Why Donald Trump Made a Deal To Free Ross Ulbricht
A second chance for the creator of the dark web drug site the Silk Road might be coming…from an unlikely savior.
Donald Trump
The FDA Proposes a De Facto Cigarette Ban, Which Would Expand the Disastrous War on Drugs
Mandating negligible nicotine levels in tobacco products would create a big black market and criminalize currently legal transactions.
The Way Out of Our Inflation Mess
For all the excitement about the incoming administration and a return to the 2019 economy, market stability rests on the precarious assumption that the government will eventually put its fiscal house in order.
Nobody Won the War in Gaza
The same ceasefire agreement was almost signed in May 2024. Instead, the pointless violence continued for several more months—at Americans’ expense.
Can the Private Sector Really Replace All Government Functions?
I can't stand big government, but I think we need something. Michael Malice says I'm wrong.
Hegseth on Defense
Plus: Who's on deck for the next round of confirmation hearings, Trump wants to create a second IRS, Cuba is no longer doing terrorism, and more...
The Law That Disarmed Trump Is Unfair, Illogical, and Constitutionally Dubious
The president-elect lost his Second Amendment rights thanks to a nonsensical gun ban.
Reminder: Donald Trump Promised To Free Ross Ulbricht on 'Day One'
Will he follow through on the promise he made at the Libertarian National Convention—and to his crypto fans?
Trump Would Have Been Convicted for Election Interference, Says Jack Smith
In the first volume of his final report, Special Counsel Jack Smith laid out a damning case against the former and future president.
Trump's Inauguration Won't Change the Fact That People Dislike High Gas Prices
The incoming administration is grappling with uncomfortable political consequences of the tariffs Trump wants to impose.
Hegseth Faces the Senate
Plus: L.A.'s price gouging crackdown, more Rachel Maddow in your life, and more...
How Awful Policies Fueled the L.A. Fires
Plus: A listener asks the editors if Donald Trump is the most libertarian president ever.
Trump's Latest Defeat Is One of Many Decisions That Suggest SCOTUS Won't Rubber-Stamp His Agenda
Despite some notable wins, the president-elect's overall track record shows he cannot count on a conservative Supreme Court to side with him.
Janet Yellen's Short-Term Thinking Could Cost the U.S. Big
The Treasury Secretary’s debt decisions during the pandemic locked in low rates—but only for two years. Now, taxpayers are paying the price.
We Could Use a Man Like Grover Cleveland Again
The last president to serve two non-consecutive terms stood against imperialism. Donald Trump could learn from his example.
Alvin Bragg's Misbegotten 'Election Interference' Case Against Trump Ends With a Whimper
Aside from a felony record that may yet be erased on appeal, the president-elect will face no punishment for trying to conceal his hush payment to Stormy Daniels.
Will 2025 Be the Year of U.S. Fiscal Sanity?
With inflation risks persisting and entitlement spending surging, the situation cannot be ignored. But we never should have gotten to this point to begin with.
America's Arctic Troops in Greenland Go To Diversity Training
The U.S. already has a base in one of the territories Trump covets. Here’s how the Americans stationed there are told to deal with the people who are actually from there.
Douglas Irwin: Why Trump's Tariff Plans Are Dangerous
The trade economist details the most alarming protectionist policies proposed by the incoming Trump administration.
Decrying First Amendment Threat, FIRE Will Defend Pollster Whom Trump Sued for 'Consumer Fraud'
The president-elect frivolously claims that J. Ann Selzer and The Des Moines Register owe him damages because of an erroneous preelection poll.
Zuck Finds His Spine
Plus: The new manifest destiny, California wildfires, Canada's immigration troubles, and more...
American Public Has High Hopes for New Trump Administration
The incoming administration has an opportunity—if it can meet expectations.
The Best of Reason: The Improbable Rise of MAGA-Musk
Is Elon Musk a reactionary with a defective bullshit meter or the best part of the second Trump administration?
More on Birthright Citizenship and Undocumented Immigrants
Legal scholars Amanda Frost and Paul Gowder have both published notable new articles on the subject.
What's Happening to Canada?
Plus: CCP police station in NYC, Rotherham rape scandal, McDonald's scraps DEI nonsense, and more...
Why the Race and Gender Politics of White Dudes for Harris Failed
It's still the economy, stupid.
How Political Ignorance Helped Cause the January 6 Attack and Trump's Subsequent Political Comeback
Voter ignorance and bias in evaluating political information were major factors in both.
Biden Ends Presidency How He Started It: Halting Oil Production
The president’s ban on offshore oil and gas drilling perfectly encapsulates his top-down legacy on energy.
Biden Strengthened the Refugee Resettlement System. Will Trump Undo It?
Refugee resettlements last year hit a 30-year high, but that progress is fragile.
The Improbable Rise of MAGA-Musk
Is Elon Musk a reactionary with a defective bullshit meter or the best part of the second Trump administration?
Is Biden Teeing Up an Iran War for Trump?
Trump was considered reckless for wanting to start a war at the end of his term. Now, Biden is doing the same.
The Socialists and Suffragettes of Oz
Long before Wicked came along, America's homegrown fairyland was filled with politics.
Is America Entering Her Kakistocracy Era?
Rule by incompetent, power-hungry fools is a bipartisan problem.
Rights and Wrongs of Chief Justice Roberts' Year-End Report on the Judiciary
Roberts identifies genuine problems, but little in the way of good solutions. He also sometimes overlooks ways in which the Supreme Court is partly responsible for the challenges the judiciary faces.
The U.S. Tax Code Is Way Too Complex. Here's How To Fix It.
The high cost of complying with our tax code encourages wasteful tax avoidance strategies and distorts work and investment decisions.
The Lie of the Year Was Joe Biden's Decline
It was the greatest cover up of presidential ability since FDR.
Pay Up, Trump
Plus: Biden's last-minute Ukraine cash surge, Tennessee age-verification law blocked, Kentucky man killed by cop who showed up at wrong house, and more…
Final Farewells
Plus: What Biden regrets, Trump supports visas for skilled workers (or does he?), a major Amtrak screwup, and more...
The 2024 Campaign Was an Embarrassment for Elite Media
Journalists increasingly see their job as protecting their preferred candidates, not asking tough questions.
Hypocrisy on Bodily Autonomy at the DEA
Trump’s pick for federal drug enforcement was ousted for not respecting personal freedom. Too bad that that’s a job requirement.
Address Border Chaos by Making Legal Migration Easier
Cato Institute immigration analyst Alex Nowrasteh has an excellent piece on this subject.
Can Nativists and Dynamists Coexist Within Trump's MAGA Coalition?
An ongoing online debate over visas for highly skilled foreign workers is revealing a fissure that might define Trump's second term.
Make Cars (and Everything Else) Cheap Again
Plus: Superfund is back, Biden signs a lot of laws, MAGA vs. tech Christmas, and more...
California Gov. Newsom Speaks Loudly, Carries Small Stick
Newsom is a prototypical modern progressive governor whose pro-democracy tour of Southern states evoked more mocking than fear.
Even Without the Sex and Drug Allegations, Matt Gaetz's Nomination Should Have Been Doomed
The House Ethics Committee's findings, combined with Gaetz's lack of relevant experience, again raise the question of why Donald Trump picked him for attorney general.
Trump's Tariffs Will Shrink the Economy and Reduce Investment, CBO Says
Bonus: They're unpopular too, according to a new poll.
Asylum Isn't As Crazy as Trump Claims
The president-elect can't tell political asylum from an insane asylum. But a little linguistic history reveals a more compelling American tradition.
