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Trump Replaces Old Illegal Tariffs With New Illegal Tariffs
Plus: The U.S. could be going to war with Iran, the 2026 Winter Olympic Games, and why AI surveillance is worrying civil libertarians
Trump's Rationale for His New Tariffs Contradicts the Position He Took Before His Supreme Court Defeat
The president is relying on a provision that the government's lawyers said had no "obvious application" to his goal of reducing the trade deficit.
Ex-Prince Andrew's Arrest Shows the Epstein Scandal Isn't Just About Sex
The king's brother is under investigation for old-fashioned corruption—something Epstein excelled in.
It Looks Like the End of the Road for Rideshare Alternative Empower in D.C.
The company may soon shutter its operations in the District of Columbia, following recent decisions by the D.C. Superior Court and Court of Appeals.
The Government Wants Your Posts Before It Grants You Papers
The Trump administration will start collecting social media account information on immigration forms.
Oklahoma Ends Indefinite Death Row Solitary Confinement
“These men have not been able to touch grass and feel the warmth of the sun for the first time in ten years.”
Can You Trust Wikipedia?
Wikipedia shapes our perception of reality today more than ever before because it informs the large language models like ChatGPT. But can we really trust it?
Trump's New Tariffs Are Probably Illegal Too
Attorneys for the Trump administration even admitted that Section 122 can't be applied to address trade deficits. Trump is now trying to do that anyway.
Trump's Tantrum Over the Tariff Decision Highlights His Narcissistic Authoritarianism
The president neither understands nor appreciates the vital role of judicial independence in upholding the rule of law.
Weekend With Bernie
Plus: U.S. Olympic hockey team wins the gold medal and Mexico kills cartel boss "El Mencho."
Police Drug Tests Are Notoriously Unreliable. They Got This Man Wrongly Charged With Trafficking Fentanyl.
Roughly 30,000 people every year may be getting wrongfully arrested because of unreliable field drug tests, according to one estimate.
The Supreme Court Didn't Fully End the Trade War, but It Reinforced Limits on the Presidency
President Trump will undoubtedly keep trying to impose protectionism, but his options are limited.
D.C.'s Statue of a Confederate General Isn't What Its Critics Think It Is
Brigadier General Albert Pike is honored for his civic and philanthropic legacy, not his role in the Civil War.
Virginia Democrats' Push for Mandatory Government Unions Is Not an 'Affordability' Agenda
The legislation would almost certainly lead to a higher cost of living in the form of substantial tax increases.
Brickbats: February-March 2026
News of politicians, police, and bureaucrats behaving badly from around the world
No More Tariffs on Asian Olympic Dragons!
Robby Soave and Jason Russell celebrate the SCOTUS tariff news before pivoting to the politics of the Winter Olympics.
Gorsuch Blasts Thomas, Alito, and Kavanaugh for Favoring Trump's Illegal Tariffs
What explains the fracture in the Supreme Court's "conservative bloc"?
Judge Orders Takeover of Arizona Prison Health Care Following Years of Barbaric Medical Neglect
A federal judge ruled in 2022 that "no legitimate humane system would operate" like Arizona's prison health care system. Three years later, that same judge found the problems still hadn't been fixed.
Trump Orders New 10 Percent 'Global Tariff' After Supreme Court's Rebuke
The new tariff will be implemented under a 1974 law that gives the president authority to impose tariffs for up to 150 days.
Small Business Owners Celebrate Supreme Court Striking Down Trump's Tariffs
The battle against the president's so-called reciprocal tariffs is won, but the war for free trade and a stable business environment continues.
How the Epstein Files Became the Ultimate Conspiracy Theory
Michael Shermer examines the psychology behind pattern seeking, the limits of suspicion, and how the Epstein files fuel conspiracy thinking.
Even Without the 'Emergency' Powers SCOTUS Rejected, Trump Has a Bunch of Tariff Options
There are many laws that explicitly authorize the president to impose taxes on imports, but they include limits that Trump was keen to avoid.
The Supreme Court Just Struck Down Trump's 'Emergency' Tariffs
"There is no exception to the major questions doctrine for emergency statutes," wrote Chief Justice John Roberts.
Canada's Government-Dominated Health Care Chokes Access to New Drugs
Price controls and regulatory burdens make the market unattractive for pharmaceutical companies.
Review: The Outer Worlds 2 Is a Video Game About Unchecked Corporate Power
The video game's anti-corporate satire is so over the top that it undermines its point.
Iran Is Trying To Silence Dissent. Western Media Are Breaking Through Anyway.
Satellite broadcasting is a strategic counter to state censorship.
DHS Spokesperson Tricia McLaughlin Goes Out at the Top of Her Game
McLaughlin made a habit of flinging accusations against people that were later proven false by video evidence or never resulted in criminal convictions.
U.S. To Spend $24.4 Trillion More Than It Has Over the Next Decade, Report Warns
The cost of paying the interest is now the central story, and it's a grim one.
Federal Trade Commission Calls Chamber of Commerce 'Left-Wing'—Because It Opposes Onerous Regulations
So now it’s radical to be against Biden-era merger notification requirements?
Support for Republicans Is Tanking. But Why Are Democrats Hated Just as Much?
Trump's second term is wrecking the Grand Old Party—and Democrats' refusal to own up to Biden's failure is killing the party of Jefferson and Obama.
Trump Administration May Grant Asylum to Turkish National Who Burned a Quran in the U.K.
Like free speech in the U.K., the White House’s interest in this case shows that free speech is for some, but not for all.
When Jesse Jackson Met Ronald Reagan
An encounter on the campaign trail. Was it a dead end, or a wasted opportunity?
FDA Commissioner Says 'Everything Should Be Over the Counter.' Don't Count on Big Pharma To Lead the Way.
A system that allows drug makers to profit from restricted access will never liberalize on its own—and patients will continue to bear the cost.
Trump Said Tariffs Would Reduce the Trade Deficit. Instead, It Hit a Record High in 2025.
It's a good thing that trade deficits aren't actually a national emergency.
96 Percent of People Charged With Human Trafficking Are U.S. Citizens
Just 26 undocumented immigrants faced federal trafficking charges in 2023.
The Epstein Files Obsessives Keep Lying About Their Critics
Tara Palmeri insinuated that Michael Tracey disagrees with her because he's paid by Epstein associates. That's a lie.
War With Iran?
Plus: the same ole hawkish lies, a familial connection to Barry Goldwater's nomination, and the future of media is prediction markets on Substack.
Judging the Alito Retirement Rumors
Is the conservative Supreme Court justice planning to retire this year?
