The White House Ballroom's Imported Steel Shows How Tariffs Encourage Cronyism
Any time government has greater control over commerce, there is an increased incentive to buy off officials or lobby for special treatment.
Economics
Why Is It So Damn Hard To Find Sympathetic Student Loan 'Victims'?
Less than half of the Class of 2024 took out college loans averaging $30,000—a manageable amount that buys over $1 million in extra lifetime earnings.
What if Social Security Was Capped at $100,000 Annually?
One weird trick could extend Social Security's solvency while reducing payments to the wealthiest households. But it doesn't go far enough.
Trump's New Budget—Which Proposes $1.5 Trillion for Defense—Is Unserious. You Should Still Take It Seriously.
It would be easy to wave it away and move on. But that's how the U.S. got in such a dire fiscal situation.
'They're Going To Go Elsewhere': Steve Forbes on Why Taxing the Rich Backfires
"For the first time since California came into the union," the publisher and businessman says, "they're having out-migration."
Sam Altman's (Not So) New Deal for Superintelligent AI
The plan’s deregulatory planks merit praise. Its calls for central planning and redistribution do not.
Our Amicus Brief in the Section 122 Tariff Case
I submitted the brief on behalf of the Cato Institute and myself.
Viktor Orban's Hungary Exemplifies the Perils of Nationalism
As a new analysis by Johan Norberg shows, the regime many MAGA Republicans see as a model to emulate has repressed civil liberties, undermined the free market, destroyed the rule of law, and made Hungary the poorest nation in the European Union.
Why Does Trump Want the Biggest Defense Budget Ever?
Plus: Trump’s budget ignores the deficit, NASA’s Artemis program faces delays and rising costs, and a listener asks about libertarian alternatives to Medicare for All.
Trump's College Sports Executive Order Adds Chaos to an Already Wild Legal War
Plus: Fox and Sinclair go crying to the FCC over sports streaming, and the Masters ticket lottery makes it too hard to get in
Ro Khanna: Congress Has Surrendered on War
The California congressman discusses the Iran war, unchecked executive power, California’s wealth tax debate, and the search for a shared American identity.
The Labor Department Just Freed Contractors—Again. Congress Still Needs To Act.
The government's new rule reverses a Biden-era anti-contracting directive and returns to a more contractor-friendly posture. But will this tug of war ever end?
Trump's Call for a $1.5 Trillion Military Budget Is Irresponsible, Wasteful, and Unrealistic
The proposal is "an enormous waste of taxpayer dollars and would make Americans less, not more, safe." Thankfully, Congress is unlikely to adopt it.
Bye-Bye, Bondi
Plus: pro-tech media sells to big tech, Trump's new tariffs, jobs numbers, and more...
The World Bank Used To Champion Markets. Now It's Surrendering to State-Led Industrialization.
The reversal wasn't because the economics changed. It is because their biggest shareholders turned toward industrial policy.
Infographic: Who Really Pays for Tariffs? These Scholars Tracked a Bottle of Wine To Find Out.
Consider it a boozy, tariff-themed version of "I, Pencil."
War and/or Peace
Plus: back to the moon, one year since "Liberation Day," birthright citizenship at the Supreme Court, Jonathan lives, and more...
On 'Liberation Day,' Trump Promised a Manufacturing Boom. The Data Tell a Different Story.
More than 89,000 manufacturing workers lost their jobs in the past year as tariffs caused input prices to rise and squeezed blue-collar industries.
A Year After 'Liberation Day,' Trump's Tariffs Will Never Be Legitimate Without a Vote in Congress
The Trump administration keeps trying to find legal loopholes, but the will of the people is the final judge of any major policy.
Trump's Mercurial, Constantly Changing Import Taxes Took American Businesses on a Wild Ride
There was little rhyme or reason to the president's "emergency" tariffs, which fluctuated wildly depending on his mood.
How Capitalism Lost the Working Class
Brink Lindsey discusses the gap between mass prosperity and mass flourishing, capitalism’s crisis of inclusion, and the implications of falling fertility.
Illegal To Defund NPR?
Plus: Judge stops Trump's ballroom, Iran announcement incoming, NASA takes steps to go back to the moon, and more...
10 Years Ago Today, Trump Promised To Eliminate the National Debt. Instead, It Has Doubled.
Trump's ridiculous, grandiose promise tells us something about the federal government's fiscal affairs and the president's approach to policy.
Seattle University "Dean's Luminaries in Law" Interview on Immigration, Invasion, the Tariff Case, and More
I was interviewed by Seattle University Law School of Law Dean Tony Varona and Prof. Andrew Siegeil.
Chicago Progressives Voted To Freeze Minimum Wage Hikes for Restaurant Workers. Why Won't the Mayor Listen?
While eliminating the tipped wage may sound like a win on paper for waiters, the results have been disconcerting.
Judge Rejects 'Orwellian Notion' That Anthropic Is a Supply Chain Risk for Disagreeing With the Government
Judge Rita Lin's preliminary injunction confirms what government officials had implicitly acknowledged: The supply chain risk designation was punishment, not policy.
Why Democrats Should Talk About Trump's Tariffs as a 'Threat to the Rule of Law'
Rep. Jimmy Panetta says Democrats have "learned the hard way" that handing over so much tariff authority to the executive branch is a bad idea.
The Hidden Costs of Elizabeth Warren's 'Ultra-Millionaire' Tax
The Massachusetts senator fails to consider how her tax would harm middle class Americans and slow economic growth.
Great Moments in Unintended Consequences: Colombian Coca, Seattle PayUp Law, Dog Bombs (Vol. 21)
Good intentions, bad results.
How Taxes Are Reshaping Where Americans Live and Work
Increasing income taxes almost always results in less revenue and less economic activity.
America's Deeply Unserious Federal Government Is Becoming a Real Problem
From long TSA lines to air traffic control issues to the chaotic war in Iran, it's all the result of a government that won't take its powers or responsibilities seriously.
Trump Can't TACO His Way Out of Iran
The president is good at backing out of a losing bet—but this time, it's out of his hands.
Politicians Want To Fix the Economy. So Why Do They Keep Making It Worse?
"Central planning doesn't work because everybody has different ideas for themselves," says Ryan McMaken of the Mises Institute.
Donald Trump and Markwayne Mullin Insist That Politics Should Prevail Over Principle
The president and his new DHS secretary are enraged by jurists and legislators who refuse to toe the party line.
Ignore the Haters—March Madness Is Alive and Well In Spite of Transfers and NIL
Plus: Tournament expansion looks like a terrible idea, enjoy baseball while you can, and the newest season of Shoresy
Welfare on Wheels: The Truth About the Supposed Truck Driver Shortage
Is there really a truck driver shortage? Or are companies just using that story to pull off an outrageous corporate welfare scam?
It's Time To Abolish the TSA
Plus: the real legacy of Cesar Chavez, blue state tax policies are driving out wealth, and a jury clears Afroman in a free speech case.
Seattle's Minimum Wage Laws Backfired on Uber and Lyft. Now the Union Wants To Limit Drivers.
As demand for trips has plummeted in the wake of the wage hikes, the Drivers Union is trying to limit the number of gig workers on the road.
Blame U.S. Regulations for China's Dominance in Rare-Earth Minerals
America once dominated the rare-earth market, but permitting requirements are holding the industry back.
Judges and Justices Should Be Independent, Trump Says, As Long As They Side With Him
The president says federal courts should not make decisions based on partisan considerations unless it benefits him.
Cesar Chavez's Other Crimes
Accused of rape and sexual abuse, the late labor organizer's UFW mercilessly bilked its members and taxpayers for years.
My New Liberalism.Org Article on How "Immigration Restrictions Restrict Americans' Liberties"
Liberalism.Org is a new initiative established by the Institute for Humane Studies.
Medicaid Fraud Isn't Just a Minnesota Problem. Here Are 5 Other Recent Schemes.
From charging patients for black market drugs to providing medically unnecessary treatments, fraudsters have been gaming Medicare and Medicaid for decades.
California's Billionaire Tax Won't Save Hospitals
The state's funding crisis is driven by a third-party payment system in which roughly 90 cents of every American health care dollar is paid by someone other than the patient.
Cesar Chavez Accused of Sexual Abuse
Plus: Mullin vs. Paul, the metaverse lives, the Pentagon wants $200 for the war in Iran, and more...
Trump's Temporary Waiver of the Jones Act Only Illustrates Why the Law Should Be Permanently Trashed
The Trump administration has issued a 60-day waiver of a federal law that limits the number of ships allowed to carry goods between American ports.
