Op/Ed

Op/Ed Sunday October 25, 2026 Oct 25, 2026 14 articles

Commentary

Reason

Nominations Sought for Harold Berman Law & Religion Award

By Jonathan H. Adler · October 24, 2026

For the next month, the AALS Section on Law & Religion is accepting nominations for the Harold Berman Award. Here is the text of the announcement:

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Reason

Some Communications by Rabbi Shmuley with AI Platforms May Be Discovered in Order to Determine Punitive Damages

By Eugene Volokh · October 24, 2026

From Wednesday's decision in Fontainebleau Florida Hotel, LLC v. Botach [Rabbi Shmuley], decided by Magistrate Judge Marty Fulgueira Elfenbein:

Plaintiff's four subpoenas to the AI Providers and its Seventh RFP seek the same information, specifically Defendant's communications with AI platforms since December 3, 2024, concerning various categories of subjects:

In addition, to these six categories, Plaintiff seeks one more category of documents in the subpoenas to the AI providers (but not in the Seventh RFP), consisting of:

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Reason

Iowa Voters Don't Want Police or Flock Tracking Their Cars. Politicians Are Still Catching Up.

By Davide Mamone · October 24, 2026

West Des Moines, Iowa—Iowa voters may disagree on immigration, taxes, and the economy, but government surveillance is drawing opposition from across the political spectrum.

An Emerson College poll of 750 likely Iowa voters, conducted between late August and early September, found that 61 percent opposed police use of automated license plate reader (ALPR) cameras, compared with 26 percent in support.

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The Free Press

The Death of Writing. Plus. . .

By The Free Press · October 24, 2026

Welcome back to The Weekend Press! Today, Suzy Weiss on the $50 million bra that broke the internet; Josh Kaplan on the Norm Macdonald tweet that changed his life; a longtime “New York Times” obituary writer on whether his job was depressing or life-affirming. And more!

But first: Is this the death of the professional writer?

This might be a strange thing to read in a magazine that employs some of the best columnists in the business, but, in our lead essay today, Max Raskin argues that it’s getting to the point where robots can write better than almost any human.

Don’t believe him? Compare these two sentences:

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Reason

He Won a City Council Seat by Openly Admitting How Little He Wants the Job

By Joe Lancaster · October 23, 2026

To many people, but especially libertarians, voting can feel dispiriting: By definition, every person on the ballot wants in some way to exert control over your life.

Perhaps that's why it's refreshing to see a candidate for office who truly seems not to want the job.

Brady Rogers worked as a robotics engineer for four years, but he quit in 2019 after deciding the corporate world wasn't for him.

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Reason

Could a Libertarian Swing the Texas Senate Race?

By Nick Gillespie · October 23, 2026

Today's guest is Ted Brown, the Libertarian Party candidate for U.S. Senate in Texas. Brown is facing off against Republican Ken Paxton and Democrat James Talarico in a closely contested race. Brown received more than 267,000 votes in his 2024 Senate campaign and is now challenging both major parties on their commitment to individual liberty. He argues that Republicans have abandoned limited government while Democrats increasingly embrace economic policies that undermine the free market.

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Reason

California Republicans Pushing New Voter ID Law Are Motivated by Trump's 'Stolen Election' Fantasies

By Steven Greenhut · October 23, 2026

Supporters of Proposition 39, the statewide ballot initiative that would implement additional Voter ID requirements for California elections, pitch the measure as a "common-sense reform to increase trust and participation in our elections." Its sponsor, Assembly member Carl DeMaio (R–San Diego), touts widespread support for such measures by Democratic, Republican, and independent voters.

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Reason

The Man Who Saved the Internet

By Eric Boehm · October 23, 2026

If you're reading this, then the internet still works. But that's something that we shouldn't necessarily take for granted after this week's global cybersecurity meltdown.

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Reason

The U.S. Tax System Gets a Middling Score

By J.D. Tuccille · October 23, 2026

Politicians may not like it, but the countries they misgovern compete with one another for businesses, people, and capital. To attract startups, entrepreneurs, and investors, governments have to offer attractive environments, or else lose out to friendlier nations. When it comes to tax competitiveness, a new report says that Estonia leads the way in first position, with the United States lagging at 17th.

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Reason

Review: eBay Live Is QVC for the Modern Age

By Meagan O'Rourke · October 23, 2026

On eBay Live, livestreaming is for the entrepreneurial everyman. It is a no-frills, decentralized QVC for the modern age.

The interface is clunky, the sellers are unpolished, and the viewer numbers are low. The site is more like a digital garage sale than a Sotheby's auction, but it's just as thrilling to watch a bidder win a rare baseball card as to watch one win a Rothko.

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Reason

Javier Milei's Case Against AI Regulation

By Javier Milei · October 23, 2026

"As much as the industrial revolution freed us from the constraints of the human muscle, AI will free us from the constraints of the human brain, pushing productivity beyond our wildest dreams….Keep AI unregulated so that it is free to be developed without the deadly hand of premature and poorly understood regulation."

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