Walter Olson

TPUSA Turns a Bad Essay Into a Culture War A failing grade becomes their next fundraising email.

And more on the Fulnecky episode from @jeffquinton.bsky.social:

Sorry for not tagging!

Becoming What They Hate For years, professional conservatives bemoaned the "special treatment" they alleged "unqualified" liberals received on campus. Now, they demand it for students on the right.

Conservative commentator Brian Griffiths on Turning Point USA's religious-discrimination claim against the University of Oklahoma: "if you read Fulnecky’s essay, you will see that...the essay is really pathetic and bad. Nor did it meet the basic instructions set out for the assignment."

Opinion | Lawfare is a downward spiral. Here’s an escape hatch. Put concerns about political prosecutions before a bipartisan jury of former U.S. attorneys.

Ian Ayres/Saikrishna Prakash proposal: to curb lawfare, allow judges to resort to bipartisan panel of former U.S. attorneys to screen prosecutions for bad motivation.

Canna Provisions, Inc. v. Bondi The Supreme Court should overrule Gonzales v. Raich and restore constitutional limits on Congress’s power to regulate purely intrastate activities.

Cato amicus brief in Canna Provisions v. Bondi urges Supreme Court to overrule Gonzales v. Raich and restore constitutional limits on Congress’s power to regulate purely intrastate activities, in this case cannabis growing/selling wholly within the bounds of (and closely regulated by) Massachusetts.

(And before anyone starts replying, yes, this is obviously not happening — the turtle or Hegseth — since the US is not a signer to the ICC.)

‘We Intended the Strike to Be Lethal’ Is Not a Defense | National Review The laws of war, incorporated in the federal war crimes statute, prohibit the killing of people who have been rendered hors de combat.

Fox News legal contributor Andy McCarthy knocks down Hegseth's defense:

"Neither Hegseth’s statement nor the explanation attributed to Bradley ... makes legal sense.
...
It cannot be a defense to say, as Hegseth does, that one has killed because one’s objective was 'lethal, kinetic strikes.'"

Inverse Critical Race Theory Why did Texas redistrict?

Adam Unikowsky on the Texas gerrymander litigation

More from Fox59: "Leising is one of many Indiana politicians who have reportedly received threats in recent weeks. Previous reporting indicates senators Andy Zay, Kyle Walker, Greg Goode, Linda Rogers and others have all said they’ve received threats this month. [They] are all Republicans."

More from Fox59: "Leising is one of many Indiana politicians who have reportedly received threats in recent weeks. Previous reporting indicates senators Andy Zay, Kyle Walker, Greg Goode, Linda Rogers and others have all said they’ve received threats this month. [They] are all Republicans."

Trump beaming at Mamdani in Oval Office.

If /
You had not told me lies / And then looked in my eyes /
With a smile beatif'

-- Betty Comden and Adolph Green, "If You Hadn't, But You Did"

Yeah, this is a five-alarm fire for Trump. Rogan, the bro podcasters and others have turned against him already and the fact that jobs in tech and AI are flattening–reducing economic opportunity in careers where men work–means men either stay home or even *gasp* vote for Democrats.

Typically people have been allowed to stay when they have a “change of status” pending in the system. In fact, it can screw things up if they leave.

Gutting of key US watchdog could pave way for grave immigration abuses, experts warn Former oversight officials alarmed by dismantling of DHS system that oversees complaints about civil rights harms

The DHS's oversight offices have been determined to be "internal adversaries," obstructing efficient deportation operations with silly things like civil rights investigations.

I keep telling myself that there will come a day when those making and acting on such decisions will be held accountable.

Hong Kongers have built this open and decentralized database documenting the Tai po Wang Fuk Court Fire which includes videos, timelines, documents and analyses

Another No to Redistricting: Indiana State Senator Jean Leising, a Republican, announced on Sunday she opposes state redistricting and will not cave on her stance.

How Fraud Swamped Minnesota’s Social Services System on Tim Walz’s Watch

I honestly don't know how Walz survives this scandal. He still has time to drop out but not sure another Democrat in the state is savvy enough to run as an outsider reformer without alienating large swaths of the base.

This story isn't going away though so it's going to be a rough 2026 election.

Excellent read-

Sounds like coolly calculated contempt to me.

Under various names and formats (one-stop permitting, concierge service) this is already underway in better-run cities & states, with varied (or no) ideological labeling and from what I gather good results. NYC, with its industry of private expediting consultants, is in especially dire need of it.

Agree with nearly everything here. Cross-ideological solutions rock.

Timeline of Vessel Strikes and Related Actions A timeline that chronicles major events in the Trump administration’s campaign of lethal strikes against suspected drug traffickers.

Just Security has compiled a very helpful timeline to keep track of all of the vessel strikes that Hegseth has ordered, along with the official legal rationales and criticisms that these actions have generated. Experts and allies are uniformly opposed. www.justsecurity.org/124002/timel...

And these were during wartime where the original sinkings were unambiguously seen as legitimate acts of war.

Not an answer to my question. You’re the one belittling concern about death threats against judges.

I don’t care for Whitehouse either, but you really mean it’s his followers doing the wave of death threats against judges who rule against Trump?

Yoo has already said the recent boat strikes appear to be unlawful and improper.

Friend-of-the-Court Brief in Massachusetts' Social Media Addiction Lawsuit Against Instagram Prof. Jane Bambauer (Florida) and I just submitted this amicus brief in Commonwealth v. Meta, which is now pending before...

Friend-of-the-Court Brief in Massachusetts' Social Media Addiction Lawsuit Against Instagram | The Volokh Conspiracy reason.com/volokh/2025/...

Why are US Clinical Trials so Expensive? - Marginal REVOLUTION Dave Ricks, CEO of Eli Lilly, speaking on the excellent Cheeky Pint Podcast (hosted by John Collison, sometimes joined by Patrick as in this episode) had the clearest discussion of why US clinical trial costs are so expensive that I have read. One point is obvious once you hear it: Sponsors must provide high-end care […]

Why are US Clinical Trials so Expensive? - Marginal REVOLUTION

"The Order Was to Kill Everybody." Pete Hegseth's murders. And our War Crimes President.

Trump, long an enthusiastic advocate of extrajudicial killings and war crimes, "has been lusting for this kind of violence for years, maybe decades. And he has made no secret of it. This is what he wanted, and this is what he is doing right now. Expect much more." [@sykescharlie.bsky.social]

Trump's tariffs are likely to make toys more expensive this Christmas shopping season In Trump's first term, he exempted many Chinese toys and household items from tariff hikes. This time, they're subject to a 30 percent import tax.

Well...

reason.com/2025/11/24/w...