Banging Our Heads on the Debt Ceiling
Plus: A listener question cross-examines prior Reason Roundtable discussions surrounding immigration, economic growth, and birthrates.
Department of Justice
DOJ Says That Cops Who Killed Autistic Teenager May Have Violated His Civil Rights
Eric Parsa died after police placed him in a "prone position" for over nine minutes. Now, the DOJ says that the officers' actions likely violated the Americans with Disabilities Act.
Stewart Rhodes Gets 18 Years After the DOJ Reiterates a Conspiracy Claim That Jurors Rejected
It remains unclear whether the Oath Keepers leader had a specific plan to violently disrupt the electoral vote count on January 6.
The Durham Report Is Right About the Need for More FBI Oversight
The FBI's sloppy, secret search warrants should be a concern for all Americans.
Trump Hopes His Own Delusions Will Protect Him From Criminal Charges
The former president says he did not solicit election fraud; he merely tried to correct a "rigged" election. And he says he did not illegally retain government records, because they were his property.
Do These Seditious Conspiracy Convictions Prove the Capitol Riot 'Was Not Spontaneous'?
A jury convicted members of the Proud Boys without evidence of an explicit plot, let alone one that most of the rioters were trying to execute.
The FBI's Anti-Encryption Campaign
The loss of public key encryption service providers would make us all more vulnerable, both physically and financially.
Justice Department Challenges Tennessee Ban on Drugs, Surgery for Transgender Youth
Plus: Court sides with journalists sued by LAPD, don't ban private employers from requiring college degrees, and more...
U.S. Government Borrows Russian Tactic To Muzzle Pro-Russian Critics
The Department of Justice emulates the Kremlin in smearing government critics as foreign agents.
Another Federal Judge Rejects the DOJ's Argument That Cannabis Consumers Have No Second Amendment Rights
U.S. District Judge Kathleen Cardone was unimpressed by the Biden administration's argument that marijuana users are too "dangerous" to own guns.
Abortion, Guns, Trump, and the New Era of Shout-Down Politics
Plus: The editors respond to a listener question concerning corporate personhood.
Dueling Decisions Leave Abortion Pill's Fate Uncertain
The divergent orders from judges in Washington state and Texas may bring the battle over mifepristone to the Supreme Court.
Trump Commuted His Sentence. Now the Justice Department Is Going To Prosecute Him Again.
Philip Esformes' case is a story about what happens when the government violates some of its most basic promises.
Senators Ask DEA To Stop Buying Its Way Around Civil Liberties
Plus: Senate Republicans spar over TikTok and free speech, Americans can't agree on how to cut spending, and more...
Of Course, the Trump Indictment Is Political
Plus: A listener asks the editors if the nation is indeed unraveling or if she is just one of "The Olds" now.
Is the Manhattan D.A. Upholding or Flouting the Rule of Law by Prosecuting Trump?
The case hinges on the claim that the former president tried to cover up a campaign finance violation with which he was never charged.
Want Better Journalism and Less B.S.? Demand Stronger Public Record Laws.
Even if you despise the media, you should be rooting for better public record laws.
Louisville Police Abuses Show Civil Liberties Are Meaningless Without Accountability
Supervisors and judges tolerated outrageous constitutional violations, including illegal searches and brutal assaults.
The DOJ Says Marijuana Use, Which Biden Thinks Should Not Be a Crime, Nullifies the Second Amendment
Even as the president bemoans the injustice of pot prohibition, his administration insists that cannabis consumers have no right to arms.
Four Months After Biden Promised Marijuana Pardons, He Has Not Issued Any
The president reaped political benefits with his pre-election proclamation but has yet to follow through.
Can the Feds Prosecute Douglass Mackey for His Twitter Trolling?
Because of a series of misleading memes, a troll has been charged with conspiracy "to injure, oppress, threaten and intimidate one or more persons in the free exercise and enjoyment of a right and privilege secured to them by the Constitution and laws of the United States."
New Data Show Prison Staff Are Rarely Held Accountable for Sexual Misconduct
Prison staff were fired in less than half of substantiated incidents of sexual misconduct between 2016 and 2018, and only faced legal consequences in 6 percent of cases.
Child Welfare Algorithm May Unfairly Target Disabled Parents, Complaints to DOJ Allege
"When you have technology designed by humans, the bias is going to show up in the algorithms," said one former child welfare worker.
New Video Shows Memphis Police Fatally Beating, Tasing, Pepper-Spraying Tyre Nichols
The five police officers involved in the deadly encounter have been charged with Nichols' murder.
Louisiana Keeps Over a Quarter of Inmates Detained Past Their Release Dates, DOJ Investigation Finds
"There is an obligation both to incarcerated persons and the taxpayers not to keep someone incarcerated for longer than they should be," a Louisiana district attorney said. "Timely release is not only a legal obligation, but arguably of equal importance, a moral obligation."
DOJ Antitrust Suit Seeks To End Google Ad Dominance. The Market Is Already Taking Care of That.
Plus: Journalism versus qualified immunity, Mississippi bill would end civil asset forfeiture, and more...
'There's Nothing There,' Biden Said the Day Before the FBI Found More Classified Documents in His House
If Trump's handling of government secrets was "totally irresponsible," how should we describe Biden's conduct?
Arizona-Led Effort Spies on Americans' Financial Transactions
Thousands of local, state, and federal law-enforcers have access to sensitive financial data.
A Federal Judge Says the DOJ's Sex Offender Registration Rules Violate Due Process by Requiring the Impossible
Justice Department regulations threaten people with prosecution for failing to register even when their state no longer requires it.
The Courts Are Rejecting Biden's Antitrust Crusade
The Biden administration's antitrust efforts are being shut down by judges, except for a single successful case where best-selling authors were involved.
Yet Another Shady, Hypocritical Document Hoarder
Plus: The editors field a listener question on college admissions and affirmative action.
Biden Looks Careless, Shady, and Hypocritical After the Revelations About His Handling of Classified Material
Prosecuting Trump for keeping government records at Mar-a-Lago now seems doomed for political as well as legal reasons.
Pot Possession Cases Have Plummeted in Federal Courts, but Prior Marijuana Convictions Still Boost Penalties
Federal sentences for simple marijuana possession dropped by 93 percent over seven years.
Like Trump, Biden Had a Private Stash of Secret Documents, but It Was Much Less Impressive
In both cases, proving criminal intent would be a tall order.
Libertarian Radio Host Ian Freeman Convicted for Helping People Buy Bitcoin
Freeman, an early adopter of the virtual currency, gets slammed by a state that can't tolerate any use of money without its permission and knowledge.
Don't Count on Criminal Prosecution To Hold Trump Accountable for His Egregious Post-Election Behavior
The final report from the January 6 select committee falls short of proving the elements required to convict the former president.
The January 6 Committee's Suggested Charges Against Trump May Be Hard To Prove
The leading possibilities include knowledge and intent elements that have to be established beyond a reasonable doubt.
Merrick Garland's New Charging Policy Aims To Ameliorate the Damage His Boss Did As a Drug Warrior
The attorney general's memo to prosecutors is an improvement, but it is no substitute for legislation.
Attorney General Orders Prosecutors To End Crack Cocaine Sentencing Disparity as Congress Dithers
The move comes as legislation flounders in Congress to end the crack-powder sentencing disparity once and for all.
5 Louisiana Officers Indicted for Beating Motorist Ronald Greene to Death, Then Covering It Up
Credit the leaking of body camera footage to the press for helping force the matter.
City That Forced Landlords To Evict Tenants Suspected of Crimes Will Pay $1 Million To Settle DOJ Lawsuit
Plus: Elon Musk bans Twitter account that tracks his private jet, Iong permit waits to build new apartment buildings in San Francisco, and more...
Oregon's Governor Commutes Sentences of All State Death Row Inmates
Brown: “The state should not be in the business of executing people.”
11th Circuit Says a Judge Should Not Have Interfered With the FBI's Review of the Mar-a-Lago Documents
The appeals court says Donald Trump's status as a former president does not entitle him to special treatment.
After a Crackdown on a Pain Clinic, a Tragic Double Suicide
After losing access to opioids, many patients can’t live with constant pain.
Eleventh Circuit Quashes Trump Effort to Block Federal Government Access to Mar-a-Lago Documents
In a brief and forceful opinion, a unanimous court explains why the trial court never had jurisdiction to consider Trump's filings in the first place.
Judging From These Verdicts, Stewart Rhodes' Seditious Conspiracy Did Not Involve Attacking the Capitol
The Oath Keepers leader was acquitted of two riot-related conspiracy counts but convicted of plotting to keep Donald Trump in office "by force."
'Real' Journalists Recognize That Prosecuting Julian Assange Poses a Grave Threat to Freedom of the Press
The Justice Department’s discretion is the only thing that protects them from a similar fate.
Major Media Outlets Condemn Continued Prosecution of Julian Assange
The open letter warns the indictment “threatens to undermine America’s First Amendment and the freedom of the press.”
