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Information from some sites may not be reliable, or may not be vetted.
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from BBC News (UK)
LEFT-CENTER BIAS
Russia has been ordered to close its San Francisco consulate and two trade missions in response to "unwarranted" Russian action, the US has said. The consulate, and annexes in New York and Washington, must close by Saturday. The US state department's move follows Moscow's reduction of US diplomatic staff in Russia last month. That in turn followed new US sanctions on Russia over Crimea and alleged election interference, which led to the expulsion of 35 Russian diplomats. President Barack Obama had ordered those expulsions, along with the closure of two compounds, last December. Although Russian President Vladimir Putin did not respond initially to that move, with Mr Trump set to assume office, he then announced on 31 July a reduction of 755 US diplomatic staff in Russia, in retaliation for the US sanctions.
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from The Catholic Herald (UK)
Young Catholics feel they have been denied their inheritance. Where do they go from here?
Great piece, and not only for Catholics: "Archbishop Augustine DiNoia described the experiences of these young traditionalists. 'My sense is that these twenty- and thirty-somethings have been radicalised by their experience … in a way that we were not.' After 'God-knows-what kinds of personal and social experiences', they have come to know 'moral chaos, personally and socially, and they want no part of it'. A sense of narrow escape guides their vocations. 'It is as if they had gone to the edge of an abyss and pulled back.'”
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from The Conversation US
Media/News Company in Boston
US presidents have an overwhelmingly poor track record when it comes to bettering the position of America’s First Peoples. Thomas Jefferson, the architect of American independence, treated Indian Country as an inconvenience during his terms in office. Abraham Lincoln, “the great emancipator”, allowed his generals to commit atrocities against Native American communities throughout the Civil War, leading to massacres at Sand Creek and Bear River. Adams, Coolidge and Nixon are all tied by their genuine conviction to improve the lives of America’s indigenous communities. While their successes varied, they each left a noticeable impact on US Indian policy. Considering President Trump’s dismissive approach to Indian rights and tribal sovereignty, there is little hope of him continuing this infrequent presidential tradition.
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from The Daily Inter Lake
newspaper in Kalispell, Montana
SPERRY CHALET LOST IN SPRAGUE FIRE
At about 6 p.m. Thursday, the main building at the Sperry Chalet was lost to the Sprague Fire, according to the Glacier National Park Facebook page and an update on InciWeb. A group of firefighters that were staged at the Sperry Chalet are still reportedly on site and safe. The firefighters had an extensive hose lay, sprinkler and pump system installed to protect all of the structures associated with the Sperry Chalet, but the high winds Thursday afternoon pushed the fire to the east. The firefighters, supported by three helicopters, were unable to save the main Sperry Chalet, according to the post.
SPERRY CHALET LOST IN SPRAGUE FIRE
At about 6 p.m. Thursday, the main building at the Sperry Chalet was lost to the Sprague Fire, according to the Glacier National Park Facebook page and an update on InciWeb. A group of firefighters that were staged at the Sperry Chalet are still reportedly on site and safe. The firefighters had an extensive hose lay, sprinkler and pump system installed to protect all of the structures associated with the Sperry Chalet, but the high winds Thursday afternoon pushed the fire to the east. The firefighters, supported by three helicopters, were unable to save the main Sperry Chalet, according to the post.
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from FEE (Foundation for Economic Education)
RIGHT-CENTER BIAS, HIGH, non-profit organization
You Can't Fight Extremism through Government Force
When the government tries to squash ideas, the results are often destructive of American ideals. In the wake of the protest in Charlottesville by white supremacists, many people are demanding a crackdown on dangerous right-wing extremists. The federal government has previously carried out similar campaigns against with disastrous results. Rather than intellectually purifying the nation, such efforts are far more likely to turn nitwits into martyrs and to ravage Washington’s credibility. Prior federal law enforcement efforts to take down “bad ideas” quickly spiraled out of control.
Unions Are the Worst Labor Day Deal
Every Labor Day, unions repeat assertions of advancing the interests of all workers. But those claims are false. Unions harm most American workers.
Let's Ditch One-Size-Fits-All Schooling
Formal curricula are fine, but we need to recognize that they consist of one group’s guess at what people will need to know a decade from now and what, of that, they will likely retain when needed. It just isn’t likely that there really is one list of stuff that everyone should be forced to know.
You Don't Have to Buy American to Buy The "American Way"
President Trump may have uttered more protectionist rhetoric since he began running for office than any of the past US presidents, promising huge payoffs that fly in the face of both logic and history. One big part has been his support for “Buy American” policies, such as those on his renegotiating-NAFTA shopping list.
Representative Government Suffers from the Principal-Agent Problem
As a rule, candidates for election to public office make vague promises, hardly any of which are subject to straightforward monitoring or quantitative measurement. In general, it is impossible for principals in the electorate to identify precisely how their office-holding agents have succeeded or failed.
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from The Hill
LEFT-CENTER BIAS, MIXED, newspaper in Washington, D.C.Ryan-Brady tax plan the right way to reduce federal revenues
Zero does not equal minus three. This is incontrovertibly true. But many involved in the tax reform debate are acting as if zero (revenue neutrality) does equal minus three trillion, the approximate amount by which taxes will be cut relative to baseline by the tax reform proposals they support. The Ryan-Brady Better Way tax reform plan has been estimated to reduce federal revenues by $2.4 (Tax Foundation) to $3.1 trillion (Urban Institute-Brookings) over 10 years before taking economic growth effects into account. Since the border tax adjustment (BTA) is no longer part of the plan, those figures would now be approximately $1 trillion higher, or $3.4 to $4.1 trillion. The Better Way plan would dramatically improve the economy. The Tax Foundation estimated the original plan to be almost revenue neutral (down $200 billion) over 10 years because it found that the plan’s dramatically improved tax treatment of investment and substantially lower marginal tax rates would expand the tax base by increasing the Gross Domestic Product (GDP) by 9.1 percent.
Obama Gutted Work Requirements for Welfare. Why Trump Is Right to Restore Them.
President Donald Trump on Wednesday reversed an Obama administration policy that undermined one of the most successful domestic policy reforms in the last half-century. In doing so, Trump took strong steps to preserve the original intent of the 1996 welfare reform law: to weaken the cycle of poverty by reducing dependence and promoting self-sufficiency through work and marriage.
As Houston Reels from Harvey, Here’s Where Relief Funding Stands
As remnants of Hurricane Harvey move northeastward, the U.S. gulf coast continues to be drenched. Harvey, which made landfall last Friday night as a Category 4 storm, is the strongest hurricane to hit the U.S. in over a decade, with winds exceeding 130 mph in some areas. But beyond the extreme winds and storm surge, Harvey has crippled southeast Texas with widespread flooding. The storm stalled just south of Houston and is only now moving toward the northeast. Parts of Houston were hit with more than 40 inches of rain. With the end of the fiscal year approaching, Congress will soon have a debate over how the government will cover its commitments. Disasters of this magnitude are clear cases in which the federal government needs to be able to help, and we all want to help suffering Americans.
How Trump Can Keep the Economy at 3% Growth
Americans received good news this week: The economy, as measured by gross domestic product (GDP), grew at a 3 percent rate in the second quarter of 2017. President Donald Trump has made sustained 3 percent economic growth the key target of “MAGAnomics.” To be a success, that initiative will have to improve the economy enough that 3 percent growth becomes a typical quarterly growth rate, not a better than average one. While many news outlets have focused on the role of consumption in driving quarterly GDP growth, policy makers should look further upstream. When Trump and congressional leaders huddle on tax reform in the coming weeks, they should focus the conversation on restoring investment incentives. That’s where they’ll pick up serious yardage.
Evidence Suggests Charter Schools in New York City Succeeding With Less Funding
In July, New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio made a deal with state legislators: The mayor would retain control of city schools for two more years in exchange for a commitment to increase the number of charter schools. Low-income students in New York City charter schools are out-performing affluent students city-wide. New York City parents should be ready to hold the mayor to his commitment to stop interfering with charter school growth so that children can have more opportunities.
Trump’s Reversal of Obama Pay Gap Rule Is Good News for Women, Minorities
The Trump administration put a stop this week to an Obama-era rule that would have hurt the wage and employment prospects of all workers, and would have harmed women and minorities the most. The rule would have required companies with 100 or more workers to report detailed salary information to government bureaucrats by sex, race, job category, and other factors. As innocuous as additional reporting requirements may sound, the way in which the Department of Labor and lawyers would have used this information would have backfired on those workers that were the policies’ targets.
In Hurricane Harvey Response, Congress Must Avoid the Mistakes of Sandy
As the floodwaters of Hurricane Harvey begin to recede, focus will shift to the costs of cleanup and recovery. There are already rumblings that Congress will look to pass a “Superstorm Sandy” type emergency funding package that could provide billions of dollars in federal aid to affected communities. Anytime a natural disaster or unforeseen crisis occurs, there is pressure on lawmakers to help. Ensuring the health and safety of those directly impacted by the storm is a top national priority. However, Congress must learn from mistakes of the past and carefully prioritize any additional funding provided for relief and recovery, and take steps to mitigate the costs of future disasters within current budget constraints.
Taxes: Some Cutting Remarks
Job No. 1 for Congress is repealing ObamaCare. But cutting taxes is a close second. Of course, the whole system needs an overhaul. We want to unleash economic growth and prosperity. Tax cuts are a crucial first step toward that, but we need full reform to get us across the finish line. U.S. tax rates, simply put, are too high. Combined marginal rates for some individuals and capital investments can exceed 50 percent, tax experts Romina Boccia and Adam Michel note in a recent paper.
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from The Liberty Review
[Information from this site may be unreliable.]
12 Venn Diagrams that Show the Intellectual Inconsistency of the Left·
“Thanks to John Venn, I now have a part-time job as a Venn diagram graphic artist/specialist – they are a very effective way to illustrate graphically the intellectual inconsistencies that are widespread and commonplace among the public, especially with our left-leaning friends.”
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from Medium
Learning from the past is not erasing history!
Apparently this needs to be spelled out for people. States and cities across the country are reevaluating their Confederate monuments and considering how to best contextualize them: with plaques, in museums, spray painting smiley faces on them, etc. While statues get the spotlight, “monuments” include more than bronzed idols, but also school names, street names, and any areas in which public celebrations of the Confederacy — a failed attempt to cement the chains of slavery for perpetuity — remain a part of everyday life.
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from Mises Institute
[Information from this site may not be reliable.]The great investor and writer Andy Kessler frequently points out that the failure rate among Silicon Valley start-ups is 90 percent. Every member of the economics profession would be wise to memorize the previous figure, and repeat it daily. If so, economists might come closer to understanding why they’re mystified by what they deem slow economic growth. And mystified they are. So much so that they’ve apparently given up. Not only are economists incapable of recognizing what economic growth is, they propose policies that are inimical to the progress necessary for growth.
Texas's economy — when measured by GDP — is larger than Canada's. In other words: If Texas were an independent country, it would be the world's 10th largest economy (totaling $1.6 trillion), and its citizens would be more than capable of addressing natural disasters of the magnitude of a major flood. Texas's economy is also larger than those of Russia and Australia.
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from Orthodox Christianity
During the course of recent negotiations with Hezbollah and the Syrian army, the terrorist organization ISIS denied that it had kidnapped Metropolitan Paul of Aleppo and Oriental Orthodox Metropolitan Johanna Ibrahim, who were abducted on April 22, 2013.
Tsar-Martyr Nicholas II, and Patriarchs St. Tikhon of Moscow, Sergius (Stragorodsky), and Alexey II, and Metropolitan Anthony of Sourozh have been included in Forbes magazine’s list of the 100 most influential Russians of the 20th century, reports online journal Foma. The ranking of the 100 was compiled for the magazine’s 100th anniversary. The main part of the list consists of those whose political, scientific, cultural, or spiritual activities came at the beginning of the previous century, and exerted influence “on the minds of millions,” although the list also includes 21 of our contemporaries, reports the Russian Forbes site. Readers’ number one pick was Soviet astronaut Yuri Gagarin, chosen by 52.2% of readers, followed by dictator Joseph Stalin and President Vladimir Putin, both chosen by 44.6% of readers.
III INTERNATIONAL CHRISTIAN FORUM ON AID TO MIDDLE EAST CHRISTIANS HELD IN MOSCOW
The III International Christian Forum, focused on cultural and spiritual education of the youth and giving aid to the suffering Christians of the Middle East, was held in Moscow August 28-30, attracting more than 200 participants from Europe, former Soviet Union states, and the Middle East, reports Sedmitza. Participants in the forum hailed from Russia, Armenia, Greece, Georgia, Lebanon, Palestine, Serbia, and Syria. The event was organized by the “Christian World” Union for Promoting the Preservation of Traditional Spiritual Values in the person of the union’s president Alexei Cherkezov, with the support of the Department of National Policy and Interregional Relations of the City of Moscow, the “Russar” charitable fund, the Imperial Orthodox Palestinian Society, the Greek regional youth organization “Argo,” the Union of Armenians of Russia, the “United Caucasus” assembly, and the motorcycle club “Night Wolves.” The delegates first of all drew focus to the problems of Christians in the Middle East, particularly in Syria and Iraq, who are being subjected to a real genocide by Muslim terrorists. “One of the main themes of the forums was the mechanisms for resisting the situation which has unfolded in the Middle East—the practice of genocide against Christians,” said one of the panelists, “Christian World” president Alex Cherkezov, as pravoslavie.fm reports.
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from Reason Magazine
[Information from this site may not be reliable.]
Federal Judge Temporarily Blocks Most of Texas Anti-Sanctuary City Law
A federal judge has temporarily stopped most of Texas' controversial anti-sanctuary city law from being enforced, just two days before it was scheduled to take effect. Orlando Garcia of the United States District Court for the Western District of Texas hasn't completely shut down the law. But in a lengthy ruling released Wednesday night Garcia determined the cities and counties within the state who filed suit to stop the law have a good chance of winning on some of the claims. A temporary injunction stops much of the law from being implemented as the lawsuit moves forward.
St. Petersburg Wants to Force You To Put Solar Panels On Your House
The City Council of St. Petersburg, Florida has an idea as bright as the sun for harnessing its energy: force residents to install solar panels. Council members are positively radiating with the notion of requiring all new homes and all major roof renovations on existing homes to include solar arrays. "It creates jobs, it lowers pollution," councilman Kevin Nurse says. "There is no downside." Unless you consider being forced to spend an extra $10,500 to $14,700 on your home a downside, according to an estimate for a typical home solar installation in the 5,000 to 7,000 kilowatt range by St. Petersburg based Solar Energy Management. Homes smaller than 1,100 square feet are exempted from the law.
Legislation in Congress Would Block Jeff Sessions’ Asset Forfeiture Bonanza
Several House Republicans are proposing amendments to a large funding bill moving through Congress to block Attorney General Jeff Sessions' recent directive expanding the federal government's civil asset forfeiture program. Last month, Sessions announced he was rolling back Obama-era restrictions on when federal law enforcement could "adopt" civil asset forfeiture cases from local and state police. Conservative and liberal civil liberties groups say federal "adoptions" amount to a loophole allowing local police to avoid stricter state laws and higher standards of evidence when seizing private property.
Milwaukee Sheriff David Clarke Resigns to Spend More Time With His Fake Medals
Milwaukee County Sheriff David Clarke resigned Thursday, effective at midnight, ending the controversial 15-year tenure of one of the nation's most prominent and conservative lawmen.
Federal Judge Temporarily Blocks Most of Texas Anti-Sanctuary City Law
A federal judge has temporarily stopped most of Texas' controversial anti-sanctuary city law from being enforced, just two days before it was scheduled to take effect. Orlando Garcia of the United States District Court for the Western District of Texas hasn't completely shut down the law. But in a lengthy ruling released Wednesday night Garcia determined the cities and counties within the state who filed suit to stop the law have a good chance of winning on some of the claims. A temporary injunction stops much of the law from being implemented as the lawsuit moves forward.
St. Petersburg Wants to Force You To Put Solar Panels On Your House
The City Council of St. Petersburg, Florida has an idea as bright as the sun for harnessing its energy: force residents to install solar panels. Council members are positively radiating with the notion of requiring all new homes and all major roof renovations on existing homes to include solar arrays. "It creates jobs, it lowers pollution," councilman Kevin Nurse says. "There is no downside." Unless you consider being forced to spend an extra $10,500 to $14,700 on your home a downside, according to an estimate for a typical home solar installation in the 5,000 to 7,000 kilowatt range by St. Petersburg based Solar Energy Management. Homes smaller than 1,100 square feet are exempted from the law.
Legislation in Congress Would Block Jeff Sessions’ Asset Forfeiture Bonanza
Several House Republicans are proposing amendments to a large funding bill moving through Congress to block Attorney General Jeff Sessions' recent directive expanding the federal government's civil asset forfeiture program. Last month, Sessions announced he was rolling back Obama-era restrictions on when federal law enforcement could "adopt" civil asset forfeiture cases from local and state police. Conservative and liberal civil liberties groups say federal "adoptions" amount to a loophole allowing local police to avoid stricter state laws and higher standards of evidence when seizing private property.
Milwaukee Sheriff David Clarke Resigns to Spend More Time With His Fake Medals
Milwaukee County Sheriff David Clarke resigned Thursday, effective at midnight, ending the controversial 15-year tenure of one of the nation's most prominent and conservative lawmen.
from The Spokesman-Review
Sperry Chalet burns in Glacier National Park wildfire
Glacier National Park's historic Sperry Chalet was lost to the Sprague Fire today [Aug. 30] at about 6 p.m., park officials report. The main chalet building at a remote site in the park burned despite the efforts of a "highly skilled group of firefighters" staged at the remote chalet for the past week, officials said through InciWeb.
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