Friday, April 19, 2019

In the news, Tuesday, April 9, 2019


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APR 08      INDEX      APR 10
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from AIER | American Institute for Economic Research

Has Modernity Made Us Indecent?
“The ethical decency to which Mr. Haque so nostalgically harks back and hankers for a return to in his own time represents a small-band socialism of fear and superstition, matched with stagnation and poverty. How many individuals would have thought of or had the incentive to imagine new ways of doing things when the rulers and their tribal peers would have frowned upon and shunned any threatened break from the established way of doing things? And why demonstrate greater-than-average skill and ability in better and more-productive performance, when any of the positive results must be shared out in some assigned equal proportions to all in the tribe, without your personal agreement or permission?”

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from Competitive Enterprise Institute

On Climate Policy, 'Low-Hanging Fruit' May Not Be So Tasty
On Wednesday, April 10, the House Energy Subcommittee will hold a hearing called Investing in America's Energy Infrastructure: Improving Energy Efficiency and Creating a Diverse Workforce. The hearing will cover a number of bills, several of which provide federal funding and/or tax breaks for residential energy saving measures. These bills are often deemed “low-hanging fruit” in that they are supposedly uncontroversial ways to cost-effectively reduce energy waste and thus help both homeowners and the climate. However, free market critics generally don’t buy the “win-win” justifications for these federal programs, arguing instead that energy saving projects that make economic sense will usually be undertaken without Washington’s involvement. And a growing body of research, though unlikely to get much attention at the hearing, suggests that the free marketers have a point.

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from Daily Express (UK)
RIGHT BIAS, HIGH, British tabloid newspaper

Live forever: Wonder drugs kill zombie cells and prevent diseases making 100 the new 60
A MIRACLE drug that slows down the ageing process and extends life expectancy by more than a third has been discovered. Researchers at the Mayo Clinic, a medical research centre based in Minnesota, US, have developed anti-ageing drugs called ‘senolytics’ which can wash away senescent cells – otherwise known as zombie cells as they no longer work to their full potential. These senescent cells are then replaced by newer cells which can help slow down the ageing process, scientists found. Researchers at the clinic have been running experiments on mice and found their life had been extended by 36 percent, which is the equivalent of adding around 30 years to a human life.

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from FEE (Foundation for Economic Education)
RIGHT-CENTER BIAS, HIGH, non-profit organization

Nixon and Reagan Tried Closing the Border to Pressure Mexico—Here's What Happened
Mexico and the United States are allies, not enemies. Twice in the last half-century, the U.S. has tried to use the border to force Mexico to bend to America’s will. The ruse failed both times. I studied these incidents while researching for a book on the origins of U.S. drug control policies and militarized policing techniques in Mexico from the 1960s to the 1990s.

How Much Per Person Does Your State Collect in Excise Taxes?
At best, excise taxes simply shift the consumption of disincentivized “harmful” products to other areas where the goods are sold cheaper. At worst, excise taxes make goods more expensive for people (particularly poorer people) who will still buy the “harmful” products in their respective area. Either way, these policies rarely accomplish what policymakers intend them to do—unless, of course, the true goal of these taxes is simply to fund an increasingly costly and inefficient government apparatus.

3 Reasons Why Facebook's Zuckerberg Wants More Government Regulation
In short, Zuckerberg's pro-regulation position is just a pro-Zuckerberg position.

A History of Civil Asset Forfeiture in America: Pirates, Mob Bosses, and the War on Drugs
With enough pressure at the state level, civil asset forfeiture may be entering its final days. Civil asset forfeiture was one of many policies that so angered the American colonists that they eventually fought a war for their independence. It wasn’t long before the newly formed American government got greedy and realized that they, too, could use this practice to profit off of their own people.

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from The Heritage Foundation
RIGHT BIAS,  MIXED  American conservative think tank based in Washington, D.C.

Why Ted Cruz Is Right on Expanding Seniors’ Freedom in Health Care
Ponder a basic question: Should government officials punish Americans merely because they want to spend their own money on their own health care, or purchase their own health insurance as an alternative to a government health program? The question has special relevance for retirees eligible, or soon to be eligible, for Medicare, the huge government health program that serves senior and disabled citizens. The reason: Today, if a retiring senior does not wish to enroll in Medicare, but would rather purchase her own private health plan, the federal government would force her to give up her Social Security benefits also.

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from Hoover Institution
Nonprofit Organization in Stanford, California

New War for an Ancient Prize
As the forces of Libyan warlord, self-promoted General Khalifa Haftar, sweep out of Cyrenaica to close on Tripoli, the weaponry has changed but the patterns of military movement remain roughly the same as they have for four millennia. A former Qaddafi officer who sought exile in Virginia and became a U.S. citizen, Haftar now leads the distinctly un-national Libyan National Army (LNA) from a stronghold in eastern Libya. Backed overtly by Egypt, which wants Haftar to crush Libyan Islamists and the Muslim Brotherhood, the LNA is supported covertly with arms and trainers by a Russian government with an appetite for new allies. The United Nations prefers the teetering “legitimate” government in Tripoli, also recognized by the United States.

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from Mises Institute
RIGHT-CENTER BIAS, MIXED


Central Banks Are Heading Toward a Stagnant Global Zombie Economy
Liquidity injections and zero interest rate policies disguise risk and may give a false sense of security. This risk could not be more evident today.  Not only have we seen large downgrades to consensus growth estimates and central banks’ expectations of GDP and inflation, leading indicators also point to a much weaker economy ahead. Using Japan as a model, governments are steering us toward a worldwide zombie economy — but we're likely to end up with something that looks more like Argentina than Japan.

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from National Geographic

See 23 of the world’s most enchanting libraries
From monasteries to royal reading rooms, get lost within these majestic libraries.

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from The Seattle Times
LEFT-CENTER BIAS,  HIGH,  Newspaper in Seattle, WA

Okanogan’s high desert offers a bounty of beautiful spring hikes
Okanogan Country, land of soaring mountains, high plateaus, winding river valleys and breathtakingly clear views, is considered by some to be the very northernmost tip of the Great Western Desert, which stretches all the way up from Mexico. Regardless of what it’s called, the high desert in Okanogan Country creates beautiful spring hiking experiences.

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from The Spokesman-Review
Newspaper in Spokane, Washington

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