Campaign Finance Laws Institutionalize Corruption
Powerful political allies get a pass, while dissenters are crushed with massive fines. This isn’t a flaw in the system—it’s the point.
Civil Liberties
No Preliminary Injunctions Against Penn's Sanctions on Prof. Amy Wax
"[W]hatever harm she claims, it is not imminent, irreparable harm. Her damages, if any, are monetary damages."
The 9th Circuit Says California's One-Per-Month Limit on Gun Purchases Is Unconstitutional
The appeals court concluded that the restriction impinges on the right to arms and is not consistent with the historical tradition of firearm regulation.
Abortion Rates Keep Rising After Dobbs
Strict abortion bans do not seem to be seriously stopping abortions.
The 20th Anniversary of Kelo v. City of New London
On this anniversary, I have posted two new articles related to one of the Supreme Court's most controversial decisions.
Did Elected Officials Violate First Amendment by Orchestrating Public Criticism of (and Racism Allegations Against) Their Critic?
"[P]ublic condemnations, op-eds, and official complaints ... through proxies are independent constitutional violations" if the officials "engaged in conduct that was motivated by the plaintiff's protected speech and had the requisite chilling effect on First Amendment activity."
Decisions to Restrict Online Access to Eviction Records Are for Judges, Not for Clerks of Court
So holds the Ohio Supreme Court.
Political Violence Surges Because Politics Matter Too Much
We’ve made government so powerful that people will fight rather than surrender control to the enemy.
A Judge's Order Freeing Mahmoud Khalil Is Yet Another Loss for the Trump Administration's Immigration Agenda
A federal judge didn't buy the Trump administration's claims about why it was keeping Khalil in an federal immigration detention center.
The 9th Circuit Rejects Trump's Audacious Claim That He Can Use the National Guard However He Likes
Although the appeals court said the president probably complied with the law he invoked to justify his California deployment, it emphasized that such decisions are subject to judicial review.
Court Rejects Lawyer's and Client's Libel Claim Over Inside Higher Ed's Coverage of Title IX Suits
The court appears unmoved by the claim that an earlier ruling sent the "wrong message ... that people of color (all the plaintiffs are Latino) do not have a chance to get their day in this Honorable Court."
Militarized Response to California Riots Seeks To Expand Federal Power
Militarized riot approach sets the nation on a dangerous course.
Florida Used a Nationwide Surveillance Camera Network 250 Times To Aid in Immigration Arrests
Flock Safety’s 40,000 cameras present in over 5,000 communities across the U.S. are being used to detain undocumented immigrants, many of whom have no criminal history.
Texas Legislators Say They Are Protecting Free Speech on Campus by Banning 'Expressive Activities' at Night
A bill awaiting the governor's signature represents a stark reversal from a 2019 law aimed at promoting "uninhibited debate."
Los Angeles Is Beating Trump by Not Punching Back: Dispatch from L.A.
Trump intends to win in L.A., but to do so, he needs an adversary willing to step into the ring he has devised. Two weeks in, L.A. residents remain unwilling to do so.
A Popular Spanish-Language Journalist Is in ICE Custody After Being Arrested at an Atlanta Protest
Mario Guevara built a following covering immigration arrests around Atlanta. Press freedom groups say police frivolously arrested him while he was covering a "No Kings" protest.
Trump's Immigration Crackdown Is Overwhelming ICE Facilities and Running Up Huge Bills
The cost of Trump's immigration crackdown keeps going up.
Writings on Juneteenth, its Meaning, and its Significance for American Liberty
Compendium of links to my writings about the holiday celebrating the abolition of slavery.
News Site Can Be Prosecuted for Publishing Home Addresses of Police, Prosecutors, and Judges
So the New Jersey Supreme Court unanimously held Tuesday; the decision allows civil liability as well as criminal punishment, once the government official demands that the newspaper (or anyone else) stop publishing this information.
Why MAGA Turned on Amy Coney Barrett
Plus: The Supreme Court upholds a state ban on transgender care for minors.
SCOTUS Upholds Tennessee Law Banning Medical Transition for Transgender Kids
With the culture war blazing, not even the Supreme Court could agree on the medical facts of the case.
Trump Argues That He Can Take Over a State's National Guard Whenever He Feels Like It
The government's lawyer told a 9th Circuit panel the president's deployments are "unreviewable," so he need not even pretend to comply with the statute on which he is relying.
Scott Barry Kaufman: Incels, Narcissists, and the Victim Mindset
Psychologist Scott Barry Kaufman joins Nick Gillespie to discuss toxic identity politics, the rise of grievance-based thinking, and why true self-actualization requires moving beyond victimhood.
Lighthiser v. Trump: Another Kids Climate Suit
This one claims that the Trump Administration's deregulatory efforts violate the Fifth Amendment.
Gun Owners Deserve Freedom To Enjoy the Sound of Silencers
Long restricted by federal law, suppressors are poised to be freed by litigation or legislation.
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.
Fighting Antisemitism Should Not Come at the Expense of the First Amendment
The Antisemitism Awareness Act threatens the First Amendment by empowering federal bureaucrats to police political and religious expression.
McCarthyism, Past—and Present?
Clay Risen's Red Scare book wrongly frames it as an exclusively conservative hysteria.
If Brendan Carr Cares About Free Speech, He Should Make These Changes at the FCC
Now is the perfect time for the FCC to change its precedent to comply with the First Amendment.
Restriction on Gun Possession Within 1000 Feet of School Constitutional, at Least When Possessor Is "Behaving Erratically and Menacingly"
The Fifth Circuit hands down a highly fact-specific decision in a Second Amendment challenge to a federal law.
Las Vegas Police Arrest TikTok Livestreamers and Tell Them 'You Should've Shut Your Mouth'
"You need to learn the rules," an officer says. "You run your mouth at me. Now you're on your face."
Israel Strikes Iran. Is Escalation Inevitable?
U.S. involvement in the new Middle East conflict, political violence at home, and the No Kings protests
Virginia Man Faces 12 Months in Jail, $2,500 Fine for Drawing a Crosswalk With Chalk
After Charlottesville city officials ignored residents’ demand for a painted crosswalk in a popular intersection, a pedestrian safety advocate made his own.
Whether or Not Trump Invokes It, the Insurrection Act Is Antiquated and Dangerously Broad
On its face, the law gives the president sweeping authority to deploy the military in response to domestic disorder.
ICE Raids and Protests Empty Out Santee Alley: Dispatch From L.A.
In the shadow of immigration crackdowns and federal troops on the ground, shopkeepers and customers are scared away, leaving businesses devastated.
ICE on Ice
Plus: Suspect in Minnesota shootings arrested, Iran and Israel still fighting, Ross Ulbricht speaks, and more...
More Than 1,800 'No Kings' Protests Aim for Nonviolent Pushback Against Trump Policies
The coalition’s national press coordinator says, “We’re all dedicated to championing the cause of nonviolence—not just because it’s moral, but because it’s more effective.”
Masked ICE Agents Are a Danger to Both the Public and Themselves
When cops don't look like cops, they run a greater risk their target will fight back.
A Judge Said the Excuse for Arresting Mahmoud Khalil Was Unconstitutionally Vague. Why Isn't Khalil Free?
U.S. District Judge Michael Farbiarz highlights the chilling impact of Marco Rubio's dubious rationale for deporting students whose views offend him.
