- From the "Transparency" Department - A recent report about spending at several U.N. agencies finds the agencies refuse to open their books so that outsiders can see whether the money the agencies are given, most donated by U.N. member nations, is spent appropriately. Some agencies have large overages, and won't show why budgeted cash isn't being spent. I say we cut them off until they start coming across with audits by Deloitte.
- From the "Skymall Taser" Department - Fox News is giving advice on how to politely discourage chatty co-travelers while you are flying to your holiday destination. I don't mind a little chat during the run up to the flight, but after we take off, it's not hard to sell the "I can't hear you because my ears won't pop" schtick if I don't want to talk.
- From the "Expensive Labor" Department - San Fransisco is making headlines because the city fathers have raised the minimum wage in the city to $10.24 an hour. That's right kids. The teenager working at the Starbucks on Pier 39 is making over 10 dollars an hour. Proponents of the change are dismissing assertions by business owners that they will be laying off staff to cover the increased cost of labor. Apparently having a business in San Fransisco is so wonderful that it is worth any cost, or something.
- From the "Caseload" Department - The Supreme Court has agreed to take on the case of the state of Arizona's new immigration law. The federal government convinced the 9th Circuit Court of Appeals that states may only enforce those immigration laws that Washington approves. The Arizona law makes it legal for police to inquire about immigration status, mandates that immigrants carry their identification with them, and makes it illegal under state law for an illegal alien to hold or seek a job. The case could be heard early enough to have a decision out before the final run to the election next fall. Do we really need the highest court in the land to say it's OK for a state to enforce federal laws the federal government refuses to enforce?
Monday, December 12, 2011
News Roundup
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This is why dead-tree books still have significant value even if you have a Kindle. There's nothing like a hardcover or jumbo-size trade paperback with an intimidating title to discourage the chatty.
The Wealth and Poverty of Nations, The Structure of Evolutionary Theory, Gunshot Wounds, Monsters of God, Collapse, and Evil Genes are all books that have brought me or Stingray hours of peace on flights even if we really would rather have been reading something along the lines of Monster Hunters...
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