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July 2017

Posted by Leslie Eastman on July 05, 2017 20 Comments
Solar energy has been touted as the "greenest" and "safest" renewable energy option that is currently available. However, after 8 long years of solar energy businesses being promoted by the U.S. government, hard numbers and real work experiences are causing people to reassess just how "green" solar energy is. To begin with, it appears that solar panels create 300 times more toxic waste per unit of electricity generated than nuclear power plants:

Posted by Andrew Branca on July 05, 2017 50 Comments
“Stand-Your-Ground” was back in the headlines against over the just-concluded Independence Day weekend, thanks to a 14-page decision by Miami-Dade Circuit judge Milton Hirsch that recent legislative changes to Florida’s self-defense immunity law were unconstitutional, reports the Bradenton Herald newspaper and other sources. (That decision is embedded below.) Specifically, the recently signed law switched the burden of persuasion on pre-trial self-defense immunity from the defendant to the state, and changed the standard of evidence required from a preponderance of the evidence to one of clear and convincing evidence. (We wrote about these changes more extensively here: “Florida Changes Burden of Proof of Self-Defense Immunity.”)

Posted by Mary Chastain on July 05, 2017 4 Comments
A Politico/Morning Consult poll has found that the majority of voters support President Donald Trump's travel order. Politico reported:
Asked whether they support or oppose the State Department’s “new guidelines which say visa applicants from six predominately Muslim countries must prove a close family relationship with a U.S. resident in order to enter the country,” 60 percent of voters say they support the guidelines, and only 28 percent oppose them.

Posted by Vijeta Uniyal on July 05, 2017 10 Comments
Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi arrived in Israel yesterday for a 3-day tour of the Jewish State, the first ever by an Indian Premier. Following his red carpet welcome at the Ben Gurion Airport, Modi engaged in some serious bilateral diplomacy with the Israeli government. Both countries signed a series of agreements in the fields of agriculture, water, and space exploration. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu accompanied Modi to the Holocaust memorial Yad Vashem, located on the slopes of the Mount of Remembrance near Jerusale, where the Indian leader laid a wreath in the Hall of Remembrance in memory of over six million Jews killed in the Holocaust. Both leaders made an impromptu stop at the grave of Theodor Herzl, the founding father of modern Zionism. The visit has attracted enormous media and public interest in both the countries, with #ModiInIsrael became the leading hashtag on Twitter in both Israel and India.

Posted by Leslie Eastman on July 05, 2017 39 Comments
I have long joked about the negative feelings that Californians inspire among citizens in the remaining 49 states. However, new arrivals to Portland, Oregon were the victims of something more than a joke. Their home and auto were the target of a graffiti attack that told them to return to the Golden State.
A couple from California, who relocated to Portland 4 months ago, woke up Sunday to find their car and house vandalized.

Posted by Mark Finkelstein on July 05, 2017 57 Comments
Was the Godfather pleasantly surprised that someone saw the light after waking up with a horse head in his bed? Don't think so. But for some reason, CNN host Alisyn Camerota expressed surprise and delight that the guy who created the video of Donald Trump taking down someone with the CNN logo superimposed on his face has apologized — after CNN unmasked him and tracked him down.

Posted by Mike LaChance on July 05, 2017 75 Comments
Remember Joe the Plumber? Before the 2008 election, Joe asked Obama about his fiscal policies. Obama made himself look terrible by saying he believed in spreading the wealth around. In an obvious effort to take the heat off of Obama, the media attacked Joe the Plumber. Within hours, we knew Joe's real name and address. His tax history was even leaked to the press.

Posted by William A. Jacobson on July 04, 2017 24 Comments
A relative was going through some old family files today, and found a clipping of a letter to the editor in the local newspaper that appeared on December 12, 1974. He texted me a photo of it. The title was "Irony at UN?" It was written by me. I was 15 at the time.

Posted by Mary Chastain on July 04, 2017 18 Comments
Last week, the European Court of Human Rights caused international outrage when the judges decided to side with British courts to remove life support for 10-month-old Charlie Gard, refusing to allow his parents to take him to America for trial therapy, even though they raised more than $1 million for it. Gard suffers from a rare genetic condition, which has caused brain damage, and he cannot breathe on his own. The Vatican's Pontifical Academy for Life also decided to side with the UK courts instead of taking a stand for Gard's life. After immense criticism, Pope Francis released a statement urging Gard's parents to do everything they can to save their child's life.

Posted by Mike LaChance on July 04, 2017 76 Comments
When Donald Trump won the election last fall, many people wondered if Obama would be as courteous as his predecessor George W. Bush. Would Obama be able to fade into the background and stay out of policy debates? Now we know the answer is no. The spotlight is simply too alluring for Obama, who revels in attention. He is even mirroring Trump's actions in some ways.

Posted by Mary Chastain on July 04, 2017 14 Comments
The Illinois Senate has just approved the massive income tax hike, two days after the House approved it. This bill will permanently raise the income tax 32% from 3.75% to a little under 5%. It also raises the corporate tax rate from 5% to 7%. Republican Governor Bruce Rauner vetoed the bill this afternoon. The Senate voted to override Rauner's veto 36-18. Now the bills go back to the House, which will vote tomorrow.
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