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from HumanProgress.org
Education Website
More People, More Ideas, More Innovations, More Value Created
Population has grown 145 percent since 1960, but income has grown 26 percent more.
Last month, many Americans will have celebrated the birth of George Washington, Abraham Lincoln and Ronald Reagan. Few, unfortunately, recalled the birthday of a relatively little-known US academic, Julian Simon. The University of Maryland professor, who died in 1998, would have been 86. That’s an unfortunate oversight, for Simon was a truly original thinker and author of The Ultimate Resource – surely one of the most contrarian books ever published. In the book, Simon dismissed the widely held belief that population growth must inevitably result in poverty and famine. Unlike other animals, he argued, humans innovate their way out of scarcity by increasing the supply of natural resources or developing substitutes for overused resources. Human ingenuity, in other words, is “the ultimate resource” that makes all other resources more plentiful. Simon’s conclusions and forecasts were based on meticulous research, facts, and a deep understanding of human nature, intelligence and creativity. They put him at odds with the doomsayers of his day, such as Paul Ehrlich of Stanford University, whose best-selling 1968 book The Population Bomb argued that over-population would lead to exhaustion of natural resources and mega-famines.
More People, More Ideas, More Innovations, More Value Created
Population has grown 145 percent since 1960, but income has grown 26 percent more.
Last month, many Americans will have celebrated the birth of George Washington, Abraham Lincoln and Ronald Reagan. Few, unfortunately, recalled the birthday of a relatively little-known US academic, Julian Simon. The University of Maryland professor, who died in 1998, would have been 86. That’s an unfortunate oversight, for Simon was a truly original thinker and author of The Ultimate Resource – surely one of the most contrarian books ever published. In the book, Simon dismissed the widely held belief that population growth must inevitably result in poverty and famine. Unlike other animals, he argued, humans innovate their way out of scarcity by increasing the supply of natural resources or developing substitutes for overused resources. Human ingenuity, in other words, is “the ultimate resource” that makes all other resources more plentiful. Simon’s conclusions and forecasts were based on meticulous research, facts, and a deep understanding of human nature, intelligence and creativity. They put him at odds with the doomsayers of his day, such as Paul Ehrlich of Stanford University, whose best-selling 1968 book The Population Bomb argued that over-population would lead to exhaustion of natural resources and mega-famines.
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from The Spokesman-Review
Newspaper in Spokane, Washington
Dana Milbank: Trump isn’t hiring enough friends and family
Once again, the dishonest haters in the fake news media are dishonestly and fakely hating on President Trump, this time by falsely claiming that nepotism and cronyism are bad.
Megan McArdle: Publicly slighting millions of NRA members isn’t good for business – or America
Remember when companies tried to stay out of politics? I’d imagine Delta Air Lines is recalling those days very fondly. The airline bowed to pressure from liberal activists to stop offering a group discount to the National Rifle Association’s annual convention. Now it’s facing a backlash from Georgia Republicans. Given that Delta’s headquarters and biggest hub are in Atlanta, that’s a big problem.
Tori K. Whiting: Higher tariffs mean higher prices – and fewer jobs
It got relatively little attention at the time, but two proclamations that President Donald Trump signed in January could have a large effect on your wallet. The proclamations in question impose tariffs and quotas on imports of solar cells and modules, large residential washers, and washer parts. Solar cells and modules will see a tariff of 30 percent after the first 2.5 gigawatts. Washers will be tariffed at 20 percent for the first 1.2 million units, and then at 50 percent for all additional imports. Washer parts will have a tariff of 50 percent after 50,000 units.
With shortages of medical professionals on the horizon, MultiCare nudges students toward careers in the field
North Pines Middle School students had a rare opportunity to test their mettle in the field of medicine this week. At a MultiCare Valley Hospital career day Friday, about 20 students learned hands-on how to intubate a patient and perform CPR. They also spent time in imaging, dietary and IV access stations, and got a sneak peek into the daily tasks of a surgeon.
Lawmakers funnel millions into opioid fight
The Legislature could funnel millions of dollars into fighting opioid addiction, with more money for medication that helps addicts recover and a program to monitor prescriptions. Those are among several ideas lawmakers have offered to fight the growing drug problem. Gov. Jay Inslee proposed spending nearly $16 million on treatment options, such as increasing Medicaid coverage for medication-assisted therapies, or MAT, and another $4 million in preventive measures like a prescription monitoring program and opioid prevention services.
Eye on Boise: Legislator nudging Washington and North Idaho to switch time zones
If Sen. Steve Vick had his way, North Idaho would be on Mountain Standard Time year round – so it’d be in the same time zone as Boise in the winter, but wouldn’t change clocks for daylight-saving time in the summer. Vick proposed a resolution to the Idaho Senate last week noting that the state of Washington considered, but didn’t pass, legislation last year looking at making the change. That would have essentially put Washington in its current daylight-saving time zone year-round. If Washington were to change, Vick said, North Idaho should too.
Faith and Values: How can I live a good life with mental illness?
House gives final OK to bill increasing Spokane County Commission to five seats
Well over a century of rule of Spokane County’s government by three commissioners appears to be near its end. The Washington House of Representatives on Saturday gave final approval to a proposal that will increase Spokane County’s board of commissioners from three to five. The final decision rests with Gov. Jay Inslee, but the bill’s sponsor said he believes the governor supports the legislation. The bill has bounced back and forth between the two chambers in recent weeks. The change would happen after five separate districts are drawn in 2021, based on the results of the 2020 Census. The first election for a five-seat commission would occur in 2022.
Spin Control: House GOP refused to vote on home health care worker bill
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Dana Milbank: Trump isn’t hiring enough friends and family
Once again, the dishonest haters in the fake news media are dishonestly and fakely hating on President Trump, this time by falsely claiming that nepotism and cronyism are bad.
Megan McArdle: Publicly slighting millions of NRA members isn’t good for business – or America
Remember when companies tried to stay out of politics? I’d imagine Delta Air Lines is recalling those days very fondly. The airline bowed to pressure from liberal activists to stop offering a group discount to the National Rifle Association’s annual convention. Now it’s facing a backlash from Georgia Republicans. Given that Delta’s headquarters and biggest hub are in Atlanta, that’s a big problem.
Tori K. Whiting: Higher tariffs mean higher prices – and fewer jobs
It got relatively little attention at the time, but two proclamations that President Donald Trump signed in January could have a large effect on your wallet. The proclamations in question impose tariffs and quotas on imports of solar cells and modules, large residential washers, and washer parts. Solar cells and modules will see a tariff of 30 percent after the first 2.5 gigawatts. Washers will be tariffed at 20 percent for the first 1.2 million units, and then at 50 percent for all additional imports. Washer parts will have a tariff of 50 percent after 50,000 units.
With shortages of medical professionals on the horizon, MultiCare nudges students toward careers in the field
North Pines Middle School students had a rare opportunity to test their mettle in the field of medicine this week. At a MultiCare Valley Hospital career day Friday, about 20 students learned hands-on how to intubate a patient and perform CPR. They also spent time in imaging, dietary and IV access stations, and got a sneak peek into the daily tasks of a surgeon.
Lawmakers funnel millions into opioid fight
The Legislature could funnel millions of dollars into fighting opioid addiction, with more money for medication that helps addicts recover and a program to monitor prescriptions. Those are among several ideas lawmakers have offered to fight the growing drug problem. Gov. Jay Inslee proposed spending nearly $16 million on treatment options, such as increasing Medicaid coverage for medication-assisted therapies, or MAT, and another $4 million in preventive measures like a prescription monitoring program and opioid prevention services.
Eye on Boise: Legislator nudging Washington and North Idaho to switch time zones
If Sen. Steve Vick had his way, North Idaho would be on Mountain Standard Time year round – so it’d be in the same time zone as Boise in the winter, but wouldn’t change clocks for daylight-saving time in the summer. Vick proposed a resolution to the Idaho Senate last week noting that the state of Washington considered, but didn’t pass, legislation last year looking at making the change. That would have essentially put Washington in its current daylight-saving time zone year-round. If Washington were to change, Vick said, North Idaho should too.
Faith and Values: How can I live a good life with mental illness?
House gives final OK to bill increasing Spokane County Commission to five seats
Well over a century of rule of Spokane County’s government by three commissioners appears to be near its end. The Washington House of Representatives on Saturday gave final approval to a proposal that will increase Spokane County’s board of commissioners from three to five. The final decision rests with Gov. Jay Inslee, but the bill’s sponsor said he believes the governor supports the legislation. The bill has bounced back and forth between the two chambers in recent weeks. The change would happen after five separate districts are drawn in 2021, based on the results of the 2020 Census. The first election for a five-seat commission would occur in 2022.
Spin Control: House GOP refused to vote on home health care worker bill
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