Libertarian Reporting for 2026-05-20
Today’s news coverage from libertarian media sources. Today's edition includes 89 articles from 15 sites. We chose these from 1976 articles found on 37 sites.
Today's featured sites are:
Reason.com, Cafe Hayek, The Libertarian Institute, Law & Liberty, John Locke Foundation, International Liberty, Antiwar.com Blog, Blog - Students For Liberty, Main Feed, C4SIF.org, The Advocates for Self-Government, Blog Posts Archive - Competitive Enterprise Institute, Blog - Libertarian Party of Nevada, Mises Institute, The Libertarian Alliance.
Filming Cops Is a First Amendment Right. The Feds Keep Harassing People for It Anyway.
Most federal appeals courts have recognized the right to record police. DHS employees nevertheless seem to view it as a crime.
Reason.com
May 19, 2026 - reason.com
Trump Settles His Own Lawsuit Against the IRS for $1.8 Billion of Your Money
The government says the money will go to a fund for those "who suffered weaponization and lawfare," but it's more likely a slush fund for Trump and his cronies.
Reason.com
May 19, 2026 - reason.com
Some Links
TweetMy Mercatus Center colleague Jack Salmon surveys decades of empirical research on the effects of tariffs and report this: Taken together, the empirical literature tells a consistent but nuanced s...
Cafe Hayek
May 19, 2026 - cafehayek.com
Union Summer
Plus: Massie's race, self-driving cars, disputed bets, and more...
Reason.com
May 19, 2026 - reason.com
Will Congress Expose Israel’s 60-Year Nuclear Secret?
Rep. Joaquin Castro (D-TX) tweeted on May 4, 2026: For nearly six decades the U.S. has voluntarily remained in the dark on Israel’s nuclear capabilities. The ambiguity ends now. There is too much at s...
The Libertarian Institute
May 19, 2026 - libertarianinstitute.org
The Future of Dynamism
Virginia Postrel talks about AI, style and glamour, and Abundance in this episode of the Law & Liberty Podcast.
Law & Liberty
May 19, 2026 - lawliberty.org
The Congressional Black Caucus Opposes a College Sports Bill Because of Gerrymandering
Plus: NCAA reform legislation on hold in Congress, the Senate discusses betting and sporting integrity, and private equity in youth sports
Reason.com
May 19, 2026 - reason.com
What I Learned Shadowing California's Katana-Wielding Anti-Squatter Enforcers
California's failure to eject squatters from the properties they've seized undermines the state's new housing laws.
Reason.com
May 19, 2026 - reason.com
Ranking the Worst Supreme Court Decisions of All Time
What cases belong on the list?
Reason.com
May 19, 2026 - reason.com
Chief Judge Moore Commissions Bizarre AI Cartoon About The Federal Circuit Without Judge Newman
Kimberly Moore may rival Neal Katyal for the most cringey YouTube video in recent memory.
Reason.com
May 19, 2026 - reason.com
Dems look to target election integrity groups
M.D. Kittle writes for the Federalist about congressional Democrats’ plans for their next period of control on Capitol Hill. Recent stinging redistricting losses not withstanding, Democrats at least o...
John Locke Foundation
May 19, 2026 - johnlocke.org
Bombing survivors appalled ‘Blind Sheikh’ friend could go to Congress
Jon Levine writes for the Washington Free Beacon about one group with a special interest in a New Jersey congressional election. Victims and survivors of the 1993 World Trade Center bombing reacted wi...
John Locke Foundation
May 19, 2026 - johnlocke.org
The Thirteenth Theorem of Government and the High Cost of “Free” Health Care
I unveiled my 16th Theorem of Government about 10 years ago to explain that the supposed popularity of government goodies is a mirage. Once people find out that they would have to surrender more of th...
International Liberty
May 19, 2026 - danieljmitchell.wordpress.com
The Dangerous Allure When Untalented People Use AI
Patent nerds should not pretend to be talented enough to boast about making a Schoolhouse Rock video.
Reason.com
May 19, 2026 - reason.com
Plaintiff's Immigration Concerns Don't Justify Pseudonymity
From Thursday's decision by Magistrate Judge JoAnna Gibson McFadden in Doe v. Amazon.com Servs. LLC: Jane Doe has sued Amazon.com… The post Plaintiff's Immigration Concerns Don't Justify Pseudonymity ...
Reason.com
May 19, 2026 - reason.com
US is ‘kicking an ally’ in Poland
Andrew Stuttaford writes for National Review Online about a disappointing foreign policy action from the Trump administration. Poland has for years been one of this country’s best friends in Europe. F...
John Locke Foundation
May 19, 2026 - johnlocke.org
Bill Maher On The Blatant Double Standard For Antisemitism
"But China, Russia, Sudan, Iran, Myanmar, Haiti, the Congo, North Korea, all way worse. And that's how you know it's anti-Semitism. It's the inconsistency."
Reason.com
May 19, 2026 - reason.com
Should a Murder Victim Have Rights in the Criminal Justice Process?
The conventional view in American criminal justice is that the victim's representative should be able to assert rights on behalf of the deceased victim in a homicide case--a view that Professor Peter ...
Reason.com
May 19, 2026 - reason.com
Coffee Is Good for Your Brain
Researchers tracked 130,000 people for over 40 years and found coffee was associated with reduced risk of dementia.
Reason.com
May 19, 2026 - reason.com
Ron Paul on The Real Cost of the Iran War
On today’s Ron Paul Liberty Report: According to a new study by Brown University, President Trump’s war on Iran has cost the American consumer $40 billion in increased fuel costs. But it does not end ...
Antiwar.com Blog
May 19, 2026 - antiwar.com
National Review calls for Massie to lose
Editors at National Review Online would not be sad to see a Republican Kentucky congressman lose his job. We have a lot of time for quirky, go-it-alone libertarians, but prefer if they aren’t conspira...
John Locke Foundation
May 19, 2026 - johnlocke.org
Ibn Khaldun and the Original Case Against Big Government
Image citation: Ibn Khaldun by Waqas Ahmed, licenced under Wikimedia Commons When the state keeps taking more, it often ends up with less. The idea is usually treated as a modern insight, associated w...
Blog - Students For Liberty
May 19, 2026 - studentsforliberty.org
Highlighting Harris’ ‘dangerous brainstorm’
David Catron writes for the American Spectator about the latest bad ideas from former Vice President Kamala Harris. For a sense of how bereft the Democrats are of credible leaders and sensible policy ...
John Locke Foundation
May 19, 2026 - johnlocke.org
Christianity and the Founders’ Liberalism
If the American founding was radical, it was in the literal sense of the word: proceeding from the root.
Law & Liberty
May 19, 2026 - lawliberty.org
"Instead, Claude Just Made Up More Stuff"
"How [plaintiff's lawyer] then could have blindly and solely trusted Claude to remedy the brief is difficult to fathom."
Reason.com
May 19, 2026 - reason.com
Today in Supreme Court History: May 19, 1921
5/19/1921: Chief Justice Edward Douglass White dies. The post Today in Supreme Court History: May 19, 1921 appeared first on Reason.com.
Reason.com
May 19, 2026 - reason.com
John Mearsheimer on Putin’s Incentive To Escalate
Reprinted from John’s Substack: On 18 May 2026, I was on Glenn Diesen’s podcast talking with him mainly about the prospects for escalation in the Ukraine war, but also the Iran war. Regarding Ukraine...
Antiwar.com Blog
May 19, 2026 - antiwar.com
Do We Need a Modern Homestead Act to Save the American Dream?
Now, President Donald Trump and the GOP have a historic opportunity to restore that promise for younger generations through another Homestead Act.
Main Feed
May 19, 2026 - libertynation.com
Trump Announces Adding 600 New Generic Drugs to TrumpRx
President Donald Trump on Monday announced 600 more generic drugs will be added to TrumpRX.
Main Feed
May 19, 2026 - libertynation.com
Supreme Court Delivers More Bad Redistricting News for Democrats
The two big redistricting news stories, of late, represent a one-two punch that set back Democrats’ midterm election prospects.
Main Feed
May 19, 2026 - libertynation.com
Vernon Smith on Protectionism
TweetEarlier this morning, my Nobel-laureate emeritus colleague, Vernon Smith, sent this email to me, which I share in full with his kind permission. Don: My first foreign speaking invitation after th...
Cafe Hayek
May 19, 2026 - cafehayek.com
Donald Trump, Thomas Massie, and the Long, Slow Death of the Tea Party
Whatever happens in Kentucky's GOP primary, the populist right no longer even pretends to care about spending or government overreach.
Reason.com
May 18, 2026 - reason.com
Lisa Ramsey, Trademarks and Free Speech
Related Kinsella, “Defamation as a Type of Intellectual Property,” in A Life in Liberty: Liber Amicorum in Honor of Hans-Hermann Hoppe, edited by Jörg Guido Hülsmann & Stephan Kinsella (Houston, Texa...
C4SIF.org
May 18, 2026 - c4sif.org
Donald Trump and Josh Hawley's Federal Gas Tax Holiday Would Save Drivers Less Than $9 Per Month
It was a bad idea when Biden proposed it, and it's a bad idea now that Trump is proposing it. Want lower gas prices? End the war.
Reason.com
May 18, 2026 - reason.com
Jared Polis' Controversial Commutation of Tina Peters' Prison Sentence Upholds Freedom of Speech
Colorado's governor agreed with a state appeals court that the former Mesa County clerk had been punished for her wacky beliefs about the 2020 election as well as her illegal conduct.
Reason.com
May 18, 2026 - reason.com
‘War Is the Health of the State’ … No Matter Who Is in Office
War expands state power, centralizes authority, and erodes civil liberties. Rothbard argued libertarians ignore that reality at their peril.
The Advocates for Self-Government
May 18, 2026 - theadvocates.org
The Smartphone Theory of Birth Rate Decline Doesn't Hold Up
Fertility rates started falling centuries before the iPhone was introduced.
Reason.com
May 18, 2026 - reason.com
Court Refuses to Order Pam Bondi to Delete Tweeted Booking Photos in Prosecution for Interference with ICE in Minneapolis
From Magistrate Judge Elsa Bullard (D. Minn.) Wednesday in U.S. v. Doyle: On January 26, 2026, the Government filed a… The post Court Refuses to Order Pam Bondi to Delete Tweeted Booking Photos in Pro...
Reason.com
May 18, 2026 - reason.com
Samurai vs. Squatters: On the Street With the Hired Swords Reclaiming California Property Owners' Stolen Homes
California has failed to protect private property from squatters. Desperate owners are turning to katana-wielding enforcers to reclaim their homes.
Reason.com
May 18, 2026 - reason.com
Thomas Massie's Moment Has Come
Plus: Ed Gallrein won't talk about his background, and Sen. Bill Cassidy bites the dust.
Reason.com
May 18, 2026 - reason.com
Our Own Cognitive Dissonance Is Concealing the Epstein Network
“I saw also that there was an ocean of darkness and death, but an infinite ocean of light and love, which flowed over the ocean of darkness.”- George Fox, Journal (1647) While war chaos and carnage in...
The Libertarian Institute
May 18, 2026 - libertarianinstitute.org
Stamp Act revisited
Before the Edenton Tea Party’s 1774 protest against the tax on tea, before the Mecklenburg Declaration of Independence on May 20, 1775 (it’s on the North Carolina flag!), and before the Halifax Resolv...
John Locke Foundation
May 18, 2026 - johnlocke.org
The Kyle Anzalone Show: Harrison Berger Breaks Down Israel’s New Influence Strategy
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 ...
The Libertarian Institute
May 18, 2026 - libertarianinstitute.org
Thomas Massie Gives the ‘America First’ Leadership Trump Promised
When Donald Trump ran for president in 2024, he promised, among other things, no more U.S. regime change wars, no more of America sending its citizens’ dollars to fund foreign nations, and that he and...
The Libertarian Institute
May 18, 2026 - libertarianinstitute.org
The week in regulations: Date taxes and microreactors
It was nearly a 3,000-page week in the Federal Register, roughly double the usual pace. Year-over-year inflation jumped to 3.8 percent, the worst reading since the COVID inflation climbdown in 2023. K...
Blog Posts Archive - Competitive Enterprise Institute
May 18, 2026 - cei.org
8½-Year Sentence for American Who Fought for ISIS Is Too Lenient, Says Sixth Circuit
The district court had departed downward from the Sentencing Guidelines' recommended sentence of 30 to 50 years.
Reason.com
May 18, 2026 - reason.com
America 250 election year rightsizing: Time to get things undone
The new 2026 Ten Thousand Commandments survey of federal regulation and reform landed at an awkward moment. Election cycles tend to crowd out serious thinking about the structure and limits of governm...
Blog Posts Archive - Competitive Enterprise Institute
May 18, 2026 - cei.org
Why Is Trump Trying To Purge Thomas Massie?
Plus: inflation surges, Mamdani claims he closed New York City’s budget gap without cutting services, and a listener asks how to develop political confidence
Reason.com
May 18, 2026 - reason.com
Vance, Rubio jockey for position in 2028
Tim O’Brien writes for PJMedia.com about the two major players in the Trump administration who could succeed the 47th president. People have asked Secretary of State Marco Rubio if he plans to run for...
John Locke Foundation
May 18, 2026 - johnlocke.org
Boomers vs. Doomers
Bad economic policy is demoralizing the young.
Law & Liberty
May 18, 2026 - lawliberty.org
Notre Dame Pro-Abortion-Rights Professor Ordered to Pay $200K in Fees in Failed Libel Lawsuit Against Student Newspaper
So Special Judge Steven David (Ind. Super. Ct. St. Joseph County) ruled Friday. There had been a dispute about the… The post Notre Dame Pro-Abortion-Rights Professor Ordered to Pay $200K in Fees in Fa...
Reason.com
May 18, 2026 - reason.com
US Rejects Latest Peace Proposal From Iran
A senior US official said that the latest offer received from Iran was unacceptable, and President Donald Trump was considering breaking the ceasefire with Iran. According to a senior official and a ...
The Libertarian Institute
May 18, 2026 - libertarianinstitute.org
The Kyle Anzalone Show: Will Trump’s Trip to China Change the Course of the Iran War? w/ Patrick Henningsen
Trump comes back from Beijing claiming he got a major concession from Xi on Iran, but what happens when the key details are private, unverifiable, and packaged for headlines? We walk through the publi...
The Libertarian Institute
May 18, 2026 - libertarianinstitute.org
Why is the Court GVRing Cases In Light Of Callais That Did Not Turn On The Issues In Callais?
I think the Court is hoping these cases go away on the merits and they won't have to deal with them.
Reason.com
May 18, 2026 - reason.com
Taxes and Government Fees Make Up 25 Percent of Car Rental Fees
Travelers make easy targets for revenue-hungry officials.
Reason.com
May 18, 2026 - reason.com
This Tiny Toad Blocked a Green Energy Project. A New Federal Rule Will Cut 'Green' Tape.
A streamlined process for environmental review under the National Environmental Policy Act gives the government broader discretion to approve projects.
Reason.com
May 18, 2026 - reason.com
Trump choices limit success in Iran war
Danielle Pletka assesses the impact of President Donald Trump’s decision when waging war against Iran. No, again, the war with Iran is not lost. It could be, but it ain’t over yet. As usual, all is in...
John Locke Foundation
May 18, 2026 - johnlocke.org
Is the Government Our Biggest Pickpocket?
Tom Wheelwright explains how taxes erode wealth, why high earners are fleeing certain states, and how to legally keep more of what you earn.
The Advocates for Self-Government
May 18, 2026 - theadvocates.org
Should the United Nations Have Global Taxing Powers?
When I write about bad tax policy from international bureaucracies, that usually means I’m complaining about the International Monetary Fund or the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Developmen...
International Liberty
May 18, 2026 - danieljmitchell.wordpress.com
Report: ICC Prosecutor Seeking Arrest Warrant for Israeli Minister Smotrich
A prosecutor at the International Criminal Court is seeking an arrest warrant for Israeli Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich. Middle East Eye reported speaking with officials on Monday who confirmed t...
The Libertarian Institute
May 18, 2026 - libertarianinstitute.org
Tariff Refunds Are Coming – But What About the Economy?
US companies could be receiving their tariff refunds soon. Since the Supreme Court struck down President Donald Trump’s levies imposed under the 1977 International Emergency Economic Powers Act (IEEPA...
Main Feed
May 18, 2026 - libertynation.com
Assessing the impact of the Jones Act waiver
Vincent Smith and Shantanu Kamat explore the impact of a significant federal regulatory waiver. The Jones Act, which restricts cargo shipments between US ports to US-flagged and owned vessels, has dis...
John Locke Foundation
May 18, 2026 - johnlocke.org
Fannie, Freddie, and the National Debt
Fannie and Freddie are part of the government and need to be included in its consolidated financial statements.
Law & Liberty
May 18, 2026 - lawliberty.org
Mamdani's "Balanced" Budget
Recently, Zohran Mamdani has claimed he’s “balanced the budget” in New York City. But the problem is that his own budget proposal reportedly counts $1.64 billion as “savings” from restructuring New Yo...
Blog - Libertarian Party of Nevada
May 18, 2026 - lpnevada.org
The Missing Part of the State Court Mangione Suppression Ruling?
The federal court denied a similar motion; the state court grants it in part.
Reason.com
May 18, 2026 - reason.com
The Second Amendment, Guns on Private Property, Guns in Parks, and "The Fifth Element"
From today's Second Circuit decision in Christian v. Keane, in an opinion by Judge Joseph Bianco, joined by Judge Eunice Lee… The post The Second Amendment, Guns on Private Property, Guns in Parks, an...
Reason.com
May 18, 2026 - reason.com
Plaintiff Can Sue Pseudonymously Because She's a Criminal Defense Lawyer with a Gambling Addiction
But reputational and professional harm is generally not a basis for allowing pseudonymity in most cases (since so many litigants face some such harm from the allegations in their cases being public). ...
Reason.com
May 18, 2026 - reason.com
Today in Supreme Court History: May 18, 1860
5/18/1860: Abraham Lincoln wins the Republican Party presidential nomination. The post Today in Supreme Court History: May 18, 1860 appeared first on Reason.com.
Reason.com
May 18, 2026 - reason.com
The Kyle Anzalone Show: Will Trump’s Trip to China Change the Course of the Iran War? w/ Patrick Henningsen
Trump comes back from Beijing claiming he got a major concession from Xi on Iran, but what happens when the key details are private, unverifiable, and packaged for headlines? We walk through the publi...
Antiwar.com Blog
May 18, 2026 - antiwar.com
Escalation in Iran Would Be Madness
Seth Cropsey makes another deranged appeal for escalation against Iran: Mr. Trump’s objective shouldn’t be to bluff the Iranians out. Instead it should be to demonstrate that if push comes to shove, t...
Antiwar.com Blog
May 18, 2026 - antiwar.com
China Won't Solve America's Iran Problem
One conclusion can be made from President Donald Trump’s meeting with Xi Jinping: China just wants oil.
Main Feed
May 18, 2026 - libertynation.com
Trump’s China Summit: More Isolation and Economic Erosion Ahead for Iran
China wants energy – not a healthy Iran.
Main Feed
May 18, 2026 - libertynation.com
The Subversive Entrepreneur
An entrepreneur casts a certain kind of spell. He brings resources, people, and capital together in a way that enables him to make others better off, so they will make him better off. He is a master o...
The Advocates for Self-Government
May 18, 2026 - theadvocates.org
The Kyle Anzalone Show: Harrison Berger Breaks Down Israel’s New Influence Strategy
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 ...
Antiwar.com Blog
May 18, 2026 - antiwar.com
Ron Paul on Trump, Outside Millions, and Massie: Will Voters Have the Final Say in Kentucky?
On today’s Ron Paul Liberty Report: It is the highest spending US House race in history, with more than $10 million pouring into Thomas Massie’s House re-election bid from outside oligarchs. Massie ha...
Antiwar.com Blog
May 18, 2026 - antiwar.com
John Mearsheimer asks Will He or Won’t He?
Reprinted from John’s Substack: On 17 May 2026, I was on “Switzerland” talking with Tom Switzer about a number of different subjects including the state of the war in Ukraine, the results of Trump’s ...
Antiwar.com Blog
May 18, 2026 - antiwar.com
Trump Says He Canceled Attack on Iran After Requests From Gulf Allies
President Donald Trump wrote on Truth Social that he had planned to restart the war against Iran on Tuesday, but called off the strikes after requests from Washington’s Gulf Arab allies. “I have been...
The Libertarian Institute
May 18, 2026 - libertarianinstitute.org
The Bad News from the Latest Employment Report
Ryan McMaken looks at the latest jobs numbers form the federal government and why so many workers and families appear to think the economy is in trouble.
Mises Institute
May 18, 2026 - mises.org
Causes of Uncontrollable US Public Spending and Debt
The US fiat monetary regime not only has given us inflation and boom-and-bust cycles, but it also is the main contributor to the out-of-control government spending and debt accumulation.
Mises Institute
May 18, 2026 - mises.org
Is Deflation Bad for the Economy?
The standard line among most economists is that deflation is as bad or even worse than inflation. In reality, the economy needs deflation now more than ever.
Mises Institute
May 18, 2026 - mises.org
73 percent of non-affiliated voters oppose Iran War
Overall, 64 percent of respondents sad that Trump’s decision to go to war with Iran was the wrong decision.
Mises Institute
May 18, 2026 - mises.org
Legalization helps provide data about harm linked to cannabis
Naomi Schaefer Riley writes about disturbing new evidence of the harmful effect of cannabis. Advocates of cannabis legalization have used two major arguments to persuade the public in the past few dec...
John Locke Foundation
May 18, 2026 - johnlocke.org
Looking Beyond Net Zero: Reply to Neil Lock
Mr Lock has written a thoughtful reply to my original article, and I am grateful for it. Much discussion of energy policy now consists either of reciting climate catechisms or of muttering vaguely abo...
The Libertarian Alliance
May 18, 2026 - libertarianism.uk
Looking Beyond Net Zero: Reply to Bryan Mercadente
I think this essay misses a most important point. Using fossil fuels does not necessarily mean using imported fossil fuels. There are very large quantities of gas, and still a fair amount of oil, unde...
The Libertarian Alliance
May 18, 2026 - libertarianism.uk
The Nature, Properties, and Characteristics of Goods (Igloo Coolers case)
[From my Webnote series] Related Classificationism, Legislation, Copyright Federal Judges Aren’t Real Judges Another Problem with Legislation: James Carter v. the Field Codes The Non-Aggression Princi...
C4SIF.org
May 17, 2026 - c4sif.org
The Kyle Anzalone Show: Trump in China, Iran War on the Horizon?
Trump heads to China with a lineup of high-profile U.S. business leaders, but we can’t treat it like a normal trade trip. We dig into the uncomfortable reality underneath the photo ops: America’s depe...
The Libertarian Institute
May 17, 2026 - libertarianinstitute.org
Report: Classified Intelligence Claims Cuba Acquiring Drones for Potential Conflict with the US
US officials speaking with Axios claimed classified intelligence shows that Cuba has 300 one-way drones to attack US warships and the Florida Keys. The leak of the classified intel comes as President ...
The Libertarian Institute
May 17, 2026 - libertarianinstitute.org
Trump Says Iran Must Make a Deal Fast or ‘There Won’t Be Anything Left’
President Donald Trump threatened to wipe out Iran if Tehran did not agree to a deal with the US that ends the war and restricts the Islamic Republic’s nuclear program. Trump has repeatedly threatened...
The Libertarian Institute
May 17, 2026 - libertarianinstitute.org
Taiwan Urges Trump to Maintain Status Quo on Weapon Sales
After a meeting between President Donald Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping, Taiwanese President Lai Ching-te urged Washington to continue selling weapons to Taipei. During his summit with Trump, ...