Libertarian Reporting for 2026-04-19
Today’s news coverage from libertarian media sources.
The Supreme Court Ruled Against 'Informal Censorship' 6 Decades Ago but Officials Are Still Jawboning
The Court's 1963 ruling in Bantam Books v. Sullivan is freshly relevant in light of recent efforts to restrict speech through government intimidation.
Reason.com
Apr 18, 2026 - reason.com
Some Links
TweetCheck out the Cato Institute’s new Handbook on Affordability. My Mercatus Center colleague Salim Furth shares a new paper that, as summarized by Salim, “demonstrates that mayoral elections have a...
Cafe Hayek
Apr 18, 2026 - cafehayek.com
The Bipartisan War on Cheap Food
Republicans and Democrats preach about food affordability. Yet their policies continue to make it worse.
Reason.com
Apr 18, 2026 - reason.com
Leaked Supreme Court Memos Reveal Why Court Stayed Clean Power Plan (Setting Important "Shadow Docket" Precedent in the Process)
A New York Times scoop reveals that Chief Justice Roberts was concerned that the EPA would (again) get away with imposing unlawful burdens on utilities.
Reason.com
Apr 18, 2026 - reason.com
“As Compared to What?” – Exhibit #3,4593e17
TweetHere’s a letter to my long-time protectionist correspondent. Mr. M__: Thanks for sharing Oren Cass’s latest comments on trade. You’ll be unsurprised to learn that I’m unimpressed. Oren laments “o...
Cafe Hayek
Apr 18, 2026 - cafehayek.com
Elon Musk Battles for Free Speech for Artificial Intelligence
By John Klar Free speech champion Elon Musk is once again leading an effort to protect commercial speech from government control. His company, xAI, filed suit on April 9 against the state of Colorado,...
Liberty Nation News
Apr 18, 2026 - libertynation.com
Ep. 2753 Where Did Trump’s Poll Numbers Go?
Rich Baris, who chairs the National Association of Independent Pollsters, gives us insight into what’s happened to Trump and the GOP in 2026. Sponsors CrowdHealth is a community of people who… Read M...
Tom Woods
Apr 18, 2026 - tomwoods.com
2026’s Counter-Tweet of the Year?
I had seven possible choices for the 2025 Counter-Tweet of the Year (here, here, here, here, here, here, and here) and I want to have at least that many this year. My first 2026 choice involved an ant...
International Liberty
Apr 18, 2026 - danieljmitchell.wordpress.com
Call Him Judge Ho Ho Ho
A nice little Christmas present for the lawyers + "You should be spending time with family and friends over the holidays."
Reason.com
Apr 18, 2026 - reason.com
Today in Supreme Court History: April 18, 1775
4/18/1775: Paul Revere's ride. The post Today in Supreme Court History: April 18, 1775 appeared first on Reason.com.
Reason.com
Apr 18, 2026 - reason.com
San Francisco Bay Area Conference:Middle East in Crisis
US & Israeli Wars on Iran, Palestine, Lebanon, International Law, and the United Nations The Mt. Diablo Peace & Justice Center in the San Francisco Bay Area is hosting an urgent half-day conference on...
Antiwar.com Blog
Apr 18, 2026 - antiwar.com
Trump Speaks at Turning Point USA Event in Phoenix
By Michele White President Donald Trump on Friday rallied his base for nearly an hour at a Turning Point USA event, Build the Red Wall, in Phoenix, Arizona. The president reportedly drew more than 3,0...
Liberty Nation News
Apr 18, 2026 - libertynation.com
When AI Agents Trade with AI Agents, Price Discovery Dies
The notion that AI can take over an economy is fantasy. A market economy is not made up of competing algorithms but rather sets of prices that lead to discovery.
Mises Institute
Apr 18, 2026 - mises.org
Short Circuit: An inexhaustive weekly compendium of rulings from the federal courts of appeal
ICE, AirPods, and the No Fly List
Reason.com
Apr 17, 2026 - reason.com
Pete Hegseth Wants the D.C. Circuit To Let Him Punish a Senator for Criticizing Him
The defense secretary's asserted authority to control the speech of retired military officers "would chill public participation by veterans," a brief supporting Mark Kelly warns.
Reason.com
Apr 17, 2026 - reason.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
Virginia's Unconstitutional Effort to Strip Property Tax Exemptions From Pro-Confederate Groups
The groups and their ideology are awful. But Virginia's policy violates the First Amendment. Allowing it to stand could set a dangerous precedent.
Reason.com
Apr 17, 2026 - reason.com
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
The quartz tariff case and why tariffs cause net job loss
Last year, domestic quartz surface product manufacturers filed a petition with the US International Trade Commission (ITC) seeking relief from quartz imports. The ITC subsequently determined that thos...
Blog Posts Archive - Competitive Enterprise Institute
Apr 17, 2026 - cei.org
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
Elon Musk's Mistaken Call for a 'Universal High Income'
AI will not create a jobless dystopia. Paying people a lot of money not to work would.
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
Eric Swalwell, Pope Fight, Tax Day Woes
Robby Soave and Christian Britschgi discuss Eric Swalwell's fall from grace and how tax day radicalizes us every year.
Reason.com
Apr 17, 2026 - reason.com
Yale Admits Self-Censorship and Political Bias Are Eroding Trust in Higher Education
The Ivy League school released a self-critical report this week.
Reason.com
Apr 17, 2026 - reason.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
Alabama Supreme Court to Cops: It's OK To Force a Pastor Watering Flowers To Show His ID
The court ruled that police can demand a physical ID under the state's stop-and-identify law.
Reason.com
Apr 17, 2026 - reason.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
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
Team Netanyahu/Trump Sinks Iran Talks; Kushner Beefs Up Rap-Sheet
With an American imprimatur, Israel is on a “genocidal rampage” in Southern Lebanon, where it blew-up 350 human beings in the span of minutes, on April 9.
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
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
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
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...