22 | June | 2011

Thursday, May 23, 2013

“In Loco Parentis”: Mandatory Flotation Devices

Mark J. Perry | June 22, 2011, 10:41 pm

“People who hope to beat the summer heat by swimming, floating or boating on rivers in King County (Washington state) must wear a life vest or face an $86 fine. A divided County Council on Monday passed a personal flotation … read more >

Foreign and Defense Policy

Mission Accomplished in Afghanistan

Danielle Pletka | June 22, 2011, 8:53 pm

The president has announced what we were all aware he was going to announce: a drawdown of 10,000 troops surged into Afghanistan last year by this year’s end and the departure of the remainder of those troops by summer’s end … read more >

Carpe Diem

May Real Estate Sales Were Booming in Florida, Especially in Miami, Where “Home Sales Go Nuts”

Mark J. Perry | June 22, 2011, 6:34 pm

Nationally, home sales fell in May by 3.8% from April and by 15.3% from May last year, but the real estate market in Florida was booming in May, with strong gains statewide in condo sales, but especially in the Miami … read more >

Foreign and Defense Policy

Rot at the Top: Militant Sympathies in the Pakistani Military’s Top Brass

Reza Jan | June 22, 2011, 6:10 pm

Following on from yesterday’s bombshell that the Pakistani military had arrested a brigadier on suspicion of having ties to the extremist group Hizb-ut-Tahrir, and for potentially plotting attacks against the army, the Pakistan Army today announced that it is also … read more >

Foreign and Defense Policy

Obama Ups the Odds of Defeat in Afghanistan

Danielle Pletka | June 22, 2011, 3:47 pm

CBS and the New York Times are reporting that President Obama will order the drawdown of 10,000 troops from Afghanistan by the end of this year, and the remainder of the surge troops by September 2012. “Two administration officials said … read more >

Politics and Public Opinion, Law and the Constitution

Proposal for Confirmations Would Free Senate for More Important Work

John Fortier | June 22, 2011, 3:40 pm

The Senate wants to do less, and in this case, that is a good thing. It wants to spend less of its time arguing about the confirmation of hundreds of lower-level political appointees. Opponents of this proposal, like David Addington … read more >

Economics, Entitlements

Have Rising Health Costs Driven Income Inequality?

Andrew Biggs | June 22, 2011, 1:48 pm

In a recent response to a blog post where rising income inequality came up, I speculated that one cause could be increasing health costs. The reasons, I said, were that a) employer costs for health coverage are effectively deducted from … read more >

Economics

Rep. Brady Touts ‘Realistic’ Spending Plan as ‘Complement’ to Ryan’s Budget Bill

Bridget Johnson | June 22, 2011, 1:23 pm

The vice chairman of the Joint Economic Committee unveiled a spending-control plan at AEI today that he says will “complement” House Budget Committee Chairman Paul Ryan’s “Path to Prosperity” and put “guardrails” around it. Rep. Kevin Brady (R-Texas) introduced the … read more >

Foreign and Defense Policy

Potential NATO Rival to Fill Security Vacuum in Afghanistan?

Daniel Vajdic | June 22, 2011, 11:17 am

Last week’s Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) Summit in Astana, Kazakhstan, was hailed by Chinese Foreign Minister Yang Jiechi for its “historic significance.” And in many ways it was historic. But for an event that brought together heads of state from … read more >

Economics, Energy and the Environment

Energy Fact of the Week: China’s Energy Skyrockets

Steven F. Hayward | June 22, 2011, 8:36 am

BP issued its 2011 Statistical Review of World Energy two weeks ago, and it confirmed what everyone else has been saying: China has passed the United States as the world’s top energy consumer. The Economist’s “Schumpeter” blog offers one of … read more >