Why a Trump Appointee Ruled That His National Guard Deployment in Portland Was Illegal
U.S. District Judge Karin Immergut concluded that the president's description of "War ravaged Portland" was "simply untethered to the facts."
Protests
Trump's Troops Return to a City That Moved On: Dispatch From Portland
Five years after the city’s fiery 2020 protests, Portland is mostly calm. That hasn’t stopped Trump from reviving old battles, fueled by false memories and made-for-TV outrage.
British Minister: 'Just Because You Have a Freedom Doesn't Mean You Have To Use It'
Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood is moving to ban protests that annoy the public.
Sending in the Guard
Plus: Kilmar Abrego Garcia's case, what's wrong with emergency rooms, and more...
Oregon Sues Trump Administration Over 'Unlawful' National Guard Federalization
The administration ordered the federalization of 200 Oregon National Guard members for 60 days, citing the same suspect legal authority used to send troops to California earlier this year.
Assata Shakur Stood With the Oppressors
The fugitive freedom fighter allied with a government known for imprisoning dissidents, curtailing civil liberties, and forging equality in the sense that people are more equally oppressed.
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.
Judge Dismisses RICO Charges Against All 'Cop City' Defendants
Two years after the state attorney general charged dozens of protesters with racketeering, a judge found the case unconvincing.
Nova Scotia Bans Everyone From Hiking in the Woods Until October
The province says this will prevent forest fires. Those who violate the ban will face a $25,000 fine.
A First Amendment Lawsuit Highlights the Chilling Impact of Speech-Based Deportation on Student Journalists
The Foundation for Individual Rights and Expression is seeking an injunction that would protect noncitizens at The Stanford Daily from arrest and removal because of their published work.
Trump Administration Walks Back Plan To Withhold $1.9 Billion in FEMA Aid to Anti-Israel States and Cities
This isn't the first time FEMA has faced scrutiny for partisan bias.
Montreal Fines Church $2,500 for Hosting a Controversial American Singer
Christian artist Sean Feucht has been forced to find new venues for all six of his most recent shows in Canada.
Canada Seeks To Jail Freedom Convoy Organizers for 8 Years
Too many government officials see dissent as the worst crime imaginable.
D.C. Police Worried That Fear of Terrorism Could Inspire More Terrorism
A recently disclosed bulletin from October 2023 shows the Inception-like nature of national security politics.
Defending Its Speech-Based Deportation Policy, the Trump Administration Says 'No Such Policy Exists'
The government's gaslighting strategy suggests that federal officials are not confident about the constitutionality of punishing students for expressing anti-Israel views.
Major League Soccer Struggles With Free Speech as Fans Protest Trump's Immigration Policies
Recent protests at MLS matches and the ensuing bans for some fans have put the league in a delicate position, balancing tolerance and enforcement.
Brazil's Rogue Court Is Receiving Global Blowback
Brazil’s judiciary has abandoned neutrality, with sweeping crackdowns on speech and political rivals. A U.S. tariff response signals the crisis has gone international.
The Trump Administration Says Its Speech-Based Deportation Policy 'Does Not Exist'
The government’s lawyers also say that supposedly nonexistent policy is perfectly consistent with the First Amendment.
Zohran Mamdani's Jewish Problem
The presumptive Democratic nominee for mayor of New York has repeatedly missed opportunities to forthrightly condemn antisemitic violence.
The Rationale for Deporting Mahmoud Khalil Is Alarmingly Vague and Broad
Marco Rubio’s nebulous invocation of foreign policy interests is bound to have a chilling impact on freedom of speech, which is the whole point.
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.
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.
Militarized Response to California Riots Seeks To Expand Federal Power
Militarized riot approach sets the nation on a dangerous course.
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.
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.
Israel Strikes Iran. Is Escalation Inevitable?
U.S. involvement in the new Middle East conflict, political violence at home, and the No Kings protests
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.
The Restraining Order Against Federalizing the California National Guard Highlights Trump's Lawlessness
U.S. District Judge Charles Breyer concluded that the president failed to comply with the statute he cited—and violated the 10th Amendment too.
The Trump Administration Needs Better Opposition
And Americans deserve dissenting voices that aren’t inept and crazy.
Los Angeles Is Not Burning: Dispatch from L.A.
The truth is less dramatic—and more important.
Trump's Threats Against Musk and Newsom Reflect an Authoritarian Intolerance of Dissent
Even if the president was joking in both cases, he already has used his powers to punish people whose views offend him.
Laura Powell: Who's Most To Blame for the Latest L.A. Riots?
Attorney Laura Powell of Californians for Good Governance joins the show to discuss the civil unrest in Los Angeles following federal immigration raids.
Gavin Newsom Defends Federalism Against Trump's Unilateral National Guard Deployment
In a federal lawsuit, California's governor argues that the president's assertion of control over "the State's militia" is illegal and unconstitutional.
The Tom Cotton Do-Over
Trump and the right are living out their fantasies of rewriting the awful summer of 2020.
Protesters March, Police Surround, and the Cycle Resets: Dispatch From L.A.
As hundreds gathered to oppose ICE raids, a familiar pattern played out: peace by day, flash-bangs by night.
Trump Deploys Marines to L.A.
Plus: RFK Jr. tackles vaccine advisory board, menswear influencer might be deportable, and more...
Fake Immigration Crisis Triggers Actual Violence
Are outdated laws ripe for abuse? A listener asks whether it's time to sunset certain old laws.
Is It 'Harassment' To Heckle Your Local Politician? A British Court Thinks So.
Two protesters in Wales were convicted for handing out pamphlets and filming an argument with their member of Parliament.
Rumeysa Ozturk's Op-Ed Is Still the Only Public Justification for Her Arrest
"It is unthinkable that a person in a free society could be snatched from the street, imprisoned, and threatened with deportation for expressing an opinion the government dislikes," says FIRE.
