The Reason Roundtable

What Does It Mean To 'Run' Venezuela?

This week, editors Peter Suderman, Katherine Mangu-Ward, and Matt Welch are joined by Reason senior editor Robby Soave to dig into the U.S. capture of Venezuela's sitting president, Nicolás Maduro, and what it means for the White House to claim it can "run" another country without congressional authorization. They debate what temporary American control is supposed to mean in practice, whether the capture of Maduro was legal, how war powers and congressional authorization fit into it all, and why White House officials keep framing the moment as a fight to expand U.S. influence in the Western Hemisphere. The discussion shifts to New York politics after Mayor Zohran Mamdani calls for replacing "the frigidity of rugged individualism with the warmth of collectivism," prompting a debate over his motives to use such rhetoric in his inauguration speech. They also examine Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz's decision not to seek reelection as attention intensifies around a major fraud case that gained national notice following a viral empty-daycare video. A listener question asks whether immigration policy should weigh factors like culture and religion, and what reforms could reduce corruption and conflict without abandoning the case for legal immigration. 0:00—Can the U.S. "run" Venezuela? 12:46—President Donald Trump's foreign policy ambitions 25:52—Mamdani denounces "rugged individualism" 33:46—Listener question on immigrant assimilation 44:30—Walz not seeking reelection 52:22—Weekly cultural recommendations Upcoming Reason Events The Reason Roundtable: Live in Washington, D.C.! February 4 Mentioned in This Podcast "Did Marco Rubio Lie to Congress About Venezuela?" by Eric Boehm "Regime Changed?" by Christian Britschgi "Americans Are Increasingly Skeptical of Foreign Military Intervention," by J.D. Tuccille "Donald Trump Says the U.S. Will 'Run' Venezuela After Maduro's Ouster," by César Báez "Trump Should Have Tried To Get Congressional Authorization If He Wanted To Strike Venezuela and Capture Maduro," by Eric Boehm "A Socialist Swearing In," by Christian Britschgi "Zohran Mamdani Can't Ruin New York City," by Katherine Mangu-Ward "Nick Shirley, Tim Walz, and the Minnesota Fraud Story: Did the Media Miss It?" by Robby Soave "The Minnesota Welfare Fraud Story Is Really About a Broken Medicaid Bureaucracy," by Eric Boehm "Tim Walz Drops Out of Minnesota Governor Race. Good Riddance," by Robby Soave Producer: Paul AlexanderVideo Editor: Ian KeyserThe post What Does It Mean To 'Run' Venezuela? appeared first on Reason.com.

What the Media Didn't Tell You in 2025

This week, editors Peter Suderman, Katherine Mangu-Ward, and Matt Welch are joined by Reason senior editor Robby Soave to share the stories they believe didn't receive sufficient media attention in 2025. Each panelist selected a story from 2025 in the categories of politics, private industry, global affairs, and culture that deserves a closer look as we head into 2026. 0:00—Political stories that deserved more attention 11:14—The year's underreported economic stories 25:56—Global stories the media overlooked in 2025 37:19—Cultural moments that flew under the radar Mentioned in This Podcast "The Trump Admin Wants Western Union and MoneyGram To Report on Immigrants," by Matthew Petti "Treasury Department Surveillance at the Southern Border Faces Fourth Amendment Challenges," by Tosin Akintola "Taking $200 Out of an ATM Should Not Trigger Federal Financial Surveillance," by Joe Lancaster "Banks Are Narcing on You Because Congress Forces Them To," by Nicholas Anthony "How Trump's Travel Crackdown Is Hurting Americans at Home and Abroad," by Matt Welch "Nepal's Socialist Government Banned Social Media, So Activists Plotted a Revolution—on Discord," by Matthew Petti "Biden Strengthened the Refugee Resettlement System. Will Trump Undo It?" by Fiona Harrigan "Worldwide Refugee Population Hits All-Time High, U.S. Intake Reaches All-Time Low," by Matt Welch Producer: Paul AlexanderVideo Editor: Ian KeyserThe post What the Media Didn't Tell You in 2025 appeared first on Reason.com.

Can J.D. Vance Stop a MAGA Civil War?

This week, editors Peter Suderman, Katherine Mangu-Ward, and Matt Welch are joined by Reason reporter Eric Boehm to discuss Turning Point USA's AmericaFest and the GOP coalescing around Vice President J.D. Vance as President Donald Trump's successor. They analyze Sen. Rand Paul's (R–Ky.) opposition to endorsing Vance as the party's next standard-bearer, and whether this signals he will challenge Vance for the nomination in 2028. Katherine also shares what it was like attending the conference, plus her debate over marijuana legalization as the Trump administration moves to reclassify marijuana from Schedule I to Schedule III. The editors then turn to the bipartisan backlash over the latest Jeffrey Epstein file release, in which more than 500 pages were completely redacted, prompting Reps. Thomas Massie (R–Ky.) and Ro Khanna (D–Calif.) to threaten charges of "inherent contempt" against Attorney General Pam Bondi. The panel also discusses the Trump administration's seizure of additional Venezuelan oil tankers, plus the announcement of new military strikes in Syria. They dig into Minnesota's widening welfare fraud scandal, and whether conservative media is using it to scapegoat Somali immigrants. A listener asks whether Christmas expands our "socialist bubble" of family and community and what that says about capitalism, socialism, and human nature. 0:00—Debating marijuana at Turning Point USA 4:10—J.D. Vance is the MAGA heir apparent 14:47—Massie and Khanna react to Epstein file release 25:14—U.S. foreign policy in Venezuela and Syria 38:09—Listener question on socialism and Christmas 47:59—Minnesota welfare fraud scandal 1:01:28—Weekly cultural recommendations Mentioned in This Podcast "Cannavictory," by Liz Wolfe "Trump Orders the 'Expeditious' Reclassification of Marijuana," by Jacob Sullum "Heritage Foundation Undergoes Mass Staff Exodus as Cracks Open on the New Right," by Stephanie Slade "Epstein Wanted To Turn His Island Into a Resort for Paying Customers," by Matthew Petti "Oil Tanker Seized," by Liz Wolfe "If the Syrian War Is Over, Why Are Americans Still Getting Killed in Syria?" by Matthew Petti "Trump's Somali Insults Are a Disgrace," by Steven Greenhut "The Real Villain in Minnesota's $1.5 Billion Fraud Scandal Isn't Somalis—It's the Feds," by Jack Nicastro "Medicare Whac-A-Mole," by Peter Suderman "What We Get Wrong About the American Revolution," by Nick Gillespie "Avatar: Fire and Ash Is Part Spectacle, Part Retread," by Peter Suderman Producer: Paul AlexanderVideo Editor: Ian KeyserThe post Can J.D. Vance Stop a MAGA Civil War? appeared first on Reason.com.

Reason Vs. Breaking Points: Does Big Tech Do More Good Than Harm?

Reason's Robby Soave and Elizabeth Nolan Brown square off with Breaking Points' Emily Jashinsky and Ryan Grim in a no-holds-barred debate over Big Tech. The Reason team argues that technology has dramatically improved everyday life—and that those benefits can't be ignored. Their opponents counter that Big Tech's power is inseparable from big government, and that the two can't be untangled. Resolution: Big Tech does more good than harm. Affirmative: Robby Soave and Elizabeth Nolan Brown Negative: Emily Jashinsky and Ryan Grim Moderator: Peter Suderman 0:00—Andrew Heaton's warmup 6:31—Opening statements 31:03—Moderator questions and debater discussion 53:47—All the debaters make their case using props 1:02:10—Audience questions 1:23:25—Closing statements 1:40:20—Final debate results The post Reason Vs. Breaking Points: Does Big Tech Do More Good Than Harm? appeared first on Reason.com.

Should Libertarians Support Federal AI Regulation?

This week, editors Peter Suderman, Katherine Mangu-Ward, and Matt Welch are joined by associate editor Liz Wolfe to discuss President Donald Trump's executive order blocking states from enforcing their own artificial intelligence regulations. The panel debates whether a single national framework for AI is necessary to keep American tech companies competitive or whether it represents a serious blow to federalism. They also examine the White House potentially reclassifying marijuana as a Schedule III drug and what that change could mean for the cannabis industry, tax policy, and federal drug enforcement. The editors then turn to mass shootings in Australia and at Brown University, including the actions of a bystander credited with saving lives at Bondi Beach, and what these incidents suggest about gun control debates. They discuss the U.S. seizure of a Venezuelan oil tanker and threats of land strikes against the Nicolás Maduro regime, and cover the conviction of Hong Kong media tycoon Jimmy Lai under China's national security law and what it signals for press freedom and U.S.-China relations. A listener asks whether modern socialism reflects moral aspirations that could be redirected toward liberty rather than centralized power. 0:00—Trump blocks states from regulating AI 10:31—Reclassifying marijuana as a Schedule III drug 18:39—Mass shootings in the U.S. and Australia 26:59—U.S. seizes Venezuelan oil tanker 36:48—Listener question on optimism for socialism 46:08—Jimmy Lai found guilty by Hong Kong court 57:12—Weekly cultural recommendations Mentioned in This Podcast "Donald Trump Tries To Override State AI Regulations via Executive Order," by Jack Nicastro "Trump Will Let Nvidia Sell Chips to China—but the Feds Will Get 25 Percent of the Profits," by Tosin Akintola "Trump's Plan To Reclassify Marijuana Would Leave Federal Prohibition Essentially Untouched," by Jacob Sullum "Stoner King Trump," by Liz Wolfe "Shootings at Bondi and Brown," by Liz Wolfe "Trump Dares Congress To Take Its War Powers Seriously in Venezuela," by Matthew Petti "Trump Is Still Claiming He Saves '25,000 American Lives' When He Blows Up a Suspected Drug Boat," by Jacob Sullum "Mark Clifford: A Political Prisoner Fights for Free Speech in China," by Billy Binion "Is Free Speech Doomed in Hong Kong?" By Jack Nicastro "'I Owe Freedom My Life': Jimmy Lai Is Imprisoned for Criticizing the Chinese Government," by John Stossel "Hong Kong's Free Press Is Dying," by Liz Wolfe Producer: Paul AlexanderVideo Editor: Ian KeyserThe post Should Libertarians Support Federal AI Regulation? appeared first on Reason.com.