The Government Won't Shut Down
Shutdowns don't meaningfully reduce the size or cost of government, but they also aren't the end of the world.
Latest
Despite Debunking, Rainbow Fentanyl Myths Continue
Just as there are adult reasons for vape companies to sell flavored vape pods, there are adult reasons for drug dealers to color their fentanyl.
Brickbats: October 2023
News of politicians, police, and bureaucrats behaving badly from around the world.
At California GOP Convention, Donald Trump Promises To 'Liberate' Communist California
With a second term, the former president promised to end California's water shortage, clear homeless encampments, and conduct the biggest deportation operation in American history.
Josh Barro: A Republican Presidential Debate Detached From Reality
"The orange elephant in the room just never seems to be addressed head on," says Reason's Zach Weissmueller.
On Guns, Drugs, and National Security, Dianne Feinstein Was Consistently Authoritarian
The late California senator always seemed to err on the side of more government power and less individual freedom.
The Creator Is a Pro-A.I., Pro-Freedom, Anti-Imperialist Sci-Fi War Movie
Conceptually, it's all a bit vague, but it sure looks amazing.
Sales Data Indicate That Restrictions on Flavored Vaping Products Encourage Smoking
A study found a "high rate of substitution" between vapes and cigarettes, suggesting that policies aimed at preventing underage use are undermining public health.
The Truth About Ron DeSantis' Fentanyl Horror Story
The culprit is prohibition, not lax border policing.
Gasoline Engines and Sex Changes for Kids
Plus: Minimum wage laws, space exploration, that time when North Africa was less dysfunctional than California, and more...
Punishment Is Not the Point: Puzzle #9
"Gavin Newsom eating at French Laundry during a COVID-19 surge, for example"
When the MAGA Movement Sounds Like Bernie Sanders
We already have a party that's committed to progressive ideals, do we really need another?
Target Shuts Stores as Criminal Justice Reform Gets Mugged
We need less intrusive law enforcement, not the treatment of crime as a lark.
Review: Silo Shows the Perils of Authoritarian Hierarchies
Leaders depicted in the Apple TV+ series outlaw "relics" of the past, even including PEZ dispensers.
Review: Shiny Happy People Charts the Downfall of the Duggar Family
The Amazon miniseries examines the Institute in Basic Life Principles, focusing on the Duggar family and its multiple sex abuse scandals.
FCC Revives Common Carriage for the Internet
After five years without net neutrality rules, the fix for a problem that doesn’t exist is back.
At Ronald Reagan Library, GOP Candidates Reject Ronald Reagan's Immigration Vision
“I believe in the idea of amnesty for those who have put down roots and lived here, even though sometime back they may have entered illegally,” Reagan said in 1984.
No, Mike Pence, We Should Not Make It Easier To Execute Mass Shooters
Pence suggested executing mass shooters in "months, not years," but that would remove crucial procedural protections—and not just for those who are obviously guilty.
Banning Criminal Background Checks Will Lead To More Housing Discrimination, Not Less
The best reforms would correct the real problems of overcriminalization and overincarceration, as well as removing all artificial barriers to building more homes.
Ban Teenagers From Social Media, Vivek Ramaswamy Says, Because Fentanyl
The Republican presidential candidate ignores the lethal impact of the drug policies he avidly supports.
Shut Up Already About John Fetterman's Slob Chic
The Senate is an incompetent laughingstock regardless of what its members wear.
Companies Seeking CHIPS Act Subsidies Are Encouraged To Double-Dip
At least a dozen states have beefed up targeted incentives to coincide with handouts from the Commerce Department.
Mike Pence Claims the Reagan Mantle. So Far, It Isn't Helping Him.
"Our party does face a time for choosing," said the former vice president last night.
Sleeping With a Member of the Teachers Union
Plus: "Every time I hear you, I feel a little bit dumber," nuclear-powered AI, North Korea, and more...
Florida Is Giving Foster Children Powerful Psychotropic Drugs Without Proper Records, Audit Finds
More than 1 in 3 Florida foster kids over 13 is taking psychotropic medications, but the state often doesn't follow rules requiring it to keep records of prescriptions.
Taylor Swift, Junk Fees, and the 'Happy Meal Fallacy'
Thank Swifties, not Joe Biden, for Ticketmaster's consumer-friendly pricing policy.
School Choice Gets Lip Service at Republican Debate
GOP presidential hopefuls should be more clear about the school choice policies they support.
Chris Christie for Robots and Tech Progress
A positive vision for America's future at the Republican debate
Vivek Ramaswamy Proposes a (Probably) Illegal Plan To End Birthright Citizenship
It’s highly unlikely that it would pass constitutional muster.
Ron DeSantis and Chris Christie Call Out Trump for Adding to Federal Debt
"He owes it to you to defend his record where they added $7.8 trillion to the debt that set the stage for the inflation that we have."
DeSantis Says He Would Use Justice Department To Bring Civil Rights Cases Against 'Soros-Funded Prosecutors'
DeSantis has already removed two reform prosecutors from office in Florida. A federal judge ruled he violated the First Amendment in one of those cases.
Tony Timpa Wrongful Death Trial Ends With 2 Out of 3 Cops Getting Qualified Immunity
The trial—and, in some sense, Timpa's life—was about transparency.
A Study Finds 'No Evidence' That Decriminalization Boosted Drug-Related Deaths in Oregon
The researchers reached a similar conclusion about overdose trends in Washington, where penalties for simple possession were reduced in 2021.
GOP Debate Recap With Josh Barro
Join Reason on YouTube and Facebook at 1 p.m. Eastern on Thursday for reactions to the 2nd GOP debate from journalist Josh Barro and Reason's Liz Wolfe and Zach Weissmueller.
Welfare Cuts Are Inevitable Because Congress Won't Touch Social Security
Until Congress is willing to acknowledge that it makes no sense to send monthly checks to wealthy seniors, everything else will be on the chopping block.
Trump's Absurd Property Valuations Confirm His Disregard for Reality
The former president's lawyers argued that even the square footage of his apartment was a "subjective" judgment for which he cannot be held accountable.
Federal Judge Rules Texas Anti-Drag Law Violates the First Amendment
The judge ruled that the law was unconstitutionally overbroad, vague, and viewpoint discrimination.
Bjorn Lomborg: Why Do We Fixate on Climate Rather Helping the World's Poor?
The 'Skeptical Environmentalist' offers 12 low-cost, proven policies that he says would save 4.2 million lives and generate $1.1 trillion in new wealth every year.
This Law Will Kill Opportunities for Pregnant Workers
"These policies are motivated by good intentions. But that doesn't mean that the consequences of these policies will turn out well."
Amazon Gets Sued Bigly
Plus: Trump commits fraud, a hacker house cooks steak, progressive movements can't stop failing, and more...
Maybe Google Is Popular Because It's Good?
The Department of Justice undervalues consumer preference in its latest antitrust efforts.
India's Alleged Assassination of a Dissident in Canada Highlights Repression Across Borders
No place is truly safe for dissidents when governments see no limits to their authority.
Oregon's Drug Problems Were Not Caused by Decriminalization
Prohibition is at the root of the hazards that have led to record numbers of opioid-related deaths.
Arbitrary Restrictions Explain Why Trump Was Not Allowed To Buy That Glock
Before correcting the record, the former president's spokesman inadvertently implicated him in a federal crime.
FTC Files Antitrust Lawsuit Against Amazon
Among the allegations, the agency charges that Amazon Prime subscribers are incentivized to make the most of their subscription by buying more products.