Crime
Trump Is Taking Credit for D.C.'s Crime Drop. Here's What the Data Say.
Crime in D.C. had already fallen 29 percent before the National Guard showed up, yet the Pentagon plans to keep at least 2,500 troops in the city through 2029.
Does Gun Control Make Us Safer?
Statistician Aaron Brown and professor Robert Spitzer debate the efficacy of gun control.
Border Patrol Saves America From Canadian Trucker Delivering Goods in New Mexico
What kind of country would America be if people were freely allowed to peacefully deliver goods that had been consensually bought and sold?
Why Do Americans Support the Death Penalty, Despite Wrongful Convictions?
Reformers need to take into account people’s fear of crime and human predators.
How Flock Camera Defenders Are Missing the Point
Robby Soave and Amber Duke attack The Free Press' latest attempt to defend Flock cameras.
The Trump Administration Promises the 'Largest Denaturalization Effort Ever'
Denaturalization isn't new, but it has been used sparingly in modern history, in part because it is extremely costly and time-consuming.
Police Mix Up Usernames, Man Spends 18 Months in Prison for Someone Else's Sex Crimes
"He should never have been charged, let alone convicted," judges now say.
A Serial Liar Likely Sent an Innocent Man to Florida's Death Row. Why Is He Still There?
Paul Skalnik was a career criminal and jailhouse snitch whose unbelievable testimony secured dozens of convictions—including that of Jim Dailey, who awaits execution.
How Jailhouse Snitches Send Innocent People to Death Row
Pamela Colloff discusses the dangers of incentivized testimony, the difficulty of overturning wrongful convictions, and how the justice system compounds its own errors.
Trump Says He Believes in Giving People a 'Second Chance.' For 6,000 People, the Answer Was No.
The administration this month denied thousands of clemency applications.
In 39 States, People Can Be Sentenced to Life for Murders They Did Not Commit
The Sentencing Project highlights the perverse consequences of the felony murder rule, a vestige of British law that still prevails in federal courts and all but two states.
California's Prison Reform Experiment Worked. The State's Crime Rate Has Fallen by 27% in 15 Years.
Facts don't care about the GOP's "crime wave" feelings.
The Homicide Rate Has Dropped to Historic Lows. Contrary to What Politicians Say, No One Really Knows Why.
The latest numbers from a sample of U.S. cities indicate continuing crime decreases that go beyond a reversion to pre-2020 norms.
Did a "Minneapolis Effect" and Later De-Policing Cause Firearms Crimes to Spike in 2020?
My essay on the topic collects the available empirical research. There is support for the theory that, as police across the nation pulled back from some forms of proactive policing after protests surrounding George Floyd's killing in Minneapolis, homicides and gun violence increased as a result.
Trump Blames Reflecting Pool Disaster on 'Vandals'
Robby Soave and Amber Duke discuss how the refurbishment of D.C.’s Reflecting Pool has gone off the rails.
The Secret Origins of 'Conspiracy Theory'
A new book shows how a phrase made its way from the crime pages to our political arguments—and picked up a passel of meanings along the way.
Terrorists and Criminals Reportedly Got $37.5 Billion From COVID Relief and Other U.K. Aid Programs
Britain has long wasted taxpayer money on frivolous projects. A secret dossier suggests it has now outdone itself.
Nude Shrek Text to Ohio State Senator Reportedly Lands Blogger in Jail
Free speech experts say the “Shrext” is protected by the First Amendment.
Australia Tried To Tax Smoking Out of Existence. Now 80% of Tobacco Aussies Consume Is From the Black Market.
With cigarettes costing around $40 a pack, Australia’s war on smoking has become a case study in how prohibitionist policies create black markets, violence, and criminal power.
The Other Vindictive Part of Kilmar Abrego Garcia's Case
A judge last week threw out a criminal indictment against him on the grounds that it was tainted by vindictiveness. But that same spirit infects another part of his story that few people have discussed.
Trump's 'Anti-Weaponization Fund' Is Built on a Contradiction
The president has fought to make sure alleged victims of government misconduct cannot get compensation. What changed?
Don't Blame ChatGPT for the Florida State Shooting
A new lawsuit claims that ChatGPT gave the shooter information about busy times on campus and how to use guns.
Zyn Pouches Are Safer Than Cigarettes. Why Are Some Politicians Targeting Them?
Making less harmful products harder to get pushes people toward more dangerous ones.
A SCOTUS Case Exposes the Dangers of 2 Misguided Fourth Amendment Doctrines
"Geofence" searches illustrate the perilous combination of modern technology and deference to law enforcement.
Why the Federal Government Can't Charge Anyone With 'Domestic Terrorism'
Federal law defines the term but there is no federal statute to charge someone with "domestic terrorism."
Prison Doesn't Work the Way You Think
Economist Jennifer Doleac discusses why long sentences don’t reduce crime, how first-time defendants benefit from leniency, and why clearance rates are key to crime reduction.
3 Disasters That Legal Weed Didn't Unleash—Despite the Forecasts
From higher crime to teenage stoners, here are things that the weed debate got wrong.
What Happens If There's a Murder in Antarctica?
No single government controls the South Pole, so how do they deal with crime?
Virginia's Impending 'Assault Firearm' Ban Is Logically and Constitutionally Dubious
The ban, which targets guns based on criteria that make little sense, seems vulnerable to a challenge under the Supreme Court's Second Amendment precedents.
CNN Retracts Terrible Post About Alleged Terrorists at New York City Mayor's Mansion
"In less than an hour, their lives would drastically change as the pair would be arrested for throwing homemade bombs."
96 Percent of People Charged With Human Trafficking Are U.S. Citizens
Just 26 undocumented immigrants faced federal trafficking charges in 2023.
In 2024, Trump Rejected Numbers Showing a Homicide Drop As a 'Lie.' Now He Is Bragging About Them.
While running against Kamala Harris, Trump claimed homicides were "skyrocketing," disregarding the data contradicting that assertion.
The Trump Administration Is Taking Credit for a Long-Running Murder Decline
2025 is on track to have the largest drop in the murder rate in recorded history.
What the Media Gets Wrong About Crime
Crime analyst Jeff Asher explains the historic decline in murders, why Americans distrust crime statistics, and what the data actually show about public safety.
If 'You Bring a Gun' to D.C., U.S. Attorney Jeanine Pirro Warns, 'You're Going to Jail'
The prosecutor's threat renewed concerns about the Trump administration's commitment to protecting Second Amendment rights.
Uvalde Cop's Acquittal Shows Why It's Hard To Criminalize Failing To Stop a Mass Shooting
A Texas jury found Adrian Gonzales not guilty of endangering children by failing to confront the gunman at Robb Elementary School.
A School District Cop Allegedly Did Nothing To Stop the Uvalde Mass Shooting. Was That Failure a Crime?
Adrian Gonzales is on trial for acts of "omission" that prosecutors say amounted to 29 felony counts of child endangerment.
