Today’s Links: September 5, 2012

OPINION

GENE HEALY: “Dinesh D’Souza Is the Right’s Michael Moore”
“I lost an hour and a half of my life Sunday at a matinee showing of the sleeper-hit documentary 2016: Obama’s America. But I kept the stub for tax purposes, and you get to read this column. With luck, we’ll both end up just slightly worse off for the experience.”

ROBERT BRYCE: “Democrats and Republicans Support Harmful Ethanol Subsidies For the Sake of Votes”
“Corn ethanol is the Franken fuel of American politics. Neither party, neither candidate, dares question the program that requires motorists to buy  a corrosive, low-heat-content, hydrophilic fuel adulterant — even though that program is now consuming 37 percent of all American corn production and driving up food prices.”

ADI KAMDAR: “Is Congress Getting Ready to Take on Patent Trolls?”
“The Congressional Research Service (CRS), the research division of Congress known for its objective studies, recently released a report on the effects of patent trolls on innovation and the economy. The study (PDF) presents a pretty thorough analysis of the patent troll problem, but what’s striking is its existence at all: Could it be that Congress is really starting to pay attention when it comes to fixing the broken patent system?”

NEWS

ABSURD – Lunch Trays Got Too Lean in City’s Fight Against Fat
“Worried that children were losing the war on obesity, New York City began to slim down its school lunch offerings several years ago, replacing fries with baked potato strips and introducing nonfat chocolate milk, whole grain pasta and salad bars, among other tweaks. In the process, the city also cut calories. So much so, city officials now acknowledge, that it often served children fewer calories than required by the federal government.”

THINK TANK NEWS – Russ Roberts Joining Hoover Full-Time
“I am happy and sad to announce that I am hanging up my chalk, leaving the formal classroom and George Mason, and becoming a full-time fellow at the Hoover Institution. I will be staying in the DC area, though, so if you want to reach me, I’ll still be in the eastern time zone.”

TRANSPORTATION – New York City taxi fares rise 17 percent, few complain
“The cost of a New York cab ride rose by 17 percent on Tuesday, which several residents and visitors seemed to take in stride.”