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$240 Billion Tobacco Deal Challenged in Supreme Court in S&M Brands v. Caldwell
Back in 1998, the states settled their lawsuits against the big tobacco companies in a deal called the tobacco Master Settlement Agreement -- the biggest…
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Morning Media Summary
Tech: London Stock Exchange Hit by Technical Glitch: The London Stock Exchange suffered a second embarrassing system glitch in a week on Friday…
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In re HP Laserjet and the question of injunctive relief
On February 14, there was an hour-long fairness hearing before Judge Guilford in the Central District of California, and anyone who practices in federal court…
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Bill Clinton Enters the Food vs. Fuel Debate Regarding Corn Ethanol
Another convert to the food vs. fuel debate on corn ethanol -- former President Bill Clinton. In his speech on Thursday before the U.S. Department…
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CEI Podcast for February 24, 2011: On, Wisconsin
Vice President for Strategy Iain Murray discusses the labor reforms that have led a thousands-strong protest in Madison, Wisconsin.
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Lessons from Four Loko: Don’t Be Too Good
That lawmakers are still wringing their hands about the alcoholic (formerly caffeinated) drink, Four Loko, reveals that their fears have nothing to do with…
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Obama’s Transportation Agenda Continues to Get Worse
Over at the National Journal's Transportation Expert blog, Fawn Johnson asks whether or not the Obama administration's transportation agenda, as laid out in…
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Will TSA Unionization Jeopardize Air Safety?
Pajamas Media For his part, Pistole assures lawmakers that he “won’t allow anything to happen that will adversely affect security,” and even says he would…
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Morning Media Summary
Tech: Google launches Apps certification program for IT pros: “Google has launched a program to certify that staffers at Google Apps resellers have specific…
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Alcohol Regulation Roundup: February 24, 2011
Kansas: The Kansas Federal and State Affairs Committee approved legislation that would phase in the sale of full-strength beer, wine and liquor in grocery…
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Alcohol Regulation Roundup: February 23, 2011
Alabama: After passing through the state Senate and House, Tuscaloosa voters approved a bill that legalizes Sunday sales of alcohol within…
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Morning Media Summary
Tech: Amazon Rolls Out Instant Streaming for ‘Prime’ Members: “Amazon.com (AMZN: 180.45, 0.00, 0.00%) on Tuesday announced its highly-rumored video-streaming service for customers subscribing…
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No, Wisconsin’s Budget Deficit Wasn’t “Manufactured” by Walker and the GOP
Wisconsin is one of the most heavily taxed states in the country, and its government employees are paid much better than the state’s…
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Afternoon Links: February 22, 2011
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House De-Funds Ethanol in Budget Bill
During the annual National Ethanol Conference, where ethanol rent-seekers enthusiasts from around the country gather to discuss achievement of the still-out-of-reach goal of…
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A Proposal Short on Honor
In his February 7 op-ed, "Social Security: Anti-social and insecure," Ted Nugent accurately describes the inefficiencies of the Social Security Administration (SSA), but proposes…
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States finally confront public-sector unions
The Examiner Wisconsin was the birthplace of American public-sector unionism, where in 1936 the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees (AFSCME) first organized…
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The return of the $0 Costco fuel settlement
You will recall that a class action is pending in Kansas over gasoline retailers’ failure to disclose the laws of physics to customers, i.e., gasoline,…
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Egyptian Military Seeks to Reverse Economic Reforms
The military government that replaced Egyptian ruler Hosni Mubarak is now moving to reverse recent reforms that gave Egypt solid economic growth in the last several…
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Obama Fans the Flames in Wisconsin, Seeking to Block State Budget Reforms
State employees are paid better than people in the private sector. But government-employee unions refuse to make sacrifices to help close huge state…
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Obama Instigating Disruptive Wisconsin Protests to Protect Union Privileges
In the Washington Examiner today, I discuss how Obama and his allies are helping orchestrate the disruptive Wisconsin protests that have shut down many…
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You can now follow us on Twitter! @workplacechoice
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Are the Wisconsin Protests Backfiring?
Protests in Wisconsin over public sector compensation cuts have been the big story this week. Over at the Daily Caller, I explain why some of…
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CEI Weekly: Senate Committee Holds Hearing on Green Jobs
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Eliminate the Cap on H-1B Visas
My colleague Alex Nowrasteh has an op-ed in Investor's Business Daily where he makes the case for liberalizing the H1-B visa for skilled immigrants.
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Obama’s Budget Philosophy: Life Is Short, Eat Dessert First
If a motto summed up the Obama administration, it might be, “Life is short. Eat dessert first.” President Obama’s policies are all about self-indulgence in…
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Dealing with Union Suffocation: Pro-Labor Legislation will Protect Laborers
In a Huffington Post editorial, the author makes claims of GOP assaults on unions and Democrats not standing up for Big Labor. The column…
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Unions Bucking the Will of the People
If there was ever an “I told you so” moment on government unions becoming too powerful, this is it. The Wisconsin…
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Remembering Jack Calfee
The sad news of Jack Calfee’s death came out of the blue yesterday morning. I first met Jack about two decades…
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Inhofe Takes on Global Warming Alarmist Attempted Ambush
Senator James Inhofe was recently ambushed by a few Global Warming alarmists. They wanted to know why he opposed their legislative agenda. Unfortunately for the…
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Government Motors Joins Anti-Ethanol Crusade
This might make things interesting, as the past few years have demonstrated the extent to which certain aspects of G.M. have clout in Washington:…
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Morning Media Summary
Tech: Meet the Android Malware That Sucks Your Bandwidth: “Mobile malware is still a fringe development, but it’s not inconceivable that you’d run…
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Afternoon Links: February 17, 2011
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CEI Podcast for February 17, 2011: Let the Best Bulb Win
Brian McGraw, a Policy Analyst for CEI's Center for Energy & Environment, talks about the coming incandescent light bulb ban, who it benefits (bulb manufacturers),…
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U.S. Continues to Ignore Staunch Trade Partner and Ally Colombia — And Possible Consequences
As the U.S.-Colombia Free Trade Agreement languishes, the U.S. stands to lose some of its influence with that staunch and critical ally in South America.
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More Corporate Welfare on the Way?
Politico headline from today: "Qualcomm exec calls for small-business research funding." Alternative headline: "Businessman asks government to give money to businesses."…
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Florida Governor Rick Scott Wisely Rejects High-Speed Rail
Yesterday, Florida’s newly elected governor, Rick Scott, announced he was rejecting the $2.4 billion he had received from the federal government to subsidize the…
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Morning Media Summary
Tech: ‘Watson’ the computer creams human ‘Jeopardy!’ champs: “An IBM computer creamed two human champions on the television game show “Jeopardy!” today in…
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Public Workers in Wisconsin Rally to “Kill the Bill”
Schools were closed today in Madison, Wisconsin, because many teachers were planning to call in sick so they could protest at the state…
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Defending the Incandescent Light Bulb
Jim DiPeso, writing at The Daily Green, does not care much for Freedom Action’s campaign to overturn the impending ban on…
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Foreign Automakers Beware! Sincerely, UAW Boss Bob King
Another day and the same story, UAW boss Bob King is threatening foreign automakers with unionization. Bob King, again, is going back on his 11…
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SEIU Campaigns Against Public Perception
Over the weekend, the SEIU was hard at work preparing for an all-out assault on employers everywhere. The SEIU is preparing for an organizing and…
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Morning Media Summary
Tech: Computer crushes the competition on ‘Jeopardy!’: “The computer outsmarted its human competition in Game 1 of the Man vs. Machine competition on…
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Taxpayers Absorb Berkshire’s Dumped Bank of America Shares
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Afternoon Links: February 15, 2011
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Anti-Ethanol Legislation Begins Popping Up
Two bills have recently been introduced that intend to block efforts made to increase U.S. consumption of ethanol. The first, from Rep. John Sullivan…
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Mubarak’s Exit Lifts U.S. Stocks
As Egypt settles into a cautious detente, stock markets around the world recover from their Jan 25 dip. As Mubarak ceded the presidency Friday,…
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Morning Media Summary
Tech: Google Launches Site-Blocking Extension Against Content Farms: “Aimed at stripping search results of pages from “low-quality” sites, a new Google Chrome extension…
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Foreign Automakers Beware! Sincerely, UAW Boss Bob King
Another day and the same story, UAW boss Bob King is threatening foreign automakers with unionization. Bob King, again, is going back on his 11…
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CEI monitoring labor regulations
One News Now A non-profit public policy organization that works to promote freedom and fairness by making good policy good politics has launched a new…
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Regulation of the Day 165: Singing in Public
It is against the law to sing in public in Anderson, South Carolina. But the ban could be lifted as soon as today.
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Afternoon Links: February 14, 2011
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SEIU Campaigns Against Public Perception
Over the weekend, the SEIU was hard at work preparing for an all-out assault on employers everywhere. The SEIU is preparing for an organizing and…
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New York Times Repeatedly Makes False Claims About Supreme Court and Court Rulings
In The Atlantic, former ACLU board member Wendy Kaminer discusses the New York Times’ refusal to correct repeated falsehoods in its editorials about the…
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Michigan May Fire Salvo Against Regressive Debit Card Price Controls
In the battle against Obamacare, the shots heard ’round the world were resolutions against the law by state legislatures. These resolutions led to court cases that…
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Hold the Sizzle: Chipotle, Immigrant Employees Get ICE’d
Chipotle boasts that it offers “food with integrity,” but the popular restaurant chain may want to consider an addendum in light of its recent actions:…
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Education Cuts Needed; Massive Spending Fuels Waste, Deficits
Education expert Neal McCluskey earlier lamented the failure of House Republicans to propose meaningful cuts in education spending, “despite the fact that the ivory…
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Will the players union sink the NFL?
The Examiner “American Ills Not Caused by Unions,” screamed a recent headline in the Detroit News. Really? OK, forget about the union-strong-armed public-sector salaries and…
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Morning Media Summary
Tech: FTC Warns About Public Wi-Fi Hotspot Dangers: “The OnGuardOnline.gov website, operated by the Federal Trade Commission, Justice Department, Homeland Security, Commerce Department…
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The Pitfalls of Unionizing the TSA
Robert Verbruggen wrote recently about the downside of unionizing the TSA in the National Review, taking issue with the Obama Administration’s decision to allow the…
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What’s In Store for Egypt After Mubarak’s Departure?
Recently, Egypt’s pro-American dictator, Hosni Mubarak, was forced to resign after 30 years in power, and forced to give way to a military-controlled government. Victor…
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Merger lawsuits
I’m quoted in a Reuters story about merger lawsuits and their quick settlements: Settlements often come fast, and plaintiffs’ lawyers share in the spoils…
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Lowest Corn Reserves in 15 Years — Food Prices to Rise
The New York Times noted in an article yesterday that food prices are expected to rise this year as a result of significantly lower…
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CEI Weekly: CEI Participates in CPAC 2011
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Biofuels and Rising Food Prices
The ethanol industry is, again, being hammered by the media. This time its The Washington Post, publishing an op-ed by Tim Searchinger, a professor at…
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Politics is a Country Club: Mubarak/Clinton Edition
Hillary Clinton, March 10, 2009: “I really consider [Egyptian] President and Mrs. Mubarak to be friends of my family. So I…
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CPAC 2011 Day Two
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PolitiFact: Obama Made False Claims About Health Care, Taxes, and Court Rulings
PolitiFact, which earlier took Obama’s side about whether Obamacare is a government takeover of health care, now is criticizing President Obama for making…
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CEI Podcast for February 10, 2011: How Not to Stop Eminent Domain Abuse
Land Use and Transportation Policy Analyst Marc Scribner takes a close look at an eminent domain reform bill just passed by the Texas State Senate.
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Obama Administration Hid Role of Politically-Correct Discrimination in Spawning Fort Hood Massacre
Discrimination and politically-correct blinders can be deadly. It was obvious in the aftermath of the Fort Hood shootings that the killer was inspired by Islamic…
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Put Regulations on a Life-Cycle Budget
Reading through the headlines, the top economic stories are about scrutiny of regulation and spending proposals regarding the federal budget. But the similarities and differences…
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CPAC 2011
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Alcohol Regulation Roundup: February 10, 2011
Massachusetts: State Representative Alice Peisch filed legislation this week (HD 2759), which would amend the state’s outdated laws from the 1970s that make it…
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Texas Senate Passes Bogus Eminent Domain Reform Bill
Here’s some more bad news for those of us seeking real eminent domain reform, rather than style-over-substance feel-good legislation. Here’s the Dallas Morning News…
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Blogger Kareem Amer Missing in Egypt
Kareem Amer, noted Egyptian blogger and democratic activist has not been heard from since 11 PM on February 6th.
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Oral argument in the Bluetooth case
The audio file of Monday’s oral argument in the Ninth Circuit in the Bluetooth case is now on line. The panel consisted of…
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Alcohol Regulation Roundup: February 9, 2011
Connecticut: Two days after Super Bowl Sunday, Connecticut lawmakers held a hearing on one of the most contentious issues this session:…
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Transparency Bill Proposed Solution to Public Employee Pension Problems
At a House subcommittee meeting discussing one proposed solution for public employee pensions, a transparency bill designed to trace federal and state funds set aside…
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World Food Prices at an All-Time High Because of Subsidies
World food prices are at an all-time high, announced the FAO this week. Many experts are jumping to conclusions that this indicates a global…
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Regulation without Representation
Congress never actually votes on most regulations. As Wayne Crews and I explain in today's Investor's Business Daily, this is regulation without representation.
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Morning Media Summary
Tech: 1Gbps Wi-Fi Soon Coming To a Billion Devices: “Not only is 1Gbps heading for your Wi-Fi network by next year, it will…
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iPhone 4 is All About Verizon, Not Apple
Design loyalists know it all begins and ends with Apple, the little tech company whose mission statement is “to change the world.” When it comes…
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Natural Gas Vehicles and the EPA
Much has been written in the media lately about EPA regulations that intend to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. Might the EPA start by considering something…
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Common Sense: Making Union Officials Help Union Members
Recently, there have been numerous protests about Republican legislation that it is supposedly anti-union and limiting the rights of workers. I don’t buy it. Let…
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Regulation of the Day 164: Panhandling
If Montgomery County Executive Ike Leggett gets his way, panhandlers will need a government permit to ask people for money if they’re near a road.
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Morning Media Summary
Tech: China building a city for cloud computing: “China is building a city-sized cloud computing and office complex that will include a mega…
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Afternon Links: February 7, 2011
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Politicans Using Crisis for Political Gain
Here is a letter to the editor responding to the New York Times editorial “Their Real Agenda”: The author claims politicians are using the…
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FDIC’s Pay Caps Will Keep Businesses on “Sidelines”
At 11:30, in a much-anticipated speech at the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, President Obama used Super Bowl analogies to urge American businesses to “get off the…
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Another TSA Nightmare
The writer Andrew Ian Dodge shares his painful experience at the hands of the TSA at this link. The TSA inflicted prolonged pain on…
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The End of the Imaginary Age of Civility
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Morning Media Summary
Tech: Internet is easy prey for governments: “For all that the revolution in Egypt tells us about the power of…
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“Blue Laws” May Make Super Bowl Fans “Blue”
With the Super Bowl around the corner, many Americans are stocking up on yummy treats — including spirits, beer, and wine. But in some localities…
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TSA Given Approval To Unionize
As the New York Times says, this is a debate that has been brewing for potentially a decade: the “right” for Transportation Security Administration…
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Afternoon Links: February 4, 2011
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CEI Co-Sponsoring CPAC + Breitbart/GOProud “Big Party”
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The Double Edged Sword: How Union Leaders Support Policy that Hurts Union Members
In the 2008 and 2010 elections, labor unions were one of the largest contributors and supporters of President Obama and Democrats. Union officials applauded Obamacare…
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Tweeting Around Egypt’s Web Blackout: Meet John Scott-Railton
Recently, the Egyptian government blocked Egyptians’ access to the Internet. However, it couldn’t block the Internet itself. Consequently, John Scott-Railton figured out a way to…
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CEI Weekly:Florida Judge Strikes Down Obamacare
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Egyptian Riots Fueled by Ethanol Subsidies and Biofuel Mandates
As world food prices hit a record high, protests in Egypt demand the removal of the country’s pro-American dictator, Hosni Mubarak. No one can…