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?
Law & Government
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.
John Yoo Warns That Impeachment Would Undermine Presidential Power. That's the Point.
While there may be sound political reasons to let voters decide Trump's fate, there are sound constitutional reasons to clarify the limits of his authority.
Whistleblower Report Alleges Trump Used Presidential Power for Personal Gain
Plus: how Paul Manafort may be involved, the Crowdstrike conspiracy theory, and more...
The House Just Voted To Let Marijuana Businesses Legally Use Banks
It's a historic moment in Congress, but Senate support remains uncertain.
Congress Should Not Be Satisfied With Ukraine Call Transcript, Given the Trump White House's History of Fiddling With Records
The Trump administration has lost the benefit of the doubt because it has relentlessly lied about so many less significant matters, from weather maps to transcripts of press conferences.
Trump Calls on 'American Patriots' to Defend Him From Impeachment
Plus: Tulsi Gabbard opposes impeachment, vaping panic in Massachusetts, California's "war on freelancers," and more...
Trump, Ukraine, and Congress's Power of the Purse
If Trump threatened to withhold aid funds in order to pressure Ukraine into investigating Joe Biden and his son, he undermined Congress' power of the purse. It's an important aspect of the Ukraine scandal that has so far been largely ignored.
Nancy Pelosi Announces Trump Impeachment Inquiry Over Ukraine Scandal
The decision comes amidst allegations that President Trump pressured Ukraine into performing opposition research on Joe Biden.
Judge Poised to Reject Suit by 90 'Jane Does' Who Say Salesforce Is Responsible for Sex Trafficking
The cases hinges on two laws—FOSTA and Section 230—that have been hotly contested in recent years.
Witness Says Vaping Helped Her Quit Smoking. Rashida Tlaib Asks 'Are You a Conspiracy Theorist?'
"Vaping is a health miracle to me," said ex-smoker Vicki Porter. "Not safe, but less harmful."
Trump's Ukraine Call May Not Be Impeachable, but It Sure Looks Like an Abuse of Presidential Power
Trump used the power of the presidency for personal political gain.
Move Over, Russia: Impeachment Talk Now Turns on Trump Dealings With Ukraine
Plus: Juul under criminal investigation, states pay millions to abortion providers, and more...
We Have Now Entered the Twilight Zone
Where are the Republicans - the honest and patriotic ones - who will help lead us out of this calamitous mess?
Are We Really Doing the Impeachment Thing Again?
The wish-fulfillment machine kicks into high gear on both sides of the aisle.
Historic House Vote Approves Broad Marijuana Federalism
This vote is "a hopeful sign that the harmful policies of marijuana prohibition will soon be a relic of the past."
Abolish the President's Virtually Unconstrained Power to Impose Tariffs
As Trump's trade wars demonstrate, giving the president unilateral authority to impose tariffs is both dangerous and unconstitutional. Getting rid of it is likely to require a combination of litigation and political mobilization.
Congress Plans To Vote on Marijuana Banking Bill Next Week
The SAFE Banking Act will be the first stand-alone marijuana legalization bill to reach the floor of the U.S. House.
Here Are the Problems With the Attorney General's Plan To Expand Background Checks for Gun Buyers
It would not do much to protect public safety, but it would magnify the injustice of existing restrictions on gun ownership.
Trump's Bizarre Meeting With Corey Lewandowski Suggests a Consciousness of Guilt
Again and again, the president tried to interfere with the Mueller investigation in a roundabout way.
This Hawaiian Hotelier Hates Airbnb So Much He's Willing to Destroy the Internet To Kill It
The bad news is he's a congressman now. And he's trying to stomp all over Section 230 in order to attack home-sharing apps.
CFPB Decides that the CFPB Is Unconstitutional
In a newly filed brief with the Supreme Court, the Justice Department claims the Consumer Financial Protection Board's structure is unlawful.
E-Cigarette Restrictions Raise a Question: Can Governors Unilaterally Ban Products They Don't Like?
Pending restrictions on vaping products in Michigan and New York are based on an alarmingly broad understanding of the executive branch's "public health" authority.
Judge to Charlottesville: You Can Put a Statue Up, but You Can't Take It Down
A judge has ruled that the town's Confederate monuments must stay.
N.M. Abolishes Marital Communication Privilege, Based in Large Part on Feminist Arguments
New Mexico will apparently now be the only state in which spouses may generally testify about confidential statements made during the marriage.
A Federal Judge Says Anheuser-Busch Can't Advertise MillerCoors' Use of Corn Syrup
This is bending the Lanham Act until it nearly breaks
The Second and Sixth Amendments
If a state criminal conviction leads to denial of gun rights under state law (not just federal law), the defendant must be given the option of a jury trial, rules the Nevada Supreme Court.
Kamala Harris Does Not Understand Why the Constitution Should Get in the Way of Her Gun Control Agenda
The presidential contender conspicuously fails to explain the legal basis for her plan to impose new restrictions by executive fiat.
There's Only 1 Democrat Talking About the Constitution, and It's (Shudder) Joe Biden
The Democratic presidential field is not interested in your puny restraints on the executive branch.
Teaching Trump
Hopefully the White House can refrain from creating any new constitutional conundrums for a semester.
Lobbyists Trying To Revive Ex-Im Bank's Zombie Corpse for 10 More Years
A lobbying effort aimed at unleashing more cronyism launches while a new report demonstrates why the bank should be permanently shuttered.
Here Is What the 2020 Candidates Say About the President's Power to Wage War Without Congressional Approval
The strongest critics of unilateral decisions to attack other countries include Tulsi Gabbard and Bernie Sanders, while Joe Biden thinks anything goes.
The Pentagon Budget Battle Is a Distraction
An ever-growing military budget is yet another illustration of the GOP's abandonment of small-government principles. And Democrats aren't any better.
It's Not a Mystery Why America's Biggest Cities Are Losing Population
Chicago, Los Angeles, and New York City all have some easily identifiable management problems.
