Hoping for the triumph of logic. We all know that every day, people in Mexico come across the border in pursuit of something they can't find in their country. What you may not know is that every day, people in the United States go across the border to Mexico for the same reason. They aren't looking for jobs. They're looking for birth. ... MORE
Government regulations could leave you thirsty. Anheuser-Busch InBev just wrapped up its controversial merger with Grupo Modelo - the parent company of Corona - despite initial opposition from the Department of Justice and then last-ditch efforts of consumer groups, rejected by the court. The merger, it was alleged, would lead to ... MORE
Escaping the shackles of statism. Have you ever thought about the morality or legitimacy of politicians forbidding you to have a vegetable garden in your own front yard, or buying or selling raw milk, or merely having a lemonade stand without a local bureaucrat’s permission? You see, when the armed bureaucrat is arresting the peaceful raw milk ... MORE
Just in time for summer. Forget the great outdoors. The Department of Consumer Affairs has sent notice to 17 New York
restaurants, telling them that that they will have to close their
sidewalk seating areas unless they are willing to comply with the city’s
zoning regulations. “Please be advised you have 100 business days ... MORE
The puppet show continues. President Obama’s choice of Hyatt hotel heiress Penny Pritzker as secretary of commerce, to be taken up Thursday by the Senate Commerce, Science and Transportation Committee, puts Democrats on the panel between that famous rock and a hard place. Like the loyal soldiers they are, the panel’s 13 ... MORE
Cal Thomas on taxing Internet sales. In 1998 when President Clinton signed the bipartisan Internet Tax Freedom Act, which prohibited state and local taxation of Internet access and Internet-only services, the purpose was to promote the commercial potential of the Internet, especially for start-ups and small businesses. Congress extended ... MORE
Daniel J. Mitchell on the Internet Sales Tax. I’m either a total optimist or a glutton for punishment. I recently explained the benefits of “tax havens” for the unfriendly readers of the New York Times. Now I’m defending a different form of tax competition for CNN, another news outlet that leans left. In this case, the topic is whether states can reach ... MORE
by Baylen Linnekin. The FDA announced earlier this week that the agency
will
investigate “any and all products with added caffeine.” FDA officials claim they were spurred to take action after the
recent introduction of one product, Alert Energy Gum, a new
caffeinated gum made by Wrigley. The agency argues that such a novel product ... MORE
The reality is counterintuitive. U.S. companies are rethinking whether to continue sourcing garments from Bangladesh in the wake of the tragic collapse of the Rana Plaza garment factory that killed hundreds of workers on April 25. If they do so, most Bangladeshi garment workers will be worse off than they are today. ... MORE
Tourist shop fights silly toy gun ban. The owner of a Midtown tourist shop is firing back at Mayor Bloomberg’s crusade against toy guns, filing papers to block a $60,000 fine from the city for selling lighters shaped like small pistols. “We don’t have the money,” said Fred Shayes, 49, who owns US Camera
& Computer Inc. near Penn ... MORE
Market Fairness Act imposes an unnecessary burden. At a 2008 shareholders meeting, Amazon founder and CEO Jeff Bezos explained why he opposed requiring businesses like his to collect state and local taxes on their interstate sales. "We're not actually benefiting from any services that those states provide locally," Bezos said. ... MORE