RFK Jr. Pays Lip Service to the Debt While Pushing Policies That Would Increase It
It's good to hear a candidate actually talk about our spending problem. But his campaign promises would exacerbate it.
China
Trump Wishes Americans Stayed in Afghanistan To Fight China
The president who helped end America’s longest war now regrets leaving behind U.S. bases.
Trump and Vance's Foreign Policy Is More War Disguised As Anti-War
Despite flirting with “America First” realism and restraint, the Republican ticket is all-in on the forever wars.
Biden and Trump Are Both Disastrously Wrong About Tariffs
Yes, cheap imports hurt some American companies. But protectionist trade policy harms many more Americans than it helps.
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.
Trump Blames Biden for Never Removing the Tariffs Trump Imposed
And you have to admit, he's got a point.
Banning Flavored Tobacco Products Doesn't Work—We Have the Trash To Prove It
Researchers examined garbage placed in public receptacles in Washington, D.C., and New York City and found that the locales’ bans on flavored tobacco products have unquestionably failed.
Trump Advisor Admits Trade War Against China Failed
In an interview, former National Security Advisor Robert O'Brien admitted that "the Chinese didn’t honor" the terms of the deal, years after it was clear.
A Real-Life Psyop: How the U.S. Military Spread Anti-Vax Conspiracy Theories
Washington keeps getting caught pushing the kind of disinformation it claims to oppose.
The Best of Reason: The Mirage of China's I.P. Theft
As allegations of intellectual property theft swirl, a deeper look reveals a tale of phony numbers and twisted data.
Anthony Fauci Gives Misleading, Evasive Answers About NIH-Funded Research at Wuhan Lab
At yesterday's congressional hearing, the former NIAID director played word games and shifted blame in an effort to dismiss credible claims that his agency funded work that caused the pandemic.
The Mirage of China's I.P. Theft
As allegations of intellectual property theft swirl, a deeper look reveals a tale of phony numbers and twisted data.
Floating Failure
Plus: Taiwan heats up, Robert Moses and Rockaway Beach, CBDCs, and more...
American Manufacturers Need Tax and Regulatory Reform, Not Tariffs
Despite both presidential candidates touting protectionist trade policy, tariffs do little to address the underlying factors that make it difficult for U.S. manufacturers to compete in the global marketplace.
World War War III May Already Have Started—in the Shadows
Cyber intrusions, arson, bombings, and other mayhem feature in the conflict between West and East.
Tyrant Besties
Plus: Boobs in the portal, Michelin-starred tacos, Argentine labor laws, Gavin Newsom's replacement, and more...
Biden Administration Strips Federal Funding From Nonprofit at Center of COVID Lab Leak Controversy
Federal officials say EcoHealth Alliance failed to properly report on its gain-of-function research at the Wuhan Institute of Virology and to monitor safety conditions there.
The U.S. Should Welcome Chinese Migrants
They're fleeing tyranny and seeking opportunity, not coming to "build a little army."
Biden's Tariffs Are a Bad Idea
Bad for consumers, bad for American industry, bad for his administration's own environmental goals, and bad for an increasingly irrational executive branch.
Is Chinese Garlic a Threat to National Security?
Plus, an AI-generated recipe for garlic lovers' shrimp scampi
Marco Rubio Used To Know How Tariffs Work. What Happened?
The economics of tariffs have not changed in the past eight years. Marco Rubio has.
Reason Is a Finalist for 14 Southern California Journalism Awards
Nominated stories include journalism on messy nutrition research, pickleball, government theft, homelessness, and more.
TikTok Asks Court To Declare Ban Unconstitutional
Congress is "silencing the 170 million Americans who use the platform to communicate," the company argues.
Victims of Communism Day — 2024
May Day should be a day to honor victims of an ideology that took tens of millions of lives. But we should also be open to alternative dates if they can attract broad enough support.
China Is Doubling Down on Electric Vehicle Subsidies
Electric vehicles are not a bad thing, especially in heavily polluted China. But the market should drive demand, not central planners.
TikTok Gets 9 Months
Plus: Masking protesters, how Google Search got so bad, Columbia's anti-apartheid protests of the '80s, and more...
Capitalism Makes Society Less Racist
In the Jim Crow South, businesses fought racism—because the rules denied them customers.
Worst 4/20 Ever
Plus: A listener asks the editors to steel man the case for the Jones Act, an antiquated law that regulates maritime commerce in U.S. waters.
China's Retribution
Plus: Homework liberation in Poland, Orthodox rabbi tells students to flee Columbia, toddler anarchy, and more...
If They Ban TikTok, Is Apple Next?
Banning companies for doing business with China is a bad path to start down.
Biden's Call for More Steel Tariffs Is Economically Ineffective Political Pandering
If higher tariffs were the solution to anything, wouldn't there be evidence of that by now?
The Best of Reason: Anti-Chinese Xenophobia Fueled America's First Drug War
San Francisco's prohibitionists worried that opium dens were patronized by "young men and women of respectable parentage" as well as "the vicious and the depraved."
U.S. Defense Spending Continues To Spiral Out of Control
Increased spending does not automatically equate to higher quality—something that is often lost in this debate.
Anti-Chinese Xenophobia Fueled America's First Drug War
San Francisco's prohibitionists worried that opium dens were patronized by "young men and women of respectable parentage" as well as "the vicious and the depraved."
The 3 Body Problem's Chilling Social Media Parallel
From struggle sessions to cancel culture, the story depicts the terrors of surveillance authoritarianism.
Will J.K. Rowling Do Time?
Plus: Mnuchin's TikTok folly, Trump's April Fools' joke, Andy Warhol's muse, and more...
Abortion Fallout
Plus: Illegal homes in California, Erdogan's party does poorly in local elections, and more...
America's Drone Industry Is Trying To Ban the Competition
Chinese camera drones are the most popular worldwide. American drone manufacturers argue that's a national security threat.
Hong Kong Falls, Again
Plus: DEI at the DOE, NYC subway culture, the pandemic's effect on student behavior, and more...
Algorithm Not for Sale
Plus: Kamala Harris' abortion clinic visit, Karl Marx's hypocrisy, CDC data struggles, and more...
TikTok's Opponents Want Chinese-style Censorship in America
Instead of freeing Americans from censorship, the TikTok bill would tighten the U.S. government's control over social media.
The Shittiest Rematch
Plus: TikTok ban, AOC primary challenger, DEI revisionism, and more...
State of the Union (on Stimulants)
Plus: Illegal immigrants at Whole Foods, AI predicting homelessness, Chinese espionage, and more...
Dear Government: Stop Trying To Make TikTok Bans Happen
A new bill would ban TikTok and give the president power to declare other social media apps off limits.
Report Finds Rise in Governments Targeting Dissidents Overseas
One in five national governments tried to intimidate or kill exiles in recent years.
Commitment Issues
Plus: Brooklyn communists, Shenzhen Costco, Chernobyl mythbusting, and more...
The Air Force's New Nuclear Missile System Will Now Cost $131.5 Billion
It's just one reason the program should likely be terminated altogether.
