In 2022, the IRS Went After the Very Poorest Taxpayers
Despite $80 billion in new funding, the agency is living up to its reputation of hassling low-income taxpayers over rich people.
Politics
2 Years After the Capitol Riot, the GOP Remains Divided. Good.
Plus: Misinformation about athlete deaths, FTC wants to ban noncompete clauses, and more...
California Continues Chasing People Away
California's economy is growing despite Gov. Gavin Newsom's policies, not because of them.
Ignoring the Anti-McCarthy Faction's Avowed Goals, The New York Times Sees Only 'Chaos and Confusion'
The paper attributes the fight over the election of the next House speaker to "anti-establishment fervor" and a lust for "personal power."
Justin Amash: Kevin McCarthy Is a 'Compulsive Liar' Who 'Cares Only About Power'
The former Libertarian congressman was in the Capitol Wednesday drumming up a Hail Mary quest to become speaker of the House.
The GOP Split on Ukraine Aid Isn't Really About Ukraine
For most aid critics, the urge to cut off Kyiv appears unconnected to any sort of principled realism, non-interventionism, or even isolationism.
Louisiana Now Checking IDs for Watching Porn
Plus: Still no House speaker, the gender gap in college scholarships, Meta fined $414 million, and more...
Trump's Tax Returns Show What Sort of Tax Reform We Need
But partisans are having the wrong debate.
For the First Time, Pennsylvania Might Have an Independent Speaker of the House
A declaration of independence capped a wild day in Pennsylvania's State House.
Interview: Libertarian Former Rep. Justin Amash Is Willing to Serve as Compromise House Speaker
"We have an oligarchy right now," says Amash.
'The Hypocrisy Hurts': Enes Kanter Freedom on Standing Up to China in the NBA
"When it comes to problems happening in America, [the NBA is] the first organization saying, 'This is wrong,'" says the former professional basketball player. But then they're silent for victims of torture.
2022 Proved That Governments Can't Improve on Good Economic Principles
We’d all be better off if politicians spared us their experiments in subsidies, wages, and trade.
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.
David French to the New York Times
The former First Amendment litigator and Dispatch co-founder becomes a columnist at the New York Times.
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.
Chinese Protesters Use Their Bodies as Weapons Against the State
Standing with blank pages in hand, the protesters' goal is to make manifest the implied violence that authoritarian states use to keep order.
Short Circuit: A Roundup of Recent Federal Court Decisions
Sikh Marines, MAGA hats, and racist memes.
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.
2022 Was the Year of Hubris
The tendency of those in power to topple or embarrass themselves by overreaching should provide a lesson to policy makers.
The Fight Over Kids at Drag Shows Is a Classic Moral Panic
Florida threatens a venue for letting minors attend a sexualized holiday cabaret performance with their parents.
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.
In 2023, People May Finally Be Breaking Their Obsession With Politics
In the mid-'70s, people disengaged from political conflict and took up jogging. Maybe it's time to do the same.
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.
California Bill Builds on Reforms That Could Herald the Surprisingly Fast Collapse of Psychedelic Prohibition
S.B. 58, which emulates an initiative that Colorado voters approved last month, would legalize the use of five psychoactive substances found in fungi and plants.
Why Did George Santos Lie About His Past To Get Elected to Congress?
The massive power of federal government attracts frauds.
'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.
Brickbats: January 2023
News of politicians, police, and bureaucrats behaving badly from around the world.
