By Benedict Vipers, Gallup, November 19, 2024.
excerpt:
After more than two years of violent conflict, Ukrainians are increasingly tired of war with Russia. In the latest Gallup poll on Ukraine conducted in August and October 2024, an average of 52% of Ukrainians said they wanted their country to negotiate an end to the war as soon as possible. Nearly four in 10 Ukrainians (38%) believe their country should continue fighting until victory.
The current attitude of Ukrainians towards the war marks a decisive change from their position since the war began in late February 2022. Polls conducted in the months after Russia launched a full-scale invasion found that Ukrainians were defiant, with 73% willing to fight until victory.
By Chris Horner, Wall Street Journal, November 17, 2024 (print edition November 18)
hang on. what? President Trump admits he made a mistake? But it’s not what you think.
excerpt:
Government agencies cannot lie about their reasons for imposing regulations. This is a principle known as the rule against pretexts. Still it happens. For example, EPA Administrator Michael Regan has shown a willingness to use authorities unrelated to climate change to force factory closures to meet climate goals. This gives the new administration an opportunity to rein in some of the Biden administration’s most egregious overreaches before the rules achieve their intended results.
Trump administration officials should quickly investigate internal agency files to establish a record of subversive rulemaking and other wrongdoing. Government lawyers must then admit these wrongdoings in court.
An “admission of error” is a practice in which government lawyers inform courts that the state has made a legal error and that an agency’s decision is warranted. It is not enough to simply change the government’s ideology or interpretation. However, a court will almost certainly accept an admission of error of law, fact, or procedure that is supported by documentation of admitted wrongdoing.
By Alicia Finley, Wall Street Journal, November 17, 2024. (Print version November 18).
excerpt:
Then vaccines came along. Officials exaggerated the benefits and downplayed the potential risks. People who claimed to have experienced adverse events were shunned. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention was slow to warn of myocarditis as a side effect. U.S. public health officials have not yet acknowledged the rare side effects noted by European public health officials, including temporary facial paralysis and abnormal skin sensation.
and:
The Food and Drug Administration blocked a Freedom of Information Act request it relied on to approve Pfizer’s coronavirus vaccine, further undermining public trust. As I pointed out at the time, authorities also gave the green light to inoculate children who are at low risk from the coronavirus, a recommendation based on insufficient data.
There is understandable skepticism about RFK Jr.’s worldview.
And he’s right that Americans would be healthier if they ate less processed foods and exercised more, which is a better way to lose weight than taking drugs. . However, it is calorie-dense foods, not additives, that are responsible for the rise in chronic disease and obesity. All-natural, non-GMO Haagen-Dazs will not make Americans healthy again.
By Andrew P. Napolitano, antiwar.com, November 20, 2024.
excerpt:
Military prosecutors, recognizing President George W. Bush’s regime of torture as morally indefensible, entered into a plea deal two years ago, but followed orders from the Pentagon and asked Judge McCall to dismiss the plea. .
A judge last week denied the government’s request, denying the Pentagon’s order and a scheduled hearing in which Mr. Muhammad and the other defendants would likely have pleaded guilty under oath.
Generally, a judge’s decision cannot be overturned. When Secretary of Defense Austin revoked retired military judge General Escarier’s authority to agree to a guilty plea, he ruled it was too little, too late. At the time Director Austin removed her authority to approve General Escalier’s guilty pleas in all Gitmo cases, she had already approved these pleas. Therefore, at the time she signed the authorization forms, she had full authority to approve them.
DRH Note: Sometimes I am reminded of the respect I have for many career military personnel. Not so much about SecDef.
By Jack Nicastro, Reason, November 20, 2024.
excerpt:
Californians are voting against raising the state’s minimum wage, even though Assembly Bill 1228 of 2023 would raise the hourly wage for fast food workers to $20. California’s Proposition 32 is only the third of 31 minimum wage ballot plans to fail since 1996.
Proposition 32 would raise the current state minimum wage of $16 an hour for businesses with 25 or more employees in 2025 and 25 or fewer employees in 2026. The wage will increase to $18 an hour.
One unintended consequence of such a gradual minimum wage increase is fewer job openings as companies wait to hire their 26th employee. Under such a plan, the marginal cost of the 26th worker would be $141,440 per year. One full-time worker is paid $18 an hour, and 25 full-time workers are paid $2 an hour. Unless the marginal product of that 26th worker violates the law of diminishing marginal returns, the 25-person firm will expand more slowly and produce less than it would otherwise. This distortion was avoided when Californians rejected Proposition 32.
DRH Comment: This is great news. Also, notice the clever use of the idea of white space in the last paragraph quoted above. The bottom line is that it is virtually impossible for a company to hire just its 26th employee. If a company grows from 25 employees, it will almost certainly add four or more employees.
By Matt Posey, thetruthaboutcars.com, November 15, 2024.
excerpt:
Hertz is foolishly betting its farm on a vehicle whose biggest benefit is easy charging at home as a weekly routine. Offering EVs to a customer base that is less likely to be able to charge their vehicle overnight and who will undoubtedly drive more miles than is required for their daily commute is, frankly, something I haven’t heard of in recent days. It was one of the worst ideas ever.
DRH Note: I could see this coming. I saw that from other customers and my resistance to Hertz trying to get me into an EV. The reason is obvious. If you’re driving a rental car long distances, it’s much harder to charge it than if you’re commuting to work every day.
