Thanksgiving Traffic Shows the Highway Trust Fund Is Running on Empty
Federal gas taxes no longer cover the cost of highways, leaving taxpayers to fill a growing multibillion-dollar gap.
Congress
Trump's Habitual Charges of 'Treason' Reflect His Authoritarian Impulses
The president’s reaction to a supposedly "seditious" video illustrates his tendency to portray criticism of him as a crime.
L.A. Mayor Karen Bass Says You Can Defeat NIMBYism by Building Less
Plus: The DOJ and RealPage reach a settlement, the ROAD to Housing Act hits a speed bump, and Donald Trump and Zohran Mamdani talk housing policy.
Federal Judge Dismisses Comey and James Indictments, Saying Trump's U.S. Attorney Appointment Was Illegal
The charges were dismissed without prejudice, so the Justice Department can try again.
Psychoactive Hemp Products Will Be Federally Prohibited in a Year Unless Congress Intervenes
A spending bill approved as part of the package that ended the federal shutdown aims to close a loophole that gave birth to $28 billion industry.
Trump Says Legislators Committed Treason by Noting That Soldiers Are Not Obligated To Obey Unlawful Orders
The president's authoritarian response to a video posted by six members of Congress, who he says "should be arrested and put on trial," validates their concerns.
Is Marjorie Taylor Greene's Break With Trump the Beginning of the End for MAGA?
She's praised Nancy Pelosi, said Republicans aren't doing enough to make things affordable, and is generally making a lot of sense. That's weird, but also good.
A Rookie Procedural Mistake by James Comey's Prosecutor Could Doom the Case Against Him
Interim U.S. Attorney Lindsey Halligan concedes that the grand jury never saw the "edited" version of the indictment.
Congress Votes To Open Up the Epstein Files
There probably is no “client list,” but the files could help answer some pressing questions—and open the door to more revelations.
Misconduct in the James Comey Case Stemmed From a Reckless Rush To Indict Him
A magistrate judge says the government’s missteps may warrant dismissal of the charges against the former FBI director.
This Gun Case Harks Back to Constitutional Concerns About the Limits of Federal Power That Now Seem Quaint
Congress justified that National Firearms Act of 1934 as a revenue measure—a rationale undermined by the repeal of taxes on suppressors and short-barreled rifles.
A Senate-Approved Bill Would Ban the Hemp-Derived THC Products That Congress Legalized in 2018
The appropriations bill, which the House is considering, would wipe out an industry that offers alternatives to cannabis consumers in states that still prohibit recreational marijuana use.
Jeffrey Epstein: Trump 'Spent Hours At My House' With Victim
Congressional investigators released emails from the late sex trafficker discussing how to leverage his relationship with the future president.
Reopening?
Plus: CCP lies about CPI, promising Trumpbucks from tariffs, and more...
'Emergency' Has Become Washington's Favorite Loophole. It's Cost Taxpayers $15 Trillion.
Over the last decade, roughly one in every 10 dollars of budget authority has worn an emergency tag.
Federal Prosecutors Flesh Out Their Case Against James Comey. It Still Looks Shaky.
The government posits that the former FBI director tried to conceal his interactions with a friend who was publicly described as "a longtime confidant" and an "unofficial media surrogate."
America's Longest Government Shutdown Shows Why We Must Free Air Traffic Control from Politics
Nations that moved air traffic control out of politics have better tech, no shutdown chaos, and stable funding. Congress keeps choosing dysfunction instead.
Trump Says His 'Armed Conflict' With Drug Traffickers Does Not Involve 'Hostilities'
The government is tying itself in knots to cast murder as self-defense and avoid legal limits on the president's use of the military.
Senate Investigations Find Medical Neglect and Other Human Rights Violations in Immigration Detention Centers
Two reports find that the detention system is failing to provide detainees with adequate food, water, and medical care.
About 1 in 5 Kids Are at Risk of Losing SNAP. Centralized Control Keeps Failing Low-Income Families.
The best way to ensure healthy outcomes and protect children from the partisan crossfire of D.C. politicking is to break the federal grip on nutrition programs.
The NBA's Integrity Problem Is a Cultural Issue—Regulating Sports Betting Won't Fix It
Plus: World Cup ticket prices and more government meddling in soccer
Congress Investigates TeaOnHer App for Letting Men Post About Women Without Their Consent
It sounds like something niche feminist bloggers might have taken up 10 years ago. But this is being led by Republican lawmakers in the House of Representatives.
Trump Dares Congress To Take Its War Powers Seriously in Venezuela
The president bet that no one would stop him from land attacks in Venezuela. And Congress hasn’t given him any reason to think otherwise.
Help Legislators Legislate Again
Legislative disfunction is at the root of many current controversies, and past legislation bears part of the problem.
Marc Benioff's Ideas for Fixing San Francisco Keep Getting Worse
The billionaire Salesforce CEO said Trump should use the National Guard to clean up San Francisco's streets.
Trump Erroneously Thinks Killing Suspected Smugglers Is the Key to Winning the Drug War
Until now, the president concedes, interdiction has been "totally ineffective." Blowing up drug boats won't change that reality.
Even Marjorie Taylor Greene Thinks Trump's Immigration and Trade Policies Go Too Far
“We have to do something about labor, and that needs to be a smarter plan than just rounding up every single person and deporting them,” the Georgia congresswoman said.
Trump Won't Invoke the Insurrection Act—As Long As He Can Use the National Guard However He Wants
If the courts try to enforce legal limits on the president's military deployments, he can resort to an alarmingly broad statute that gives him more discretion.
FBI Spied on Republican Lawmakers Using Surveillance Powers Many Supported
Senate Judiciary Committee head reveals legislators’ communications were monitored.
Rep. Chip Roy on Spending, Immigration, and the American Dream
"I think members of Congress believe that they get more popularity in votes by spending money. I actually disagree with that," the Texas Republican tells Reason.
Why a Trump Appointee Ruled That His National Guard Deployment in Portland Was Illegal
U.S. District Judge Karin Immergut concluded that the president's description of "War ravaged Portland" was "simply untethered to the facts."
Josh Hawley and Democrat Allies Target AI With New Legal and Regulatory Regime
Two bills recently introduced by Hawley would set American AI and the economy back.
Turning the Government Shutdown Into a Fight About the Filibuster Is a Terrible Idea
Democrats should use the shutdown to curb the Trump administration's worst authoritarian abuses, not to try to goad Republicans into eliminating an important check on executive excess.
A Government Shutdown Isn't Really a Shutdown. Most Federal Employees Are Still Working and Will Get Paid.
The federal government continues paying its biggest bills during a shutdown, and hundreds of thousands of federal employees get a belatedly paid vacation.
Government Shutdowns Are an Example of Congress Doing Its Job
Refusing to fund the government is the primary way minority party lawmakers can check the excesses of the executive branch and the majority party.
Democrats Shut Down the Government to Obscure Obamacare's Failures
The fight over whether to extend "temporary" health insurance subsidies is really a fight over how best to hide the costs created by the Affordable Care Act.
Shutdown Livestream: This Won't Fix Trillion-Dollar Deficits
Reason's Peter Suderman and Eric Boehm discuss the government shutdown live at 3 p.m. Eastern time today.
Demanding Charges Against His Enemies, Trump Conflates Justice With Revenge
The legal rationales for prosecuting James Comey, Adam Schiff, and Letitia James suggest the president is determined to punish them one way or another.
The Government Shutdown Won't Stop Trump's Immigration Enforcement Campaign
The Department of Homeland Security will retain 95 percent of its employees if the government shuts down and remain funded in large part by the One Big Beautiful Bill Act.
Could This Be the Best Government Shutdown Ever?
Take your opportunities for smaller government where you find them.
Government Set To Shut Down Tomorrow
Plus: Eric Adams drop out, Assata Shakur gets fawned over, James Comey gets roasted, and more...
Trump's Public Comments Could Further Complicate the Shaky Case Against James Comey
By demanding that the Justice Department punish the former FBI director for wronging him, the president provided evidence to support a claim of selective or vindictive prosecution.
Kash Patel Tellingly Ties James Comey's Indictment to the Legally Unrelated 'Russiagate Hoax'
The FBI director's portrayal of the case exemplifies the emptiness of his promise that there would be "no retributive actions" against the president's enemies.
Gift to Trump
Plus: Robert Munsch chooses Canadian healthcare, Argentina in trouble, ignoring Greta, and more...
The Forced Sale of TikTok Is Crony Capitalist at the Core
Forcing the sale of a social media company for political reasons was always going to be a power grab for the White House—whether its occupant was Democratic or Republican.
House Republicans Just Voted To Give Even More Tariff Power Away to Trump
House Republicans passed a resolution that prevents Congress from ending the national emergency Trump is using to impose tariffs until March 31.
GOP Rep Proposes Canceling People Over Mean Posts About Charlie Kirk
Louisiana Rep. Clay Higgins, who once opposed government jawboning, now says people should be banned from both social media and public life over their posts.
