Where Did All the English Majors Go?
A NewYorker essay on why no one studies English anymore.
Education
TikTok and How Congress Treats Americans Like 'Unruly Children'
Plus: The editors puzzle over Donald Trump’s latest list describing his vision for America.
The Place Where Property Law Happens in New York City
By an amazing coincidence, a current property dispute is occurring at the site of a storied property law case.
Decades of Subsidies Have Made the Essentials of Middle-Class Life Increasingly Difficult To Afford
The basics of middle-class life are too expensive. But more subsidies won't help.
The Government Is Subsidizing Microchip Firms—While Making It More Expensive To Produce Microchips
Politicians say they want to subsidize various industries, but they sabotage themselves by weighing the policies down with rules that have nothing to do with the plans.
Thoughts on Today's Supreme Court Student Loan Forgiveness Oral Arguments
The justices seem to be clearly leaning against the Biden Administration on the merits. The procedural issue of standing is a closer call, though ultimately more likely than not to come out the same way.
Is Investigating a School Sexting Incident the Same as Possessing Child Porn? A Judge Says No.
Bradley Bass' case in Colorado says a lot about just how powerful prosecutors are.
40 Percent of Liberal Professors Are Afraid They'll Lose Their Jobs Over a Misunderstanding
A new survey from FIRE reveals rampant illiberalism and self-censorship among young faculty.
Today at the Supreme Court: Biden's Student Loan Cancellation Plan on Trial
The Supreme Court considers the scope of presidential power in Biden v. Nebraska and Department of Education v. Brown.
What is at Stake in Florida Higher Ed Reform Bill?
A poorly drafted and conceptually ambitious upending of norms of state university independence
Showdown Over Student Loan Forgiveness Hits Supreme Court Tomorrow
Plus: Texas prosecutors can't criminally charge people who help others access out-of-state abortions, food trucks fight rules banning them in 96 percent of North Carolina city, and more...
Higher Education "Reform" in Florida
Some of the proposals pose real threats to free inquiry
Ron DeSantis Wants To Cultivate 'Viewpoint Diversity' by Censoring Universities
Florida's H.B. 999 claims to support "viewpoint diversity" and "intellectual rigor." It does just the opposite.
Journal of Free Speech Law: "The Virtue of Tolerance in Hiring and Promotion by Private Institutions,"
by Prof. Peter de Marneffe (Ariz. State).
Vanderbilt DEI Administrators in Trouble for Using ChatGPT To Write a Statement About Michigan Mass Shooting
But DEI administrators' statements have always been pointless and generic
My Daughter's School District Warns That Nicotine Vapers Could Be Unknowingly Inhaling Fentanyl
It is hard to find evidence of this "disturbing trend."
Arizona House Passes a Bill That Would Force Children To Say the Pledge of Allegiance
"The current law is that parents have a right to direct the education of their child,'' said the bill's sponsor. "And this is a parents' rights state.''
No, the HEROES Act Doesn't Let Biden Forgive Student Loans
"If it was an emergency, why wait three years to provide the forgiveness? Why present it in a political framework, as fulfilling a campaign promise?" said one higher education expert.
The Answer to Population Decline Is More Immigration
Politicians' go-to fixes like child tax credits and federal paid leave are known for creating disincentives to work without much impact on fertility.
Colorado Cop Kills a Man Who Accidentally Got Into the Wrong Car
Richard Ward's family has filed a federal civil rights lawsuit against Pueblo County and five sheriff's office officials over a shooting incident that left him dead.
My New SCOTUSblog Article on the Loan Forgiveness Cases Currently Before the Supreme Court
The article explains the broader issues at stake in these cases, and why the Court would do well to rule against the administration.
To Increase 'Equity,' This California High School Is Eliminating Honors Courses
"I was born in Cuba, and it doesn't sound good when people are trying to achieve equal outcomes for everyone," said one parent.
Bad Schools Aren't Always Underfunded
"More money can help schools succeed, but not if they fritter those extra resources in unproductive ways," says one researcher.
Public Schools Are Failing Students with Disabilities
A New York Times investigation accidentally makes the case for school choice by detailing how poorly public schools are serving vulnerable students.
Under No Circumstances Did Joe Biden Save Social Security
Plus: a listener question on prohibition and a lightning round on the editors' favorite Super Bowl moments
Federalist Society Panel on "Discussion, Coercion, and the Pursuit of Truth" at Law Schools
The panel was moderated by Fifth Circuit Judge James Ho, and included former Solicitor General Paul Clement, Prof. Renee Lettow Lerner, legal journalist David Lat, lawyer Jay Edelson, and me.
Free Speech Group Calls Out 10 Censorship-Prone Colleges To Avoid
A rogues’ gallery of institutions that anybody with an independent mind should skip.
After Muslim Students Complained That an Art Exhibit Was 'Harmful,' Macalester College Shut It Down
"My artwork is unapologetic," said the artist. "Sometimes it can be very political. Sometimes it can be very controversial."
GWU Law Student Gov't Directs People to Stop Saying/Writing "Illegal," "Alien," and "Assimilation" re: Immigration
It's the "Immigration - Written and Oral Reform Declaration (I-WORD) Joint Resolution" from 2021.
"Third-Party Standing" Doctrine Shouldn't be Used to Block Lawsuits Challenging Biden's Student Loan Forgiveness Plan
Legal scholar Michael Dorf claims Supreme Court should rule on this basis. But the doctrine doesn't apply to this case, and is dubious anyway.
The Fight Over the Debt Ceiling Is Just Beginning
Legislators will increasingly argue over how to spend a diminishing discretionary budget while overall spending simultaneously explodes.
Biden's Claims About Universal Pre-K Are Malarkey
During the State of the Union, Biden claimed that "children who go to preschool are nearly 50 percent more likely to finish high school and go on to earn a two- or four-year degree," but evidence in favor of universal pre-k programs is lacking.
Arguments for Standing in the Student Loan Cases
A few thoughts on the states' brief and their amici
DEI Inc. v. Academic Freedom
Amna Khalid and Jeffrey Aaron Snyder argue that we should not kid ourselves about the threat university DEI bureaucracies pose to academic freedom, but is there a better way?
Police Officer Who Kneeled on a 12-Year-Old Girl's Neck Faces a Federal Lawsuit
According to the suit, the officer "acted with malice or in reckless disregard of Jane Doe's federally protected rights."
Children Lost One-Third of a Year of Learning During the Pandemic, Analysis Finds
"The COVID-19 learning deficit is likely to affect children's life chances through their education and labour market prospects," the analysis' authors argue.
