As demonstrated by his recent decision to send help to the embattled Mexico border region, President Obama is well aware of the problem posed by drug violence, both here at home and overseas. His response, as summarized below, is all wrong. And that’s not just me talking – Harvard’s Jeffery Miron says that same thing.
The Obama administration’s multi-agency plan includes nearly 500 agents and support personnel.| MORE ›
New York Governor David Paterson said Tuesday he would order approximately 8,700 layoffs. This means that 4% of state workers will lose their jobs. Paterson said he feels forced to let them go because of the economic crisis, the refusal of unions to do concessions, and the state’s growing deficit, which will reach $16 billion next year.
Budget Director Laura Anglin told The Associated Press that the layoffs of nearly 9,000 employees would be the first since the late 1990s after unions refused to even provide counterproposals.| MORE ›
More volcano scare in Alaska: Mount Redoubt is at it again.
New tremors at Alaska’s Mount Redoubt are prompting speculation that the volcano could be in a phase that will lead to more instability. The 10,200-foot volcano erupted six times Sunday and Monday, spewing clouds of gritty ash high into the sky.A volcanologist at the Alaska Volcano Observatory said Tuesday that Redoubt was exhibiting activity that could indicate it is creating a formation called a lava dome.| MORE ›
The Labor party led by Defense Minister Ehud Barak has joined the center right coalition currently being formed by Likud leader Binyamin Netanyahu. Barak wanted to join the coalition, but several important Labor figures opposed such a move. After an intense debate earlier today, the party voted to join the coalition nonetheless, however.
Although a majority of Laborites voted to join, many (grassroots) opposed the decision vehemently:| MORE ›
Secretary of State Hillary Clinton will visit Mexico to speak to the Mexican government about how to fight the drug trade more effectively than the two countries have done thus far.
Clinton’s trip paves the way for a flurry of visits culminating in one in April by President Barack Obama, who analysts say is breaking with predecessor George W. Bush’s drug-fighting approach by focusing on blunting US consumer demand.| MORE ›
Lisa Falkenberg’s commentary at the Houston Chronicle leaves no doubt that she’s in favor of teaching Texas children that Darwin’s theory about the origins of species as if it were proven, incontrovertible fact. If only that were the case – then perhaps this tiresome debate could finally be put aside.| MORE ›
The Orwellian “Employee Free Choice Act” which would strip non-unionized workers of their rights to a secret ballot outside the prying eyes of union enforcers organizers appears seriously endangered after its last Republican enabler is poised to support a filibuster blocking it.| MORE ›
The man who was finally allowed to join Pakistan’s Supreme Court again after being removed by former President Pervez Musharraf, top judge Iftikhar Muhammad Chaudhry, called upon lawyers Tuesday to wipe out corruption in the judiciary. His call for a war on corruption was Chaundry’s first act as judge in 16 months.| MORE ›
This is a fine example, I’d say, of when abortion becomes a crime if not murder:
Tensions are rising pretty fast in (South) East Asia:
Japan and China will hold a senior working-level security dialogue in Tokyo among their foreign affairs and defense officials Friday to discuss bilateral matters and regional situations, the Japanese Foreign Ministry said Tuesday.Amid tensions over a possible rocket launch by | MORE ›
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