BILLY BINION
Project: Unqualified Impunity: Law Enforcement Misconduct, Government Accountability, and the Need for Reform
Billy Binion is an associate editor at Reason magazine, where he covers criminal justice and government accountability. He has been published in Newsweek, the San Francisco Chronicle, HuffPost and the Washington Examiner, among other publications, and his work has been cited in The New York Times, The Washington Post, The Atlantic, National Review, Fox News and The Daily Beast. Prior to his career in journalism, Billy worked as a contractor at the North Atlantic Treaty Organization and as a professional performer, appearing with such companies as the Virginia Opera and Virginia Musical Theatre. He is a graduate of the University of Virginia.
JACK BUTLER
Project: Healthycons: The Conservative Case for Living Well
Jack Butler is the submissions editor of National Review Online, which he joined as an associate editor in 2020 after many years of fervently reading and admiring the publication. His writing for National Review and other outlets, such as The Washington Free Beacon and Commentary, has touched on conservative internecine debates, the possibility of extraterrestrial visitation, Dune, The Lord of the Rings and more. His primary pastimes involve popular culture and distance running. Though Midwestern by temperament and longing, he currently resides in Washington, D.C.
JOHN HIRSCHAUER
Project: The Faces of Deinstitutionalization
Fellowship supported by Colene and Russ Johnson
John Hirschauer is the assistant editor at The American Conservative and a former William F. Buckley, Jr. Fellow in Political Journalism at National Review. His writing has been published in The American Conservative, National Review, City Journal, RealClearPolitics and other outlets. He is on the board of directors of an advocacy group at a state-run institution for adults with severe intellectual and developmental disabilities in his hometown.
MADELEINE KEARNS
Project: Sex Rejected: How America Spawned the Transgender Contagion
Fellowship supported by Dr. Isabelle Richmond
Madeleine Kearns is a staff writer at National Review and a visiting fellow at the Independent Women’s Forum. She is a contributor at The Spectator and has written for The Wall Street Journal, The Daily Telegraph, The Daily Mail and UnHerd, among other publications. Kearns has a first-class bachelor’s degree in English from the University of St. Andrews, a postgraduate diploma in education from the University of Glasgow and a master’s degree in journalism from New York University. She also writes and performs music.
BRAD POLUMBO
Project: Scammed: The Student Debt “Crisis” Doesn’t Exist
Brad Polumbo is a libertarian-conservative journalist and co-founder of BASEDPolitics. His work has appeared in outlets such as USA Today, Newsweek, National Review, the Independent and the Daily Beast. He has testified before the U.S. Senate and had his work cited by top lawmakers, including Sen. Rand Paul, Sen. Pat Toomey and Rep. Nancy Mace. He covers economics and regularly appears on Fox Business.
JOSEPH SIMONSON
Project: Immigration Politics in a New America
Joseph Gabriel Simonson is a senior investigative reporter with The Washington Free Beacon. He previously worked as an investigative reporter and campaign correspondent for the Washington Examiner. Before that, Joseph worked as a reporter for the Daily Caller and for the opinion section at the New York Post. His writings have appeared in other outlets, including National Review and City Journal. A Hamilton College graduate originally from Darien, Connecticut, Joseph now lives in Washington, D.C.
KATE BACHELDER ODELL
Project: Another ‘Gathering Storm’: Preparing the American Military for a World War
Kate Bachelder Odell is a member of The Wall Street Journal’s editorial board. She joined the Journal in 2013 and covers a range of domestic policy issues, including spending, entitlements and national defense. She is a graduate of Hillsdale College and lives in Virginia with her husband, a U.S. Navy pilot, and their sons.