statism

Christian school defies Arkansas attorney general, arms teachers & posts sign

"Two weeks after the attorney general of Arkansas, Dustin McDaniel, forbid the state’s school districts from taking advantage of an obscure law that would have allowed armed teachers to serve as de facto security guards, a private school in Bryant has decided to arm its staff. Pastor Black previously placed armed security guards outside his Sunday services, and claims that anywhere from one to seven staff members or teachers will be armed on a given day. Legislation explicitly allowing concealed weapons in schools operated by churches was passed in February of this year." Continue reading →

Continue ReadingChristian school defies Arkansas attorney general, arms teachers & posts sign

An ‘aporkalypse’ has Texas fighting losing battle against feral pig menace

"Dallas created a task force to tackle its pig problem and it is cooperating with affected neighbouring cities such as Arlington and Fort Worth. It is illegal for civilians to discharge a firearm inside Dallas’ city limits so the hogs must be caught and then slaughtered elsewhere. The number of feral hogs in Texas is predicted to grow by 16% annually, roughly doubling in five years. They already cause an estimated $52m in damage to the state’s agriculture industry each year. And they are becoming partial to the comforts of suburban life. A proposal allowing bow-hunters to shoot them and donate the meat to the homeless was rejected on safety grounds." Continue reading →

Continue ReadingAn ‘aporkalypse’ has Texas fighting losing battle against feral pig menace

The Real Reason College Costs So Much

"In 1964, federal student aid was a mere $231 million. By 1981, the feds were spending $7 billion on loans alone, an amount that doubled during the 1980s and nearly tripled in each of the following two decades, and is about $105 billion today. Taxpayers now stand behind nearly $1 trillion in student loans. Meanwhile, grants have increased to $49 billion from $6.4 billion in 1981. By expanding eligibility and boosting the maximum Pell Grant by $500 to $5,350, the 2009 stimulus bill accelerated higher ed's evolution into a middle-class entitlement. Fewer than 2% of Pell Grant recipients came from families making between $60,000 and $80,000 a year in 2007. Now roughly 18% do." Continue reading →

Continue ReadingThe Real Reason College Costs So Much

Moody’s considers downgrading top US banks

"Moody's has warned that it could cut the credit ratings of the six biggest US banks, saying the federal government may be less likely to bail them out if they got into trouble in the future. Goldman Sachs, JPMorgan Chase, Morgan Stanley and Wells Fargo could be downgraded, the rating agency said on Thursday. The review by the second-largest rating agency in terms of market share follows a similar statement from rival Standard & Poor's in June, and comes as governments are reshaping the regulation of banking and trying to prevent a repeat of the bailouts of the credit crisis era. Lower credit ratings could raise the cost of capital for bank holding companies." Continue reading →

Continue ReadingMoody’s considers downgrading top US banks

Argentina Just Lost Huge To A Bunch Of Hedge Fund Creditors

"For years the country has been trying to avoid paying a bunch of 'vulture' hedge fund managers that refused to take a 70% haircut on Argentine bonds like every other investor. This has resulted in some wacky news items — Paul Singer getting the government of Ghana to impound an Argentine naval ship last October, President Cristina Fernandez de Kirchner flying commercial to see the Pope so her jet isn't taken — you get the idea. Now it's (almost) come to a head. A New York Judge fully rejected Argentina's appeal of a decision made last year — a decision that would've had it pay Singer and company in full." Continue reading →

Continue ReadingArgentina Just Lost Huge To A Bunch Of Hedge Fund Creditors

Internet Giants Got Millions From Taxpayers to Cover PRISM Spying Costs

"Internet giants like Google and Yahoo received millions of dollars from the NSA to cover their surveillance under the PRISM program. These payments occurred after a federal court ruled that surveillance requests the companies handled under the PRISM program were unconstitutional. The document also shows the NSA was anxious to get certifications from the FISA Court to authorize surveillance beyond the possible expiration of the law that authorized that surveillance. The law was set to expire on December 31, 2012, but the NSA received authorizations under that law to continue its surveillance until September 23, 2013." Continue reading →

Continue ReadingInternet Giants Got Millions From Taxpayers to Cover PRISM Spying Costs

The Economic Philosopher’s Outcast: Mises

"SS Gestapo Chief Henrich Himmler's agents sped through the streets of Vienna on an early morning, March 11, 1938, to capture and eliminate Nazi Germany's enemies. One of his prime targets lived in a middle-class Jewish neighborhood at 28 Weihoffen St. Apartment 7. Ludwig Von Mises, a 58-year-old political philosopher, was Jewish and defenseless. Hitler deemed this man an enemy of the state and one of the top targets to be seized during the Nazi takeover of Austria. Fleeing from the city the day before, Professor Mises narrowly escaped to Switzerland. Despite attempts on his life, Mises spent the 92 years of his life fighting totalitarianism." Continue reading →

Continue ReadingThe Economic Philosopher’s Outcast: Mises

Investors Nervous: Erdogan’s Witch Hunt Endangers Economy

"'Umut Keles,' a Turkish analyst with an American investment bank, removes the battery from his mobile phone, afraid of being wiretapped by the Turkish government. The investment banker believes that the government would take action against him if it knew his identity. 'There's a witch hunt underway here at the moment,' he says. Levent is Turkey's financial center, home to the offices of banks like HSBC and Deutsche Bank. They helped finance the Turkish economic boom in recent years, but now the government suspects them of supporting putschists and terrorists. 'We're all afraid,' says Keles. Some of his colleagues are thinking about leaving the country for good." Continue reading →

Continue ReadingInvestors Nervous: Erdogan’s Witch Hunt Endangers Economy

British Politicians Aim To Ban Non-Hybrid Cars By 2040

"While some American politicians may take issue with the government’s investment in green automobiles, it pales in comparison to the debates taking place in England. There, the Liberal Democrats have proposed a bill that would outlaw all non-hybrid cars from English roads by 2040. It sounds insane, but stranger things have happened. Ambitious but left with a lot of blanks to fill, one of the key components of the Liberal Dems Britain of the future is eliminating all but ultra-low emissions non-freight vehicles from British roads. That would mean only hybrids, electric cars, or super-efficient diesels would be allowed to drive British streets." Continue reading →

Continue ReadingBritish Politicians Aim To Ban Non-Hybrid Cars By 2040

Elon Musk condemns the ‘perversion of democracy’ in Texas

"Tesla sells its cars directly to consumers, but state law currently prohibits Tesla from operating its own a dealership. Car makers are not allowed to sell vehicles directly to the public in Texas, they must sell through independently-owned franchises. 'This happens all the time,' said Bill Wolters, the president of the Texas Automobile Dealers Association, which lobbied against the bill. 'Someone wants an exception to the franchise laws. If we made an exception for everybody that showed up in the legislature, before long the integrity of the entire franchise system is in peril.'" Continue reading →

Continue ReadingElon Musk condemns the ‘perversion of democracy’ in Texas