Libertarian Reporting for 2026-04-18
Today’s news coverage from libertarian media sources.
Some Links
TweetClark Packard makes a powerful case that “Congress should retire Section 122.” A slice [original emphasis]: My Cato colleague Kyle Handley has also laid out the historical case for why the admini...
Cafe Hayek
Apr 17, 2026 - cafehayek.com
Trump's Iran Deal Looks a Lot Like the Previous Ones He Hated
What exactly was the point of killing thousands of people and destroying the world economy?
Reason.com
Apr 17, 2026 - reason.com
Trump Tweets About Standing!
Judge Leon should check the President's social media!
Reason.com
Apr 17, 2026 - reason.com
Jackson minimizes harms of judicial activism targeting executive power
Shawn Fleetwood writes for the Federalist about an interesting speech from the US Supreme Court’s newest member. Supreme Court Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson ran a not-so-subtle defense of leftists’ ju...
John Locke Foundation
Apr 17, 2026 - johnlocke.org
Despite Trump's Promises and Rodríguez's Amnesty Law, Hundreds of Venezuelan Dissidents Are Still Behind Bars
Courts are blocking amnesty applications for Venezuelan dissidents with no explanation and no appeal deadline.
Reason.com
Apr 17, 2026 - reason.com
President Trauma
The ‘28 Democratic primary is shaping up to be less woke-shame circle, and more woe-is-me tearfest. The post President Trauma appeared first on Free the People.
Free the People
Apr 17, 2026 - freethepeople.org
Trump Ended Free Trade for Mexican Tomatoes. Prices Are Up 23 Percent in the Last Year.
America gets 90 percent of its fresh tomatoes from Mexico, and those imports were tariff-free until last year.
Reason.com
Apr 17, 2026 - reason.com
The Gun Debate Hasn't Changed in 500 Years
Guns disrupted the established order—and sparked modern-sounding debates over whether they could be effectively regulated.
Reason.com
Apr 17, 2026 - reason.com
California Progressives Want 'Big Oil' To Fix an Insurance Crisis Created by the State's Price Controls
Instead of confronting the problems with the state's heavily regulated insurance market, lawmakers are looking for a scapegoat.
Reason.com
Apr 17, 2026 - reason.com
Boston mayor hands out $500 checks to migrants while city budget tanks
Emma Richter writes for the DailyMail.com about questionable government spending in a major northeastern city. Boston Mayor Michelle Wu is handing out $500 vouchers to migrants so they can enjoy hairc...
John Locke Foundation
Apr 17, 2026 - johnlocke.org
A Flashback On The Two-Year Clause
How an obscure clause made me realize my future was in academia.
Reason.com
Apr 17, 2026 - reason.com
FISA Reform Blues
Plus: The House passes a short-term FISA extension, Ron Wyden urges fellow Senate Democrats to oppose a "clean" bill, and Norway gets robot buses.
Reason.com
Apr 17, 2026 - reason.com
Conspiracy in the White House
Conspiracy theories are as much a part of the presidency as "Hail to the Chief."
Law & Liberty
Apr 17, 2026 - lawliberty.org
The U.S. Military Has Finally Left Syria
After considering a permanent U.S. presence, the Trump administration instead evacuated American troops once and for all.
Reason.com
Apr 17, 2026 - reason.com
Will the Eleventh Circuit Allow the Endangered Species Act to Commandeer the Florida Department of Environmental Protection?
A pending case will test whether courts are willing to enforce the anticommandeering doctrine in the context of environmental protection.
Reason.com
Apr 17, 2026 - reason.com
National Review endorses ‘key anti-terrorism tool’
Editors at National Review Online urge Congress to approve legislation that helps the federal government fight terrorism. Here we go again: Congress is voting imminently on whether to reauthorize Sect...
John Locke Foundation
Apr 17, 2026 - johnlocke.org
John Tamny Is Mistaken About Government Debt
TweetHere’s a letter to a new correspondent. Mr. S__: You ask for my opinion of John Tamny’s latest expression of disagreement with those of us who warn that government borrowing poses serious problem...
Cafe Hayek
Apr 17, 2026 - cafehayek.com
Not Judge Judy, Juror Judi—But "Stupid Mistake" Isn't "Actual Malice" for Libel Purposes
From Scheindlin v. Accelerate 360, LLC, decided today by Judge Kyle Dudek (M.D. Fla.): For many decades, Plaintiff Judy Sheindlin—known… The post Not Judge Judy, Juror Judi—But "Stupid Mistake" Isn't ...
Reason.com
Apr 17, 2026 - reason.com
House GOP Balks, Shutdown Lingers, and DHS Starts to Fall Apart
By James Fite It has been more than 60 days since the Department of Homeland Security ran out of funding on February 14. While funding for the current fiscal year still hasn’t been resolved, top offic...
Liberty Nation News
Apr 17, 2026 - libertynation.com
A constitutional line re-drawn: What McNutt means for liberty
Last week, the Fifth Circuit issued a remarkable decision in McNutt v. U.S. Department of Justice — one that reaches far beyond the niche world of hobby distilling. At stake was a more than 150-year-o...
Blog Posts Archive - Competitive Enterprise Institute
Apr 17, 2026 - cei.org
Taking ‘stolen’ schools back from progressives
Stanley Kurtz writes for National Review Online about strategies conservatives can employ to regain a foothold in public schools. The most powerful steps we could take to wrest public schools from the...
John Locke Foundation
Apr 17, 2026 - johnlocke.org
Liberty Nation News – Headlines – Breaking
By Liberty Nation Authors Trump Says Iran ‘Agreed’ to Abandon Nuclear Ambitions President Donald Trump said on Thursday that Iran agreed to give up its nuclear ambitions, claiming that a peace deal is...
Liberty Nation News
Apr 17, 2026 - libertynation.com
GOP senators want to block funding for Hamas-linked UN group
Adam Kredo writes for the Washington Free Beacon about one way Republican senators want to limit taxpayer support for terrorist groups. A coalition of Republican senators led by Rick Scott (Fla.) is p...
John Locke Foundation
Apr 17, 2026 - johnlocke.org
Thinking in Crisis
New technology is changing how human beings learn. But preserving both humanity and democracy means we have to cling to traditional ways of knowing.
Law & Liberty
Apr 17, 2026 - lawliberty.org
Most Young Australians Successfully Evade the Country's Social Media Ban
The anxious generation is proving more tech savvy than regulators.
Reason.com
Apr 17, 2026 - reason.com
Review: This Cirque du Soleil Show Reminds Us Nature Knows No Borders
Luzia brings the outdoors in, using impressive engineering to highlight water's beauty.
Reason.com
Apr 17, 2026 - reason.com
White House Brags About Using Imports Dumped in America
TweetHere’s a letter sent last week to the New York Times but not published there. Editor: You report that “ArcelorMittal, a European steel maker, is donating tens of millions of dollars of foreign st...
Cafe Hayek
Apr 17, 2026 - cafehayek.com
Today in Supreme Court History: April 17, 1978
4/17/1978: Penn Central Transportation Corporation v. New York argued. The post Today in Supreme Court History: April 17, 1978 appeared first on Reason.com.
Reason.com
Apr 17, 2026 - reason.com
California’s Answer to Watchdog Journalists Like Nick Shirley
By Corey Smith A handful of California state Democrats have introduced a bill to increase privacy for immigrant support service providers and to protect their employees from “threats of violence” and ...
Liberty Nation News
Apr 17, 2026 - libertynation.com
Current Government Printing Is Going to Collapse The Economy
On VRIC Media, Darrell Thomas talks with Jonathan Newman about the real problem behind debt and deficits.
Mises Institute
Apr 17, 2026 - mises.org
New Hampshire vs. Vermont
I have multiple columns comparing Florida and New York, as well as a set of columns comparing Texas and California. Today, let’s do our first column comparing low-tax New Hampshire (no income tax and ...
International Liberty
Apr 17, 2026 - danieljmitchell.wordpress.com
Economics as Ruling Class Propaganda
Last year, I explained with what I thought adequate reasoning that I had no wish to go to university. Instead, I would become an electrician. Sebastian and Dr Gabb then set to work on my parents, who ...
The Libertarian Alliance
Apr 17, 2026 - libertarianism.uk
San Jose's 'Creepy' and 'Deeply Intrusive' ALPR Camera System Is Unconstitutional, a New Lawsuit Says
The city has created a network of nearly 500 cameras that routinely monitor innocent people as they go about their daily lives.
Reason.com
Apr 16, 2026 - reason.com
In Poisoned Ivies, Stefanik Sees Censorship as a Cure for 'Anti-Americanism'
What is a greater rejection of America's founding ideals than an overreaching government trampling the First Amendment?
Reason.com
Apr 16, 2026 - reason.com
Another Drug Boat Bombing
Plus: The U.S. blockade widens, Los Angeles teachers get a pay bump, the sunny side of a treeless national mall, and more...
Reason.com
Apr 16, 2026 - reason.com
Who Owns The President's Papers?
Yes, there is a Domestic Emoluments Clause issue.
Reason.com
Apr 16, 2026 - reason.com
Congress Declines Again To Rein in Trump's Iran War
Republicans can’t decide whether the war is too early to stop, too late to stop, or nonexistent in the first place.
Reason.com
Apr 16, 2026 - reason.com
Americans Paid Billions this Tax Day–But Not to the Treasury
The hidden costs of an unnecessarily complex tax code.
Cato Recent Op-eds
Apr 16, 2026 - cato.org
The Return of History in Southwest Asia
The third Gulf War is the latest in a long line of fumbles in the region.
Law & Liberty
Apr 16, 2026 - lawliberty.org
A Threat to the Constitutional Order
Advocates of the unitary executive theory believe it reinforces the separation of powers. It actually destroys it.
Law & Liberty
Apr 16, 2026 - lawliberty.org
The Iran War Exposes the Emptiness of American ‘Strength’ in East Asia
For decades Washington has advertised its air and naval supremacy as the indispensable guarantor of global order. Recent events have shown this to be little but increasingly expensive theater. The 202...
The Libertarian Institute
Apr 16, 2026 - libertarianinstitute.org
Kitchen-table issues could help GOP control Senate
Ward Clark writes for RedState.com about interesting new polling data. In recent decades, it has become an accepted feature of American national politics that the party in power will lose seats in bot...
John Locke Foundation
Apr 16, 2026 - johnlocke.org
62-Year-Old Protester Acquitted on All Charges for Wearing Penis Costume
The judge felt there was probable cause for an arrest but he declined to go so far as to convict.
Reason.com
Apr 16, 2026 - reason.com
Did the Media Miss the Eric Swalwell Story?
Seems weird no one reported on the numerous sexual misconduct allegations in 2020.
Reason.com
Apr 16, 2026 - reason.com
'The Rich Don't Pay Their Fair Share' and 4 Other Tax Myths That Won't Die
The United States has the most progressive income-tax system in the developed world.
Reason.com
Apr 16, 2026 - reason.com
'Blue Power' and the Rise of Police Union Politics
Stuart Schrader's new book details how police unions became a dominant force in U.S. politics.
Reason.com
Apr 16, 2026 - reason.com
Trump Administration Presents Update on its Tariff Refund Plan
The plan is not completely terrible. But many importers may still have difficulty getting the refund money owed to them.
Reason.com
Apr 16, 2026 - reason.com
Trump's 'Great Healthcare Plan' To Replace Obamacare Isn't Much of a Plan
The administration's goal to lower prices is a good one, but officials don't actually have a plan to make it happen.
Reason.com
Apr 16, 2026 - reason.com
Federal Judge Delivers Due Process Win Against DOJ Registry Overreach
The Justice Department is permanently blocked from prosecuting Californians who fail to register when the state no longer requires it.
Reason.com
Apr 16, 2026 - reason.com
Trump Argues Warrantless Surveillance Is Needed to Secure America
President Donald Trump said Congress must extend Section 702 of the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act (FISA) even if it means giving up “rights and privileges.” Section 702 allows for the collecti...
The Libertarian Institute
Apr 16, 2026 - libertarianinstitute.org
From lifeline to lifestyle: How quantitative easing became the Fed’s default setting
The nomination of Kevin Warsh has renewed scrutiny of the Federal Reserve’s expanding role in the economy. One of the most consequential shifts in US monetary policy since the 2007-08 crisis is the ri...
Blog Posts Archive - Competitive Enterprise Institute
Apr 16, 2026 - cei.org
The Slowing of Fourth Amendment Law, and Now Advisory Opinions: A Comment on Chatrie v. United States
The second in a series.
Reason.com
Apr 16, 2026 - reason.com
Pete Hegseth's Pulp Fiction Prayer Isn't the First Time He's Used Religion To Justify Illegal War in Iran
From the war to its mass deportation campaign, the Trump administration is expanding the power of the state under the guise of religion.
Reason.com
Apr 16, 2026 - reason.com
When the U.S. Censored a Movie About the American Revolution and Imprisoned Its Producer
Remembering the infuriating case of United States v. “The Spirit of ’76.”
Reason.com
Apr 16, 2026 - reason.com
Free the Economy podcast: How to Get What You Want with Josh Bandoch
In this week’s episode we cover AI development in China, how large investors recycle homes, and why permitting reform needs to take on the Clean Air Act. Our guest this week is Josh Bandoch, Head of P...
Blog Posts Archive - Competitive Enterprise Institute
Apr 16, 2026 - cei.org
Justice Ginsburg Cancer Treatment Leak Prosecution: Blame the Cat
"Russell insisted that he didn't know how his credentials had been used to run the 'Gins' and 'Ginston' searches. But he theorized that 'potentially his cat had run across the keyboard and typed in th...
Reason.com
Apr 16, 2026 - reason.com
War and Trade Restrictions: Fallacious Paths to National Security and Prosperity
The Trump administration continues its bellicose war against Iran, destroying opportunities for prosperity through meaningful commerce along the way.
Mises Institute
Apr 16, 2026 - mises.org
Fly the (climate) friendly skies? Delta is having second thoughts
Delta Air Lines has quietly backed away from its pledge to use 10 percent sustainable aviation fuels (SAFs) by 2030, citing the lack of available supplies of this supposedly climate-friendlier alterna...
Blog Posts Archive - Competitive Enterprise Institute
Apr 16, 2026 - cei.org
National Review analyzes Orban ‘shellacking’
Editors at National Review Online assess a high-profile eastern European election result. For a supposed despot, Viktor Orbán accepted his election shellacking gracefully. The scale of that defeat, ir...
John Locke Foundation
Apr 16, 2026 - johnlocke.org
Ep. 2752 Trump, the Pope, and MAGA
Buck Johnson, host of the Counterflow podcast, joins us to review the unforced errors that keep coming out of the White House. Sponsors Whether you’re running a business, doing a… Read More The post ...
Tom Woods
Apr 16, 2026 - tomwoods.com
"Can Speech Policy Protect Public Health?" in Print in Utah Law Review
Constitutionality of health-related speech meets public choice and social media
Reason.com
Apr 16, 2026 - reason.com
US Allies Believe It Will Take Six Months to Reach an Iran Peace Deal
European and Gulf Arab countries do not believe the conflict in the Middle East will be resolved in the short term. Arab and European leaders speaking with Bloomberg estimated it will take at least s...
The Libertarian Institute
Apr 16, 2026 - libertarianinstitute.org
Trump Announces Ceasefire Between Israel and Lebanon
President Donald Trump announced a ten-day truce between Israel and Lebanon. Israel has been attacking and occupying Lebanon since 2023. “I just had excellent conversations with the Highly Respected ...
The Libertarian Institute
Apr 16, 2026 - libertarianinstitute.org
Probing the feud between pope and president
Editors at National Review Online explore one of today’s more bizarre political conflicts. The war between the United States and Iran, now in its seventh week, has produced an extraordinary confrontat...
John Locke Foundation
Apr 16, 2026 - johnlocke.org
The Washington Post vs Elizabeth Warren
People sometimes will get excited about big-picture tax fights – whether politicians should raise taxes, whether they should add a VAT, or whether they should scrap the IRS for a flat tax. On the othe...
International Liberty
Apr 16, 2026 - danieljmitchell.wordpress.com
Power v Piety: Trump, Vance, and the War They Do Not Understand
There are moments when a political quarrel reveals something deeper than disagreement. What begins as a dispute over policy turns, almost imperceptibly, into a test of authority: who has the right to ...
The Libertarian Alliance
Apr 16, 2026 - libertarianism.uk
‘Cowardly Bullshit’: Handful of Dems Join With Senate GOP To Block Ban on US Bombs, Bulldozers to Israel
US senators on Wednesday voted down a pair of resolutions aimed at blocking US bomb and bulldozer sales to Israel as it continues its genocidal war on Gaza and devastating bombardment and mass displac...
Antiwar.com Blog
Apr 16, 2026 - antiwar.com
Combatting Hate Act Could Criminalize Quoting the Bible in Canada
By Michele White A Canadian bill aimed at expanding the country’s hate speech laws could criminalize religious speech, including quoting the Holy Bible, conservatives and critics warn. The House of Co...
Liberty Nation News
Apr 16, 2026 - libertynation.com
Letter to the Editor: The Tax Solution That Wasn’t
A government-run portal cannot be a substitute for simplifying the tax code.
Cato Recent Op-eds
Apr 16, 2026 - cato.org
Illiberal liberalism
I've written about Adrian Wooldridge's new book, Centrists of the World Unite!: The Lost Genius of Liberalism, for The Critic. I agree with much of it and it's very good as a history of liberal though...
Velvet Glove, Iron Fist
Apr 16, 2026 - velvetgloveironfist.blogspot.com
"Cabotage": It's Not "Sabotage" with the "S" Switched to Russian
Just learned this largely legalese word today; it means, according to Black's Law Dictionary, 1. The carrying on of trade… The post "Cabotage": It's Not "Sabotage" with the "S" Switched to Russian app...
Reason.com
Apr 16, 2026 - reason.com
Today in Supreme Court History: April 16, 1962
4/16/1962: Justice Byron White takes oath. The post Today in Supreme Court History: April 16, 1962 appeared first on Reason.com.
Reason.com
Apr 16, 2026 - reason.com
The Shadow Over Hormuz: a Test of Global Resilience or the End of Hegemony?
Leaked details from the recent high-level marathon in Islamabad, a grueling 21-hour session between U.S. and Iranian delegations reveal more than just a failure to communicate. It marks a profound str...
Antiwar.com Blog
Apr 16, 2026 - antiwar.com
DHP Ep. 74 Reissue: The Western Way of War vs The Eastern Way of War
(*This is a reissue of a Dangerous History Episode first published in Aug. 2015) In this episode, CJ discusses two different paradigms of what war is supposed to be and how it is supposed to be fought...
The Libertarian Institute
Apr 16, 2026 - libertarianinstitute.org
Virginia’s Second Amendment Maneuvering
By Elizabeth Lawrence During the Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee hearing on what lawmakers described as “growing threats” against the Second Amendment, Chairman Rand Paul (...
Liberty Nation News
Apr 16, 2026 - libertynation.com
Gaming the Iran Negotiations
By Mark Angelides A second round of negotiations between the United States and Iran is expected to take place before the two-week ceasefire runs its course. After the collapse of the weekend talks in ...
Liberty Nation News
Apr 16, 2026 - libertynation.com
College Sports Gets a Trump Boost
By Liberty Nation Authors Trump’s executive order on college sports is a major move that has a lot of support.
Liberty Nation News
Apr 16, 2026 - libertynation.com
Database proves claims about NYT bias
Ira Stoll writes for the Washington Free Beacon about new data exposing a major media outlet’s journalistic malpractice. A new database of all the New York Times articles published in the past 25 year...
John Locke Foundation
Apr 16, 2026 - johnlocke.org
ICE Is Determined To Unmask a Reddit User Whose Only Crime Seems To Be Criticizing ICE
After withdrawing a summons in the face of a legal challenge, the government is seeking a grand jury subpoena.
Reason.com
Apr 15, 2026 - reason.com
Hungary Breaks Free: How Voters Ended 16 Years of Orbán's Iron Rule
Everyone could see who, and what, was responsible for Hungary’s economic malaise.
Reason.com
Apr 15, 2026 - reason.com
Trump Says He's Willing To 'Risk' Your Rights for His Surveillance Powers
The president once said he wanted to kill warrantless electronic spying. So much for that.
Reason.com
Apr 15, 2026 - reason.com
Dual mandate, dual headache: Why the Fed should focus on price stability
With Kevin Warsh set to appear before the Senate for his Fed confirmation hearing, the question of his monetary priorities is taking center stage. Warsh has long emphasized the importance of price sta...
Blog Posts Archive - Competitive Enterprise Institute
Apr 15, 2026 - cei.org
It Can Work. It Already Has Worked!
What if societies can thrive without central rule? From Cospaia to Ireland’s Brehon law system, history shows decentralized orders lasting centuries.
The Advocates for Self-Government
Apr 15, 2026 - theadvocates.org
Republicans Kill Resolution Directing Trump to End the War Against Iran
A resolution proposed by Democratic Senator Tammy Duckworth, instructing President Donald Trump to end the war against Iran, was rejected by the Senate. On Wednesday, the upper chamber rejected the l...
The Libertarian Institute
Apr 15, 2026 - libertarianinstitute.org
Austrian Economics Center and Hayek Institute Support IP Socialism and 2026 World IP Day Coalition
[Cross-posted at PFS Blog] Someone forwarded to me the email below from one Martin Gundinger of the Austrian Economics Center to one Britt Schier of the Friedrich A. v. Hayek Institute urging support ...
C4SIF.org
Apr 15, 2026 - c4sif.org
Sen. Mike Lee Says Federal Prison Hung Up on Him When He Tried To Check on Inmate
Families have complained for years that the Bureau of Prisons fails to notify them when their incarcerated loved ones are seriously ill or even dying.
Reason.com
Apr 15, 2026 - reason.com
CENTCOM: Navy Prevented 10 Ships from Exiting the Strait of Hormuz
US Central Command reports that no ships have exited the Persian Gulf carrying oil since President Donald Trump ordered a blockade on Monday. “Yesterday, an Iranian-flagged cargo vessel tried to evad...