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.

The Fluffiest Praise of Ted Cruz You're Likely to Encounter

The Fluffiest Praise of Ted Cruz You're Likely to Encounter

Jim DeMint's paean in Politico is unintentionally revealing. More »

The Conservative Media Need to Self-Police for Their Own Sake

The Conservative Media Need to Self-Police for Their Own Sake

Stigmatizing shoddy work results in less of it. More »

Why Clarence Thomas Uses Simple Words in His Opinions

Why Clarence Thomas Uses Simple Words in His Opinions

The law ought to be accessible to the average person, he argued during an appearance at Harvard. More »

Would You Empower President Obama to Kill With His Mind?

Would You Empower President Obama to Kill With His Mind?

A thought experiment about the War on Terrorism, starring President Double-O-bama More »

The Civil War and World War II: The Worst Guides in the War on Terrorism

The Civil War and World War II: The Worst Guides in the War on Terrorism

President Obama's defenders keep citing sui generis conflicts to justify his actions in radically different circumstances. More »

Like a Swarm of Lethal Bugs: The Most Terrifying Drone Video Yet

Like a Swarm of Lethal Bugs: The Most Terrifying Drone Video Yet

An Air Force simulation says researchers are at work on killer robots so tiny that a group of them could blend into a cityscape. More »

The Epic, Surprisingly Sexist Fight That Brought the Minimum Wage to America

The Epic, Surprisingly Sexist Fight That Brought the Minimum Wage to America

Guaranteeing workers 25 cents an hour took two decades, a public scandalized by prostitution, a states'-rights rebellion, a Great Depression, a Supreme Court battle, and a lot of patriarchy. More »

Is Shaggy's 'It Wasn't Me' the Inspiration for a DOJ Legal Brief on Drones?

Is Shaggy's 'It Wasn't Me' the Inspiration for a DOJ Legal Brief on Drones?

They insist the program is a state secret, even though Obama officials talk about it constantly. I've even caught 'em on camera! More »

This Isn't Hard, Mr. President: Do You Think You Can Kill Us on American Soil or Not?

This Isn't Hard, Mr. President: Do You Think You Can Kill Us on American Soil or Not?

The White House won't say whether it thinks Barack Obama is so empowered. More »

This Stay-at-Home Mom Gave Obama a Tougher Interview Than 60 Minutes

This Stay-at-Home Mom Gave Obama a Tougher Interview Than 60 Minutes

Kira Davis's questioning of the president about transparency and drones during a Google Plus hangout was a demonstration of excellent citizen journalism. More »

A Republic Demands Courage From Its Citizens

A Republic Demands Courage From Its Citizens

The odds that an American will die in a terrorist attack are minuscule. So why are so many willing to sacrifice civil liberties and foreign innocents to keep safe? More »

Progressives Are Internalizing Hawkish 'War on Terror' Claims

Progressives Are Internalizing Hawkish 'War on Terror' Claims

They no longer emphasize blowback, have stopped adequately valuing checks and balances, and assume that perpetual war is the only option. More »

Is Marco Rubio Capable of More Than Bromides?

Is Marco Rubio Capable of More Than Bromides?

His smoothly delivered State of the Union response showed his major weakness as a speaker: the staleness of his rhetoric. More »

Touré: America May Have Committed War Crimes Via Drone—but Keep Up Strikes Anyway

Touré: America May Have Committed War Crimes Via Drone—but Keep Up Strikes Anyway

The MSNBC anchor adds, "I wonder if some in this nation are getting a little soft when they are defending the civil liberties of Al Qaeda members." More »

Calling All Readers: Join the Atlas Shrugged Book Club

Calling All Readers: Join the Atlas Shrugged Book Club

The Atlantic will take on the controversial novel in a multi-part discussion that begins February 18. More »

Dianne Feinstein's Outrageous Underestimate of Civilian Drone Deaths

Dianne Feinstein's Outrageous Underestimate of Civilian Drone Deaths

The powerful Democratic senator says that fewer than 10 civilians per year are typically killed by America's targeted killing program -- despite extensive evidence to the contrary. More »

MSNBC Host: Trusting Obama More Than Bush Isn't Hypocritical

MSNBC Host: Trusting Obama More Than Bush Isn't Hypocritical

Despite numerous objections to his drone program, Krystal Ball says she is comfortable ceding the power to kill to the president. More »

The Historic Report on Recent CIA Abuses That You're Not Allowed to See

The Historic Report on Recent CIA Abuses That You're Not Allowed to See

Senator Dianne Feinstein and presumptive CIA Director John Brennan agree that it is disturbing. So shouldn't it be public? More »

There's No Way to Hold Obama to Account When Drones Kill Innocents

There's No Way to Hold Obama to Account When Drones Kill Innocents

Even if he has the authority to order strikes on Al Qaeda, that doesn't justify keeping quiet when noncombatants are hit instead. More »

Teaching a Neocon Exactly How WWII Is Different From the War on Terror

Teaching a Neocon Exactly How WWII Is Different From the War on Terror

If Charles Krauthammer really doesn't understand the objections to drone strikes he should pay closer attention. More »

The Biggest Story in Photos

Photos of Tornado Damage in Moore, Oklahoma

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