The United States has a juvenile crime problem that far exceeds the juvenile crime problems of other Western countries. Over the years, state legislatures have responded to this increase in the volume and severity of juvenile crime by providing for sentences that effectively punish offenders, incapacitate them, and deter serious offenses. They have determined by an overwhelming majority that fulfilling their duty to protect their citizens requires making available life-without-parole sentences for juvenile offenders. The sentence stands up to constitutional scrutiny. All state supreme courts and federal courts that have …
The Obama Administration ironically recognized the legitimacy of Iran’s thuggish Islamist regime only a few months before the Iranian people renounced its legitimacy in a spontaneous popular backlash against the stolen June elections.This has led to considerable confusion and growing bitterness within Iran’s embattled opposition movement. As the Wall Street Journal has noted, the Iranian protesters who chanted “O ba ma!” (“He with us” in Farsi) in demonstrations against the Ahmadinejad regime last summer, now are chanting, “Obama, Obama—either you’re with them or with us.” The courageous Iranians risking their …
The Department of Labor announced today the economy shed another 190 thousand jobs in October, pushing the unemployment rate to 10.2 percent and the running Obama jobs deficit to 5.7 million. Earlier in the week the Obama Administration released figures purporting to show the Obama stimulus had saved or created 640,000 thousand jobs. Only in Washington can jobs be saved by the thousands while being lost by the millions. So far in his term in office, employment has dropped by about 3.5 million jobs, yet Obama repeatedly promised he would …
Today the Bureau of Labor and Statistics reported that despite all of the Obama administration’s job creation claims, unemployment has risen to 10.2%. Instead of focusing on job creation, the left in Congress continues to pursue other priorities like their $1.5 trillion health care plan which is partially finance by job killing employer mandates. See chart below:
In his September address to the joint session of Congress, President Obama stated he would be the last President to take on health care. Perhaps, but that may be at the cost of everything else, including education. By expanding Medicaid in the health care bill, Congress will set off political tornadoes across the country that will leave governors and state legislators to clean up afterward. The math is simple. State revenues are still in a slump and will continue for a least a few more years. The two largest state …
Last week the Obama administration issued a report purporting to show that the President’s $787 billion economic stimulus plan had saved or created exactly 640,329 jobs. Such a precise number for such a fuzzy concept as jobs “saved or created” immediately raised doubts about the veracity of the report in any honest American’s mind. And since that report was issued, a once compliant press has filed story after story tearing the credibility of the Obama administration’s job creation claims to shreds. Just enter the words “stimulus”, “jobs”, and “report” in a …
On November 9th, the U.S. Supreme Court will hear oral arguments challenging the constitutionality of juvenile life without parole (JLWOP) sentences. In preparation for oral arguments, JLWOP: Faces & Cases will be an on-going series on The Foundry that will tell real stories about juvenile offenders who are currently serving LWOP sentences. Defendant: Donald Torres (14) Victims: Harry Godt, Jennifer Godt, Jon Godt (age four), Jennifer Godt (age one and a half) Crimes: Four counts of first degree murder Crime date: February 24, 1989 in Middletown, Delaware Summary Donald Torres …
On Saturday, October 18, 2005, Pamela Vitale has plans to go to an afternoon ballet with a friend. She never made it. Armed with a knife, sixteen-year old Scott Dyleski breaks into Vitale’s home and viciously attacks her. Pam puts up valiant fight, but she was unable to escape Dyleski’s brutal beatings and savage knife blows. Pam’s husband comes home to find blood smeared across the front door and windows. He enters his home, only to find blood all over the inside of his home, and his dead wife. …
Confusing times lead to conflicting concerns. Worries over current deflation run into worries about explosive inflation down the road and now there are growing worries over another global asset price bubble. All of these worries are valid, but the possible return of the asset price bubble is the newest and perhaps most serious in the near term. As with the previous bubble, however, commentators seem to be conflating the causes. The simple evidence of a bubble begins with the Dow Industrials pushing toward 10,000. Who knows what the right level …
AARP has endorsed the Pelosi health bill, H.R. 3962, but in reviewing the list of ten reasons it has given for its support and comparing those reasons to the bill itself, its advocacy for the legislation seems misplaced. There is a massive disconnect between several of the reasons for support and the bill itself. The inconsistencies include: Protecting and strengthening Medicare—the bill cuts Medicare payments to providers including hospitals, nursing homes, and home health agencies which AARP historically has not viewed as protecting the program. Moreover, the bill does not …
