Libertarian Reporting for 2026-05-21
Today’s news coverage from libertarian media sources. Today's edition includes 81 articles from 13 sites. We chose these from 1966 articles found on 36 sites.
Today's featured sites are:
Reason.com, Cafe Hayek, The Libertarian Institute, Law & Liberty, Blog Posts Archive - Competitive Enterprise Institute, John Locke Foundation, Antiwar.com Blog, Main Feed, Mises Institute, International Liberty, Cato Recent Op-eds, Blog - Students For Liberty, The Advocates for Self-Government.
Trump Is the High-Prices President
Trump's signature policies are pushing prices higher—and voters are pushing back.
Reason.com
May 20, 2026 - reason.com
There Was No Delcy Rodríguez in Iran
The Trump administration thought it was repeating the Venezuelan model in Iran—when it was doing something much more ambitious and risky.
Reason.com
May 20, 2026 - reason.com
A State Assault Case Against an ICE Agent Could Illustrate the Limits of Supremacy Clause Immunity
That defense applies only when an officer "reasonably" believed he was acting within his federal authority.
Reason.com
May 20, 2026 - reason.com
Some Links
TweetThis letter in today’s Wall Street Journal by AIER’s Ryan Yonk is excellent: Thomas Duesterberg writes powerfully about tariff negotiations (“Trump Heads to Beijing With a Strong Hand,” op-ed, Ma...
Cafe Hayek
May 20, 2026 - cafehayek.com
If Thomas Massie Was President…
If Thomas Massie were president, there would be no American involvement in the war in Iran. Rep. Massie (R-KY) introduced a bipartisan resolution barring “unauthorized hostilities” against Iran and sa...
The Libertarian Institute
May 20, 2026 - libertarianinstitute.org
A Half-Million Dollar Fine for a Tax Paperwork Oversight
Too many courts ignore the Eighth Amendment’s ban on excessive fines.
Reason.com
May 20, 2026 - reason.com
A Tennessee Man Jailed for 37 Days Because of an Anti-Trump Meme Will Get $835,000 for His Trouble
Perry County Sheriff Nick Weems preposterously claimed that Larry Bushart had threatened "mass violence" at a school.
Reason.com
May 20, 2026 - reason.com
The Modern Passport Has Eliminated Fraud, Forgery, and Heroes Who Can Bend the Rules To Save Lives
The biometric immigration system makes it impossible for bureaucrats to make a moral stand. I know because I tried.
Reason.com
May 20, 2026 - reason.com
What Thomas Massie’s Defeat Means
Representative Thomas Massie (R-KY) is one of the good guys. In fact, he’s one of the very few members of Congress who believes what he says about limited government, individual freedom, and the U.S. ...
The Libertarian Institute
May 20, 2026 - libertarianinstitute.org
End of an Era
Plus: Makeup company better than the MTA, phones and the birthrate, Ebola spreads, and more...
Reason.com
May 20, 2026 - reason.com
Thomas Massie Loses, Proving That Deficit Hawks and Foreign Policy Doves Aren't Welcome in Trump's GOP
If this is how the Republican Party treats the libertarian-leaning lawmakers in its midst, then libertarians should take note and act accordingly.
Reason.com
May 20, 2026 - reason.com
America's Highway Fund Is Running Out of Money. Congress Wants To Spend New Funds on Not Fixing Highways.
Congress’ new infrastructure bill commissions a costly review of Amtrak’s food and beverage offerings and a study of yellow paint.
Reason.com
May 20, 2026 - reason.com
Data Centers Use Less Water Than Almond Farms—and Do More Good
Left and right, the arguments against data centers are incredibly weak—and even suspicious.
Reason.com
May 20, 2026 - reason.com
Green Flags and Red Coats
The American war reshaped Ireland’s place in the empire, sparking a radical push for independence that instead ended in union with Britain.
Law & Liberty
May 20, 2026 - lawliberty.org
Britain Pressures Supermarkets To Cap Food Prices
British supermarkets already operate on thin margins, but politicians are treating their prices as if they were arbitrary.
Reason.com
May 20, 2026 - reason.com
More Beating of a Wildly Galloping Balance-of-Payments Horse
TweetHere’s a letter to the editor of American Affairs. Editor: Michael Starr’s fear of U.S. current-account deficits springs from bad economics and bad history (“The Last Time We Fixed the Trade Defi...
Cafe Hayek
May 20, 2026 - cafehayek.com
The U.S. Government's Shifting Excuses for Bombing a School in Iran
The Trump administration has come up with contradictory reasons to avoid admitting to an obvious, terrible mistake.
Reason.com
May 20, 2026 - reason.com
Call Her Happily Married After Premarital Sex Just Like Countless Other Women
Conservative scolding of Alex Cooper, creator of the Call Her Daddy podcast, is completely out of touch with reality.
Reason.com
May 20, 2026 - reason.com
Why Populism Leads to Decline
Johan Norberg discusses what makes societies prosperous, why protectionism and nostalgia keep returning, and how populism feeds cultural decline.
Reason.com
May 20, 2026 - reason.com
Body Cam Video: Tulsa Police Arrest Food Not Bombs Volunteers for Feeding Homeless People
Food Not Bombs argues it has a First Amendment right to feed the needy without a permit. That's led to crackdowns and lawsuits around the country.
Reason.com
May 20, 2026 - reason.com
New CEI paper: Three arguments against tariffs
I have a new paper out today that explores three arguments against tariffs. They are the knowledge problem, the incentive problem, and the impossibility problem. The goal is to give tariff skeptics an...
Blog Posts Archive - Competitive Enterprise Institute
May 20, 2026 - cei.org
Lamenting Trump’s ‘slush-fund boondoggle’
Editors at National Review Online critique one of the president’s latest dubious ideas. Donald Trump has dropped his $10 billion damages lawsuit against the IRS. What he’s doing instead may be even wo...
John Locke Foundation
May 20, 2026 - johnlocke.org
State Board of Elections proposes changes to recount, voter ID rules
This is the first a two-part series on proposed election rules changes. Part two will cover proposed rules for absentee voting and voting sites. The North Carolina State Board of Elections (SBE) has p...
John Locke Foundation
May 20, 2026 - johnlocke.org
NYT uses obituary to blame Jews for antisemitism
Ira Stoll writes for the Washington Free Beacon about the latest journalistic malfeasance from a leading legacy media outlet. The New York Times used its obituary of the longtime national director of ...
John Locke Foundation
May 20, 2026 - johnlocke.org
Imposing Imposter Syndrome
DEI creates, and exacerbates, the very problem DEI is designed to eradicate.
Reason.com
May 20, 2026 - reason.com
‘Aiding and Abetting Genocide’: US Sanctions Peaceful Gaza Flotilla Organizers
Palestine defenders decried Tuesday’s announcement by the Trump administration of US sanctions targeting four nonviolent campaigners involved in the recent humanitarian flotillas that tried to break I...
Antiwar.com Blog
May 20, 2026 - antiwar.com
Disorder in the Court: Democrats Vilify SCOTUS
But it is one thing for members of Congress to vigorously oppose a particular decision by SCOTUS and quite another to publicly denounce and question the integrity of the institution.
Main Feed
May 20, 2026 - libertynation.com
The Economic Problem Behind Zohran Mamdani’s Government Grocery Plan
Zohran Mamdani’s proposal reflects a growing belief that economic problems can be solved through public ownership and political management. But a grocery store is still a business governed by costs, a...
Mises Institute
May 20, 2026 - mises.org
Gore’s inconvenient movie turns 20 years old
David Strom writes for HotAir.com about a significant anniversary in the world of climate alarmism. [A]s bad as the COVID myths were, I think it is safe to say that the Climate hysteria and all the do...
John Locke Foundation
May 20, 2026 - johnlocke.org
Use This One Weird Trick to Keep Your Name Out of an Upcoming Sexual Assault Lawsuit Against You
Or at least try: A court considered it, but ultimately said no.
Reason.com
May 20, 2026 - reason.com
Today in Supreme Court History: May 20, 1996
5/20/1996: Romer v. Evans is decided. The post Today in Supreme Court History: May 20, 1996 appeared first on Reason.com.
Reason.com
May 20, 2026 - reason.com
Ron Paul asks: Did Massie Lose… Or Was He Pushed?
On today’s Ron Paul Liberty Report: Thomas Massie’s opponent in the Kentucky 4th GOP primary ran a Biden 2020 campaign — from his basement. No debates, no rallies, no interviews. So how did he achieve...
Antiwar.com Blog
May 20, 2026 - antiwar.com
Watch Thomas Massie’s Awesome Concession Speech
I am very sad at the news that Thomas Massie has been defeated by Donald Trump and AIPAC in the most expensive Congressional primary in US history. Estimates are that between $40-45 million dollars ...
Antiwar.com Blog
May 20, 2026 - antiwar.com
Trump Gave Reporters Front Row View of Ballroom Construction Site
President Trump shows off the planned new White House ballroom to reporters at the construction site, reminding them that he and other donors were paying for what he says will be the most beautiful bu...
Main Feed
May 20, 2026 - libertynation.com
The Mecklenburg Declaration: Fact or fiction?
Today is the 251st anniversary of the Mecklenburg Declaration of Independence. The document was joyously celebrated last year in Charlotte with heightened pageantry on its 250th birthday, and this yea...
John Locke Foundation
May 20, 2026 - johnlocke.org
Shaping the Humans Who Run the Machines
Judgment has become the scarce input.
Law & Liberty
May 20, 2026 - lawliberty.org
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
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
Pennsylvania Family Says the DEA Battered Down Their Door While Raiding the Wrong Home
The family is suing the federal agency and their local police department for violating their Fourth Amendment rights.
Reason.com
May 19, 2026 - reason.com
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
Court Rejects First Amendment Claims Against NYPD Commissioner Brought by "Most Wanted CEOs" Card Makers
From yesterday's decision by Judge Hector Gonzalez (E.D.N.Y.) in Harr v. City of N.Y.: In 2003, in connection with the… The post Court Rejects First Amendment Claims Against NYPD Commissioner Brought ...
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
The Thirteenth Theorem of Government and the High Cost of “Free” Health Care
I unveiled my 13th 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
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
Smotrich: ICC Warrants Are a Declaration of War on Israel
Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich said that the International Criminal Court has declared war on Israel by issuing arrest warrants for top officials. On Tuesday, the Israeli minister said, “Last nigh...
The Libertarian Institute
May 19, 2026 - libertarianinstitute.org
Governor Polis Helping to Hand Out ‘Get Out of Jail Free’ Cards
The President shouldn’t be in the business of distributing “get out of jail free” cards to election tamperers, and Governor Polis shouldn’t be helping the president hand them out.
Cato Recent Op-eds
May 19, 2026 - cato.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
Trump Says He Reversed Decision to Strike Iran an Hour Before Giving the Order
President Donald Trump said that he was an hour away from giving the military the order to restart the war before he was convinced to call off the attack. “We were all set to go … It would have been ...
The Libertarian Institute
May 19, 2026 - libertarianinstitute.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
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 19, 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 19, 2026 - mises.org
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
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
‘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 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
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
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
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
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
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 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
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...