News of the Week
Arab Revolts *************** Obama’s 1979 Are the wages of magnanimity to our enemies and snubbing of our allies once again coming due? *************** Egypt army: will not use violence against citizens CAIRO (Reuters) - The army said on Monday it would not use force against Egyptians staging protests demanding President Hosni Mubarak step down, a statement said. *************** The Fall of the House of Saud The oil market was in an uproar last week as a result of the unrest in Tunisia and Egypt. Oil prices rose about $4 a barrel in a few hours, even though neither Tunisia nor Egypt is a significant oil exporter. It’s pretty clear that the market is really worried about a spillover of popular discontent to the big oil producers of the Middle East. *************** 1979 Redux? By Victor Davis Hanson The Obama administration’s deer-in-the headlights policy toward Egypt will probably change if and when Mubarak & Co. leave and thereby introduce the risk of a Czar–Kerensky–Lenin or Estates-General–Paris Commune–Committee of Public Safety scenario — i.e., the better organized and militantly non-democratic forces coming to the fore amid loosely organized protest against prior oppression. *************** Angry scenes outside Egyptian embassy in London Hundreds of protesters rallied outside the Egyptian embassy in London calling on President Hosni Mubarak to step down. *************** Militias Being Formed Across Egypt Posted by Matthew Avitabile Word is tricking in from many different sources that independent militias are springing up all over the cities of Egypt in response to the ‘state of anarchy’ in Cairo and elsewhere. There are several reports– some highlights include word that groups of armed men, perhaps the Muslim Brotherhood, are setting up checkpoints in Cairo. Al Jazeera is reporting similarly: *************** Iran calls for restraint in Egypt TEHRAN (UPI) -- Saying it is closely monitoring developments in Egypt, Iranian officials asked Egypt's government to exercise restraint while working to solve the crisis. *************** If Only Mubarak Had Invested In High-Speed Rail *************** Egypt Shows How Easily Internet Can Be Silenced By: Reuters The move by Egyptian authorities to seal off the country almost entirely from the Internet shows how easily a state can isolate its people when telecoms providers are few and compliant. *************** Revolution is in the air but US sticks to same old script Washington appears addicted to propping up tyrants, writes Paul McGeough. Events in the Middle East are moving too fast for the Obama administration to think it can get away with Plan A and Plan B reaction strategies according to the regimes or leaders it wants to keep in and out of power. *************** 2 dead in Tunisia after police open fire on demonstrators By the CNN Wire Staff (CNN) -- Police in the northern city of El Kef opened fire on a crowd of protesters in Tunisia on Saturday after demonstrators reportedly became violent, the country's official news agency reported. *************** Unrest in Egypt and Middle East and a summary of coverage of fast moving events *************** Obamacare *************** Ecofascist Teacher Makes Example of Six-Year-Old Posted by Van Helsing To instill eco-obedience, our moonbat rulers have to start young, before we're capable of realizing that their rules are arbitrary and meaningless, serving only as an excuse to exercise coercion for the sake of coercion Sandwich bag gets boy excluded from class contest Tamsin McMahon, National Post A couple in Laval, Que. has sparked a fierce debate over how far schools should go to teach children about environmental responsibility after their six-year-old son was shut out of a kindergarten draw to win a stuffed animal because he had an environmentally unfriendly sandwich bag in his lunchbox. *************** Obama issues global warming rules in January, gives GE an exemption in February By: Timothy P. Carney, Senior Political Columnist Last month, the Obama EPA began enforcing new rules regulating the greenhouse gas emissions from any new or expanded power plants. *************** Judge strikes down healthcare reform law By Tom Brown (Reuters) - A federal judge in Florida struck down President Barack Obama's landmark healthcare overhaul as unconstitutional on Monday, in the biggest legal challenge yet to federal authority to enact the law. *************** Judge uses Obama’s words against him *************** China Initiates Thorium MSR Project by Kirk Sorensen The People’s Republic of China has initiated a research and development project in thorium molten-salt reactor technology, it was announced in the Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS) annual conference on Tuesday, January 25. An article in the Wenhui News followed on Wednesday (Google English translation). Chinese researchers also announced this development on the Energy from Thorium Discussion Forum. *************** UN Sec. Gen. – Capitalism is “Environmental Suicide” Says “We Need a Revolution” by hauntingthelibrary UN Secretary General, Ban-Ki Moon has launched an astonishing attack on the current economic system of Western-style capitalsim, saying that it was dangerous and outdated in the light of global warming, and calling for a new economic paradigm. *************** Posted by Tait Trussell A ruling of the U.S. Supreme Court in mid-January will deprive young doctors and hospitals of badly needed funds that could hurt the future of medical education and squeeze hospital budgets–money that could better be used providing charity care, as the American Hospital Association (AHA) put it. The Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) is on its own course to hobble medicine. *************** Climategate *************** Himalayan glaciers not melting because of climate change, report finds Himalayan glaciers are actually advancing rather than retreating, claims the first major study since a controversial UN report said they would be melted within quarter of a century. *************** Climategate analysis by John P. Costella *************** Green Tech Guru’s Apostasy By WAYNE LUSVARDI A Green Tech Martin Luther may have emerged in California, but the state is unlikely to convert to his brand of economic religion. *************** Genghis Khan, History's Greenest Conqueror New research suggests that in addition to being one of history's cruelest conquerors, Genghis Khan may have been the greenest. It is estimated that the Mongol leader's invasions unintentionally scrubbed almost 700 million tons of carbon from the atmosphere. *************** BBC: "propaganda machine for climate change zealots" In another damning article in the UK's Daily Mail, former BBC newsreader Peter Sissons blows the lid off the institutional climate change bias at the BBC. *************** New Zealand Climate Scientists Admit To Faking Temperatures: The Actual Temps Show Little Warming Over Last 50 Years *************** War
& Terror *************** SMS message from cellphone company sets off suicide bomber's bomb prematurely A "Black Widow" suicide bomber planned a terrorist attack in central Moscow on New Year's Eve but was killed when an unexpected text message set off her bomb too early, according to Russian security sources. *************** By Heidi Blake and Christopher Hope, The Daily Telegraph Al-Qaida is on the verge of producing radioactive weapons after sourcing nuclear material and recruiting rogue scientists to build "dirty" bombs, according to leaked diplomatic documents. *************** WikiLeaks: FBI hunts the 9/11 gang that got away The FBI has launched a manhunt for a previously unknown team of men suspected to be part of the 9/11 attacks, the Daily Telegraph can disclose. *************** The future of warhead-making at Y-12 There's a buzz about advanced technology under development for the Uranium Processing Facilty -- the production facility of the future at the Y-12 nuclear weapons plant -- and one of the tech areas is what's being called "agile machining." *************** 'Anonymous' Members Arrested for Cyber Attacks in Support of WikiLeaks By Leslie Horn British police have arrested five men for alleged involvement in a string of denial-of-service attacks in defense of WikiLeaks launched late last year by hacker group Anonymous. *************** WikiLeaks cables: US agrees to tell Russia Britain's nuclear secrets The US secretly agreed to give the Russians sensitive information on Britain’s nuclear deterrent to persuade them to sign a key treaty, The Daily Telegraph can disclose. *************** WikiLeaks: US and China in military standoff over space missiles The United States threatened to take military action against China during a secret "star wars" arms race within the past few years, according to leaked documents obtained by The Daily Telegraph. *************** China stealth fighter 'copied parts from downed US jet' The technology behind China's J-20 stealth fighter may have come from a US plane shot down during the Kosovo war, Balkan military sources say. *************** China's new world order demands stronger U.S. response By Robert J. Samuelson By all appearances, Chinese President Hu Jintao's visit to Washington last week changed little in the lopsided American-Chinese relationship. What we have is a system that methodically transfers American jobs, technology and financial power to China in return for only modest Chinese support for important U.S. geopolitical goals: the suppression of Iran's and North Korea's nuclear weapons programs. American officials act as though there's not much they can do to change this. *************** Should We Worry About a War in Space With China? "The first country that can use the Moon for the launching of missiles will control the Earth. That, gentlemen, is the most important military fact of this century." —Destination Moon, 1950 *************** National *************** Van Jones: “We Will Not Live on an Economic Plantation Run by the Koch Brothers” ***************Ed has already posted one video from the Koch brothers protest, but Van Jones never disappoints. This speech was recorded Sunday in Rancho Mirage, CA. *************** MoveOn.org mobilizes to support Planned Parenthood amid controversy By Jason Millman A liberal advocacy group is going to bat for Planned Parenthood after anti-abortion rights activists seized on a new undercover video that attracted headlines this week. *************** Sandoval Administration Moves Forward With Priority-Based Budgeting Process By Sean Whaley CARSON CITY – While there has been a lot of criticism directed at the details of Gov. Brian Sandoval’s proposed spending plan, there is acclaim for his development of a new budgeting process designed to ensure state agencies get results with taxpayer dollars. *************** Grading Barack Obama Libertarian legal scholar Richard Epstein on his former University of Chicago colleague *************** by Christian Hartsock I recently took a two-day trip down to Palm Springs to attend an event called “Uncloaking the Kochs” hosted by Common Cause. Accompanied by my dear friend, former assembly candidate Alvaro Day, I traveled as an independent investigative journalist, and not in any official capacity on behalf of Big Government or Breitbart.com (though I was pleasantly surprised to run into a familiar friend of mine on rollerblades jovially inviting everyone to Applebee’s). *************** Planned Parenthood in Richmond Provides Sex-Trafficking Advice By Kathryn Jean Lopez Once again, a Live Action investigators walk into a clinic. The pimp announces he is running a prostitution ring involving 14- and 15-year-old girls, some of whom aren’t from the U.S. The clinic worker advises how adept the clinic is at working a “judicial bypass process” for minor abortions, announcing “we’re pretty good at handling, if someone, you know, doesn’t want someone else to know.” She stresses “for someone who’s a minor that’s really good option. We do them probably once or twice a month here.” *************** President Obama snubs Issa on first major document deadline By Jonathan Strong TheDC Exclusive – The Obama administration snubbed top GOP oversight official Rep. Darrell Issa on his first major document deadline as new chairman of the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee, sending a short letter promising to comply in response to a major information request that was due Saturday at noon. *************** EPA now to regulate spilled milk -- really By: Thomas Sowell Despite the old saying, "Don't cry over spilled milk," the Environmental Protection Agency is doing just that. *************** Bill would require all S.D. citizens to buy a gun Five South Dakota lawmakers have introduced legislation that would require any adult 21 or older to buy a firearm “sufficient to provide for their ordinary self-defense.” *************** State of the State: Brown cites unrest in Egypt to make his case for budget vote Citing the pro-democracy unrest in Egypt and Tunisia, Gov. Jerry Brown called it “unconscionable” that GOP legislators are vowing to block his attempt to ask voters to extend tax hikes to balance the budget. *************** State of the State: Brown cites unrest in Egypt to make his case for budget vote Citing the pro-democracy unrest in Egypt and Tunisia, Gov. Jerry Brown called it “unconscionable” that GOP legislators are vowing to block his attempt to ask voters to extend tax hikes to balance the budget. *************** Make-Believe Media Ignores Jared Lee Loughner Wannabe On Friday, police arrested a radical forty-something male for attempting to murder dozens of state employees. Hardly a hot-headed gun wielding teenager, this man. Over the last year and a half, Martin Calvin Yarbrough, Jr. allegedly plotted and planned to mass murder state employees by mailing powdered chemical poison to the Department of Children and Family Services as well as Los Angeles County Children’s Courthouse. Thirteen times. The time line and nature of the crime suggest a deep seated anger for these California state agencies. *************** Planned Parenthood, ‘Safe Haven’ for Sex Trafficking: A Shocking, Breaking Video By Kathryn Jean Lopez “Absurd,” is how 23-year-old Lila Rose, president of Live Action, a new media group devoted to investigating and educating about the abortion industry, describes the group’s latest expose. *************** Tony Strickland: New legislation needed to hold officials accountable By Tony Strickland When it was uncovered last summer that officials in the Los Angeles County city of Bell were making almost million-dollar salaries, people were up in arms. And rightly so. *************** Editorial Teaches Critics of the 'UNLV Civility Statement' about the True Purpose of Higher Education *************** Clinton convenes mass meeting of US ambassadors WASHINGTON (AP) — Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton is convening an unprecedented mass meeting of U.S. ambassadors.' *************** Huntsman expected to resign as early as May By Lisa Riley Roche SALT LAKE CITY — Former Gov. Jon Huntsman Jr. has been talking quietly at least since late last year about planning to step down soon as U.S. ambassador to China for a possible run for president. *************** Summary of Nuclear propulsion for space *************** Italy Blocks Capital Punishment in America By Federico Rampini “Company to stop making drug commonly used in executions,” announced the Washington Post on the first page. “Hospira to Stop Making Lethal-Injection Drug,” echoed the front page of the Wall Street Journal. Everyone agreed on the cause: “Opposition from government figures in Italy.” It’s the story of the most effective strike ever launched against capital punishment in America: a veto cast from abroad, before which the United States finds itself helpless. *************** Grade Inflation The more we spend on higher education, the more we spend on higher education. Greg Beato from the February 2011 issue When it comes to reforming Big College, give the federal government a C+. Throughout 2010, grade grubbers in Congress, the White House, the Department of Education, and the Government Accountability Office (GAO) worked hard to investigate and regulate the booming for-profit college sector. Among other sins, they accused the schools of predatory recruiting practices, inflating grades to keep students eligible for federal aid, and charging too much for degrees that ultimately have little value in the workplace. *************** Politics by the numbers: Good omens for GOP in 2012 By: Michael Barone Numbers can tell a story. Looking back on Barack Obama's second State of the Union message, and looking forward to the congressional session and the 2012 elections, they tell a story that should leave Democrats uneasy. *************** GOP Union Allies Humiliate CA GOP Assembly leader Conway By STEVEN GREENHUT The three Assembly members who joined with Democrats at a union-sponsored rally to oppose government cuts to In-Home Supportive Services — Jim Silva of Huntington Beach, Brian Nestande of Palm Desert and Paul Cook of Yucca Valley — didn’t betray their conservative principles. They never had any such principles. But they did betray the GOP caucus and they did humiliate Assembly Minority Leader Connie Conway, who either didn’t know that the officials were joining this press conference sponsored by left-wing union organizers or she couldn’t do anything to stop them. Nestande is Conway’s top lieutenant, so this is a huge embarrassment for the Republican leadership, which no longer has much credibility on budget matters. *************** Students, Guns and Politics To most college administrators, the idea of bringing more guns onto campus makes no sense. Given that campuses see plenty of fights, and plenty of irrational behavior when students are drunk, and are dealing with large populations of students who are adults by a legal standard only, guns pose more dangers, they argue. *************** Tea Party activist: Conservatives will back Allen alternative in Va. primary By Shane D'Aprile Virginia Tea Party activist and U.S. Senate candidate Jamie Radtke says she's confident conservatives in her state will unite behind an alternative to former Sen. George Allen (R-Va.) ahead of next year's Senate primary. *************** Tyler Clementi Act a Serious Threat to Free Speech An anti-harassment bill being introduced in Congress threatens to stifle freedom of expression even more on college campuses. *************** Republicans to look at federal gun laws By Mike Lillis Staffers from the House Judiciary Committee will meet with Obama administration officials Thursday to examine the effectiveness of federal laws designed to keep guns out of the hands of the mentally ill, according to a Republican aide with the panel. *************** Rep. Dennis Kucinich sues cafeteria over olive pit in sandwich By Sabrina Eaton, The Plain Dealer WASHINGTON, D.C. - Rep. Dennis Kucinich has rapped a U.S. House of Representatives cafeteria with a $150,000 lawsuit for selling him a vegetarian sandwich wrap in 2008 that he says caused dental damage when he bit into an olive pit. *************** State bird, state flower, state gun? Utah could be first to have one. The Utah House passed a measure to make the Browning M1911 semiautomatic the state gun in honor of Utahn John Browning. Critics question the wisdom of having a state gun. *************** DeMint open to 2012 presidential bid, advisers say By: CNN Political Producer Peter Hamby Washington (CNN) – News that South Carolina Sen. Jim DeMint will travel to Iowa on March 26 to address a conservative forum organized by Rep. Steve King is sparking another round of chatter that DeMint might launch a dark horse bid for the White House in 2012. *************** Obama Needs to Wise Up About “Investments” Government pork could make even Ed Rendell melancholy “I wish the project had never started….There’s so many ways that money could’ve been applied to the transportation needs of this region in a more beneficial fashion. It’s gone down the road now, and I guess you’ve got to finish it, but it’s a tragic mistake.” *************** Pence to Announce He’s Not Running for President By Tricia Miller A former operative for Rep. Mike Pence says the Indiana Republican won’t be running for president. Pence plans to reveal the decision about his political future Thursday, multiple outlets reported, and former Pence Political Director Jerry Alexander told Roll Call that the Congressman isn’t likely to announce much. *************** Rep. Joe Heck’s files first bill, on power generated at Hoover Dam By Karoun Demirjian Nevada’s newest House representative Joe Heck filed his first bill Wednesday: a measure to expand the reach of hydroelectric power generated at Hoover Dam. *************** Sotomayor, Unplugged During a speech at the University of Chicago Law School, the Supreme Court Justice took issue with the positions of some of her colleagues on the bench. *************** GOP Rep. Rehberg to take on Sen. Tester in 2012 By Peter Schroeder Rep. Denny Rehberg (R-Mont.) has announced that he will take on Sen. Jon Tester (D-Mont.) in 2012. *************** Another Day, Three More Planned Parenthood Live Action Videos By Kathryn Jean Lopez As I mentioned there would be last night, there are three more Live Action videos recorded at Planned Parenthood clinics in Virgina being released today. In now-familiar scenarios, a man identifying himself as in sex work and explaining he has underage girls doing work for him, asks about tests, birth control, and abortions for these girls. *************** Bill seeks to let one-armed people use switchblades By Terry Karkos, Staff Writer MEXICO — A local lawmaker has proposed a bill to allow one-armed people to have and carry switchblade knives. *************** Court Rules Dungeons and Dragons Threatens Prison Security "Dungeons and Dragons — originally Satan's Game — has now been found to encourage gang-like behavior. In a finding by a three judge panel of the 7th Circuit Court of Appeals, D&D 'can mimic the organization of gangs and lead to the actual development thereof.' From the ruling: 'during D&D games, one player is denoted the "Dungeon Master." 'The Dungeon Master is tasked with giving directions to other players, which Muraski testified mimics the organization of a gang.'" *************** Immigration Activist Threatens to Kill Family of Florida House Republican A self-described Massachusetts "political activist" was arrested Monday night and charged with sending a threatening e-mail to Florida Rep. William Snyder, R-Stuart, an hour after the Arizona shooting that killed six and critically injured U.S. Rep. Gabrielle Giffords. *************** Harvard Study: We're Encouraging Too Many People To Seek Academic Four Year Degrees at the Expense of Vocational Two-Year Degrees, Which We Really Need The academy offers two reasons for getting a four year degree: 1, the experience of college life and the intellectual growth it offers (offers, note: many don't bother to take that offer. I didn't, not really). *************** Prominent progressive activists announce early opposition to Obama's re-election As President Barack Obama prepares for Tuesday's State of the Union address -- considered by many to be the real kickoff of his 2012 presidential campaign -- a group of vocal progressive activists have launched what they promise is an aggressive campaign to fight his re-election. *************** Pelosi Logged 43 Flights Covering 90,155 Miles from January to October 2010; Received “Chocolate-Covered Strawberries” for Birthday Surprise Washington, DC Judicial Watch, the public interest group that investigates and prosecutes government corruption, announced today that it has obtained new documents from the United States Air Force detailing House Speaker Nancy Pelosi’s use of United States Air Force aircraft in 2010. According to the documents, obtained through the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA), Pelosi used Air Force aircraft for 43 flights from January 1 to October 1, 2010. According to documents previously uncovered by Judicial Watch, by comparison, Nancy Pelosi logged 47 flights in the prior nine-month period, April 1, 2009, to January 1, 2010. *************** A State of the Union response or a 2012 match-up? By Jennifer Rubin Rep. Paul Ryan (R-Wisc.) had the unenviable task of responding to the State of the Union. You can't compete with the president in pomp and setting, and it is absurd to try to match him line by line and program by program. Ryan smartly didn't try. Instead, he crisply set out a vision and the rationale for his vision. *************** Krauthammer underwhelmed by Obama vision in SOTU address: ‘Late Clintonian Minimalism’ By Jeff Poor - The Daily Caller If President Barack Obama was aiming for a “this is our generation’s Sputnik moment,” he aimed too low according to Fox News Channel’s Charles Krauthammer. *************** The Math Of Beauty Today, we will investigate female attractiveness, but we won't be doing the usual photo analysis stuff. Instead, we'll look past a woman's picture, into the reaction she creates in the reptile mind of the human male. *************** Game-changer! Arizona to pass 2012 eligibility law Obama will have to produce birth certificate to run again *************** The Battle Over the DSM-V (Or "DSM-5," Since Roman Numerals are Getting the Axe Too) The book is the basis of psychiatrists’ authority to pronounce upon our mental health, to command health care dollars from insurance companies for treatment and from government agencies for research. It is as important to psychiatrists as the Constitution is to the US government or the Bible is to Christians. From Wired. Al Frances, editor of the DSM-IV and Robert Spitzer, editor of the DSM-III, joined in criticizing the upcoming DSM-5. (No kidding, roman numerals are out.) There is a tremendous amount of change proposed for the DSM-5, and it appears that not all of it is supported by good science or good sense. In trying to solve the problems of the DSM-IV, the new editors are creating bigger problems. Frances and Spitzer are worried about disaster. *************** Old rules won't determine GOP presidential candidate By: Michael Barone The weakest part of our political system, by a considerable margin, is the presidential nominating process. It tends to exclude from consideration those with the greatest experience in what is uniquely the president's responsibility, foreign policy and military strategy. *************** Mother's stem cells could stop defects before birth Mice studies show that as long as the transplanted stem cells are matched to the mother, it does not seem to matter if they are matched to the fetus. *************** Liberals trying to draft Keith Olbermann for Joe Lieberman's Senate seat By Sean J. Miller Liberals want Keith Olbermann to run for retiring Connecticut Sen. Joe Lieberman's (I-Conn.) seat. *************** The World from The Hill: U.N. funding an early target for House Republicans By Bridget Johnson A key House Republican is quickly pressing forward with her goals to scale back U.S. funding for the United Nations. *************** Renewed Push to Give President an Internet "Kill Switch" Posted by Declan McCullagh Sen. Joseph Lieberman, I-Conn., right, Republican Sen. Susan Collins, R-Maine, (Credit: AP Photo/Alex Brandon) A controversial bill handing President Obama power over privately owned computer systems during a "national cyberemergency," and prohibiting any review by the court system, will return this year. *************** Senate retirements mostly good news for GOP in 2012 landscape By Shane D'Aprile With three retirements in just the past two weeks, the 2012 Senate landscape is quickly starting to take shape, and so far it's mostly welcome news for Republicans aiming to take back the Senate majority next year. *************** NLRB Moves to Humiliate Employers, Give Unions Access to Employees & Property Watch What the Other Hand is Doing... *************** Appellate Court: Emanuel Off Ballot By HUNTER CLAUSS Rahm Emanuel has been knocked off the mayoral ballot after an Appellate Court overturned a ruling in his residency case. The court ruled that Emanuel did not meet the residency requirement for eligible candidates. Rahm back on ballot by Ed Morrissey The Illinois Supreme Court has ordered a stay of yesterday’s appellate court decision that struck Rahm Emanuel’s name from the mayoral ballot — and not a moment too soon, as the NBC affiliate in Chicago explains. The city will print ballots today, which means that voters will see Emanuel’s name on the list even if he is later disqualified: Economy
& Taxes *************** GOP offers $32B budget cut By Erik Wasson House Republican leaders on Thursday said they would seek $32 billion in spending cuts from the resolution currently funding the government. *************** High-Speed Rail, Budget Buster Virtually everywhere it has been constructed, taxpayers have lost out. *************** Senate Democrat says he'll support balanced budget amendment By Erik Wasson Sen. Mark Udall (D-Colo.) announced Tuesday that he will co-sponsor a Constitutional amendment requiring a balanced federal budget. *************** Total State Expenditures by Funding Source *************** Debt Crisis in the USA National Bankruptcy Could Be a Solution In the USA, bankruptcy of insolvent states is being discussed. Could this be an example for European crisis countries, such as Greece and Ireland? *************** Why the United States Is the Biggest Creator of Jobs By Luis Pazos During the last century, the United States was the one country that provided the most jobs (legal and illegal) to workers from around the world. The majority of migrants see in the United States the most viable option for finding work or starting a business. Currently, according to data from the Census Bureau, more than 46 million immigrants of Hispanic origin live in the United States; 30 million of those are of Mexican origin. *************** Orrin Hatch on proposed Balanced Budget Amendment Mark Levin had Orrin Hatch on his radio show to talk about the newly proposed Balanced Budget Amendment by himself and John Cornyn. Levin fully supports it and says that it is fundamental to putting us on the right fiscal path. Hatch describes what this newly proposed amendment will actually do *************** A detailed look at the Rand Paul spending bill By: David Freddoso, Online Opinion Editor Want to save $500 billion this year? Sen. Rand Paul, R-Ky., has a way to do it. *************** Made in the USA US manufacturing still tops China’s by nearly 46 percent By Jeff Jacoby IN ECONOMICS as in apparel, most fashions come and go. But like the navy blazer or the little black dress, bewailing the decline of American manufacturing never seems to go out of style. *************** The 1099 Repudiation A revealing debate over one of Washington's dumbest ideas. *************** GOP Gets Specific on Cuts By Andrew Stiles For months now, Democrats have chided Republicans for their lack of specifics in regard to spending. And while it’s true that most Republicans have been reluctant to go into much detail over what exactly they would cut, that’s about to change. In fact, it already has. *************** Rand Rips Sen. Rand Paul takes a Bowie knife to the federal budget. Sen. Rand Paul of Kentucky, in his maiden speech Wednesday, invoked the Clay family, who in the 19th century produced two Bluegrass State greats: Sen. Henry Clay, the famed Whig compromiser, and Cassius Clay, his abolitionist cousin. *************** Rand Paul proposes $500 billion in federal budget cuts FRANKFORT, Ky. (AP) -- U.S. Sen. Rand Paul wants to slash numerous federal programs, including food stamps for the poor, to save $500 billion in a single year. *************** An Ugly Side Effect of New 1099 Law: More Tax Evasion By Elizabeth MacDonald Tax pros now fear that tax evasion could go viral if the health-reform bill’s new 1099 requirement takes effect next year. They say more small businesses will likely opt to do all-cash transactions under the table to avoid the 1099 reporting requirement, and all of its onerous provisions, which are worse than small businesses may realize. *************** Price Drop Points to Likely Double Dip in Housing Market By: Reuters U.S. single-family home prices fell for a fifth straight month in November and could plumb new lows soon, a closely watched survey showed on Tuesday. *************** UK Economy May Be Heading for a Double-Dip By: Antonia Oprita Britain's "awful" gross domestic product figure for the fourth quarter is pushing the country closer to a double-dip and limits the central bank's ability to fight rising inflation, analysts and business leaders said Tuesday. *************** International *************** The French High Court Rejects a Right to Gay Marriage http://www.nationalreview.com/corner/258312/french-high-court-rejects-right-gay-marriage-maggie-gallagher Original decision *************** Mystery of the mummy's Chinese travel ban By Clifford Coonan in Beijing For her advanced years, she looks remarkable. Despite nearing the ripe old age of 4,000, long eyelashes still frame her half-open eyes and hair tumbles down to her remarkably well-preserved shoulders. *************** Chávez tackles housing crisis by urging poor to squat wealthy parts of Caracas Hugo Chávez has sent out troops to take over farms and urged the poor to occupy "unused" land in wealthy areas of Caracas, prompting a wave of squats that is rattling Venezuela's middle class. *************** U.K.: Man faces jail after protecting home from masked attackers Peter J. Thompson/National Post Tamsin McMahon Ian Thomson moved to a rural homestead in Southwestern Ontario to lead a quiet life investing in a little fixer-upper. Then his neighbour’s chickens began showing up on his property. He warned his neighbour, then killed one of the birds. *************** China to create largest mega city in the world with 42 million people by 2017 UK Telegraph - China is planning to create the world's biggest mega city by merging nine cities to create a metropolis twice the size of Wales with a population of 42 million. *************** Opinion *************** The false promise of ‘investing’ in higher education, and other NSHE thoughts I'm currently watching the NSHE Board of Regents meeting and just heard a statement from Chancellor Dan Klaich to the effect of, "The link between economic diversification and a state's system of higher education is virtually indisputable." *************** The New Feudalism The term "feudal" is, I am thinking, fairly commonly used in libertarian circles. I don't read libertarians very often, though, so to me the term is novel. (I hate admitting I'm way behind on knowing something I should have known long ago but that's the truth of it.) *************** Looters and Leviathan: Hobbes Turned Upside Down *************** Men should concentrate on playing with their children and leave the care to women Fathers should stick to just playing with their children as their efforts to look after them just end in arguments with their wives, a study claims. *************** Alfred E. Neuman in the driver’s seat by Roger Kimball The Obama administration has made one little-noticed but deeply significant policy appointment recently: it has installed Alfred E. Neuman at the center of is decision-making process for the Middle East. “But wait,” you may be saying, “I thought his name was Bruce Riedel, late of the CIA, now advisor to Obama and scholar at the Brookings Institution for Triangulation, Appeasement, and Reasons to Blame America First?” *************** If We Win the Future, Who Loses? Or does that question even make sense? The State of the Union Address was predicated on the notion that The Future is something that can be won or lost, and if we as Americans are not diligent about doing what it takes to Win, someone else will. ”Winning the future” is an idea that doesn’t really make sense. *************** Better off bankrupt States should have the option of bankruptcy protection to deal with their budget crises. By Jeb Bush and Newt Gingrich During the 2008 financial crisis, the federal government reacted in a frantic, ad hoc fashion, tapping taxpayers for bailouts galore, running roughshod over the rights of bondholders and catching the American people unaware and unprepared. In contrast, we still have time to prepare for the looming crisis threatening to engulf California, Illinois, New York and other state governments. *************** Is Barack Hussein Obama too psychologically flawed to be President? Candidate Barack Hussein Obama's performance the other afternoon at the Alfred E. Smith dinner in New York was revealing. It showed just how close to the surface resides Mr. Obama's apparently highly fragile ego. *************** Seven reasons why the GOP faces an uphill battle to defeat Obama By Bob Cusack President Obama’s chances of winning a second term have significantly improved over the past couple of months. *************** Advocate of Violence Frances Fox Piven and the New York Times's dishonest campaign for "civility." By JAMES TARANTO *************** Why 2012 Is Not 1996 A History Lesson Posted by Dan McLaughlin A little history can be a dangerous thing, and in advance of Tuesday’s State of the Union Address by President Obama, political commentary will be focusing on Obama’s ability to replay 1995-96, when President Clinton rebounded from a similar rout in the midterm elections to more or less coast to re-election (while Clinton finished below 50% of the popular vote, it was only a “coming home” of Republicans in the campaign’s closing weeks that averted a more lopsided result; the outcome was not seriously in doubt). *************** The rope with which we hang ourselves V. I. Lenin may or may not have actually declared that “the capitalists will sell us the rope with which we will hang them,” but something of the sort is occurring nowadays between American educators and the Communist regime in Beijing. Consider what happened last week in Chicago. *************** |
News of the Week Mainpage
Follow me on Twitter: @ThePoliticalHat
