Did the House Rebellion Against Kevin McCarthy Have an Upside?
Plus: a lightning round recollection of comical political fabulists
Joe Biden
Assessing Biden's New Immigration Policies
Analysts differ on whether their net impact is more pro-immigration or more restrictionist. On balance, I think the former is closer to the truth. But there is some uncertainty here.
Biden's Immigration Plan Lays Out a Tougher Border, New Legal Pathway for Some Migrants
There's still much more to be done to establish fair and efficient processes at the border.
Biden Expands Uniting for Ukraine Private Refugee Sponsorship Model to Include up to 30,000 Migrants Per Month from Cuba, Nicaragua, Venezuela, and Haiti
The move is a step in the right direction. But it has limitations and is combined with harmful "border enforcement" measures.
A Surly Showdown for Speaker
Plus: Would Adam Smith be a libertarian if he were alive today?
My New Washington Post Article on the Uniting for Ukraine Private Refugee Sponsorship Program
The article explains why the progam is a major improvement over previous policies, and how it can be further improved and made a model for refugee policy generally.
Under Government Pressure, Twitter Suppressed Truthful Speech About COVID-19
The company's broad definition of "misleading information" and its deference to authority invited censorship by proxy.
Is Biden Playing a Double Game on Title 42 "Public Health" Expulsions of Migrants?
The Administration claims to want to end the policy. But, as Washington Post columnist Catherine Rampell points out, it is actually expanding its use.
Congress and the Federal Reserve Could Be Setting Us Up for Economic Disaster
If lawmakers keep spending like they are, and if the Fed backs down from taming inflation, then the government may create a perfect storm.
If You Oppose COVID Emergency Powers, You Should Oppose Title 42 Expulsions
While other pandemic policies have ended, the migration measure has “outlived [its] shelf life,” Justice Neil Gorsuch wrote yesterday.
Supreme Court Issues Dubious Ruling that Perpetuates Title 42 "Public Health" Expulsions of Migrants
The decision doesn't actually require continuation of the policy, but will have that effect indirectly. Justice Neil Gorsuch's dissent explains why the Court was wrong to take this step.
Congress Misses Another Chance To Correct Blatantly Unjust Crack Penalties
The legal distinction between the smoked and snorted forms of cocaine never made sense.
The Annual, Depressing 'Do Your Job Week' in Congress
Plus: The editors extend the discussion on the lack of immigration reform in this week’s bill.
Biden's Loan Forgiveness Plan Ultimately Means Higher Costs for Higher Ed
If political pressure to forgive debt can work once, why wouldn't it work again every five or 10 years?
Podcast on United States v. Texas
In this Federalist Society podcast on a major immigration case currently before the Supreme Court, I go over the issues at stake, and make some tentative predictions about the case's likely outcome.
Bernie Sanders Abandons Plan To Force Vote on Yemen War
Faced with White House opposition, Sanders withdrew a resolution that would've challenged U.S. involvement in the Yemeni Civil War.
Oregon's Governor Commutes Sentences of All State Death Row Inmates
Brown: “The state should not be in the business of executing people.”
Biden Signs Respect for Marriage Act Into Law
Federal recognition of same-sex marriage is now officially on the books and no longer dependent on the Supreme Court.
The Supreme Court Will Hear a Second Challenge Over Biden's Student Loan Forgiveness Plan
As the Court agrees to take up yet another case against the Education Department's loan forgiveness plan, Biden's goal of forgiving billions in student loans seems increasingly doomed.
Supreme Court Decides to Hear Second Case Challenging Legality of Biden's Loan Forgiveness Plan
Like the first case, it will be argued in February. In the meantime, the plan remains blocked.
Raphael Warnock Defeats Herschel Walker, Removing Obstacle to Biden Administration Agenda
Democrats had already retained their majority, but by keeping Warnock's seat, they gained even more power in the upper chamber to hinder Republican opposition.
Semiconductor Manufacturers Don't Need More Subsidies. They Need Less Government.
Fixing federal permitting rules and easing immigration policies would help companies like the Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company, which are interested in building more plants in America.
President Biden Wants to Ban 'Semiautomatic Weapons'? Dream On.
It’s a bold and probably unconstitutional goal that’s bound to alienate millions of Americans.
Biden's 'Marijuana Reform' Leaves Prohibition Untouched
While Biden issued pardons and ordered a review of marijuana's Schedule I status, he still supports the federal ban on weed.
Election-Denying Republicans Were Big Losers in the 2022 Midterms
And most of them quietly slunk away afterwards.
Biden's Student Loan Debt Forgiveness Plan Just Faced Its Third Major Setback in a Month
On Wednesday, a federal appeals court denied the Biden administration's request to block a Texas judge's ruling that declared the policy unconstitutional.
Supreme Court Will Hear Case on Legality of Biden Loan Forgiveness Plan
In the meantime, the justices left in place a lower court injunction against the plan. That probably doesn't bode well for the Biden Administration's chances of winning.
David Bier on "What Biden Has Gotten Right on Immigration Policy"
There is much to criticize in Biden's record on immigration issues. But the administration has also made some major improvements.
Robert Draper: The GOP Needs a Post-Trump Reality Check
The Weapons of Mass Delusion author says election-deniers like Marjorie Taylor Greene and Lauren Boebert may be the Republicans' future.
Has the GOP Lost Its Mind Over Donald Trump and Election Fraud?
Weapons of Mass Delusion author Robert Draper says Republicans need a massive reality check.
Biden's Spending Spree Is Unprecedented
Instead of redirecting course, Biden is continuing Trump’s spending legacy.
Biden's Support for COVID Protests Hinges on What Country They're in
The president has urged the Chinese government to respect the rights of anti-lockdown demonstrators. He actively encouraged the Canadian government to end the trucker protests.
Uniting for Ukraine Private Refugee Sponsorship Program Breaks Through Bureaucratic Red Tape
In sharp contrast to the sclerotic traditional refugee admissions program, the new private refugee sponsorship program enables Ukrainians fleeing war and repression to enter the US quickly and relatively easily. As a participating sponsor myself, I have firsthand knowledge of its effectiveness.
Pardon People, Not Turkeys
Biden should exercise his pardon power to help some of the people whose lives his criminal justice policies destroyed.
The Pandemic Is Over, Except When Politicians Need It To Justify Their Plans
Plus: A questionable consensus on autism treatment, Fauci to be deposed in social media case, and more...
The Pilgrims Dreamed of Socialism. Then Socialism Almost Killed Them.
Private property was the solution to their failed experiment. But people keep repeating the Pilgrims' mistakes.
Wallowing Around in a Gerontocracy
Plus: The editors consider what type of fresh attacks the marijuana legalization movement is likely to encounter.
Biden Administration Asks Supreme Court to Lift Injunction Blocking their Massive Loan Forgiveness Program
The Supreme Court's resolution of this procedural issue may be a preview of the justices' views on the ultimate resolution of the student loan forgiveness litigation.
Electric Cars Are Good, but We Still Need Fossil Fuels
"Engineers are really good at making things better, but they can't make them better than the laws of physics permit."
Biden's 'Made In America' Plan Is Bullying Homeowners Off Their Land to Build a Taxpayer-Subsidized Chip Plant
The president has touted a factory jobs boom. In practice, that means forcing people out of their homes to benefit corporate projects that rely on billions of dollars of subsidies.
Biden's Student Loan Forgiveness Plan Gets Blocked Again
On Monday, a federal appeals court placed an injunction on Biden's student loan forgiveness plan, marking the second major setback for the proposal in recent days.
8th Circuit Rules States Have Standing to Challenge Biden's Loan Forgiveness Plan [Updated]
The decision overrules a trial court ruling and likely paves the way for a decision on the merits striking down the program.
The Red Wave That Wasn't
Plus: The editors field a question on U.S. ballot counting and talk more on Elon Musk’s Twitter takeover.
Climate Reparations and the Problem of Pervasive Corruption
At COP27, poor countries demand climate change "loss and damage" funding from rich countries.
The U.S. Is Entangled in Ukraine for the Long Haul
Accountability, diplomacy, and planning are essential for preventing a forever proxy war.
A Potted Plant Could Beat a Trump Republican
A cult following fails to attract voters dismayed by Democratic policies.
Maybe Republicans Need a Policy Agenda After All?
The GOP has hit the dead end of Trump-style personality-cult populism. It's time to try having ideas.
