Author: nick

Will the Right will use its power to reverse course, or will it hesitate in the face of the battles that now define American political life? Source link

The summit between presidents Xi Jinping and Donald Trump took place on May 14. The media has focused on the facts that little was achieved and, Source link

The Battle the U.S. Is Winning Against China Source link

With gasoline averaging about $4.50 per gallon—over six bucks if you’re unlucky enough to live in California—President Donald Trump proposes a gas tax holiday to give American consumers a bit of relief. A reprieve from taxes is always welcome, but the real bite isn’t the federal 18.4 cents per gallon of gasoline and 24.4 cents on each gallon of diesel fuel. States charge far more, and that’s especially true if you rent a car, with gas taxes the least of the problem. In some places, more than half the tab for car rentals comes from taxes and government-mandated fees. You…

From Wednesday’s decision by Judge Amul Thapar, joined by Judges Julia Gibbons and Joan Larsen, in U.S. v. Ramic: Over a decade ago, a new wave of terrorism spread across the Middle East. A group calling itself the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS) sought to establish a new regime strictly governed by Islamic law. To do so, ISIS employed brutal tactics—planting bombs, publicly decapitating its enemies, burning people alive, and enslaving women and children. It also launched vicious attacks to conquer territory in Iraq and Syria. And it recruited fighters from around the world to perform these acts…

This week, editors Peter Suderman, Katherine Mangu-Ward, and Matt Welch are joined by Reason Senior Editor Robby Soave to discuss Rep. Thomas Massie’s (R–Ky.) competitive Republican primary challenge and why President Donald Trump has made him one of his top political targets. The panel examines Massie’s opposition to the Iran war, his push to release the Epstein files, his longstanding focus on spending, and why his brand of libertarian-style politics has become increasingly rare inside today’s Republican Party. Next, the panel turns to the economy, where inflation continues to rise, the U.S. debt has surpassed gross domestic product (GDP), and working-class voters appear increasingly frustrated…

A president calling reporters “treasonous” isn’t just a hot take, it’s a warning sign. Harrison Berger joins me to break down how that rhetoric is being used to police debate around the Iran war, and why it echoes years of reckless “traitor” accusations aimed at anyone who questions America’s national security consensus. We start with the Israel lobby and J Street, the organization often marketed as the reasonable, liberal alternative to AIPAC. Harrison explains what J Street is, who it appeals to, and why its “pro-Israel and pro-democracy” framing is colliding with shifting US public opinion after the Gaza war.…

In one of Tuesday, May 19th’s most-watched primaries, libertarian-leaning Rep. Thomas Massie (R–Ky.) will go up against an opponent backed by President Donald Trump. The winner of the primary will almost certainly win the general election in Kentucky’s 4th congressional district. As Reason’s Editor in Chief Katherine Mangu-Ward opined in The New York Times last week, “Congress, and the Republican Party, would be worse off without the friction and clarity Mr. Massie provides.” I share her estimation, adding only that the country would be worse off, too. Since arriving in Congress in late 2012, Massie has been a reliable advocate…

Freddie Ponton21st Century Wire On the night of April 29 to 30, Israeli forces intercepted the Global Sumud flotilla in international waters west of Crete, seizing a civilian aid convoy hundreds of miles from Gaza and funnelling 176 activists into a tightly managed transfer operation on Greek soil, where 31 wounded required first aid. But the episode did not end in Crete. While most passengers were offloaded into Greek custody and dispersal, two organizers, Saif Abukeshek, a Spanish-Swedish activist of Palestinian origin and Thiago Ávila, a Brazilian activist, were abducted and forcibly transferred to Israel against their will, brought before the Ashkelon Magistrates’ Court, and held…

The state trial court handed down its ruling in People v. Mangione, on whether to suppress part of all of the contents of the backpack Luigi Mangione was carrying at the time of his arrest in the state prosecution against him.  In the federal case against Mangione, the federal court back in January denied the motion to suppress the contents of the backpack. But today the state court suppresses some of the contents for the state court prosecution (in particular, the magazine, cellphone, passport, wallet and computer chip) and allows the government to use other contents (in particular, the red…