Latest posts by Donald Kendal (see all)
- 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.
Joseph L. Bast, Somewhat Reasonable
In recent years, left-wing activists have rewritten hundreds of thousands of Wikipedia entries, adding their anti-technology, anti-corporation, and anti-free enterprise dogma and propaganda to the profiles of many individuals and organizations. The Heartland Institute’s profile has been the target of a major misinformation effort, with objective descriptions of our work removed and lies and unfounded leftist accusations put in their place. Can you help us fix Wikipedia? READ MORE

H. Sterling Burnett, Climate Change Weekly
It appears the climate alarmism movement is finally coming off the rails. The German climate science site, No Tricks Zone, has assembled a list of approximately 250 peer-reviewed academic articles published in 2015 that contradict the official climate story – that man is causing catastrophic global warming. Among these articles is evidence that nature plays a larger role in the climate than previously thought. Also, a host of articles address the positive effect increased atmospheric carbon dioxide levels are having on plant growth and agricultural yields. READ MORE

This week, Heartland Institute President Joseph Bast joined the Unbiased Americashow to talk about the new book, Why Scientists Disagree About Global Warming. Bast dismantles the claim that 97 percent of scientists have arrived at a consensus that man is causing catastrophic global warming. Along with clearing up many of the false claims surrounding the climate change debate, Bast also addresses the frequently repeated accusations that The Heartland Institute is funded by the Koch brothers and works with Big Tobacco. WATCH IT HERE

Sally Pipes, executive director and CEO of the Pacific Research Institute, joins Health Care News Managing Editor Michael Hamilton to talk about her plan to repeal and replace the Affordable Care Act. Pipes says the Republicans’ problem is not a lack of a replacement plan, but an overabundance of plans. Pipes advocates an approach that would empower consumers and doctors rather than the federal government. LISTEN TO MORE

If you love discussions about liberty, you will not want to miss the great series of events Heartland has lined up through the spring. Upcoming events include several book talks:Equal Is Unfair with the Ayn Rand Institute’s Yaron Brook, Drilling Through the Core with the National Association of Scholars’ Peter Wood, and The Way Back with George Mason University’s Frank Buckley. We hope to see you here in Arlington Heights – but if you are unable to attend in person, the events will be live-streamed and archived on Heartland’s YouTube page. SEE UPCOMING EVENTS HERE

Justin Haskins, Consumer Power Report
Say what you will about the Republican presidential candidate front-runner’s attitude and hair, but Donald Trump’s health care plan deserves a closer look. A new study by the bipartisan Committee for a Responsible Federal Budget blasts Trump’s plan, saying it would cost $500 billion over ten years and leave millions without insurance. However, a fair look shows he offers many good reforms that would help lower costs and improve the health insurance marketplace. READ MORE

Isaac Orr, Independent Journal Review
As oil prices plummet due to the fierce competition between the U.S. hydraulic fracturing industry and the Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries, many oil-exporting nations have been left reeling. OPEC governments are now stuck relying on dwindling oil revenues to fund large portions of their social welfare programs, many of which are essential to maintaining national stability. READ MORE

Joy Pullmann, School Choice Weekly
Former New York Education Commissioner John King’s disdain for free speech, support for Common Core, and advocacy of using tests to exercise federal control over schools was not enough to prevent him from becoming the new U.S. Education Secretary. The Home School Legal Defense Association warned, “King is one of Common Core’s staunchest advocates and a firm believer in the power of educational bureaucracy.” READ MORE

Hosts Donny Kendal and John Nothdurft continue their exploration of the work of think tanks across the country in episode #29. In the Featured Work of the Week segment, Donny and John discuss an eye-opening policy study by the R Street Institute on how Canada uses the practice of “regulatory budgeting” to limit and even reduce the burden regulations have on individuals and business. They also discuss work from Oregon’s Cascade Policy Institute, Florida’s James Madison Institute, and of course The Heartland Institute. LISTEN TO MORE

Robert Holland, Richmond Times-Dispatch
As the popularity of home schooling continues to grow, new resources are forming to help parents successfully take a more active role in their children’s education. One of the newest support systems are cooperatives, or co-ops. These co-ops allow parents to come together and share the burden of teaching, resulting in more specialized learning and peer support. Homeschooling is one of the purest forms of school choice … and it is working. READ MORE

Dustin Siggins, The Heartlander
In his final annual budget proposal, President Barack Obama is throwing everything he can think of against the wall to see what will stick. Included in the budget are significant spending increases, higher crude oil production taxes, and other tax hikes on individuals and businesses. “Any budget that would spend more than $4 trillion, almost by definition, forgoes any reasonable semblance of fiscal responsibility,” said Jonathan Bydlak, president of the Coalition to Reduce Spending. READ MORE

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