But, on balance, its downsides are not reasons to impose criminal penalties on its possession, particularly not in a society that permits nicotine use and celebrates drinking.
Month: July 2014
Here’s one good thing the Legislature can accomplish when it returns
HARRISBURG PATRIOT-NEWS Editorial: Fall is coming, and that means the return of Penn State football and the final pre-election spasm of work by the Pennsylvania Legislature. While hope has dimmed for a breakthrough on high-profile issues like pension reform and liquor privatization, lawmakers can do useful work on smaller but still important matters. One of […]
Lawmakers, universities can’t let the dream of an affordable higher education slip away
In 1985, a student attending one of Pennsylvania’s 14 state-owned universities, earning minimum wage, would have had to work 23 weeks to cover his or her tuition.
Arab Leaders, Viewing Hamas as Worse Than Israel, Stay Silent
NEW YORK TIMES: …After the military ouster of the Islamist government in Cairo last year, Egypt has led a new coalition of Arab states — including Jordan, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates — that has effectively lined up with Israel in its fight against Hamas, the Islamist movement that controls the Gaza Strip. […]
House Votes to Sue Obama for Delaying Obamacare Mandate
NEWSMAX: A sharply divided House approved a Republican plan Wednesday to launch a campaign-season lawsuit against President Barack Obama, accusing him of exceeding the bounds of his constitutional authority. Obama and other Democrats derided the effort as a stunt aimed at tossing political red meat to conservative voters… The vote to sue Obama was 225 […]
Sizzling tech economy is fueling urban renaissance (but Lancaster / Amtrak sleeps)
The fact that so much tech growth now is happening in cities reflects the evolution of the Internet. The rise of social networking, online media and digital commerce is putting a premium on design and creativity, making workers at Internet companies more like the artists, writers and media professionals who have always gravitated to cities.
Who’s watching the kids when parents get arrested?
USA TODAY: …Few law enforcement agencies have policies that specifically address the continuing care of children after such arrests, despite an estimated 1.7 million children who have at least one parent in prison, according to the Bureau of Justice Statistics. The number of children jumps to about 2.7 million when parents detained in local jails […]
US economy roars back with 4% growth in the second quarter
FINANCIAL TIMES: The US economy roared ahead with annualised growth of 4 per cent in the second quarter, confirming that weakness early this year was an aberration and the recovery is back on track. Growth easily beat expectations of 3.1 per cent, with the strength of the rebound demonstrating that robust jobs data in recent […]
Internet poll shows Corbett-Wolf race tightening
The poll, conducted for CBS and the New York Times by the Internet polling firm YouGov, shows Mr. Wolf leading the incumbent, 52 percent to 39 percent, including respondents who said they were leaning toward one candidate or the other.
U.S. sues Pa. State Police, saying physical fitness test discriminates against women
The lawsuit said the use of the tests to screen and select the applicants for the entry-level positions amounted to a pattern of employment discrimination. Much greater percentages of male applicants than female applicants passed the physical fitness tests going back to 2003, it said.
Florida Billionaires Line Up to Sell Weed to Granny
DAILY BEAST Column: With a new poll finding 88 percent of Floridians in favor of medical marijuana, wealthy business owners in the state are gearing up for battle ahead of November’s vote on legalization… It’s mid-July in Boca Raton, Florida, and the founder of marijuana-consulting agency MedMen is halfway through a speech educating 150 potential […]
US, Europe Impose Tough New Sanctions on Russia
NEWSMAX / REUTERS: The European Union and the United States on Tuesday announced further sanctions against Russia, targeting its energy, banking and defense sectors in the strongest international action yet over Moscow’s support for rebels in eastern Ukraine. The measures mark the start of a new phase in the biggest confrontation between Moscow and the […]
McDonald’s ruling ignites business-labor firestorm
USA TODAY: Labor advocates are claiming a big victory after a federal agency said Tuesday that McDonald’s central, corporate operations can be lumped in with its thousands of franchises for liability purposes. The world’s largest fast-food chain promises to fight a National Labor Relations Board decision that it says “changes the rules for thousands of […]
Should the East Ukrainian rebels be called separatists?
The rebels supported by Putin, had created the self-proclaimed Donetsk and Lugansk People’s Republics in the southeast Ukraine. The world media usually calls them “separatists”.