Trump's Threats Against Musk and Newsom Reflect an Authoritarian Intolerance of Dissent
Even if the president was joking in both cases, he already has used his powers to punish people whose views offend him.
Trump Administration
Gavin Newsom Defends Federalism Against Trump's Unilateral National Guard Deployment
In a federal lawsuit, California's governor argues that the president's assertion of control over "the State's militia" is illegal and unconstitutional.
The Tom Cotton Do-Over
Trump and the right are living out their fantasies of rewriting the awful summer of 2020.
Here Are 3 Reasons Why the 'Big Beautiful Bill' Won't Generate 3 Percent Growth
The White House is promising higher growth, but tariffs, borrowing, and rising interest rates will be a drag on those expectations.
Protesters March, Police Surround, and the Cycle Resets: Dispatch From L.A.
As hundreds gathered to oppose ICE raids, a familiar pattern played out: peace by day, flash-bangs by night.
Democratic FTC Commissioner Quits—But That Doesn't Mean He's Dropping His Lawsuit
Trump fired Federal Trade Commissioner Alvaro Bedoya in March. Yesterday he gave up his claim to the job, but he's still challenging the White House's right to dismiss him.
Trump Deploys Marines to L.A.
Plus: RFK Jr. tackles vaccine advisory board, menswear influencer might be deportable, and more...
3 Supreme Court Cases To Watch in June 2025
Plus: The glorious return of drive-in movie season.
DOJ Brings Kilmar Abrego Garcia Back to the U.S. After Insisting It Couldn't
The Department of Justice brought the deported Salvadoran back to U.S. soil for trial, reversing its long-held contention that he would "never" return.
Trump Wants To Revive the Militarization of Police
The White House may be setting us up for a new wave of police abuses—and necessary calls for reform.
Put the Libertarians Back in Charge
The libertarians aren't in charge. But the lesson of the last decade of politics is that they should be.
Terry Moran Insulted Stephen Miller? That's None of the Government's Business.
Karoline Leavitt's threat against ABC News is an attack on free speech.
As American as Due Process
Those accused of wrongdoing have the right to challenge the evidence against them before the government takes away their liberty.
How Tariffs Are Breaking the Manufacturing Industries Trump Says He Wants To Protect
Most imports to the U.S. are raw materials, intermediate parts, or equipment—the stuff that manufacturing firms need to make things.
The Latest Escalation Between Russia and Ukraine Isn't Changing the Course of the War
Neither Russia nor Ukraine has a clear path to victory. The Ukrainian drone attack last week and the Russian air raids on Friday don't change that.
This Small Business Is in Limbo As Owner Sues To Stop Trump's Tariffs
Next week could be a pivotal one, as a federal appeals court could decide whether to restore an injunction against Trump's tariffs.
A Runner Was Prosecuted for Unapproved Trail Use After the Referring Agency Called It 'Overcriminalization'
The case against Michelino Sunseri exemplifies the injustice caused by the proliferation of regulatory crimes—the target of a recent presidential order.
As Trump Threatens Columbia's Accreditation, the School Should Stop Trying To Placate Him
Education Secretary Linda McMahon said the school’s handling of campus antisemitism violated civil rights law and is grounds for revoking accreditation.
The 5 Worst Green Energy Projects Funded by Biden
From financing eminent domain abuses in Tennessee to climate-friendly ketchup, the Biden administration approved billions of dollars in wasteful spending.
Why Can't Elon Musk and Donald Trump Both Win?
In a petty, public war of words, Trump threatens to cut off federal support to Musk's companies after the billionaire attacked his deficit-busting budget bill.
U.S. Abandons Afghan Allies as Trump Administration Shuts Down Resettlement Programs
The State Department is eliminating the CARE office and ending the Enduring Welcome program, stranding U.S. allies who risked their lives and were told America would protect them.
Another Divorce for Trump
Plus: A cynical take on Zohran Mamdani, Florida's drinking water threatened, and more...
A Federal Judge Orders Relief for Alleged Gang Members Deported and Imprisoned Without Due Process
Without such intervention, he warns, the government "could snatch anyone off the street, turn him over to a foreign country, and then effectively foreclose any corrective course of action."
Overruling Trump's Tariffs Should Be an Easy Decision for SCOTUS
Plus: A love letter to the heavy metal band Slayer.
The 'Big Beautiful Bill' Will Add $2.4 Trillion to the Deficit
That total will rise to about $3 trillion once the interest costs of more borrowing are included.
Belated Republican Objections to the One Big Beautiful Bill Glide Over Its Blatant Fiscal Irresponsibility
House members who discovered objectionable elements only after voting for the package nevertheless underline the unseemly haste of the legislative process.
Schumer Attacks Trump for Repeating Obama's Iran Diplomacy
Democrats keep trying to out-hawk Republicans, even though the mood in America has shifted toward diplomacy.
Buyer's Remorse
Plus: Harvey Milk was kind of libertarian, deporting Zohran, public schools shy away from transparency, and more...
Trump's Haste Begets Lawlessness
The president treats legal constraints as inconveniences that can be overridden by executive fiat.
It's Rand Paul and Elon Musk vs. Donald Trump Over the 'Big Beautiful Bill'
Paul said he refuses to support "maintaining Biden spending levels," and Musk said the Trump-backed tax bill is "a disgusting abomination."
Trump Cut Funds From Wasteful Projects To Spend on Wasteful Statue Garden
Even when the administration has cut from seemingly obvious sources, Trump has redirected federal spending toward sources closer to his heart.
The Tariff Downturn
Plus: Drilling in the Alaskan wilderness, Harvard tries "wastefulness" argument, Stephen Miller tells on himself, and more...
These 4 Industries Successfully Lobbied Trump for Tariff Exemptions
Trump's trade war has created a carve-out bonanza for industries with political connections and big lobbying budgets.
Artificial Intelligence Is Making Everything Weird
Plus: A listener asks if the "big beautiful bill" will decrease the deficit.
Harvard International Student With a Private Instagram? You Might Not Get a Visa.
Under new State Department guidance, having private or no social media presence "may be reflective of evasiveness and call into question [a student visa] applicant's credibility."
J.D. Vance Wants a Free Market for Crypto. What About Everything Else?
Vance says "you've gotta let these people make decisions on their own." He should try that approach more generally.
Trump's Attack on the Federalist Society Is a Bad Omen for Originalism
The MAGA loyalty that Trump demands is anathema to everything that originalism is supposed to be about.
How Palantir Is Expanding the Surveillance State
If you think the government will only use these tools to track illegal immigrants, think again.
The Gutting of the National Park Service
Plus: An attack on pro-Israel protesters in Colorado, a conservative wins Poland's presidential elections, and more...
Welcoming Anti-Trump Liberals to the Free Trade Club
The real case for free trade is not "my enemies hate it" or "it's cheaper for me, personally" but "it makes the world richer, freer, and more peaceful."
How Trump's Tariffs and Immigration Policies Could Make Housing Even More Expensive
Out-of-control housing costs helped Trump win the 2024 election. Is he about to make the problem worse?
Do Lower Court Judges Time Their Decisions to Take Senior Status (or Retire) Based on Who May Replace Them?
This question can be informed by more than anecdote and intuition.
DOGE's Newly Listed 'Regulatory Savings' for Businesses Have Nothing to Do With Cutting Federal Spending
DOGE says regulatory changes will save $29.4 billion, but that does not amount to a reduction in government outlays, the initiative's ostensible target.
SCOTUS Allows Trump Administration to Revoke Parole Status of Noncitizens Present under CHNV Program
A reminder that the Executive Branch retains substantial discretionary authority over immigration policy and will prevail in court when that authority is properly exercised.
Trump Wants $25 Million To Settle His Meritless 60 Minutes Lawsuit
In a legal filing this week, Trump argued that routine edits to a CBS News interview he did not participate in caused him "confusion and mental anguish."
Two Courts Have Ruled Against Trump's Tariffs—but Not for the Same Reasons
Both are wins for free trade, but only one vindicates the separation of powers.
Congress Must Vote on Tariffs
For both practical and constitutional reasons, this is the obvious way out of the chaos Trump's tariffs have created.
