Trade Wars, Meet Actual Wars
Plus: Congress shrugs, a cat cafe unionizes, and Liz Wolfe checks in, and more...
Economics
US Court of International Trade Orders Refund of All Illegally Collected IEEPA Tariffs
Importantly, the Court ordered payment of refunds even to those businesses who have not filed a lawsuit to claim them.
Europe's Labor Rules Are Holding It Back
As the U.S. loosens regulations for workers, the E.U. takes the opposite approach.
This Bill in New York State Would Protect Lawyers From AI Competition
And a committee in the state Senate just unanimously approved it.
The Sanders-Khanna 'Billionaire Tax' Would Make All Americans Poorer
The senators are ignoring the predictable consequences of their wealth tax.
Anthropic Labeled a Supply Chain Risk, Banned from Federal Government Contracts
OpenAI has entered a contract with the Defense Department allowing all lawful use of ChatGPT after Anthropic refused to remove its restrictions on domestic mass surveillance and fully autonomous weapons systems.
Zohran Mamdani's $70 Million Grocery Gamble
Amid a $5.4 billion budget deficit, the mayor of New York City is pushing forward with a proposal that has historically yielded terrible results.
It's the Spending, Stupid!
The truest measure of government in our lives is the federal budget, which is out of control.
Trump Thinks Any Judge Who Rules Against Him Is in League With the 'Radical Left'
The president's wildly inaccurate ideological labels are no more meaningful than his other ad hominem attacks on people who disagree with him.
Katie Miller Is Trying To Sell MAGA on Solar Energy
Stephen Miller's wife is giving renewables a P.R. boost.
This Taxation Is Looking a Lot Like Theft
The Trump administration is trying to avoid paying refunds after illegally collecting $175 billion from its emergency tariff scheme.
National Constitution Center "We the People" Podcast About the Supreme Court Tariff Decision
I was one of the participants, along with Zach Shemtob (SCOTUSblog) and Julie SIlverbrook (NCC).
Society for the Rule of Law Podcast About the Tariff Decision
Gregg Nunziata interviewed me.
The 4 Economic Myths Powering Trump's New Tariff Push
American businesses and consumers absorbed nearly 90 percent of the 2025 tariffs' economic burden, the Federal Reserve Bank of New York found.
Trump's Tariff Troubles
Plus: Minnesota Medicaid funds, AI vs. jobs, Taylor Lorenz's libertarian moment, and more...
Peru's Marxist President Changes His Mind, Doesn't Make Hernando de Soto Prime Minister
The libertarian-leaning economist warns of the coming “Venezuelization” of Peru.
Will the Trump Administration Pay the Tariff Refunds It Promised?
It said that if it lost in court, it would refund companies that paid unlawful tariffs. Now it says the process could take years.
Pete Buttigieg: Federal Agents Are Losing Public Trust
Former Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg discusses immigration enforcement, the role of government, and why federal agencies are losing public trust.
Thoughts on the Potential Broader Significance of the Supreme Court's Tariff Decision
Only time will tell how great the impact of the ruling will really be. But, at this point, it seems like a very significant decision.
The Supreme Court's Tariff Decision Vindicates the Rule of Law and the Separation of Powers
Although Trump has other options for taxing imports, the justices reminded him that he needs clear congressional authorization.
5 Reasons To Doubt Trump's Boast About Bringing Down Fentanyl Smuggling
A drop in seizures doesn't necessarily mean a decline in the supply.
Trump's Tariffs Are Not Going To Eliminate the Income Tax
And that's especially true if the tariffs are illegal.
Trump Says Tech Companies Should Build Their Own Power Plants for AI Data Centers
The plan recognizes that public opinion is what's holding data centers back the most.
Don't Believe Trump's Brags About Bringing Down Drug Prices
The president can't just bring prices down with the stroke of his pen, no matter what he claimed in his State of the Union speech.
3 Bogus Economic Stats in Trump's State of the Union
President Donald Trump tossed out a bunch of economic statistics during his State of the Union address. Here are three that are just plain wrong.
Trump Demands Congress Ban Large Investors Owning Homes. Here's Why That's a Bad Idea.
Large investors are a small, beneficial presence in the single-family home market.
Court Rules Chicago Is Liable for $163 Million in Overcharged Parking and Sticker Fines
A 2018 class action lawsuit argued that Chicago was unlawfully overcharging residents for parking and sticker fines.
My New Boston Globe Article on Why "Trump's New Tariffs are Another Dangerous Presidential Power Grab"
The article explains why the new Section 122 tariffs are illegal, and courts should strike them down, when (as is likely) lawsuits are filed against them.
Trump Can't Filibuster Through the 6-Year Itch
Those expecting fireworks at tonight's State of the Union will have to sit through the tedious resume-padding of a flagging president.
Eileen Gu Shouldn't Be Surprised That Americans Are Mad at Her for Competing for China
Plus: How to win the medal count, and how Free Agent readers want to fix the Olympics
In Tariffs Dissent, Clarence Thomas Embraced a Dangerous Theory of Executive Power
The conservative justice’s regrettable opinion in Learning Resources v. Trump.
Trump Replaces Old Illegal Tariffs With New Illegal Tariffs
Plus: The U.S. could be going to war with Iran, the 2026 Winter Olympic Games, and why AI surveillance is worrying civil libertarians
Trump's Rationale for His New Tariffs Contradicts the Position He Took Before His Supreme Court Defeat
The president is relying on a provision that the government's lawyers said had no "obvious application" to his goal of reducing the trade deficit.
It Looks Like the End of the Road for Rideshare Alternative Empower in D.C.
The company may soon shutter its operations in the District of Columbia, following recent decisions by the D.C. Superior Court and Court of Appeals.
My New Dispatch Article on the Tariff Decision, its Implications - and a Key Issue the Court Did Not Resolve
The Court stopped a massive presidential power grab, but did not resolve a crucial issue about judicial review of executive use of emergency powers.
Trump's New Tariffs Are Probably Illegal Too
Attorneys for the Trump administration even admitted that Section 122 can't be applied to address trade deficits. Trump is now trying to do that anyway.
The Roberts Court Rejects Trump's Tariffs
An initial take on Learning Resources v. Trump.
Trump's Tantrum Over the Tariff Decision Highlights His Narcissistic Authoritarianism
The president neither understands nor appreciates the vital role of judicial independence in upholding the rule of law.
The Supreme Court Didn't Fully End the Trade War, but It Reinforced Limits on the Presidency
President Trump will undoubtedly keep trying to impose protectionism, but his options are limited.
Andrew McCarthy on "Why Trump's Section 122 Tariffs Are Illegal"
The prominent conservative legal commentator outlines the case against Trump's latest tariff power grab.
Trump on the Supreme Court's Tariff Decision
It wasn't the Court's opinion that is an "embarrassment."
An MQD Receipt Justice Gorsuch Overlooked
Justices Kagan and Sotomayor have signed on to at least one opinion that expressly relied upon the major questions doctrine.
