Today’s Links: March 27, 2012

OPINION

JEB BUSH: “Have You Ever Tried to Eliminate a State-Run Commission?
“The accretion of old law is a problem across the spectrum of American government. Once laws are passed, they just don’t go away. In 2000, we attempted to eliminate 141 Florida boards and commissions out of the more than 800 that existed at that time. Only 10 were eliminated and the legislature created another 31. Clearly, we put the effort in the loss column! ”

JOHN VILLASENOR: “Eye-Tracking Computers Will Read Your Thoughts
“Eye-tracking, which uses images from one or more cameras to capture changes in the movements and structure of our eyes, can measure all of these things with pinpoint accuracy. There are many benevolent applications for eye-tracking, most notably in providing disabled people with a way to interact with objects on a screen. But recent advances are taking the technology into the mainstream, with the biggest initial applications likely to be in user interfaces and gaming. […] As eye-tracking becomes increasingly deployed in laptops, tablets, and smartphones in the coming years, it will open a new front in the fractious digital privacy debate.”

RYAN LIZZA: “The Mandate Memo: How Obama Changed His Mind
“Barack Obama was not always in favor of a mandate requiring individuals to have health insurance—an element of his Affordable Care Act that is being challenged, today, before the Supreme Court. […] As the Court begins three days of hearings on the constitutionality of the Affordable Care Act, it’s worth asking when exactly Obama changed his mind. Some answers can be found in a memo to President Obama from his top health-care adviser Nancy-Ann DeParle, which I’m posting in full (below).”

NEWS

ENERGY – EPA to Impose First Greenhouse Gas Limits on Power Plants
“The Environmental Protection Agency will issue the first limits on greenhouse gas emissions from new power plants as early as Tuesday, according to several people briefed on the proposal. The move could end the construction of conventional coal-fired facilities in the United States.”

CYBERSECURITY – Australia Bans Chinese Company Huawei From Web Network
“Australia has banned Chinese technology giant Huawei Technologies Ltd. from bidding to help build a nationwide high-speed Internet network owing to concern about cyberattacks traced to China.”

PROSTITUTION – Canadian Province Ontario Legalizes Brothels in Landmark Ruling
“Ontario’s top court has legalized brothels, saying Canadian prostitution laws unfairly discriminate against prostitutes and their ability to work in safe environments.”