Proposed legislation, AB-2943, making its way through the California legislature, is the latest example of why east coast folks see California as the land of fruit and nuts. Humor aside, it is also why diverse groups such as Orthodox Christians, …
FDA Restricts Sale of Contraceptive Device
Earlier this month, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration released an order indicating its intent to restrict the sale of the contraceptive device Essure, the only FDA-approved nonsurgical permanent birth control method. Essure is extremely effective, over 99 percent successful, …
The Other Money Heist
Sometimes fiction offers better lessons in political economy than reality. “Money Heist,” the Spanish TV series that is having a big global impact thanks to Netflix, gives us a very important one (no, I won’t spoil it). The Premise: “The …
U.S. War Making: What’s in It for You?
If you are an American, have you asked yourself these questions? 1. What purpose of mine is served by the U.S. government’s making war in Iraq? 2. What purpose mine is served by the U.S. government’s making war in Afghanistan? 3. …
Review: Ready Player One Entertains Using Fear of Tech Oligarchy
Ready Player One seems destined to become another Steven Spielberg classic, serving up a movie that appeals to a wide range of audiences with a solid story, well-crafted characters and engaging adventure from beginning to end. Along the way, viewers …
Think Twice about Bringing Back U.S. Manufacturing Jobs
We hear a lot of lamentations about the loss of American jobs in manufacturing (notwithstanding that U.S. manufacturing output has never been greater). People purport to want to bring back jobs in factories. I’m not sure a lot of thought …
Perception and Reality: Why do some countries worry about terrorism more than others?
Fig.1 Which countries are most worried about terrorism? In a global study, Ipsos asked citizens in 27 countries to provide their top three societal issues that caused them worry. Among all global respondents, 17% perceive terrorism as a top three …
Statism’s First Casualty Is the Truthful Use of Language
Senator Hiram Johnson is credited with having said during World War I, “The first casualty, when war comes, is truth,” and this observation has been made in more or less the same words many times, both before and since Johnson …
FDA Cracks Down on Online Eye-Exam Company
This past October, the Food and Drug Administration issued a warning letter to Opternative, a company specializing in providing online eye-exams. The FDA has now made its letter public and set up a meeting with Opternative in July to make …
The FDA Plans to Regulate Nicotine in Cigarettes
In an unprecedented effort, the Food and Drug Administration is working to significantly reduce nicotine levels in cigarettes. In one policy scenario, the FDA would set a limit of 0.4 milligrams of nicotine per gram of tobacco, reducing the typical …
Making a Statement on Gun Control
In the wake of last month’s school shooting at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Fla., which resulted in 17 students and teachers being killed and another 17 injured, gun-control activists, frustrated with their relative failure to enact sweeping bans …
Against the Whole Concept and Construction of the Balance of International Payments
The root of a great and destructive economic misunderstanding can be traced to an accounting statement known as the balance of international payments. As the name suggests, this accounting statement rests on the idea that nations (in the form of …
