Pacific Alliance: Decreasing Trade Barriers and Increasing Economic Growth

Kenichiro Seki/ZUMA Press/Newscom The presidents of the “Pacific Alliance” (Chile, Colombia, México, and Perú) met last week in Cali, Colombia, to sign an agreement removing tariffs on 90 percent of their merchandise trade. This is good news. Congress and the Obama Administration should pay more attention to this trade bloc—one that is considerably more pragmatic […]

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Internet Sales Tax Could Lead to Higher Prices

Newscom If the House approves the Marketplace Fairness Act, Villa Lagoon Tile won’t be out of business, but it might be forced to raise its prices. In an interview with National Public Radio, owners Lundy Wilder and Dave Perry talked about the “tremendous burden” the Internet sales tax will create for their business. Their custom […]

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Michigan Budget Battle Provides Opportunity to Reject Common Core National Standards

Newscom A budget battle is brewing in Michigan. But it isn’t the type of spending battle typically associated with budget making—this is a fight over the future of Michigan’s educational autonomy. It’s a battle over Common Core national standards. According to a report by the Michigan Information and Research Service (MIRS) (subscription required) published Thursday […]

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VIDEO: The Shaky Debt Ceiling

Congress’s dance with the debt limit can be confusing and, frankly, the details can be a real snooze fest for many Americans. Sometimes a little humor clarifies the absurdities of Washington antics better than flow charts and talk of trillions. The 31-second video and accompanying infographic “The Debt Ceiling Explained” by Bankrupting America offers the […]

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Obamacare’s Liberty-Crushing Mandate in Court

Newscom Three family businesses were in court this week asking federal judges for relief from a coercive Obamacare mandate that forces employers to provide and pay for coverage of abortion-inducing drugs and contraception—regardless of moral or religious objection. The Green family, which runs the arts-and-crafts company Hobby Lobby, was represented by the Becket Fund for […]

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Rumsfeld on Economic Freedom

Concluding The Heritage Foundation’s fifth annual Protect America Month series, former Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld shared his insights on why a free-market system that promotes economic freedom is critical to ensuring America’s prosperity and security. In an interview with Dr. Edwin Feulner, former president of The Heritage Foundation, Rumsfeld offered a compelling defense of […]

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Indonesia Continues to Disappoint on Religious Freedom

Robertus Pudyanto/Aflo/Newscom The United States Commission on Individual Religious Freedom (USCIRF) has again rated Indonesia as a Tier 2 country. The Tier 2 designation indicates that “violations engaged in or tolerated by the government are particularly severe.” It means that the country is on the threshold of joining Burma, China, Saudi Arabia, and North Korea […]

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Taxpayers Spend $536,526 to Study Smoking Cessation for LGBT Community

(CNSNews.com) – The National Institutes of Health issued a $536,526 grant to the University of Illinois, Chicago, for a two-year program ending in July to study the smoking cessation of lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender population. “The purpose of this study is to develop and evaluate the benefits of culturally targeted smoking cessation intervention for […]

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