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America Invented Elevators. Now We Suck at Building Them.
America’s elevator shortage is making housing more expensive, buildings less accessible, and cities less dynamic—all because of bad regulations and union protectionism.
The Socialist Surge Revives Failed and Hateful Ideas
Socialism, totalitarianism, and bigotry find a receptive audience among the young and disillusioned.
Police Department in South Carolina Says It Has 'Zero Tolerance for Hate Speech'
A free speech organization sent a letter to the police department last week, calling its anti–hate speech post unconstitutional.
Texas Man Arrested After Ranting About Age Verification Laws Blocking His Anime
Did he make a true threat? Or was this just hyperbolic ranting about bad policy?
Latest
AOC's Eggs
Plus: Hamas disarmament, gay bathhouses, Canadian MAGA, and more...
Brickbats: August/September 2026
News of politicians, police, and bureaucrats behaving badly from around the world
Trump's New Birthright Citizenship Executive Orders Are Mostly Theater
The two measures combine unconstitutional provisions with performance art.
Democrats Want To Tax AI Companies for Job Losses That Haven't Happened
The proposed tax would rise with unemployment and fund a new federal jobs program—even though AI has yet to cause mass unemployment.
ICE Spent $525 Million on Surveillance Tech. Some of It Is Infringing on Americans' Freedom of Speech.
New details emerge regarding the Trump administration's surveillance dragnet cracking down on its online critics.
Podcast
Francesca Hong's Hateful Holidays, Burrito Prices, and Woke 1.0
Robby Soave and Christian Britschgi cover all of the politically charged food takes of the week from Thanksgiving to burritos.
The White House's Push To Pause the Hemp Ban Smells Like Cronyism
The ban would gut a growing industry, but the Trump administration’s position isn’t a principled stand against prohibition.
North Carolina Citizen Files Damages Claim After Border Patrol Arrested Him, Then Left Him on the Roadside
A viral video showed immigration officers uncuffing Fernando Vasquez and then dumping his papers onto the ground before driving off.
Trump Administration Will Pay $1.2 Billion To Cancel More Offshore Wind Projects, Calling It 'Common Sense'
German energy company RWE decided "there is no path forward to permit these projects in the U.S. for the foreseeable future."
One Night Only Is a Rare Rom-Com About Regulation
In The Purge: but for Sex, everyone takes a crackdown on sexual freedom for granted.
A Burrito Costs How Much?
Plus: The economy lost 23,000 jobs in July, inflation is outpacing wage growth, Trump is still mad about birthright citizenship, and more...
Can You Imagine a Future Where Adults Don't Believe in Socialism?
Only in a capitalist world can we live free and prosperous lives, even if it means that we're expected to show up to work on time.
Twin Falls Shooting Underlines the Need for Taking Self-Defense Seriously
Armed people at the scene of the crime fired on the attacker and drove him away.
Review: Feuding Neighbors Snoop on Their Enemies
In HBO's Neighbors docuseries, nearly every dispute is recorded and shared.
The GOP Is Warning About Socialism While Quietly Embracing It
Federal ownership of private companies has become routine. And it is happening on the right, even as conservatives point fingers at the left for its socialism.
Francesca Hong's Hateful Holidays, Burrito Prices, and Woke 1.0
Robby Soave and Christian Britschgi cover all of the politically charged food takes of the week from Thanksgiving to burritos.
A Viral Tweet Set Off a Discourse on $20 Burritos. Here's the Truth About Inflation.
Americans are angry because everyday goods are much more expensive, and politicians think they should “stop whining.”
FCC Rule Change Would Allow More Broadcast Mergers, but It's Not Clear the FCC Has That Power.
It's not clear if the agency even has the legal authority to make the change. But if it goes through, there's little to worry about.
Scott Galloway's Bad Idea To Make Young Men Happier
Hint: It's mandatory national service.
DOGE Claimed $110 Billion in Spending Cuts That Couldn't Be Verified, Audit Finds
The DOGE project was the second Trump administration's best idea. Unfortunately, it was terribly executed.
Courts Say the Justice Department Is Shredding the 'Presumption of Regularity.' It Never Deserved Extra Trust.
Misconduct and misrepresentations by Justice Department lawyers have led some federal judges to question the traditional benefit of the doubt they give to the government.
A Major 'Online Safety' Bill Cleared a Senate Committee. More Crackdowns on Internet Freedom Could Be Coming.
The Senate Commerce committee advanced four bills related to online and AI safety in the name of protecting children.
August/September 2026
Magazine
9/11 and the Surveillance Ratchet
The U.S. government responded in ways that are so integrated into daily life that we no longer recognize them.
