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Financial Regulation, Immigration and Climate Legislation
The Senate prepares to vote on a financial regulation bill. A Heritage Foundation report finds that deportation of undocumented immigrants has fallen during the Obama…
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Climategate, Wine Regulations and the Jones Act
A recent report appears to clear scientists involved in the “Climategate” scandal of most wrongdoing. Congress sidelines a bill that would have created new restrictions…
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Banning Pets, Vampire Attacks and Consumer Credit
The City of San Francisco proposes a ban on pet sales. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration has received some bizarre claims, including a woman’s…
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A Beer Stimulus, Comcast Merger Questions and Urban Beekeeping
A proposed “Beer Stimulus Bill” would reduce the federal excise tax that small brewers must pay. Yesterday lawmakers conducted a field hearing questioning “Who Benefits?”…
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EPA’s Gangster Style, LibertyWeek Turns 100 and Comparing BP to Enron
The Environmental Protection Agency and the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration gain the auto industry’s support for new fuel economy standards. The LibertyWeek podcast records…
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Federal Spending, Free Trade and the Regulation Round-up
The House of Representatives passes a non-binding resolution to limit government spending. The Obama White House belatedly discovers the virtues of free trade. For those…
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Regulating Strippers, Blowout Prevention and Kagan’s Hearings
Missouri enacts “anti-stripper” legislation placing new restrictions on adult entertainment establishments. The House of Representatives holds a hearing on the Blowout Prevention Act. Elena Kagan’s…
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Online Gambling, Leadership in Business vs. Politics and Corporate Accounting
The State of California is working to (partially) “legalize” online gambling. Former congressman Mickey Edwards writes on the qualities of…
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A Supreme Court Win, a New Push for Free Trade and the Pentagon’s Biofuels Boondoggle
CEI scores a Supreme Court victory in the case of Free Enterprise Fund v. Public Company Accounting Oversight Board. President Obama is getting ready to…
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Official Bedtimes, Stimulus Creep and Free Trade Agreements
Japan’s Environment Ministry is encouraging its citizens to go to bed an hour earlier at night, and get up an hour earlier in the morning.
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Climate Skeptics, The Case Against Cap and Trade and Oil Spill Red Tape
The National Academy of Sciences recently published a report attacking the credentials of climate change skeptics. The Gulf oil spill has…
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Elena Kagan, Five Years of Kelo and Offshore Oil Drilling
More details about Supreme Court nominee Elena Kagan come to light. Today is the 5-year anniversary of the landmark property rights decision in the case…
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Biocrap Victory, Cell Phone Scares and Obama’s Gulf Power Grab
The U.S. Supreme Court gave a major win to biotech crop breeders in a decision announced on Monday, reversing a lower court ruling in Monsanto…
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Oil Spill Assistance, Immigration Crackdown and Money for Nothing
The White House refused to allow foreign ships to assist with cleanup of the BP oil spill. Arizona’s immigration crack-down inspires a public referendum on…
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Online Gambling, Orcs on Wall Street and the Chimera of Green Jobs
Congress continues to discuss a plan that would legalize online gambling in all fifty states. The government is on the prowl…
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Financial Reform, Hurricane Season and Bank Fees
Congress continues negotiations on a major financial reform bill. Florida Governor Charlie Christ vetoes a bill that would have allowed Florida insurance companies to build…
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EPA Disapproval, Oil Spill Politics and Ethanol Technology
Last week, the Senate rejected Lisa Murkowski’s resolution of disapproval against the EPA. President Obama has refused offers from several European countries to help clean…
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Nuclear Power, AmeriCorps Fraud, and Climate Change ‘Denial’
The Blue Ribbon Commission on America’s Nuclear Future has drawn public ire for their decisions regarding nuclear power. President Obama is…
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EPA Politics, Federal Courts and Chemical Safety
The Senate fails to pass Lisa Murkowski’s resolution of disapproval against the EPA. The Senate Judiciary Committee approves Obama’s nomination…
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Murkowski v. EPA, Big Labor and Debit Card Fees
The Senate will vote today on Lisa Murkowski’s resolution to block the Environmental Protection Agency from regulating greenhouse gasses under the Clean Air Act. Arkansas…
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EPA’s Global Warming Plans, Debit Card Fees and Alcohol Energy Drinks
The Senate will vote this week on Lisa Murkowski’s resolution to block the EPA’s proposed global warming regulations. California State Senator Jenny Oropeza has introduced…
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Ethanol, Amtrak and Auto Insurance
New global warming legislation contains subsidies for ethanol production. Amtrak, which loses money annually, is now embroiled in legal troubles. State governments take an increasingly…
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BP, the Supreme Court on Corporate Accounting and Eliot Spitzer on CNN
Many are pointing to the BP oil spill as proof of the failure of free market capitalism. The Supreme Court is expected to soon hand…
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Internet Gambling, Carbon Regulations and FDA’s Energy Drink Crackdown
Restrictions on Internet gambling go into effect this week. The Senate will soon vote on Lisa Murkowski’s resolution to stop the EPA from regulating carbon…
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Toyota’s Body Count, Toll Roads and Voter Intimidation
US News & World Report claims that the death toll from runaway Toyotas was more than originally reported. Concession agreements between cities and private companies…
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ClimateGate, Immigration and Discrimination Law
CEI files a lawsuit to force NASA to turn over documents relating to ClimateGate. The Department of Justice may sue over Arizona’s immigration law. The…
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Union Bus Drivers, Fannie Mae Reform and Transportation Partnerships
In New York, bus drivers can take months of paid leave to recuperate from being spit on by passengers. The Obama…
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Global Warming Research, Financial Regulation and Transportation Projects
Virginia Attorney General Ken Cuccinelli is investigating the state-funded global warming research of a former University of Virginia professor to see if he defrauded taxpayers;…
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Campaign Finance, Politics at the Justice Department and John Stuart Mill
Democrats push campaign finance reform legislation. A Justice Department lawyer resigns in response to increased politicization of the department. Today is John Stuart Mill’s birthday.
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Financial Regulation, a Pay Cut for Congress and Kagan Missing in Action
The Senate rejects a move to cut off debate and further amendment on the financial regulation bill sponsored by Chris Dodd…
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EPA’s Carbon Regulations, Internet Gambling and Reviving Rail
The Senate prepares to vote on Sen. Lisa Murkowski’s resolution to restrict the Environmental Protection Agency from regulating carbon emissions. The House’s Ways and Means…
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Immigration Reform, SCOTUS and “Market Fundamentalism”
The New York Times reports that younger people are more likely to favor liberalized immigration policy than the baby boomer generation. The Supreme Court’s decision…
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Drug Ads, Debit Card Fees and Labor Finances
The Food and Drug Administration moves to crack down on the advertising of prescription medicines for “off-label” uses. Sen. Richard Durbin (D-IL) pushes for limits…
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Energy Legislation, Facebook Privacy and Wine Regulations
Senators John Kerry (D-MA) and Joseph Lieberman (I-CT) unveil their long-delayed energy bill. Executives at Facebook hold a high-level meeting to…
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Free Trade, Chemical Safety and Internet Gambling
A bipartisan letter urges President Obama to pass our stalled free trade agreement with South Korea. Fenton Communications is warning consumers to stay away from…
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Energy Taxes, the Kagan Nomination and Toyota’s Safety Record
Sens. John Kerry and Joseph Lieberman prepare to introduce their much-anticipated energy bill on Wednesday. Obama nominates Elena Kagan to the Supreme Court. Toyota posts…
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Cap and Trade, FCC’s “Future of Media” Project and Another Fannie Mae Bailout
Sen. Lindsey Graham withdraws his support for climate legislation co-sponsored by Sens. John Kerry and Joe Lieberman. The Federal Communications Commission is launching a “Future…
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The Gulf Oil Spill, GM’s Bailout Troubles and the Costs of CO2 Regulation
Environmentalists call for a stop to offshore drilling in reaction to the Gulf of Mexico oil spill. CEI files a complaint against General Motors with…
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GM’s Misleading Bailout Claims, Swine Flu and Financial “Reform” Legislation
General Motors boasts that it has repaid its government loans in full, despite having used other bailout funds to repay the initial loans. The government…
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Greenhouse Gas Regulation, High-Speed Rail and Waiting on Crist in Florida
The 2006 Supreme Court verdict in Massachusetts v. EPA is cited as one of retiring Justice John Paul Stevens’ most influential. President Obama pushes for…
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Pesticides, Communication Privacy and Climategate’s Impact
The Environmental Protection Agency proposes incorrectly labeling new biotech fruit as containing pesticides. The Federal Energy Regulatory Commission requires employees to keep records of their…
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Anti-Immigration Backlash, Renewable Energy and Chris Horner’s “Power Grab”
California lawmakers call for economic sanctions against Arizona in retaliation for its new immigration law Documents show that Assistant Secretary of Energy Cathy Zoi has…
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Global Warming Endangerment, Free Expression, and the War on Salt
The Senate will soon battle over Lisa Murkowski’s resolution challenging the Environmental Protection Agency’s “endangerment finding” on global warming. The Supreme Court overturns a ban…
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Financial Regulation, Mandatory Voting, and Class Action Lawsuits
The Senate votes on Banking Committee Chairman Chris Dodd's financial regulation bill. The town of Ridgeway, Colorado votes on whether to make voting mandatory for…
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Illegal Immigration, SEC Porn and Financial Reform
Arizona’s new immigration bill has brought immigration reform to the forefront of national debate. The blogosphere is abuzz with the news that employees of the…
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Financial Regulation, Online Gambling and Chewing Tobacco
The Senate is set to vote on Senate Banking Committer Chairman Chris Dodd's bill to extend financial regulation. A new study estimates that the ban…
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ACORN’s Tactics, Hate Crimes in Florida and the Roots of Earth Day
ACORN CEO Bertha Lewis’ scathing email about Brooklyn community activist Daniel Goldstein garners national media attention. Florida plans on reclassifying crimes against the homeless as…
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Wall Street Reform, GM Tomatoes and Chemical Regulation
Obama is gives a speech today in New York on the need to reform Wall Street. The Wall Street Journal reports on the debate over…
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Cap and Trade, Private Roads and the Supreme Court on Obscenity
National Journal asks what the cost will be if Congress fails to pass cap-and-trade legislation. The private sector acquires an increasingly large role in transit…
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Salt Police, Pensions and Union Contracts
The FDA is launching a new initiative to limit the amount of salt in processed food. The White House task force on the middle class…
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Stevens’ Legal Legacy, Goldman Sachs and Internet Gambling
Supreme Court Justice John Paul Stevens is retiring. The SEC is charging Goldman Sachs with securities fraud. Opponents of internet gambling are circulating a memo…
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Tax Day, Open Skies and Toyota’s Legal Tactics
Tax Day inspires out an array of protests and demonstrations. The U.S. and EU signed an “Open Skies” agreement last month, which purportedly allows airlines…
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The Cost of Government, Carbon Taxes and Sugar Subsidies
Today is Tax Day, the day when Americans think most about how much the government is costing them. James Hansen writes in The Huffington Post,…
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Unions, New Taxes and GM Crops
Andy Stern is leaving his post as head of the Service Employees International Union. The Obama Administration may soon propose a Value Added Tax (VAT).
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Liquor Licensing, Off-label Drugs and Fannie & Freddie
A new proposal in New York to set up a “medallion” system of liquor-licensing will serve as a compromise between wine retailers and grocery store…
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Pub Restrictions, Tax Freedom Day and Turmoil in Kyrgyzstan
UK regulators are punishing pub owners for promoting happy hour specials and drinking games. April 9th is Tax Freedom Day, statistically the day Americans have…
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Household Chemicals, Fuel Efficiency, and “The Story of Stuff”
The website KeepitOrganic.org, which warns people about the dangers of using plastic products containing bisphenol A (BPA), is actually owned and operated by the Glass…
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Comcast v. FCC, Chemical Scares and Eminent Domain
The U.S. Court of Appeals’ decision in Comcast v. FCC limits the FCC’s power to enforce net neutrality. Time magazine publishes a list of “household…
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State Pensions, Cesar Chavez, and Wine Deliveries
Virginia Governor Bob McDonnell is trying to boost the state economy by reforming state employee pension plans. President Obama declares March 31th “Cesar Chavez Day”…
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Fuel Efficiency, Imports, and H1N1
The Obama Administration plans to increase fuel efficiency standards. The Office of the U.S. Trade Representative releases the 2010 National Trade Estimate report. The Centers…
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Big Labor, Stimulus Money, and the Census
Washingtonian magazine interviews union president Andy Stern. The Mercatus Center publishes a study on how the $800 billion stimulus package was distributed. Daily Kos reports…
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Australian Investors, New York Roommates and David Frum
Australian investors bring a lawsuit against a Melbourne-based bank to the U.S. Supreme Court. New York City maintains an infrequently-enforced law against four or more…
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Compact Fluorescents, Toyota, and Health Care
USA Today quotes Policy Analyst Michelle Minton saying that CEI will be celebrating the development of the compact fluorescent lightbulb. Members of Congress interrogate Toyota…
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Mortgage Bailout, The Medicine Cabinet Tax and Human Achievement Hour
The Obama administration is expanding the mortgage-bailout program. The new health care bill proscribes the use of Flexible Spending Accounts for over-the-counter drugs. USA Today…
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The Last Supper, Health Care, and the Carbon Fuel Tax
According to a study from the International Study of Obesity, the portion-size of meals in Last Supper paintings has increased dramatically over the years. Virginia…
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Lawsuits, Markets, and Tea Partiers
13 State Attorneys General have filed lawsuits challenging the constitutionality of health care reform. A new study in Science shows that market economies enable the…
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Sugar, Health Care, and Libertarianism
The Washington Post attacks U.S. Sugar policy in an editorial. The House passes dramatic changes to health care policy. Edward L. Glaeser has a New…
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Health, Marriage Penalties, and Emission Standards
The House passes the Democrats’ health care bill. The health care bill penalizes married couples. A Harvard University study analyzes how the nation could meet…
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Alcohol, Climate Change, and Landscaping
The government currently enforces a system of alcohol distribution whereby importers, breweries, and wineries can only sell to wholesalers. Some government ads about global warming…
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Jobs, Health Care, and Synthetic Trees
The Senate passes an $18 billion jobs bill. The Associated Press reports that health premiums will go up under health care reform. The Competitive Enterprise…
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Ethanol, Human Achievement, and Technology
The Green campaign for the development of corn ethanol may be increasing greenhouse gas emissions. On March 27, people all over the world will turn…
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Finance, Trade and Toyota
Sen. Chris Dodd has introduced a new financial reform bill. U.S. Sugar is lobbying to keep government restrictions on sugar imports. The Washington Post’s coverage…
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ObamaCare, Alcohol Taxes, and Insurance Companies
David Brooks, who supported Obama in 2008, talks about the hidden costs of health care. Maryland legislators want to raise the tax on alcohol. Supporters…
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Salt, Chanel, and Cap-and-Trade
Brooklyn Assemblyman Felix Ortiz introduces legislation to ban all salt-use in New York restaurants. Fashion designer Karl Lagerfeld shows his “global warming-themed” fall-winter line for…
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Pensions, Immigration, and Airport Kisses
The Federal Deposit Insurance Corp (FDIC) is trying to prop up failed banks by encouraging public pension funds to invest in them. Sens. Schumer (D-NY)…
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National ID, Eminent Domain, and the EPA
Legislators are working on an immigration reform plan that includes a biometric identification card for all American workers. The mayor of Detroit plans to employ…
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Sugar, Health Care, and the Internet
Florida’s purchase of a large section of U.S. Sugar property will benefit US Sugar far more than it benefits Florida taxpayers. As Rep. Paul Ryan…
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Court Nominations, the TSA, and Climate Change Biases
President Obama nominates left-leaning Goodwin Liu to the Ninth Circuit court. President Obama chooses retired Army Gen. Robert A. Harding to lead the Transportation Security…
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Blood Donation, Green Jobs, and the EPA
Sixteen Democratic senators sign a letter urging the FDA to overturn a 1983 ban on gay man donating blood. Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-GA) tries to…
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Climategate, Human Achievement Hour and the Citizens United Verdict
Peabody Energy is arguing that Climategate revelations undermine the IPCC’s evidence that greenhouse gas emissions are causing climate change. Activists prepare to observe Earth Hour…
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The Fed, Homeschooling, and Sport Gambling
After many congressional attempts to limit the power of the Federal Reserve, some senators are now moving to give more power to the Fed. A…
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Bank Loans, NASA, and Fish Tanks
Chairman of the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation Sheila Bair chastises large banks for tightening their qualification standards for loans. The emails released by NASA’s Goddard…
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SEIU, Insurance Rates, and Gun Control
President Obama appoints Service Employees International Union President Andy Stern to the deficit commission. Congressmen grill representatives of Anthem Blue Cross during a congressional hearing…
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Immigration, Bake Sales and Snow Removal
The Wall Street Journal reports that E-Verify, the federal database intended to track undocumented workers, actually fails 54% of the time. The New York City…
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Hot Dogs, Global Emissions, and Google
A leading physicians group warns that hot dogs are a choking hazard for children. Trade economist Jagdish Bhagwati comes out in support of a World…
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Credit Cards, Organized Labor, and the Stimulus Anniversary
New credit card regulations go into effect this week. The Washington Post has a front-page story on the difficulty of…
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Desk-Doodling, Broadband, and the Stimulus Anniversary
A twelve-year-old girl in Forest Hills, New York is arrested for doodling on her school desk. FCC Chairman Julius Genachowski announces he wants faster broadband…
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BPA, NASA, and the Clean Air Act
This week, Oregon voted down a partial ban on Bisphenol A, or BPA. Climategate has renewed the American public’s curiosity about NASA’s role in collecting…
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Daily update for 02/16/10
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Daily update for 02/12/10
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Cybersecurity, Global Warming and Organized Labor
Congress considers a bill to fund new cybersecurity initiatives. In the wake of ClimateGate, climate change alarmists are now having to defend the scholastic integrity…
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Child Support Disputes, NFL Claims “Who Dat?” and Anti-terrorism Police Drills
Virginia legislators vote down a bill which would have forced non-custodial parents to pay child support for their children through college.
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Labor Relations, Alito’s Silent Protest and a New Editor Takes Charge
President Obama nominates union attorney Craig Becker to a seat on the National Labor Relations Board. U.S. Supreme Court Justice Samuel Alito makes headlines for…
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The Lessons of the Meltdown, Attacking the Tea Parties and Texting Safety
Former Wall Street Journal editor George Melloan takes on the recent economic meltdown in a new book. A new online campaign aims to fight the…
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Murkowski vs. EPA, Public Sector Unions and Ozone Rules
Sen. Lisa Murkowski (R-AK) leads the opposition to the Environmental Protection Agency’s plans to regulate carbon dioxide as a pollutant. For the first time in…
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Obama’s Spending Freeze, the UN’s Lack of Peer Review and FDA’s Chemical Worries
President Obama proposes a freeze on discretionary spending. A UN scientist confirms that dramatic claims of Himalayan glaciers melting due to global warming were not…
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Myths of the Recession, Challenging the EPA and a Victory for Free Speech
Wall Street Journal editor George Melloan challenges popular misconceptions about the recent mortgage crisis and recession in a new book. Four members of Congress challenge…
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The Popularity of Al Gore’s Books, Obama’s First Year and Scott Brown’s Impact
NPR reports that people in the UK have resorted to burning used books in their stoves and fireplaces to keep warm amid record-cold temperatures. The…
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Net Neutrality, the War on Salt and Beach House Insurance
The Federal Communications Commission receives thousands of comments on its proposed “net neutrality” regulations. New York City public health officials launch a campaign to reduce…
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CIA Climate Data, Fannie and Freddie Absent and Health Insurance and Antitrust
The Central Intelligence Agency shares classified satellite data with climate researchers. Executives from Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac are conspicuously absent from the first hearing…