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On June 25, the Supreme Court decided Wolford v. Lopez, holding 6-3 that Hawaii may not “prohibit licensed concealed-carry permit holders from carrying handguns on private property open to the public unless the property owner gives express permission.”  Justice Alito delivered the opinion of the Court, joined by Chief Justice Roberts and Justices Thomas, Gorsuch, Kavanaugh, and Barrett.  Justice Kagan dissented, as did Justice Jackson, joined by Justice Sotomayor. The Court calls out both lower courts and states that have resisted its Second Amendment jurisprudence.  In the dozen years between McDonald and Bruen, “lower courts rejected nearly all Second Amendment…

After the Supreme Court upheld the right to bear arms in the 2022 case New York State Rifle & Pistol Association v. Bruen, several states made it easier to obtain carry permits but much harder to use them. Even as they eliminated requirements that applicants demonstrate a “special need” to carry guns in public for self-defense, they banned firearms from long lists of “sensitive” locations. On Thursday, the Supreme Court rejected a variation on that theme: Hawaii’s default rule against guns on private property open to the public. After a federal judge in Hawaii enjoined enforcement of that rule in 2023,…

NA In my last post, I explained why today’s Supreme Court Second Amendment ruling was right. In this one, I explain why its decision in Mullin v. Doe, the Haitian Temporary Protected Status case, is badly wrong. This case involves a challenge to the Trump Administration’s decision to terminate Temporary Protected Status (TPS) for hundreds of thousands of Haitian and Syrian migrants in the US. TPS status protects from deportation migrants who entered the US from countries where conditions such as war, violence, or natural disaster make it dangerous for them to return home. The Haitian and Syrian plaintiffs argued…

[Warning: Spoilers Ahead] As I’ve mentioned many times in my writings, I am a child of the eighties and—as such—heavily influenced by the movies Steven Spielberg directed in those early years of his career. Perhaps more so than most… hence why you’re reading this. When I went to the movies to finally watch Disclosure Day (DD) a few weeks ago, I understood that judging it through the rosy lens of nostalgia would be the wrong approach. I knew fully well Spielberg would not be repeating the tone of Close Encounters of the 3rd Kind or E.T. —in fact, I was…

The U.S. Supreme Court ruled 6–3 Thursday in favor of the Trump administration’s decision to strip Haitian and Syrian nationals of a legal protection that had allowed them to lawfully remain in the United States because it was too risky for them to be deported to their home countries. The case is Mullin v. Doe. It centers on the temporary protected status (TPS) program, in which executive branch officials are authorized to designate qualifying countries based on the existence of certain conditions that make those countries especially dangerous, such as military conflicts or natural disasters. Once designated, foreign nationals from…

Starting in July, Hawaii will begin earnestly enforcing some of the strictest hemp regulations in the country. One dispensary owner is suing to stop it. Lance Alyas, a Hawaii resident who owns four hemp dispensaries, alleges that the state’s hemp laws violate “federal constitutional and statutory law, including the Supremacy Clause, the Dormant Commerce Clause, and the Due Process Clause.” Alyas tells Reason he’s the victim of “selective regulation” by state officials who favor the medical marijuana industry over hemp.  Under Hawaii’s Act 269—passed in July 2025 and effective January 2026—all retailers and distributors of manufactured hemp products, including online…

We’ve warned more times than I care to count that governments are likely to steal from citizens’ pension funds. Why? Because it’s a big pool of cash just sitting there — and when the parasite class sees money within their reach, they simply can’t help themselves. Perhaps most importantly, governments have control over most pension funds in the world. Sure, most people think it’s their money sitting in the pension plan, but when you look at the fine print there’s a lot that you as an investor can’t do with ‘your money’. First up. The “lucky country,” Australia. “The Albanese…

On Wednesday, leftist Iván Cepeda conceded the Colombian presidential election to his opponent, Abelardo de la Espriella, putting another right-leaning populist in charge of a Latin American country. De la Espriella, who won by a margin of less than 1 percent, ran a brash, MAGA-reminiscent (and MAGA-endorsed) campaign blending laissez faire economics with traditionalist machismo social policy and a commitment to crack down harshly on violent crime and drug smuggling. De la Espriella’s platform borrowed from other Latin American presidents, including Nayib Bukele of El Salvador—de la Espriella has promised to build mega-prisons just like his—and Javier Milei of Argentina—whose…

Vice President JD Vance said that the war against Iran has resulted in Gulf Arab states seeking deeper ties with Tehran.  “Because of the conversations they’re having with the Iranians. The Emiratis — by far the most hawkish, by far the most pro-Israel country in the [Gulf Cooperation Council] — they’re having conversations with the Iranians that have never happened before, including with the IRGC, about various types of economic incentives,” Vance told Upheard on Thursday. “‘Here’s what we’d need to see to make your country investable’ — and the Iranians come back and say, ‘Okay, yeah, we’re willing to…