Martin Indyk Got Us Knee-Deep Into the Middle East—and Then Tried To Get Us Out
The late U.S. diplomat helped form America’s policies towards Iran, Iraq, and Israel. By the end of his life, he'd had enough.
Obituaries
What James C. Scott Taught Us About Liberty, Authority, Surveillance, and Resistance
Scott wrote about the ways people resist authority—and the unmapped territories where much of that resistance takes place.
David Boaz, RIP
The longtime Cato Institute executive vice president was one of his era's most effective explainers of libertarianism.
RIP Marc Sandhaus, Whose Obsession With Cannabis Landraces Finally Bore Flower
The far-traveling smuggler turned breeder "never gave up" on his dream of recovering neglected marijuana strains.
Jimmy Buffett, Bard of the Florida Man
Buffett realized that what the consumer thought of him was ultimately more important than what he was.
Backpage Founder, Alt-Weekly Entrepreneur, and Free Speech Warrior James Larkin Has Died
Larkin, 74, took his own life on Monday, just a little over a week before he was slated to stand trial for his role in running the web-classifieds platform Backpage.
RIP Daniel Ellsberg, Who Told the World the Truth About the Vietnam War
The Pentagon Papers leaker risked prison to reveal that American military officials were lying to Congress and the public about Vietnam. He died today at age 92.
How Pat Robertson Shepherded His Flock Into Politics
Farewell to the senator's son who pioneered a TV genre, helped create the Christian right, ran for president, and earned the grudging respect of Abbie Hoffman
I Worked for Hodding Carter III at a Small-Town Mississippi Newspaper
He didn't pay much, we fought a lot, and he was one of the best bosses I ever had.
Martin Morse Wooster's Front Row Seat
RIP to a prolific and colorful Reason contributor and author.
Government Goons Murder Internet-Famous Walrus
The Norwegian government euthanized Freya the walrus on Sunday, citing safety concerns for the crowds that gathered to watch her sunbathe.
R.I.P. David McCullough, Who Saw the Bright Side of History
McCullough didn't just build on academic historians' work—he filled a gap they left.
Christopher Alexander's Utopian Blueprint
There is telling people how to live, and there is maximizing people's ability to live the lives they want.
Randy Weaver Dies
In the infamous Ruby Ridge standoff, federal agents killed his wife and son.
RIP Madeleine Albright, Who Escaped Both Fascism and Communism as a Child
The former secretary of state died today at the age of 84 after a long and complicated career in U.S. foreign policy.
P.J. O'Rourke, 1947-2022
"Libertarianism isn't political...It's anti-political, really. It wants to take things out of the political arena."
P.J. O'Rourke, R.I.P.
"At the core of libertarianism is the idea that people are assets."
Jen Psaki's Snarky Comments Can't Cover for the FDA's Rapid Testing Approval Failures
Plus: RIP to sex entrepreneur Phil Harvey, Elon Musk says Congress should can Biden's spending plan, and more....
RIP Phil Harvey, Entrepreneur and Philanthropist Who Expanded Human Pleasure and Human Choice
Harvey, who died last week, dedicated his life to supporting human pleasure along with the power to manage it responsibly.
Donald Rumsfeld, Architect of Disastrous 21st Century Foreign Policy, Dies at 88
Upon his passing, it's worth remembering how badly things can go when a man has such great power, even a man with elements of conventional decency.
RIP Mike Gravel, Unapologetic Opponent of War and Star of Absurdist Presidential Campaign Ads
A heterodox hero and committed antiwar activist, Gravel put the Pentagon Papers in the public record.
John McAfee Found Dead in a Spanish Prison Cell
The software entrepreneur, Libertarian presidential hopeful, and international man of mystery had just been ordered extradited to the U.S. from Spain on charges of tax evasion when he was found dead by hanging.
G. Gordon Liddy: The Hollywood Years
Friday A/V Club: How a Watergate burglar spent the '80s
RIP Mark Schlefer, the Man Who Made FOIA Happen
"In the drafting, we were adamant that you didn't have to have an interest to have access. You could just be a citizen."
The Fairness Doctrine Was the Most Deserving Target of Rush Limbaugh's Rage
He was no libertarian, but he absorbed an important lesson about regulating speech.
Larry Flynt Made the World Freer for Everybody by Pushing Boundaries
Abrasive, tasteless, and uncompromising, Flynt undoubtedly made the world safer for speech of all varieties.
Libertarian History/Philosophy
Walter E. Williams, Free Market Scholar and Iconoclast, RIP
"I just do my own thing," said the George Mason University economist and author of The State Against Blacks.
'I Just Do My Own Thing': Walter Williams, RIP
The self-described "crazy-ass man" and libertarian economist focused on government's role in perpetuating racial inequality.
Eddie Van Halen, Melting-Pot Virtuoso
We don't normally talk about how rock's late, great lead guitarist was an immigrant success story and inspiration to early hip hop, but that's only because he (and America!) were too busy getting rad.
The Death of Ruth Bader Ginsburg and the Future of the Supreme Court
What's next for SCOTUS?
RIP Pete Hamill: Chronicler of New York's Marketplace of Ideas
Hamill’s city was exactly what the likes of Robert Moses were trying to control when they imposed a top-down technocratic regime on New York in the middle third of the 20th century.
Herman Cain, Former Presidential Candidate, Dies From Coronavirus Complications
His political claim to fame was his "9-9-9" tax plan.
RIP Arnold Trebach, Who Helped Make Opposition to the Drug War Respectable
The American University professor called for "drug peace" at a time when both major parties were committed to ever-escalating violence.
John Lewis Was an American Hero Who Battled State Racism
John Lewis' life was a testament to the power of free speech and peaceful agitation.
RIP Lester Grinspoon, Who Encouraged Americans To Reconsider Demonized Drugs
For half a century, Grinspoon tirelessly advocated a more rational and tolerant approach to marijuana and other psychoactive substances.
Little Richard, the King and Queen of Rock 'n' Roll
Little Richard helped make the United States a little more black, a little more queer, and a little more free.
Whatever Happened to the Classroom of the Future?
Clayton Christensen, father of the theory of "disruptive innovation," predicted that half of high school classes would be delivered online by 2018. What went wrong?
Neil Peart, Champion of Individualism
The late drummer left behind a legacy of unparalleled musicianship and freedom-celebrating lyrics.
Thank You, Ram Dass!
The pioneering psychedelic researcher, Timothy Leary collaborator, and New Age seeker exemplified America's postwar turn to individualism.
Robert Hunter, R.I.P.
The Grateful Dead lyricist filled a generation with a sense of amused, loving, liberatory patriotism.
