Libertarian Reporting for 2026-08-12
Today’s news coverage from libertarian media sources. Today's edition includes 87 articles from 15 sites. We chose these from 1965 articles found on 36 sites.
Today's featured sites are:
Reason.com, LewRockwell, Cafe Hayek, The Libertarian Institute, Law & Liberty, International Liberty, John Locke Foundation, Antiwar.com Blog, The Libertarian Alliance, Blog Posts Archive - Competitive Enterprise Institute, C4SIF.org, The Advocates for Self-Government, Blog - Students For Liberty, Mises Institute, Velvet Glove, Iron Fist.
Poindexter Ascendant
Plus: A setback for Mamdani's second-home tax, Jones Act waiver extended, Ross Douthat's final column, and more...
Reason.com
Aug 11, 2026 - reason.com
The Real Cost of the Military’s Pacific Buildup
President Donald Trump and self-styled Secretary of War Pete Hegseth are pushing for a post-World War II record $1.6 trillion Pentagon budget for next year, a sum so obscenely high that it is almost i...
LewRockwell
Aug 11, 2026 - lewrockwell.com
Burrito-Gate: Why Establishment BoomerCons Are Using ‘Capitalism’ as a Cudgel
What they call “capitalism” increasingly isn’t capitalism at all. It is a bastardized system of privatized profits and socialized losses, where multinational corporations demand free markets when they...
LewRockwell
Aug 11, 2026 - lewrockwell.com
Some Links
TweetRyan Bourne explains that “burrito-gate reflects inflation’s toxic legacy.” Brian Albrecht carefully lays out the likely consequences of Mamdani’s government-run grocery stores. National Review‘s...
Cafe Hayek
Aug 11, 2026 - cafehayek.com
Lindsey Graham Lives!
Since his sudden passing, Lindsey Graham has remained an influential force in Washington. The question, “What would Lindsey do?” has acted as a comforting source of validation for interventionist Repu...
The Libertarian Institute
Aug 11, 2026 - libertarianinstitute.org
Rehabilitating Nixon? Not So Fast!
There is a lot of Richad Nixon rehabilitation going on these days. Before we get too far down that road, we should note that this month marks the fifty-fifth anniversary of one of the most pernicious ...
The Libertarian Institute
Aug 11, 2026 - libertarianinstitute.org
Gramm and Boudreaux: “Hamilton Was No Protectionist”
TweetNow that 30 days have passed since the Wall Street Journal published Phil Gramm’s and my piece arguing that Alexander Hamilton would almost certainly not approve of Trump’s tariffs punitive taxes...
Cafe Hayek
Aug 11, 2026 - cafehayek.com
Boundaries and Independence
The key to monetary independence is to protect, bound, and separate.
Law & Liberty
Aug 11, 2026 - lawliberty.org
Republican Socialism, Part II
Building on Part I, we’ll start Part II of this series by recycling this 2025 discussion I had with John Stossel. When sharing that video last year, I included a list of companies that Trump had partl...
International Liberty
Aug 11, 2026 - danieljmitchell.wordpress.com
1 Year Later, Why Is the National Guard Still in D.C.?
As the National Guard deployment stretches into its second year, questions remain about why the $55 million-per-month show of force is necessary at all.
Reason.com
Aug 11, 2026 - reason.com
Tucker’s Thoughts on a Third-Party Will Fail Unless….
Most would agree that Tucker Carlson is honest, intelligent, and the most effective commentator in the country. But that will not be enough to win with a third party, even though politicians in the De...
LewRockwell
Aug 11, 2026 - lewrockwell.com
Is Donald Trump Serious About Declaring Victory Over Iran?
According to a Wall Street Journal report citing US officials, President Trump has been privately weighing the possibility of declaring victory against Iran and ending the war without securing a nucle...
LewRockwell
Aug 11, 2026 - lewrockwell.com
Sullivan Revisited
The outcome of the famous libel case rests on fabricated legal foundations.
Law & Liberty
Aug 11, 2026 - lawliberty.org
The Buffalo Bills Got Tons of Taxpayer Money for a Stadium With a Lot of Pretty Lame Problems
Plus: No one is drafting Enes Kanter Freedom into the WNBA, Congress fails to reform NCAA again, and why Field of Dreams nostalgia is no good
Reason.com
Aug 11, 2026 - reason.com
There Is No War on Science
Although few Americans have heard of the National Science Foundation (NSF), fewer still have heard of the National Science Board (NSB). The NSF is “an independent federal agency that supports science ...
LewRockwell
Aug 11, 2026 - lewrockwell.com
Three Things We can Do Now as the US Empire Ends
It’s premature, but Trump may be following my advice on Iran. All I did was lay out a path of least resistance, and in my experience, this is the most likely path followed by man and state. The tric...
LewRockwell
Aug 11, 2026 - lewrockwell.com
$200K Libel Award for Cybersecurity Expert Accused by Substacker of Being "Israeli Spy"
A short excerpt from the long opinion Friday by Judge Michael S. Nachmanoff (E.D. Va.) in Apelbaum v. Bloom: Plaintiffs… The post $200K Libel Award for Cybersecurity Expert Accused by Substacker of Be...
Reason.com
Aug 11, 2026 - reason.com
Unhappy Anniversary
This month marks 55 years since President Richard Nixon closed the “gold window,” severing the last link between the US dollar and gold. Under the 1944 Bretton Woods agreement, foreign countries pegge...
LewRockwell
Aug 11, 2026 - lewrockwell.com
‘New’ Iran Demands Repeat MoU Conditions
U.S. media claim that Iran has set out new conditions to solve the conflict with the U.S. But the new text it has published is just a repetition of clauses the U.S. had already signed on to. On Satur...
LewRockwell
Aug 11, 2026 - lewrockwell.com
The Trump Administration's Secret YIMBY Grant Proposal
Plus: a win for "housing first" funding in court, zoning reform passes in North Carolina, and Harry Potter NIMBYism.
Reason.com
Aug 11, 2026 - reason.com
Free Speech Unmuted: Can AI Libel You? The Robby Starbuck Case
Jane and I examine the Robby Starbuck v. Google decision, one of the first major court opinions arising from generative AI "hallucinations."
Reason.com
Aug 11, 2026 - reason.com
China’s Gold Buying Is Not Simply a Bet Against the Dollar
The standard explanation is that China is buying gold because it wants to destroy the dollar. That makes a dramatic headline, but it confuses diversification with replacement and political ambition wi...
LewRockwell
Aug 11, 2026 - lewrockwell.com
Ivanka Does Albania: 1st Daughter Expands Crime Family’s Real-Estate Portfolio, Spins It Like Cotton Candy
HOLISTIC BEAUTY, natural and built, a place where “the architecture” is “fully integrated” into the landscape: This is something “real estate developer”-cum-explorer Ivanka Trump knows all about. Or, ...
LewRockwell
Aug 11, 2026 - lewrockwell.com
The Kyle Anzalone Show: US COLLAPSE IMMINENT? The Middle East’s SHOCKING New Order!
The story most people miss about a widening Middle East war isn’t just who fires the next missile, it’s who can absorb the retaliation after they do. I’m solo today, moving fast through the latest esc...
The Libertarian Institute
Aug 11, 2026 - libertarianinstitute.org
Michigan Democrat has problem with black voters
Andrew Stiles of the Washington Free Beacon dissects a problem for Michigan’s Democratic US Senate candidate. The Michigan Senate primary exposed an inconvenient rift in the Democratic coalition. Abdu...
John Locke Foundation
Aug 11, 2026 - johnlocke.org
New In SCOTUSBlog: The court should hold oral argument outside of the capital
"I am confident there would be a bipartisan groundswell of support to get the justices out of the beltway."
Reason.com
Aug 11, 2026 - reason.com
Trump Demands ‘Conflict Compensation’ from Iran
President Donald Trump is demanding that Tehran make payments to Washington for Iranian aggression against the US for several decades. “Now I am likewise demanding compensation from Iran, for all of ...
The Libertarian Institute
Aug 11, 2026 - libertarianinstitute.org
I Say No To SubStack, And Chief Justice Roberts Says Yes
"Flagging for you a new essay by Chief Justice Roberts on William Howard Taft for In Pursuit..."
Reason.com
Aug 11, 2026 - reason.com
Defamation Claim Against Academic from Stalking Allegations Against Another Academic, with a Trans Angle
From Judge Kelley Hodge (E.D. Pa.) Friday in Duncan v. Lett (see also this February post that discusses a related… The post Defamation Claim Against Academic from Stalking Allegations Against Another ...
Reason.com
Aug 11, 2026 - reason.com
The Jewish Roots of the USSR and the USSA
The Soviet Union and Alexander Solzhenitsyn Decades ago when I was in college and grad school I had a strong side-interest in the Soviet Union and its history. During those years I may have read as ma...
LewRockwell
Aug 11, 2026 - lewrockwell.com
Marxists, Islamists rely on naive DSA backers
David Catron writes for the American Spectator about links between Marxism, Islamism, and democratic socialists. When Abdul El-Sayed defeated “moderate” Rep. Haley Stevens (D-Mich.) to claim the Democ...
John Locke Foundation
Aug 11, 2026 - johnlocke.org
National Review accuses Duke Law of ‘defying’ SCOTUS
Editors at National Review Online assess the US Justice Department’s recent action involving Duke University’s law school. The Supreme Court’s 2023 decision in Students for Fair Admissions v. Harvard ...
John Locke Foundation
Aug 11, 2026 - johnlocke.org
Today in Supreme Court History: August 11, 1942
8/11/1942: General John DeWitt, Commander of Western Defense Command, issues exclusion order. The Supreme Court held this order was constitutional… The post Today in Supreme Court History: August 11, ...
Reason.com
Aug 11, 2026 - reason.com
Ron Paul on Trump to Iran: ‘Compensation? You Owe Us Compensation!’
On today’s Ron Paul Liberty Report: President Trump has answered Iran’s call for US compensation over its unprovoked attacks on the country with a demand from Iran for compensation to the US and to it...
Antiwar.com Blog
Aug 11, 2026 - antiwar.com
Campaign speech needs First Amendment protection
Bradley Smith writes for National Review Online about the importance of protecting political speech. Here’s a thought experiment: What percentage of your fellow citizens would have to vote against one...
John Locke Foundation
Aug 11, 2026 - johnlocke.org
RFK Jr. Wants More FDA Oversight of Food Ingredients. It Could End Up Costing $210 Million.
A proposed FDA rule would require food manufacturers to disclose ingredients they deem safe, which the agency admits would have a “significant economic impact” on small businesses.
Reason.com
Aug 11, 2026 - reason.com
The Climate Change Scam: Not Collapsing, Just Ending
On the 29th July 2026, Alistair Heath, Editor of The Daily Telegraph, published an article that began with words I would not have expected to see in his newspaper even five years ago: “Climate change ...
The Libertarian Alliance
Aug 11, 2026 - libertarianism.uk
Klein and Thompson's Abudance Shows Abundant Lack of Introspection
The authors recognize the need to reconsider policies that make it hard to innovate and build, but do not ask why they and their allies were blind to such concerns for so long.
Reason.com
Aug 11, 2026 - reason.com
Trump To Iran: ‘Compensation? YOU Owe US Compensation!’
Watch today’s Liberty Report here. The post Trump To Iran: ‘Compensation? YOU Owe US Compensation!’ appeared first on LewRockwell.
LewRockwell
Aug 11, 2026 - lewrockwell.com
Senate Republicans are Reluctant to Give the Military a Bunch More Money
—– Click Here: Adam Dick The post Senate Republicans are Reluctant to Give the Military a Bunch More Money appeared first on LewRockwell.
LewRockwell
Aug 11, 2026 - lewrockwell.com
Cancel culture helped lead the left toward socialism
Stella Morabito writes for the Federalist about the political left’s continued march toward the extreme. We shouldn’t be surprised at the recent electoral gains of communists who identify as members o...
John Locke Foundation
Aug 11, 2026 - johnlocke.org
Trump’s War on the ICC Threatens Domestic Speech
There is a law professor in the United States who, until last summer, could have been prosecuted by his own government for giving legal advice. His name is Gabor Rona. He teaches at Cardozo Law School...
The Libertarian Institute
Aug 10, 2026 - libertarianinstitute.org
Texas Man Arrested After Ranting About Age Verification Laws Blocking His Anime
Did he make a true threat? Or was this just hyperbolic ranting about bad policy?
Reason.com
Aug 10, 2026 - reason.com
Federal Court Refuses to Dismiss Case Against Southern Poverty Law Center
The court rejects the argument that the prosecution should be dismissed on the grounds that it's "vindictive."
Reason.com
Aug 10, 2026 - reason.com
Are Socialists Actually Leaving Wokeness Behind?
Plus: the rise of affordability politics, Trump attempts to end birthright citizenship, and the Cambridge plagiarism controversy
Reason.com
Aug 10, 2026 - reason.com
The Socialists’ Institutionalism—Tried and Failed
Calls to “democratize” the US Constitution seem shortsighted in the face of the early republic’s failed experiments with unicameralism.
Law & Liberty
Aug 10, 2026 - lawliberty.org
AOC's Eggs
Plus: Hamas disarmament, gay bathhouses, Canadian MAGA, and more...
Reason.com
Aug 10, 2026 - reason.com
D.C. Circuit Upholds Injunction Against Trump's Ballroom
The Constitution assigns control of federal property to Congress, which never approved the president's demolition and replacement of the East Wing.
Reason.com
Aug 10, 2026 - reason.com
Will Congress Reenact the McCarran Act?
Now that the Trump administration is telling America that communism, once again, poses a grave threat to U.S. “national security,” the question naturally arises: Will the U.S. government revive the pr...
LewRockwell
Aug 10, 2026 - lewrockwell.com
Trump’s Invalidated Tariffs Trigger $100 Billion in Corporate Refunds
“Tariffs have made us rich,” announced President Donald Trump on Wednesday. There is one problem with that boast. The Supreme Court struck down his signature “Liberation Day” tariffs as unlawful. The ...
LewRockwell
Aug 10, 2026 - lewrockwell.com
The Socialist Surge Revives Failed and Hateful Ideas
Socialism, totalitarianism, and bigotry find a receptive audience among the young and disillusioned.
Reason.com
Aug 10, 2026 - reason.com
Second Amendment Roundup: $0 Tax Left NFA with No Constitutional Basis
Northern District of Texas decides that registration requirements for non-taxed NFA firearms are no longer grounded in Congress’ power to lay and collect taxes.
Reason.com
Aug 10, 2026 - reason.com
Will Trump Revive America’s Filibustering Habit?
Donald Trump returned to office promising to treat the Western Hemisphere as America’s business again, and he has spent eighteen months proving he meant it. On his first day back he ordered Latin Amer...
The Libertarian Institute
Aug 10, 2026 - libertarianinstitute.org
Free Speech on Life Support
I’m a civil libertarian. We’re practically extinct now. There were never very many of us, but there used to be a lot more. Most people simply don’t support your right to say something they disagree wi...
LewRockwell
Aug 10, 2026 - lewrockwell.com
The week in regulations: Professional fireworks and farmer training
The 2026 Federal Register topped 50,000 pages and is on track to exceed 85,000 pages for the year. The economy lost 23,000 jobs, yet the unemployment rate improved. Twenty-five states sued to stop Pre...
Blog Posts Archive - Competitive Enterprise Institute
Aug 10, 2026 - cei.org
Tucker, The Copyright/Baseball Analogy (2006)
Jeffrey A. Tucker, “The Copyright/Baseball Analogy,” Mises Economics Blog (11/14/2006). Archived comments below. My friend Carl Horowitz writes a good piece urging Hollywood to join the film pirates r...
C4SIF.org
Aug 10, 2026 - c4sif.org
A Tale of Two Chiefs
Two recent decisions show Chief Justice Roberts’s institutionalism can sometimes be more like illusionism.
Law & Liberty
Aug 10, 2026 - lawliberty.org
Trump Teased a Deal To Open Hormuz 'Tomorrow.' It's Been a Week.
The war with Iran continues to hold up oil flows from the Persian Gulf, even though it was supposed to be finished many times already.
Reason.com
Aug 10, 2026 - reason.com
Abolish the District of Columbia’s Clown Courts
Article III of the Constitution allows Congress to establish courts below the Supreme Court, which includes federal District and Circuit Courts. If Congress can establish them, it can abolish them. In...
LewRockwell
Aug 10, 2026 - lewrockwell.com
No Pseudonymity for Autistic Ex-Judge-Candidate, Alleging Failure to Accommodate Disability in Bar Investigation
From a decision last Tuesday in Doe v. Florida Bar by Magistrate Judge Robert Norway (M.D. Fla.): Plaintiff argues that… The post No Pseudonymity for Autistic Ex-Judge-Candidate, Alleging Failure to A...
Reason.com
Aug 10, 2026 - reason.com
"A Tale of Two Chiefs"
"This tale of two chiefs depends entirely on whether Roberts determines the decision will lead to the best of times or the worst of times. If the Chief fears rough roads ahead, less will be decided."
Reason.com
Aug 10, 2026 - reason.com
No, Norway Is Not Some Democratic Socialist Paradise
Norway's generous welfare state is often praised as proof that government can provide "free" services. But those benefits come with a substantial cost: taxes that consume a large share of ordinary wor...
The Advocates for Self-Government
Aug 10, 2026 - theadvocates.org
The truth about universal coverage, part one
Note: A similar version of this article was originally published by Law & Liberty. The affordability issue is taking center stage in national political discourse this year. Foremost in this debate is ...
John Locke Foundation
Aug 10, 2026 - johnlocke.org
Rethinking Informality
The image is AI generated When asked whether trade unions have a place in a liberal society, the economist F. A. Hayek answered in the affirmative. Not only that: he went a step further and said that,...
Blog - Students For Liberty
Aug 10, 2026 - studentsforliberty.org
Don't Let AOC Retcon Her Starring Role in 'Woke 1'
Would President AOC eschew wokeness? I doubt it.
Reason.com
Aug 10, 2026 - reason.com
Police Department in South Carolina Says It Has 'Zero Tolerance for Hate Speech'
A free speech organization sent a letter to the police department last week, calling its anti–hate speech post unconstitutional.
Reason.com
Aug 10, 2026 - reason.com
No Qualified Immunity When Government Official Allegedly Deleted Comments Based on Viewpoint
From Thursday's Schulte v. Leners, decided by Judge Frank Easterbrook, joined by Judges Doris Pryor and Joshua Kolar: Elizabeth Schulte… The post No Qualified Immunity When Government Official Alleged...
Reason.com
Aug 10, 2026 - reason.com
Did Russia Nuke Hiroshima?
Hiroshima Mayor Kazumi Matsui issued a rather generic condemnation of nuclear weapons, but never even mentioned the US for dropping the atomic bomb that killed over 160,000 Japanese civilians in Hiros...
LewRockwell
Aug 10, 2026 - lewrockwell.com
Ron Paul asks Will Hegseth Get His $1.5 Trillion for ‘Defense’?
On today’s Ron Paul Liberty Report: The largest military spending increase in modern times is before the US Senate, with some Republicans balking at the huge price tag at a time when more Americans ar...
Antiwar.com Blog
Aug 10, 2026 - antiwar.com
Private jobs up, government jobs down
David Manney writes for PJMedia.com about important details hidden by the latest American employment numbers. President Donald Trump got handed an ugly jobs headline Friday. The economy lost 23,000 pa...
John Locke Foundation
Aug 10, 2026 - johnlocke.org
Reminder: Second Annual Aspiring Free Speech Scholars Workshop
We've already received several submissions, but you can submit until August 16. Don't worry if the article draft isn't fully polished, or even if some portions are incomplete; we're reviewing drafts, ...
Reason.com
Aug 10, 2026 - reason.com
Suspending College Student for Saying Man Who Insulted Her "Needa Get Blasted" + Having Posted Shooting Range Video (Year Before) Violated First Amendment
Some excerpts from today's long opinion by Judge Joseph Dawson, III (D.S.C.) in Lemoine v. Horry Georgetown Tech. Coll.: On… The post Suspending College Student for Saying Man Who Insulted Her "Needa ...
Reason.com
Aug 10, 2026 - reason.com
Design Defect Claim That Sig Sauer Fired Without Trigger Pull Not Necessarily Blocked by Second Amendment
From Judge Thomas Thrash (N.D. Ga.) Friday in Harvard v. Sig Sauer, Inc.; note that Harvard is just plaintiff's last… The post Design Defect Claim That Sig Sauer Fired Without Trigger Pull Not Necessa...
Reason.com
Aug 10, 2026 - reason.com
8/7/26 Glenn Greenwald on How American Politics is Changing
Download Audio. Glenn Greenwald joins the show to discuss the recent victories of several anti-establishment left-wing candidates in Democratic primaries and the shifts in American politics more broad...
The Libertarian Institute
Aug 10, 2026 - libertarianinstitute.org
Iran: The Search for an Honourable Defeat
Donald Trump came to office promising to end America’s endless wars. He mocked the invasion of Iraq. He ridiculed the pretensions of the Washington foreign-policy establishment. He assured his support...
The Libertarian Alliance
Aug 10, 2026 - libertarianism.uk
America Invented Elevators. Now We Suck at Building Them.
America’s elevator shortage is making housing more expensive, buildings less accessible, and cities less dynamic—all because of bad regulations and union protectionism.
Reason.com
Aug 10, 2026 - reason.com
Netanyahu rejects Trump’s 15-point Gaza plan, insists on full Hamas disarmament
—– Click Here: Natural News The post Netanyahu rejects Trump’s 15-point Gaza plan, insists on full Hamas disarmament appeared first on LewRockwell.
LewRockwell
Aug 10, 2026 - lewrockwell.com
FDA Approves Moderna’s Dangerous mRNA Flu Shot, ‘Queen of Vaccine Mandates’ New CDC Head
It’s been a troubling week for those who hoped for permanent reform from the government and its health organizations which were behind the development of mRNA gene therapies — mendaciously touted as “...
LewRockwell
Aug 10, 2026 - lewrockwell.com
The trucker shortage debate: Government recruiting more truckers won’t solve trucking challenges
When I wrote my recent piece on why Trump’s Freedom Haulers initiative won’t fix the issues facing the trucking industry that Trump exacerbated with his commercial driver license (CDL) rule, I didn’t ...
Blog Posts Archive - Competitive Enterprise Institute
Aug 10, 2026 - cei.org
Jones Act waivers make sense … until the law is repealed
Benjamin Zycher explains at The Hill why one federal law is a great candidate for repeal. Section 27 of the Merchant Marine Act of 1920 — the Jones Act — requires that cargo transported between U.S. p...
John Locke Foundation
Aug 10, 2026 - johnlocke.org
Today in Supreme Court History: August 10, 1993
8/10/1993: Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg takes oath. The post Today in Supreme Court History: August 10, 1993 appeared first on Reason.com.
Reason.com
Aug 10, 2026 - reason.com
Brickbat: Traffic Toll
Former Ruleville, Mississippi, police officer Antonio Wade was sentenced to seven years in federal prison plus three years of supervised… The post Brickbat: Traffic Toll appeared first on Reason.com.
Reason.com
Aug 10, 2026 - reason.com
A Murder Spree Without End
Some of the more than 220 people murdered by our government at sea were likely not involved in drug trafficking at all: The US military’s strikes on alleged drug boats have likely illegally killed “in...
Antiwar.com Blog
Aug 10, 2026 - antiwar.com
Inflationary Expectations and Increases in Prices – Any Relationship?
Mainstream economists believe that central banks can “control” inflation, which they believe actually boosts the economy. The only thing inflation boosts is more inflation.
Mises Institute
Aug 10, 2026 - mises.org
Why It's So Hard to Start a School (And What Can Be Done About It)
Across the country, education entrepreneurs are creating innovative learning models, yet many find themselves blocked by zoning rules, licensing requirements, and bureaucratic uncertainty. When regula...
The Advocates for Self-Government
Aug 10, 2026 - theadvocates.org
Can Ants Teach Us Anything About Free Markets?
Photo by aijouphotography via Pixabay Observing a single ant often reveals little about the organization of ant behavior. Its movements may appear erratic: it changes direction, retraces its path, pau...
Blog - Students For Liberty
Aug 10, 2026 - studentsforliberty.org
Nothing to see here, says ASH
ASH are still playing dumb about the illicit tobacco market. It's possible that they're not playing and are, in fact, dumb. The state-funded prohibitionist pressure group has been having a pop at Japa...