The Reason Interview With Nick Gillespie

At the start of his presidency in 1861, Abraham Lincoln supported a constitutional amendment that would have kept the federal government from banning slavery in states where it already existed. In just a few short years, he helped secure passage of the 13th Amendment, which ended slavery throughout the United States and all its territories. Today's guest is Senior Editor Damon Root, whose new book Emancipation War delves into one of the most fascinating chapters of American history. Root and host Nick Gillespie also discuss the Reconstruction period after the Civil War, Root's previous book on Frederick Douglass, and how the Supreme Court is likely to rule in Trump v. Barbara, the birthright citizenship case that will be decided in the next few weeks. Root writes a twice-weekly newsletter for Reason on legal issues, called Injustice System. Sign up for it here. Previous appearances: "Damon Root: Why Frederick Douglass Loved the Constitution (and You Should Too)," December 8, 2020 "Willett, Bolick, Sykes: Three Great Picks to Replace Anthony Kennedy," June 27, 2018 "The Libertarianism of Frederick Douglass," February 8, 2018 "Obamacare at the Supreme Court: Damon Root on King v. Burwell," March 3, 2015 "Battle for the Supreme Court: Judicial Activism vs. Restraint," November 5, 2014 "3 Supreme Court Decisions to Watch," January 24, 2012 0:00–Lincoln wanted to preserve slavery in 1861 8:38–The Northwest Ordinance and precedents for banning slavery 11:27–Frederick Douglas and slavery in the U.S. Constitution 14:07–Salmon Chase 18:40–Lincoln's generals who emancipated slaves 23:37–How Lincoln evolved on slavery 29:47–The Civil Rights Act of 1866 37:13–The 13th Amendment, citizenship, and national identity 39:30–Reconstruction 45:00–The Supreme Court 49:57–Birthright citizenship The post Was Lincoln More Radical Than We Remember? appeared first on Reason.com.

Today's guest is Nobel Prize-winning economist Alvin E. Roth, the author of Moral Economics: From Prostitution to Organ Sales, What Controversial Transactions Reveal About How Markets Work. He talks with Nick Gillespie about why some voluntary transactions provoke moral outrage even when no one is being directly harmed. Roth explains why black markets often emerge when governments try to ban activities with persistent demand, why both markets and prohibitions require social support to function, and how unintended consequences can make moralistic policies backfire. They discuss the war on drugs, prostitution, surrogacy, same-sex marriage, price gouging, and why Iran remains the only country in the world with a legal market for kidney donors. They also explore Roth's work designing kidney exchange networks and school choice systems, how digital technology and private transactions make certain bans harder to enforce, and why harm reduction may work better than prohibition in areas ranging from drug policy to sex work.   0:00—Repugnant transactions and organ sales 9:30—Blood plasma, coercion, and class bias 16:46—School choice reform 22:59—Same-sex marriage, abortion, and contraception 29:59—The war on drugs and moral economics 38:55—Roth's theoretical origin story 43:45—Uber, AI, and technological efficiencies 51:26—Price gouging and consumer resentment 54:27—Pornography, prostitution, and privacy 1:05:21—Has America become more economically moral? 1:12:15—Biden's economic agenda and Trump's tariffs 1:17:04—Winning a Nobel Prize   Producer: Paul Alexander Audio Mixer: Ian Keyser The post How Moral Panic Creates Black Markets appeared first on Reason.com.

Today's guest is Johan Norberg, a senior fellow at the Cato Institute and the author of Peak Human: What We Can Learn From the Rise and Fall of Golden Ages. He talks with Nick Gillespie about the historical patterns behind flourishing civilizations, from the Roman Republic to modern America. Norberg argues that societies thrive when they remain open to trade, immigration, experimentation, and new ideas, but begin to decay when fear and nostalgia push them toward protectionism, centralization, and tribal politics. They also discuss the resurgence of populism in the United States and Europe, why tariffs and anti-globalization politics keep returning throughout history, and whether America is becoming more risk-averse and nativist. Norberg explains why he believes optimism and innovation can still win, explores the promise of artificial intelligence, and reflects on whether China is entering a new golden age or repeating the mistakes that led past civilizations into decline.   0:00—Why open societies thrive 3:07—The Roman Republic 10:05—America as a creedal nation 11:57—The rise of nativism 16:15—The dangers of nostalgia 20:31—What sparks renaissance? 26:40—Are older societies more risk averse? 28:33—Populism and Viktor Orbán's defeat 32:04—Left-wing populism 34:10—Javier Milei 35:42—Tariffs and free trade 40:28—Is China in a golden age? The post Why Populism Leads to Decline appeared first on Reason.com.

Jacob Mchangama and Jeff Kosseff are co-authors of The Future of Free Speech, a new book examining what they describe as a global "free speech recession." In this episode, Mchangama and Kosseff talk with Nick Gillespie about why democracies are increasingly embracing speech restrictions once associated with authoritarian regimes, how fears about misinformation and child safety are reshaping internet policy, and why both the political left and right have grown more skeptical of free expression. They discuss the rise of government pressure on social media companies, the future of anonymous speech and Section 230 protections, and why they believe counter-speech, transparency, and decentralized online platforms offer a better alternative to censorship. This interview was taped in front of a live audience at an event in New York City.   0:00—What is the free speech recession? 7:36—Speech after the collapse of communism 15:06—How important is technology for escaping censorship? 22:38—EU hate speech laws 27:55—Sullivan v. Times decision 30:19—Afroman's legal victory 34:53—Is there a crackdown on political speech in America? 39:22—Jawboning 42:44—Social media censorship 51:40—Solutions to reverse the free speech recession The post The Global War on Free Speech appeared first on Reason.com.

Today's guest is Sen. John Fetterman (D–Pa.), who just a decade ago looked like the future of Bernie Sanders–style populism, a tattooed Colossus clad in downscale hoodies and gym shorts who championed higher minimum wages, pot legalization, criminal justice reform, and more spending on social welfare programs. After 13 years as mayor of Braddock, Pennsylvania, one of the poorest towns in the state during his tenure, and a term as lieutenant governor of Pennsylvania, he beat physician Mehmet Oz for an open Senate seat in 2022. But since coming to Washington, Fetterman has blazed a path in the Senate as unique and oversized as his frame, routinely criticizing members of his own party for "catering to the fringe and agitated parts of our base" and accusing them of antisemitism and suffering from Trump Derangement Syndrome. He tells Nick Gillespie that the avowedly socialist politics of progressive Democrats like Maine Senate candidate Graham Platner (an actual "communist," declares Fetterman), Seattle Mayor Katie Wilson, and New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani are alienating men and moderates and spell long-term doom for his party and the country. Fetterman denounces both former President Joe Biden's failure to control the Southern border and President Donald Trump's antipathy toward legal immigration, says that entitlement reform is overdue and the national debt "is a ticking time bomb," and praises capitalism as the one system that has consistently improved living standards. He defends expansive military action against Iran and in defense of Ukraine, praises Israel for being the one functioning democracy in the Middle East, and calls for legalizing marijuana and psychedelics.   0:00—Are Democrats catering to the fringe? 4:32—Why did Fetterman support Sanders in 2016? 7:53—Immigration policy 16:15—Would Fetterman support a path to citizenship? 17:22—Drug legalization 20:12—Where has Trump failed? 21:57—Israel and Iran 26:04—Does Fetterman trust the Trump administration on Iran? 30:10—Democratic support for Israel 32:19—The limits of military intervention 38:36—The national debt 41:20—Entitlement reform 43:25—Braddock, Pennsylvania 45:50—Fetterman is a proud capitalist   Producer: <a href="https://reason.com/people/paul-alexand

This week, Nick Gillespie sits down at the U.S. Supreme Court with Justice Neil Gorsuch to discuss his new children's book, Heroes of 1776: The Story of the Declaration of Independence, co-authored with Janie Nitze. Gorsuch and Gillespie examine why the United States is a creedal nation built on shared ideas rather than ethnicity or religion, and why those ideas require constant effort and courage to sustain. They discuss originalism, equal justice under law, the risks of government overreach, and the growing complexity of federal and state regulation. Finally, Gorsuch considers what it will take for the American experiment to endure another 250 years, from learning history to cultivating the courage needed to defend freedom.   0:00—America's 250th anniversary 3:24—Unsung heroes of 1776 4:43—Why America is not an ethnostate 8:00—Originalism and equal justice under the law 11:29—Is America a libertarian project? 13:33—What constitutes government overreach? 14:31—Does America have too many laws? 21:41—Federal bureaucracies and state legislatures 24:03—Political polarization and the judiciary 30:54—What will allow America to have another 250 years? 34:06—How can younger people cultivate courage?   Producers: Paul Alexander & Natalie Dowzicky Director of Photography: Kevin Alexander Audio Mixer: Ian Keyser   Transcript This transcript has been edited for style and clarity. Nick Gillespie: This is The Reason Interview with Nick Gillespie. My guest today is Neil Gorsuch, Associate Justice of the United States Supreme Court and co-author with Janie Nitze of the new children's book, Heroes of 1776: The Story of the Declaration of Independence.  Justice Gorsuch, thanks for talking to Reason Justice Neil Gorsuch: Oh, delighted to be here. Thank you. Let's start with Heroes of 1776

Today's guest is the legendary actor and director Andy Serkis, who has played everyone from Gollum to proto-punk icon Ian Dury to King Kong to Marvel villain Ulysses Klaue. His latest project is a controversial animated adaptation of George Orwell's Animal Farm, which he directed and is out on May 1 from Angel Studios. He talks with Nick Gillespie about the new movie; what, if anything, ties together some of his signature roles; and whether technology advances or undermines art. 0:00—Why Serkis wanted to direct Animal Farm 4:30—The corrupting nature of power 7:35—Are we in a better place than we were 100 years ago? 10:34—Serkis' signature acting roles 18:31—The legacy of Ian Dury 25:42—Does technology enhance creativity 31:12—The fragility of democracy The post Andy Serkis: What Orwell Understood About Tyranny appeared first on Reason.com.

This week, guest host Billy Binion is joined by Jennifer Doleac, an economist whose research focuses on crime and public safety. She is executive vice president of criminal justice at Arnold Ventures and author of the recent book The Science of Second Chances. In their conversation, Doleac delves into some of her more counterintuitive findings—many of which surprised even her. Perhaps most notably, she explains why long prison sentences do far less to deter crime than many assume. She instead makes the case that solving more cases should be a top priority, and explores why clearance rates are shockingly low. Binion and Doleac also examine the evidence behind second chances—a radioactive topic in recent years—including research showing that crime decreases when first-time defendants are offered leniency. They discuss why some well-intentioned policies have counterproductive results, what the data say about rehabilitation and reentry programs, and how policymakers can make better use of economics to align incentives and improve outcomes in the criminal justice 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—The relationship between economics and criminal justice 6:28—Have people become less willing to give second chances? 15:46—The far left and criminal justice reform 18:50—What isn't working in the criminal justice system? 26:01—Why are clearance rates so low? 31:35—Leniency for first-time offenders 38:48—The "ban the box" movement 47:58—Why economics is a useful framework for criminal justice 55:42—Should prisons be made more comfortable? 1:01:38—Doleac's political and economic views   The post Prison Doesn't Work the Way You Think appeared first on Reason.com.

This week, Andrew Heaton is joined by Grammy-nominated rapper Afroman, who recently turned a police raid on his home and the lawsuit that followed into an unlikely free speech victory and a new chapter in his career. Afroman explains how officers raided his house, damaged his property, seized cash, and then sued him after he used the security footage in his music videos to mock them. He argues that the real issue was not just the raid itself, but the lack of accountability that followed, and says the verdict was a win for ordinary Americans who want the right to criticize public officials without getting dragged into court. Heaton and Afroman also discuss a possible presidential run, smaller government, patriotism, and why his unifying message could break through in a divided country. Along the way, they talk about Flavor Flav as a possible running mate, Lemon Pound Cake, and how this viral comeback can become something even bigger than his music. Plus, Heaton asks what fans have wondered for years: Does Afroman feel pressure to always be high? 0:00—Teaser 0:39—Introduction 1:42—What should the police have done following the raid? 3:20—The inspiration for Lemon Pound Cake 5:20—The defamation suit against Afroman 11:15—Afroman's stolen money and "crooked cops" 14:46—Afroman's court win as a victory for free speech 17:15—Presidential aspirations 21:37—Patriotism and the American identity 24:23—Does Afroman feel pressured to be high? 25:02—Who would be Afroman's running mate? 27:11—The effects of the trial on Afroman's music career   Transcript This is an AI-generated, AI-edited transcript. Check all quotes against the audio for accuracy. Andrew Heaton: Hey, Afroman, good to have you on. Afroman: Yes, sir. Good to be on, good to be on. Ok, so I've been watching bits of the trial. Congratulations, by the way.  Thank you.  I've been watching bits of the trial, and it seems like the whole thing got out of hand multiple times. So I'm curious: If I think you've kidnapped somebody and I break into your house, but I apologize and I fix the door, would we be ok? Where is the bright line with the cop? What could they have done to make the situation ok? Treated me like an American citizen. I'm a black man in America, and a lot of times another black man is doing something wrong, possibly, and a cop may get me and him confused. So he may put me through some unfair treatment, let's say. But once they find the other guy or realize I'm not that guy,

Today's guest is Stimson Center Senior Fellow Emma Ashford, a foreign policy analyst who has written widely on post–Cold War strategy, the Middle East, and the limits of American power. An adjunct professor at Georgetown University's Security Studies Program, a columnist at Foreign Policy, and a former Cato Institute staffer, Ashford is the author of First Among Equals: U.S. Foreign Policy in a Multipolar World. She talks with Nick Gillespie about the incoherence of President Donald Trump's Iran strategy and the surprising and disturbingly ineffective continuity of U.S. foreign policy since the end of the Cold War.   Previous appearance: "Did Bombing Iran Make America Safer?" June 24, 2025   0:00—What is the U.S. objective for war in Iran? 5:32—Is Vice President J.D. Vance an anti-interventionist? 7:21—Trump's foreign policy rhetoric and history 13:26—Is there a continuity in post–Cold War foreign policy? 19:56—Was President Joe Biden an outlier on foreign policy? 22:16—U.S. involvement in Ukraine 24:13—Are we sending messages to China and Russia through Iran? 30:05—Does Trump have a de-escalation strategy in Iran? The post How the Iran War Could Backfire appeared first on Reason.com.

This week, guest host Zach Weissmueller is joined by Jacob Siegel, a journalist and author of The Information State, a sweeping examination of how power has shifted in the digital age from traditional democratic institutions into a new system of governance shaped by technology, media, and elite coordination. Siegel traces the emergence of what he calls the "information state," where control is exercised not primarily through laws or elected bodies but through digital infrastructure, platform moderation, and public-private partnerships between government agencies and tech companies. He argues that this system took shape in the aftermath of the war on terror, accelerated during the Obama era through the alignment of Silicon Valley and the political class, and expanded in response to populist movements under the banner of combating disinformation. Along the way, Siegel connects concepts like hybrid warfare, mass surveillance, and the "whole-of-society" approach to the way information is now managed domestically. Weissmueller and Siegel discuss how these dynamics played out during Russiagate and the COVID-19 pandemic, why attempts at information control often backfire, and how the collapse of traditional media has given rise to a chaotic new information ecosystem. They also explore the limits of technocratic governance, the role of platforms like X in disrupting centralized control, and what the next phase of the information age might mean for democracy, expertise, and individual autonomy.   0:00—What is the information state? 10:11—Technocracy and the Obama administration 21:07—The "whole-of-society" approach 27:26—War and technocracies 37:32—Limitations of information control 50:41—Russiagate 1:02:39—Alternative media 1:12:18—Mitigating the effects of information state   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/ The post The Rise of the Information State appeared first on Reason.com.

Today's guest is Rep. Ro Khanna (D–Calif.), a self-styled "progressive capitalist" who represents such major Silicon Valley cities as San Jose, Santa Clara, and Cupertino in Congress but who also supported the independent Vermont socialist Sen. Bernie Sanders for president. He has shown an increasingly rare willingness to work across the aisle, cosponsored with the libertarian-leaning Rep. Thomas Massie (R–Ky.) a war powers resolution aimed at President Donald Trump's bombing of Iran. He also joined forces with the Massie last fall to push disclosure of the Epstein files. In this interview, Nick Gillespie talks with the five-term congressman about the need for Congress to reassert its control over the initiation of military force. They also discuss whether high taxes and regulations are why California was one of just five states to lose population last year. They argue the merits of California's proposed wealth tax that some say pushed Steven Spielberg, Mark Zuckerberg, the founders of Google, and other ultra-wealthy people to leave the Golden State. They also discuss the role of government in spurring and regulating AI and other technologies, the meaning of the Epstein files, and whether the United States can redefine itself in a way that reduces polarization without reducing pluralism. 0:00–What is the biggest problem with the Iran War? 3:00–Did Trump start the Iran War to distract from domestic policy? 4:36–What should Congress do about the Iran War? 6:59–What is progressive capitalism? 9:10–Does Khanna support the proposed California wealth tax? 12:23–Are taxes and regulations causing California's population loss? 19:21–The role of environmental policy in California housing 21:03–Do billionaires weaken democracy? 24:19–The track record of wealth taxes 25:50–Will federal spending ever be reduced? 27:47–Artificial intelligence and impacts on the labor force 33:09–Assessing the New Deal 40:54–Is there a need for a national purpose? 46:24–The next attorney general and the Epstein files 51:19–What defines us as Americans? Reason is hiring! Check out the two open roles on the video team now:<a href="https://reason.org/jobs/associate-producer/" target="_b

Today's guest is the Niskanen Center's Brink Lindsey, whose connection to Reason magazine goes back decades and who for years worked at the Cato Institute. His new book is called The Permanent Problem: The Uncertain Transition from Mass Plenty to Mass Flourishing, and it raises important questions about life in the 21st century. Thanks to capitalism, he argues, we've essentially conquered poverty, but are progress and growth slowing down? People in advanced economies are increasingly pessimistic about the future, populism is on the rise, and many social indicators are trending in a negative direction. Nick Gillespie talks with him about how to restore economic and cultural dynamism, his intellectual journey, and what a brighter future might look like.   0:00—Introduction 0:56—Mass abundance and prosperity 6:20—The effects of globalization 12:05—Mass affluence and pessimism 15:01—Slowing rates of innovation 24:10—Capitalism and its cultural contradictions 31:06—Fears of conformism and elites 39:42—Declining fertility rates 48:52—Religion and community 59:08—Does Lindsey consider himself a libertarian?   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/ The post How Capitalism Lost the Working Class appeared first on Reason.com.

In a precedent-setting verdict this week, a Los Angeles jury held Meta and YouTube responsible for addicting a young woman to their services and exacerbating her mental health struggles. The jury recommended the two companies pay $6 million to the plaintiff, now 20, identified in court documents as Kaley or KMG. The verdict came a day after a New Mexico jury found that Meta harmed the mental health of children, failed to protect them from sexual predators, and violated state law. In this special bonus episode of The Reason Interview, Nick Gillespie talks with tech journalist Taylor Lorenz, founder of User Mag, who covered the Los Angeles trial. She recounts testimony from Kaley's deposition describing physical and psychological abuse from her parents. Lorenz argues that Kaley's unstable home life was a more significant factor in her mental health issues than social media use. Kaley even used Instagram to complain about her mother, who at one point would communicate with her daughter only through the app. Lorenz and Gillespie discuss rising cultural and political calls for regulation of social media, pending legislation such as the Kids Online Safety Act (KOSA), and how Meta and other major players are simultaneously defending themselves in court while pursuing regulation that may benefit them at the expense of free speech. Previous appearance:"Taylor Lorenz Makes Sense of Online Culture for the Rest of Us," February 26, 2020   0:00—Observations from the trial 1:56—The plaintiff's mental health and history of abuse 6:34—Mark Zuckerberg's testimony 7:04—Is social media becoming the cultural scapegoat? 10:19—The impact of this verdict on setting legal precedents 13:15—KOSA 14:47—How sexual content drives regulation efforts 16:33—Are companies liable for not enforcing age verification? 17:56—What are the privacy threats with age verification? 19:05—Why more regulation stifles competition 21:48—Do younger generations value free speech?   Reason is hiring! Check out the two open roles on the video team now:<br ari

In a recent interview with California Gov. Gavin Newsom, a likely contender for the Democratic presidential nomination in 2028, veteran news anchor Katie Couric asked him whether he "had a Zoolander" problem, fretting that being "so ridiculously good looking" might make it hard for him to be taken seriously. That exchange set off today's guest, podcaster Adam Carolla, who saw in it a microcosm of much of what's wrong with contemporary media and politics. Couric's fawning betrays a clear political bias, he said, and it overlooks Newsom's longstanding incompetence as a governor who has overseen a decline in people and businesses since taking office in 2019. In a wide-ranging conversation with Nick Gillespie, the former construction worker and Comedy Central host lays into how legacy media has traded in its watchdog role for access and skepticism toward power for affirmation. Carolla talks about how the Golden State's regulatory dysfunction makes everything more expensive and time-consuming, squeezes tax-paying and law-abiding residents, and has created a place that puts "safetyism" and the status quo at the center of every policy decision. They also discuss the rise of independent journalism and podcasting—a field Carolla helped pioneer in the late aughts—and why, compared with President Joe Biden in 2024, President Donald Trump successfully appealed to people who wanted to build homes, businesses, and a future in the United States.   0:00—Softball interviews 4:41—Legacy media monocultures 9:53—Why Carolla started his own podcast network 11:35—Why are people leaving California? 16:24—Overregulation in California 25:33—The importance of meritocracy 28:39—How Carolla developed his work ethic 38:15—Why Carolla likes Trump 41:40—California high-speed rail 44:09—Is Carolla optimistic about the future?   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/ Transcript This is an AI-generated, AI-edited transcript. Check all quotes against the audio for accuracy.   Nick Gillespie: Adam Carolla, thanks for talking to Reason. Adam Carolla: My pleasure, Nick. Let's start this interview talking about Ka

Today's guest is the legendary Stewart Brand, who has spent decades shaping how we think about technology, the environment, and the future. He first came to prominence in the 1960s as a Merry Prankster and the co-creator of the Whole Earth Catalog, the counterculture bible that helped inspire personal computing, the hacker ethic, and the modern environmentalist movement. Since then he's launched the Long Now Foundation, championed nuclear power and deextinction, and pushed us to think in 10,000-year time horizons. He's also been the subject of two biographies (From Counterculture to Cyberculture and Whole Earth: The Many Lives of Stewart Brand) and an excellent documentary called We Are As Gods. In his new book Maintenance: Of Everything, Part One, the 87-year-old Brand argues that the real work of civilization isn't flashy invention but the long, patient care of complex systems. He talks with Nick Gillespie about what that means and whether his vision of planetary stewardship conflicts with libertarian values of individualism, creative destruction, and decentralized power. Previous appearance: "We Are As Gods: Stewart Brand & The Fight to Bring Back Woolly Mammoths," March 31, 2021   0:00—Introduction 1:19—Maintenance as the hidden foundation 7:09—Mastery of tools and understanding systems 12:00—Interchangeable parts and individualism 20:54—The importance of manuals 27:04—Environmentalism and techno-pessimism 32:45—Government efficiency and the political system 42:54—How Brand is maintaining his legacy   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/ The post <a href="https://reason.com/podcast/2026/03

Mark Chenoweth is president and chief legal officer of the New Civil Liberties Alliance (NCLA), a nonprofit that brings lawsuits and files amicus briefs designed to reduce the power of the Securities and Exchange Commission, the Internal Revenue Service, the Federal Trade Commission, and other parts of the administrative state. In 2019, the NCLA litigated against President Donald Trump's use of the International Emergency Economic Powers Act (IEEPA) to levy tariffs, a case that helped set the stage for this year's Supreme Court decision striking down the president's "Liberation Day" tariffs. The NCLA played a key role in the 2024 Supreme Court cases that overturned "Chevron deference," a policy that required judges to defer to federal agencies' interpretations of vague or ambiguous statutes. In this episode, Chenoweth talks with Reason's Nick Gillespie about his group's ongoing litigation in Powell v. SEC, a case challenging that agency's notorious gag-rule order, which silences people settling with the agency from publicly denying allegations against them, even if they never admitted guilt. He also makes the case that Chief Justice John Roberts—often criticized by libertarian legal critics for accommodating too much to government power—has taken the lead over the past several decades in reducing the power of the administrative state. This interview was taped in front of a live audience at an event in New York City. 0:00—Civil liberties and the administrative state 5:33—Congressional failures in limiting administrative power 10:12—Social media platforms and censorship 13:07—Is the administrative state growing under Donald Trump? 20:57—The SEC gag rule 26:59—The NCLA's fight to repeal the gag rule 35:17—Elon Musk and Mark Cuban SEC cases 43:44—Powell v. SEC 50:11—Chief Justice John Roberts The post Can the Government Ban You from Telling the Truth? appeared first on Reason.com.

Today's guest on The Reason Interview With Nick Gillespie is Jonah Goldberg, the editor in chief of The Dispatch, a publication that launched a half-dozen years ago and whose contributors include conservatives such as cofounder and former Weekly Standard editor Steve Hayes, libertarian-leaning Washington Post columnist Megan McArdle, and liberal science writer and Blocked & Reported cohost Jesse Singal. A longtime fixture at National Review (where he launched the magazine's website and created its popular staff blog The Corner), best-selling author, and podcast host (The Remnant, GLoP Culture), Goldberg and Gillespie discuss the Iran war, President Donald Trump's second term, the rise of the populist right, and the prospects of a coalition consisting of centrist liberals, conservatives, and libertarians. "I have no sense that the Republicans are my team in any way. And that's very, very liberating intellectually and journalistically," says Goldberg. Long known for withering takes on the left—one of his books is titled Liberal Fascism—it's the right wing that is currently piquing his anger. "All presidents have lied," he says. "But the scale of lying with Trump is different….Bullshit does not care what the truth is, and I think that that's sort of the essence of Donald Trump, going back to his days as a condo salesman. He just says whatever he has to say to get through the moment." "I'm not a big fan of J.D. Vance, but eating giant bowls of feces handed to you by the president is the job of vice president," he says, adding it's the former Ohio senator's "whorishness" that especially offends him. "It's not so much that he agrees with Nick Fuentes or he loves everything that Tucker Carlson is doing, but he'll be damned if he'll tolerate excessive criticism or any attempt to silence or cancel these people. He exerts more effort defending people making 'how many Jews can fit in a Volkswagen ashtray jokes' than he does his own wife or anything else." Goldberg predicts that when Trump leaves the national stage, the people around him in politics and the media wi

Today's guest on The Reason Interview with Nick Gillespie is Pete Buttigieg, former secretary of transportation and already a leading, if undeclared, contender for the Democratic presidential nomination in 2028. Buttigieg reflects on his time in government, his evolving views on federal power, and why he thinks DOGE was a good idea that was poorly executed. An outspoken critic of Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) under Donald Trump, Buttigieg says that the use of masked agents and martial tactics against nonviolent immigrants contributes to a loss of trust and confidence among the public. That trust can be restored, he argues, through transparency and restraint. "If you're here and you shouldn't be and you're dangerous, you've got to go," he says, "but it does not to follow from that that it's okay to see all of this abusive behavior coming from federal immigration troops…in our cities." Gillespie and Buttigieg debate the role of government, federal spending, subsidizing high-speed rail, and the rate of social progress, and they explore possible areas of overlap between Democrats and libertarians. 0:00–ICE accountability and immigration policy 8:40–What can Democrats offer libertarian voters? 11:05–The national debt and federal spending 15:50–Automation and government efficiency 21:23–The private sector versus public benefit 26:31–Tariffs and free trade 34:20–Democratic Party failures in 2024 41:35–Identity politics 43:40–Responding to Kamala Harris' comments 46:25–Perceptions of Millennial and Gen Z voters 49:00–Republican messaging around trans people 52:23–National service and shared identity Transcript This is an AI-generated, AI-edited transcript. Check all quotes against the audio for accuracy. Nick Gillespie: This is The Reason Interview with Nick Gillespie. Thanks for listening. Today I'm talking with former South Bend, Indiana, mayor and secretary of transportation, Pete Buttigieg, one of the most visible, nationally recognized Democrats. He's been making the rounds of colleges and podcasts and cable news shows over the past few months. He's going all over the country. My producer tells me that he's headed to New Hampshire soon, according to his mailing list. Which might be an indication that he's running for president or thinking about it. I'm talking with him today less because he's one of the most prominent Democrats in the country, and more because he's been reaching out to libertarians on issues recently such as holding ICE accountable. Pete Buttigieg, thanks for talking to Reason. <span style="font-weight: 4

Today's guest is Michael Shermer, founding publisher of Skeptic magazine and author of the new book Truth: What It Is, How to Find It, and Why It Still Matters. Shermer explains how the release of the Epstein files has fueled conspiracy thinking, particularly through guilt by association and pattern seeking. He explains why ambiguous evidence invites overinterpretation, how skepticism differs from cynicism, and why the demand for total certainty often leads people away from truth rather than toward it. The conversation also explores the broader collapse of trust in institutions after COVID-19, the role of influencers in amplifying conspiratorial narratives, and why scientific and historical denialism have found new audiences online.   The Reason Interview With Nick Gillespie goes deep with the artists, entrepreneurs, and scholars who are making the world a more libertarian—or at least a more interesting—place by championing free minds and free markets.   0:00—Introduction 0:54—How Shermer appeared in the Epstein files 3:04—Epstein conspiracy theories 6:35—Minnesota ICE shootings 10:14—The difference between truth and objective facts 15:43—Do science and religion conflict? 22:55—The rise of science denialism 26:45—Government intervention in transgender medical treatment for minors 29:59—The importance of historical truths and the Holocaust 36:36—COVID-19 and the collapse of institutional trust 42:19—Defending liberal democracy The post How the Epstein Files Became the Ultimate Conspiracy Theory appeared first on Reason.com.

This week, guest host Zach Weissmueller is joined by Fardad Farahzad, a prominent Iranian journalist and the primetime anchor of 24 with Fardad Farahzad, a nightly news program on Iran International, a Persian-language channel based in London that broadcasts into Iran via satellite. Farahzad discusses what it's like working for a media outlet that the Islamic Republic has labeled a terrorist organization, and the personal risks that come with reporting on Iran from exile. Farahzad and Weissmueller talk about how Iranians access uncensored news despite the regime's efforts to block satellite television, jam signals, and restrict the internet. They also discuss the state of Iran's protest movement, how the regime has responded to dissent, and why Farahzad believes the Islamic Republic is facing deeper internal challenges than in past cycles of unrest. The conversation explores the prospects for regime change, the declining appeal of Islamist ideology among younger Iranians, and the growing prominence of Reza Pahlavi as a unifying opposition figure. Farahzad also weighs in on U.S. policy toward Iran, including President Donald Trump's rhetoric about military pressure, and whether the legacy of the Iraq War should caution against American intervention in Iran.   0:00—Intro 1:07—How Iranians watch censored newscasts 9:49—Government accusations against Iran International 14:39—Covering Iran from exile 16:51—Failings in U.S. media coverage of Iran 20:05—Protester casualties in Iran 27:53—Reza Pahlavi 34:09—Trump's threats of military action 41:12—Was it a mistake to abandon the Iran nuclear deal? 43:49—Difference in U.S. reaction to Gaza vs. Iran 50:33—Islam as a political force in Iran 53:09—What options does the Islamic Republic have left? The post Can Iran's Protest Movement Topple the Regime? appeared first on Reason.com.

Today's guest is Rep. Thomas Massie (R–Ky.). He joins Zach Weissmueller to discuss why he coauthored the Epstein Files Transparency Act, what motivated him to put his political career at risk, and why he believes the Justice Department (DOJ) has engaged in a long-running cover-up to protect powerful figures connected to Jeffrey Epstein. Massie walks through what he saw while reviewing the unredacted files at the DOJ, including disputed redactions, internal FBI documents, and evidence suggesting that senior officials misrepresented whether Epstein had coconspirators. Massie also makes the case for why Attorney General Pam Bondi may be guilty of criminal negligence in her handling of this investigation. The interview explores internal Republican divisions over the case, why Massie has called for the resignation of Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick, and how the Epstein case has reshaped his understanding of power in Washington, D.C. Massie argues that this scandal is larger than Watergate, spans four administrations, and raises a defining moral test for politicians, media figures, and voters alike. The Reason Interview with Nick Gillespie goes deep with the artists, entrepreneurs, and politicians who are defining the 21st century in terms of individual freedom and autonomy.   0:00—Why Massie is risking his political career over Epstein files 3:53—Discoveries from the unredacted files 8:22—Are DOJ redactions in compliance with the Epstein Files Transparency Act? 12:32—Examining the evidence of an Epstein client list 15:13—Why Howard Lutnick should resign 17:57—The risk in releasing names and guilt by association 21:49—Why the Epstein conspiracy is bigger than Watergate 23:30—The future of the Republican Party   Transcript This is an AI-generated, AI-edited transcript. Check all quotes against the audio for accuracy. Zach Weissmueller: Congressman Thomas Massie, thank you for coming on The Reason Interview. Thomas Massie: Well, great to be on. Thanks for having me. Let's start by talking about the Epstein files. I don't think it's an exaggeration to say that you put your political career on the line to get these out with the Epstein Files Transparency Act you co-authored with Rep. Ro Khanna (D–Calif.). You've been under relentless attack from President Donald Trump ever since, and you're facing a serious primary challenge with a lot of financial backing because of it. Did you expect this might happen? And if so, why did you decide this issue was important enough that it would be worth the cost? Well, I'm glad you set it up that way because I always find it laughable when people s

This week, guest host Billy Binion is joined by Jeff Asher, a nationally recognized crime data analyst and former CIA employee who leads the analytics firm AH Datalytics. He also publishes independent crime statistics and analysis through his Substack, Jeff-alytics. Binion and Asher discuss the sharp decline in murders over the past several years and why 2025 may have recorded the lowest murder rate in modern American history. They examine how crime statistics are collected, why the public often distrusts official data, and how media coverage and political incentives shape the national conversation about crime. The conversation also explores what might be driving the drop in violence, the limits of what policymakers can claim credit for, and why perception continues to lag behind reality even as crime falls. The Reason Interview With Nick Gillespie goes deep with the artists, entrepreneurs, and scholars who are making the world a more libertarian—or at least a more interesting—place by championing free minds and free markets.   0:00—Introduction 0:51—Misconceptions about crime 3:15—Crime rate trends 6:19—Washington, D.C., crime data 14:39—Impact of trauma care on crime rates 20:58—Do smaller cities deserve more attention? 25:12—Crime in the 1990s 34:20—Mass deportations and crime data 40:03—Spending and crime data 44:40—Clearance rates 48:51—The disconnect between data and public perception 51:14—Media coverage of crime 58:35—Asher's experience in the CIA The post What the Media Gets Wrong About Crime appeared first on Reason.com.

This week, guest host Eric Boehm is joined by J.C. Bradbury, an economist at Kennesaw State University and one of the leading critics of taxpayer-funded sports stadiums. Bradbury is the author of a forthcoming book, This One Will be Different, on the "false promises and fiscal realities" of stadium subsidies. Boehm and Bradbury discuss why stadiums rarely deliver on the economic benefits touted by team owners and local politicians, and how public officials, media outlets, and hired consultants help create the illusion that these projects pay for themselves. Bradbury explains why these deals often amount to a reallocation of existing local spending rather than genuine economic growth, and why taxpayers end up footing the bill for facilities that primarily benefit private sports franchises. The conversation also touches on the Super Bowl, the Olympics, and the surge of new stadium proposals across the country. Bradbury makes the case that America is on the verge of another stadium building boom, driven by political incentives and public enthusiasm rather than sound economics, and argues that cities would be better stewards of tax dollars if they resisted the pressure to subsidize major sports projects. The Reason Interview With Nick Gillespie goes deep with the artists, entrepreneurs, and scholars who are making the world a more libertarian—or at least a more interesting—place by championing free minds and free markets. 0:00—Introduction 0:56—Loving sports without loving subsidies 6:01—Marketing taxpayer-funded stadium projects 16:15—Civic pride and measuring ROI 21:20—What makes sports stadiums unique? 24:18—The upcoming stadium building boom 35:01—Truist Park development 43:03—Examples of fiscal restraint 46:04—The Super Bowl and Olympic Games 51:18—Bradbury's career trajectory   Upcoming Reason Events The Reason Roundtable: Live in Washington, D.C.! on February 4 The post The Real Reason You Pay for NFL Stadiums appeared first on Reason.com.

This week, guest host Zach Weissmueller is joined by Freddy Guevara, a Venezuelan opposition leader who was imprisoned by the regime of Nicolás Maduro and now lives in exile. Guevara first entered politics as a student activist opposing Hugo Chávez, later becoming the youngest elected city council member in Venezuelan history before winning a seat in the National Assembly. After the government stripped the assembly of power and escalated repression, Guevara spent three years as a political refugee in the Chilean Embassy in Caracas and was later imprisoned by the Maduro regime. He has lived in exile since 2021 and is now a visiting fellow at Harvard's Kennedy School, where he studies democratic transitions and political repression. Weissmueller and Guevara discuss how authoritarianism operated under Nicolás Maduro, including political imprisonment, surveillance, and the foreign alliances that helped sustain his oppressive regime. They examine Maduro's capture, why many Venezuelans support U.S. intervention, and what a democratic transition would require after decades of dictatorship. Guevara challenges common assumptions in the West about sovereignty and regime change and makes the case that Venezuelans themselves have driven the push to remove Maduro - while explaining how Venezuela's collapse was not simply the result of corruption but a predictable consequence of socialism in practice. The Reason Interview With Nick Gillespie goes deep with the artists, entrepreneurs, and scholars who are making the world a more libertarian—or at least a more interesting—place by championing "free minds and free markets."   0:00—Introduction 1:09—Guevara's arrest in Venezuela 8:34—The mechanics of oppression 12:27—The capture of Maduro 15:31—Delcy Rodríguez 20:38—Venezuelan oil and national sovereignty 27:19—The Trump administration's transition strategy 29:47—U.S. media coverage of Venezuelan politics 32:22—María Corina Machado 36:45—Marco Rubio's three-phase strategy 41:12—Maduro indictment 47:20—The consequences of socialism 50:45—What will progress look like for Venezuela?   Upcoming Reason Events The Reason Roundtable: Live in Washington, D.C.! on February 4 The post Why So Many Venezuelans Support Trump's Capture of Maduro appeared first on Reason.com.

This week, guest host Eric Boehm is joined by Colleen Shogan, the former archivist of the United States and head of the National Archives, the federal agency responsible for preserving presidential records and stewarding the nation's historical documents. Shogan explains what the archivist actually does, how the National Archives approaches custodianship of presidential records, and why those materials belong to the public rather than to individual presidents. The conversation then turns to the country's upcoming 250th anniversary and Shogan's "In Pursuit" essay project, which aims to foster a shared civic memory at a time when history has become a battleground in the culture war. Shogan reflects on how a divided country can commemorate its past without collapsing into partisan narratives, and what it takes to present American history in a way that invites disagreement without descending into zero-sum politics. Boehm and Shogan also discuss how the Archives became caught up in the Trump documents controversy, why Shogan believes she was fired without explanation, and how disputes over records and transparency have increasingly turned into political flashpoints. The Reason Interview With Nick Gillespie goes deep with the artists, entrepreneurs, and scholars who are making the world a more libertarian—or at least a more interesting—place by championing free minds and free markets. 0:00—Introduction 0:52—The role of the U.S. archivist 9:54—Celebrating 250 years of history with "In Pursuit" 17:17—The importance of keeping history nonpartisan 22:47—Celebrating the lesser-known U.S. presidents 28:13—Wall Street Journal's criticism of Shogan 37:27—Getting removed by President Donald Trump 40:11—The importance of presidential records 44:51—Politicizing nonpartisan institutions 50:43—President Joe Biden and the Equal Rights Amendment 56:16—Shogan's Washington murder mystery novels   Upcoming Reason Events The Reason Roundtable: Live in Washington, D.C.! on February 4 The post Can We Save American History From Partisan Politics? appeared first on Reason.com.

This week, guest host Billy Binion is joined by Scott Jennings, a political analyst best known for his viral debates on CNN, where he is often the lone conservative voice. Jennings is also the author of A Revolution of Common Sense, a new book arguing that President Donald Trump's political comeback is rooted in what Jennings calls a common-sense governing platform. Jennings and Binion discuss whether Trump's policies on such issues as tariffs, deportations, and foreign affairs live up to that description a year into Trump's second term. They also talk about Jennings' experience working at CNN, his criticisms of the legacy media, and why he feels Mitch McConnell and Donald Trump are more similar than they appear. The conversation also turns to the growing civil war on the right, including recent public infighting among conservative factions and influencers. Jennings explains where he draws lines within the conservative movement, his views on free speech versus free association, and why he believes some figures are doing lasting damage to conservatism's ability to articulate a coherent set of values and priorities. The Reason Interview With Nick Gillespie goes deep with the artists, entrepreneurs, and scholars who are making the world a more libertarian—or at least more interesting—place by championing free minds and free markets. 0:00–Introduction 0:59–Being a conservative at CNN 6:53–The future of media 17:01–Going from Trump critic to Trump supporter 19:53–The influence of Mitch McConnell 24:00–Limited government and the One Big Beautiful Bill 30:25–The Trump administration and free speech 39:31–Trump's immigration and tariff policies 56:45–The shortcomings of DOGE 1:01:24–Antisemitism and conspiracy theorists on the right 1:09:08–Alignment between the GOP and libertarians Transcript This is an AI-generated, AI-edited transcript. Check all quotes against the audio for accuracy. Billy Binion: Scott Jennings, thank you for talking to Reason.  Scott Jennings: Hey, glad to be here. Thanks for having me in. So you've been very critical of the mainstream media, and you're also on one of the most visible mainstream media networks. So I'm wondering, what is your objective at CNN? And do you think that you get a fair hearing on those panels? Well, my objective is to participate in debate. I think debate is good. I think the country was founded on debates—and some muskets—but also debates. And I think to the extent that we

This week, guest host Eric Boehm is joined by Lauren Hall, a political science professor at the Rochester Institute of Technology and the author of The Radical Moderate's Guide to Life, a Substack newsletter that encourages readers to reject binary thinking and keep politics from consuming every part of their lives. Hall's work focuses on the roots of tribalism and political polarization, examining where they come from, why they are so powerful, and how they distort both public debate and personal relationships. She has grown increasingly concerned about the populist impulses shaping American politics on both the right and the left, and about how political elites frame elections as a choice between the lesser of two evils. In the interview, Boehm and Hall discuss what it means to be a "radical moderate," why she believes that outlook offers a way out of America's broken political compass, and the diverse intellectual influences that have shaped her political philosophy. They also talk about what Hall did not anticipate in the second Donald Trump White House, and how moderates can navigate a political culture that rewards outrage, loyalty tests, and constant engagement. The Reason Interview With Nick Gillespie goes deep with the artists, entrepreneurs, and scholars who are making the world a more libertarian—or at least a more interesting—place by championing "free minds and free markets."   0:00—Introduction 1:17—What is radical moderation? 6:24—Third parties in America 9:19—Polarization and elitism 15:13—Evolutionary biology and tribalism 27:24—Hall's path to political science 35:06—Culture of Rochester, New York 41:39—Expectations for the second Trump administration 47:19—Radical moderate advice for Democrats 51:03—Lessons from Edmund Burke The post The Politics of Permanent Outrage appeared first on Reason.com.

This week, guest host Eric Boehm is joined by Tony Gilroy, the creator, writer, and director of Andor, the critically acclaimed Star Wars series that reimagines the origins of the Rebel Alliance. While Andor is set in a familiar sci-fi universe, it stands apart for its focus on the mechanics of authoritarian rule. Gilroy discusses how Andor portrays the Galactic Empire not as a cartoonish evil but as a bureaucratic system that centralizes authority, normalizes surveillance, and absorbs previously independent planets, corporations, and cultures. Rather than relying on superweapons or singular villains, authoritarianism in Andor functions through institutions, incentives, and ordinary people just doing their jobs. Boehm and Gilroy talk about how these themes connect to Gilroy's earlier work, including the Bourne films. They also discuss how Andor approaches moral compromise, resistance, and responsibility, why it matters that fascists still care about mundane details like parking spots, and why the series has resonated with viewers interested in liberty, power, and the quiet ways systems enforce obedience. The Reason Interview with Nick Gillespie goes deep with the artists, entrepreneurs, and scholars who are making the world a more libertarian—or at least a more interesting—place by championing "free minds and free markets." 0:00–Introduction 1:23–Behemoth 3:21–Andor in the Star Wars timeline 5:04–Cassian Andor's character development 12:04–The moral compass of Andor 18:31–Constructing the authoritarian regime 22:05–The reality of bureaucratic institutions 25:04–Mass media representation in Andor 31:43–Exploiting loneliness and vulnerability 37:40–Would Gilroy return to Star Wars? 39:21–Gilroy's contributions to Rogue One 42:25–The Bourne movies and whistleblowers 46:10–What is the libertarian view of Andor? 53:48–Gilroy's origin story 57:08–Themes in Gilroy's work Transcript This is an AI-generated, AI-edited transcript. Check all quotes against the audio for accuracy. Eric Boehm: Tony Gilroy, thanks for talking to Reason.  Tony Gilroy: Pleasure. Now, you are probably best known—at least right now—as the showrunner behind the two-season Disney+ show, Andor. I don't think I'm overstating things here to say that it is the best piece of Star Wars media since the original trilogy, at least. And maybe even the best piece of Star Wars media ever made. <b

This week, guest host Zach Weissmueller is joined by Keonne Rodriguez, the founder of Samourai Wallet, a noncustodial bitcoin privacy tool. Rodriguez is currently facing a five-year federal prison sentence for conspiracy to operate an unlicensed money transmitting business, while Samourai's former chief technology officer, William Hill, faces four years. The conversation was recorded just 48 hours before Rodriguez was scheduled to report to prison. Rodriguez explains why he created Samourai Wallet, tracing its origins to bitcoin's cypherpunk roots and his belief that digital cash should offer the same basic privacy as physical cash. He walks through how Samourai worked, and why it never took custody of user funds. In the interview, Rodriguez addresses the government's allegations that Samourai facilitated hundreds of millions of dollars in criminal activity, the role of blockchain surveillance firms in shaping those claims, and why he believes prosecutors ignored clear regulatory guidance from the Treasury Department's Financial Crimes Enforcement Network (FinCEN). Rodriguez also explains why he ultimately chose to plead guilty despite believing he broke no law, citing the realities of federal prosecution, judicial reassignment, and what he describes as a stacked legal process. We examine the broader implications of the case for privacy, free expression, and innovation, including parallels to encrypted messaging, past crackdowns on online marketplaces, and the growing tendency of governments to treat privacy itself as inherently suspicious. Rodriguez also reflects on President Donald Trump's recent comments indicating he would look into the case, the possibility of a pardon, and what it means to face prison time for building a tool intended to protect individual autonomy in an era of expanding surveillance. The Reason Interview with Nick Gillespie goes deep with the artists, entrepreneurs, and scholars who are making the world a more libertarian—or at least a more interesting—place by championing "free minds and free markets."   0:00—Introduction 0:39—What is Samourai Wallet? 3:31—Bitcoin and financial privacy 9:51—Money transmission and noncustodial wallets 13:15—Justice Department communication with FinCEN 16:27—Responding to the indictment 22:50—Why Rodriguez pled guilty 29:41—Money laundering accusations 34:59—Was Samourai's advertising evidence of guilt? 43:01—Canadian trucker protests and bitcoin 50:37—Trump comments on Rodriguez's case 55:08—Ross Ulbricht's advice to Rodriguez The post He's Serving 5 Years in Prison for Bitcoin Privacy

This week, guest host Zach Weissmueller is joined by Katherine Dee, a writer chronicling the subcultures of the internet at her Substack default.blog and in columns for The Spectator, Tablet, GQ, UnHerd, and various other publications. Dee also hosts a weekly call-in show that's an homage to the late-night AM radio show Coast to Coast. Dee talks about the internet as a mystical "other place": fairyland or the astral plane, somewhere you journey and play by different rules, interact with unusual entities, and hope you emerge with your sanity intact. In this interview, they discuss the shift from the "internet utopianism" of the '90s and early 2000s, where cyber philosophers mused about netizens "forming our own social contract" in a borderless digital space where "governments have no sovereignty," to internet pessimism, where politicians fret about online misinformation and extremism, parents worry their kids are "cooked" by short-form brain rot, and the media tell us AI will replace our jobs, our friends, and our romantic partners. Dee has a remedy, and she calls it "internet realism." It's time to step out of fairyland and remember what the internet is: a tool. We humans use tools to reshape the world, but so, too, do tools reshape humans. Wield them wisely.   The Reason Interview With Nick Gillespie goes deep with the artists, entrepreneurs, and visionaries who are making the world a more libertarian—or at least a more interesting—place by championing "free minds and free markets."   0:00—Introduction 1:42—Dee's relationship with the internet 7:16—The early days of the internet 13:48—Has the internet changed us? 18:21—Mythological analogies 23:00—Benefits of logging off 27:15—Falling in love with AI chatbots 33:39—Smartphones and anxiety 42:11—Defending pseudonymity 50:46—The death of reading 55:52—Internet nihilism and violence 1:01:20—Embracing internet realism The post Did the Internet Break Our Sense of Reality? appeared first on Reason.com.

Today's guest is Sarah McLaughlin, a senior scholar at the Foundation for Individual Rights and Expression (FIRE) and author of Authoritarians in the Academy: How the Internationalization of Higher Education and Borderless Censorship Threaten Free Speech. She explains how governments in places like China and the United Arab Emirates restrict academic freedom and expression not just in their own countries but also at colleges and universities in America by exploiting speech codes and threatening to end lucrative satellite campus arrangements. McLaughlin and Gillespie also talk about whether it was a good idea for American comedians to censor their material at Saudi Arabia's Riyadh Comedy Festival and what to make of President Donald Trump's repeated minimization of the murder of Washington Post contributor Jamal Khashoggi by Saudi operatives. The Reason Interview with Nick Gillespie, goes deep with the artists, entrepreneurs, and scholars who are making the world a more libertarian—or at least a more interesting—place by championing free minds and free markets.   0:00—Introduction 1:14—Trump's response to Khashoggi's murder 7:26—The Riyadh Comedy Festival 11:29—Foreign influence on U.S. college campuses 23:55—The NBA and the Chinese government 28:39—Sensitivity exploitation 34:36—Changes to campus culture 39:46—Satellite campuses 43:50—Matthew Hedges and the UAE 50:03—McLaughlin's path to FIRE 51:55—Solutions to campus censorship 58:12—Climate of free speech under Trump   Upcoming Reason Events Reason Versus debate: Big Tech Does More Good Than Harm on December 10 The post How Foreign Governments Police U.S. Speech appeared first on Reason.com.

Today's guest is the science writer Matt Ridley, author of best-selling books such as The Red Queen, The Rational Optimist, and, with Alina Chan, Viral: The Search for the Origin of COVID-19. At a live event filmed in New York City, Ridley tells Nick Gillespie that political and cultural elites had already turned science, our best tool for understanding and improving the world, into a centralized, hyperpoliticized priesthood even before COVID. He walks through the collapse of public trust in 2020 as experts flipped on masks and transmission, declared Black Lives Matter protests safe but religious services dangerous, and insisted on certainty where none existed. Ridley also explains how the lab leak hypothesis went from being a forbidden conspiracy theory to the most plausible explanation for the pandemic. He shares his thoughts on why climate alarmism is finally waning, the future of innovation in an age of overregulation, why he's bullish on the future of nuclear power and AI, and how America can spark a new technological renaissance—even when leaders seem determined to smother dissent. Please donate to Reason's annual webathon, the one time a year when we ask our online audience to support our principled libertarian journalism with tax-deductible donations. Click here for details, swag, and more information. The Reason Interview With Nick Gillespie goes deep with the artists, entrepreneurs, and visionaries who are making the world a more libertarian—or at least a more interesting—place.   0:00—Introduction 1:59—Bill Gates' climate change reversal 6:15—How COVID diminished public trust 14:27—Centralization and confirmation bias 17:53—Vaccine skepticism 21:29—Sex and evolutionary theory 29:47—Politicization of science 31:34—COVID lab leak theory 37:50—Human progress 46:10—The role of storytelling Previous appearances: "Matt Ridley: Why Did Anthony Fauci et al. Suppress the Lab Leak Theory?" "Matt Ridley: The Coronavirus Pandemic Shows 'That There's No Monopoly on Wisdom'" "<a href="https

Today's guest is Ken Burns, the filmmaker who has massively reshaped national conversations about everything from the Civil War to baseball to jazz to immigration to national parks with epic documentary series that have aired on public television. His latest work is The American Revolution, a 12-hour series about the nation's founding that he codirected with Sarah Botstein and David P. Schmidt. As the nation prepares to celebrate its 250th anniversary next year, the American Revolution foregrounds the bloodiness of the war for independence from the British and the high levels of disunity among the colonists before and after the conflict, themes especially noteworthy in a society that is increasingly concerned about political violence and polarization. The series can also be seen as a rebuke to recent, overtly ideological attempts to recast the American experiment as morally irredeemable from its origins (The 1619 Project) or as a Disneyfied morality tale (The 1776 Project). Burns talks with Gillespie about the role of truth in documentaries and why we should embrace contradictions in historical storytelling. They also debate whether PBS, defunded earlier this year by the Trump administration, should continue to receive tax dollars. The Reason Interview With Nick Gillespie goes deep on the thinkers, doers, and artists who are making the 21st century a more libertarian—or at least more interesting place—by challenging outmoded ideas and orthodoxies.   0:00—The American Revolution was a global war 7:52—Slavery in the Revolution and competing narratives 21:48—The logic of the Declaration of Independence 29:14—The impact of Native Americans 32:41—Why the Revolution leaves Burns feeling optimistic 39:09—The importance of New York in the Revolution 46:15—Funding for public broadcasting 53:16—What's next for Ken Burns? 56:26—Why understanding history is important for unity   Previous appearances: "Filmmaker Ken Burns on Prohibition, Drug Laws and Unintended Consequences," October 1, 2011 "Ken Burns on PBS Funding, Being a 'Yellow-Dog Democrat,' and Missing Walter Cronkite," October 1, 2011 "The Vietnam War Is the Key to Understand

Today's guest is Sen. Rand Paul, the libertarian-leaning Republican from Kentucky. He talks about why he cosponsored legislation to release all of the Jeffrey Epstein files, how President Donald Trump's tariffs and bombing of Venezuelan boats are bad policy and unconstitutional, and why fellow Republicans like Vice President J.D. Vance are Luddites and nostalgia merchants who want to regulate free markets to death. Paul, the subject of a 2014 New York Times Magazine article titled "Has the 'Libertarian Moment' Finally Arrived?", also talks with Gillespie about his plans for a 2028 presidential run, the enduring anti-war legacy of his father Ron Paul, and why he believes that he and Rep. Thomas Massie (R–Ky.) are the only members of Congress who have stayed true to the Tea Party's commitment to lower spending and smaller government. The Reason Interview with Nick Gillespie goes deep with the artists, entrepreneurs, and politicians who are defining the 21st century in terms of individual freedom and autonomy.   0:00—Releasing the Epstein files 2:32—Tariffs and protectionist propaganda 6:29—The economic policies of the GOP 11:32—Military strikes on Venezuela 13:27—Foreign intervention 15:16—Military aid and arms deals 19:38—Congressional spending and the debt 22:04—Federal hemp ban 23:30—What's happened to the Tea Party? 26:00—Will Paul run for president again?   Transcript This is an AI-generated, AI-edited transcript. Check all quotes against the audio for accuracy. Nick Gillespie: This is The Reason Interview With Nick Gillespie. My guest today is the libertarian-leaning senator from Kentucky, Republican Rand Paul. Sen. Paul, thanks for talking to Reason. Rand Paul: Glad to be with you, Nick. Thanks for having me. You are an outspoken advocate for releasing all of the material on Jeffrey Epstein and everything that comes out of that. You co-sponsored the Epstein Files Transparency Act in the Senate. After a very public delay, President Donald Trump has fully endorsed the idea of getting all the Epstein stuff out there. What is in the Epstein files that we don't know yet that you think will be important for the public to know about? I think it's important to know, first of all, that Donald Trump was for it before he was against it,

Earlier this year, The Washington Post's owner, Jeff Bezos, announced that the opinions section of his paper would be "writing every day in support and defense of…personal liberties and free markets." Today's guest is the person Bezos hired to execute that mission. He's Adam O'Neal, a 33-year-old Southern California native whose resume includes stints at The Economist, The Dispatch, The Wall Street Journal, Real Clear Politics, and covering the Vatican for Rome Reports. O'Neal tells Gillespie his goal is to build a nonpartisan editorial section rooted in core American values of free expression, free enterprise, and limited government. That means taking on MAGA and the Trump administration, insurgent Democratic Socialists, and censors and statists in both parties. "It's small L libertarian…classical liberal," says O'Neal of the section he's building. "It's non-partisan and free markets and personal liberties are the North Star." O'Neal talks about the challenges in bringing a classical liberal sensibility to mostly left-of-center readers, how growing up in California informs his thinking, what he thinks of Pope Francis' and his American successor Pope Leo's attitudes toward capitalism, and why newspapers shouldn't endorse candidates. The Reason Interview With Nick Gillespie goes deep with the artists, entrepreneurs, policymakers, and journalists who are making the world a more libertarian—or at least a more interesting—place by challenging worn-out ideas and orthodoxies.   0:00—Introduction 1:39—Writing in defense of free markets and personal liberties 7:40—Government threats to free speech 14:01—The Washington Post's editorial decisions 18:59—The state of free markets in America 21:52—Is the opinion section becoming libertarian? 34:09—O'Neal's origin story 40:46—Pope Francis and capitalism 45:17—Experiences at The Dispatch and The Economist 52:59—The culture of The Washington Post's opinions team 55:38—Generational change in politics and culture 59:04—The Washington Post ends candidate endorsements   Transcript This is an AI-generated, AI-edited transcript. Check all quotes against the audio for accuracy. Nick Gillespie: Adam O'Neal of The Washington Post opinion section, tha

Today's guest is Katie Herzog, co-host of the popular Blocked & Reported podcast and author of the paradigm-shattering new book Drink Your Way Sober. Katie writes about her and other people's experiences with The Sinclair Method—a medication-assisted approach to alcoholism where you use one drug to counter problematic use of another. Her story—and the cutting-edge research and treatment she reports on—upends just about everything we think we know about drug use, recovery, and autonomy. She talks with Nick Gillespie about naltrexone, the drug that helped her retrain her brain, why Alcoholics Anonymous works for some people but not for others, and how modern medicine is finally catching up to the idea that we should treat adults like adults when it comes to what we put in our bodies. They also get into the insane cancel culture politics that gave rise to her and Jesse Singal launching the Blocked & Reported podcast in 2020, whether we've passed peak woke, and if conservatives are now simply presiding over their own version of cancel culture. Previous appearance: Katie Herzog and Jesse Singal on Left-Wing Cancel Culture, June 17, 2020. The Reason Interview with Nick Gillespie goes deep with the artists, activists, entrepreneurs, policymakers, and visionaries who are making the world a more libertarian—or at least more interesting—place by championing free minds and free markets.   0:00—Introduction 1:34—What is the Sinclair Method? 6:59—Herzog's experience with alcoholism 15:50—Sexuality, self-identity, and self-loathing 22:22—Recognizing addiction and the myths of willpower 27:43—Alternatives to Alcoholics Anonymous 35:03—Herzog on differences in weed and alcohol use 38:44—Beta-blockers for overcoming anxiety 43:51—Transgenderism in media and cancel culture 58:29—Tolerance vs. agreement The post There's More Than One Way To Get Sober appeared first on Reason.com.

Nick Gillespie speaks with Dr. Wolf von Laer of Students for Liberty, and Sean Themea of Young Americans for Liberty about how campus activism may change after the murder of Charlie Kirk. They discuss how the tragedy has affected their organizations, what it means for the future of student organizing, and how libertarian ideas about free expression and individual rights fit in today's campus climates. The post Campus Activism in the Wake of Charlie Kirk's Murder appeared first on Reason.com.

Today's guests are Oscar-nominated filmmaker Jon Shenk and former Navy SEAL Marcus Capone. Shenk is co-director, with Bonni Cohen, of the new Netflix documentary In Waves and War, which follows three former Navy SEALs as they use psychedelic-assisted therapy to deal with post-traumatic stress disorder and traumatic brain injuries related to their service. Capone is one of the three main figures in the film. He first used the ultra-powerful substances ibogaine and 5-MeO-DMT in 2017 and is the co-founder with his wife Amber of VETS, a nonprofit that helps veterans access psychedelic therapies. He's also CEO of TARA Mind, a company seeking to expand the use of psychedelic-assisted mental health therapies for all Americans. He is featured in the 2023 Reason documentary Welcome to the Psychedelic Renaissance. They talk with Gillespie about why so many veterans and everyday Americans could benefit from psychedelic therapy and discuss the challenges of depicting both the grim realities of war and the otherworldly experiences of tripping on ibogaine, which some call the "Mount Everest of psychedelics." They also discuss why the Trump administration and an unlikely bipartisan group of legislators may well help usher in an era of legalized psychedelics. The Reason Interview With Nick Gillespie goes deep with the artists, entrepreneurs, policymakers, and visionaries who are making the world a more libertarian—or at least a more interesting—place by challenging worn-out ideas and orthodoxies.   0:00—Introduction 1:40—The reality of war 10:34—Documenting war for film 21:05—The psychological toll of the Afghanistan War 31:23—Health care for veterans and ibogaine treatment 36:14—Amber Capone and the importance of veteran spouses 40:15—The psychedelic experience of ibogaine 44:16—Stanford University study on ibogaine 51:49—Visualizing the psychedelic experience 55:37—Legislative progress for psychedelic-assisted therapy 1:05:52—The work of VETS and TARA Mind The post Veterans Are Suffering Because of Government Red Tape appeared first on Reason.com.

Today's guest is Jake Tapper, the host of The Lead on CNN and author of the new book, Race Against Terror: Chasing an Al Qaeda Killer at the Dawn of the Forever War. He tells Nick Gillespie why it matters that Donald Trump is following Barack Obama's lead in trying terrorists in criminal courts rather than military tribunals, why he believes the Trump administration is unleashing an all-out offensive against journalists critical of the president, and what the legacy media got way wrong with Joe Biden and COVID. They also discuss the future of journalism in an age of media consolidation, where Free Press upstart Bari Weiss is heading up CBS News—and possibly CNN, too. Previous appearance: Jake Tapper on The Hellfire Club, Donald Trump's Big Lies, and D.C.'s 'Bullshit Waterfall', May 11, 2018 The Reason Interview goes deep with the artists, activists, entrepreneurs, and policymakers who are making the world a more libertarian—or at least more interesting—place by challenging worn-out orthodoxies and ideas.   0:00–Introduction 1:34–Race Against Terror 5:25–The Bush administration and the war on terror 8:39–The legality and effectiveness of torture 17:06–President Trump's approach to foreign policy 22:19–Media censorship and the FCC 29:43–CBS News, CNN, and the challenges facing legacy media 40:14–The rise of independent media 52:07–Joe Biden's decline and its impact on the Democratic Party 58:37–What is being underreported in the second Trump administration? 1:06:05–Generational shifts in political views   Transcript This is an AI-generated, AI-edited transcript. Check all quotes against the audio for accuracy. Nick Gillespie: Jake Tapper, thanks for talking to Reason. Jake Tapper: It's great to be here. Thank you. The new book is Race Against Terror: Chasing an Al-Qaeda Killer at the Dawn of the Forever War. We're going to talk about that. We're going to talk about T

Today's guest is Jeff Flake, former Arizona senator and U.S. ambassador to Turkey, and now head of the brand-new Institute of Politics at Arizona State University. Flake made national headlines in 2017 when he delivered a searing Senate floor speech announcing he would not seek reelection and declaring he would not be complicit in the "degradation of our politics" under Donald Trump and MAGA. A lifelong conservative, Flake built his career on defending free markets, free trade, limited government, and pro-immigration policies—positions that put him at odds with a Republican Party drifting toward populism and protectionism. We talk about why he chose principle over power (and how he feels about that now), his time representing the U.S. in Turkey as Russia invaded Ukraine, his push for reforming America's broken political system, and why he believes the fever of grievance politics must—and eventually will—break. Past appearances: "Rep. Jeff Flake (R-Ariz.) on Immigration, Cuba, and the Future of the Republican Party," July 2011 "Pork Party House: Where DC insiders go for taxpayer-subsidized fun," March 2010 The Reason Interview With Nick Gillespie goes deep with the artists, activists, entrepreneurs, policymakers, and visionaries who are making the world more libertarian—or at least more interesting—by challenging worn-out ideas and orthodoxies.   0:00—Introduction 1:29—The state of the GOP under President Donald Trump 8:41—Did Flake's conservative principles irritate Trump? 12:14—The case for more immigration 21:27—The connection between immigration and trade 26:25—Globalism in the era of nationalism 34:26—Ambassador to Turkey 38:05—The importance of Ukraine's independence 40:51—The Trump foreign policy philosophy 44:02—Reacting to political violence 47:57—How to reform the political system 58:33—Arizona State Institute of Politics The post What Happened to the Republican Party? appeared first on Reason.com.

Today's guest is Ben Wizner, deputy legal director at the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU). He says that President Donald Trump's second term has brought an all-out assault on free speech—targeting comedians, immigrants, universities, and even law firms that take the "wrong" cases. Gillespie and Wizner put Trump's actions in the context of past presidents and discuss whether the ACLU has strayed from the days of defending the free speech rights of American Nazis in Skokie, Illinois, Unite the Right protesters in Charlottesville, Virginia, and the National Rifle Association (NRA) in New York. They also discuss the legacy of Edward Snowden, with whom Wizner worked, and whether government spying on citizens has gotten better since the whistleblower revealed illegal mass surveillance of Americans during the Obama administration. The Reason Interview with Nick Gillespie goes deep with the artists, activists, entrepreneurs, policymakers, and visionaries who are making the world more libertarian—or at least more interesting—by championing free minds and free markets.   0:00—Introduction 1:04—Free speech under Trump 5:33—Comparing Trump to Biden on free speech 9:42—Have Americans become more comfortable with censorship? 16:21—The Federal Communications Commission and Jimmy Kimmel 25:43—What are Trump's standards for protected speech? 28:46—ACLU cases protecting the speech of immigrants 40:12—Why the ACLU defended the NRA 45:02—Has the ACLU remained committed to its mission? 53:52—Protecting the rights of students on college campuses 55:46—Snowden and the state of mass surveillance The post Can the ACLU Serve Progressives, Libertarians, and Conservatives? appeared first on Reason.com.

Today's guest is Lionel Shriver, the provocative writer best known for novels like We Need to Talk About Kevin, The Mandibles, and, most recently, Mania. We talked a few days after the assassination of Charlie Kirk, an event whose lasting significance she cautioned against overinterpreting. "We want tragedies to mean something," she said. "And maybe they don't." Shriver offered cutting critiques of Gen Z socialists, Tucker Carlson, Kamala Harris, and President Donald Trump, whom she said is devoid of "any firm principles." In a New York Times op-ed a decade ago, she thanked Rand Paul for "nominally refurbishing libertarianism so that it is halfway respectable," but now says the term has become tarnished as "far right." She told me that she is one of "those sad people who occasionally still says they would like a smaller government" and isn't "interested in massive social control." Yet she seems to be growing more conservative, making dismissive comments about "the trans thing" and arguing against large-scale immigration, which is also the topic of her next novel, A Better Life, that is set to be released early next year. This interview was recorded live at an event in New York City. The Reason Interview with Nick Gillespie is a libertarian podcast that goes deep with the artists, entrepreneurs, politicians, and visionaries who are defining the 21st century.   0:00—Introduction 1:44—Lionel Shriver's health battles 4:06—The danger of overinterpreting events 11:02—Weaponizing identity for conflict 19:06—Shriver's views on libertarianism 22:54—Donald Trump and Kamala Harris 27:51—Shriver's novelist inspirations 32:27—Gen Z's problematic relationship with history 41:59—Concerns about mass immigration The post Are Americans Addicted to Conflict? appeared first on Reason.com.

This week's guest host on The Reason Interview with Nick Gillespie is Billy Binion, who talks with Jenin Younes, a civil liberties attorney who first gained national attention when she sued the Biden administration for pressuring social media companies to censor content it didn't like. That case, Murthy v. Missouri, ultimately reached the Supreme Court. A former New York City public defender, Younes is now national legal director at the American-Arab Anti-Discrimination Committee, where she is preparing to sue the Trump administration. She and Binion discuss her path to civil liberties advocacy, the threats to free speech coming from both the left and the right, and why defending the First Amendment should be a universal cause—even when that speech is offensive. 0:00—Introduction 1:00—Younes' commitment to civil liberties 3:38—The state of free speech in America 7:34—Opposing COVID restrictions 12:33—Jimmy Kimmel, the FCC, and Murthy v. Missouri 27:39—Donald Trump's record on free speech 39:41—Noncitizens and constitutional rights 42:23—Censorship in the aftermath of Charlie Kirk's assassination 48:33—Pam Bondi and "hate speech" 57:52—How can we protect free speech? Upcoming Reason Events Reason Versus: Mass Immigration Is Good for America, October 2 The post Defend Speech Even When Your Side Hates It appeared first on Reason.com.

Lasting 20 years, the war in Afghanistan was not only the longest conflict in American history—it was a near total failure. Today's guest is Dan Krauss, whose documentary Bodyguard of Lies is an unflinching look at the Afghan war and the lessons the public desperately needs to learn from it. Krauss shows how officials such as former Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld admitted they weren't going to be honest with the American people. He reminds us that within six months of the 9/11 attacks, the United States had essentially destroyed Al Qaeda's capacity to attack us—but instead of leaving, Washington chose two more decades of occupation, nation-building, strategic confusion, and widespread corruption. And he tells how Presidents George W. Bush and Barack Obama kept doubling down, how trillions of dollars and thousands of lives were wasted, and how a compliant press and Congress let it all happen. 0:00—Introduction 1:14—Donald Rumsfeld and the "bodyguard of lies" 4:59—The Afghanistan War in 2002 7:35—The shifting objectives of the war 18:20—Government corruption in Afghanistan 21:08—Vietnam parallels 29:57—Obama and the Afghanistan War 33:42—The military-industrial complex and tracking the money 36:53—Gen. David McKiernan 43:47—What lessons have Americans learned? 50:30—Did the Afghanistan War make us safer? 1:01:28—What is the message of Bodyguard of Lies? Upcoming Reason Events "Is mass immigration good for America?" Join us for a Reason Versus live debate on October 2 in Washington, D.C. The post How the U.S. Sold Its Longest War with a Bodyguard of Lies appeared first on Reason.com.

Today's guest is Joe Dolce, whose new book is Modern Psychedelics: The Handbook for Mindful Exploration. Dolce argues that psychedelics aren't just the province of hippies or tech bros anymore. They are powerful and increasingly popular—and legal—tools for therapy, self-discovery, and play. He talks with Gillespie about everything from the misunderstood role of ketamine in Friends star Matthew Perry's death to why ibogaine may be the only substance on Earth that can stop addiction cold, to how we went from "Just Say No!" campaigns to mail-order magic mushrooms in just a few short decades. How can we make The Reason Interview better? Take our listener survey for a chance to win a $300 gift card: http://reason.com/podsurvey   0:00—Intro 1:25—What do psychedelics teach? 7:02—Psychedelic safety and ketamine myths 13:01—How psychedelics work and ibogaine effects 19:12—Microdosing 23:00—Psychedelics and altered states 28:10—Generational perceptions of psychedelics 30:59—Cultural acceptance of psychedelics 42:22—The future of psychedelics 48:34—Drug legalization and access   Previous Appearance: "Brave New World of Weed: The Astonishing Potential of a Complex Plant," April 6, 2017   Upcoming Reason Events Reason Versus—Mass Immigration Is Good for America, October 2 The post Psychedelics Are Not Just for Hippies and Tech Bros appeared first on Reason.com.

In this episode of The Reason Interview, Nick Gillespie is joined by Senior Editor Jacob Sullum, author of the new book Beyond Control, to discuss the evolution of gun and drug laws in America. They examine how decades of prohibitionist policies have backfired, undermining liberty and justice without delivering safety. This was originally recorded live on September 4, 2025.   Is mass immigration good for America? Join us for a Reason Versus live debate on October 2 in Washington, D.C. The post Why Banning Drugs and Guns Never Works appeared first on Reason.com.

In this episode of The Reason Interview With Nick Gillespie, editors at large Nick Gillespie and Matt Welch reflect on the shocking murder of Charlie Kirk and the broader implications it carries for American politics. They discuss how his killing fits into rising concerns about political violence and what it signals about the nation's increasingly volatile climate. This was originally recorded live on September 11, 2025.  The post Charlie Kirk and America's History With Political Violence appeared first on Reason.com.

Today's guest is Lenore Skenazy, a journalist and activist dubbed "the world's worst mom" for letting her nine-year-old son ride the New York subway alone back in 2008. Since then, she's become a regular contributor to Reason and the co-founder, with psychologists Peter Gray and Jonathan Haidt, of Let Grow, which pushes for laws and school programs to restore independence to kids. She talks with Nick Gillespie about why kids today are more anxious and less free than they used to be, how fear and over-parenting took over American childhood, and why the free-range parenting movement is finally on the rise. The Reason Interview goes deep with the artists, entrepreneurs, politicians, and visionaries who are making the 21st century more libertarian—or at least more interesting—by challenging old, worn-out ideas and orthodoxies. How can we make The Reason Interview better? Take our listener survey for a chance to win a $300 gift card: http://reason.com/podsurvey   0:00–Intro 1:14–Spend less time with your kids 4:57–Childhood safety myths 10:50–Parental fears of failure 17:05–Generational divides on parenting 20:18–Criminalizing childhood 26:16–Politics and parenting 29:09–Let Grow and local legislation 41:14–What do children actually want? 45:17–How Skenazy became the "World's Worst Mom" 48:12–Childhood autonomy in pop culture   Previous Appearances: Are Your Kids Too Fragile? How to Make the Next Generation More Resilient, October 26, 2017 Stop Criminalizing Parenting: Free Range Kids' Lenore Skenazy on Our Irrational Fears over Child Safety, September 10, 2014 Helicopter Parents vs. Free Range Kids: Q&A with "America's Worst Mom," October 5, 2012   Upcoming Reason Events The Soho Forum Debate: Melanie Thompson vs. Kaytlin Bailey, September 15 Reason Versus—Mass Immigration Is Good for Ameri

Curtis Sliwa became famous by stepping in where the government was falling short. As the New York mayoral candidate told Reason's Jesse Walker, the Guardian Angels—the anti-crime patrols that Sliwa launched in New York City in 1979—were born because "the government completely failed us….We filled the gap." In the years since then, Sliwa has expanded the Guardian Angels to cities around the world, launched a multidecade career in talk radio, confessed that some of his organization's early crime-fighting exploits were hoaxes, and survived a very real assassination attempt allegedly ordered by the Gotti family. Now he's aiming to be mayor, running both as a Republican and on an independent Protect Animals ballot line against the self-described socialist Zohran Mamdani, former Gov. Andrew Cuomo, and the scandal-plagued incumbent, Eric Adams. Sliwa's thoughts don't always follow predictable lines. On immigration, he cheers crackdowns on "the bad hombres, the drug dealers, [and] the gangbangers" but warns that "everybody should be afforded due process….You don't just pick them up, put them on Air Con, and take them to that gulag in El Salvador. That's not the American way." He shrugs at market solutions for housing—"I don't trust the developers, I don't trust the realtors"—while blasting the city for mothballing thousands of public apartments. He thinks marijuana should be legal and fast food should be more tightly regulated. He's fine with President Donald Trump sending the National Guard to police D.C., but "if he would've tried to do it in New York City, I'd say, 'Whoa.'" Walker interviewed Sliwa twice in August for a Reason profile—once while Sliwa was campaigning on the subway and in East Harlem, and once in the Manhattan building that houses the candidate's campaign HQ. This is the second of those conversations. Transcript This interview is edited for style and clarity.  Jesse Walker: You're listening to Reason. My name is Jesse Walker. Our guest today is the founder of one of the best-known organizations of crime-watching citizen patrols, the Guardian Angels. He's also a long-time veteran of AM talk radio, and now he's the Republican nominee to be mayor of New York City. So Curtis Sliwa, thank you for joining us. Curtis Sliwa: My pleasure. And let's not forget the first ever independent line Protect Animals, no-kill shelters. <p