The Trump Admin Wants Western Union and MoneyGram To Report on Immigrants
An obscure bureau of the U.S. Treasury is using USA PATRIOT Act powers to sniff out under-the-table employment.
Treasury
Congress Votes To Open Up the Epstein Files
There probably is no “client list,” but the files could help answer some pressing questions—and open the door to more revelations.
Treasury Department Surveillance at the Southern Border Faces Fourth Amendment Challenges
A new FinCEN rule forced small money services businesses to collect personal data on nearly every customer transaction. Lawsuits claim this violates the Fourth Amendment.
Trump Is Filling the Fed with Loyalists
By installing Stephen Miran and eyeing more allies, Trump is positioning the central bank for aggressive rate cuts and a sharp break from its tradition of independence.
Trump Administration Plans To Tax More American Companies on Overseas Sales
The president's revenue-sharing agreement on chip sales to China may pass legal muster, paving the way for effective export tariffs.
To Truly Fix Debanking, We Need Structural Reforms
Trump’s new executive order addresses political discrimination in banking, but we need deeper reforms to money-laundering laws and the Bank Secrecy Act to truly protect freedom and privacy.
Trump Wants Lower Interest Rates. The Market Disagrees.
Even if the Fed tried to cut rates, inflation, investor reluctance, and a $25 trillion borrowing spree could keep them elevated for years.
Can Anyone Stop Trump's Tariffs?
Plus: A listener asks if it's time for journalists to stop steel-manning Trump's policies.
Taking $200 Out of an ATM Should Not Trigger Federal Financial Surveillance
No, not even if you do it in a county that borders Mexico.
To Cut Government Spending, Trump Targets Pocket Change
The penny is expensive to produce and has long outlived its usefulness.
Janet Yellen's Short-Term Thinking Could Cost the U.S. Big
The Treasury Secretary’s debt decisions during the pandemic locked in low rates—but only for two years. Now, taxpayers are paying the price.
Will 2025 Be the Year of U.S. Fiscal Sanity?
With inflation risks persisting and entitlement spending surging, the situation cannot be ignored. But we never should have gotten to this point to begin with.
IRS Failed To Properly Dispose of Sensitive Tax Documents, Report Finds
Some IRS offices routinely threw away sensitive material with regular trash, while others used unlocked or damaged storage bins.
The PPP Was a COVID-Era Disaster. Trump Wants To Promote the Guy Who Ran It.
After overseeing the pandemic-era Paycheck Protection Program (PPP), which was a bloated, wasteful mess, Michael Faulkender is failing up.
Return of the 'Tariff Man'
Plus: Are tariffs inflationary, RIP to a giant of the free market movement, and more...
Betting on Bessent
Plus: Pregnant law student fights a holy war, NYC officials are trying to ruin your holidays, and more...
House Votes To Let Treasury Kill Politically Disfavored Nonprofits
Administrative power over financial matters is a dangerous weapon for bypassing due process.
Biden Admin Stops Telling Americans Which Foreigners They Can Debate
The Treasury Department tried to stop an overseas conference that included politicians under sanctions. Now they’re backing down.
How Inflation Breaks Our Brains
From salt riots to toilet paper runs, history shows that rising prices make consumers—and voters—grumpy and irrational.
Here's How To Pay for Trump's Tax Cuts
There seems to be general bipartisan agreement on keeping a majority of the cuts, which are set to expire. They can be financed by cleaning out the tax code of unfair breaks.
Ruling in Favor of DIY Distillers Affirms Limits on Congressional Power
A federal judge rejected the government’s excuses for banning home production of liquor.
The National Debt Is Crossing an Ominous Line
The U.S. has successfully navigated past debt challenges, notably in the 1990s. Policymakers can fix this if they find the will to do so.
The Dark Side of Alexander Hamilton
The first treasury secretary's plans would have created cartels that mainly benefited the wealthy at the expense of small competitors.
Congressional Republicans Launch 'Fishing Expedition' Against Progressive, Jewish, and Palestinian Nonprofits
The House Oversight and Education committees are investigating the sources of “malign influence” behind campus protests. They’re using tactics Republicans used to hate.
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.
Feds Enforcing Unconstitutional Reporting Law Against Most Businesses
Are you in compliance with the Corporate Transparency Act? Have you even heard of it?
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.
Interest Rates Are High. GOP Presidential Candidates Need To Get Serious About It.
They will either reduce the ability to spend money or to cut taxes.
Here's One Way To Move Toward Responsible Government and Sane Fiscal Policy
The Copenhagen Consensus has long championed a cost-benefit approach for addressing the world's most critical environmental problems.
Americans Learned a Lesson About Interest Rates. Washington Has Not.
Higher rates lead to more debt, and more debt begets higher rates, and on and on. Get the picture?
The Debt Crisis Is Getting Real
Rising bond yields mean the national debt is going to be a lot more expensive in the next few years, and we just keep adding to it.
IRS Targeting More Supposedly 'High-Income' Americans Than Advertised
Don’t count on that promise to not hike taxes on “people making less than $400,000.”
'Bidenomics' Is Failing Everyday Americans
The big spending has fueled higher inflation, resulted in larger-than-projected deficits, and contributed to a record level of debt.
Biden Escalates Trade War With China
A new national emergency declaration will allow for the creation of an outbound investment screening system targeting Americans' investments in China.
The Next President Needs To Cut Spending
At a minimum, the national debt should be smaller than the size of the economy. A committed president just might be able to deliver.
Scammers Stole $200 Billion From Two Federal COVID Aid Programs
A new audit says one out of every $6 distributed by the Small Business Administration during the pandemic was stolen.
The Fed Won't Save Us From the Inflation Iceberg
Plus: Was Gerald Ford right to pardon Richard Nixon?
Over $400 Billion in COVID Aid Was Stolen or Wasted
A new Associated Press analysis of government data suggests 10 percent of all COVID aid was lost to fraud or theft. That figure will likely grow.
The Debt Ceiling Deal Does Not Go Nearly Far Enough
Projections of huge savings are making the rounds. Nothing could be further from the truth.
'Cash Is Independence': Ron DeSantis Slams the Government's Plan for Centrally-Controlled Digital Money
"If you don't trust central authority, then you should see this immediately as something that is very problematic," says the Florida governor.
The Clock Is Ticking: U.S. Could Default on Debt Payments by June 1
It's time for President Joe Biden and House Speaker Kevin McCarthy to strike a deal that will avoid a default and cut spending.
The Biden Administration Reduced the Debt-to-GDP Ratio in the Worst Possible Way
The main driver behind the reduction is inflation—inflation that politicians created with their irresponsible spending.
Blame the Government for the New Banking Crisis? Live With Lyn Alden, Arnold Kling and Zach Weissmueller
Join Reason on YouTube and Facebook Thursday at 1 p.m. Eastern for a discussion of the Silicon Valley Bank meltdown and bailout of depositors with economist Arnold Kling.
Everyone Is Learning the Wrong Lessons From the Silicon Valley Bank Collapse
Plus: Fox News troubles, junk statistics about illicit economies, and more...
Social Security and Medicare Cuts Are Coming, Whether Politicians Do It or Not
As legislators refuse to act, benefits will be cut without any possibility of sheltering those seniors who are poor.
The GOP's Current Plan To Cut Spending Is a Political Failure
Social Security, Medicare, and Medicaid are still the chief drivers of our future debt. But Republicans aren't touching them.
