9/11 Turbocharged America's Worst Foreign Policy Impulses—but Didn't Change Its Direction
The United States' shift toward aggressive interventionism was well underway before the 2001 attacks.
August/September 2026
9/11 and the Surveillance Ratchet
The U.S. government responded in ways that are so integrated into daily life that we no longer recognize them.
Features
Samurai vs. Squatters: On the Street With the Hired Swords Reclaiming California Property Owners' Stolen Homes
California has failed to protect private property from squatters. Desperate owners are turning to katana-wielding enforcers to reclaim their homes.
Bureaucracy, Labor, & Tariffs: How Government Is Making BLTs More Expensive
The BLT—a delicious celebration of the power of markets—exemplifies political attacks on the free movement of goods and people.
Labor Unions Hate Robots—and It's Stopping Democrats From Delivering on Affordability
Labor unions almost always value union jobs over technologies that save time, money, and lives.
Henry Clay's Deal That Was No Deal: How the Compromise of 1850 Deepened the Slavery Crisis
The Compromise of 1850 was really no compromise at all.
Interview
John Fetterman Says He's 'Very Libertarian in a Lot of Ways'
The Pennsylvania senator discusses drugs, the state of the Democratic Party, and his past support for Bernie Sanders.
Editor's Note
No One Can Control the Future
Certainly not Bernie Sanders on AI
Topics
Photo: A New Map of the Universe
Researchers studying the history of the universe have captured the largest-ever high-resolution 3D map of the cosmos.
Even Laws That Haven't Passed Can Have Unintended Consequences
Mere proposals can change the risk calculus for business and investors. Politicians, and the public, should be wary.
AI Is Already Beating Human Doctors in Medical Tests
Robo-docs are not likely to take over healthcare anytime soon, but they could do more to assist human doctors—if we let them.
The Best and Worst States To Be a Smoker
Tobacco is the most taxed consumer product in the U.S., and those taxes largely dictate cigarette prices.
Surveillance Tools Intended for Border Control Are Being Used Against Americans
U.S. citizens are being monitored and punished with technology meant to battle illegal immigration.
How Both Biden and Trump Helped Kill Spirit Airlines
No single factor is wholly responsible for the low-cost airline's failure, but the government certainly didn't help.
Why Foreign Tourism to the U.S. Is Declining Under Trump
A combination of travel restrictions and anti-American sentiment has led to a decrease in international tourism during Trump's second term.
Why Trump Quietly Carved Out Doctors From His Own Visa Freeze
By lifting the hold on foreign physicians, the Trump administration tacitly admitted its broad immigration restrictions aren't working.
Trump's Embrace of Psychedelic Therapy Could 'Save a Lot of Lives'
Joe Rogan and military veterans advocating for suicide prevention apparently swayed the president.
Euclidean Zoning: How Our 'Arbitrary and Oppressive' City Planning Scheme Got Its Name
Is it named after the father of geometry or a Cleveland suburb? Both.
The Sindex: Gas Prices Rose 29% in 2 Months After Trump Went to War With Iran
The Reason Sindex tracks the price of vice: smoking, drinking, snacking, traveling, and more.
Culture
How the ACLU Started Defending the Second Amendment
The civil liberties group, which long maintained that there is no constitutional right to arms, sang a different tune at the Supreme Court this year.
Books
How To Sell a War
Presidents use a web of private influence to garner support for foreign invasions.
'Blue Power' and the Rise of Police Union Politics
Stuart Schrader's new book details how police unions became a dominant force in U.S. politics.
Walt Whitman's American Vistas
A new collection of Whitman's writing is a fitting read for the United States' 250th birthday.
Reviews
Review: A Novel Capturing the Cruelty of Mass Incarceration
The Hill resembles author Harriet Clark's own experience.
Review: Is Exit 8 an Anti-Screens Metaphor or Something Deeper?
A Japanese thriller explores agency in a world that makes it too easy just to go along for the ride.
Review: The D.C. Museum Where Everything Is for Sale
The Mansion on O Street showcases consumerist artifacts, and none if it is taxpayer-funded like many of the city's other museums.
Review: A Chaotic History Podcast for People Who Don't Care About Historical Accuracy
On Fin vs History, two British comedians poke fun at revered historical figures.
Review: Feuding Neighbors Snoop on Their Enemies
In HBO's Neighbors docuseries, nearly every dispute is recorded and shared.
Review: When Banks Do the Government's Bidding
Transaction Denied explains how the feds pressure banks to punish disfavored groups like the NRA.
Review: Thomas Jefferson's Monticello Is Celebrating America's Semiquincentennial
The Declaration author's historic home is hosting a "1776: Road to the Declaration" exhibition.
Crossword
Happy Labor-Saving Day August/September 2026 Puzzle
"Rapper who's a Second Amendment supporter"
ETC.
Andy Serkis on Animal Farm, Authoritarianism, and Humanizing Monsters
"If Orwell were writing that story now, what would his targets be?" the Animal Farm director asks Reason's Nick Gillespie.
Brickbats: August/September 2026
News of politicians, police, and bureaucrats behaving badly from around the world
Archives: August/September 2026
Excerpts from Reason's vaults
