Is the CFPB Unconstitutional? We'll Soon Find Out. (Corrected)
The Supreme Court will consider a constitutional challenge to the composition of the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau.
Law & Government
Score One for Trump's Trade Policy: Putting Online Speech Protections in Trade Deals Makes Sense
For once, the Trump administration is on the right side of a debate with Congress over trade.
Congress Should Let Marijuana Businesses Have Access to Banks
There are stories of marijuana business owners showing up at California's tax agency offices with trash bags filled with cash, even though the agency generally doesn't allow cash payments.
Congressional Hearings Conflate Vaping With Smoking, Legal E-Cigarettes With Black-Market THC Products
Democratic legislators ignore the tremendous harm-reducing potential of smoke-free nicotine delivery.
Tennessee Will Now Let Felons Possess Guns, but Only if the Guns Are More Than 120 Years Old
A change in Tennessee’s definition of a firearm allows for felons to own a gun provided it was manufactured before 1899.
Democrats Want to Make It a Federal Crime to Threaten Journalists
Sen. Richard Blumenthal would give journalists special federal protections that they don't need.
Government Scares Companies Away From Facebook's Libra Project
After senators sent threatening letters to Visa, Mastercard, and Stripe, the companies "decided" not to sign on to the online payment system.
Would You Trust the Trump Administration to Teach Digital Literacy?
Plus: Trump murder meme makes waves, California requires abortion pill at public universities, and more...
Federal Court Rules Trump Cannot Use "Emergency" Declaration to Divert Funds to Build his Border Wall
The decision is the first to address the legality of using the emergency declaration for this purpose. Previous wall cases involved Trump's attempts to redirect other funds.
Californians Are Fleeing the State's Progressive Policies
California's progressive political imperatives are having such glaring real-world repercussions that it's hard to keep ignoring them.
Does Volodymyr Zelenskiy's Take on His Chat With Trump Show the President 'Did Absolutely Nothing Wrong'?
The Ukrainian president's benign interpretation of Trump's conduct is relevant to the impeachment inquiry but not dispositive.
The White House Counsel Is Making Political Arguments, Not Legal Ones
In making the case against the House impeachment inquiry, the White House counsel relies upon a repudiated district court opinion that doesn't even support its argument.
Trump's New Executive Orders To Restrain the Administrative State
Federal agencies evade the rulemaking process, yet still levy fines, revoke permits, and seize property via “guidance.” Trump’s orders may put a stop to this practice.
New Statement from Checks and Balances on President Trump's Abuse of Office
"We believe the acts revealed publicly over the past several weeks are fundamentally incompatible with the president’s oath of office, his duties as commander in chief, and his constitutional obligation to 'take care that the laws be faithfully executed.'"
Vox Symposium on The President's Refusal to Cooperate with the House Impeachment Inquiry
Thirteen legal scholars weigh in, including the VC's Keith Whittington and myself.
New Class-Action Lawsuit Contends Video Game Fortnite Is as Addictive as Cocaine
Parents in Canada seek damages and refunds for their children's in-game purchases.
SCOTUS Debates Whether the Right to Trial by Jury Should Mean the Same Thing in State and Federal Court
Understanding what’s at stake in Ramos v. Louisiana.
Trump's Tantrum Over Impeachment Just Got Official
Plus: FBI rebuked by FISA court, how Harris could come back, and more…
Bob Barr: Trump 'Was Doing Precisely What a President Should Have Been Doing' With Ukraine
The 2008 Libertarian Party presidential ticket continues to run interference for the embattled Republican president.
You Will Die if You Vape While Watching Impeachment Porn
Reason editors discuss vaping deaths, the impeachment inquiry, and the resurgent conservative war on porn.
Bombay Sapphire Maker Sued Over Stupid Florida Gin-Ingredient Ban
Bad laws can cause problems long after they've been passed and forgotten.
Treason (!), Sedition, and Trump Derangement Syndrome
What if we actually took what Trump said seriously? As though he were, say, the President of the United States?
Trump Brazenly Suggests Ukraine, China Should Do Opposition Research for His 2020 Campaign
Plus: Why you think all your friends get their news on Facebook, the trade-offs that come with higher minimum wages, a modest proposal for AOC, and more...
A Florida Retiree's Uncut Lawn May Cost Him His House
Jim Ficken was fined $29,000 for violations of his town's tall grass ordinance.
Everyone Dares Call It Treason
Both the president and his critics casually deploy the once-incendiary charge to discredit their opponents.
D.C. Circuit Upholds FCC Decision to Rescind "Net Neutrality" (But Rejects FCC Attempt to Preempt Conflicting State Law)
In a lengthy opinion, a divided three-judge panel turns away most of the legal challenges to the Federal Communications Commission's "Restoring Internet Freedom" Order
A Second Whistleblower Complaint Is Targeting Trump's Tax Returns
The House Ways and Means Committee is investigating evidence that Trump may have attempted to influence the mandatory IRS audit conducted on sitting presidents.
Unable To Let 2016 Go, Trump Asks World Leaders To Stay Obsessed, Too
Plus: the case for trading with corrupt countries, the problem with current criminal justice reformers, and more...
Trump, Not the Whistleblower, Has Acted Illegally
The president's threats might prevent future whistleblowers from coming forward to expose executive abuse.
Who's Right on Impeachment: Rand Paul, Justin Amash, or Jeff Flake?
Libertarian-leaning legislators have markedly different ideas about the I-word. What say the Reason editors?
Trump's Civil War Tweet Is Bad. This Other Tweet May Be Unconstitutional.
Plus: newspapers vs. Google, The Federalist vs. the National Labor Relations Board, and more...
Shareholders Challenging FHFA's Constitutionality Want Supreme Court to Hear Their Case -- Even Though They Won
Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac shareholders convinced the Fifth Circuit to declare the Federal Housing Finance Agency's structure unconstitutional, but they're seeking Supreme Court review nonetheless.
Evidence Increasingly Indicates Trump's Ukraine Pressure Tactics Usurped Congress' Power of the Purse - and that he may have Committed a Federal Crime in the Process
If Trump used withholding of aid as leverage to pressure Ukraine into investigating Joe Biden, he both violated the Constitution and committed a federal crime. The evidence released so far strongly points in that direction, even if it is not completely definitive.
Did the President Commit Witness Tampering?
Some Thoughts on How the President's Stalwart Defenders Will Excuse This Latest Episode
The New York Times Defends Outing Trump Whistleblower as CIA
Plus: Trump slashes number of refugees allowed in next year, big cities are shedding millennials, and more...
Whether Trump Stays or Goes, We Need To Rein in Presidents and Congress
The impeachment process will be nasty, brutish, and long. It also won't cure the problem of expansive government.
Did Trump Commit a Crime by Seeking a Ukrainian Investigation of Joe Biden? And Does It Matter for Impeachment Purposes?
The president's critics have several legal theories, ranging from frivolous to debatable.
Intel Chief Tasks Congress With Investigating Trump's Dealings with Ukraine
Lawmakers can’t outsource presidential oversight responsibilities to the executive branch.
Is Impeachment a "Constitutional Duty"?
Identifying impeachable offenses is only the first step in deciding what should be done to address them.
Trump's Ukraine Call Was an Abuse of Power—and This Time, He Can't Claim Ignorance or Inexperience
The whistleblower report alleges an attempted cover-up.
