Billy Binion
@billybinion.bsky.social
Journalist. Criminal justice & government accountability. Yes, this is my real name.
Stop worshiping whoever is in the Oval Office. Presidents aren't all-knowing beings worth changing your principles for. They aren't your friends. And they shouldn't be your personality trait. They're your employees. reason.com/2021/02/15/o...
On This Presidents Day, Stop Worshiping the Imperial Presidency
Ah, Presidents Day: a much-needed moment to slow down and commemorate presidents past and present, because we definitely don't have…
reason.com
February 16, 2026 at 7:24 PM
Stop worshiping whoever is in the Oval Office. Presidents aren't all-knowing beings worth changing your principles for. They aren't your friends. And they shouldn't be your personality trait. They're your employees. reason.com/2021/02/15/o...
Insane. Cops in this Alabama town systemically slapped people with fake traffic violations & bogus charges to bankroll the government—fines & forfeitures made up *50 percent* of the town budget, totaling $487 per person. Policing for profit. reason.com/2026/02/11/a...
A tiny Alabama town ran an outrageous speed trap. Now it will pay $1.5 million to settle a lawsuit.
Brookside, Alabama, made national news in 2022 after investigations revealed it was bankrolling itself through predatory traffic enforcement.
reason.com
February 12, 2026 at 9:57 PM
Insane. Cops in this Alabama town systemically slapped people with fake traffic violations & bogus charges to bankroll the government—fines & forfeitures made up *50 percent* of the town budget, totaling $487 per person. Policing for profit. reason.com/2026/02/11/a...
This is why it’s funny that the White House keeps taking credit for crime falling. The decline was already noticeable in 2024, and Trump said that data was “ridiculous” and “a lie.” Now the numbers are magically reliable. That’s…not how this works. reason.com/2026/02/10/i...
In 2024, Trump rejected numbers showing a homicide drop as a 'lie.' Now he is bragging about them.
While running against Kamala Harris, Trump claimed homicides were "skyrocketing," disregarding the data contradicting that assertion.
reason.com
February 10, 2026 at 11:23 PM
This is why it’s funny that the White House keeps taking credit for crime falling. The decline was already noticeable in 2024, and Trump said that data was “ridiculous” and “a lie.” Now the numbers are magically reliable. That’s…not how this works. reason.com/2026/02/10/i...
Trump keeps taking credit for the murder decline. But crime started plunging in 2023—long before he returned to office. It’s falling in red & blue areas alike, because presidents don't control crime.
The real story: no one actually knows why it's collapsing. Everyone should want the answer.
The real story: no one actually knows why it's collapsing. Everyone should want the answer.
The decline in murders is noteworthy, but it is not especially surprising, given recent trends.
The Trump administration is taking credit for a long-running murder decline
2025 is on track to have the largest drop in the murder rate in recorded history.
reason.pub
February 10, 2026 at 5:23 PM
Trump keeps taking credit for the murder decline. But crime started plunging in 2023—long before he returned to office. It’s falling in red & blue areas alike, because presidents don't control crime.
The real story: no one actually knows why it's collapsing. Everyone should want the answer.
The real story: no one actually knows why it's collapsing. Everyone should want the answer.
This man got 20 years in prison for saying things the government didn’t like.
He’s 78, so that’s a death sentence.
I wrote about why everyone should know who Jimmy Lai is: reason.com/2026/02/09/j...
He’s 78, so that’s a death sentence.
I wrote about why everyone should know who Jimmy Lai is: reason.com/2026/02/09/j...
Jimmy Lai got a 20-year sentence for saying things the Chinese government didn't like
China's 'national security law' was tailored to zero in on someone like Lai, who pushed for democracy, freedom of speech, and government reform.
reason.com
February 10, 2026 at 2:45 AM
This man got 20 years in prison for saying things the government didn’t like.
He’s 78, so that’s a death sentence.
I wrote about why everyone should know who Jimmy Lai is: reason.com/2026/02/09/j...
He’s 78, so that’s a death sentence.
I wrote about why everyone should know who Jimmy Lai is: reason.com/2026/02/09/j...
Hard to overstate how big a loss Rumeysa Ozturk’s case is for the Trump admin. Immigration court is an extension of the executive. It’s very hard for them to lose there.
Here she is being arrested by men in plainclothes. Over an op-ed. Still disturbs me.
Here she is being arrested by men in plainclothes. Over an op-ed. Still disturbs me.
February 10, 2026 at 1:21 AM
Hard to overstate how big a loss Rumeysa Ozturk’s case is for the Trump admin. Immigration court is an extension of the executive. It’s very hard for them to lose there.
Here she is being arrested by men in plainclothes. Over an op-ed. Still disturbs me.
Here she is being arrested by men in plainclothes. Over an op-ed. Still disturbs me.
I’m back with your yearly reminder that Whitney Houston sang the best National Anthem of all time. People are still pretending it can be beat. It can’t. Just put this on the Jumbotron every year.
February 8, 2026 at 11:38 PM
I’m back with your yearly reminder that Whitney Houston sang the best National Anthem of all time. People are still pretending it can be beat. It can’t. Just put this on the Jumbotron every year.
This is a horror story.
A Florida woman who lives paycheck to paycheck was fined over $100,000 for...parking on her own grass.
A judge ruled that wasn't "excessive." The Florida Supreme Court won't hear her case.
She's not even the first. A thread.
A Florida woman who lives paycheck to paycheck was fined over $100,000 for...parking on her own grass.
A judge ruled that wasn't "excessive." The Florida Supreme Court won't hear her case.
She's not even the first. A thread.
February 6, 2026 at 2:08 PM
This is a horror story.
A Florida woman who lives paycheck to paycheck was fined over $100,000 for...parking on her own grass.
A judge ruled that wasn't "excessive." The Florida Supreme Court won't hear her case.
She's not even the first. A thread.
A Florida woman who lives paycheck to paycheck was fined over $100,000 for...parking on her own grass.
A judge ruled that wasn't "excessive." The Florida Supreme Court won't hear her case.
She's not even the first. A thread.
Contrary to what this administration says, merely having a gun on you is *not* enough to justify deadly force. Claiming otherwise is legally illiterate. Here’s why:
January 27, 2026 at 3:09 AM
Contrary to what this administration says, merely having a gun on you is *not* enough to justify deadly force. Claiming otherwise is legally illiterate. Here’s why:
These stories never fail to make my jaw drop. A CPS worker ruled this family neglected their son because they...let him ride his scooter a third of a mile away.
They’re now living under a government “safety plan” for behavior that was normal just a few decades ago. reason.com/2026/01/16/s...
They’re now living under a government “safety plan” for behavior that was normal just a few decades ago. reason.com/2026/01/16/s...
She let her 6-year-old ride to the park alone. Georgia called it neglect.
Despite a new state law protecting childhood independence, child welfare officials accused these Atlanta parents of neglect—and put their family under surveillance.
reason.com
January 22, 2026 at 6:02 PM
These stories never fail to make my jaw drop. A CPS worker ruled this family neglected their son because they...let him ride his scooter a third of a mile away.
They’re now living under a government “safety plan” for behavior that was normal just a few decades ago. reason.com/2026/01/16/s...
They’re now living under a government “safety plan” for behavior that was normal just a few decades ago. reason.com/2026/01/16/s...
A potential silver lining to the news out of Venezuela: more people may finally become aware of how Chávez and Maduro’s socialism—price controls, oil nationalization, attacks on property rights—helped turn one of Latin America’s richest countries into one of its poorest.
January 3, 2026 at 2:28 PM
A potential silver lining to the news out of Venezuela: more people may finally become aware of how Chávez and Maduro’s socialism—price controls, oil nationalization, attacks on property rights—helped turn one of Latin America’s richest countries into one of its poorest.
There are few things that haunt me more than someone dying this young. Her essay on coming to terms with her mortality was one of the more gorgeous things I’ve read, and a reminder how lucky we are to be here. RIP.
BOSTON (AP) — Environmental journalist Tatiana Schlossberg, granddaughter of late President John F. Kennedy, has died, family says.
December 31, 2025 at 1:24 AM
There are few things that haunt me more than someone dying this young. Her essay on coming to terms with her mortality was one of the more gorgeous things I’ve read, and a reminder how lucky we are to be here. RIP.
A SWAT team threw 30+ grenades into an innocent man’s business while chasing a suspect.
L.A. left him with a $60,000 bill. His livelihood was destroyed.
A federal court says he’s entitled to $0. Whatever your politics, that’s a travesty. reason.com/2025/12/29/i...
L.A. left him with a $60,000 bill. His livelihood was destroyed.
A federal court says he’s entitled to $0. Whatever your politics, that’s a travesty. reason.com/2025/12/29/i...
Innocent man sues for over $60,000 after police blew up his business. A court says he's entitled to nothing.
Carlos Pena sued Los Angeles for over $60,000 after law enforcement destroyed his printing shop in pursuit of a fugitive who had broken in.
reason.com
December 30, 2025 at 2:29 PM
A SWAT team threw 30+ grenades into an innocent man’s business while chasing a suspect.
L.A. left him with a $60,000 bill. His livelihood was destroyed.
A federal court says he’s entitled to $0. Whatever your politics, that’s a travesty. reason.com/2025/12/29/i...
L.A. left him with a $60,000 bill. His livelihood was destroyed.
A federal court says he’s entitled to $0. Whatever your politics, that’s a travesty. reason.com/2025/12/29/i...
Thinking about the time my sister blew up a photo of a guy trolling me on Twitter, framed it, and gave it to me as my Christmas gift. You can’t top it
December 25, 2025 at 8:07 PM
Thinking about the time my sister blew up a photo of a guy trolling me on Twitter, framed it, and gave it to me as my Christmas gift. You can’t top it
We're constantly told the Supreme Court is "extreme" and hopelessly divided. Meanwhile, here's a major ruling where 3 conservatives and 3 liberals just benchslapped the Trump admin on a key issue. Reality is often way more interesting than the narrative.
BREAKING: The Supreme Court keeps President Trump’s National Guard deployment blocked in the Chicago area for now.
Supreme Court keeps Trump’s National Guard deployment blocked in the Chicago area, for now
The Supreme Court has refused to allow the Trump administration to deploy National Guard troops in the Chicago area to support its immigration crackdown.
bit.ly
December 23, 2025 at 9:36 PM
We're constantly told the Supreme Court is "extreme" and hopelessly divided. Meanwhile, here's a major ruling where 3 conservatives and 3 liberals just benchslapped the Trump admin on a key issue. Reality is often way more interesting than the narrative.
This is atrocious. These law-abiding H-1B holders were following the rules to renew their visas. They’re now trapped abroad, separated from their families, and unsure if they’ll be able to work. The U.S. is their home. Cruelty for the sake of it. www.washingtonpost.com/world/2025/1...
H-1B workers flew to India to renew U.S. visas. Now they’re stuck.
H-1B holders who returned to India this month to renew their visas had consular appointments canceled, stranding them far from their homes and jobs, lawyers said.
www.washingtonpost.com
December 22, 2025 at 2:28 AM
This is atrocious. These law-abiding H-1B holders were following the rules to renew their visas. They’re now trapped abroad, separated from their families, and unsure if they’ll be able to work. The U.S. is their home. Cruelty for the sake of it. www.washingtonpost.com/world/2025/1...
Omar Fateh was born in the United States. He is an American. I don’t share his politics, but I tend to think it’s better to challenge him based on his ideas, not his race. This is so gross.
JD Vance: "They are not sending their best. Omar Fateh was Ilehan [sic] Omar's candidate for mayor of Mogadishu-- I mean Minneapolis. Little Freudian slip there."
December 21, 2025 at 8:44 PM
Omar Fateh was born in the United States. He is an American. I don’t share his politics, but I tend to think it’s better to challenge him based on his ideas, not his race. This is so gross.
The saddest part of this story: The arts are supposed to bring people together. They're supposed to be an equalizer. Really disappointing—for both the artists & patrons—that the president has decided to infect that so he can have another vanity project.
Workers began adding President Trump’s name to the Kennedy Center on Friday, despite no action by Congress to legally rename it. It comes a day after Trump’s board of loyalists moved to rename the performing arts center as the Trump-Kennedy Center. nyti.ms/4pa6FpX
December 19, 2025 at 6:32 PM
The saddest part of this story: The arts are supposed to bring people together. They're supposed to be an equalizer. Really disappointing—for both the artists & patrons—that the president has decided to infect that so he can have another vanity project.
Apropos of nothing, *BANGS ON SIGN*
December 18, 2025 at 9:42 PM
Apropos of nothing, *BANGS ON SIGN*
This story is insane. It’s been almost a year since the Palisades fire & the LA City Council “is still debating how much permit relief the city can afford.”
Out of 6,000 homes, construction is underway at fewer than 400 addresses. Devastating for these victims. www.latimes.com/california/s...
Out of 6,000 homes, construction is underway at fewer than 400 addresses. Devastating for these victims. www.latimes.com/california/s...
For L.A.'s mayor, a Palisades recovery marked by missteps, reversals and delays
Since the Palisades fire, Mayor Karen Bass has outlined recovery strategies that critics say have faltered in execution, affecting confidence in the rebuilding process.
www.latimes.com
December 18, 2025 at 4:16 PM
This story is insane. It’s been almost a year since the Palisades fire & the LA City Council “is still debating how much permit relief the city can afford.”
Out of 6,000 homes, construction is underway at fewer than 400 addresses. Devastating for these victims. www.latimes.com/california/s...
Out of 6,000 homes, construction is underway at fewer than 400 addresses. Devastating for these victims. www.latimes.com/california/s...
Just months ago, several top Republicans argued that nasty rhetoric should not only cost you your job but also potentially land you in prison for inciting violence. Curious to hear their thoughts on this.
December 15, 2025 at 5:01 PM
Just months ago, several top Republicans argued that nasty rhetoric should not only cost you your job but also potentially land you in prison for inciting violence. Curious to hear their thoughts on this.
Just insane. This man's face & name have already been plastered all over the internet, but police are saying the evidence "now points in a different direction." I can't imagine. A reminder to wait for the facts to come out.
BREAKING: Authorities say they will release person of interest detained in Brown University shooting that killed 2 and wounded 9.
Authorities say they will release person of interest detained in Brown University shooting
Police in Rhode Island said that they had a person of interest in custody after a shooting that rocked the Brown University campus during final exams, leaving two people dead and nine others wounded.
bit.ly
December 15, 2025 at 4:55 AM
Just insane. This man's face & name have already been plastered all over the internet, but police are saying the evidence "now points in a different direction." I can't imagine. A reminder to wait for the facts to come out.
Counterpoint: The Cinnabon story shows why strict labor protections are immoral.
If an employee calls a customer the n-word, you should be able to fire them. The idea that the government would stop you is dystopian. No one is entitled to your money.
If an employee calls a customer the n-word, you should be able to fire them. The idea that the government would stop you is dystopian. No one is entitled to your money.
“Those of us on the left should be fighting to improve protections for workers of all races, and thereby for the betterment of people’s material conditions regardless of their views,” Arash Azizi argues:
Why the Cinnabon Story Doesn’t Make Me Happy
The left should be promoting working-class solidarity, not delighting in seeing workers summarily dismissed.
bit.ly
December 12, 2025 at 6:51 PM
Counterpoint: The Cinnabon story shows why strict labor protections are immoral.
If an employee calls a customer the n-word, you should be able to fire them. The idea that the government would stop you is dystopian. No one is entitled to your money.
If an employee calls a customer the n-word, you should be able to fire them. The idea that the government would stop you is dystopian. No one is entitled to your money.
A very refreshing piece from @wsj.com. Most Somali people want the same things as the rest of us. Watching some of the loudest voices smear them all as villains has been depressing. But it's given me a better understanding of how bigotry takes root. www.wsj.com/opinion/what...
December 7, 2025 at 9:10 PM
A very refreshing piece from @wsj.com. Most Somali people want the same things as the rest of us. Watching some of the loudest voices smear them all as villains has been depressing. But it's given me a better understanding of how bigotry takes root. www.wsj.com/opinion/what...
I still can’t get over this story. A Tennessee man spent 37 days in a cage—on *$2 million* bond—for posting a meme, because police said he was trying to “create hysteria.”
This was the meme. I would expect this to happen in China, not the United States. reason.com/2025/10/30/p...
This was the meme. I would expect this to happen in China, not the United States. reason.com/2025/10/30/p...
November 19, 2025 at 5:01 AM
I still can’t get over this story. A Tennessee man spent 37 days in a cage—on *$2 million* bond—for posting a meme, because police said he was trying to “create hysteria.”
This was the meme. I would expect this to happen in China, not the United States. reason.com/2025/10/30/p...
This was the meme. I would expect this to happen in China, not the United States. reason.com/2025/10/30/p...