FAFSA Glitches Cause Chaos for Millions of College Students
A shoddy effort to simplify the financial aid form led to errors affecting 30 percent of this year's FAFSA applications.
Federal government
Read the FCC's Crank Mail About Saturday Night Live
One viewer said it should be illegal to take the Lord's name in vain on TV—and that was one of the more coherent complaints.
Don't Forget To Claim Drug Dealing Income on Your Taxes
According to IRS guidance, any income derived from illegal activity is taxable, and there's no statute of limitations on when they can go after you.
Democrats Tank FISA Warrant Requirement
The measure would have required federal agents to get a warrant before searching American communications collected as part of foreign intelligence.
Say No to This: America's Fiscal Norms Are in Decline
Despite their informal nature, those norms have historically constrained U.S. fiscal policy. But they're eroding.
Nearly $100 Billion in COVID Relief Money Remains Unspent
State governments have until the end of 2026 to spend the cash, even though Congress ended the COVID-19 emergency declaration last year.
The Government Was Supposed To Simplify the FAFSA. Instead, They Created a Glitchy Fiasco.
Instead of making the FAFSA form easier for families, persistent technical issues have imperiled vital financial aid information for millions of students.
New Federal Rules for Independent Contractors Will Destroy Freelancers' Livelihoods
A similar law in California had disastrous consequences.
The Best of Reason: Culture Warrior in Chief
The modern presidency is a divider, not a uniter. It has become far too powerful to be anything else.
The White House Lied About Its IRS Funding Only Targeting the Rich
Plus: A listener asks the editors for examples of left-leaning thinkers who also hold libertarian ideas.
Biden Announces Second Attempt at Widespread Student Loan Forgiveness
The new plan is much less ambitious than the president's 2022 blanket forgiveness effort, mostly relying on an expansion of previous smaller-scale debt cancelation schemes.
Culture Warrior in Chief
The modern presidency is a divider, not a uniter. It has become far too powerful to be anything else.
Promise-Breaking IRS
Plus: Ethan Mollick on AI, Nancy Pelosi's kente cloth, hurricanes may destroy us all, and more...
Politicians Are Showering Manufacturing Companies With Crony Subsidies for 'Job Creation.' It Won't Work.
These handouts will flow to businesses—often big and rich—for projects they would likely have taken on anyway.
No, Biden's New Rail Crew Mandate Doesn't Make 'Common Sense'
Requiring two-person crews on freight trains wouldn't have prevented the East Palestine disaster. It's simply a giveaway to Biden's labor union allies.
Trump's and Biden's Terrible Tariffs
Plus: A listener asks if Trump or Biden have done anything to secure the blessings of liberty.
Dave Smith vs. Chris Freiman: What's the Ideal Immigration Policy?
Podcast host Dave Smith and philosopher Chris Freiman debate open borders on the latest episode of Just Asking Questions.
FAFSA Glitch Imperils Financial Aid for 200,000 Students
A rushed attempt to simplify the financial aid form has led to persistent technical difficulties, frustrating families and colleges alike.
Marjorie Taylor Greene Introduces Measure To Oust Mike Johnson as House Speaker
Johnson could lose the speakership for the same reasons Kevin McCarthy lost it just five months ago. Who will be next?
The National Debt Is a National Security Issue
The growing debt will "slow economic growth, drive up interest payments," and "heighten the risk of a fiscal crisis," the CBO warns.
'Emergency' Spending Is Out of Control
Congress has authorized over $12 trillion in emergency spending over the past three decades.
Opposition to U.S. Steel Sale Shows How Similar Biden and Trump Are on Trade
Economic nationalists are claiming the deal endangers "national security" to convince Americans that a good deal for investors, employees, and the U.S. economy will somehow make America less secure. That's nonsense.
No Ice Cream Price Gouging Thanks to Substitutes
Unilever’s split from its ice cream division shows market share and market power are very different concepts.
'15 Days To Slow the Spread': On the Fourth Anniversary, a Reminder to Never Give Politicians That Power Again
In the name of safety, politicians did many things that diminished our lives—without making us safer.
The Government Doesn't Want You To See the Unused Space Force Logos
It took the Air Force four years to release redacted records of its quest to create spiffy new uniforms for the newest branch of the military.
New Inflation Numbers Keep Economic Concerns Front and Center
The eroding value of the dollar inflicts pain, and Americans resent politicians who cause it.
Feds Enforcing Unconstitutional Reporting Law Against Most Businesses
Are you in compliance with the Corporate Transparency Act? Have you even heard of it?
The SEC Conscripts Corporate America in Its New Climate Change Fight
The new reporting rules will force companies to disclose whether they are prioritizing climate change concerns.
Biden's Plan To Subsidize Homebuyers Won't Work
The president's laundry list of proposed tax credits would likely make the problem of high housing costs worse.
A Bipartisan Tax Hike Won't Fix This Deficit
The government needs to cut back on spending—and on the promises to special interests that fuel the spending.
The Budget Deal Is Overflowing With $12 Billion of Earmarks
Why are federal taxpayers paying for upgrades at tiny rural airports, Thanksgiving Day parades, and enhancements for Alaskan king crabs?
Dear Government: Stop Trying To Make TikTok Bans Happen
A new bill would ban TikTok and give the president power to declare other social media apps off limits.
The State of Our Biden Is Historically Frail
Who you gonna believe during Thursday's speech, the president's protectors or your lying eyes?
Here's Why Government Should Stop Throwing Money at Green Energy
In California, which has a slew of renewable energy regulations, the cost of electricity increased three times faster than in the rest of the U.S.—and the state still doesn't even get reliable energy.
New Budget Deal Includes $12 Billion 'Cut' That Doesn't Actually Cut Anything
Anatomy of a budget gimmick.
Congress Wastes Billions With Bogus Emergency Declaration
And it isn't the first time.
The Federal Government Doesn't Know How Many of Its Buildings Contain Asbestos
A new report from the Government Accountability Office finds that two-thirds of government-owned buildings haven't been inspected for asbestos in at least five years.
National Guardsman Gets 16 Years for Leaking Pentagon Docs Over Discord
Jack Teixeira shared documents on the war in Ukraine to a gamer group on Discord.
Utah Tells the Feds To Pound Sand
The Beehive State joins a growing wave of defiance aimed at Washington, D.C.
SCOTUS Takes on Trump
Plus: Balkan begging, California corruption, Russian gravediggers, and more...
Congress Continues To Make the Tax Code Ridiculously Hard To Understand
I shouldn't have to spend so much money on an accountant every year. But I don't really have a choice.
Not All Policy Is Industrial Policy
Just say no to empowering government actors to put their thumbs on the scale on behalf of certain sectors.
Feds Target Journalist Tim Burke With Law Intended for Hackers
An escalation in the war between people who publish secrets and those who seek to keep them.
A History of Taxpayer Revolts
Linda Upham-Bornstein's "Mr. Taxpayer versus Mr. Tax Spender" delivers an evenhanded view of American tax resistance movements.
The Justice Department Quietly Ends Reprosecution of Man Who Received Clemency From Trump
Philip Esformes was sentenced for charges on which a jury hung. After receiving a commutation, the federal government vowed to try to put him back in prison.
Looming Deadline
Plus: Nuclear reactors, space firsts, Fani Willis' love life, Trump sneakers, and more...
