Politics
Are Democrats Actually in Disarray?
Plus: A listener asks the editors whether it makes sense for a country to have a sovereign wealth fund.
Trump Tries To Carve Out a First Amendment Exception for 'Fake News'
The president's portrayal of journalism he does not like as consumer fraud is legally frivolous and blatantly unconstitutional.
What Did You Do Last Week?
Plus: German elections, how I almost got arrested this weekend, and more...
Research Says Big Federal Grants to Local Governments Breed Corruption
DOGE may not just save money; it may encourage honesty.
Ayn Rand in Ukrainian Crimea
What the Russian-born author would have thought of Russia's war in Ukraine
To Cut Government Spending, Trump Targets Pocket Change
The penny is expensive to produce and has long outlived its usefulness.
The Progressive Betrayal of Trans Americans
How well-intentioned laws created new cultural conflicts—and eroded personal liberty
Best Executive Order Yet?
Plus: The Democratic Party's insecurities, protesting Trump via interpretive dance, the Yosemite locksmith, and more...
Americans Say Government Is Corrupt and Inefficient but Are Lukewarm About DOGE
Democrats seem willing to tolerate a lot to get a larger government, but Republicans aren’t much better.
TSMC May Acquire Fellow CHIPS Act Beneficiary Intel
Collectively, the two companies were promised more than $14 billion in government grants. Now, one is failing and may be partially acquired by the other.
Cutting 8 Percent
Plus: Border update, a shift in U.S. policy on Taiwan (Beijing is pissed), and more...
Harlan Virtual Supreme Court Semifinalists
Twenty-two teams of high school students presented oral arguments on Free Speech Coalition v. Paxton.
DOGE's Complicated Story
Plus: When FOIA stops working, how the pandemic shifted young people to the right, and more...
Where Deportees Are Being Held
Plus: Talks with Russia, Zizian death cult leader arrested, and more...
The Motion to Dismiss the Charges Against Mayor Adams Is Easily Supportable
The Justice Department's decision to seek dismissal of the pending charges seems like standard fare in plea bargaining and helps to support a top Administration policy.
Trump's White House Says 'Gulf of Mexico' Is Misinformation
Misinformation concept creep is getting out of hand.
J.D. Vance Brings the Culture War to Europe: 'There Is a New Sheriff in Town'
The Munich Security Conference was supposed to be a foreign policy forum. Instead, the vice president lectured Europeans about democracy.
Short Circuit: A Roundup of Recent Federal Court Decisions
Pole cameras, real estate RICO, and the Eighth Circuit island.
200,000 Layoffs
Plus: Possible quid pro quo between the DOJ and Eric Adams, DEI in the federal government, and more...
Student Suspended for Creating—but Not Sharing—Nudified Deepfakes of Classmates
The N.Y. Commissioner of Education has just reversed the decision.
DOGE Begins Publishing Data After Transparency Complaints
After Elon Musk promised "maximum transparency," the DOGE's website posted organizational charts of federal agencies and statistics on the federal work force.
The War on Bureaucracy
Plus: Israel-Hamas ceasefire deal, padlocked playgrounds, and more...
Brickbats: March 2025
News of politicians, police, and bureaucrats behaving badly from around the world.
Sean McMeekin: Don't Whitewash the History of Communism
Historian Sean McMeekin dissects how communism has enduring and resurgent appeal in the West despite its history of violence and economic disaster.
Elon's 'Daily Proctology Exam'
Plus: Vance's AI speech, bubble boy playgrounds, Delaware antagonizes founders, and more...
Trump's Empty and Expensive Plan To Build 250 Statues of 'American Heroes'
The president's planned National Garden of American Heroes might be a nice idea, but it would be extremely costly—and unnecessary.
