Iran is sending two warships through Egypt’s Suez Canal for the first time since Iran’s 1979 revolution. The two ships, a frigate and a military supply ship, are reportedly bound for Syria. The new Egyptian government gave its official permission for the passage despite the fact that Iran and Egypt have had tense relations for many years. Israeli Foreign Minister Avigdor Lieberman called the deployment of the ships through the canal “a provocation that proves that the Iranians’ self-confidence and audacity grows every day.” Israel is understandably concerned that the …
A considerable volume of cross-country analysis has found no positive impact on economic growth from more government spending. Many studies (see here and here, for example) find that government spending actually hurts growth. A recent study by The Heritage Foundation and The Wall Street Journal of economic recovery following the 2008 financial crisis has also found countries with bigger governments growing more slowly. Would such adverse effects of spending on growth also be the case in our 50 states? An empirical study published in the journal Public Choice reported evidence …
Late Thursday, February 17, the Obama Administration filed an incredibly odd and almost insulting “Motion to Clarify” the judgment in the case it lost against 26 states and the NFIB in the Obamacare litigation in Florida v. U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, No. 10-cv-00091 (N. D. Fla.)(Judge Vinson). With this motion, the Administration has now stated officially that, notwithstanding the Judge’s declaration of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (ACA or Obamacare) as unconstitutional, the Administration does not interpret the Judge’s order as requiring the Administration to …
On February 11, Iran’s unpopular regime celebrated the 32nd anniversary of its 1979 revolution as well as the ouster of Egypt’s President Mubarak. The Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Khamenei, claimed that Iran’s Islamist revolution had inspired Egyptians and charged that the United States was trying to “derail” Egypt’s revolution. Although the regime did its cynical best to conflate the two events and trumpet the Egyptian revolt as an echo of Iran’s Islamist revolution, few Iranians bought the propaganda line spread by the regime. Iran’s opposition Green Movement is both a forerunner …
Among the billions of cuts in the continuing resolution before the House today was a cost-saving amendment that may also save priceless lives. Representative Mike Pence (R–IN), who has fought to end Planned Parenthood’s federal grant subsidies, introduced an amendment to H.R. 1 that would prohibit the abortion provider from receiving any taxpayer dollars. The amendment passed the House of Representatives this afternoon by a vote of 240–185. The amendment to the continuing resolution, which Congress needs to pass in order to keep the federal government in business, eliminates federal …
The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) issued its long-awaited decision today on rescinding conscience regulations to protect health care providers from having to engage in medical procedures to which they object on religious or moral grounds. Because a real concern existed that the Obama Administration might repeal these 2008 regulations outright, the partial rescission could be construed as a partial victory for conscience protection advocates. But the accent is on the word partial—because the rescission strictly limits the scope of the regulations and contains plenty of room …
As we have written extensively, the federalization of natural disaster response is a losing proposition, as many states that have few natural disasters subsidize the states that have frequent (but fairly routine) natural disasters such as tornadoes, floods, fires, and storms. Now we learn that it isn’t just disaster response and recovery costs we are subsidizing; now we are federalizing and subsidizing health care and pension costs of local government workers. As reported, Stafford County, Virginia, used its FEMA money, allocated for snow removal, to cover the costs of health …
Last month, Arizona lawmakers introduced legislation intended to invite legal review of the Citizenship Clause of the Fourteenth Amendment. Other states are quickly following suit. Why, after one hundred and fifty years of implementation, is this amendment so controversial? Amendment XIV, Section 1 clearly states that “All persons born or naturalized in the United States, and subject to the jurisdiction thereof, are citizens of the United States and of the State wherein they reside.” So doesn’t that mean that all children born in the United States (even to parents who …
The Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) approval to increase the amount ethanol blended into gasoline from 10 percent 15 percent has been controversial. A previous decision by the EPA in October 2010 made the 15 percent blend allowable (but not required) in passenger cars, light-duty trucks, and SUVs that had a model year of 2007 or newer. The EPA recently extended the allowance to include vehicle model years 2001 to 2006. Extending the vehicle list to model years of 2001 and newer just three months after the initial waiver has raised …
The results are in: The majority of Americans continue to agree that children should be raised by both parents. In a nationally representative study by the Pew Research Center, researchers found that most people still believe that “the growing prevalence of mothers who have no male partners around to help them raise children is bad for society.” While study participants were divided on many issues of changing family trends, nearly all agreed that this trend is negative for the nation. Said Professor Andrew Cherlin of Johns Hopkins University: “Many people, …
