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Police State

China official in zero Covid bio hazard suit

China

It's Bodies vs. the State

Plus: The editors ponder the lack of women’s pants pockets in the marketplace.

Matt Welch, Katherine Mangu-Ward, Nick Gillespie, and Peter Suderman | 11.28.2022 4:06 PM

Communism

Data on Mass Murder by Government in the 20th Century

Communists killed the most, followed by fascists.

David Kopel |The Volokh Conspiracy | 11.9.2022 4:01 PM

Riotsville USA documentary

Militarization of Police

'Riotsville, U.S.A.' Explores the Origins of Police Militarization

Sierra Pettengill's documentary focuses on the fake towns, built by the Army in the 1960s, to train law enforcement.

Meredith Bragg | 10.7.2022 11:25 AM

Elderly man in hospital bed.

Criminal Justice

In Mississippi, Dozens of Mentally Ill People Are Held in Jails While Awaiting Inpatient Treatment

While a new report highlights Mississippi's jailing of mentally ill people, the practice is common nationwide.

Emma Camp | 9.15.2022 3:45 PM

Karine

IRS

Don't Believe the White House's Promises About Who the New IRS Will Audit

Media "fact-checkers" are taking administration promises at face value and using them to bludgeon Republicans.

Matt Welch | 8.12.2022 3:00 PM

Pennsylvania skyline and trail camera

Surveillance

Pennsylvania Poaching Police Warrantlessly Installed Camera on Private Land To Surveil Hunting Club

Evidence turned over in a lawsuit shows that wildlife officers set up a trail camera at a private club to surveil hunters who may be breaking state laws.

Joe Lancaster | 7.28.2022 3:15 PM

Installing a home security camera

Police

Police Can Access Your Ring Camera Footage Without a Warrant

After Amazon admitted it gives Ring footage to police departments upon "emergency" request, San Francisco Mayor London Breed wants cops to be able to access any camera at any time.

Joe Lancaster | 7.26.2022 4:10 PM

hands on dark background flipping through cellphone

Technology

Homeland Security Is Buying Its Way Around the Fourth Amendment

Plus: The Respect for Marriage Act, the Farm Workforce Modernization Act, and more...

Elizabeth Nolan Brown | 7.19.2022 9:48 AM

interview1

China

Concentration Camp Survivor Tursunay Ziyawudun on Her Imprisonment in Xinjiang

"The only crime of most of us was that we were Uyghur Muslims," says Ziyawudun.

Noor Greene | 1.8.2022 6:00 AM

cathey1

Communism

Yes, It Was An 'Evil Empire'

Nearly every form of Soviet nostalgia gets the facts wrong.

Cathy Young | 11.1.2021 6:00 AM

thumbnial

Surveillance

Government Eyes In the Sky

The federal government and police are finding new ways to use drones to invade privacy.

Jay Stanley | 10.12.2021 7:00 AM

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Police

Civilian Cops Don't Need Military Weapons

Police are supposed to be part of a community, not an occupying military force armed to the teeth.

Steven Greenhut | 10.8.2021 8:00 AM

james-lee-YmG-jLBgfS0-unsplash(1)

Reason Roundup

J.D. Vance Says Government Should Seize Assets of Political Nonprofits

Plus: Fusionism, OnlyFans, and more...

Elizabeth Nolan Brown | 9.29.2021 9:30 AM

spnphotosten369783

Australia

The Dangerous Dream of Zero COVID in Australia

The government is ignoring the costs of lockdowns—for lives, for liberty, and for the economy.

Emilie Dye | 9.14.2021 3:30 PM

Untitled-1

Police Abuse

Pasco County Cops Harassed Them and Searched Their Homes Without Warrants. A Judge Says They Can Sue.

The sheriff's predictive policing program has caused more problems than it's solved.

Billy Binion | 8.6.2021 5:33 PM

zumaglobalten228667

Police

Police Reforms Make Progress Against Entrenched Opposition

Every time cops denounce reform efforts it is evidence of a win.

J.D. Tuccille | 7.26.2021 8:30 AM

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Police

How Louisiana Perfected the Speed Trap

Want to fight your ticket? Welcome to mayor’s court, where your accuser is also your judge.

Daryl James | 7.19.2021 2:20 PM

zumaamericasthirtyone584542

Privacy

Federal Agencies Can't Resist Using and Abusing Facial Recognition

Some agencies don't even know ways their employees are using facial recognition.

J.D. Tuccille | 7.16.2021 7:00 AM

sipaphotoseleven881795

January 6

The Capitol Police Will Open Offices in the States To 'Investigate Threats to Members of Congress'

The House of Representatives gave the agency $2 billion in additional funding.

Robby Soave | 7.8.2021 1:10 PM

topicscivilliberties

Civil Liberties

No More Traffic Cops

Returning traffic enforcement and criminal law enforcement to their proper spheres could put both police and drivers at ease.

C.J. Ciaramella | 6.17.2021 6:00 AM

dpaphotostwo215146

Privacy

New Yorkers Are Watched by More Than 15,000 Surveillance Cameras

People have only official assurances that the technology isn’t being used to invade their privacy.

J.D. Tuccille | 6.7.2021 8:30 AM

splrfphotos147677

Police

Cops Are Using Facial Recognition Technology More Than Previously Revealed

The surveillance state is available as a plug-and-play solution for any cop interested in a free trial period.

J.D. Tuccille | 4.9.2021 7:00 AM

zumaamericasthirty595769

Police

Europeans Embrace America's Policing Mistakes

The pandemic pushed Americans to consider police reform while other countries moved to unleash their cops.

J.D. Tuccille | 4.7.2021 7:00 AM

zumaamericasten073927

Police

Florida Cops Sued for Hassling People Over Crimes They Might Commit in the Future

Predictive policing lets authorities add a science-y gloss to hammering people who rub them the wrong way.

J.D. Tuccille | 3.26.2021 7:00 AM

topicscivilliberties-march-2021

Civil Liberties

No Facial Recognition Tech for Cops

A sloppy panopticon is almost as dangerous as an effective one.

C.J. Ciaramella | 2.22.2021 6:00 AM

westendrf539972

Facial Recognition

In New Tests, Facial Recognition Products Are Consistently Thwarted by Masks

Defeating surveillance is a powerful argument for covering your face.

J.D. Tuccille | 8.31.2020 12:30 PM

IMG_20200725_212815

Portland Protests

Federal Cops Are Leaving Portland. But Will the Standoff Really End?

With many of the city's entertainment options shut down, protesting has become a form of nightlife.

Nancy Rommelmann | 7.29.2020 3:12 PM

zumaamericastwentyeight065037

Militarization of Police

Rand Paul: It's Time To Demilitarize the Police

The line between peace officer and soldier of war has become far too blurry.

Rand Paul | 7.21.2020 6:30 PM

Police in riot gear

Militarization of Police

To Demilitarize the Police, We Need To Change More Than Just Their Uniforms

The problem isn’t just that cops look like occupying soldiers, it’s that too many think and act like them.

Alec Ward | 6.23.2020 1:25 PM

Jones2

Reason Roundup

2 Men Arrested for 'Destroying Property' by Doing Donuts in D.A. Candidate's Illegal Rap Video

Plus: Supreme Court considers church reopenings, GOP proposes back-to-work bonuses, Libertarian Party picks 2020 ticket, and more...

Elizabeth Nolan Brown | 5.26.2020 10:00 AM

dppphoto208563

Coronavirus

Idaho Woman Threatened With Jail Time for Holding 'Nonessential' Yard Sale

The local police department says "a garage sale/yard sale is not an essential business and should not be open for business."

Eric Boehm | 4.21.2020 11:50 AM

rsphotos006595

Immigration

Federal Immigration Raids in 'Sanctuary Cities' Have Conservatives Abandoning Federalism

Apparently, conservatives believe in states' rights, except when they don't.

Steven Greenhut | 2.28.2020 8:00 AM

apaphotostwo024553

Police State

Facial Recognition Tech Straight Out of 'Robocop' Could Be a Real Threat to Civil Liberties

As governments and law enforcement agencies rush to incorporate facial recognition tech, California lawmakers have a chance to slam on the brakes.

Steven Greenhut | 6.28.2019 8:00 AM

Marshae-Jones

Criminal Justice

A Pregnant Woman in Alabama Was Shot in the Stomach and Miscarried. Now, Alabama Cops Are Charging Her With Manslaughter.

What the hell is going on with this state?

Elizabeth Nolan Brown | 6.27.2019 3:50 PM

Eric Garner

Eric Garner

An NYPD Superior Reacted to Eric Garner's Death by Texting 'Not a Big Deal.' And That's Completely Unsurprising.

For five years, the NYPD, its apologists, and even Mayor Bill de Blasio have absolved cops of their role in Eric Garner's death.

Zuri Davis | 5.17.2019 11:50 AM

days2pa

Reason Roundup

Massage Parlor Surveillance Videos Can't Be Used in Court, Says Florida Judge

Plus: the biggest trouble with Devin Nunes' Twitter lawsuit, the Senate fails to override Trump's Yemen veto, bad news for the gig economy, and more...

Elizabeth Nolan Brown | 5.3.2019 9:30 AM

Large image on homepages

War on Terror

Buying a Hammer? The U.K. Worries That Might Make You a Terrorist

Also suspicious: Recording police behavior.

Scott Shackford | 1.30.2019 4:35 PM

Large image on homepages

San Francisco

Is This the Summer of Snitches?

Meet Burrito Bob, Permit Patty, and other vigilante informants

Zuri Davis | 6.30.2018 9:00 AM

Large image on homepages

Civil Society

A Nation of Narcs

Americans have developed a nasty habit of inviting the state into people's lives for tiny offenses. Here are three ways to turn back the tide.

Mike Riggs | 5.22.2018 3:40 PM

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