Ex-Im Bank Makes $2 Billion Loan for South Africa Green-Energy Projects

The U.S. Export-Import Bank inked a $2 billion clean-energy loan offer with South Africa to help fund the country’s green-energy push and drum up sales for America’s renewable industry, according to an announcement made last week. The 18-year loans will target wind, solar and thermal power in particular, said Fred Hochberg, Ex-Im chairman and president. […]

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1,788 Students Receive D.C. Opportunity Scholarships

More school children in Washington, D.C., will benefit from school choice this fall, thanks to the D.C. Opportunity Scholarship Program (DCOSP). Nearly 1,800 low-income students in the nation’s capital have received scholarships to attend private schools of their choice, 299 of whom are new voucher recipients. As the Washington Times reports, three-quarters of the new […]

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Agriculture Department Paid $2 Million for a Single Intern

A report from the Agriculture Department’s Inspector General has revealed some stunning examples of financial waste in the Department’s nascent technology security efforts, which have mismanaged about $63 million in taxpayer funding. Among the IG’s findings: the USDA spent more than $2 million on an internship program that only hired one full-time intern, $3 million […]

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The Results Are In: Chinese Stimulus Fails

Almost four years after implementation of worldwide economic “stimulus,” global growth remains stalled. In the U.S., the unemployment rate is still over 8 percent. In the second quarter of 2012, official Chinese GDP growth slipped to 7.6 percent, the lowest in three years. According to its National Bureau of Statistics, China’s massive stimulus plan in […]

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States Exempt Labor Unions from Stalking, Trespassing Laws

At least four states provide exemptions to anti-staljking laws for labor union officials conducting organizing activities, according to a new report from the U.S. Chamber of Commerce. Every state in America criminalizes stalking, generally defined as repeated unwanted contact with another individual designed to cause some sort of mental or emotional distress. But Illinois, California, […]

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Film Honoring World War II Veterans Aims for World-Record Premiere

More than 30,000 people are expected to attend tonight’s screening of “Honor Flight” at Milwaukee’s Miller Park, which would break the world record for a film premiere. The feature-length documentary chronicles the stories of World War II veterans who made their way to Washington, D.C., to visit the memorial built in their honor. The free […]

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Russia Trade and Human Rights: Still Time for Congress to Act

Earlier this year, over protests from the country’s communist party, Russia agreed to join the World Trade Organization (WTO). Now Congress is considering legislation that essentially says, “We want U.S. companies to benefit from the concessions Russia made to join the WTO.” This would be accomplished by ending application of the Jackson–Vanik amendment and providing […]

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Ethanol Mandate Ignores the Free Market

In the midst of one of the most severe droughts on record, Washington’s ethanol mandate is making the corn shortage even worse. Markets have responded quickly and flexibly to the drought where they can, but some corn buyers are sidelined by the rigid government ethanol mandate. Corn prices are skyrocketing, and livestock farmers are suffering […]

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Federal Court Upholds Marriage in Hawaii

Yesterday, the federal district court in Hawaii ruled that Hawaii’s definition of marriage as one man and one woman does not violate the U.S. Constitution. This ruling comes as the U.S. Supreme Court considers whether to review multiple cases involving the issue of same-sex marriage and voters in Maryland, Minnesota, Maine, and Washington prepare to […]

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