Law & Government
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.
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.
