Today’s Links: August 8, 2012

OPINION

STEVE FORBES: “To Help Free Market, Bury the Hatchet
“We all want America’s economy to improve and realize that crony capitalism — where Washington politicians, not free markets, decide who succeeds — is a barrier to prosperous growth. Yet industries still dispatch lobbyists to Capitol Hill to get a legislative or regulatory ‘fix’ when there’s a marketplace dispute. Consider the recent settlement between retailers and payment card companies over fees that merchants pay to accept plastic.”

WILL OREMUS: “What Happens When Our Cellphones Can Predict Our Every Move?
“Your cellphone knows where you’ve been. And new research shows it can take a pretty good guess at where you’re going next. A team of British researchers has developed an algorithm that uses tracking data on people’s phones to predict where they’ll be in 24 hours. The average error: just 20 meters. That’s far more accurate than past studies that have tried to predict people’s movements.”

INVESTOR’S BUSINESS DAILY: “The True Costs of the GM/UAW Bailout
“The administration claims to have saved the U.S. auto industry. What it really saved was the industry’s dominant union – and it weakened capitalism in the process. Michigan is one of those light-blue states where Mitt Romney just may have a chance on Nov. 6. Don’t be surprised, then, if Barack Obama’s re-election campaign carpet-bombs it with ads noting that Romney once said the auto industry should go bankrupt, and that the Obama administration found a better way.”

NEWS

ANTITRUST – Jim Evans umpire academy files antitrust lawsuit against minor league baseball
“A training academy owned by a former American League umpire filed an antitrust lawsuit against minor league baseball and its umpiring company Tuesday, claiming allegations of a racist bowling party were used as a pretext to revoke its accreditation.”

TRANSPORTATION – Google’s Self-Driving Cars Complete 300K Miles Without Accident, Deemed Ready For Commuting
“Google’s self-driving car project is probably one of the most audacious experiments the company has embarked upon. Today, Google announced another milestone for this project: its fleet of about a dozen autonomous cars has now driven 300,000 miles without a single accident under computer control.”

PRIVACY – Appeals Court OKs Warrantless Wiretapping
“The federal government may spy on Americans’ communications without warrants and without fear of being sued, a federal appeals court ruled Tuesday in a decision reversing the first and only case that successfully challenged President George W. Bush’s once-secret Terrorist Surveillance Program.”