The 5th Circuit Says Criminalizing Journalism Is Not Obviously Unconstitutional
The appeals court dismissed a civil rights lawsuit by a Laredo gadfly who was arrested for asking questions.
Texas
She Was Arrested for Her Journalism. A Federal Court Says She Can't Sue.
Priscilla Villarreal, also known as "Lagordiloca," has sparked a debate about free speech and who, exactly, is a journalist.
No, Texas Has Not "Defied" The Supreme Court
Perhaps Governor Abbott will flout a directive from the Supreme Court in a future case, but reports of Texas "defying" the Supreme Court are bunk, and many making such claims should know better.
Politics Created the Border Crisis
Plus: A listener asks if libertarians are too obsessed with economic growth.
The Twisted Logic of Greg Abbott's Border Policy
Undocumented immigrants aren’t the same as an invading army, but the Texas governor keeps acting like they are.
Texas Gov. Greg Abbott Doubles Down On Dangerous Claim that Immigration is "Invasion"
The argument is badly wrong, and would set a dangerous precedent if ever accepted by courts.
Damning Justice Department Report Finds Leadership Failures Led to Botched Uvalde Police Response
"Responding officers should have immediately recognized the incident as an active shooter situation," the report found.
Fifth Circuit Grants En Banc Rehearing to Case Where Texas Claims Immigration and Drug Smuggling Qualify as "Invasion"
The court could potentially resolve the case without addressing the invasion arguments.
Escalation in the Red Sea
Plus: Inheritance taxes, lady gadgets, a stabbing in South Korea, and more...
This Innocent Woman Is on the Hook for Thousands After a SWAT Team Destroyed Her Home
An error-prone investigation in search of a fugitive led police to Amy Hadley's house.
Texas' New Immigration Law Will Lead to More Policing With Less Accountability
S.B. 4 will let officers arrest people well beyond the border. It also “provides civil immunity and indemnification” for state officials who get sued for enforcing it.
Southern Border Showdown
Plus: Houthi attack, Milei misinformation, Instagram rooster eugenics, and more...
California Officials Force Elderly Couple To Dismantle Home, Citing Blocked Ocean Views
Plus: Austin's newly passed zoning reforms could be in legal jeopardy, HUD releases its latest census of the homeless population, and a little-discussed Florida reform is spurring a wave of home construction.
5th Circuit Reluctantly Rules Against Victim of a Prosecutor Who Was Also a Law Clerk
Ralph Petty's "conflicted dual-hat arrangement" as an advocate and an adjudicator was "utterly bonkers," Judge Don Willett notes.
Texas' Abortion Law Test
Plus: BTS gets conscripted, Harvard gets down with plagiarism, cruise ships ban weed, and more...
New York's Broken Housing Court Lets Tenant Stay For Years Without Paying Rent
Plus: Austin and Salt Lake City pass very different "middle housing" reforms, Democrats in Congress want to ban hedge fund–owned rental housing, and a look at GOP presidential candidate's housing policy positions.
Cato Amicus Brief in the Texas and Florida Social Media Cases
The brief urges the Supreme Court to reverse its badly misguided precedent in Pruneyard v. Robins.
Texas Gov. Greg Abbott Targets School Choice Opponents in GOP Ranks
Americans want choice in education. Politicians need to catch up.
Fifth Circuit Rules Against Texas in Case Where State Claimed Immigration and Drug Smuggling Qualify as "Invasion"
The ruling is mostly based on statutory issues, but also covers the "invasion" question.
Texas Newspaper Virally Claims Ted Cruz Wanted To 'Limit' Preferred Pronouns. His Bill Doesn't Do That.
Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Texas) introduced a bill last month that would bar federal agencies from forcing employees to respect preferred names or pronouns.
Texas Troopers Killed 74 People in Vehicle Chases Since Implementing Controversial Border Program
From March 2021 to July 2023, 74 people were killed and nearly 200 were injured in vehicle chases occurring in counties affected by Operation Lone Star.
Marvin Guy, Who Shot a Cop During a No-Knock Raid, Is Found Guilty of Murder
He is not the first defendant that has struggled to reconcile the controversial raids with self-defense.
SpaceX Makes Progress on Second Test of Starship
The private sector space company overcame red tape and government delays to get to launch day.
Black Moms in Texas Want Vouchers for Microschools
Who benefits from supporting students instead of schools? Everybody.
He Allegedly Killed a Cop During a No-Knock Raid. Will the Jury Agree It Was Self-Defense?
Almost 10 years after his arrest, Marvin Guy will soon learn if he'll spend the rest of his life in prison.
Due Process Demands Stricter Standards for Restraining Orders That Negate Gun Rights
In an upcoming Supreme Court case, the Cato Institute argues that the "threadbare procedures" required by federal law provide inadequate protection for constitutional rights.
The Bipartisan Urge To Control Online Speech
Democrats and Republicans are united in thinking their political agendas trump the First Amendment.
Texas School District Backs Off Effort To Seize a 79-Year-Old Man's Home for Stadium Parking
The Aldine Independent School District had wanted the property as part of a $50 million redevelopment of its high school football stadium.
New York's Online Hate Speech Law Raises Serious First Amendment Concerns
Even content creators outside of New York would feel its effects.
Supreme Court Will Hear This Texas Woman's Challenge to a Politically Motivated Arrest
Sylvia Gonzalez, an anti-establishment politician, spent a day in jail for allegedly concealing a petition that she organized.
Defenders of the Florida and Texas Social Media Laws Contradict Themselves
If Facebook et al. are pushing a "radical leftist narrative," why don’t they have a constitutional right to do that?
Supreme Court Will Consider Cases Challenging Florida and Texas Social Media Laws
The laws require major social media platforms to host content they disapprove of for substantive reasons.
Supreme Court Will Review Fifth Circuit Ruling that Creates a Catch-22 for Takings Claims Against State Governments
The badly flawed lower court ruling defies the Supreme Court's landmark 2019 decision forbidding such Catch-22 traps, and threatens the property rights of large numbers of people.
Tony Timpa Wrongful Death Trial Ends With 2 Out of 3 Cops Getting Qualified Immunity
The trial—and, in some sense, Timpa's life—was about transparency.
Federal Judge Rules Texas Anti-Drag Law Violates the First Amendment
The judge ruled that the law was unconstitutionally overbroad, vague, and viewpoint discrimination.
Houston Police Arrested an Animal Rights Protester and Detained Him for 16 Hours, Lawsuit Says
Daraius Dubash was arrested for peacefully protesting in a public park.
Federal Judge Declines To Stop Drag Show Ban at Texas College
The judge ruled that drag performances are not inherently expressive and that schools could regulate "vulgar and lewd" conduct.
The Tony Timpa Wrongful Death Lawsuit Against Police Shows Why Jury Trials Are So Important
Trials are incredibly valuable fact-finding tools—particularly when the defendants are public employees.
Seven Years Since He Died Under a Cop's Knee, His Mom Is Getting Her Day in Court
Tony Timpa's story shows how far the government goes to prevent victims of abuse from seeking recourse.
Photo: Texas' Border Buoys
The state's floating barrier on the Rio Grande will cost about $1 million.
Federal Court Rules Against Texas in Case Where State Claimed Immigration and Drug Smuggling Qualify as "Invasion"
The court ruled that the definition of "invasion" is a political question, and that Texas therefore could not rely on the Invasion Clause to justify placing buoys in the Rio Grande River in defiance of federal law.
My New "The Hill" Article on Dubious Lawsuit Challenging Immigration Parole Program for Migrants Fleeing Socialism, Oppression, and Violence in Four Latin American Nations
The case was filed by 20 red states seeking to dismantle the CNVH program extending the successful Uniting for Ukraine policy to migrants fleeing Cuba, Nicaragua, Venezuela, and Haiti.
In Scathing Rulings, Federal Courts Block Arkansas and Texas Age Verification Laws
Plus: Meta revises controversial "dangerous organizations" policy, a win against civil asset forfeiture in Detroit, and more...
Don't Bring Back COVID Authoritarianism
People should be free to choose how cautious to be. Mask mandates, lockdowns, and closing schools won't stop the virus.
Season 1, Episode 4 Podcasts
Why We Can't Have Nice Things: Bootleggers, Baptists, and Ballots
"You need an argument for why this is good for society. That's important, but you also need money."
