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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…
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Regulation of the Day 163: Switchblades
Maine state representative Sheryl Briggs would like to end her state’s switchblade ban – but only for people with one arm.
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Parent-in-Chief
Libertarian Paternalism. The very name is oxymoronic and deceptive. Popularized by authors Richard Thaler and Cass Sunstein in their book, Nudge, “libertarian paternalism” is a…
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Morning Media Summary
Tech: A Shortage of Power in Data Centers?: “You don’t know what you have until it’s gone, right? If you’ve ever experienced a…
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When Unions Refuse To Take “No” for an Answer
By Barbara Comstock/Capital Research Center In November 2010, Delta Air Lines Flight Attendants voted against unionization. This was the third time that the employees have…
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Egypt and Global Oil Supplies
The ongoing situation in Egypt has U.S. elected officials in a huff over volatile oil prices, as significant amounts of oil are shipped to the…
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Ruling Striking Down Health Care Law Was Not “Judicial Activism”
On Monday, a federal judge in Florida struck down Obamacare as unconstitutional. Judge Vinson concluded that the law’s cornerstone — a requirement that…
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CEI Podcast for February 3, 2011: The EPA vs. West Virginia
Energy Policy Analyst William Yeatman looks over the EPA's recent decision to deny a mining permit in Logan County, West Virginia.
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Arlington County Kills I-5/395 HOT Lanes Inside the Beltway
An innovative project that would have converted high-occupancy vehicle (HOV) lanes to high-occupancy toll (HOT) lanes, increased highway capacity, reduced congestion, expanded transit, and improved…
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American Apparel Almost Bankrupt; Supply and Demand Alive and Well
American Apparel has started dumping shares, so stock up on your leggings and Ts now. Explanations are below, if you’ll try for a moment to…
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Senate Repeals Obamacare’s 1099 Mandate — OTC Drug Rules Should be Next
Although the U.S. Senate voted along partisan lines to defeat repeal of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act — also known as Obamacare —…
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Why Have a Legal System at this Point?
In the recent court decision declaring Obamacare unconstitutional, the Judge wrote the following on page 75 of the opinion: “[T]he award of declaratory relief is…
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Free Online Porn Still Legal in California
A three panel judge in California concluded that adult websites that “give it away for free” are not engaging in predatory pricing. According to…
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Morning Media Summary
Tech: News Corp. Launches Digital Daily: “News Corp. on Wednesday unveiled The Daily, a tablet newspaper that Chairman Rupert Murdoch described as “the…
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Ethanol and the Egyptian Riots
Ethanol subsidies helped cause the Egyptian riots, contributing to the “skyrocketing food prices” that triggered “the massive unrest now occurring in Egypt,” argues economist…
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More Presidential Hopefuls Embracing Ethanolism
As the Wall Street Journal noted earlier this week, potential 2012 GOP presidential nominees are making the rounds in Iowa singing the praises of…
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Afternoon Links: February 2, 2011
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Thomas Sowell on the Value of Consumer Choice
One of Thomas Sowell’s greatest insights is that in public policy, there are no solutions, only trade-offs. That extends to deciding what to spend money…
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Suspend Obamacare’s 1099 and OTC Drug Rules Pending Supreme Court Action
Monday’s decision by Florida federal judge Roger Vinson striking down the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act — also known as Obamacare — in its…
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The GOP and the Health Insurance Mandate
With the health insurance individual purchase mandate looking more vulnerable than ever, Democrats are trying desperately to get some mileage out…
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Morning Media Summary
Tech: Google accuses Microsoft on search data: “Google has accused arch-rival Microsoft of plagiarising its internet search results in an attempt to narrow…
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FCIC Report Perhaps Too Communicative
Because I so often write letters — which are not always published — I thought I’d share them here. Here’s one to the WSJ regarding…
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Smart-Growthers Still Upset by Introduction of Newfangled Horseless Carriages
As somewhat of an anti–“smart growth” groupie, I try to keep up with their various online writings. Everyday, it’s like finding buried treasure. Take yesterday,…
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Nanny of the Month (Jan 2011)
Reason.TV has come out with their “Nanny of the Month” for January 2011. Apparently, New York’s problems are fixed because a politician is advocating in…
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On Mountaintop Mining Veto, EPA Is Guilty of Environmental Hyperbole
On January 13, the Environmental Protection Agency vetoed the issuance of a Clean Water Act permit by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers to the…
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Long Island Nanny-State Lawmakers Need to Get Priorities Straight
As Suffolk County residents face serious challenges, county lawmakers continue to waste time and tax dollars considering nonsensical “nanny-state” regulations. Today they are holding hearings…
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Morning Media Summary
Tech: 200GB to 25GB: Canada gets first, bitter does of metered Internet: “Metered Internet usage (also called “Usage-Based Billing”) is coming to Canada,…
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If Obamacare Is Repealed, Conventional Wisdom is Defeated
After Obamacare was passed into law, those who articulated conventional wisdom argued that “repeal” would be impossible. Instead, we heard that the best anyone could…
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Afternoon Links: January 31, 2011
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Obamacare Struck Down by Florida Judge; Properly Applies Severability Principles to Invalidate Whole Law
A judge in Florida just declared the health care law known as “Obamacare” unconstitutional, ruling it void in its entirety. Judge Vinson rightly…