- In The Tank (ep204) – Climate “Contrarians” Blacklisted? Red Flag Laws - August 16, 2019
- In The Tank (ep203) – Bernie Sanders on Joe Rogan Podcast: A Response - August 9, 2019
- In The Tank (ep202) – Craziest Proposals From Democratic Candidates - August 2, 2019
If you don’t visit Somewhat Reasonable and the Heartlander digital magazine every day, you’re missing out on some of the best news and commentary on liberty and free markets you can find. But worry not, freedom lovers! The Heartland Weekly Email is here for you every Friday with a highlight show. Subscribe to the email today, and read this week’s edition below.
LeftExposed Profile of the Week: Tides Foundation
The Tides Foundation is a non-profit social change corporation largely credited with pioneering anonymous “Dark Money” transactions through donor-advised funds for left-wing environmental organizations. Heartland’s Emily Zanotti and Ron Arnold document the organization’s history, funding, and controversies with a new profile posted at LeftExposed.org. READ MORE

Ethanol Mandates and Renewable Fuel Standards Hurt Residents and Farmers
Timothy Benson, Heartland Research & Commentary
Ethanol, a biofuel derived typically derived from corn, was once seen as an innovative and environmentally friendly substitute for fossil fuels. Unfortunately, the reality is not so rosy. The Center for Regulatory Solutions has produced a series of reports on the deleterious effects of ethanol mandates and Renewable Fuel Standards on state economies and the environment. READ MORE

Heartland Gearing up for “Day of Examining the Data” in Paris to Counter U.N. COP-21
The Heartland Institute has brought some of the world’s most esteemed climate scientists and policy experts to Paris for the COP-21 conference. Our day-long “Day of Examining the Data” program on Monday, December 7 will feature Patrick Moore, Ph.D., a founding member of Greenpeace; Christopher Monckton, chief policy advisor to the Science and Public Policy Institute; and many others. READ MORE

Featured Podcast: James Taylor: Heartland in Paris for the U.N.’s COP-21 Climate Conference
This special edition of The Heartland Daily Podcast comes to you from Paris, France, where the U.N.’s COP-21 climate conference is underway. Heartland Vice President James Taylor joins Director of Communications Jim Lakely to discuss happenings at the conference so far and consider how likely it is (spoiler alert: not very) the United States might be bound by whatever agreement President Barack Obama signs. LISTEN TO MORE

Stop the UN Climate Treaty! Support Heartland’s Trip to COP-21
We’ve raised 88 percent of the funds needed to finance our delegation to Paris to present sound science and economics at the United Nations’ global warming conference! We’re hoping to raise enough to cover travel costs for our team plus an extensive promotional effort to make sure the world knows that most scientists do not accept the phony science of the UN and Obama’s EPA. We’re winning! See the next article by Heartland’s Sterling Burnett to discover why. READ MORE

Climate Negotiations Fraught with Difficulties, Likely to Fail
H. Sterling Burnett, Washington Times
The mainstream media is already celebrating passage of a new global warming agreement in Paris, even before negotiations are finished. But Heartland’s Sterling Burnett explains why Paris will be a colossal failure, since 6 of the top 10 carbon-dioxide-emitting countries won’t agree to cut their greenhouse gas emissions. Will Paris mark the end of the global warming movement? READ MORE

Common Core: Where a Wrong Answer Can be Right and the Right Answer Can Be Wrong
Lennie Jarratt, Townhall
It’s a new week and there is a new Common Core-aligned math problem going viral. The latest incident spreading across the web shows a student’s homework where the child solved the problem “5 x 3” by writing out “5+5+5” and concluding that equals “15.” In the brave new world of Common Core, that is wrong. It does not matter that the student reached the correct answer, because he/she did not reach the answer in the proper, prescribed way. READ MORE

The Benefits of Falling Oil Prices
Isaac Orr, Badger Herald
Leave it to liberals to find a black lining to even good news… Oil and natural gas prices are falling thanks to hydraulic fracturing – “fracking” – and the amazing growth of oil and natural gas production in the U.S. Consumers benefit to the tune of thousands of dollars in savings each year, although some producers and industries related to oil production are cutting back on investments. READ MORE

Bonus Podcast: Jared Walczak: How Do Your State Taxes Compare?
Jared Walczak, Tax Foundation policy analyst, joins Budget & Tax News Managing Editor Jesse Hathaway to discuss the results of the 12th annual State Business Tax Climate Index report – a state-by-state, apples-to-apples comparison of states’ tax systems. According to Walczak, states with high tax rates perform poorly, and states with low and broad tax rates are better for businesses and taxpayers alike. LISTEN TO MORE

The Real Reason Behind High Health Care Costs
Justin Haskins, Consumer Power Report
In a study for the Mises Institute, Mike Holly writes, “The U.S. ‘health care cost crisis’ didn’t start until 1965. The government increased demand with the passage of Medicare and Medicaid while restricting the supply of doctors and hospitals.” Health care prices responded by rising twice as fast as the rate of inflation. Now Obamacare is compounding the error by causing an huge increase in health insurance premiums. READ MORE

Congress Should Stop Kicking the Can Down the Information Superhighway
Jesse Hathaway, Roanoke Times
It’s time for lawmakers in Washington, D.C., to pass a permanent version of the Internet Tax Freedom Act. The stopgap continuing resolution bill passed by Congress in September temporarily continues a federal government telecommunications and tax policy that has been proposed and approved five times since 1998. Kicking the can down the road once again causes uncertainty in the one economic sector experiencing economic growth in good times or bad. READ MORE
