Lockdowns and Leviathan
How pandemics joined war, terrorism, crime, and economic depression in the toolbox for ratcheting up government
Latest
Will Anybody Besides Michael Flynn Get Mercy from Lame Duck Trump?
The president has the worst record for clemency in modern history.
Los Angeles County Banned Outdoor Dining. There's Zero Evidence It Spreads COVID-19.
Restaurant owners speak out about the "crippling" order, which will last at least three weeks.
Will a Historic House Vote on Marijuana Legalization Nudge Biden Toward More Ambitious Reforms?
The MORE Act, which would repeal federal prohibition, is scheduled for a vote this week.
Neera Tanden, Biden's Pick for Budget Office: Now Is Not the Time To 'Worry About Raising Deficits and Debt'
She once suggested that if Americans care about the deficit so much, maybe we should make Libya pay for it.
Libertarians Have No Home in Either Dominant Political Party
Which leaves the U.S. without a major party even slightly inclined to leave people alone to manage their own affairs.
This Woman Permanently Lost Her Second Amendment Rights Because She Lied on Her Taxes
Is this the Supreme Court’s next big gun rights case?
Americans Are Starting a Staggering Number of Businesses During the COVID-19 Pandemic
In a year that will be remembered for a deadly pandemic that shut down parts of the economy and cost millions of people their jobs, here's one silver lining.
Supreme Court Considers Whether Trump Can Block Immigrants From Census Counts
Plus: Pennsylvania rejects mail-in vote challenge, Facebook begs for regulation, and more...
Trump: If the President Doesn't Have Standing to Pursue Wild, Unsubstantiated Claims of Election Fraud, Who Does?
Fox News interviewer Maria Bartiromo uncritically accepts Trump's outlandish conspiracy theory.
The Shaky Case for State Bailouts
Governments should prepare for emergencies by cutting spending during flush times.
Anthony Fauci: 'Close the Bars and Keep the Schools Open'
"If you look at the data, the spread among children and from children is not very big at all."
A Trump Judicial Appointee's Blistering Opinion Is a Reality Check for Republicans Who Still Think Biden Stole the Election
"The Campaign cannot win this lawsuit," the 3rd Circuit says. "The Campaign's claims have no merit."
Bourgeois Libertarianism Could Save America
Don't underestimate the civilization-saving powers of respecting private property and generally minding your own business.
Joe Biden Should Think Twice About Cracking Down on Meat-Processing Plants
Requiring meatpackers to pandemic-proof their facilities will have unintended consequences.
Pandemic Rules Are Only for the Little People
We're expected to suffer discomfort, economic pain, and emotional distress or else pay fines or serve jail time. Government officials, meanwhile, take offense when called out for violating the standards they created.
Paul Krugman Thinks Holding Religious Services During the COVID-19 Pandemic Is Like 'Dumping Neurotoxins Into Public Reservoirs'
The New York Times columnist misconstrues the issues at stake in the challenge to New York's restrictions on houses of worship.
Trip Out with Timothy Leary's Ex-Girlfriend in My Psychedelic Love Story
A documentary describes a drug-fueled countercultural romance.
Glenn Greenwald on Biden, Free Speech, and Leaving The Intercept
There’s no journalist more relentlessly iconoclastic than Greenwald, who won the 2014 Pulitzer Prize for his reporting on the Snowden revelations.
Despite Election Wins, California GOP Needs a Makeover
Unfortunately, I'd guess the party did just well enough in the last election to punt those discussions to another day.
SCOTUS Blocks New York's COVID-19 Restrictions on Houses of Worship, Saying They Are Not 'Narrowly Tailored'
Gov. Andrew Cuomo described his policy as a "fear-driven response," cut by a "hatchet" rather than a "scalpel."
To Help Kids Find Their Passion, Give Them Free Time
Kids need more space to explore weird pastimes and obsessions.
An Inmate Firefighter Might Be Deported After California Handed Him Over to ICE
Bounchan Keola was injured while fighting the deadly Zogg Fire. California rewarded him with a possible deportation.
Denver Mayor Michael Hancock Urged People Not To Travel for Thanksgiving Shortly Before Boarding His Flight
The mayor is traveling to Mississippi to spend the holiday with his wife and daughter.
Masks Have Helped To Blunt the COVID-19 Pandemic in Kansas
There's more evidence that community use of facial coverings is an effective tool for curbing COVID-19 transmission.
Libertarian History/Philosophy
Charles Koch and Brian Hooks: Believe in People
The libertarian billionaire and the head of his foundation discuss their new book, leaving partisanship behind, and learning from their critics.
Senseless Restrictions on Outdoor Activities Undermine the Goal of Curbing COVID-19
By arbitrarily foreclosing relatively safe social and recreational options, politicians encourage defiance, resentment, and riskier substitutes.
Glenn Greenwald: Nothing Trump Did Compares to the 'Moral Evil' of Bush's and Obama's Wars
The Pulitzer Prize–winning journalist on Joe Biden, free speech, and leaving The Intercept for Substack.
Will Obama Torture Apologists Make a Triumphant Return to Joe Biden's White House?
His rumored candidate for CIA director, Michael Morell, is raising alarms.
Americans Are Nowhere Near Herd Immunity to COVID-19
Blood test study finds that only about 10 percent of Americans are immune to the virus.
The Republican Election Officials Who Put Process Over Partisanship
Aaron Van Langevelde, Brad Raffensperger, and other state and local officials did the right thing and steered America away from the precipice.
Cops Who Beat and Killed an Innocent Man Are Not Entitled to Qualified Immunity, Appeals Court Rules. But the Cops Who Watched Are.
The legal doctrine provides rogue government agents cushy protections not available to the little guy.
Penguin Random House Employees Broke Down in Tears at Thought of Publishing Jordan Peterson's Next Book
"He is an icon of hate speech and transphobia."
Offensive License Plates Are Free Speech, Court Tells California
Plus: National Labor Relations Board rules against The Federalist, France is getting less free, and more...
Be Grateful for Capitalism This Thanksgiving
If government controlled the production of turkeys and toilet paper, this would be a very unhappy holiday.
How to Beat Legalized Larceny
Government bullies empowered by civil forfeiture laws often back down, but only when their victims can afford a fight.
