Elon Musk, Who Supposedly Is Running DOGE, Is Not Officially in Charge of Anything
The presidential adviser's lack of formal authority complicates his cost-cutting mission.
D.C.'s U.S. Attorney Is a Menace to the First Amendment
Interim U.S. Attorney Ed Martin puts loyalty to Donald Trump ahead of loyalty to the Constitution.
The House GOP Budget Blueprint Promises More Borrowing, More Debt, and Not Enough Spending Cuts
"If the Republican budget passes, the deficit gets worse, not better," says Rep. Thomas Massie. He's right.
Trump's ICE Detains Afghans Who Helped U.S. Forces
A former Afghan intelligence officer who worked alongside U.S. forces sought safety in America. Now, under the Trump administration’s immigration crackdown, his parole has been revoked, and he’s been detained without explanation.
Latest
The FTC Has No Business Trying To Make Sure Social Media Are 'Fair'
Chairman Andrew Ferguson’s assault on "Big Tech censorship" aims to override editorial decisions protected by the First Amendment.
The Best of Reason: Surrogacy Is the New Battleground in Reproductive Freedom
Critics on both the left and the right decry surrogacy as exploitative, especially when carriers are compensated.
Fresh Starts on Starter Homes
Lawmakers in Arizona and California are attempting to overcome local resistance to meaningful starter home reforms.
Are Democrats Actually in Disarray?
Plus: A listener asks the editors whether it makes sense for a country to have a sovereign wealth fund.
Why the Internet Celebrated a Killer
Combine moral zealotry with increasingly blurred lines between political speech and violence long enough, and the outcome is predictable.
Podcast
The Best of Reason: Surrogacy Is the New Battleground in Reproductive Freedom
Critics on both the left and the right decry surrogacy as exploitative, especially when carriers are compensated.
Does Trump Want Lower Gas Prices or Oil Sanctions on Iran?
The Trump administration’s math on Middle Eastern energy supplies just doesn’t add up.
Research Says Big Federal Grants to Local Governments Breed Corruption
DOGE may not just save money; it may encourage honesty.
Ayn Rand in Ukrainian Crimea
What the Russian-born author would have thought of Russia's war in Ukraine
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.
Can Ultimate Frisbee Heal the Middle East?
The spread of Ultimate Frisbee testifies to a kind of Western soft power in the Middle East, one far friendlier than bombs or bullets.
The Sunny Side of Donald Trump's Power Grabs
The president is positioning himself to have much greater control over a smaller, enfeebled federal bureaucracy.
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.
To Cut Government Spending, Trump Targets Pocket Change
The penny is expensive to produce and has long outlived its usefulness.
Texas Cops Seized Photographs From a Museum and Launched Child Pornography Investigation
"It's shameful that government officials would use the criminal legal process to censor art and expression."
Trump Will Create 520,000 More Illegal Immigrants by Undoing Haitians' Protected Status
The move effectively retcons J.D. Vance's claim that legal Haitian immigrants were actually here illegally.
Meet the New FTC—Same as the Old FTC
Federal Trade Commission Chair Andrew Ferguson reaffirms the flawed 2023 merger guidelines.
The Progressive Betrayal of Trans Americans
How well-intentioned laws created new cultural conflicts—and eroded personal liberty
Best Executive Order Yet?
Plus: The Democratic Party's insecurities, protesting Trump via interpretive dance, the Yosemite locksmith, and more...
Has the Imperial Presidency Arrived?
There's little question that Trump is taking the concept of the imperial presidency to its apogee.
Americans Say Government Is Corrupt and Inefficient but Are Lukewarm About DOGE
Democrats seem willing to tolerate a lot to get a larger government, but Republicans aren’t much better.
Review: A Sci-Fi Exploration of a Shadowy Government
The deeply weird Southern Reach Series reminds us that human institutions can turn people into something unrecognizable.
April 2025
Magazine
Trump's Dramatic Crossroads
The GOP faces a choice about how to move forward.
