Posts
UCLA rejects $3M gift from Sterling for kidney research | Fox News: "UCLA said it is rejecting the $3 million donation received last month from the Los Angeles Clippers owner Donald Sterling after he was banned for life from the NBA over a racist audiotape."
Isn't it good to take money from a racist and you use to research disease?
Wednesday, April 30, 2014
Judge approves forfeiture of car, despite not guilty verdict - Campaign for Liberty
Judge approves forfeiture of car, despite not guilty verdict - Campaign for Liberty: "A Minnesota man who had his car seized in connection with an arrest for burglary will not get his car back despite being found not guilty."
"State’s Attorney Ron McBeth says there were no witnesses to the burglary and the case was highly circumstantial."
"State’s Attorney Ron McBeth says there were no witnesses to the burglary and the case was highly circumstantial."
Monday, April 28, 2014
Obama's Drone Wars Undermine American Values - Campaign for Liberty
Obama's Drone Wars Undermine American Values - Campaign for Liberty: "n 2012 President Obama approved “signature strikes” in Yemen, a criteria for attack that is not based on actual or suspected wrongdoing, but rather on a vague set of behaviors that are said to be shared by militants.
This means that the individuals killed in the most recent drone attacks were not necessarily terrorists or even terrorist suspects. They were not proven to have committed any crime, nor were they proven to have been members of al-Qaeda or any terrorist organization."
This means that the individuals killed in the most recent drone attacks were not necessarily terrorists or even terrorist suspects. They were not proven to have committed any crime, nor were they proven to have been members of al-Qaeda or any terrorist organization."
Thursday, April 24, 2014
Piketty Gets It Wrong | Cato Institute
Piketty Gets It Wrong | Cato Institute: "does it matter if some people become super-rich as long as we reduce poverty along the way? Which matters more, equality or prosperity?"
"In the end, there are two ways to address inequality. You can bring the top down, or you can lift the bottom up."
"In the end, there are two ways to address inequality. You can bring the top down, or you can lift the bottom up."
ACA Exchanges at Risk | Cato Institute
ACA Exchanges at Risk | Cato Institute: "Obamacare makes going uninsured an even safer bet. It increases premiums for healthy people and the penalty for not buying health insurance is largely toothless. So if you earn too much to qualify for subsidies or you take steps to avoid paying the penalty, going uninsured will save you even more money than before.
Obamacare even more dramatically reduces the downside of going uninsured. For example, suppose the day after you cancel your health insurance, you receive a serious diagnosis like diabetes, or cancer. Pre-Obamacare, you would not be able to buy coverage for that illness. Under Obamacare, however, insurers are required to cover you at the same premium they charged when you were healthy. You may have to wait until January for that coverage to take effect, but even so the downside risk of going uninsured is much smaller.
And in many cases, you can get coverage before January."
Obamacare even more dramatically reduces the downside of going uninsured. For example, suppose the day after you cancel your health insurance, you receive a serious diagnosis like diabetes, or cancer. Pre-Obamacare, you would not be able to buy coverage for that illness. Under Obamacare, however, insurers are required to cover you at the same premium they charged when you were healthy. You may have to wait until January for that coverage to take effect, but even so the downside risk of going uninsured is much smaller.
And in many cases, you can get coverage before January."
Our Oligarchs Can Thank James Madison - Ryan McMaken - Mises Daily
Our Oligarchs Can Thank James Madison - Ryan McMaken - Mises Daily: "In the essay, Madison’s position is that large expansive republics are superior to small limited republics because they balance a variety of “factions” (by which he meant interest groups and voting blocs) against each other and prevent any single group from unduly influencing the government. In a small republic, Madison argued, small factions are able to easily take control of the state’s resources or the state itself. Included among these factions is any large voting bloc with similar interests. The majority and its alleged penchant for the oppression of the minority can be controlled by cancelling out the interests of local majorities at the national level with majorities from other states, thus leading to a balanced population in which no particular faction can gain an upper hand.
Madison’s purpose was to demonstrate that if the American states were allowed to remain largely independent, as they indeed were in 1787, they would degenerate into despotism, but if the states were all consolidated into one federal system, the different factions within the many states would be balanced out and no group or alliance could ever take control of the new government."
Madison’s purpose was to demonstrate that if the American states were allowed to remain largely independent, as they indeed were in 1787, they would degenerate into despotism, but if the states were all consolidated into one federal system, the different factions within the many states would be balanced out and no group or alliance could ever take control of the new government."
Saving the Asylum System | Cato Institute
Saving the Asylum System | Cato Institute: "Making such a claim starts a long legal process that allows many unauthorized immigrants claiming asylum to work legally in the United States for years on a de facto work permit. This is an effective loophole that is growing in popularity but reformers must be careful not to close off this vital humanitarian safety valve.
From independence to the 20th century, America was the world’s safe haven for religious refugees. But in 1921 the federal government imposed the nation’s first immigration quotas, removing the last hope for many millions of people seeking to flee dictatorship, war, and genocide. Those restrictions led to the U.S. government shamefully turning away ships full of German Jews fleeing Nazi Germany."
"the asylum loophole is an unintended consequence of severe restrictions that make it exceedingly difficult for lower-skilled immigrants to enter the country legally. The asylum loophole problem could be resolved by creating a low-skilled guest worker visa program to channel would-be unauthorized immigrants into the legal system — removing the incentive for some of them to make dubious asylum claims."
"Individuals apprehended by the Border Patrol who then seek asylum status could be paroled, electronically monitored, and levied a large fine to be paid within one year. Raising the cost for illegally entering incentivizes honest asylum seekers to go through ports of entry.
Legal behavior should be rewarded. Asylum seekers who apply through a port of entry should also receive their work permit within a brief period of parole, ideally a week, instead of the current 180 days."
"Under today’s asylum rules, the pilgrims would probably not pass the first stage of interviews because they were relatively unmolested in the Netherlands. Any proposed reform to the asylum system that would deny our ancestors the right to settle here should be rejected."
From independence to the 20th century, America was the world’s safe haven for religious refugees. But in 1921 the federal government imposed the nation’s first immigration quotas, removing the last hope for many millions of people seeking to flee dictatorship, war, and genocide. Those restrictions led to the U.S. government shamefully turning away ships full of German Jews fleeing Nazi Germany."
"the asylum loophole is an unintended consequence of severe restrictions that make it exceedingly difficult for lower-skilled immigrants to enter the country legally. The asylum loophole problem could be resolved by creating a low-skilled guest worker visa program to channel would-be unauthorized immigrants into the legal system — removing the incentive for some of them to make dubious asylum claims."
"Individuals apprehended by the Border Patrol who then seek asylum status could be paroled, electronically monitored, and levied a large fine to be paid within one year. Raising the cost for illegally entering incentivizes honest asylum seekers to go through ports of entry.
Legal behavior should be rewarded. Asylum seekers who apply through a port of entry should also receive their work permit within a brief period of parole, ideally a week, instead of the current 180 days."
"Under today’s asylum rules, the pilgrims would probably not pass the first stage of interviews because they were relatively unmolested in the Netherlands. Any proposed reform to the asylum system that would deny our ancestors the right to settle here should be rejected."
Florida elementary school stops serving Mountain Dew to students before standardized tests | Fox News
Florida elementary school stops serving Mountain Dew to students before standardized tests | Fox News: "A central Florida elementary school has stopped a long-standing practice of serving students Mountain Dew before standardized tests."
"it was part of an effort to get kids excited about the FCAT"
"it was part of an effort to get kids excited about the FCAT"
Federal Government: Sorry America, no powdered alcohol for you - Campaign for Liberty
Federal Government: Sorry America, no powdered alcohol for you - Campaign for Liberty: "Last week, the Federal Alcohol, Tobacco, Tax, and Trade Bureau announced it had approved the sale of powdered alcohol, which is dry alcohol that can be mixed with water to create an alcoholic beverage. Today the agency announced that the initial approval was issued “in error” and has now been rescinded. So we can add powdered alcohol to the list of products that the federal bureaucrats have decided we cannot be allowed to have – even though the 21st amendment explicitly leaves the power to regulate alcohol to the states."
IRS workers who didn't pay taxes got bonuses
IRS workers who didn't pay taxes got bonuses: "he Internal Revenue Service handed out $2.8 million in bonuses to employees with disciplinary issues — including more than $1 million to employees who didn't pay their federal taxes"
Civil Liberties Hodgepodge - Campaign for Liberty
Civil Liberties Hodgepodge - Campaign for Liberty: "The court found that because high ranking officials have publicly discussed the existence of the targeted killing program, and in February 2013, the DOJ released a 16-page white paper defending the program, the administration waved any “states secrets privilege” that might have prevented them from having to disclose their legal reasoning."
" As the Atlantic reported last year, we haven’t seen a lockdown and an occupation of an American city on the scale of what happened in Boston after the marathon since the Watts riots — not in Oklahoma City after the Murrah Federal Building bombing in 1995, not in Atlanta after the 1996 bombing in Centennial Olympic Park, not in D.C. during the 2002 sniper attacks, not after a series of pipe bombs went off in federal courthouse in San Diego in 2008, not during the dozens of instances in which a mass killer or serial killer was still at large. In Boston, 19,000 National Guard troops moved into an American city, not to put down a civil uprising, quell riots or dispel an insurrection, but to search for a single man. Armored vehicles motored up and down residential neighborhoods. Innocent people were confronted in their homes at gunpoint or had guns pointed at them for merely peering through the curtains of their own windows.
In the end, Dzhokhar Tsarnaev wasn’t found by Guardsmen, a commando team or a police officer in an armored vehicle. After the shelter in place had been lifted, he was spotted by a resident of Watertown who saw something unusual in his back yard and called the police. Only then did SWAT teams respond to apprehend the suspected bomber. (More on that later.) For such a massive show of force, the fugitive was captured in a pretty conventional manner."
" As the Atlantic reported last year, we haven’t seen a lockdown and an occupation of an American city on the scale of what happened in Boston after the marathon since the Watts riots — not in Oklahoma City after the Murrah Federal Building bombing in 1995, not in Atlanta after the 1996 bombing in Centennial Olympic Park, not in D.C. during the 2002 sniper attacks, not after a series of pipe bombs went off in federal courthouse in San Diego in 2008, not during the dozens of instances in which a mass killer or serial killer was still at large. In Boston, 19,000 National Guard troops moved into an American city, not to put down a civil uprising, quell riots or dispel an insurrection, but to search for a single man. Armored vehicles motored up and down residential neighborhoods. Innocent people were confronted in their homes at gunpoint or had guns pointed at them for merely peering through the curtains of their own windows.
In the end, Dzhokhar Tsarnaev wasn’t found by Guardsmen, a commando team or a police officer in an armored vehicle. After the shelter in place had been lifted, he was spotted by a resident of Watertown who saw something unusual in his back yard and called the police. Only then did SWAT teams respond to apprehend the suspected bomber. (More on that later.) For such a massive show of force, the fugitive was captured in a pretty conventional manner."
Ron Paul Classic: Close down the Export-Import Bank - Campaign for Liberty
Ron Paul Classic: Close down the Export-Import Bank - Campaign for Liberty: "the beneficiaries of Eximbank are visible to all; what is not seen is the products that would have been built, the businesses that would have been started, and the jobs that would have been created had the funds used for the Eximbank been left in the hands of consumers."
"True free trade involves the peaceful, voluntary exchange of goods across borders, not forcing taxpayers to subsidize the exports of politically powerful companies. Eximbank is not free trade, but rather managed trade, where winners and losers are determined by how well they please government bureaucrats instead of how well they please consumers."
"small businesses receive only 12-15% of Eximbank funds; the vast majority of Eximbank funds benefit large corporations. These corporations can certainly afford to support their own exports without relying on the American taxpayer."
"It never ceases to amaze me how members who criticize welfare for the poor on moral and constitutional grounds see no problem with the even more objectionable programs that provide welfare for the rich."
"True free trade involves the peaceful, voluntary exchange of goods across borders, not forcing taxpayers to subsidize the exports of politically powerful companies. Eximbank is not free trade, but rather managed trade, where winners and losers are determined by how well they please government bureaucrats instead of how well they please consumers."
"small businesses receive only 12-15% of Eximbank funds; the vast majority of Eximbank funds benefit large corporations. These corporations can certainly afford to support their own exports without relying on the American taxpayer."
"It never ceases to amaze me how members who criticize welfare for the poor on moral and constitutional grounds see no problem with the even more objectionable programs that provide welfare for the rich."
Campaign Finance: Untangling Citizens United and McCutcheon | Cato Institute
Campaign Finance: Untangling Citizens United and McCutcheon | Cato Institute: "three truths about campaign finance regulations: First, their stated reason — to prevent corruption — is too often trumped by their real motive, which is to protect incumbent officeholders from under-funded challengers. Second, each new regulation inevitably spawns an adroit means by which the regulation is circumvented. Third, campaign money is mostly designed to support candidates whose views agree with those of the donor — not to entice candidates to change their views in return for a donation."
Let Interns Be Interns | Cato Institute
Let Interns Be Interns | Cato Institute: "In modern America, it’s never more than a short jump from “this isn’t for everyone” to “let’s ban it.”"
"Paying to Learn Nothing = Legal. Paying Nothing to Learn = Illegal"
"Paying to Learn Nothing = Legal. Paying Nothing to Learn = Illegal"
Wednesday, April 23, 2014
Osprey battles Maryland authorities to build nest in front of traffic camera | Fox News
Osprey battles Maryland authorities to build nest in front of traffic camera | Fox News: "A small bird is ruffling the feathers of Maryland state officials as they battle a determined osprey that has been trying to build a nest in front of a traffic camera since last week.
Maryland Transportation Authority reportedly removed a nest three times from the Chesapeake Bay Bridge"
People could train endangered birds to build nests in front of red light cameras. :-)
Maryland Transportation Authority reportedly removed a nest three times from the Chesapeake Bay Bridge"
People could train endangered birds to build nests in front of red light cameras. :-)
Monday, April 21, 2014
Three Things You Don't Know about Money in Politics | Cato Institute
Three Things You Don't Know about Money in Politics | Cato Institute: "magine a world where contribution limits to candidates were set at $50, or even $100. It would take a long time to amass enough money to run just a single ad telling voters your name and ideals. Challenging an incumbent under those conditions would be nearly impossible. This is one reason why incumbents tend to like campaign finance laws.
Moreover, many studies have shown that ads increase voter knowledge, interest, and even turnout."
"Candidates in safe districts, districts where the margin of victory all but ensures that one party will win, still get donations. According to election guru Nate Silver, the number of landside districts has doubled since 1992. There are now 242 of them. Candidates who oppose the entrenched party or incumbent receive very few donations and party support, thus essentially ensuring that, in those 242 districts, the “bigger spending” candidate will win. But it is the demographics and gerrymandering that cause those victories, not the spending."
"wealth and socioeconomic status do not effectively predict political beliefs. There are poor Democrats and rich Democrats, same as Republicans. For every Sheldon Adelson there’s a George Soros. For every Charles Koch there’s a Warren Buffett."
"Blaming money in politics for perceived policy failures also provides a convenient explanation for why the world doesn’t align with your policy preferences."
Moreover, many studies have shown that ads increase voter knowledge, interest, and even turnout."
"Candidates in safe districts, districts where the margin of victory all but ensures that one party will win, still get donations. According to election guru Nate Silver, the number of landside districts has doubled since 1992. There are now 242 of them. Candidates who oppose the entrenched party or incumbent receive very few donations and party support, thus essentially ensuring that, in those 242 districts, the “bigger spending” candidate will win. But it is the demographics and gerrymandering that cause those victories, not the spending."
"wealth and socioeconomic status do not effectively predict political beliefs. There are poor Democrats and rich Democrats, same as Republicans. For every Sheldon Adelson there’s a George Soros. For every Charles Koch there’s a Warren Buffett."
"Blaming money in politics for perceived policy failures also provides a convenient explanation for why the world doesn’t align with your policy preferences."
Ten Ways the Income Tax Harms Civil Liberties | Cato Institute
Ten Ways the Income Tax Harms Civil Liberties | Cato Institute: "Many studies have found that citizens, tax professionals, and the IRS all commit a large number of errors on their tax calculations. Looking at these studies, Professor David Vance of Rutgers University recently concluded that “the tax code is so complex that it is unconstitutionally vague,” likely violating due process under the Fifth Amendment."
"Tax laws, regulations, and related rules span 74,608 pages"
"Due process requires that government provide accused citizens a clear notice of a claim against them and allow them a hearing before executing enforcement action. But the IRS engages in many summary judgments, and enforces them prior to any judicial determinations."
"To obtain a jury trial and related rights for civil tax cases, one must file suit in a U.S. District Court. But before that can happen, the alleged tax, penalties, and interest must be paid in full."
"the IRS’s summons authority under tax code section 7602 allows it to obtain records of every description from any person without showing probable cause and without a court order"
"The requirement to file tax returns under penalty of perjury operates to invalidate the Fifth Amendment protection against self-incrimination."
"Tax laws, regulations, and related rules span 74,608 pages"
"Due process requires that government provide accused citizens a clear notice of a claim against them and allow them a hearing before executing enforcement action. But the IRS engages in many summary judgments, and enforces them prior to any judicial determinations."
"To obtain a jury trial and related rights for civil tax cases, one must file suit in a U.S. District Court. But before that can happen, the alleged tax, penalties, and interest must be paid in full."
"the IRS’s summons authority under tax code section 7602 allows it to obtain records of every description from any person without showing probable cause and without a court order"
"The requirement to file tax returns under penalty of perjury operates to invalidate the Fifth Amendment protection against self-incrimination."
Store smartphone apps should help the user find items
I checked the description of the smartphone apps for Wal-Mart, Target, and Home Depot. They all had catalog access and some had shopping lists but there is much more needed for the app really help your shopping experience.
- When I walk into a store, I should know that there is a website or app for helping me shop (ad at the front).
- There should we free WiFi that at least lets me use the website or app.
- The website/app should help me find the things I want! I should be able to ask it were something is and it should give me directions. It should know where I am in the store and how to get to the item I want.
- If I have a list of items to get, it should give me a good route to get all of them.
- It can make reasonable suggestions for other things to buy. You are getting milk, eggs, and flour -- do you also want chocolate chips?
- If it allowed me to comparison shop, I would be more likely to use it. It could even emphasize the benefits of buying at the store compared to online: "You can take this home right now for $99 or get it for $89 from Amazon and wait 2 days."
- It should make the checkout process easier. It can electronically send a list of items to make scanning quicker.
- It should make payment easier. It can store payment info and allow payment with the press of a button.
What else should it do?
Abusive Civil Asset-Forfeiture Laws | Cato Institute
Abusive Civil Asset-Forfeiture Laws | Cato Institute: "Do you think the Internal Revenue Service and other government agencies should have the right to seize your assets, including your bank accounts, when you have not been convicted of wrongdoing? The fact is, the IRS and other government agencies do this all of the time, and often without even a formal accusation of wrongdoing."
"Institute for Justice lawyers have noted that the “federal civil forfeiture law features an appalling lack of due process: It empowers the government to seize private property from Americans without ever charging, let alone convicting, them of a crime.” "
"Institute for Justice lawyers have noted that the “federal civil forfeiture law features an appalling lack of due process: It empowers the government to seize private property from Americans without ever charging, let alone convicting, them of a crime.” "
Why we fight the IRS - Campaign for Liberty
Why we fight the IRS - Campaign for Liberty: "This is not about transparency. The donor information is not going to the FEC or any other public database, like donations to a federal candidate would."
"This fight is not even about taxes. No one who donates to Campaign for Liberty receives a tax deduction. So why does the IRS want this information? Nothing good can come of this, especially when the IRS has a repeated history of “accidentally” releasing this donor information to the public. Just last year the IRS “accidentally” released the National Organization for Marriage’s donor information."
"This fight is not even about taxes. No one who donates to Campaign for Liberty receives a tax deduction. So why does the IRS want this information? Nothing good can come of this, especially when the IRS has a repeated history of “accidentally” releasing this donor information to the public. Just last year the IRS “accidentally” released the National Organization for Marriage’s donor information."
Income Inequality Institute Will Pay Paul Krugman $25,000 Per Month - Campaign for Liberty
Income Inequality Institute Will Pay Paul Krugman $25,000 Per Month - Campaign for Liberty: "City University of New York will pay Paul Krugman $225,000 to work for the university’s Income Study Center, which researches income and income inequality."
"Krugman’s salary is coming from taxpayers"
That's a little ironic!
"Krugman’s salary is coming from taxpayers"
That's a little ironic!
Dems Want Government Health Care for All -- No Matter the Cost | Cato Institute
Dems Want Government Health Care for All -- No Matter the Cost | Cato Institute: "In fact, consumers in many countries that we associate with “socialized medicine,” such as France, actually pay more out of pocket for their health care than do Americans."
"And it’s not as though those subsidies are going only to the poor, who otherwise could not afford insurance. Although more generous to those earning 250% of the poverty line ($58,875 for a family of four), some level of subsidy is available up to 400% of poverty ($94,200 for a family of four). In fact, taking into account various income disregards, some families with even higher incomes could receive a subsidy. The Congressional Budget Office estimates that as many as 700,000 people with incomes more than three times the poverty level will receive a subsidy next year."
"And it’s not as though those subsidies are going only to the poor, who otherwise could not afford insurance. Although more generous to those earning 250% of the poverty line ($58,875 for a family of four), some level of subsidy is available up to 400% of poverty ($94,200 for a family of four). In fact, taking into account various income disregards, some families with even higher incomes could receive a subsidy. The Congressional Budget Office estimates that as many as 700,000 people with incomes more than three times the poverty level will receive a subsidy next year."
Saturday, April 19, 2014
School bus used to crack down on distracted driving
School bus used to crack down on distracted driving: "It took about an hour or so to get the first distracted driver as they drove up and down a few-mile stretch of Interstate 35W.
Most of the violations were seat belt related."
Once/hour on 35W doesn't seem very frequent.
Most of the violations were seat belt related."
Once/hour on 35W doesn't seem very frequent.
Friday, April 18, 2014
Reid calls armed backers of Nevada rancher 'domestic terrorists,' refers to federal task force | Fox News
Reid calls armed backers of Nevada rancher 'domestic terrorists,' refers to federal task force | Fox News: "Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid is calling armed backers of a Nevada rancher "domestic terrorists" for using guns in a grazing rights battle with the federal Bureau of Land Management."
US legal system shifts away from treating eyewitness testimony as 'gold standard' of evidence | Fox News
US legal system shifts away from treating eyewitness testimony as 'gold standard' of evidence | Fox News: "Courts and legislatures are slowly shifting away from using eyewitness testimony as the gold standard of evidence. The reason: Studies show it's only right about half the time.
That has led a small group of police chiefs, courts and lawmakers to toughen laws governing the handling of eyewitnesses and their accounts of crimes. Reform advocates say procedures long regarded as solid police work can fundamentally alter what someone believes they saw."
That has led a small group of police chiefs, courts and lawmakers to toughen laws governing the handling of eyewitnesses and their accounts of crimes. Reform advocates say procedures long regarded as solid police work can fundamentally alter what someone believes they saw."
Wednesday, April 16, 2014
Ron Paul Classic: The IRS's job is to violate our liberties - Campaign for Liberty
Ron Paul Classic: The IRS's job is to violate our liberties - Campaign for Liberty: " IRS agents in the 1930s where essentially “hit squads” against opponents of the New Deal. It is well-known that the administrations of John F. Kennedy and Lyndon Johnson used the IRS to silence their critics. One of the articles of impeachment drawn up against Richard Nixon dealt with his use of the IRS to harass his political enemies. Allegations of IRS abuses were common during the Clinton administration, and just this week some of the current administration’s defenders recalled that antiwar and progressive groups alleged harassment by the IRS during the Bush presidency.
The bipartisan tradition of using the IRS as a tool to harass political opponents suggests that the problem is deeper than just a few “rogue” IRS agents—or even corruption within one, two, three or many administrations. Instead, the problem lays in the extraordinary power the tax system grants the IRS."
The bipartisan tradition of using the IRS as a tool to harass political opponents suggests that the problem is deeper than just a few “rogue” IRS agents—or even corruption within one, two, three or many administrations. Instead, the problem lays in the extraordinary power the tax system grants the IRS."
Tax Day | Cato Institute
Tax Day | Cato Institute: "The OECD measured the ratio of percentage of taxes paid to percentage of market income for the top 10 percent of earners in 24 countries. Total market income is far larger than total taxes paid, so even if the ratio is above 1, this is not saying this population pays more in taxes than they earn; it is saying that the share of taxes they pay is greater than the share of income they earn. In this report the U.S. came out on top, with the share of taxes paid equaling 135 percent of the share of income earned, far ahead of such “progressive” countries as France (110 percent), Denmark (102 percent), and Sweden (100 percent)."
The Shocking Secret Behind Obamacare Enrollment Numbers | Cato Institute
The Shocking Secret Behind Obamacare Enrollment Numbers | Cato Institute: "In January of this year, the Obama administration began spending billions of dollars of unauthorized subsidies to induce Americans to enroll in the 34 Exchanges established by the federal government. The president is literally forcing taxpayers, without any legal authorization, to subsidize two out of every three Exchange enrollments. "
Virginia Tech pays $32,500 in US fines stemming from April 2007 campus massacre | Fox News
Virginia Tech pays $32,500 in US fines stemming from April 2007 campus massacre | Fox News: "The U.S. Department of Education said Wednesday the university has paid two fines totaling $32,500 for violations of the Clery Act, which requires universities to issue timely warnings of campus threats.
Student gunman Seung-Hui Cho (sung-wee joh) shot two at a dorm on the Blacksburg campus hours before his rampage at a classroom building. University officials have defended their decision to not alert the campus of the first shootings because police said that they were domestic in nature and that the broader campus was not at risk."
So are they supposed to listen to the experts or just follow the letter of the law no matter what?
Student gunman Seung-Hui Cho (sung-wee joh) shot two at a dorm on the Blacksburg campus hours before his rampage at a classroom building. University officials have defended their decision to not alert the campus of the first shootings because police said that they were domestic in nature and that the broader campus was not at risk."
So are they supposed to listen to the experts or just follow the letter of the law no matter what?
ACLU backs Nebraska man arrested for handing out religious fliers | Fox News
ACLU backs Nebraska man arrested for handing out religious fliers | Fox News: "The American Civil Liberties Union of Nebraska said Wednesday that Larry Ball was on a public sidewalk and exercising his First Amendment rights when he handed out the fliers."
Tuesday, April 15, 2014
Russian aircraft buzz US Navy destroyer: How big a deal? - CSMonitor.com
Russian aircraft buzz US Navy destroyer: How big a deal? - CSMonitor.com: "During the cold war, these sorts of flybys “happened all the time,” says Christopher Harmer, a retired Navy officer who served as deputy director of future operations for the US Navy’s Fifth Fleet."
Monday, April 14, 2014
The NSA's Heartbleed Problem Is the Problem with the NSA | Cato Institute
The NSA's Heartbleed Problem Is the Problem with the NSA | Cato Institute: "The agency’s recently-disclosed minimization procedures permit “retention of all communications that are enciphered.” In other words, when NSA encounters encryption it can’t crack, it’s allowed to — and apparently does — vacuum up all that scrambled traffic and store it indefinitely, in hopes of finding a way to break into it months or years in the future. As security experts recently confirmed, Heartbleed can be used to steal a site’s master encryption keys — keys that would suddenly enable anyone with a huge database of encrypted traffic to unlock it, at least for the vast majority of sites that don’t practice what’s known as “forward security”, regularly generating new keys as a safeguard against retroactive exposure."
"That creates a huge dilemma for private sector security experts. Normally, when they discover a vulnerability of this magnitude, they want to give their colleagues a discreet heads-up before going public, ensuring that the techies at major sites have a few days to patch the hole before the whole world learns about it.
The geeks at NSA’s massive Information Assurance Directorate — the part of the agency tasked with protecting secrets and improving security — very much want to be in that loop. But they’re part of an organization that’s also dedicated to stealing secrets and breaking security. And security companies have been burned by cooperation with NSA before: the influential firm RSA trusted the agency to help them improve one of their popular security tools, only to discover via another set of Snowden documents that the spies had schemed to weaken the software instead.
Giving NSA advance warning of Heartbleed could help the agency protect all those government systems that were relying on OpenSSL to protect user data — but it also would aid them in exploiting the bug to compromise privacy and security on a massive scale in the window before the fix was widely deployed."
"That creates a huge dilemma for private sector security experts. Normally, when they discover a vulnerability of this magnitude, they want to give their colleagues a discreet heads-up before going public, ensuring that the techies at major sites have a few days to patch the hole before the whole world learns about it.
The geeks at NSA’s massive Information Assurance Directorate — the part of the agency tasked with protecting secrets and improving security — very much want to be in that loop. But they’re part of an organization that’s also dedicated to stealing secrets and breaking security. And security companies have been burned by cooperation with NSA before: the influential firm RSA trusted the agency to help them improve one of their popular security tools, only to discover via another set of Snowden documents that the spies had schemed to weaken the software instead.
Giving NSA advance warning of Heartbleed could help the agency protect all those government systems that were relying on OpenSSL to protect user data — but it also would aid them in exploiting the bug to compromise privacy and security on a massive scale in the window before the fix was widely deployed."
Another Phony Budget Debate :: The Mises Economics Blog: The Circle Bastiat
Another Phony Budget Debate :: The Mises Economics Blog: The Circle Bastiat: " Only in DC could a budget that increases spending by 3.5 percent per year instead of by 5.2 percent per year be attacked as a “slash-and-burn” plan."
Saturday, April 12, 2014
Does the Paycheck Fairness Act help or hurt women? - Campaign for Liberty
Does the Paycheck Fairness Act help or hurt women? - Campaign for Liberty: "The Paycheck Fairness Act will make it harder for women to negotiate their own salaries, and for the company to respond to the needs and demands of those it employs. There are many conceivable reasons a woman might accept a lower salary: perhaps they’d like to market themselves competitively when coming back to work after raising children, or exchange lower pay for flexible hours. Under the Paycheck Fairness Act, these women will find themselves at a disadvantage."
Friday, April 11, 2014
New algorithm guesses SSNs using date and place of birth | Ars Technica
New algorithm guesses SSNs using date and place of birth | Ars Technica: "the authors estimate that even a moderate-sized botnet of 10,000 machines could successfully obtain identity verifications for younger residents of West Virginia at a rate of 47 a minute.
All of that requires that the botnet master have access to date and place of birth information, and a number of commercial services will happily provide that data for a price. But the authors also point out that it may not be necessary to pay; they cite a publication in progress that indicates it's easy to harvest a lot of that information from social networking sites like Facebook."
All of that requires that the botnet master have access to date and place of birth information, and a number of commercial services will happily provide that data for a price. But the authors also point out that it may not be necessary to pay; they cite a publication in progress that indicates it's easy to harvest a lot of that information from social networking sites like Facebook."
Wednesday, April 09, 2014
Taking from the poor to give to the rich - Campaign for Liberty
Taking from the poor to give to the rich - Campaign for Liberty: "The Affordable Care Act ultimately relies on the same redistributionist principle—taking extra money from the young and healthy and using it to subsidize the health care of our far wealthier and less healthy parents and grandparents.
All told, “more than 50 percent of federal benefits flow to the 13 percent of the population over 65”—the same segment of the population with forty-seven times young people’s income and net worth. This makes no sense."
All told, “more than 50 percent of federal benefits flow to the 13 percent of the population over 65”—the same segment of the population with forty-seven times young people’s income and net worth. This makes no sense."
Computer technical support call a year after laptop was stolen leads to burglary arrest | Fox News
Computer technical support call a year after laptop was stolen leads to burglary arrest | Fox News: "Mike Witonis got an email from Apple thanking him for calling customer service about his laptop computer. Problem is, someone had stolen it from him a year earlier."
After 25 years in prison, man exonerated of NYC murder committed while he was at Disney World | Fox News
After 25 years in prison, man exonerated of NYC murder committed while he was at Disney World | Fox News: "From the day of his 1989 arrest in a deadly New York City shooting, Jonathan Fleming said he had been more than 1,000 miles away, on a vacation at Disney World. Despite having documents to back him up, he was convicted of murder.
Prosecutors now agree with him, and Fleming left a Brooklyn court as a free man Tuesday after spending nearly a quarter-century behind bars.
Fleming, now 51, tearfully hugged his lawyers as relatives cheered, "Thank you, God!" after a judge dismissed the case. A key witness had recanted, newly found witnesses implicated someone else and prosecutors' review of authorities' files turned up documents supporting Fleming's alibi."
"Fleming had plane tickets, videos and postcards from his trip, said his lawyers, Anthony Mayol and Taylor Koss. But prosecutors at the time suggested he could have made a quick round-trip plane jaunt to be in New York, and a woman testified that she had seen him shoot Rush. He was sentenced to 25 years to life in prison and was due to have his first parole hearing soon.
The witness recanted her testimony soon after Fleming's 1990 conviction, saying she had lied so police would cut her loose for an unrelated arrest, but Fleming lost his appeals."
"Prosecutors' review produced a hotel receipt that Fleming paid in Florida about five hours before the shooting — a document that police evidently had found in Fleming's pocket when they arrested him. Prosecutors also found an October 1989 Orlando police letter to New York detectives, saying some employees at an Orlando hotel had told investigators they remembered Fleming.
Neither the receipt nor the police letter had been provided to Fleming's initial defense lawyer, despite rules that generally require investigators to turn over possibly exculpatory material."
Prosecutors now agree with him, and Fleming left a Brooklyn court as a free man Tuesday after spending nearly a quarter-century behind bars.
Fleming, now 51, tearfully hugged his lawyers as relatives cheered, "Thank you, God!" after a judge dismissed the case. A key witness had recanted, newly found witnesses implicated someone else and prosecutors' review of authorities' files turned up documents supporting Fleming's alibi."
"Fleming had plane tickets, videos and postcards from his trip, said his lawyers, Anthony Mayol and Taylor Koss. But prosecutors at the time suggested he could have made a quick round-trip plane jaunt to be in New York, and a woman testified that she had seen him shoot Rush. He was sentenced to 25 years to life in prison and was due to have his first parole hearing soon.
The witness recanted her testimony soon after Fleming's 1990 conviction, saying she had lied so police would cut her loose for an unrelated arrest, but Fleming lost his appeals."
"Prosecutors' review produced a hotel receipt that Fleming paid in Florida about five hours before the shooting — a document that police evidently had found in Fleming's pocket when they arrested him. Prosecutors also found an October 1989 Orlando police letter to New York detectives, saying some employees at an Orlando hotel had told investigators they remembered Fleming.
Neither the receipt nor the police letter had been provided to Fleming's initial defense lawyer, despite rules that generally require investigators to turn over possibly exculpatory material."
Monday, April 07, 2014
EPA exposed humans to high levels of pollutants - Campaign for Liberty
EPA exposed humans to high levels of pollutants - Campaign for Liberty: "The agency conducted tests on people with health issues and the elderly, exposing them to high levels of potentially lethal pollutants, without disclosing the risks of cancer and death, according to a newly released government report.
These experiments exposed people, including those with asthma and heart problems, to dangerously high levels of toxic pollutants, including diesel fumes, reads a EPA inspector general report obtained by The Daily Caller News Foundation. The EPA also exposed people with health issues to levels of pollutants up to 50 times greater than the agency says is safe for humans."
These experiments exposed people, including those with asthma and heart problems, to dangerously high levels of toxic pollutants, including diesel fumes, reads a EPA inspector general report obtained by The Daily Caller News Foundation. The EPA also exposed people with health issues to levels of pollutants up to 50 times greater than the agency says is safe for humans."
Obamacare Isn't about Health, It's about Wealth Redistribution | Cato Institute
Obamacare Isn't about Health, It's about Wealth Redistribution | Cato Institute: "In other words, executives running a multibillion-dollar industry — until they were enlightened by government bureaucrats — were too ignorant to understand that providing “free” contraception to everybody costs less than covering a few pregnancies."
Friday, April 04, 2014
Dissent on a One Way Street | RedState
Dissent on a One Way Street | RedState: "The left in the United States increasingly refuses even to consider other arguments. Children must be taught only the left’s arguments. Scholars and pundits must only share the left’s views. Any other views must be marginalized, silenced, or punished. Those who hold unpopular views must be shunned, fired, or re-educated."
Wednesday, April 02, 2014
Obamacare Isn't about Health, It's about Wealth Redistribution | Cato Institute
Obamacare Isn't about Health, It's about Wealth Redistribution | Cato Institute: "In other words, executives running a multibillion-dollar industry — until they were enlightened by government bureaucrats — were too ignorant to understand that providing “free” contraception to everybody costs less than covering a few pregnancies."
The Whistleblower vs Mugabe at the Un | Cato Institute
The Whistleblower vs Mugabe at the Un | Cato Institute: "The controversy demonstrates that something is very wrong with the UN system. Observed writer Armin Rosen: “This case involves more than just a single UN bureaucrat enjoying a disturbingly close relationship with one of the most oppressive governments on earth. The UN system also actively abetted a toxic organizational status quo in Zimbabwe, even when it meant ruining the career of an employee who the [review UN] tribunal found to be a talented humanitarian professional and a courageous whistleblower—and even if it meant putting thousands of Zimbabweans’ lives in danger.”"
"The judges concluded their devastating opinion by noting that no names had been redacted: “It is the considered view of this Tribunal that when individuals occupy high public offices, if the circumstances so warrant, their actions that lead to injustice should be exposed openly. This is also a component of transparent justice and accountability of public servants as reiterated by the General Assembly.” "
"The judges concluded their devastating opinion by noting that no names had been redacted: “It is the considered view of this Tribunal that when individuals occupy high public offices, if the circumstances so warrant, their actions that lead to injustice should be exposed openly. This is also a component of transparent justice and accountability of public servants as reiterated by the General Assembly.” "
What Do American Indians Deserve: Name Changes or Policy Changes? | Cato Institute
What Do American Indians Deserve: Name Changes or Policy Changes? | Cato Institute: "Only about five percent of land on Indian reservations is fee simple [individually owned]. The great majority of land is trust land, which can be difficult to develop and use productively. Trust land generally cannot be leased, mortgaged, or transferred without approval by the BIA. And the land cannot be easily used as loan collateral for an entrepreneur who wants to raise funds for investment.
Economist Terry Anderson, an expert on tribal economies, has noted that when you drive through reservations and “you see 160 acres overgrazed and a house unfit for occupancy, you can be sure the title to the land is held by the federal government bureaucracy. In contrast, when you see irrigated land in cultivations with farm implements, a barn and a well-kept house, you can be sure the land is held fee simple.”"
Economist Terry Anderson, an expert on tribal economies, has noted that when you drive through reservations and “you see 160 acres overgrazed and a house unfit for occupancy, you can be sure the title to the land is held by the federal government bureaucracy. In contrast, when you see irrigated land in cultivations with farm implements, a barn and a well-kept house, you can be sure the land is held fee simple.”"
March Madness, lottery tickets and our government | Fox News
March Madness, lottery tickets and our government | Fox News: "After locking up bookies for "dangerous and criminal" activities, like running "numbers rackets," most states now offer much worse odds in state lotteries. Then they take money from taxpayers to advertise their scams.
Some states even run commercials that mock hard work, pushing the benefits of a long-shot jackpot. Poor people become poorer, because they buy most of the lottery tickets. Then politicians brag how money from the lottery helps the poor. "
"when "unapproved" websites offered Internet poker, at far better odds, the federal government charged the operators with "money laundering" and shut the sites down."
"Politicians turn small problems into big ones. I wish politicians would notice that their clumsy one-size-fits-all laws can never take into account how 300 million different Americans react to a complex experience like gambling.
The way people gamble will vary, just as the way they drink or play sports varies. Most people are careful; some are reckless. But we don't respond by forbidding drinking or sports."
Some states even run commercials that mock hard work, pushing the benefits of a long-shot jackpot. Poor people become poorer, because they buy most of the lottery tickets. Then politicians brag how money from the lottery helps the poor. "
"when "unapproved" websites offered Internet poker, at far better odds, the federal government charged the operators with "money laundering" and shut the sites down."
"Politicians turn small problems into big ones. I wish politicians would notice that their clumsy one-size-fits-all laws can never take into account how 300 million different Americans react to a complex experience like gambling.
The way people gamble will vary, just as the way they drink or play sports varies. Most people are careful; some are reckless. But we don't respond by forbidding drinking or sports."
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