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COVID-19

Susan Monarez, former director of the Centers for Disease Control |  Michael Brochstein/ZUMAPRESS/Newscom

CDC

Is RFK Jr. 'Weaponizing Public Health'?

The CDC needs drastic reform, but RFK Jr.'s firing of agency head Susan Monarez does not achieve that.

Ronald Bailey | 8.28.2025 2:35 PM

Nick Gillespie is on the left laughing in a black jacket. Glenn Jacobs is on the right laughing in a brown jacket. A wrestling ring corner with red ropes is in the background. Bold text at the top reads ‘PRO WRESTLER → MAYOR,’ with ‘The Reason Interview with Nick Gillespie’ logo in the bottom left." | Illustration: Eddie Marshall

Libertarianism

Glenn Jacobs Body-Slams Big Government

The former WWE star and current mayor of Knox County explains how limiting government, protecting economic freedom, and trusting communities over bureaucrats can build a stronger foundation for liberty.

Nick Gillespie | 8.27.2025 11:00 AM

Josh Brolin in "Weapons" | New Line Cinema

Movies

Zach Cregger's Weapons Is a Horror Film That Doesn't Tell You What To Think

A twisted, terrifying follow-up from the director of Barbarian

Peter Suderman | 8.8.2025 10:27 AM

Mark Pennington is on the left, speaking with an animated expression and wearing a light blue shirt. Nick Gillespie on the right, speaking into a microphone and wearing a black shirt. Between them are black-and-white images of Friedrich Hayek and Michel Foucault. Bold text at the top reads “HAYEK VS FOUCAULT.” | Illustration: Eddie Marshall

Austrian economics

The Libertarian Case for Postmodernism

Political economist Mark Pennington draws on the ideas of Hayek and Foucault to show how expert rule and government surveillance are making it harder for people to think freely and live on their own terms.

Nick Gillespie | 8.6.2025 11:00 AM

COVID-19 vaccine | Ronstik/Dreamstime.com

Public Health

Upholding a Vaccine Mandate, the 9th Circuit Embraces an Alarmingly Broad Definition of 'Public Health'

The appeals court held that the government may require COVID-19 shots based purely on the benefits to recipients.

Jacob Sullum | 8.4.2025 5:25 PM

A Freedom Convoy protester marches in the street holding a flag that says "Mandate Freedom." | Ryan Walter Wagner/ZUMAPRESS/Newscom

Protests

Canada Seeks To Jail Freedom Convoy Organizers for 8 Years

Too many government officials see dissent as the worst crime imaginable.

J.D. Tuccille | 7.30.2025 7:00 AM

Protestor sign that reads, "One of millions who starved w/o USAID" | ID 368328248 ©  Cpenler | Dreamstime.com

Government Waste

Did USAID Really Save 90 Million Lives? Not Unless It Raised the Dead

A Lancet study’s inflated numbers are being used to push a partisan narrative, not inform public policy.

Aaron Brown | 7.24.2025 11:30 AM

COVID-19 vaccine | Julián Rovagnati/Dreamstime.com

Coronavirus

Thomas Massie's New Bill Would Let People Sue Pharma for COVID Vaccine Injuries

Federal liability protections currently prevent people suing COVID-19 vaccine makers, and instead require them to request compensation from a program that's covered only 39 COVID vaccine injury claims.

Christian Britschgi | 7.21.2025 5:10 PM

Mayoral Candidate Zohran Mamdani gets endorsed by the United Teachers Federation in downtown Manhattan on July 9th 2025. | IMAGO/Kaite Godowski / MediaPunch/IMAGO/MediaPunch/Newscom

New York City

The People Who Wrecked N.Y. Schools Love Zohran Mamdani

Democrats are politicking as if their COVID-era derangements don't matter.

Matt Welch | 7.10.2025 5:03 PM

RFK Jr. | Tom Williams/CQ Roll Call/Newscom

Vaccines

Under RFK Jr., Vaccine Approval Is Getting More Politicized, Not Less

The Health and Human Services secretary appointed several anti-vaxxer-adjacent members to the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices.

Ronald Bailey | 6.12.2025 7:00 PM

COVID virus | Theo Gottwald/Dreamstime.com

COVID-19

Everything Got Worse During COVID

By almost every measure, America during the pandemic was a more dangerous, deadly, and dysfunctional place.

Christian Britschgi | 6.4.2025 1:15 PM

Donald Trump, Jay Bhattacharya, and Robert F. Kennedy, Jr. in the Oval Office | Jim LoScalzo - Pool via CNP/CNP / Polaris/Newscom

COVID-19

Is Donald Trump To Blame for a COVID Lab Leak?

Criticisms of the president's alleged flip-flopping on gain-of-function research funding miss some key context.

Christian Britschgi | 5.22.2025 5:00 PM

Shipping containers stacked at a port | Photo by Sompop S on Unsplash

Free Trade

When Tariff Shortages Arrive, Here's What Might Be Missing

Sex toys, blenders, baby strollers, microwaves, hair dryers, and other affordable goods that Americans take for granted could soon be in short supply.

Eric Boehm | 5.5.2025 12:25 PM

National Institutes of Health | Grandbrothers/Dreamstime.com

Government Spending

Trump's Budget Calls for $17 Billion Cut to NIH, Citing Lax Oversight of Gain-of-Function Research in Wuhan

The White House budget plan says the agency's failure to prove it was not complicit in a possible lab leak shows it's "too big and unfocused."

Christian Britschgi | 5.2.2025 3:30 PM

Jay Bhattacharya | Tom Williams/CQ Roll Call/Newscom

Pandemic

Will Jay Bhattacharya Get Gain-of-Function Research Under Control?

The past three administrations have tried and failed to implement binding regulations on risky research that likely caused the COVID-19 pandemic.

Christian Britschgi | 3.26.2025 5:20 PM

Andrew Sullivan, Dicey Deportations | Adani Samat; Humberto Matheus/Sipa USA/Newscom

Immigration

Trump's War With the Courts

Plus: A listener asks why some American libertarians seem to unquestioningly accept everything Vladimir Putin says.

Peter Suderman, Katherine Mangu-Ward, Nick Gillespie, and Andrew Sullivan | 3.24.2025 5:49 PM

An AI-generated image depicting pedestrians in silhouette, with an overlay of the COVID-19 molecule. | Illustration: Lex Villena; Midjourney, Pop Nukoonrat | Dreamstime.com

Coronavirus

Pandemic Lockdowns Made the World Ruder

The new, coarser world will likely be with us for years to come.

J.D. Tuccille | 3.17.2025 7:00 AM

A vial of COVID-19 vaccine |  © Karaevgen | Dreamstime.com

COVID-19

Are COVID-19 Vaccines Safe and Effective?

Five years after Donald Trump declared a national COVID-19 emergency, here's what the research says.

Ronald Bailey | 3.14.2025 5:30 PM

minischaoscomescalling | Bold Type Books

Coronavirus

Review: Charting the Rise of Anti-Lockdown Activism

Chaos Comes Calling unsympathetically characterizes activism springing from COVID lockdowns as a far-right takeover.

Brian Doherty | 3.14.2025 6:30 AM

Tom Woods on the left, the Just Asking Questions logo in the lower left corner, a picture of Trump and Fauci in the lower right corner, and the words "5 years later..." across the top of the image | Leigh Vogel - Pool via CNP/Newscom; Graphic by John Osterhoudt

COVID-19

Tom Woods: The COVID Lessons We Can't Forget

The historian and podcaster joins us on the five-year anniversary of the COVID-19 emergency to relive all the pandemic policy failures.

Zach Weissmueller and Liz Wolfe | 3.13.2025 4:40 PM

A medical provider sits in a hospital room in full personal protective equipment | Wirestock | Dreamstime.com

COVID-19

How Many Americans Have Died of COVID-19?

Adding up COVID-19's toll since Donald Trump declared a national emergency five years ago.

Ronald Bailey | 3.12.2025 5:15 PM

Person holding hydroxychloroquine tablets |  © Amlan Mathur | Dreamstime.com

COVID-19

Do Hydroxychloroquine and Ivermectin Work?

Five years after Donald Trump declared a national COVID-19 emergency, here's what the research says.

Ronald Bailey | 3.11.2025 2:45 PM

Nick Gillespie, Donald Trump's uncertain trade policy | Lex Villena; Keith Tsuji/ZUMAPRESS/Newscom; CNP/AdMedia/Newscom

Donald Trump

It's Trump's Economy Now

Plus: A listener asks the editors to discuss the pros and cons of homeownership.

Peter Suderman, Katherine Mangu-Ward, Nick Gillespie, and Matt Welch | 3.10.2025 5:06 PM

face masks | imageBROKER/Rupert Oberhuser/Newscom

Masks

Do Face Masks Work?

Five years after Donald Trump declared a national COVID emergency, here's what the research says.

Ronald Bailey | 3.10.2025 2:15 PM

Jay Bhattacharya | Tom Williams/CQ Roll Call/Newscom

Lockdowns

Jay Bhattacharya's Confirmation Hearing Proves the Lockdown Skeptics Won

Trump's nominee for NIH director once stirred major controversy for criticizing lockdowns, mask mandates, and school closures. Yesterday, Senate Democrats didn't even raise the issue.

Christian Britschgi | 3.6.2025 4:15 PM

Pair of scissors cutting a 0 bill in half | Juan Marin Otero/Newscom

Interest rates

Interest Rates Are Falling—Thank Government Spending Cuts for That

Cuts to government spending mean fewer bonds, lower borrowing costs, and potentially a break for borrowers.

Jared Dillian | 2.27.2025 11:10 AM

Elon Musk and Donald Trump in the Oval Office | CNP/AdMedia/Newscom

DOGE

No One Cares When Presidential Advisers Want Bigger Government

Elon Musk's vague White House role is only controversial because he's trying to slash bureaucracy.

Christian Britschgi | 2.26.2025 5:00 PM

Robert F Kennedy Jr. sits in front of a microphone | Sipa USA/Newscom

Vaccines

Unvaccinated Kid Dies of Measles in Texas

Odd coincidence that RFK Jr. is now Secretary of Health and Human Services?

Ronald Bailey | 2.26.2025 4:05 PM

A 0 bill next to FEMA-branded documents | ID 345760493 © Zimmytws | Dreamstime.com

Government Waste

Wasteful FEMA Spending Topped $9 Billion During the Pandemic

One grant for $1.1 billion was supported by one sheet of paper and didn’t include itemized costs for the project.

Jeff Luse | 2.6.2025 2:10 PM

USAID protest | Andrew Leyden/ZUMAPRESS/Newscom

Public Health

USAID-Funded Pandemic Research Failed To Spot COVID or Ensure Chinese Transparency

There remains many open questions about whether the agency's funding played a role in the creation of COVID-19 in a Wuhan laboratory.

Christian Britschgi | 2.6.2025 1:25 PM

Donald Trump | Gripas Yuri/ZUMAPRESS/Newscom

Trump Administration

Trump Reportedly Preparing an Executive Order Banning Federal Funding of Gain-of-Function Research

The past three administrations have tried to limit gain-of-function research. The second Trump administration might be the first one to be successful at doing so.

Christian Britschgi | 1.24.2025 1:55 PM

Justin Trudeau | Pignatelli/Euc/Ropi/ZUMAPRESS/Newscom

Voting

Justin Trudeau's 'One Regret' Is Not Implementing Ranked Choice Voting in Canada

The outgoing Canadian prime minister says ranked choice voting would change how political parties and voters approach elections. He's right.

Eric Boehm | 1.8.2025 2:15 PM

A grid of red squares with desks and chairs in each square and a jagged white line pointing down | White © Koya79 | Dreamstime.com

Education

California Schools Stay Open Despite Plummeting Enrollment

Ballooning costs and shrinking student populations have left districts facing financial crises, but political pressures have kept closures off the table.

Aaron Garth Smith | 1.7.2025 7:00 AM

Republican press conference on the spending deal. | Mattie Neretin/CNP/CNP / Polaris/Newscom

Reason Roundup

Disaster Spending

Plus: A failed return to regular order, COVID-era spending scandals, and yet another city tries to shut down a local church's homeless shelter.

Christian Britschgi | 12.19.2024 9:47 AM

A blue photo of Joe Biden | Photo: Gage Skidmore

Civil Liberties

Biden's COVID-19 Response Eroded Civil Liberties

Mandates, school closures, and overreach defined an administration that doubled down on failed policies.

Robby Soave | 12.10.2024 6:00 AM

A blue photo of Joe Biden | Photo: Gage Skidmore

Politics

Bye, Joe: Evaluating the Biden Presidency

From the war in Afghanistan to the war on drugs, Reason writers offer performance reviews of Joe Biden's single term as president.

Katherine Mangu-Ward | 12.7.2024 6:00 AM

Michael Faulkender | Ron Sachs - CNP/Newscom

Trump Administration

The PPP Was a COVID-Era Disaster. Trump Wants To Promote the Guy Who Ran It.

After overseeing the pandemic-era Paycheck Protection Program (PPP), which was a bloated, wasteful mess, Michael Faulkender is failing up.

Eric Boehm | 12.5.2024 1:15 PM

Senator Rand Paul | Bill Clark/CQ Roll Call/Newscom

Politics

Rand Paul Will Continue His COVID-19 Investigations From Atop the Senate Homeland Security Committee

In a letter to his colleagues, Paul says the committee's "mission of oversight and investigations is critical to Congress reasserting itself."

Eric Boehm | 11.14.2024 1:05 PM

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