Tariffs on Chinese Goods Drop to 55%, but That's Cold Comfort for Consumers
Triple-digit bilateral tariffs have been brought down to double digits. Negotiations on semiconductors and rare earth elements will continue.
Economics
Review: Schedule I Is a Multiplayer Co-op Black Market Econ Simulator
A spiritual successor to the Drug Wars game that proliferated on high school graphing calculators
New Jersey Business Owners Sue City of Perth Amboy Over Bogus Blight Designation
Two business owners are suing the city of Perth Amboy for using eminent domain to seize their property based on unsubstantiated allegations of blight.
Extending the Trump Tax Cuts Is a Good Idea. But It Won't Deliver 'Big, Beautiful' Economic Growth.
The budget legislation is full of other expensive provisions that will add trillions to our sky-high national debt.
Tax Comparisons Show 'Free' Stuff is Very Expensive
And the stuff you get is of the government’s choosing—not yours.
Trump's Threats Against Musk and Newsom Reflect an Authoritarian Intolerance of Dissent
Even if the president was joking in both cases, he already has used his powers to punish people whose views offend him.
Federal Circuit Grants Government's Motion for Stay Pending Appeal in Our Tariff Case
It's disappointing. But the court will hear the case on the merits on an expedited basis, and we have a strong case.
Aspiring Barbers and Cosmetologists in Iowa Can Now Learn on the Job Instead of Paying Thousands for Classes
A new law creates an apprenticeship program allowing unlicensed Iowans to make an income from providing cosmetology and barbering services.
Laura Powell: Who's Most To Blame for the Latest L.A. Riots?
Attorney Laura Powell of Californians for Good Governance joins the show to discuss the civil unrest in Los Angeles following federal immigration raids.
Here Are 3 Reasons Why the 'Big Beautiful Bill' Won't Generate 3 Percent Growth
The White House is promising higher growth, but tariffs, borrowing, and rising interest rates will be a drag on those expectations.
Missouri Town Wants To Seize Local Businesses Over Chipped Paint and Cracked Sidewalks
Brentwood business owners are challenging the city’s definition of blight in an ongoing lawsuit against city officials' use of the dubious designation to invoke eminent domain.
My New UnPopulist Article on Synergies Between Litigation and Political Action in Resisting Trump
The article describes how the two can be mutually reinforcing, building on lessons from previous episodes in constitutional history.
This AI Company Wants Washington To Keep Its Competitors Off the Market
Anthropic CEO Dario Amodei is petitioning the government to throw roadblocks in his rivals' way.
Defending the Court of International Trade Ruling Against Trump's Tariffs - A Reply to John Yoo
Yoo's criticisms are off the mark, for a variety of reasons. But, tellingly, he actually agrees Trump's IEEPA tariffs are illegal, merely disagreeing with the court's reasons for reaching that conclusion.
Defending the Court of International Trade Ruling Against Trump's Tariffs - A Reply to Jack Goldsmith
The CIT ruling is much stronger than Prof. Goldsmith contends. The same is true of a related ruling by federal District Court Judge Rudolph Contreras.
How Tariffs Are Breaking the Manufacturing Industries Trump Says He Wants To Protect
Most imports to the U.S. are raw materials, intermediate parts, or equipment—the stuff that manufacturing firms need to make things.
This Small Business Is in Limbo As Owner Sues To Stop Trump's Tariffs
Next week could be a pivotal one, as a federal appeals court could decide whether to restore an injunction against Trump's tariffs.
The Legal Battle Over the Motion to Stay the Decision Against Trump's Tariffs
This crucial procedural issue is now before the US Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit. Its resolution will determine whether the tariffs are immediately suspended, or get to continue so long as the case is stil being litigated.
Why Can't Elon Musk and Donald Trump Both Win?
In a petty, public war of words, Trump threatens to cut off federal support to Musk's companies after the billionaire attacked his deficit-busting budget bill.
The Dreadful Policies Halting Archeological Discoveries
Italy is full of treasures from the ancient world, but its government is discouraging their discovery.
Another Divorce for Trump
Plus: A cynical take on Zohran Mamdani, Florida's drinking water threatened, and more...
Milton Friedman Disproved Trump's Argument for Tariffs Decades Ago
In a 1978 appearance at Utah State University, the Nobel Prize–winning economist provided the perfect retort to those who blindly argue we should "build in America."
No, Trade With China Did Not Kill the U.S. Economy
A new comprehensive review finds the negative effects of trade with China have been significantly exaggerated.
Overruling Trump's Tariffs Should Be an Easy Decision for SCOTUS
Plus: A love letter to the heavy metal band Slayer.
What Ronald Reagan's Fusionist Politics Teach Us About Liberty, Virtue, and Their Limits
Fusionism holds that virtue and liberty are mutually reinforcing, and that neither is possible in any lasting or meaningful way without the other.
Morning Consult Poll Indicates Judicial Invalidation of Trump's Tariffs is Popular
The poll finds 55% approve and only 30% disapprove of the recent ruling against his IEEPA tariffs.
Michael McConnell on the Tariff Cases and their Significance
A leading conservative legal scholar explains why striking down Trump's IEEPA tariffs is vital to protecting the separation of powers.
The 'Big Beautiful Bill' Will Add $2.4 Trillion to the Deficit
That total will rise to about $3 trillion once the interest costs of more borrowing are included.
Belated Republican Objections to the One Big Beautiful Bill Glide Over Its Blatant Fiscal Irresponsibility
House members who discovered objectionable elements only after voting for the package nevertheless underline the unseemly haste of the legislative process.
A First Amendment Right To Preach Orgasm?
As the prosecution rests in the OneTaste case, the defense lays out the free speech implications if the government succeeds.
Trump's Haste Begets Lawlessness
The president treats legal constraints as inconveniences that can be overridden by executive fiat.
D.C. Pauses Plans To Hike Minimum Wage for Tipped Workers
The issue has long polarized a city that is dominated by liberal and progressive politics and politicians, some of whom have confronted that good intentions do not equal good outcomes here.
It's Rand Paul and Elon Musk vs. Donald Trump Over the 'Big Beautiful Bill'
Paul said he refuses to support "maintaining Biden spending levels," and Musk said the Trump-backed tax bill is "a disgusting abomination."
Does the Smoot-Hawley Act Justify the Trump Tariffs? Probably Yes, Says Jed Rubenfeld
Probably yes, says Jed Rubenfeld; no, says Philip Zelikow.
Compendium of Writings About the Trump Tariff Case [Updated]
Links to my writings about our case against Trump's "Liberation Day" Tariffs and related issues.
The Tariff Downturn
Plus: Drilling in the Alaskan wilderness, Harvard tries "wastefulness" argument, Stephen Miller tells on himself, and more...
These 4 Industries Successfully Lobbied Trump for Tariff Exemptions
Trump's trade war has created a carve-out bonanza for industries with political connections and big lobbying budgets.
Trump's Attack on the Federalist Society Is a Bad Omen for Originalism
The MAGA loyalty that Trump demands is anathema to everything that originalism is supposed to be about.
Welcoming Anti-Trump Liberals to the Free Trade Club
The real case for free trade is not "my enemies hate it" or "it's cheaper for me, personally" but "it makes the world richer, freer, and more peaceful."
How Trump's Tariffs and Immigration Policies Could Make Housing Even More Expensive
Out-of-control housing costs helped Trump win the 2024 election. Is he about to make the problem worse?
Hub and UnPopulist Podcasts About the Tariff Case
The podcasts cover the case and its relationship to the more general problem of abuse of emergency powers.
DOGE's Newly Listed 'Regulatory Savings' for Businesses Have Nothing to Do With Cutting Federal Spending
DOGE says regulatory changes will save $29.4 billion, but that does not amount to a reduction in government outlays, the initiative's ostensible target.
Two Courts Have Ruled Against Trump's Tariffs—but Not for the Same Reasons
Both are wins for free trade, but only one vindicates the separation of powers.
