by Anna Dolgov, Moscow Times. The majority of Russians think that individual rights need to be protected even if they contradict the interests of the state, with political rights growing increasingly important in the nation's perception, a recent poll has shown. About 46 percent of Russians think that people have the right to fight for their ... MORE
by Joshua Miller. Advocates of marijuana legalization, emboldened by successes with ballot questions in Colorado and Washington state, are laying the groundwork for such a battle in Massachusetts in the next presidential election year. “In 2016, Massachusetts will find itself in the crosshairs for cannabis reform,” said Allen St. Pierre, ... MORE
by Baylen Linnekin. Last month the San Francisco city council introduced a proposal
to tax soda at a rate of two cents per ounce. The tax, which would
have to be approved by voters, would add a whopping $1.44 to the
cost of a six-pack of soda. The council liked the idea so much that
they soon
introduced a competing proposal to tax soda ... MORE
Claiming citizenship will be enough. The U.S. Supreme Court threw out an Arizona law that required evidence of citizenship when people register to vote, in a victory for minority-rights advocates and the Obama administration. The justices, voting 7-2, said Arizona’s proof-of-citizenship law runs afoul of a federal statute that sets out ... MORE
Whose interests are immigration laws supposed to serve -- and whose interests do current immigration reform proposals actually serve? In order to have any immigration policy serve any purpose, the border must first be secured. Otherwise American immigration policy exists only on paper, and is mocked by what happens on the ... MORE
The rich are voting with their feet. California State Controller John Chiang has announced that total state revenue for the month of November 2012 fell $806.8 million, or 10.8%, below budget. Democrats thought they could hammer “the rich” by convincing voters to pass Proposition 30 to create the highest state income tax in the nation. But it now ... MORE
Public school is serving its purpose. A Pew Research post-election poll found that a majority of young voters who were 18-29 years of age preferred bigger government. According to the survey, 59% of young voters said “government should do more to solve problems” while only 37% felt “government is doing too many things better left to businesses ... MORE
Officially wins the vote 19,605 to 0. Republican presidential candidate Mitt Romney got no votes in 59
voting districts in the city of Philadelphia last week on Election Day. None. And the unofficial vote tallies have President Barack Obama beating
the former Massachusetts governor by a combined vote of 19,605 to 0, The
Philadelphia Inquirer reports. ... MORE
by Clarice Feldman. Tuesday's returns seem inexplicable. (a) Logic Took a Powder. Jeff Dobbs, a regular at Just One Minute, did some work and shows why the election results this week seem inexplicable and unpredictable: Fun with Exit Polls... 19% of voters who described their view as "abortion should be illegal in all cases" voted for Obama. 13% who described ... MORE
by Charles Hurt. All that for nothing. It was the billion-dollar election that did not decide one single damned thing. Republicans control the House. Democrats control the Senate. And the White House remains in Democratic hands with absolutely no mandate whatsoever. Another four years with no hope of change. In
this environment with this ... MORE
Let us count the reasons Mitt Romney will win. The tie in the polls goes to the challenger. Here’s why: Enthusiasm. It matters enormously, and it’s
disproportionately on the Republican side, in good measure because of an
intense desire to defeat President Obama. True, enthusiasm doesn’t
guarantee an edge in turnout, but it’s ... MORE
by E. Eduardo Castillo and Kristen Wyatt. A study released Wednesday by a respected Mexican think tank asserts
that proposals to legalize the recreational use of marijuana in
Colorado, Oregon and Washington could cut Mexican drug cartels' earnings
from traffic to the U.S. by as much as 30 percent. Opponents questioned some of ... MORE
Vote your conscience, don't waste it. Can you vote by not voting? In a presidential election year in which the critical issues have been how much personal behavior the federal government should regulate and how much private wealth it should transfer and consume, rather than whether it should do so, many folks who are fed up with what George W. Bush ... MORE