Conor Friedersdorf

Conor Friedersdorf is a staff writer at The Atlantic, where he focuses on politics and national affairs. He lives in Venice, California, and is the founding editor of The Best of Journalism, a newsletter devoted to exceptional nonfiction.

Did James Rosen's Story on North Korea Do Any Harm?

Did James Rosen's Story on North Korea Do Any Harm?

It's certainly possible, but the public has insufficient information to make a definitive judgment. More »

The IRS Scandal Is a Test: Is It Too Hard to Fire Misbehaving Bureaucrats?

The IRS Scandal Is a Test: Is It Too Hard to Fire Misbehaving Bureaucrats?

Everyone agrees that some employees acted incompetently. So how much time and money will it take to get rid of them? More »

The Audacity of Eric Holder's Letter Admitting Team Obama Killed 4 Americans

The Audacity of Eric Holder's Letter Admitting Team Obama Killed 4 Americans

Its long overdue admissions are paired with praise for the president's supposed commitment to transparency. More »

Is Reporting on State Secrets Like Stealing Justin Bieber's Diary?

Is Reporting on State Secrets Like Stealing Justin Bieber's Diary?

A national security official in the Obama Administration makes that claim to defend the treatment of James Rosen. More »

What 'Stop the Leaks' Hardliners Don't Realize: They Can't and Won't Ever Win

What 'Stop the Leaks' Hardliners Don't Realize: They Can't and Won't Ever Win

If national security journalists are neutered, secrets will flow to transparency activists and the government will have even less control. More »

2 SCOTUS Judges in 1971: Espionage Act Doesn't Apply to the Press

2 SCOTUS Judges in 1971: Espionage Act Doesn't Apply to the Press

Justices Hugo Black and William O. Douglas specifically addressed a section of the law at issue today. More »

Costs of Spying on the AP That the Establishment Ignores

Costs of Spying on the AP That the Establishment Ignores

A press that's able to ferret out government secrets is more important than a government that can keep secrets. More »

1st Amendment Champion Hugo Black Rebukes Team Obama From the Grave

1st Amendment Champion Hugo Black Rebukes Team Obama From the Grave

His concurrence in the Pentagon Papers case is worth revisiting as DOJ tries to criminalize national security journalism. More »

Sex, Morality, and Modernity: Can Immanuel Kant Unite Us?

Sex, Morality, and Modernity: Can Immanuel Kant Unite Us?

Treating people as ends in themselves and "doing unto others..." as a bridge between traditionalists and mainstream American youth. More »

The Flaw in Many Humanitarian Arguments for War

The Flaw in Many Humanitarian Arguments for War

Wars with humanitarian justifications often save fewer lives than the same amount of money could if spent elsewhere. More »

In Homage to <em>The Office</em>: What's the Worst Job You've Ever Had?

In Homage to The Office: What's the Worst Job You've Ever Had?

Email me your occupational horror stories -- or leave them in the comments -- and I'll publish the very best, without your name unless you ask otherwise More »

The Biggest Obama Scandals Are Proven and Ignored

The Biggest Obama Scandals Are Proven and Ignored

There is clear evidence that he has broken the law on multiple occasions. And not even Republicans seem to care. More »

How to Prevent the IRS From Abusing Its Power Again

How to Prevent the IRS From Abusing Its Power Again

Evaluate tax-exempt groups based on behavior rather than speculation, and compensate them for compliance costs. More »

The Ethics of Extreme Porn: Is Some Sex Wrong Even Among Consenting Adults?

The Ethics of Extreme Porn: Is Some Sex Wrong Even Among Consenting Adults?

A defense of consent as a lodestar of sexual morality More »

If the Plan to Beat Hillary Is 'Benghazi,' the GOP Is in Trouble

If the Plan to Beat Hillary Is 'Benghazi,' the GOP Is in Trouble

The alleged scandal didn't matter in Election 2012, and it is very unlikely to matter in Election 2016 either. More »

Harold Koh's Latest Plan for Closing Gitmo

Harold Koh's Latest Plan for Closing Gitmo

The former Obama Administration official lays it out in four parts, but is perhaps too deferential to have any impact. More »

How the 'Cult of Smartness' Distorts the Immigration Debate

How the 'Cult of Smartness' Distorts the Immigration Debate

Even if it were possible to select newcomers by intelligence it wouldn't be wise or just. More »

Why Eric Holder's Excuse for Spying on Reporters Isn't Enough

Why Eric Holder's Excuse for Spying on Reporters Isn't Enough

If the enemy already benefited from a serious leak, why can't he tell us the details that they already know? More »

No, President Obama Isn't Trying to 'Wish Away' Islamist Terrorism

No, President Obama Isn't Trying to 'Wish Away' Islamist Terrorism

Some conservatives are still clinging to the idea, but it's a foreign-policy critique that can't succeed. More »

A Buzzing Sound in the Massachusetts Sky Evokes Drone Fears

A Buzzing Sound in the Massachusetts Sky Evokes Drone Fears

The mysterious plane is keeping residents up at night and making them anxious. More »

The Biggest Story in Photos

Photos of Tornado Damage in Moore, Oklahoma

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