The U.S. Credit Rating Just Dropped. It's Time for Radical Budget Reform.
The lack of oversight and the general absence of a long-term vision is creating inefficiency, waste, and red ink as far as the eye can see.
White House
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.
FBI Made 'Inappropriate Use' of Foreign Surveillance Program To Spy on Americans
A White House panel says the FBI's internal control over Section 702 databases are "insufficient to ensure compliance and earn the public's trust."
Why Did Joe Biden Stop Talking About the Deficit?
The federal budget deficit has exploded under Biden's watch, and he can no longer pretend otherwise.
What Would It Mean for Taiwan's President To Visit the White House?
It may be a good idea in theory, but it's probably an impractical pipe dream.
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.
Banging Our Heads on the Debt Ceiling
Plus: A listener question cross-examines prior Reason Roundtable discussions surrounding immigration, economic growth, and birthrates.
Debt Ceiling Deal Curtails GOP-Backed Budget Cuts, Spending Caps
The deal will freeze non-military discretionary spending this year and allow a 1 percent increase in 2024.
Taxing the Rich Will Have No Meaningful Effect on Our Sky-High National Debt
The U.S. tax system is extremely progressive, even compared to European countries—whose governments rely on taxing the middle class.
Don't Believe the Media Fearmongering About Spending Cuts
In 2019, discretionary spending was $1.338 trillion—or some $320 billion less than what Republicans want that side of the budget to be.
Kevin McCarthy, Joe Biden, and the Deeply Unserious Debate Over the Debt Ceiling
An impasse created by years of politicized, myopic decision making in Washington is pushing the federal government ever closer to a dangerous cliff.
The Federal Reserve Was Supposed To Ease Economic Instability. Instead, It's Made It Worse.
A responsible political class would significantly reform the organization. Instead, they will likely continue to give it more power.
James Madison's Decentralized Republic
The Constitution was intended to preserve state sovereignty, not create an all-powerful central government.
Inside the Facebook Files: Emails Reveal the CDC's Role in Silencing COVID-19 Dissent
Throughout the pandemic, the CDC was in constant contact with Facebook, vetting what users were allowed to say on the social media site.
Forget Russia's Twitter Trolls—America's Censorious Officials Are a Bigger Threat
Researchers: Moscow’s social media meddling had little impact on the 2016 election.
A Surly Showdown for Speaker
Plus: Would Adam Smith be a libertarian if he were alive today?
Biden Administration to Require Federal Contractors to Report and Reduce Greenhouse Gas Emissions
A new proposed regulation may test the limits of the Executive Branch's authority to impose regulatory requirements on federal contractors.
A GOP-Led Congress May Focus on Owning the Libs. Instead, It Should Focus on Owning Inflation.
If the midterms favor Republicans, their top priority needs to be the fight against inflation—whether or not they feel like they created the problem.
The 'Experts' Were Never Going To Fix Inflation
The idea that the Fed has the knowledge necessary to control the economy with perfectly calibrated policies was always an illusion.
As Inflation Soars, Biden Hosts Cringey Concert Celebrating the Inflation Reduction Act
James Taylor croons while the stock market burns after another ugly report on inflation.
The Queen Is Dead. Anarchy in the U.K.?
Plus: The editors respond to a question about the Forward Party.
Biden and Trump Repulse Voters as GOP Shows Signs of Becoming Normal Again
America’s experiment with strongman politics may turn out to be blessedly brief.
Fauci Attended a White House Correspondents' Dinner Pre-Party
The good doctor's "individual assessment of my personal risk" apparently lets him attend brunch but not dinner.
Biden's Vaccine Mandate Is the Latest Sign of the Presidency Becoming a Monarchy
The presidency has always been inclined to unilateral power—and many Americans like it that way.
Where Does Biden Get the Authority To Mandate Vaccination?
Emergency OSHA rules are frequently struck down by courts.
Until Today, Joe Biden, Jen Psaki, and Rochelle Walensky Were All Publicly Opposed to Federal COVID Vaccine Mandates
"That's not the role of the federal government." What happened?
White House Press Secretary: Joe Biden's Opposition to Legalizing Marijuana Hasn't Changed
But forthcoming legislation in the Senate could force Biden's hand.
White House Sanctions Staffers Over Past Marijuana Use
Plus: FTC commissioner on antitrust action against Facebook, FIRE's Greg Lukianoff on the "marketplace of ideas" metaphor, and more...
White House Christmas Ornaments
Politics ruining your holidays? Now you can pay for the privilege.
Here's Who Has Tested Positive for COVID-19 in Congress and the White House
Plus: Texas attorney general accused of bribery, Homeland Security wants credit reports on immigration sponsors, and more...
Will the Senate Have a Quorum to Confirm Judge Barrett? (Updated)
As more senators test positive for COVID-19, the ability of the Senate to conduct business is threatened.
Public Disclosure of Presidential Illnesses
A useful summary of how White Houses are not always forthcoming about medical issues afflicting Presidents.
President Trump, First Lady Test Positive for Coronavirus
The announcement comes hours after aide Hope Hicks also tested positive.
Trump Warns America: 'Biden's America' Will Look Like Trump's America
Plus: Alice Marie Johnson's RNC speech, Twitter bans bots pretending to be disillusioned black Democrats, and more...
Trump Commutes Ally Roger Stone's Prison Sentence
Stone was set to report to federal prison to serve 40 months for lying to Congress and witness tampering.
Trump Says U.S. Will End Special Trade, Immigration Deals With Hong Kong
President Donald Trump announced a significant escalation of his administration's conflict with the Chinese government—a conflict that is increasingly looking less like a trade war and more like a cold war.
Federal and State Governments Have Less Control Over Shutdowns Than They Think
Officials in six Pennsylvania counties say they will allow businesses to reopen without permission from the state government. Expect more of that.
The Trump Administration Presents a False Choice Between Current COVID-19 Control Measures and 'No Intervention'
The real action in the coming months lies between those two extremes.
Trump Says Coronavirus Crisis Could Last Until July or August
The White House has issued new 15-day guidelines for slowing the spread of the coronavirus. The president implied at a press conference that crisis measures could be needed for much longer.
Trump Will Raid Pentagon's War on Terror Slush Fund To Build His Border Wall
The administration also plans to move $2.2 billion originally earmarked for purchasing vehicles, ships, and aircraft to cover wall construction costs.
Despite $4.4 Trillion in Spending Cuts, Trump's Budget Won't Balance Until 2035
And whether it balances at all depends on some creative accounting. Meanwhile, it proposes $2 billion in new spending on the border wall.
U.S., China Agree to 'Phase One' Trade Deal, but Most Tariffs Will Remain in Effect
This deal offers minimal relief for Americans, and it doesn't seem to address the thorniest issues between the two countries.
Trump's Anti-China Trade Advisor Invented a Fake Economist To Sell His Protectionist Views
Peter Navarro also said Americans wouldn't pay the costs of Trump's tariffs, a claim that seems to be equally fabricated.
Trump's Tantrum Over Impeachment Just Got Official
Plus: FBI rebuked by FISA court, how Harris could come back, and more…
Peter Navarro Says the 'Data' Show Americans Aren't Paying Trump's Tariffs. In Fact, They Show the Opposite.
Tariffs are taxes on imports that translate into higher prices for American businesses and consumers.