Politics
Study: Russian Twitter Trolls Did Not Throw the 2016 Election to Trump
There is "no evidence of a meaningful relationship" between Russia's influence campaign on Twitter and the 2016 electoral outcome.
Did the House Rebellion Against Kevin McCarthy Have an Upside?
Plus: a lightning round recollection of comical political fabulists
Did 'Every Conspiracy Theory' About Twitter Turn Out To Be True?
The internal company documents offer a behind-the-scenes glimpse at how the federal agencies distorted the public debate on one of the world's largest social media platforms.
Finally Approved as House Speaker, McCarthy Aims To Cut IRS Funding
Plus: More documents showcase government pressure on social platforms, appeals court to reconsider ban on nonviolent felon gun ownership, and more...
Taboos in Universities, Against Displaying Certain Images and Quoting Certain Words
"Dr. Kostihova compared showing the image [of Muhammed] to using a racial epithet for Black people ...."
Goodbye, Ben Sasse
The outgoing Nebraska senator thinks America's true divide is between pluralists and zealots.
Cameras Should Stay in Place After the House Picks a Speaker
C-SPAN has shown House proceedings since 1979 but only what the House chooses to let it show. That needs to change.
Short Circuit: A Roundup of Recent Federal Court Decisions
Zoom jurors, community caretaking, and criticizing a colleague.
A Michigan Supreme Court Justice Hired an Ex-Con. Another Justice Shamed Him Into Resigning.
Justice Richard Bernstein said Pete Martel's hiring as clerk was unacceptable because "I'm intensely pro-law enforcement."
Fixing Congress' Broken Appropriations Process Is Worth This Mess
This week's Republican revolt against Kevin McCarthy is actually a rank-and-file revolt against the top-down process that both parties have used to control the House in recent years.
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.
2 Years After the Capitol Riot, the GOP Remains Divided. Good.
Plus: Misinformation about athlete deaths, FTC wants to ban noncompete clauses, and more...
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.
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.
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.
