Friday Open Thread
What's on your mind?
Month: January 2025
D.C. Circuit Declines to Reconsider Decision Concluding CEQ Lacks Authority to Issue NEPA Regulations
A majority of the en banc court instead seeks to explain away the panel's conclusion as dicta. Will the Supreme Court agree?
If Biden Knocked Tiktok, Can Trump Deep-Six DeepSeek?
The government would have a much stronger interest to ban a Chinese AI app that collects proprietary information than to ban a social media app that displays dance videos.
Why Is Paramount So Keen To Settle Trump's Laughable Lawsuit Against CBS?
The company is worried that the president's complaints about a 60 Minutes interview with Kamala Harris could block a pending merger.
Understaffed Air Traffic Control, DEI Are Unlikely Causes of D.C. Plane Crash
There's still a lot we don't know and initial speculation from the media and the president about the causes of Wednesday's disaster appear off-base.
Short Circuit: A Roundup of Recent Federal Court Decisions
Right whales, premium cigars, and tax evasion.
Tariffs on Canada, Mexico, and China Could Start This Weekend
Trump's second trade war has apparently arrived. There remains much uncertainty, but expect it to be costly.
No One-Sided Pseudonymity in Case Against Political Candidate Alleging Revenge Porn
“Plaintiff has not conducted this litigation as though it involves matters of a highly sensitive and personal nature—instead, she would cloak herself in pseudonymity, and the protections it affords, while publicly lobbing allegations at Defendant by name.”
Trump's Role Model McKinley Tariffed His Way to Imperialism
Reviving the Monroe Doctrine and 19th century Republican adventurism is not a shortcut to peace.
Years After the Pandemic, the Lowest-Performing Students Are Still Significantly Behind
New scores from the Nation's Report Card test reveal continued declines for already struggling students.
In Companion, the Killer Robot Is the Hero
An AI sexbot undergoes a feminist awakening in this clever sci-fi thriller.
Trump's Deportation Plan Is About Numbers, Not Safety
Once everyone is a priority, no particular group, including criminals, is singled out for enforcement.
Wireless Capacity Is Running Thin, but Spectrum Auctions Can Save 5G
Billions of dollars in government revenue is a no-brainer.
Biden's Record-Breaking Regulatory Run
In four years, Biden issued regulations costing an estimated $1.8 trillion, by far the highest total in American history.
The Government Says Money Isn't Property—So It Can Take Yours
In a jaw-dropping argument, the Department of Justice claims seizing $50,000 from a small business doesn’t violate property rights because money isn’t property.
California's Rationalist-Linked Death Cult
Plus: Air traffic control failures that led to a plane crash, "why shit not working" in New York City, and more...
California's Wildfires Exposed Failings of the State's Leadership
The potential risks from a major wildfire have been well known for years, but there was little appetite to solve those problems before disaster struck.
DOGE's Big Challenge: Americans Who Hate Inefficiency but Love Bloated Government
The public worries about corruption and bureaucracy, but many want more of the same.
Review: A Podcast Exploring the History of Immigrant Sanctuaries
The sanctuary movement challenges state power, argue the hosts of Sanctuary: On the Border Between Church and State.
The 5th Circuit Says the Federal Ban on Handgun Sales to Young Adults Is Unconstitutional
The government failed to persuade the appeals court that 18-to-20-year-olds are not part of "the people" or that the age restriction is consistent with the "historical tradition of firearm regulation."
Obama's Failure To Close Guantanamo Meant It Was Open for Trump To Use
President Donald Trump ordered the government to prepare 30,000 beds at Guantanamo to house undocumented migrants.
Trump's Pro-Growth, Anti-Trade Positions Are on a Collision Course
The stark disconnect not only runs the risk of choking off much of the global commerce the president claims to welcome but threatens to stick U.S. consumers and businesses with higher costs.
The 'Cruel Kids' Are Still Rebelling Against Political Correctness
Reflections on a theory behind Trump's 2016 and 2024 victories.
Trump's TikTok Reprieve Won't Fix the Law's Free Speech Problems
Extending the deadline gives TikTok a temporary lifeline, but the real issue—government overreach in tech and speech regulation—still needs a congressional fix.
An Unprecedented 22 Percent Drop in Drug Deaths Does Not Mean Prohibition Is Finally Working
Drug warriors deserve blame rather than credit for their role in recent overdose trends.
Julia Gelatt: What Happens if Trump 'Seals the Border'?
Demographer Julia Gelatt of the Migration Policy Institute joins Just Asking Questions to discuss the likely effects of the president's executive orders on immigration.
Trump Expands School Choice, Narrows What Schools Can Teach
Trump signed two executive orders expanding federal funding of school choice while banning "radical indoctrination" in federally funded schools.
California Politicians Now Want Oil Companies, Not Insurers, To Subsidize People Living in Wildfire Zones
A proposed state bill would allow individuals and insurers to sue oil companies for wildfires damages.
AP Asked Justice Jackson About Her Inauguration Attire
There was not exactly a denial.
RFK Jr.'s Big Day
Plus: Tragic plane crash in D.C., immigration crackdown fallout, and more...
Schools Are Spending Billions To Fight Campus Culture Wars
As tensions rise on campus and in board chambers, districts dish out more for security, lawyers, and staff turnover.
The White House's 'Feverish Dream' About $50 Million for Condoms in Gaza
The Trump administration made an extreme claim about wasteful foreign aid that just wasn't true.
Trump's Pick for Commerce Secretary Wants More Industrial Policy for Chipmakers
Howard Lutnick told senators that CHIPS Act subsidies were "an excellent down payment."
Biden's Antitrust Crackdown Stifled Innovation
Antitrust scrutiny of startup acquisitions led to fewer deals and less venture capital funding.
The University of Tennessee Nearly Expelled a Student for Racy Tweets, Now Agrees To Pay Her $250,000
The settlement vindicates Kimberly Diei's First Amendment right to comment on sexually explicit rap songs without suffering government retaliation.
Wednesday Open Thread
Playing around with the post time (shifting to the start of the day to midday). "It is an experiment, as all life is an experiment."
