- 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.
Dr. Robert M. Carter, R.I.P.
Joseph Bast, Somewhat Reasonable
Dr. Robert M. Carter, one of the world’s leading climate scientists, died suddenly of a heart attack earlier this week. He was the author of two books and coauthor of three volumes in the Climate Change Reconsidered series, produced by the Nongovernmental International Panel on Climate Change (NIPCC). Bob was the very embodiment of the “happy warrior” in the global warming debate. He was a scholar’s scholar, with impeccable credentials (including a Ph.D. from Cambridge), careful attention to detail, and a deep understanding of and commitment to the scientific method. READ MORE
Left Exposed: The Rockefeller Brothers Fund
The Rockefeller Brothers Fund (RBF), one of the ten largest donors to anti-technology and left-leaning activists in the United States, specializes in “prescriptive grantmaking” to advance its ideological agenda rather than conducting an open and objective grant-application process. RBF funds or has funded virtually all the radical environmental groups in the United States and is responsible for the Left’s takeover of the environmental movement since the 1990s. READ MORE
Featured Podcast: Donn Dears’ New Book: Nothing to Fear
Policy advisor, author, and former energy executive Donn Dears joins Environment & Climate News Managing Editor H. Sterling Burnett to discuss his new book Nothing to Fear: A Bright Future for Fossil Fuels. Dears explains that mankind has the ability to withstand nearly everything mother nature may throw at it, so long as governments don’t institute policies that cripple its ability to respond to potential threats. LISTEN TO MORE
Inside the Chicago Public Schools Crisis
Tim Benson, Townhall
You’d have to look long and hard for a better example of a mismanaged and underperforming public-run school system than the Chicago Public Schools. Despite the fact that CPS teachers are the most highly compensated teachers in any major city, the Chicago Teachers Union voted overwhelmingly to go on strike during the 2016 spring semester. Most, if not all, of this would be forgivable if the system succeeded in adequately teaching Chicago students. It has not. READ MORE
Heartland Education Experts React to Potential Chicago Public School Bankruptcy
“In a move that redefines ‘quixotic,’ the rump GOP super-minority legislative caucus wants to allow the Chicago Public Schools to declare bankruptcy and put the district under state control,” said Heartland Senior Fellow Bruno Behrend. “This attempt to replace one Ponzi scheme with a larger, more bankrupt Ponzi scheme is another indicator of the lack of seriousness of Illinois politicians.” READ MORE
How ‘Freedom Frackers’ Are Liberating Saudi Arabia
Isaac Orr, Grand Forks Herald
The U.S. fracking boom has challenged the energy hegemony of the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC). While we enjoy the low prices that result from the fierce competition, countries like Saudi Arabia are feeling the heat. The Saudi kingdom has managed to keep demands for more political freedom at bay by spending billions of dollars on social welfare programs that provide free education and health care to all citizens. This strategy is unraveling as oil prices continue to fall and the country’s budget deficit continues to rise. READ MORE
PUC Out of Line in NV Energy’s Dispute with Casinos
James Taylor, Las Vegas Review-Journal
The Warren Buffett-owned (and misnamed) NV Energy – a public utility that provides electric service to much of Nevada – was granted a near-monopoly under Nevada law. The Nevada Public Utilities Commission is supposed to safeguard against this near-monopoly taking advantage of its customers but has not. The three largest Nevada casino companies, fed up with NV Energy’s high prices, are being hit $127 million in exit fees, a staggering sum, for the crime of wanting to purchase their electricity elsewhere. READ MORE
PPOs Are Going Extinct in Obamacare Marketplace
Justin Haskins, Consumer Power Report
It’s undeniable the health care system in America was not working as well as it needed to at the time President Barack Obama entered the White House. But Obamacare has made the health insurance marketplace even worse for most Americans. There are fewer quality options available today than at any time in recent history, and health insurance prices are rising at staggering rates. With fewer PPO plans on the market, a trend that will likely continue over the next few years, the situation for consumers will only get worse. READ MORE
Bonus Podcast: Erick Elder – Is Your State Preparing for the Next Economic Recession?
The stock market is off to a dreadful start this year and many think it’s only the beginning. Will your state be adequately prepared if we enter another recession? Erick Elder, an economics professor at the University of Arkansas-Little Rock, joins Budget & Tax News Managing Editor Jesse Hathaway to discuss a new Mercatus Center study about how state lawmakers are preparing for upcoming economic woes. LISTEN TO MORE
White House Finalizing Strict E-Cig ‘Deeming’ Rules
Robert Lurie, The Heartlander
In another example of the Obama administration using regulations to circumvent Congress and vastly expand federal authority, the White House Office of Management and Budget (OMB) is considering new federal regulations requiring all e-cigarette products to apply for federal Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approval, regardless of whether they are new products or previously created. The proposed FDA “deeming rule” would extend the agency’s tobacco regulatory authority to consumer products without tobacco, such as e-cigarettes. READ MORE
