Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand, D-NY, is determined to convince Americans that the Bush-era tax rates have directly resulted in job losses for New Yorkers. To that end, she recently published a series of bullet points purporting to show the effect of those tax rates on employment in nine regions of New York State. Her unspoken premise is that the economic benefits of the Bush tax rates should be judged based on the employment they did or did not produce. More generally, Gillibrand is assuming that the economic trends that follow a …
Heritage hosts a discussion this morning featuring Indian Brigadier General Amrit Pal Singh, James J. Carafano and Frank Cilluffo on how India is transforming its internal security architecture in a way that mirrors the U.S. response to 9/11. The event, Reforming India’s Homeland Security Architecture: Learning from U.S. Experience, starts at 10:00 a.m. ET. Watch the webcast. Meanwhile, debt-limit talks continue today as President Obama vows to “meet every day” until Republicans and Democrats come to an agreement. Obama is now reportedly open to raising the eligibility age for Medicare — a subject that …
On July 5 the Russian Human Rights Council published its report on the now infamous—and mysterious—death of the lawyer Sergei Magnitsky. An attorney for the Moscow-based American law firm Firestone Duncan, he represented Hermitage Capital, which was at the time the largest Western hedge fund in Russia. Magnitsky died while in custody awaiting trial for a fabricated tax evasion charge. He was jailed after he accused Russian officials of fraudulently obtaining $230 million in tax rebates from the Russian Treasury using a sophisticated swindle. These were the same officials who prosecuted …
Today, Senator Jeff Sessions (R-AL) introduced legislation to force seven calendar days of transparency before any debt limit deal is passed by the Senate. The measure is in the form of a point of order and reads as follows: It shall not be in order in the Senate to proceed to any measure that would increase the statutory limit on the public debt above $14.294 trillion unless that measure has been available on a public website for a full 7 calendar days before consideration on the floor of the Senate. …
On Sunday, the government of Australia announced that it will implement a US$24.74 per-metric-ton tax on carbon emissions. The damage the tax is expected to do to the energy sector there, and to the Australian economy generally, offers insight into what the effects of a carbon tax could look like in the United States. The plan will tax 500 of the nation’s largest polluters, and will redistribute some of the revenue in an effort to offset increased costs to energy producers and consumers – though significant economic damage is expected …
Keir A. Lieber and Daryl G. Press, in their short piece of July 6 in Foreign Affairs, assert that the Obama Administration’s nuclear weapons policy appears to be schizophrenic. By describing the policy in this way, Lieber and Press are giving the Obama Administration more credit regarding its commitment to nuclear modernization than it deserves. It is more accurate to describe the Obama Administration as being deceptive about its nuclear weapons policy. The Obama Administration’s nuclear weapons policy, in reality, is both clear and consistent. It seeks nuclear disarmament and …
Catching you up on clips, commentary and news of the day. Sign up for the daily email update from Scribe. Straight Talk on Twisty Subjects with Matt Lewis – Lisa De Pasquale Google’s ‘Monopoly’ Hex – L. Gordon Crovitz Nuclear Disaster Like Fukushima Unlikely in U.S. – Jack Spencer Understanding freedom for religion – Jennifer A. Marshall White House Messaging Undergoes Structural Change – Michael G. Franc Health-care legislation will take millions off the tax rolls – Brian Blase & Paul Winfree The Increasingly Crackpot Solutions to the Debt Ceiling – …
In 2009 alone, 419 bodies were discovered along the Mexican border. In the even shorter time between April and September 2010, some 11,333 illegal immigrants were kidnapped throughout Mexico. And just last year, 72 immigrants were brutally slaughtered by the Los Zetas, their bodies dumped in mass graves. Unfortunately, this violence is nothing new. It is both shocking and unacceptable, and it’s finally getting recognition. On July 6, The Washington Post produced a piece about the treacherous journey of illegal immigrants from Mexico. This timely front page spread had striking …
The House of Representatives is expected to vote on the BULB Act this week, which was introduced by Representatives Joe Barton (R–TX), Michael Burgess (R–TX) and Marsha Blackburn (R–TN). The legislation would repeal Subtitle B of Title III of the Energy Independence and Security Act of 2007—the phase-out of the incandescent bulb as we know it. The light bulb ban has become a symbolic representation of the federal government’s intrusion into the American individual’s freedom. The insinuation behind energy efficiency standards—not just for light bulbs, but for vehicles, appliances, and …
In the wake of last week’s Independence Day celebrations, millions of young Americans are embracing their freedom. While Generation Yers may have the stereotype of being self-centered, many of them not only view themselves as exceptional — they hold the same view of America as well. A recent poll commissioned by Generation Opportunity reveals that the majority of Millennials embrace American exceptionalism. The survey, conducted by the polling company/WomanTrend, found 56 percent of Millennials embrace the notion that is America is qualitatively different than other nations. While some may want …
