Law & Government
Democrats May Regret Compromising Taxpayer Privacy To Get Trump
The release of the former president’s tax returns sets a dangerous precedent.
A Surly Showdown for Speaker
Plus: Would Adam Smith be a libertarian if he were alive today?
Why Are Some Republicans Revolting Against Kevin McCarthy's Bid To Be Speaker of the House?
The insurgent Republicans want to balance the budget, impose new barriers to immigration, and increase transparency for future earmark spending.
Federal Adoption Law Leads States To Prematurely Separate Families
For 25 years, the law has been giving states kickbacks when they finalize adoptions quickly.
Oregon Supreme Court Orders New Trials for Hundreds Convicted by Split Juries
Oregon was one of only two states that allowed for non-unanimous guilty verdicts until the Supreme Court outlawed them in 2020.
Republicans Control the House but Can't Compromise on Someone To Lead It
Plus: Appeals court upholds policy linking bathrooms to biological sex, the worst states for taxes, and more...
Pundits Predicted a Backlash Against Criminal Justice Reform in the Midterms. What Happened?
While rising crime created headwinds for candidates who supported criminal justice reform, the apocalyptic storm never quite arrived.
US News Makes Beneficial Changes to its Law School Rankings System
Downgrading reputational surveys and abolishing points for per-student expenditures are steps in the right direction.
Now Anybody Can Write a Sherlock Holmes Story
Nearly a century after author Arthur Conan Doyle's death, the character is finally free.
En Banc Eleventh Circuit Rejects Legal Challenge to School District's Bathroom Policy
The Appeals Panel Rejects a Trangender Student's Bid to Use Bathroom Corresponding to the Student's Gender Identity Instead of Biological Sex.
N.Y. Law Banning Gun Carrying in Churches (Including When Authorized by Church) Unconstitutionally …
discriminates against religious institutions
SCOTUS in Fall 2022: Longer Arguments, Fewer Opinions
The Supreme Court's oral arguments have become significantly longer, but the Court has yet to issue an opinion on the merits so far this term.
Biden Administration Finalizes New WOTUS Definition for the New Year
The EPA and Army Corps have finalized a revised definition of "waters of the United States," which defines the scope of federal regulatory jurisdiction under the Clean Water Act.
Yet Another Senator Bungles the First Amendment To Justify Censorship
This week, a clip of Maryland Sen. Ben Cardin claiming that speech that espouses "hate" and "violence" is not protected by the First Amendment made the rounds on Twitter, sparking sharp backlash.
Judge Rules Illinois' Elimination of Cash Bail Unconstitutional
The governor and attorney general say they’ll appeal to the state Supreme Court.
What the Southwest Meltdown Means for Airline Policy
Re-regulating the airline industry won’t help prevent massive service disruptions in the future.
Rand Paul Complains That Democrats Squandered Their Opportunity To Enact Marijuana Reforms
The prospects in the next session, when Republicans will control the House, are iffy.
NYPD Cynically Suggests Parents Know Better Than Lawyers How To Guide Children Through Interrogations
Criminal justice advocates are pushing to pass legislation to tighten rules for juvenile interrogations, but the NYPD is not on board.
California Congresswoman Katie Porter Blamed, Punished a Staffer For Allegedly Giving Her COVID-19
"She never spoke a word to me after this," the staffer, Sasha Georgiades, tells Reason.
Congress and the Federal Reserve Could Be Setting Us Up for Economic Disaster
If lawmakers keep spending like they are, and if the Fed backs down from taming inflation, then the government may create a perfect storm.
Ohio Supreme Court Rejects Deference to Agency Statutory Interpretations
A new opinion concludes Ohio courts need not defer to agency interpretations. The justices are not unanimous, but no justice writes in favor of deference.
The Supreme Court Weighs the Future of Section 230
The famous internet law is headed for the High Court.
Charity and Capitalism Are Better Than Government
When I was young, I assumed government would lift people out of poverty. But those policies often do more harm than good.
Why Take Responsibility When You Can Blame Somebody Else?
The year’s highlights in buck passing feature petulant politicians, brazen bureaucrats, careless cops, loony lawyers, and junky journalists.
'The Principles Should Endure': Sen. Pat Toomey on Fusionism, Tariffs, and What's To Blame for FTX's Collapse
After two terms in the Senate as a champion for free markets and limited government, Pennsylvania's Republican senator is heading into retirement.
What 2022 Taught Us About Freeing American Alcohol Markets
Reformers had two years of unprecedented victories—and then protectionists started using scare tactics to block them
One Foot off the Grid, Where We Don't Have To Deal With the City Water Department
Living without government services isn't necessarily cheaper or easier, but it sure beats putting up with municipal bureaucracies.
5 Infuriating Ways People Got the First Amendment Wrong in 2022
As free speech becomes an increasingly important part of the culture war, people won't stop misinterpreting—and outright violating—the First Amendment.
Marines Must Exempt Sikhs from Boot Camp Shaving Requirements
So holds the D.C. Circuit, relying on federal statutes protecting religious freedom.
Don't Count on Criminal Prosecution To Hold Trump Accountable for His Egregious Post-Election Behavior
The final report from the January 6 select committee falls short of proving the elements required to convict the former president.
The Hidden Subtitle of the NDAA That Will Ban Basic Facts About Judges Online
No judge should have to fear for their lives as they defend the rule of law. But that doesn’t mean they can infringe on other civil liberties to protect their information.
A New Federal Press Shield Bill Falters Just Before the Finish Line in Congress
A law to protect people engaged in journalism from having to reveal sources gets blocked by Sen. Tom Cotton.
The Senate's Passage of the $1.7 Trillion Omnibus Spending Bill Is a Bipartisan Failure
A rushed process once again created a bad result.
Judge Agrees Consumers Can Sue Over Misleading Movie Trailers
The weird judge-invented "commercial speech" exception to our right to free expression breeds strange results in suit against distributors of the 2019 movie Yesterday.
The Failure To Enact Marijuana Banking and Crack Sentencing Reforms Is a Window on Congressional Dysfunction
Although both bills have broad bipartisan support, they never got a vote in the Senate and were excluded from the omnibus spending bill.
Congress Can Reduce the Deficit by $7.7 Trillion in 10 Years
The Congressional Budget Office projects that future deficits will explode. But there's a way out.
Curfews and Restrictions: Peru's Regime Cracks Down
Twenty-five people have died this month amid nationwide protests.
GOP Lawmaker Blocks IVF Protection Bill
Plus: Diminishing differences in regional attitudes, IRS begins monitoring small transactions, and more…
TSA Gets $400 Million for Pay Raises in Omnibus Spending Bill
The bill also gives TSA employees the power to collectively bargain, which means more pay raises are likely in the future.
Should Justices Sotomayor and Kagan Retire?
A progressive makes the case the two justices should step down within the next two years so that President Biden may appoint their successors with a Democratic Senate.
