Talking Turkey About Food Safety

More than any other day of the year, families by the millions will give thanks today for America’s abundant and affordable food supply. The impressive bounty on display contrasts sharply with claims that more stringent federal regulations are needed to ensure food safety. Despite the fact that America’s food supply is superior to every other […]

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Giving Thanks for the Free Market

As truly an American holiday as Thanksgiving is, it was not actually made a formal federal holiday until 1941. And it wasn’t even routinely celebrated nationally on the fourth Thursday of every November until after President Abraham Lincoln’s Thanksgiving Address in 1863. Still, the holiday does have a strong basis in our nation’s history—a history […]

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Don’t Look at Pentagon Budget to Cut Back on Federal Spending

Hope is not a strategy. Last month’s elections made that clear. Through the year, polls consistently revealed the unpopularity of Obamacare, deep concern about excessive spending, and misgivings about how the things are going in Iran and Afghanistan. Yet all the way up to the elections, progressives hoped that Americans would somehow like Obamacare, think […]

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Domenici-Rivlin: Another Vote for Reduced Federal Spending

The Bipartisan Policy Center’s (BPC) Debt Reduction Task Force – a highly diverse group of private individuals – has laid out a comprehensive approach to closing the deficit and slowing the rise in national debt. They do this through a combination of spending reductions, many though not all of which are excellent and transformational (about […]

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Corruption: Siphoning Off Growth

Stories of corruption in India have filled the news in recent days. First there’s the corrupt Communications and Information Technology Minister, whose scam to pocket money from telecommunications firms may have topped $37 billion. Then there were accusations that politicians, officials, and contractors had pocketed more than 70% of $2.5 billion meant for flood relief […]

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No Appetite for Rotten Food Regulations

Legislation to vastly expand the regulatory powers of the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) failed to advance in the Senate last week as proponents had expected. A vote may be rescheduled when Congress reconvenes after the Thanksgiving recess. But if lawmakers are truly vested in optimizing food safety, they will look beyond bureaucratic tinkering and […]

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TSA Chief Asks Holiday Travelers for Patience

Washington (AP) – The head of the Transportation Security Administration is asking travelers for their cooperation as the government tightens security during the busy holiday travel season. Passengers traveling through U.S. airports this week could hear a message or see a new video from TSA chief John Pistole reminding them about security measures. Airport screeners […]

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Louisiana Senators to Interior Secretary: End Drilling Permit Logjam

Interior Secretary Ken Salazar traveled to Louisiana on Monday to meet with oil and gas executives whose industry has been suffering from a “de facto” drilling ban since the government’s moratorium was lifted. Both of the state’s senators said Salazar failed to adequately address the core issues causing the logjam. Salazar’s trip to Houma to […]

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Shellackings Past and Present

Three weeks ago, Democrats took what President Obama dubbed a “shellacking” at the polls: Republicans picked up 62 seats in the House, enough to gain a majority, and six in the Senate. The next day, the post-election analysis and finger-pointing began. Defeated Democrats blamed the President. Defeated Republicans blamed the media and the Washington establishment. […]

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