Short Circuit: An inexhaustive weekly compendium of rulings from the federal courts of appeal
Frigid cells, raw sewage in cells, and expressive activity on public beaches.
Politics
As Trump Threatens Columbia's Accreditation, the School Should Stop Trying To Placate Him
Education Secretary Linda McMahon said the school’s handling of campus antisemitism violated civil rights law and is grounds for revoking accreditation.
Why Can't Elon Musk and Donald Trump Both Win?
In a petty, public war of words, Trump threatens to cut off federal support to Musk's companies after the billionaire attacked his deficit-busting budget bill.
Supreme Court Reaffirms Rule that Discrimination Based on Sexual Orientation is Sex Discrimination
Yesterday's ruling in Ames v. Ohio Department of Youth Services unanimously applies this once-contested principle.
Another Divorce for Trump
Plus: A cynical take on Zohran Mamdani, Florida's drinking water threatened, and more...
Is the Supreme Court Really That Divided? The Facts Say No.
Unanimous rulings on discrimination, guns, and religion once again challenge the common media narrative that the Court is hopelessly polarized.
The Gattaca Future Is Here
Plus: Trump's travel ban, NYC mayor candidate cites bad stats on child hunger, and more...
What Ronald Reagan's Fusionist Politics Teach Us About Liberty, Virtue, and Their Limits
Fusionism holds that virtue and liberty are mutually reinforcing, and that neither is possible in any lasting or meaningful way without the other.
Correcting Some Media Misconceptions About Libertarianism, Trade, and Immigration [updated with apology/acknowledgement of error by Elie Mystal]
Media coverage of our tariff case has mostly been fair and accurate. But there are a few examples of unfortunate misconceptions, mainly having to do with libertarianism and its relationship to conservatism.
Schumer Attacks Trump for Repeating Obama's Iran Diplomacy
Democrats keep trying to out-hawk Republicans, even though the mood in America has shifted toward diplomacy.
Buyer's Remorse
Plus: Harvey Milk was kind of libertarian, deporting Zohran, public schools shy away from transparency, and more...
It's Rand Paul and Elon Musk vs. Donald Trump Over the 'Big Beautiful Bill'
Paul said he refuses to support "maintaining Biden spending levels," and Musk said the Trump-backed tax bill is "a disgusting abomination."
Trump Cut Funds From Wasteful Projects To Spend on Wasteful Statue Garden
Even when the administration has cut from seemingly obvious sources, Trump has redirected federal spending toward sources closer to his heart.
The Taliban Banned Chess
Since retaking power, the Taliban has banned certain music, barred women from parks, and now outlawed chess. Authoritarians don’t just crush dissent—they criminalize joy.
The Tariff Downturn
Plus: Drilling in the Alaskan wilderness, Harvard tries "wastefulness" argument, Stephen Miller tells on himself, and more...
Did Bill Buckley Really Lead a Successful Revolution?
You can hear echoes of Buckley's early career in more than one MAGA crusader's rhetoric today. That's not a sign of a man who won.
Liberty Fund Symposium on the Legacy of David Boaz
Contributors include Andy Craig, Tarnell Brown, Aaron Ross Powell, Jonathan Blanks, and myself.
J.D. Vance Wants a Free Market for Crypto. What About Everything Else?
Vance says "you've gotta let these people make decisions on their own." He should try that approach more generally.
The Gutting of the National Park Service
Plus: An attack on pro-Israel protesters in Colorado, a conservative wins Poland's presidential elections, and more...
Welcoming Anti-Trump Liberals to the Free Trade Club
The real case for free trade is not "my enemies hate it" or "it's cheaper for me, personally" but "it makes the world richer, freer, and more peaceful."
Texas Ten Commandments Bill Is the Latest Example of Forcing Religious Texts In Public Schools
The Lone Star State's bill is already facing legal challenges.
Short Circuit: An inexhaustive weekly compendium of rulings from the federal courts of appeal
Book burning, hit pieces, and marijuana's historical pedigree.
Trump Wants $25 Million To Settle His Meritless 60 Minutes Lawsuit
In a legal filing this week, Trump argued that routine edits to a CBS News interview he did not participate in caused him "confusion and mental anguish."
Congress Must Vote on Tariffs
For both practical and constitutional reasons, this is the obvious way out of the chaos Trump's tariffs have created.
Tariff Legal Battle Plays Out
Plus: Javier Milei puts state-run TV to good use, Texas' THC antagonism, rent control lunacy, and more...
British Attacks on Free Speech Prove the Value of the First Amendment
Speech codes intended to battle misinformation are instead empowering the government to be the arbiter of truth.
Lawrence Wright: America's Misadventures in Wars, Cults, and Panics
The Pulitzer Prize–winning author discusses the enduring roots of Middle Eastern conflict, the rise and fall of cultural panics, and why Texas may be the blueprint—and battleground—for America's future.
Trump's War on Law Firms Fails
Plus: Punk rock comptroller, dunking on Pete Hegseth, France embraces Canadian health care, and more...
He Escaped North Korea—Twice. Now He Warns People About Socialism.
"Just go to North Korea for 10 days and you'll know how bad it is," says Charles Ryu.
