Wednesday Open Thread
What's on your mind?
Month: April 2025
By Openly Retaliating Against Disfavored Law Firms, Trump Attacks Free Speech and the Right to Counsel
Two of his targets are seeking permanent injunctions against the president's blatantly unconstitutional executive orders.
Bipartisan Group of Prominent Legal Scholars and Former Government Officials Files Amicus Brief Supporting Our Case Challenging Trump's "Liberation Day" Tariffs
Signers include Steve Calabresi, Harold Koh, Richard Epstein, Michael McConnell, Alan Sykes, former Attorney General Michael Mukasey, and others.,
The Trump Administration Continues To Attack Due Process
"We have thousands of people that are ready to go out, and you can't have a trial for all of these people," Trump said.
4 Apocalypses That Never Were
Climate change is real and may cause real problems. But media outlets keep pushing hysterical myths that don't materialize.
First Amendment Scholars' Amicus Brief in Georgia Adult-Entertainment Case
22 law professors urge the Supreme Court to take up Georgia Ass'n of Club Executives v. Georgia.
The DOJ Is Doing Its Best To Make Google Unprofitable
Google has lost its second major antitrust case against the Department of Justice, threatening the tech giant's free-to-consumer business model.
Trump's Tariffs Are Causing an Economic Boom for D.C. Lobbyists
More lobbyists are spending more money to influence trade policy. The swamp is having a great time during the trade war.
Trump Administration To Restart Collections on Defaulted Student Loans
"Student and parent borrowers—not taxpayers—must repay their student loans," reads a press release from the Education Department.
Will Florida Teens With Sexually Transmitted Diseases Have To Tell Their Parents Before They Can Get Treatment?
These bills would require exactly that—and a lot more.
Jeffrey Singer: Get Government Out of Health Care
Longtime surgeon and Cato Institute fellow Jeffrey Singer argues that government overreach in health care undermines patient autonomy.
This Man Just Disappeared
Plus: China's baby bust, tough talk on the Ukraine war, and more...
Harvard University Should Emulate Hillsdale College and Cut Ties With the Government
To remain independent, institutions of higher education should end their reliance on taxpayer money.
Trump's Actions Contradict His Avowed Commitment to First Amendment Rights
The president has launched a multifaceted crusade against speech that offends him.
A Tale Of Two Shadow Dockets
The Supreme Court moves heaven and earth to block removal of alleged gang members who are almost certainly removable, but says nothing about Ohio initiative process being declared unconstitutional.
Here Is Why Harvard Argues That Trump's Funding Freeze Violates the First Amendment
The administration's demands extend far beyond its avowed concern about antisemitism and enforcement of "civil rights laws."
Celebrate Earth Day by Going Nuclear
Sunbeams and breezes are too fickle. The most climate-friendly power source is using magic rocks to boil water.
IMF Report: Trump Trade War Will Hurt Both U.S. and Global Economies
Predictions for U.S. and global economic growth are down since January.
Trump Rages at the Fed Over Interest Rates
According to the president, the U.S. economy will begin to slow down unless the Fed “lowers interest rates, NOW.”
Trump's New Birth Rate Plan: Menstrual Education?
The administration is reportedly considering government-funded menstrual education, affirmative action for parents, and $5,000 baby bonuses.
California Housing Bills Face Crucial Hearing Today
Bills designed to allow more starter homes and apartments near transit face an uncertain future in the state Senate's housing committee.
Trump's Tariffs Are Threatening a Nuclear Power Plant Restart in Michigan
"Tariffs will have an influence on the total price," one of the project's construction partners said.
"Personal" Liberty Due Process Cases at the Supreme Court Between Carolene Products and Griswold
It is clear the Court decided "economic" liberty cases in this period, but what about "personal" liberty due process cases, apart from the First Amendment?
How the NFL Draft Screws Over Players
Plus: a new NFL stadium, a Boston Marathon record, and Shoresy (huh?)
Harvard Sues Trump Admin
Plus: Democrats visit El Salvador, Taiwan invasion possibilities, Hayek on rule of law, and more...
Are We Still Living in 1999?
A new book argues that late-20th-century lowbrow culture created the modern world.
The ACLU's Ex Parte Voicemail To Seek An Ex Parte Injunction
Judge Hendrix took no action, but notified the government about the ACLU's action.
Why Due Process Matters
Plus: A listener asks who was the better president: Trump or Obama?
Treating Journalism As Consumer Fraud, Trump Claims Coverage of a Presidential Poll Was Not 'News Reporting'
The president's lawyers also conflate fraud with defamation, misconstrue the commercial speech doctrine, and assert that false speech is not constitutionally protected.
Cops Denied Qualified Immunity After Arresting Sober Teenager for DUI
"I blew a zero, so now you're trying to think I smoked weed?” Tayvin Galanakis asked the officer who arrested him in 2022. “That's what's going on. You can't do that, man.”
Alito and Thomas May Trust Trump To Follow a Court Order, but Gorsuch, Kavanaugh, and Barrett Seemingly Do Not
Understanding the Supreme Court's unusual late-night ruling against the Trump administration
Missouri 13-Year-Old Suspended for Making a Rifle Out of Dr. Pepper Cans
The boy and his mother are now suing the school district and its officials to protect students' right to free expression.
'Stop the Nonsense' With Tariffs, Says This New York Manufacturing CEO
Scenes from a trade war.
No Temporary Restraining Order Against Accusations of Surrogacy Agency Error
"After receiving their surrogate baby, the couple purportedly performed an at-home DNA test 'which showed that [the would-be father] was in no way related to the baby.'"
Fewer People Support Censoring False Information Online
Support for suppressing "violent content" has also dropped.
Why is Ed Martin So Interested in Medical Journal Publication Practices?
Just what the doctor ordered - more lawyers and prosecutors meddling with scientific journals!
The Timing of the 5th Circuit's Ruling in A.A.R.P. v. Trump
The 5th Circuit and Supreme Court decided the case at *exactly* the same time.
