Laboratories Of Democracy

Thousands now using online gun sales to avoid background checks: report

"Online gun sales have become a haven for buyers looking to avoid background checks, leading gun safety advocates concerned they are becoming more of a problem than sales at private gun shows, according to a new report by a progressive think tank. Among the advertisements for more than 15,000 guns on the sales site Armslist, in 10 states where lawmakers voted against bills that would have required background checks for private gun sales were nearly 2,000 listings by people looking to buy their firearms privately. 'Nobody’s monitoring this,' Hatalsky told the Post. 'Nobody has any ability to stop these people who are looking for private sellers.'" Continue reading →

Continue ReadingThousands now using online gun sales to avoid background checks: report

Oklahoma legislator wants to legalize raw milk delivery to homes

"A Tulsa legislator wants to loosen state regulations of raw milk dairies to allow them to deliver directly to consumers. 'Basically, my hope is that we can make milkmen legal again,' said Rep. Ken Walker, R-Tulsa. 'Since these customers already go to the farm, my sole purpose is to let the farmer deliver to the home.' Committee Chairman Dale DeWitt, R-Braman, said he is uncomfortable with some of the health risks that broadening the availability of raw milk would carry. 'The risk is very, very low, but if there was any kind of outbreak of anything from the distribution of raw milk, ... it would just literally kill the industry,' he said." Continue reading →

Continue ReadingOklahoma legislator wants to legalize raw milk delivery to homes

If I Bribe City Hall, Can I Reduce My Mortgage?

"Richmond, California, sent the securities and real estate industries into a tizzy this week. The city said it is moving ahead with plans to use its power of eminent domain to seize home mortgages and restructure them for residents who owe more money than their homes are worth. This would be a first in the U.S. Normally when governments do things that upset Wall Street millionaires it’s a sign they’re going down the right path. There are exceptions, of course. Cities usually use eminent domain to seize land and buildings. If they’re going to start seizing home mortgages, why stop there?" Continue reading →

Continue ReadingIf I Bribe City Hall, Can I Reduce My Mortgage?

The Future of Weed: HIGH COUNTRY

"In HIGH COUNTRY, Motherboard heads to Denver--ground zero for cannabis legalization, and home to a booming tech sector in what could be called the SIlicon Valley of weed--to inhale the newest high-tech highs. We visit the key players scaling up this new green tech, wrap our heads around all the money to be made, crack open the confusing science of America's No. 1 cash crop, and smoke dabs." Continue reading →

Continue ReadingThe Future of Weed: HIGH COUNTRY

Drone-Hunter’s Motto: “The Fly in Town — they Get Shot Down”

"On two occasions in a single week, surveillance drones operated from Florida’s Tyndall Air Force Base were destroyed in incidents that put the public at risk. This is one of many reasons why cities across the country should emulate the example set by Deer Trail, Colorado. The municipal government of that village of 540 people is considering a proposal under which it would issue a $100 reward to 'any shooter who presents a valid hunting license and … identifiable parts' of a federally operated drone. As Deer Trail resident Philip Steel explains: 'We do not want drones in town. They fly in town, they get shot down.'" Continue reading →

Continue ReadingDrone-Hunter’s Motto: “The Fly in Town — they Get Shot Down”

Illinois medical marijuana bill to be signed Thursday

"Gov. Pat Quinn will sign a bill into law Thursday legalizing the use of marijuana for medical purposes in Illinois at an event at the University of Chicago. For years, the measure had failed to gain traction at the Capitol, particularly in the House. But sponsoring Rep. Lou Lang, D-Skokie, was able to cobble together a simple majority in the spring to send the bill to the Senate, where a similar but less restrictive bill had passed in previous years. One reason Quinn said he was giving legalized pot more thought was that he was impressed by an injured military veteran who maintained marijuana provided him relief from war wounds." Continue reading →

Continue ReadingIllinois medical marijuana bill to be signed Thursday

Guess Where There Is a Restaurant Boom?

"New residents flock to Midland in search of jobs in the area’s booming economy. In the past year, almost 20 new restaurants have opened or are planned to open in Midland and Odessa, with several national restaurant chains even venturing to call West Texas home. [..] About a year ago, talk began circulating in this West Texas town about a huge oil-producing formation called the Cline Shale, east of the traditional drilling areas around Midland. Then the oilmen and their rigs arrived. Now homes and hotels are sprouting, 'help wanted' signs have multiplied, and a major drilling company has cleared land to build an office and equipment yard." Continue reading →

Continue ReadingGuess Where There Is a Restaurant Boom?

Big Marijuana lobby fights legalization efforts

"Medical marijuana is a billion-dollar industry — legal in 18 states, including California, Nevada, Oregon and Maine — and like any entrenched business, it’s fighting to keep what it has and shut competitors out. Dispensary owners, trade associations and groups representing the industry are deeply concerned — and in some cases actively fighting — ballot initiatives and legislation that could wreck their business model. That pits them against full legalization advocates, who have been hoping to play off wins at the ballot box last fall in Colorado and Washington state that installed among the most permissive pot laws in the world." Continue reading →

Continue ReadingBig Marijuana lobby fights legalization efforts

Should We Be Optimistic or Pessimistic about the Future of the Second Amendment?

"It’s difficult to be optimistic when a local government imposes a $1,000 fine on a man who uses an unregistered gun (gasp!) to save a child’s life. On the other hand, I’m somewhat optimistic because gun owners and defenders of the Constitution have done a remarkable job in expanding and extending our Second Amendment rights at the state level. For instance, check out this map of concealed-carry laws in the United States. The first thing to notice is that every single state allows citizens to carry, with the only real difference being whether the law is 'shall issue' or 'may issue.'" Continue reading →

Continue ReadingShould We Be Optimistic or Pessimistic about the Future of the Second Amendment?

Which State Has the Most Self-Reliant People?

"Back in 2010, I put together a 'Moocher Index' as a rough measure of which states had the highest levels of welfare dependency after adjusting for poverty rates. It turned out that there were huge differences among states. Nearly 18 percent of non-poor Vermont residents were utilizing one or more welfare programs, putting them at the top of the Moocher Index. In Nevada, by contrast, less than 4 percent of non-poor residents had their snouts in the public trough. So I was very interested when I came across some state-by-state numbers from the Department of Agriculture showing food stamp participation compared to food stamp eligibility." Continue reading →

Continue ReadingWhich State Has the Most Self-Reliant People?