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Response To Drescher On Cancer And Chemicals
Last week, Fran Drescher responded to my Huffington Post article on cancer trends, and today I posted a reply on the…
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Administration Notifies Congress That Trade Talks With EU Will Begin
Earlier today, the Office of the U.S. Trade Representative sent a notice to Congress that the Obama administration would begin negotiating a trade partnership…
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Bipartisan Dodd-Frank Derivatives Deregulation Advances In House — And Main Street Cheers
This afternoon, members of the House Agriculture Committee with strikingly different views on many issues came together to provide much need regulatory relief from the…
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Sorry, Progressives, But The ASCE Infrastructure Grade Boost Wasn’t The Result Of Obama’s “Stimulus”
I am generally very skeptical of the American Society of Civil Engineers' (ASCE) "Report Card for America's Infrastructure," as this self-interested group 1) gives…
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Minnesota’s 300% Alcohol Tax Hike Will Hurt Consumers And Businesses
Politicians love to sell alcohol tax hikes as pennies on the drink that won’t really hurt anyone’s pocketbook, while helping to pay for the…
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Obamacare Harms Colleges And Their Employees
The University of Virginia is expecting a roughly $7-million bill for Obamacare's new employer penalties, said Susan Carkeek, the University's vice president and…
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What Cyprus (Initially) Got Right — Remembering The 2008 WaMu Capital “Run”
There's no shortage of criticism of the Cyprus "bail-in" -- the one-time tax the government had proposed levying on insured and uninsured depositors to rescue…
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Rand Paul: No National ID System, Including E-Verify
E-Verify is the Internet-based national identification, which the Senate wants to impose on all workers and their employers. The system, as proposed by the White…
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Unions euthanize nursing homes
The Washington Examiner Once upon a time, a group of health care workers walked off the job, abandoning the aged and infirm under their…
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Philadelphia Mayor Michael Nutter Shows Contempt For First Amendment Freedoms
Philadelphia magazine published an article called "Being White in Philly," with the subtitle, “Whites, race, class, and the things that never get said.” Compared…
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Republican National Committee To GOP: Be More Libertarian
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A Quick Investigation Of Central Bank Redistribution
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CEI’s Battered Business Bureau: The Week In Regulation
60 new regulations, from financial management courses to de-icing planes.
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Dallas Fed’s Fisher And CPAC’s Fishy Too-Big-To-Fail Event
If the Conservative Political Action Conference’s (CPAC) organizers wanted a speaker or panel on the causes of the financial crisis and what to do about…
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Lobbying Can Be A Great Investment
Not only did health insurers convince the government to require everyone in the country to buy their products, now their premiums will go up sharply,…
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A Balanced Budget Isn’t The Primary Goal
Over at the Daily Caller, Wayne Crews and I take a look at Rep. Paul Ryan's proposed budget, the Path to Prosperity. While it would…
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SEC Charges Illinois With Securities Fraud And Lets It Off With A Warning
This week, Illinois became only the second state in U.S. history to by charged with securities fraud by federal regulators (New Jersey was the first,…
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More Calls For Censorship To Prevent “Bullying”
We live in a culture where harsh but truthful criticism, or exposure of wrongdoing, is viewed by some as "bullying," especially when it affects…
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Human Achievement Of The Day: Bionic Eye Restores Sight To The Blind
Curing vision problems has long been the domain of science fiction, but a recent breakthrough turns fiction into reality. The aptly named Second Sight Medical…
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CEI Podcast For March 12, 2013: Sunshine Week
This week is Sunshine Week, a celebration of openness and transparency. Myron Ebell, Director of CEI’s Center for Energy and Environment, is here to talk…
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Federal Pay Freeze Was Really A Pay Slowdown
The Huffington Post’s Dave Jamieson argues that Rep. Paul Ryan’s proposed budget “ignores” a two-year pay freeze for federal employees. But Jamieson also ignores…
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Will Regulators Fail To Learn From The Past Mistakes Of U.S. Railroad Regulation?
The history of U.S. railroads provides an interesting case study on federal regulation. They were the first sector of the economy to come under heavy…
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Human Achievement Of The Day: Replacing Herbicides With Lasers
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Should Agencies Be Self-Funded?
If an agency is doing a poor job pursuing its mission, it needs to be held accountable; there is a reason Congress holds the power…
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CEI’s Battered Business Bureau: The Week In Regulation
69 new regulations, from grading almonds to lost luggage.
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No, Hugo Chavez Did Not Improve Health Or Human Development In Venezuela
Reuters’ recent obituary for Venezuela’s anti-American strongman, Hugo Chavez, obscured the fact that he made life worse for his countrymen — worse, that is, than…
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Sequester Show May Not Have Jumped The Shark, But Its Format Has Changed
Are you watching the Sequester Show? In today's Wall Street Jorunal, my friend Kim Strassel says the sequester drama has "jumped the shark," a phrase used when…
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Lessons On Regulatory Reform: The United Kingdom
In 2001, the United Kingdom passed the “Regulatory Reform Act” which allowed a government minister (similar to the head of a government agency in…
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Washington Examiner: “Congress: Obamacare To Boost Premiums To $7,186 — A Year”
Paul Bedard of the Washington Examiner reports on massive premium increases due to Obamacare: Health insurance companies, facing new and costly rules and…
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CEI Podcast For March 7, 2013: The Three-Sided Immigration Debate
Immigration Policy Analyst David Bier recently wrote for USA Today about a third side in the ongoing immigration debate: population control advocates who oppose immigration…
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Human Achievement Of The Day: Using HIV To Cure Leukemia
The title of the Vimeo video below is “Fighting Fire with Fire,” which conveys fairly well what doctors from the University of Pennsylvania (Penn) and…
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Obama’s Immigration Bill Forces Employers To Pay Illegal Immigrants
Nothing in this headline is a typo or an exaggeration. President Obama’s recently-leaked Comprehensive Immigration Reform Act of 2013 would require employers to employ…
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Costco CEO Favors Minimum Wage Hike
An overlooked argument in the minimum wage debate is that a high minimum wage gives big businesses an artificial competitive advantage over their smaller competitors.
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Making The FCC More Transparent
If there's one thing the regulatory state could use more of, it's transparency. In today's ?Washington Times?, I shine a little light on the FCC:…
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Capitalists Do It With The Lights On: Human Achievement Hour 2013
It’s that time of year again when we at the Competitive Enterprise Institute celebrate the innovative power of humanity and demonstrate our commitment to protecting…
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Lessons On Regulatory Reform: Texas
Overview of Regulatory Reform in Texas In 1977, the Texas legislature passed the Texas Sunset Act which would forever improve state government.
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Immigration Restrictions Should Treat People As Individuals, Not Groups
Private discrimination based on national origin has been prohibited in the United States since 1965, yet the United States government continues to discriminate based on…
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Austerity Is Worth The Cost
In a January National Review article, I explained how Baltic countries such as Estonia that had undertaken short-lived but severe cuts to government spending…
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Harvard’s Jeffrey Miron: Sequestration Will Help National Economy
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CEI’s Battered Business Bureau: The Week In Regulation
74 new regulations, from the Citrus Administrative Committee to pecan insurance.
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Alcohol Regulation Roundup: March 1, 2013
National: The Department of Justice (DOJ) filed a lawsuit to block Anheuser-Busch Inbev from taking full control over Negro Modelo. A few weeks later…
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E-Verify: Opening The Door For More Regulations
President Obama and the Gang of Eight senators want E-Verify -- the electronic employment verification system -- included in any comprehensive immigration reform proposal this…
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Hoover Didn’t Cut Spending
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Cut spending: Permanently furlough ‘official time’ workers
By Matt Patterson and Trey Kovacs, The Washington Times As politicians of both parties ride through the country Paul Revere-like in their warning…
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CEI Podcast For February 28, 2013: Italy’s Troubling Election Results
The results of Italy’s general election were announced this week, setting markets on edge across the Eurozone. Warren Brookes Fellow Matt Melchiorre finds the outcome…
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The Dangers Of Crying Wolf On BPA
Anyone with an interest in the science of bisphenol A (BPA)–a chemical used to make hard, clear plastics and resins that line food containers — should read…
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Chicken Little Lives Vicariously Through Federal Union Bosses
Openmarket.org We know the story of Chicken Little. The little chick thought the sky was falling because he was hit in the head by an…
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Chicken Little Lives Vicariously Through Federal Union Bosses
We know the story of Chicken Little. The little chick thought the sky was falling because he was hit in the head by an acorn.
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Progressives Should Be Wary Of A Minimum Wage Increase
Over at the American Spectator, I argue that progressives should look elsewhere for ways to help the poor:…
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Wells Fargo Economists: Sequestration Helps The Economy In The Long Run
Yet again, the Obama administration is busy engaging in scare tactics about sequestration, inflating its impact on the government and the country (to the point…
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VAWA Bill Likely To Pass Congress This Week, Despite Violating First Amendment
Congress never lets the Constitution get in the way of passing a law with a catchy title. Thus, the Senate’s version of the bill…
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The Myth Of British Austerity, And Why It Was Concocted
Opposition to spending cuts in America has been based heavily on “the myth of British austerity,” even though “if the British government is practicing…
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Immigration Restrictions Violate Americans’ Liberty
Immigration restrictions are more than just violations of the liberties of foreigners. Truly a society that restricts the freedom of certain groups restricts the freedom…
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National ID, By Itself, Violates Liberty
As I have pointed out over the past month and The Wall Street Journal’s Danny Yadron noted last week, many members of…
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Why The Sequester Budget Cuts Are Good
As we noted earlier, the automatic budget cuts contained in the sequester will help the economy in the long run, even if they are…
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Europe’s Latest Wake-Up Call: Italian Elections
Europe, which has been enjoying a recent respite from financial chaos, is about to get a rude awakening: Italian elections. Voters will go to the…
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CEI’s Battered Business Bureau: The Week In Regulation
53 new regulations, from the mental states of federal employees to giving rides to sick or injured people.
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Baby Products press coverage
Lots of people are talking about Baby Products, some of whom talked to me. [Fisher @ Forbes; Legal Intelligencer; Reuters;…
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Why is Jaafar & Mahdi Law Group trying to squelch criticism of a bad class action settlement?
A class action accusing local McDonald’s in Dearborn County of falsely advertising its chicken as “halal” was settled. A class member, Majed Moughni, an attorney,…
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The Real Birthday Of America’s First Entrepreneur
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Regulatory Report Card: Federal Communications Commission
Regulatory agencies need to be much more transparent. One way to do that is through an annual report card with important information about each agency…
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CEI Podcast For February 21, 2013: The Wages Of Sin Taxes
CEI and the Adam Smith Institute have teamed up to publish a U.S. edition of Christopher Snowdon's study "The Wages of Sin Taxes." He argues…
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Free Trade Si, Regulatory Harmonization No
Politics ruins everything, and in few areas is that truer than in international trade. Over the last two decades, the term "trade agreement" has become…
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VAWA Bill Still Contains Provisions Violating First Amendment And Other Constitutional Provisions
Legal scholars say the Senate-passed bill reauthorizating the Violence Against Women Act contains provisions that violate the First Amendment and Articles II and III of…
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Stirrings of Pension Reform in Montana
Pension obligations’ strains on state budgets have made pension reform a priority for state policy makers across the nation. Over the last couple of…
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CalPERS: Model Of Pension Dysfunction
Few state governments are as in as much fiscal trouble as California's, so it's not surprising that few state pension funds have been as mismanaged…
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Setting The Stage For Regulatory Reform — Part I
Just about everything in your life is regulated by the government; from the alarm clock that wakes you up in the morning to the size…
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Third Circuit win
We won reversal of the settlement approval in the Baby Products Antitrust Litigation, No. 12-1165 (3d Cir. Feb. 19, 2013). The settlement…
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NIH-Funded Conspiracy Theory Smearing Tea Party Gets Even Wackier
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CEI’s Battered Business Bureau: The Week In Regulation
90 new regulations, from hot air balloons to Sea World’s fireworks shows.
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Baltic Success Reveals The Folly Of Obama’s Doublespeak
This week’s State of the Union address was full of plans for government action and spending to combat U.S. economic malaise. At the same…
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Shades Of McCarthyism: Federal Government Funds Smear Campaigns On Tea Party, Kochs
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CEI Podcast For February 14, 2013: Dodd-Frank’s Constitutionality
CEI General Counsel Sam Kazman discusses a lawsuit in which CEI and two co-plaintiffs argue that portions of Dodd-Frank are unconstitutional.
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On Selective Memory And Pretending To Care About Illegal Immigration
In immigration policy circles, there’s one thing no one wants to repeat: 1986. Anti-immigration groups call the now-infamous Immigration Reform and Control Act (IRCA) “the…
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Schools Trample On First Amendment
Schools like Tarrant County College have banned "empty holster" protests in favor of gun rights, which administrators perceive as somehow threatening. Never mind that…
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“King” Of Nowhere: UAW Chief Makes Noise, Not War
Poor Bob King. Perhaps no other union leader presides over an organization in such stark decline as the United Auto Workers. At its peak in 1979, the UAW boasted…
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An Unconstitutional Gift To Labor Unions
In the aftermath of Hurricane Sandy, the New Jersey Senate has only passed one bill associated with rebuilding storm-damaged public infrastructure. Sadly, if passed, the…
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“King” Of Nowhere: UAW Chief Makes Noise, Not War
Openmarket.org Poor Bob King. Perhaps no other union leader presides over an organization in such stark decline as the United Auto Workers (UAW). At its peak in 1979,…
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Obama Renews Call For Paycheck Fairness Act
In his State of the Union address last night, President Obama renewed his call for passage of the Paycheck Fairness Act, which would make it…
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Reminder: State Of The Union Live Blog Tonight
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Payback? Government Targets S&P And Egan-Jones, Not Moody’s Or Fitch
Why not Moody's? Why not Fitch? Of all the questions raised about the U.S. government's strange case against Standard & Poor's—a lawsuit that actually asserts that…
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Breast Cancer Victims Suffer From Foolish Priorities
In government, political priorities often supersede science and good health policy. In fact, a recent government report may shift funding away from useful research…
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Immigration Reform’s Economic Benefits
Comprehensive immigration reform is coming. For those that don’t speak D.C. doublespeak, that means more costly, useless, and privacy-invading border drones, more guards…
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State Of The Union? Try “Over-Regulated”
In his 2013 State of the Union address, President Barack Obama cannot be expected to pledge to roll back government in any manner whatsoever, a…
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Sequester Budget Cuts Would Increase Long-Term Economic Growth
The automatic budget cuts contained in the sequester will increase economic growth in the long-term, if Congress will just let them happen—rather than listening to…
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State Of The Union Live Blog 2013
Welcome to the Competitive Enterprise Institute’s live blog of President Barack Obama’s 2013 State of the Union address. Tune in here on Tuesday night at…
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‘Blunting’ the decline of unions
New York Post Some say the organized-labor movement is going to pot — but at least one union is looking to pot for its…
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Progressive Myths About Poverty And Inequality
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CEI’s Battered Business Bureau: The Week In Regulation
61 new regulations, from your doctor’s stock portfolio to growing wine in Indiana.
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TSCA Reform: Reasonable Certainty of Harm to Animals
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The Case For Unilateral Free Trade In One Sentence
"Even if your trading partner dumps rocks into his harbor to obstruct arriving cargo ships, you do not make yourself better off by dumping rocks…
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CEI In The Wall Street Journal: E-Verify Is A Threat To Liberty
CEI founder Fred Smith co-authored an op-ed in The Wall Street Journal today on E-Verify — the electronic employment verification system that will likely…
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No More Regulation Without Representation
Over at the American Spectator, Wayne Crews and I show just how bad the problem of regulation without representation is by using Wayne's handy Anti-Democracy…
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National ID Proponents’ Bad Arguments
America’s new national identification system is coming. President Obama and a bipartisan group of senators want to enact a national identification card that would…
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CEI Podcast For February 7, 2013: Energy Secretary Chu Resigns
William Yeatman, Assistant Director of CEI's Center for Energy and Environment, looks at former Energy Secretary Steven Chu's record in office, who might succeed him,…
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Obamacare: More Cost, Less Coverage
Seven million fewer people than predicted will have health care coverage a decade after Obamacare’s passage, admits the Congressional Budget Office. One reason “is that…
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A Peek Into The Statist Mind
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House GOP May Want Legal Pathway For All Immigrants, Not Just Those Here Illegally
Everyone knows the major obstacle to immigration reform will be legalization for the 11.1 million people in the United States who have overstayed visas or…
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Former California SEIU Boss Convicted Of Embezzlement; What Did SEIU’s National Leadership Know?
While the January 28 conviction for embezzlement of Tyrone Freeman, the former president of the Service Employees International Union's (SEIU) largest local in California (and second largest…
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“Color” Them Bad: Restaurant Shakedown Group Suddenly An Expert On Ethics
Openmarket.org There’s a hilarious sketch in the comedy show “Portlandia” that features a painfully liberal couple attempting to order a meal in a restaurant. Unfortunately,…