Law & Government
California's Terrible Wildfires Exposed a Variety of State Policy Failures
The wildfires will be one of the costliest natural disasters in U.S. history. Hopefully they will also teach policymakers some lessons.
I Tried To Fix Government Tech for Years. I'm Fed Up.
Maybe DOGE will succeed where the U.S. Digital Service (mostly) failed.
DOGE Is Good. It's Not Enough.
Even if the Department of Government Efficiency eliminates all improper payments and fraud, we'll still be facing a debt explosion—which requires structural reform.
North Dakota's 'Truth-in-Sentencing' Bill Could Cost More Than $250 Million
The bill would also create mandatory minimum jail sentences for fleeing the police.
What Is the SEC Hiding?
To settle with the Securities and Exchange Commission, you must swear silence.
Presidents Should Not Ignore Court Rulings
Vice President J.D. Vance believes presidents can ignore the courts in some situations. Are we heading for a constitutional crisis?
The DOGE Bait and Switch
The pretend department’s downgraded mission reflects the gap between Trump’s promise of "smaller government" and the reality of what can be achieved without new legislation.
The Danger of Trump Disobeying Court Orders [Updated]
The administration may be moving in that direction. If does so and gets away with it, the consequences are likely to be dire.
Will Trump and the New GOP Congress Get to the Bottom of COVID-19's Origin?
It's a good sign that the president is calling on critics of the federal government's lack of transparency to staff his administration.
Kill the Federal Department of Education
We could decentralize education, improve outcomes, and help reduce the size of the federal Leviathan.
Is the HALT Fentanyl Act Delusional or Just Performance Art?
The bill would permanently schedule fentanyl-related substances as Schedule I drugs—and impede therapeutic research.
Calls for Popular Constitutionalism in the Rear-View Mirror
Suggestions that the Executive Branch Ignore Federal Court Rulings May Look Different Today than When They Were Proposed.
Two Injunctions Against Trump's Citizenship Decree Expose the Weakness of His Arguments
Federal judges in Washington and Maryland say the president's attack on birthright citizenship flouts the 14th Amendment and 127 years of judicial precedent.
This Judge Tried To Get Out of Jury Duty by Saying Everyone Appearing Before Him Is Guilty
"I know they are guilty," otherwise "they would not be in front of me," said town justice Richard Snyder, who resigned in December.
Has DOGE Already Lost Its Way?
Much cutting. Very waste. But the Department of Government Efficiency might not have the legal and budgetary chops to actually reduce spending.
Hawley/Sanders Credit Card Interest Cap Is a Gift to Payday Lenders and Loan Sharks
A bill that purports to lower borrowing costs will instead drive many people to more expensive lenders.
John Cochrane: How Will DOGE 'Disrupt' the Government?
Stanford economist John Cochrane discusses DOGE, tariffs, and what it will take to prevent a debt crisis.
Trump Is Flat-Out Lying About the 60 Minutes Interview With Harris
The full transcript shows the president's complaints about the editing of the interview are not just wildly hyperbolic and legally groundless. They are demonstrably false.
Transcript Proves the 60 Minutes Scandal Was Always Fake
Donald Trump's complaints were always meritless, but CBS' capitulation sets a dangerous precedent for the future of the news media.
America Is Going Broke. Will the Department of Government Efficiency Help?
Eliminating the deficit requires cutting the biggest spending—defense, Medicare, Social Security. So far, Trump says he won't touch those.
Riviera of the Middle East
Plus: Federal buyouts, puberty blockers at the Supreme Court, and more...
Alabama Cops Cooked Up Bogus Charges After Arresting Man They Tased While Handcuffed, Lawsuit Says
Video of the incident shows Micah Washington screaming as a Reform, Alabama, police officer deploys a Taser directly into his back.
FEMA Is a Disaster. Trump Is Right To Demand Changes.
The agency is ineffective, duplicative, and expensive.
The European Commission's (Anti)Competitiveness Compass
The European Union doesn’t need a five-year plan—it needs free markets.
FBI Nominee Kash Patel, Who Vowed To 'Come After' Trump's Enemies, Disclaims 'Retributive Actions'
At his confirmation hearing, the president's pick to run the nation's leading law enforcement agency ran away from his record as a MAGA zealot.
No, Elon: It Isn't Illegal To Boycott X
Elon Musk sues seven more companies for pulling advertising from his platform.
Challenge Trump's Tariffs Under the Nondelegation and Major Questions Doctrines
Recent Supreme Court precedent suggests such challenges might prevail, though success is not guaranteed.
Trump's 'Big, Beautiful Bill' Sets Up Another GOP Budget Showdown
Almost exactly one year after Congress swore off self-inflicted fiscal crises, we're back to the same tired theatrics.
D.C. Circuit Declines to Reconsider Decision Concluding CEQ Lacks Authority to Issue NEPA Regulations
A majority of the en banc court instead seeks to explain away the panel's conclusion as dicta. Will the Supreme Court agree?
Why Is Paramount So Keen To Settle Trump's Laughable Lawsuit Against CBS?
The company is worried that the president's complaints about a 60 Minutes interview with Kamala Harris could block a pending merger.
Trump's Role Model McKinley Tariffed His Way to Imperialism
Reviving the Monroe Doctrine and 19th century Republican adventurism is not a shortcut to peace.
Wireless Capacity Is Running Thin, but Spectrum Auctions Can Save 5G
Billions of dollars in government revenue is a no-brainer.
Biden's Record-Breaking Regulatory Run
In four years, Biden issued regulations costing an estimated $1.8 trillion, by far the highest total in American history.
California's Wildfires Exposed Failings of the State's Leadership
The potential risks from a major wildfire have been well known for years, but there was little appetite to solve those problems before disaster struck.
Trump's TikTok Reprieve Won't Fix the Law's Free Speech Problems
Extending the deadline gives TikTok a temporary lifeline, but the real issue—government overreach in tech and speech regulation—still needs a congressional fix.
Julia Gelatt: What Happens if Trump 'Seals the Border'?
Demographer Julia Gelatt of the Migration Policy Institute joins Just Asking Questions to discuss the likely effects of the president's executive orders on immigration.
Trump Expands School Choice, Narrows What Schools Can Teach
Trump signed two executive orders expanding federal funding of school choice while banning "radical indoctrination" in federally funded schools.
White House Rescinds Memo Freezing Federal Grants
This will, for the moment, avert what could have been a major legal battle over the spending power.
Is Humphrey's Executor in the Crosshairs?
Firing members of "independent" agencies would seem to set up a direct challenge to a longstanding precedent.
4 States Consider Bills To Treat Women Who Get Abortions as Murderers
These bills—in Indiana, North Dakota, Oklahoma, and South Carolina—could also imperil IVF practices and threaten care for women with pregnancy complications.
Was It Legal for Trump to Fire Seventeen Inspectors General Without Notice?
Jack Goldsmith offers his analysis.
