On June 24th, the House Energy and Commerce Committee will hold a joint subcommittee hearing about coronavirus misinformation. The hearing is seemingly intended to highlight social media platforms’ role in hosting false user speech about the ongoing pandemic. However, unless the hearing also addresses the impact of misinformation from official sources, Congress will achieve only a limited understanding … Continue reading Coronavirus Misinformation Hearing Cannot Ignore Government’s Role
The COVID-19 pandemic has disrupted the U.S. recycling industry. Waste sources, quantities and destinations are all in flux, and shutdowns have devastated an industry that was already struggling. Many items designated as reusable, communal or secondhand have been temporarily barred to minimize person-to-person exposure. This is producing higher volumes of waste. Grocers, whether by state … Continue reading COVID-19 is laying waste to many US recycling programs
Many Americans are surprised to learn that in U.S. presidential elections, the members of the Electoral College do not necessarily have to pick the candidate the voters in their state favored. Or do they? This month the Supreme Court will rule on the independent powers of electors, which will determine the meaning of the Electoral … Continue reading Supreme Court to decide the future of the Electoral College
High school-educated, working-class parents aren’t capable of overseeing their own child’s education, a state lawmaker said last week. New Hampshire state Sen. Jeanne Dietsch, D-Peterborough, made the comment at a committee hearing last Tuesday while promoting a bill that would stop the state Board of Education from creating a new way of allocating high school graduation credits. … Continue reading Yes, Senator, Parents Can Educate Their Own Kids
In a recent article, The Economist provided compelling evidence that “democracies contain epidemics most effectively.” According to the article’s analysis, … most data suggest that political freedom can be a tonic against disease. The Economist has [analyzed] epidemics from 1960 to 2019. Though these outbreaks varied in contagiousness and lethality, a clear correlation emerged. Among countries with … Continue reading Why Democracy and Free Markets Are the Best Antidotes to Pandemics
In its release of recommendations on how to spur the fastest and most complete rebound from the coronavirus pandemic, The Heritage Foundation’s National Coronavirus Recovery Commission emphasized the importance of economic freedom and the free-market system: In all of history, there has been no better model than that of free markets in lifting people out of poverty and … Continue reading American Leadership on Economic Freedom Needed Now More Than Ever
During the public health crisis caused by COVID-19 and the economic crisis that resulted from the government-mandated societal shutdown, the public’s attention has focused on short-term threats and immediate consequences. This, understandably, led to an emphasis on figures such as the approximately 2.1 million confirmed cases of coronavirus, roughly 118,000 deaths from the virus, and … Continue reading One Overlooked COVID-19 Legacy Will Haunt Your Grandchildren
Every year Forbes publishes its list of the 400 wealthiest Americans. Topping the list in 2019 for the second year in a row was, to no one’s surprise, Jeff Bezos. The Amazon founder kept the top spot despite a divorce that sent his net worth tumbling from $160 billion to $114 billion. Worldwide, Americans represent … Continue reading 9 of the 10 Richest People in the World Are Self-Made Entrepreneurs
Since the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic, minorities have disproportionately suffered from the virus’s health effects. A new study reveals that the government-mandated economic lockdowns have also hit minorities hardest. In response to the outbreak and under the guidance of federal agencies such as the Centers for Disease Control, state and local governments imposed quarantine … Continue reading The Lockdowns Crushed Minority-Owned Businesses the Most
The spread of the coronavirus has prompted most states to issue orders mandating non-essential businesses to close and non-essential workers to stay home. These regulations, whether or not they are justified, will decimate small and large businesses alike (and indeed already are, in many areas). Loans are being made available to businesses, some containing a … Continue reading Will States Owe Businesses Just Compensation for Forced Closures When the COVID-19 Pandemic Is Over?
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