Thursday Open Thread
What's on your mind?
Politics
Congress' Budget Process Is Broken. Here's One Idea for Fixing It.
Lawmakers should be freed from "the dead hand of some guy from 1974," says former Congressional Budget Office director.
Biden Spreads Misinformation About Trump Calling for a 'Unified Reich'
Where are the fact-checkers?
Why Is the Economy So Weird Right Now?
Plus: Samuel Alito's bad flags, simping for marijuana, and more...
A Cop's Corruption Allegedly Cost an Innocent Man 2 Years of His Life. Should She Get Qualified Immunity?
Judge Carlton Reeves ripped apart the legal doctrine in his latest decision on the matter.
Alvin Bragg's Case Against Trump Presents a Tangle of Interacting Laws and Intent Puzzles
To convert a hush payment into 34 felonies, prosecutors are relying on a chain of assumptions with several weak links.
Trump's Proposed Tariffs Would Cost Families $1,700 Annually
"The scale of trade barriers proposed by candidate Trump is unprecedented."
How the Media Manufactured Panic Over Bees
About 20 years ago, many American bees did die. Then that steadily diminished—but hysteria in the press continued.
The War on Birth Control That Wasn't
Plus: Hooters discourse, Zelenskyy's plea, Jacobin posting Ls, and more...
Trump's Tough Immigration Talk Comes With a High Price Tag
Are Americans prepared to spend a trillion dollars to deport undocumented migrants?
Biden Decries a 'Failed Approach to Marijuana' but Sticks With It
Rescheduling does not resolve the conflict between federal pot prohibition and state rejection of that policy.
The Evidence Suggests the DEA Still Has Not Come Around on Rescheduling Marijuana
It looks like Attorney General Merrick Garland overrode the agency's recalcitrant drug warriors in deciding to reclassify the drug.
Presidential Debates Should Be More Frequent, and Tougher on Candidates
The presidency is a powerful position, and the job application should be hard on hopefuls.
Kamala Harris Implausibly Claims Biden's Marijuana Pardons Number in the 'Tens of Thousands'
The vice president's exaggeration reflects a pattern of dishonesty in the administration's pitch to voters who oppose the war on weed.
Daniel Perry's Pardon Makes a Mockery of Self-Defense
Texas Gov. Greg Abbott takes a tactic from the progressive prosecutors he says he opposes.
The 70th Anniversary of Brown v. Board of Education
The anniversary is today. The American Journal of Law and Equality is publishing a symposium on Brown to mark the occasion. I am one of the contributors.
Mrs. Alito and the Bad Flag
Plus: Taiwan's TikTok strategy, Open AI resignations, nicotine freedom, and more...
Biden's Spin on Marijuana's Rescheduling Exaggerates Its Practical Impact
Contrary to the president's rhetoric, moving marijuana to Schedule III will leave federal pot prohibition essentially unchanged.
Biden and Trump Want a Presidential Debate Safe Space
Two debates, no RFK Jr.—not an improvement.
Tyrant Besties
Plus: Boobs in the portal, Michelin-starred tacos, Argentine labor laws, Gavin Newsom's replacement, and more...
No, Politicians Can't 'Fix' Prices—and That's OK
Price controls lead to the misallocation of resources, shortages, diminished product quality, and black markets.
Don't Give Biden a Pass on Inflation. Don't Give Trump a Pass on COVID.
Will the real president of the United States during the years 2020 through 2022 please stand up?
What's Going on With Gaza's Fatality Numbers?
Plus: Inflation reports, how robots look different than we imagined, the morning after the revolution, and more...
The 'Heart' of Alvin Bragg's Case Against Trump Is Misdirection
Contrary to what prosecutors say, the former president is not charged with "conspiracy" or "election fraud."
Send in the Estonians?
Plus: Gaza's updated child-casualty numbers, Kamala Harris being a cop, birthrate worries, and more...
Congratulations to the Finalists of the Harlan Institute-Ashbrook Virtual Supreme Court Competition
High School Students from Minnesota and New York argued before a panel of three federal judges and visited the United States Supreme Court.
Campaigns Can't Get Worse, Can They?
Plus: A listener asks the editors about President Joe Biden holding up arms shipments to Israel.
