How the Billionaire Tax Could Make California Poorer
One upcoming ballot measure would expand the state's taxing power. A lesser-known measure would limit it. Which will win?
Does Reporting Bad News About the Iran War Make You a Foreign Agent?
The Trump administration invokes the notoriously vague FARA to threaten a critic.
A Flawed Minimum Wage Study Shows How Bad Stats Get Turned Into Policy Gospel
A 2024 paper claimed higher minimum wages don't kill jobs. It was statistically significant—and almost certainly misleading.
The Other Vindictive Part of Kilmar Abrego Garcia's Case
A judge last week threw out a criminal indictment against him on the grounds that it was tainted by vindictiveness. But that same spirit infects another part of his story that few people have discussed.
Latest
Stop Giving Property Tax Breaks to Senior Citizens
If the government does not reduce the cost of public services, then a special tax break for one group merely forces everyone else to pick up the slack.
Leaked Plans Show School Buses Could Become Roaming Surveillance Vehicles
The documents reveal BusPatrol’s plan to equip tens of thousands of school buses with license plate readers and share the data with law enforcement.
A 'More Decisive' Response
Plus: when the city government starts covering Ozempic, Jill Biden's lies, and more...
Brickbats: June 2026
News of politicians, police, and bureaucrats behaving badly from around the world
Podcast
How Moral Panic Creates Black Markets
Nobel Prize-winning economist Alvin E. Roth discusses the moral limits of markets, how bans create black markets, and why harm reduction often works better than prohibition.
James Talarico's Fake Olive Branch to Republicans
The Democratic candidate dresses up a negative, partisan appeal as genuine moderation.
5 Bills Signed by Wes Moore That Will Impact Housing and AI Development in Maryland
Couched with good intentions, new laws aimed at housing and artificial intelligence development will add more layers of red tape to Maryland’s growing bureaucracy.
Anti-Tech Extremism Worries the Same Federal Government That's Been Fueling Anti-Tech Extremism
Plus: Plan B for STIs, justifying "deadly force" to protect fertilized eggs, and more.
How Moral Panic Creates Black Markets
Nobel Prize-winning economist Alvin E. Roth discusses the moral limits of markets, how bans create black markets, and why harm reduction often works better than prohibition.
Escalation in Iran
Plus: NDAs for federal employees, standardized test standards slipping, SpaceX IPO, and more...
High Liquor Taxes and a Home Distillation Ban Guarantee a Thriving Booze Black Market
The courts have an opportunity to legalize small-scale distillation, but taxes remain a problem.
250 Years Later, Benjamin Franklin's Warning Is Still Relevant
He famously said the Founders had created "a republic, if you can keep it." How have we kept it? And can we continue?
Does Anyone Know What's Happening in Iran?
Plus: Spencer Pratt’s mayoral campaign rattles Los Angeles, Trump’s “Anti-Weaponization Fund" sparks backlash, and the editors revisit Project 2025
France Is Banning Zyn and Threatening To Jail People for 5 Years
The French government has criminalized the use of nicotine pouches. Users can be punished with up to 5 years in prison and a fine of almost half a million dollars.
A Reprieve for Build-To-Rent
The House passes a housing bill that protects build-to-rent development while still cracking down on large investors.
Why Has Trump Stopped Selling Weapons to Taiwan?
The administration is avoiding conflict with China to focus on war in the Middle East. Taiwan’s democracy hangs in the balance.
The DOJ's Flimsy Legal Theories To Support Trump's 'Anti-Weaponization Fund'
Despite the administration's arguments, a multibillion-dollar settlement fund with no judicial oversight is fairly unprecedented.
Trump Policy Could Send Legal Residents Abroad To Apply for Green Cards
A new memo from U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services would require green card applicants to apply for permanent residency abroad—but the law it cites may say the opposite.
How to Make Sure AI Doesn't Spy on Us or Kill Innocent People
If we want powerful AI systems to respect liberty, now is the time to train them to be more libertarian.
Just 1 World Record at the Enhanced Games Shows the Integrity of the Competition
I watched hours and hours of the Enhanced Games so you didn’t have to.
Magnifica Humanitas
Plus: Another round of strikes, developments in Kilmar Abrego Garcia case, weight-loss drug results, and more...
Ayn Rand Is Alive in Ankara
Objectivism in Turkey has risen and fallen in recent decades, but is newly rejuvenated.
July 2026
Magazine
The First Free Americans
Unlike in Europe, native rulers had little formal authority; they had to persuade others to follow their ideas.
