right house.
Newly Released Documents Show What the Feds Knew About the New Jersey Drone Scare
Even after the Biden administration realized the most alarming claims were bunk, it didn't publicize the evidence it had.
An Intelligence Memo Casts Further Doubt on Trump's Nonsensical Definition of 'Alien Enemies'
A declassified assessment contradicts the president's assertion that Tren de Aragua is "closely aligned with" the Venezuelan government and acts at its "direction."
Why the FBI Arrested Judge Hannah Dugan
The Wisconsin judge is charged with obstruction of justice and concealing an undocumented alien to prevent his arrest.
The FBI Wrongly Raided a Georgia Family's Home. Now Their Case Is Going to the Supreme Court.
A federal court ruled Trina Martin could not sue the government after agents burst into her home and held an innocent man at gunpoint.
Pete Hegseth's Carelessness and Dishonesty Mirror Hillary Clinton's
The defense secretary, who shared information about imminent U.S. air strikes in a manifestly insecure group chat, thought Clinton should be prosecuted for her careless handling of sensitive information.
The FBI Seized This Woman's Life Savings—Without Telling Her Why
Linda Martin's lawsuit alleges that the agency violated her right to due process when it took her $40,200 and sent her a notice failing to articulate the reason.
FBI Failed To Spot Faked Evidence in Case Against Alleged Orgasm Cult
Journals allegedly written by the government's star witness in 2015 were not authentic, prosecutors now say.
In Trump's Revenge Fantasy, Biden Did Not Actually Pardon Members of the January 6 Committee
The president says those legislators are "subject to investigation at the highest level," notwithstanding their pardons and the Speech or Debate Clause.
Sheriff Says 'Public Trust' in New Mexico Law Enforcement 'Is Completely Lost' Because of Police Corruption
"This is a gut punch," says Bernalillo County Sheriff John Allen. "This is a kick to my balls and two black eyes, to be honest with you."
The Sad Quest for a Secret 'Epstein Client List'
The Trump administration’s spectacle rehashed information that journalists, lawyers, and victims had already unveiled.
Will Absorbing the ATF Into the FBI Rein in Each Agency's Abuses?
The ATF, charged with regulating firearms, has a history of abuse and incompetence.
A SWAT Team Raided This Innocent Family's Home. The Supreme Court Won't Hear Their Case.
Whether or not a reasonable police officer violates clearly established law when he declines to check the features and address of his target house before raiding it is thus still up for debate.
RIP to Government Acronyms
One perk that may materialize from Elon Musk upending the federal bureaucracy is the downfall of the government’s obsessive use of abbreviations.
Will FBI Director Kash Patel Be a Principled Reformer or a Trump Hatchet Man?
The newly confirmed head of the country's leading law enforcement agency has a history of advocating politically motivated investigations even while condemning them.
The Weak, Weird Case Against a Supposed 'Orgasm Cult'
Snakes. Magic. Orgasmic meditation. And a dubious federal case against the leaders of a supposed sex cult.
