Cop Arrests Guy For Drinking A Half & Half Arizona Ice Tea

"A police officer decided a man's can of Iced Tea might have alcohol in it but the man was not acting drunk. The officer was wrong about the alcohol so he then decided to demand the person leave the store parking lot property. Because the man wouldn’t leave the property the officer arrested him. Is this is a good use of public resources? Did this officer perform to a service to society? Or did he waste taxpayers money on violating an individual's rights?" Continue reading

Continue ReadingCop Arrests Guy For Drinking A Half & Half Arizona Ice Tea

Court OKs Barring High IQs for Cops

"A man whose bid to become a police officer was rejected after he scored too high on an intelligence test has lost an appeal in his federal lawsuit against the city. The 2nd U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in New York upheld a lower court’s decision that the city did not discriminate against Robert Jordan because the same standards were applied to everyone who took the test. 'This kind of puts an official face on discrimination in America against people of a certain class,' Jordan said today from his Waterford home. 'I maintain you have no more control over your basic intelligence than your eye color or your gender or anything else.'" Continue reading

Continue ReadingCourt OKs Barring High IQs for Cops

The case against cronies: Libertarians must stand up to corporate greed

"In the age of crony capitalism, libertarians must declare that some means of pursuing profit are immoral and call on executives to reject them. This would create a positive case for capitalism -- arguing that the pursuit of profit, in the context of fair and open competition, helps the whole society. The new corporate social responsibility, redefined for libertarians, must stand athwart crony corporatism yelling 'stop.'" Continue reading

Continue ReadingThe case against cronies: Libertarians must stand up to corporate greed

Lower Taxes Tapped a Beer Revolution

"As recently as 35 years ago, there were fewer than 50 breweries in the whole country, and the fastest-growing type of American beer was light, which Miller introduced in 1975. The story of the U.S. ascent to the top tier of world beer began in the late 1970s, when brewing was liberated from government taxation and regulation that had held it back since Prohibition. Following the federal example, state legislatures also began rewriting their bans on home-brewing, and it is legal now in every state except Alabama. The rise of American beer wasn't an accident. It was spurred by efforts to cut taxes and regulation that unleashed entrepreneurship." Continue reading

Continue ReadingLower Taxes Tapped a Beer Revolution

Colorado legislator wants to treat ‘High Times’ magazine like porn

"A Colorado Senate committee is considering putting marijuana-themed publications like High Times behind the counter. 'It’s analogous to the pornography example,' Rep. Bob Gardner (R-Colorado Springs), who proposed the idea, explained to The Associated Press. Gardner’s legislation was offered as an amendment to a larger marijuana regulation bill. If approved, stores accessible to those under 21 would be required to place marijuana-themed magazines behind the counter with other adult publications like Playboy. David Holland, a lawyer for High Times, told the Associated Press the magazine would sue the state if it enacted such a law." Continue reading

Continue ReadingColorado legislator wants to treat ‘High Times’ magazine like porn

Health advocates want menthol cigarettes banned

"The American Lung Association and other health groups are asking federal regulators to ban menthol in cigarettes. The groups says the minty taste is just as effective at getting smokers hooked as other flavorings that were banned under the Family Smoking Prevention and Tobacco Control Act of 2009. The Tobacco Control Legal Consortium, a group of researchers, academics, non-profits and government health agencies, filed a citizen petition with the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) last week asking for an investigation into menthol cigarettes. More than 80 percent of African-Americans smoked the product, according to the groups." Continue reading

Continue ReadingHealth advocates want menthol cigarettes banned

NYC To Hike Cigarette Age To 21 in Apparent Effort To Boost Black Market

"Let's say you're an official in a jurisdiction that has raised cigarette taxes so high that the majority of smokes consumed in the state come from the black market — either smuggled in from lower-tax jurisdictions or else outright counterfeits sold as the real deal to consumers trying to avoid being mugged as they enjoy their chosen vice. Assuming that your goal is to get everybody to go to the black market, what else can you do to nudge retailers and smokers to deal with the guys selling off the back of trucks? Well, how about raising the smoking age — effectively imposing prohibition on some existing smokers so that they have to go underground to get their smokes?" Continue reading

Continue ReadingNYC To Hike Cigarette Age To 21 in Apparent Effort To Boost Black Market

Jay Leno’s Gitmo Solution

“President Obama held a press conference earlier today, and he said he still wants to close the Guantanamo Bay prison facility, but he doesn’t know how to do it. He should do what he always does: declare it a small business and tax it out of existence. It will be gone in a minute. Be gone in a minute! One month! Be out of there!” Continue reading

Continue ReadingJay Leno’s Gitmo Solution

High school student facing terrorism charge over Boston Marathon rap

"An 18-year-old high school student from Methuen, Massachusetts was arrested on Wednesday and charged with making a terroristic threat for a rap song he sent in a text message and on social media referencing the Boston Marathon bombing and the White House. It is not clear what exactly Cameron D’Ambrosio said that upset authorities so much, but footage published to his YouTube account (embedded below) features him wearing a hoodie and calling himself 'Killa Cam,' rapping about how he got into a fight and didn’t care." Continue reading

Continue ReadingHigh school student facing terrorism charge over Boston Marathon rap

Pentagon considers arming Syrian rebels again

"The United States is taking a fresh look at whether to provide weapons to Syria’s rebels after having rejected the idea previously, Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel said Thursday. At a news conference with his British counterpart Philip Hammond, Hagel was asked if the US government was rethinking its opposition to arming the rebels and replied: 'Yes.' After the White House acknowledged last week that US intelligence agencies believe the Syrian regime may have used chemical weapons on a small-scale, speculation has mounted that President Barack Obama could reverse his opposition to arming the rebels." Continue reading

Continue ReadingPentagon considers arming Syrian rebels again