Don't Let the Capitol Riot Become a 9/11-Style Excuse for Authoritarianism
Frightening events create openings for attacks on civil liberties.
Law enforcement
42 People Now Face Federal Charges for the Capitol Riot
Plus: Happy birthday to Wikipedia, Airbnb's pandemic rebound, and more...
Sedition Charges Are Almost Always a Terrible Idea
Laws against sedition have historically been used by insecure officials to punish critics.
No Federal Charges for Police Officer Who Killed 12-Year-Old Tamir Rice
Justice Department: “It is not enough to show that the officer made a mistake, acted negligently, acted by accident or mistake, or even exercised bad judgment.”
Pandemic Lockdown Battles Offer Glimpses of Political Conflicts to Come
Under punitive federalism, localities refuse dictates from above while state and federal officials retaliate.
Southern California Sheriffs Rebel Over Gavin Newsom's New Stay-at-Home Order
Policymakers "must not penalize residents for earning a livelihood, safeguarding their mental health, or enjoying our most cherished freedoms," said Orange County Sheriff Don Barnes.
Inside the NYPD's Biased Prostitution Policing
Plus: White women and Trump votes, Biden taps California AG as HHS Secretary, and more...
Florida Masseuse Ordered to Pay $31,573 After 'Soliciting' Robert Kraft To 'Commit Prostitution'
Charges against Kraft were (rightfully) dismissed. The women he patronized now have criminal records.
The "I'm for Legal Immigration" Dodge
My response to a common, but vacuous trope often brought up in debates about immigration policy.
The Feds Are Spreading Fake Facts About Fentanyl
While fentanyl is a dangerous drug, it is very difficult to overdose on it through accidental exposure.
More Cops Say They Won't Enforce Coronavirus Curfews
Plus: Biden definitely wins Georgia, Alaskans approve ranked-choice voting, Facebook faces next antitrust lawsuit, and more...
Coronavirus Curfews Are Trending Again, Despite Total Lack of Evidence They Help
Plus: Against the conservative case for antitrust action, New York City shuts down schools again, and more...
Major Cities Spend Weekend Prepping for Possible Election Night Riots
Plus: Fate of Texas drive-thru ballots still uncertain, exposure to diverse news sources is up, Oregon may lessen penalties for possessing drugs, and more...
Joe Biden Should Stop Bragging About the Violence Against Women Act
The Democratic nominee championed the law as a way to protect women. Instead, it hurt them.
The Republican Antitrust Suit Against Google Is a Progressive Dream
The government is going after Google not to stop consumer harm but to level the business playing field.
The Portland Protest Shooter's Death Looks More and More Like Excessive Force—but Trump Keeps Bragging About It
Plus: A tale of two townhalls, Matt Welch interviews Jo Jorgensen, Bill Gates talks antitrust, Ajit Pai moves on Section 230 study, and more...
Juror in Breonna Taylor Case Sues for Right To Reveal What Really Happened in Court
Plus: Presidential candidates take the stage tonight, the most-banned books of the last decade, and more...
Tasing Moms Who Refuse Masks Does Not Make the World a Healthier Place
Once a desire—or even a good idea—is turned into a mandate enforceable by the cops, violence is only one disagreement away.
Restrict Asset Forfeiture
It's time to do something about police seizures of property from innocent people.
Florida Drops Prostitution Case Against Robert Kraft, Still Pursues Charges Against the Women He Paid
Plus: DHS wants to ban some immigrants from getting four-year degrees, Louisiana cop who claimed attack admits he shot himself, and more...
Section 230's Latest Attacker: The Justice Department
A new DOJ proposal aims to bring the internet communications law in line with Trump's personal interpretation of it.
Resolve the 'Anarchist Jurisdictions' Dispute With Less Government Meddling
Peace will come only from leaving other people alone on the condition that they do the same for us.
Viral Videos Show Georgia Deputies Beating a Passenger for Not Having a Driver's License
Roderick Walker told deputies that he didn't need an ID since he wasn't driving.
The Julian Assange Case Threatens All Journalists Who Scrutinize Government Conduct
U.S. officials claim their espionage laws apply to the world, but constitutional protections do not.
The Feds Who Made America's Fentanyl Freakout Worse
Leaked police documents show how U.S. counterterrorism agencies spread myths and panic about fentanyl.
Kamala Night at the DNC: The Party Anoints Harris and Brags About Biden's Crime Bill
Plus: Court rules for Robert Kraft in massage parlor video case, Trump talks QAnon, and more...
81 Percent of Black Americans Want the Same Level, or More, of Police Presence: Gallup
Growing calls to defund or abolish cops in the wake of police-brutality protests are at odds with what most African Americans actually want.
The Weed Warriors Who Mistook Tea for Marijuana
The Hartes were the victims of a comically inept publicity stunt executed by cops who did not realize that hydroponic equipment could be used to grow tomatoes and did not know what loose-leaf tea looked like.
Lots of Talk But Much Less Action on Police Reform
Getting government officials to put their packs of enforcers on shorter leashes is the definition of an uphill battle.
The Feds Are Still the Jackbooted Thugs We Were Warned About
Government agents brutalizing people are in the wrong, whether or not we sympathize with those on the receiving end.
Where's Republican Federalism During Trump's Urban Invasions?
A president from a party supposedly committed to restraining the federal government is now sending enforcers to cities over local objections.
Trump Administration Justifies Federal Police Surge With Fake News
Plus: "learning pods" are an unfair target, COVID-19 reinfections are unlikely, and more...
Judge Says Teen Who Didn't Finish Online Schoolwork Must Stay Locked Up Until September
Plus: Portland protest updates, Kanye's candidacy, the ACLU's suit to protect Michael Cohen, and more...
The Pandemic Is a Lucrative Revenue Opportunity for Incompetent Politicians
If there's one thing at which governments have excelled during this crisis, it's been collecting fines from anybody who steps out of line.
ACLU Sues Federal Agents Deployed in Portland
The ACLU of Oregon says it's the first of many lawsuits regarding the Trump administration's deployment of federal law enforcement to Portland.
A Pandemic of Surveillance
Americans are increasingly monitored, and COVID-19 health concerns aren’t improving the situation.
Sen. Josh Hawley Says He 'Took on an Asian Trafficking Ring' and 'Freed a Dozen Women in Sex Slavery.' That's Not True.
As a state attorney, the young GOP senator oversaw raids of more than a dozen massage parlors, but he didn’t secure a single sex trafficking conviction.
Homeland Security Acting Like 'An Occupying Army' Says Sen. Wyden, After Federal Agents Shoot Peaceful Portland Protester
Plus: Free press threats, marriage licensing woes, Fiona Apple fights for prisoners, Trump spox talk up masks, and more...
Oklahoma Can't Break Congress's Promise That Native American Reservation Would Be 'Secure Forever,' Rules Supreme Court
Plus: Majority think people should be able to sue police officers, and more...
Robert Kraft and Florida Massage Workers Are Still Fighting Unconstitutional Surveillance Video
"Supreme Court jurisprudence...is heavily weighted against you," an appeals judge told state prosecutors last week.
Touching Your Phone While Driving Is Now Illegal in Idaho, Illinois, and Indiana
Plus: More (bad, weird, and occasionally good) new state laws that start taking effect today.
New York Arrests and Charges First Cop for Breaking a New Ban on Chokeholds
Plus: firework conspiracy theories, jobless claims, another cop is arrested, and more...
Glenn Loury: 'We're Being Swept Along by Hysteria' About Racism in America
The Brown University economist and outspoken critic of Black Lives Matter discusses George Floyd, social progress, and the state of political discourse.
Federal Policing Needs Reform Too
Deep ranks of enforcers with expansive powers and wide-ranging responsibilities will always pose a risk to the public, no matter which level of government employs them.
Business Licensing Makes It Too Easy for Politicians To Punish People They Don't Like
Making a living is a right, not a privilege, and should be respected as such.
Racially Skewed Policing Is Not a Statistical Mirage
One need not believe every cop is a bigot to recognize that the problem goes beyond a few "bad apples."
The Libertarian Roots of Police Reform: Q&A with Radley Balko
How to stop police killings and enact real, lasting reforms.
Treating Mental Illness With Care, Not Punishment, Goes Beyond Defunding Police
We need to remove all the ways that government deters people from seeking treatment.
