A Decaying Joe Biden Underlines the Need for a Less Powerful Presidency
The power of the office is excessive, and we don’t even know who is wielding it.
Federal government
Influencers Are Here To Stay—Now It's Time To Modernize Labor Laws
A TikTok ban could devastate thousands of independent workers, but the real challenge lies in modernizing labor laws to support the new economy.
Joe Biden Tried To Use the Regulatory State To Micromanage Everything
The Biden administration's war on "junk fees" is emblematic of its nanny state instincts.
Third Time's the Charm?
Plus: House Speaker Elon Musk, the value of the debt ceiling, and D.C.'s shut down specials.
Review: Why Are Federal Buildings So Ugly?
Our capital's brutalist architecture is on display at the National Building Museum in Washington, D.C.
How Many Americans Really Want Mass Deportation?
Even among Republicans and conservatives, support for the policy comes with caveats.
Social Security Is Deeply Unfair. The Social Security Fairness Act Won't Fix That.
What is paid out to Social Security beneficiaries is not a return on workers' investments. It's just a government expenditure, like any other.
Biden's Attempts To Forgive Student Debt Were a Disaster
While the administration was fighting for debt forgiveness in court, it was also rolling out a broken FAFSA application form.
Mark Meador's Nomination to the Federal Trade Commission Is Bad News for Consumers
Meador’s nomination is a win for antitrust activism and a blow to economic freedom.
Was the Supreme Court Wrong About Presidential Immunity?
Glenn Greenwald and Elizabeth Price Foley debate Trump v. United States and its implications for presidential powers.
Federal Government Has 'Grown Too Big, Promised Too Much, Subsidized Too Many,' Warns Former GAO Boss
This week's House Budget Committee hearing showed bipartisan agreement about the seriousness of America's fiscal problems.
Trump Is Coming for Tech Companies
It looks like we can expect the antitrust assaults to continue.
Intrusive Small Business Reporting Law Slapped With Nationwide Injunction
A judge says the federal law has no constitutional basis and threatens First and Fourth Amendment rights.
D.C. Circuit Court Upholds TikTok Ban, Prioritizing 'National Security' Over Free Speech
The popular but beleaguered social media app will have until January 19 to find an American buyer or be banned.
It's Time To End Double Taxation for Americans Living Abroad
Most people don't realize it, but if you're a U.S. citizen, the IRS wants to know about all the money you earn, no matter where in the world you earn it.
Congress Is Fiscally Reckless. Will Lawmakers Step Up?
Trump is talking about cutting government spending, but that's mostly in Congress' hands.
If You Want Mass Deportations, You Can't Have Less Government
Trump’s immigration agenda runs headfirst into his government efficiency initiative.
Betting on Bessent
Plus: Pregnant law student fights a holy war, NYC officials are trying to ruin your holidays, and more...
Is America Finally Having Its Raw Milk Moment?
Trump’s RFK Jr. nomination and another rumored cabinet ally may give raw milk legalization its biggest boost yet.
Gaetz Pulls Out
Plus: NYC stabbing spree, rescheduling pot, Burke vs. Paine, and more...
DOGE Can Succeed by Scaling Back Its Ambitions
The new advisory group promises bold savings and massive spending cuts, but without any expertise in the federal budget, it’s likely to be all bark and no bite.
We Don't Need RFK Jr. To 'Make America Healthy Again'
The federal government can't make the right health choices for you and your family. Only you can do that.
Mining Is Safer, Cleaner, and More Ethical in America. So Why Do Environmentalists Stand in the Way?
The U.S. now ranks second to last in the time it takes to develop a new mine—roughly 29 years. Only Zambia is worse.
Trump Targets Birthright Citizenship and Calls for Military Role in Deportations
Both plans are an affront to America’s image as a nation of immigrants.
The Clock Is Running Out for Student Loan Forgiveness
With only months left in his term, Biden wants to forgive the loans of nearly eight million borrowers experiencing "hardship."
The Bureau of Prisons' Casual Cruelty to Families of Those Who Die Behind Bars
Families whose loved ones died in federal prisons describe outrageous delays in being notified, ignored phone calls, and troubling discrepancies in the official reports.
How Elon Musk and DOGE Can Deliver on Smaller Government
Plus: a listener asks the editors why it is acceptable to allow unrestricted border crossings into the United States without penalty.
Pentagon Fails 7th Audit in a Row but Hopes To Pass by 2028
Congress required all federal agencies to submit annual financial reports in 1990. The Pentagon finally got around to complying in 2018, and it still hasn't passed an audit.
Social Security Approaches Its Day of Reckoning
Americans should plan for their futures rather than relying on a nonexistent Social Security “trust fund.”
Infographic: How Republicans and Democrats View Federal Agencies
Democrats tend to view the feds favorably but many agencies are under water among Republicans.
Map: Pearl Clutchers in Hot Spring County
A rural Arkansas county files more than twice as many FCC complaints per resident than anywhere else in the United States.
Can RFK Jr. Fix Our Dysfunctional Public Health Agencies?
His priorities may not be the drastic reforms that are actually needed.
The National Debt Just Hit $36 Trillion. Does Trump Have a Plan To Control It?
It would take nearly $8 trillion in budget cuts merely to stabilize the national debt so it does not grow faster than the economy.
One Brainworm To Rule Them All
Plus: The sex-withholders, new JAQ with Lee Fang, and more...
DOGE's Chances Are Slim, but It Might Be Our Only Hope
Congress and the president show no interest in cutting government. Maybe outsiders can get it done.
Trump's Immigration Picks Are Terrible
An administration staffed by Stephen Miller, Thomas Homan, and Kristi Noem will be punitive and authoritarian on this issue.
Abolish the FDA
Many seriously ill people die waiting for the FDA to approve drugs that regulators in other advanced countries have already approved.
Abolish the TSA
The agency has not made air travel safer but it has made it costlier and more time-consuming to fly.
Abolish the NSA and CIA
Ending these unaccountable agencies would safeguard civil liberties and improve intelligence gathering.
Abolish the Federal Alcohol Tax and Regulation System
The states already overregulate alcohol. There's no need for a federal layer of red tape.
Abolish the Department of Education
The federal government furnishes a relatively tiny amount of K-12 funding—but the feds need relatively little money to exert power.
Abolish Obamacare
The Affordable Care Act has become a broken welfare program for people who don't need it.
Abolish the Small Business Administration
Like all government perks, SBA lending creates unseen victims.
Abolish Antitrust Law
Having a large market share may just mean that a company is really good at what it does.
Abolish FOIA
FOIA has no teeth and bureaucrats abuse its exemptions. Just redact and release every federal workers' emails instead.
Abolish Amtrak
Why should the federal government run a transportation corporation?
Abolish the EPA
Climate change is a serious environmental concern, but it is not clear how the EPA helps.
Abolish the DEA
The DEA's attempts to enforce the nation's drug laws have been a resounding failure by pretty much any measure.
