John Cleese's War on Wokeism
The Monty Python legend says political correctness is ruining creativity in all aspects of human activity.
Culture
Brickbats: August/September 2022
News of politicians, police, and bureaucrats behaving badly from around the world.
Not Even the FDA Trusts the FDA To Regulate Food Safety
The FDA has effectively thrown up its hands over its most important food-related role.
The Reason Interview With Nick Gillespie
John Cleese: Wokeism Is the Enemy of Comedy—and Creativity
The Monty Python legend says political correctness poisons thinking in all areas of human activity.
The Dark Knight Rises Was a Cautionary Tale About Populism
Ten years after its release, the final film of Christopher Nolan's Batman trilogy is possibly even more relevant.
Shakira Going to Trial in Spanish Tax Evasion Case
The Colombian singer faces up to eight years in prison and a hefty fine after rejecting a plea deal offered by Spanish prosecutors.
Gavin Newsom Thinks California Is Freer Than Florida. Is He Crazy?
If Newsom wants to pick a fight with Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, he should try a different topic.
Mitt Romney's Family Plan Isn't Great, but It May Be Better Than the Alternatives
Whether the federal government should be subsidizing families at all is another matter.
After 'Censorship' Claims, Hulu Will Air Democrats' Abortion and Gun Ads
Plus: DeSantis threatens Miami restaurant over drag performances, Hawley blasts Amazon acquisition that might lower health care prices, and more…
The Progressive Imperialism of Smedley Butler
The Marine turned anti-imperialist had two very different legacies, but both clearly emerged from the same man.
Penn Jillette: Did His Libertarianism Survive Trump and COVID?
The larger, louder half of Penn & Teller talks masks, vaccines, compassion, Bob Dylan, and much, much more.
Capitalism Killed the Choco Taco. It's Also Resurrecting It.
The announcement that Unilever will discontinue the popular treat has small-time entrepreneurs and big-money investors rushing to keep the product alive.
We Don't Need a White House Monkeypox 'Coordinator.' We Just Need the Vaccines.
The feds botch another epidemic.
Did Congress Just Attempt To Do Its Job?
Plus: The editors each consider a book they might secretly want to write one day.
My Baby Needed Special Formula From Europe. U.S. Trade Policy Made It Almost Unobtainable.
The FDA should not stand in the way of parents doing what’s best for their children.
Hobbes' Leviathan and Thousands of Others Were Off-Limits to Catholics
Leviathan was a challenge to the governing independence of the Holy See.
New Jersey Breweries Push Back Against Crushing New Rules
New rules from the state alcohol control board could grind breweries into insolvency.
Venue Cancels Dave Chappelle Performance, Vows To Become 'the Safest Space'
"We hear you and we are sorry."
Glenn Greenwald on Tucker Carlson, Chelsea Manning, Russia, and Big Tech
"The kind of values I've always embraced are heard more on Fox than on CNN and MSNBC, where they're not welcome."
America's Meat Shortage Is Self-Inflicted and Fixable
How can it be that with so much cattle in America, we sometimes can't buy meat?
Marco Rubio Says He Won't Vote To Eliminate the Defense of Marriage Act, But His Explanation Makes No Sense
Rubio says states should decide marriage laws, but DOMA is a federal law that overruled state regulation.
Happy 200th Birthday, Gregor Mendel
Remembering the world’s first geneticist, and a tax protester to boot
Better Immigration Laws Could Help Lower Food Prices
The Senate is considering legislation that would improve the visa program for temporary agricultural workers and help relieve labor shortages that push food prices higher.
How Tariffs Are Making Summer Fun More Expensive, Less Safe
The U.S. International Trade Commission will hear from businesses harmed by tariffs at a hearing on Thursday.
Terrible Restrictions on Food Trucks Are Still a Thing
Atlanta, Sioux Center, and too many other cities and towns are still treating food trucks like second-class businesses.
California Bill Would Mandate That Legal Marijuana Products Come With Warning Labels, Brochures
An earlier draft of the bill, favored by the Los Angeles Times, would have required the labels be huge, with 12-point font and yellow backgrounds.
Lies, Damned Lies, and …
How a truly ridiculous statistical notion played its part in the January 6 uprising
Review: When Britain Banned Home Sales of The Exorcist
Even as it gained fans around the world, home sales of the film remained illegal in the U.K. until 1999.
Noah Rothman: The Progressive War on Fun
A conservative argues today's left is channeling Puritan theocrats when they try to prevent us from enjoying ourselves. Is he correct?
Inflation Hits 9.1 Percent, Highest Level in 41 Years
Inflation picked up speed in June, rather than slowing.
A New History of the Old Right
On the American right, populism has always been lurking in the shadows.
Boris Johnson Is Out as Britain's Prime Minister. Who Will Replace Him?
Plus: Why one pitcher wants the MLB to stop COVID testing, how shipping industry protectionism is slowing aid to Ukraine, and more...
Review: Marta Kubišová Challenged Czechoslovak Communism
Her 1969 Songy a Balady (Songs and Ballads) was yanked from shelves, only to reappear after the 1989 Velvet Revolution.
Pennsylvania Town Threatens Churches With $500 Fines for Providing Free Meals, Counseling Services
Borough officials in Pottstown, Pennsylvania, told Mission First and Christ Episcopal churches that their charitable work goes beyond what the zoning code allows for downtown churches.
The Troubling Meaning of the 'We Will Adopt Your Baby' Meme Wars
The debate isn’t a panorama of the whole American abortion war, but it is a snapshot of a key battle after a surprise victory, and it shows no path to peace.
The Quest for a Libertarian Island Paradise
Raymond B. Craib's new book recounts how Michael Oliver repeatedly tried to create a new country with a government funded entirely by voluntary contributions.
How Would You Change the Constitution?
I asked scholars, podcasters, and passersby how they'd change the nation's founding charter. Here's what they told me.
Brian Doherty: From MAD Magazine to Maus
A new history, Dirty Pictures, explores how underground comix revolutionized art and exploded censorship once and for all.
Is America Heading for a National Divorce?
Plus: A listener asks about Supreme Court legitimacy, and the editors practice "libertarian Festivus."
Brittney Griner's Russian Detention Is a Reminder of What Happens When You Declare War on Drugs
The WNBA player has been detained in Russia on drug possession charges since February.
