CEI Today: SOTU live blog, union turns to pot, and more

STATE OF THE UNION

CEI State of the Union Live Blog 2013

On Tuesday evening, Competitive Enterprise Institute staff will host a live blog of President Barack Obama’s 2013 State of the Union address. Experts on immigration, communications, banking and finance, energy and the environment, labor, consumer issues and more will deliver reactions in real time to the president’s remarks. Commentary will begin at 8:30 p.m. Eastern.

UNIONS – MATT PATTERSON

New York Post: ‘Blunting’ the decline of unions

Some say the organized-labor movement is going to pot — but at least one union is looking to pot for its salvation.

The United Food and Commercial Workers union represents employees at three medical-marijuana facilities in Los Angeles, and plans to organize in another 49 over the coming year.

ETHANOL POLICY -> VIOLENCE? – MARLO LEWIS

Globalwarming.org: Study Links Ethanol Policy to Food Price Increases, Mideast Turmoil

So in 2012-2013 what is pushing maize prices up to and beyond the violence threshold? The drought is a factor. The researchers also blame two policies: the “deregulation of commodity futures markets” and the “diversion of almost 50% of the US maize crop to ethanol.” Those policies, they contend, “are ill-advised and should be changed.”