Civil Liberties
Abolish the FCC
The Trump Administration's recent abuses of the agency's powers lend weight to longstanding libertarian arguments for abolishing it, going back to Nobel Prize-winning economist Ronald Coase's classic 1959 article.
Florida's State-Run Immigration Detention Centers Omit Hundreds of Detainees from Federal Tracking
Individuals housed at state-run immigration detention centers frequently don’t show up in the online detainee locator system, making it hard for their family and their lawyer to find them.
Freddie deBoer: Charlie Kirk's Murder Reveals a Cultural Sickness
Writer Freddie deBoer discusses the assassination of Charlie Kirk and his theory of "spectacular acts of public violence" on the final episode of Just Asking Questions.
The FCC Should Let Jimmy Kimmel Be
What the Trump administration is doing to late-night comedy is clearly jawboning.
David Cole Said It Would Be Like This: The ACLU's Smart Move in Representing the NRA in NRA v. Vullo
The right would likewise be smart in protecting speech on the left today.
Brendan Carr Flagrantly Abused His Powers To Cancel Jimmy Kimmel
"We can do this the easy way or the hard way," the FCC chairman said, threatening to punish broadcasters for airing the comedian's show.
What Does It Mean for Trump To Designate Antifa a 'Terrorist Organization'?
America doesn’t have an official list of domestic terrorist organizations, but the declaration could mean heavier political surveillance and RICO prosecutions.
Did You Ask the FCC If You Can Make That Joke?
Plus: America's cocaine habit, how Charlie Kirk handled South Park, and more...
Trump's 'Firing' of Lisa Cook Is Headed for SCOTUS
Plus: Pam Bondi flunks free speech 101.
Trump's $15 Billion Lawsuit Against The New York Times Is His Craziest One Yet
The complaint suggests the Times showed "actual malice" because its reporters hated him. That's not how that works.
'The Free Market Is Handling It Just Fine': How Left and Right Responded to Charlie Kirk's Murder
On the latest episode of Free Media, Amber Duke and I discuss the assassination of Charlie Kirk, cancel culture, and political violence.
Parents Still Lose Kids to Discredited 'Shaken Baby' Claims
A Texas couple lost their children for six months after a doctor blamed a fragile infant’s medical crises on abuse.
TikTok Isolationism
Plus: New Yorkers favor decriminalizing prostitution. An academic inquiry into "body counts." AI chatbots everywhere. And more...
Trump's Complaint Against the New York Times: A Long Press Release that Mangles "Actual Malice"
It’s mainly praise for Trump: “President Trump secured the greatest personal and political achievement in American history.”
AG Pam Bondi Says "We Can Prosecute You" for Refusing to Print Posters for Charlie Kirk Vigil
But there doesn't seem to be any federal law actually authorizing such prosecutions (or civil lawsuits).
Brendan Carr and Ted Cruz Don't Think Charlie Kirk's Murder Justifies Speech Restrictions
Rand Paul, who called for "a crackdown on people" who celebrated the assassination, was less careful in distinguishing between private and government action.
The Perverse Incentives for Snitch-Tagging Teachers Who Criticized Charlie Kirk
Under current First Amendment jurisprudence, more targeted harassment means it's more constitutional to fire a government worker.
Doctor Can't Be Disciplined by Washington Medical Commission for Blog Posts About COVID
The posts were "downplaying the severity of the COVID pandemic, promoting the use of ivermectin over a vaccine, and criticizing the government's response to the pandemic."
Pam Bondi Is Really Wrong About Hate Speech
The attorney general is now getting called out by fellow conservatives.
J.D. Vance Says 26 Percent of Young Liberals Justify Political Violence. Here's What the Data Really Say.
Majorities on the left and on the right denounce political violence and its celebration.
Why Banning Drugs and Guns Never Works
Reason’s Jacob Sullum traces the shared failures of drug prohibition and gun laws, showing how both undermine civil liberties, racial justice, and commonsense safety.
Another Military Strike on a Speedboat Confirms Trump's Policy of Murdering Suspected Drug Smugglers
The president's new approach to drug law enforcement represents a stark departure from military norms and criminal justice principles.
91-Year-Old Pennsylvania Woman With Dementia Loses $247,000 Home Over a $14,000 Tax Debt
Gloria Gaynor had almost finished paying off her house in Upper Darby, Pennsylvania. But she will not see a dime in equity.
Reality Winner Got 5 Years in Federal Prison for Leaking 5-Page Document
In her memoir, the former NSA contractor details her journey from top secret security clearance to federal prison.
To Honor Charlie Kirk, Reject Cancel Culture
Plus: Trump and governors threaten social media regulations, activists push blacklists and firings, and how to resist apocalyptic politics.
Charlie Kirk Would Not Have Wanted This
A vast cancel culture campaign is a poor way to honor his legacy.
Plaintiff Must "Reconcile Herself to the Fact That Litigation Is Often Accompanied by Public Attention and Scrutiny"
"Outside of certain narrow and presently inapplicable circumstances, federal lawsuits are public proceedings and members of the public are free to comment on them."
Social Media Didn't Kill Charlie Kirk
Plus: Trump says he "may let [TikTok] die," the SoHo Forum debates paying for sex, the administration calls birth control "abortifacients," and more...
No, It Wasn't Ironic That Second Amendment Advocate Charlie Kirk Was Shot
All liberty involves tradeoffs. So does repressing liberty.
FBI Blunders and Internet Panic: How the Search for Charlie Kirk's Killer Went Off the Rails
The alleged shooter was turned in by his family and roommates while the surveillance state remained clueless.
The Standard for 'Vicious' Speech Trump Laid Out After Kirk's Murder Would Implicate Trump Himself
Freedom of speech cannot reliably protect conservatives unless it also protects people they despise.
What the Messages on the Bullets of Charlie Kirk's Assassin Mean
The phrases are a mix of anti-fascist sentiments and irony-poisoned internet memes.
"The Danger of Social Media": "It Allows People to Publish Their Internal Monologues"
"Can civilization survive now that we have been made witness to the interior lives of others?"