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.
Economics
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.
Flight Prices Rise
Plus: AI and entitlements, a new Turing prize winner, eight donuts a day, the first trailer for Dune 3, and more...
The Federal Spending Spree Will Make the Next Economic Shock Even Worse
Growing federal debt hobbles the government’s ability to respond to crises.
Peter Navarro Promised $700 Billion in Tariff Revenue. The Actual Amount Was About $240 Billion.
That’s roughly 12 whole days of government spending.
Washington State Just Passed a 9.9% Income Tax on Those Making $1 Million
The new tax “is probably one of the biggest changes in Washington state political history since our founding,” says one state representative.
Kavanaugh Should Be Embarrassed by Trump's Praise for His Tariffs Dissent
Plus: Brian Doherty, RIP.
How Chile's Free Market Miracle Survived a Resurgent Left
Outgoing President Gabriel Boric predicted that Chile would go from being neoliberalism’s “cradle” to its “grave.” His movement got buried instead.
Tax the Rich All You Want. It Won't Fix the Deficit.
The problem is not that the government collects too little. It's that the government spends too much.
The Trump Administration Just Declared All Foreign Exports Unfair
By the administration's logic, Iowa is hurting Arizona by producing so much corn. This is a very silly way to think about economic policy.
Louisiana Requires 500 Hours of Training To Braid Hair Professionally. This Bill Would Increase It.
Many states have deregulated hair braiding, but Louisiana lawmakers want to tighten regulations by demanding more coursework, including on the ancient origins of braiding.
War Rations
Plus: Pete Hegseth spends millions on lobster tail and rib-eye steak, oil prices go for another roller-coaster ride, no inflation increase, and more...
The Federal Government's Crusade Against Anthropic Raises First Amendment Concerns
Trump administration officials openly seek to punish the AI company for its corporate philosophy.
Trump's New Tariff Plan Still Asserts a Crisis That Does Not Exist
The president’s invocation of Section 122 conflates a trade deficit with a balance-of-payments deficit.
Am I an Evil, Selfish Scalper for Selling My World Cup Tickets for a Profit?
The buyer, seller, and FIFA middleman were all happy with how the transaction went.
Liberty Justice Center Files Lawsuit Challenging Trump's Section 122 Tariffs
LJC is the group with which I worked on the IEEPA tariff case decided by the Supreme Court.
March Madness
Plus: A seventh American has been killed in the Iran conflict, the U.S. is almost certainly responsible for school strike, how Lindsey Graham helped start the war, and more...
250 Years Later, The Wealth of Nations Still Has Lessons To Offer the Political Class
Governments have yet to accept that free societies are also prosperous societies.
The 'Fairness' Law That Could Raise Grocery Prices for New Yorkers
Legislators are trying to pass their own state version of an outdated antitrust law—one that is dead at the federal level for a reason.
The Joys of Data Centers: Debunking the Backlash Against the $7 Trillion AI Building Boom
Contrary to the claims of the not-in-my-backyard technophobes, all this growth comes with minimal environmental downsides.
Do You Have a Right To Work From Home? This Australian Politician Thinks So.
A proposal in Victoria would require every business, no matter the size, to allow two days of remote work a week.
California Billionaire Wealth Tax Would Cost the State $25 Billion, New Research Finds
"If Californians approve this measure in November, they may discover too late that the wealth they hoped to tax has already left the state—with jobs and economic opportunities not far behind."
The Federal Government Was Told To Make a List of Everything It Funds. 15 Years Later, There Still Isn't One.
A sad commentary on the sprawling size and eye-watering cost of the government.
