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Thomas Massie: ‘The Next Speaker Is Going To Go Back to the Old Testament’Ahead of what could be a dramatic afternoon in the House of Representatives, Rep. Thomas Massie (R–Ky.) occupies an unusual and possibly unique position. Massie is the closest thing to a libertarian that you’ll find in the House and a frequent ally of the right-wing Freedom Caucus—some members of which are aiming to topple Speaker of the House Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.) in a vote that could come this afternoon. But in an interview with Reason on Tuesday morning, Massie offered a defense of McCarthy’s speakership, and he warned that the Republican rebels might not understand the damage they would do by firing him. “In many ways, this is a referendum on whether the House is going to try regular order or not, because the next speaker—if Kevin is deposed today—is not going to say ‘oh, if only…

BREAKING: Kevin McCarthy Ejected as House Speaker in Historic Defeat, Sending House Into Utter ChaosRep. Kevin McCarthy (R-CA) was ousted from his post as Speaker of the House on Tuesday, one day after Rep. Matt Gaetz (R-FL) followed through on his longstanding threat to file a motion to vacate the chair on Monday. Gaetz was joined by a small number of disgruntled Republicans and the entirety of the Democratic caucus — which resolved not to save McCarthy Tuesday morning — in voting to remove McCarthy Tuesday afternoon. The final vote was votes 216 Yea (to remove McCarthy) and 210 votes Nay (not to remove McCarthy), according to CNN. It marks the first time in American history that a speaker has been removed from his position by his colleagues in such a manner. The California Republican had only held the position since this January, when Gaetz and a group of conservative…

Opinion | Since When is Populism The Enemy of Conservatism?Must the Republican Party be either conservative or populist with no in between?  That was a core contention of former vice president Mike Pence’s speech on populism a couple of weeks ago, and former Sen. John Danforth (R-Mo.) says the same thing in a new Wall Street Journal op-ed.  “The future of this party,” Pence said in his speech, “belongs to one or the other, not both.” For his part, Danforth writes, “The traditionally conservative and Trumpian populist wings of the GOP have arrived at the same conclusion: They can no longer coexist in the same party.” I’m an enormous admirer of Pence, and no one can doubt the sincerity and honor of Danforth, but this is too simplistic and runs counter both to the history of conservatism and to its present.  One problem with the all-or-nothing formulation is that, based on…

History Offers Democrats a Way Out of the Menendez ProblemSenator Robert Menendez had a bad week. A New Jersey Democrat currently serving his third full term in the Senate, Menendez was indicted last Thursday by federal prosecutors who laid out an elaborate and damning case involving secret payments funneled through an American-based businessman, all tracing back to favors the senator allegedly performed on behalf of the Egyptian government. Even for New Jersey, which a 2014 Harvard study named one of the two most politically corrupt states in the country, the details are eye-popping. Cash totaling almost half a million dollars stuffed into closets, drawers and clothes in Menendez’s home. Gold bars, the price of which the senator allegedly searched on the internet, totaling $100,000 in value. A Mercedes Benz. Menendez is a notorious political brawler who has survived scandal before — in 2017, a jury deadlocked on corruption charges that…

Bipartisan committee urges NBA to ban Chinese products made by forced laborNBA Commissioner Adam Silver was sent a letter on Friday by a bipartisan congressional commission that called for the league to ban the use and sale of shoes and other apparel made by forced labor in China.  Leaders of the Congressional-Executive Commission on China, a group made up of members of Congress and White House appointees, per ESPN, also requested that Silver meet with victims of China’s authoritarian government to “learn about the sad reality of genocide.” A letter was also sent to New Orleans Pelicans guard CJ McCollum, who serves as president of the National Basketball Players Association (NBPA), which pointed out the union’s “potential complicity” in China’s forced labor use due to players wearing products made by, and having endorsements with, companies that allegedly use forced labor facilities to manufacture goods.  CLICK HERE FOR MORE SPORTS COVERAGE…

Opinion | Government Shutdowns Might Get a Lot ScarierA government shutdown like the one that might happen next week will interrupt many essential government functions. But it won’t cause a run on the banks or shake the financial system. It will not cause disruptions in the payment of Social Security or Medicare benefits. That’s because Congress has given scores of government agencies power to independently finance themselves, reasoning that their functions are too important to be left to the uncertainties of the annual appropriations process. But now, the constitutionality of independent agency funding is at risk in a case pending before the Supreme Court. The opinion could lead to a sea change in how essential government agencies function — and to potential chaos every time Congress engages in brinkmanship over funding. In the case, known as CFSA v. CFPB, the Community Financial Services Association is seeking to block the enforcement…