The Reason Roundtable

This week, editors Peter Suderman, Katherine Mangu-Ward, Nick Gillespie, and Matt Welch discuss the attempted shooting at the White House Correspondents' Dinner and the media coverage that followed. They examine the shooter's manifesto, why it struck some observers as uncomfortably normal, and what that says about the mainstreaming of extreme political rhetoric. The panel also considers President Donald Trump's renewed push to build his new White House ballroom in the aftermath of the attack. Next, the editors turn to New York Mayor Zohran Mamdani's plan for city-run grocery stores, whether government-backed supermarkets can fairly compete with private businesses, and why critics may have helped turn a campaign talking point into actual policy. Then, the panel discusses reports that the Trump administration is considering a bailout that could leave the federal government owning most of Spirit Airlines. The panel then turns to Iran, where uncertain diplomacy and mixed signals over the Strait of Hormuz suggest the conflict remains far from resolved. Finally, a listener asks what the libertarian view of redistricting should be and whether fair maps are ever truly possible.   0:00—The White House Correspondents' Dinner shooting 18:49—Mamdani's city-run grocery store plan 27:42—Spirit Airlines bailout 37:06—Listener question on redistricting 43:23—What is the endgame in Iran? 48:58—Weekly cultural recommendations   Mentioned in the podcast: "Shots Fired," by Eric Boehm "What If We Acted Like Political Violence Was a Problem?" by Matt Welch "Prediction: 2024 Will See Deadly Political Violence in the Streets," by Matt Welch "Charlie Kirk and America's History With Political Violence," by Nick Gillespie and Matt Welch "Politically Motivated Violence Is a Small Threat," by Alex Nowrasteh "Hasan Piker and Jia Tolentino: The Leftists Who Think Stealing Is Great," by Robby Soave "With His Grandiose White House Ballroom Plan, Trump Again Asserts the Power To Do As He Pleases," by Jacob Sullum "Mamdani's Fix for Food Deserts: Opening a $30 Million City-Owned Grocery Store Near Other Grocery Stores," by Megan O'Rourke "Zohran Mamdani's $70 Million Grocery Gamble," by C. Jarrett Dieterle "Biden Killed the Spirit Airlines Merger. Now Trump Wants Taxpayers To Save the Company," by Joe Lancaster "Spirit Airlines Didn't Die Because Biden Blocked the JetBlue Merger," by Gary Leff "The Spirit Airline Is a Bad Idea Built on a Worse Precedent," by Veronique de Rugy and Gary Leff "Why Redistricting Reform Goes Off the Rails," by Walter Olson "A Pointless War," by Matthew Petti "Neither War nor Peace With Iran," by Matthew Petti "My Books, Essay #5," by Arnold Kling "Michael Is a Brutally Dull Biopic With Nothing to Say About Michael Jackson," by Peter Suderman The post The Shooter's Manifesto Was Uncomfortably Normal appeared first on Reason.com.

This week, editors Peter Suderman, Katherine Mangu-Ward, Nick Gillespie, and Matt Welch discuss the growing push on the left to "tax the rich," highlighted by New York Mayor Zohran Mamdani's Tax Day message. They examine whether America's tax system is already highly progressive, why wealth taxes and similar proposals have repeatedly disappointed abroad and in blue states, and whether New York risks copying California's mistakes. The panel also asks a broader question: With some of the nation's highest tax burdens, what are taxpayers actually getting in return? Next, the editors mark 4/20 with a conversation about marijuana legalization, the libertarian case for drug freedom, and whether concerns about public disorder are being wrongly blamed on legalization itself. They also discuss President Donald Trump's executive order expanding psychedelic drug research. The conversation then shifts to Palantir's call for national service and why so many tech leaders suddenly have grand plans for remaking public policy, before returning to Iran, where mixed signals over the Strait of Hormuz and uncertain negotiations raise fears of another drifting conflict. Finally, a listener asks whether today's political divide is best understood as two wings of a broader progressive movement rather than a clash between left and right.   0:00—Do wealth taxes ever work? 19:18—Drug legalization and psychedelics research 31:25—Palantir calls for national service 42:38—Listener question on progressivism 48:46—Is the Strait of Hormuz open? 53:24—Weekly cultural recommendations   Mentioned in the podcast: "Can This Psychedelic Help Cure Opioid Addiction?" by Rachel Nuwer Nick Gillespie on X: "Much about this @PalantirTech list outlining the requirement of 'the technological republic' is risible, none more than the call for 'national service,' a form of indentured servitude that always goes easy on the rich and politically connected." "NYC Schools Are Losing Students and Burning Cash. Mamdani Could Make the Situation Worse," by Danyela Souza Egorov "Will Donald Trump and RFK, Jr. Psychedelicize America?" by Nick Gillespie "Kat Rosenfield: Why It's Important for Novelists To Speak Freely," by Nick Gillespie "Stan Lee Co-author Kat Rosenfield on Rise of Cancel Culture in the Literary World," by Nick Gillespie The post Can New York Survive Mamdani's Tax Plan? appeared first on Reason.com.

This week, editors Peter Suderman, Katherine Mangu-Ward, Nick Gillespie, and Matt Welch discuss the collapse of ceasefire talks with Iran and President Donald Trump's decision to order a U.S. military blockade of the Strait of Hormuz. They examine Trump's insistence that the conflict is a win for America, what the United States has actually gained, and the mounting costs of escalation. The panel also discusses why voices such as former national security adviser John Bolton still push for escalation and why their foreign policy arguments continue to fail. Next, the editors turn to Europe after Viktor Orbán's defeat in Hungary and what it says about the limits of nationalist populism, economic performance, and Vice President J.D. Vance's endorsement of the longtime Hungarian leader. They also discuss Kamala Harris hinting at another presidential run and Eric Swalwell's exit from California's governor race amid sexual assault allegations. The editors then examine Anthropic's decision not to release its powerful new Claude Mythos Preview model because of its hacking capabilities. Finally, a listener asks whether Bruce Springsteen's "Born in the U.S.A." can still be embraced as a patriotic song.   0:00—Has the U.S. won anything from the war with Iran? 14:49—Orbán loses reelection 27:41—Democrats have a candidate quality issue 33:45—Listener question on patriotic content 39:05—Anthropic's Claude Mythos 50:04—Weekly cultural recommendations   Mentioned in the podcast: "Trump Responds to Iranian Blockade of Strait of Hormuz By Blockading It," by Matthew Petti "Viktor Orbán and His American Apologists All Deserve To Lose," by Matt Welch "Viktor Orban's Hungary Exemplifies the Perils of Nationalism," by Ilya Somin "American Presidents Shouldn't Endorse Foreign Political Candidates," by Matt Welch "How Did Poland Get So Far Ahead of Hungary?" by Eric Boehm "National Conservatives Can't Find a Good Excuse for Viktor Orbán's Inflation Disaster," by Ryan Bourne "No Self-Respecting American Should Aspire to Hungarian-Style Nationalism," by Matt Welch "Hungarian Nationalism Is a Dead End," by Matt Welch "See Ya, Swalwell," by Christian Britschgi "Democrats and Republicans Both Want To Regulate AI. They Just Can't Agree on How," by Jack Nicastro "Sam Altman's (Not So) New Deal for Superintelligent AI," by Jack Nicastro "The Joys of Data Centers," by Christian Britschgi "Artemis II Launches a New Era of Lunar Exploration," by Natalie Dowzicky "The Overly Examined Life of Henry David Thoreau," by Peter Bagge "'My Thoughts Are Murder to the State,'" by Lester Hunt "Jacob Mchangama: How Hate Speech Laws Punish Minorities," by Nick Gillespie "Jeff Kosseff: Why Anonymous Speech Is Good—and Constitutional," by Nick Gillespie The post Is the War in Iran Totally Pointless? appeared first on Reason.com.

This week, editors Peter Suderman, Katherine Mangu-Ward, Nick Gillespie, and Matt Welch discuss President Donald Trump's escalating rhetoric around the war in Iran, including a profanity-laced Easter weekend Truth Social post. They examine what it reveals about a conflict with shifting timelines, unclear objectives, and little public support, along with the domestic consequences of the war, including rising gas prices surging above $4 per gallon. The panel also weighs Trump's proposal for a $1.5 trillion defense budget, the largest in modern history, and what it says about the administration's priorities. Next, the panel turns to the broader federal budget, where rising spending continues without any serious attempt to address the deficit. The editors then check in on NASA's Artemis program, weighing the excitement of returning to the moon against persistent delays, cost overruns, and the growing role of private space companies. They also answer a listener's question about what libertarian alternatives to Medicare for All might look like, focusing on deregulation, catastrophic coverage, and restoring price signals in the health care system. Reason is hiring! Check out the two open roles on the video team now:https://reason.org/jobs/associate-producer/https://reason.org/jobs/producer/   0:00—Trump's Truth Social Easter rant 14:57—The $1.5 trillion defense budget 22:36—The New York Times student debt story 28:55—Listener question on Medicare for All 43:41—Analyzing Artemis 51:58—Weekly cultural recommendations   Mentioned in the podcast: "'I Am Blowing Up Everything,'" by Eric Boehm "Ro Khanna: Congress Has Surrendered on War," by Nick Gillespie "Trump's Call for a $1.5 Trillion Military Budget Is Irresponsible, Wasteful, and Unrealistic," by Eric Boehm "10 Years Ago Today, Trump Promised To Eliminate the National Debt. Instead, It Has Doubled," by Eric Boehm "Debt Denialists," by Matt Welch "Generational Warfare," by Nick Gillespie and Veronique de Rugy "Why I Prefer French Health Care," by Matt Welch "Artemis II Launches a New Era of Lunar Exploration," by Natalie Dowzicky "NASA's Artemis Program Is a Monument to Government Waste. It Can Only Go Up From Here," by Quade MacDonald "The Zendaya Romance The Drama Is Weirder and More Uncomfortable Than You Expect," by Peter Suderman Green Lantern/Green Arrow, by Dennis O'Neill and Neal Adams Captain America #156 The post Why Does Trump Want the Biggest Defense Budget Ever? appeared first on Reason.com.

This week, editors Peter Suderman, Katherine Mangu-Ward, Nick Gillespie, and Matt Welch discuss the recent verdicts against Meta and the growing legal and cultural push to treat social media like a harmful, addictive product. Multiple juries decided that platforms such as Instagram and YouTube were negligently designed and that they contributed to mental health harms among young users, raising comparisons to Big Tobacco and intensifying the debate over which online activities are protected speech. The panel considers whether the real issue is design features such as infinite scroll and algorithmic feeds or simply content itself. The panel then examines the latest developments in the Iran conflict, where the White House has suggested that the war may be nearing its end even as the Pentagon prepares plans that could include ground troops and the seizure of Iran's nuclear stockpile. They also take up a listener question about how libertarians can make the case for community and human connection without relying on government. Finally, they discuss the deployment of ICE agents to airports during the DHS shutdown. Are those agents helping ease delays, or are they making an already strained system worse? Reason is hiring! Check out the two open roles on the video team now:https://reason.org/jobs/associate-producer/https://reason.org/jobs/producer/ 0:00–Is social media addictive? 25:29–Conflicting narratives on Iran war 38:40–Divisions on the right over Iran 41:54–Listener question on collectivism 49:06–ICE agents at airports 54:05–Weekly cultural recommendations Mentioned in the podcast: "A Jury Hit Meta With a $375 Million Verdict. The Open Internet May Pay the Price," by Elizabeth Nolan Brown"#Addiction," by Elizabeth Nolan Brown"Taylor Lorenz: Is Social Media Responsible for Bad Parenting?" by Nick Gillespie"Hail to the Censor!" by Matt Welch "More War," by Christian Britschgi"Trump's 'Military Operation' Wordplay Can't Hide Iran War," by Joe Lancaster"Trump's War in Iran Risks Ruining His Entire Foreign Policy," by Daniel Deptris"How Will Congress Fund a $300 Billion War With Iran?" by Veronique de Rugy"Trump Can't TACO His Way Out of Iran," by Matthew Petti"The Iran War Has Already Hurt Oil Production More Than the '70s Energy Crisis Did," by Reem Ibrahim"'What Are the Goals?' Some Republicans Questioning $200 Billion for Iran War," by Eric Boehm"Sovereignty Is Such a Lonely Word," by Matt Welch"Peace Is Hell," by Nick Gillespie "Mamdani's Promise of the 'Warmth of Collectivism' Is a Lie. Just Ask All the Failed Communes," by John Stossel"A Socialist Swearing In," by Christian Britschgi "I Spent Over 3 Hours in a TSA Line. Why Haven't We Abolished This Agency?" by Billy Binion The post You're Wrong About Social Media Being Addictive appeared first on Reason.com.