A new report finds that some female sharks can reproduce asexually.
Author Archive | Jonathan H. Adler
The Case Against An International Environmental Court
Should there be an international environmental court, on par with the International Criminal Court? Rona Koifman thinks not.
Administration Seeks TSCA Reform
The Associated Press reports the Obama Administration would like Congress to revise the Toxic Substances Control Act. Environmental Protection Agency Administrator Lisa Jackson called the 32-year-old statute governing toxic substances a flawed tool for protecting the public from the more than 80,000 chemicals that are on the market. Those chemicals, which do not include pesticides […]
Anti-Vick Shirt Barred from Eagles Stadium
The Philadelphia Eagles have decided to forgive quarterback Michael Vick for his crimes. It appears Eagles’ fans must appear to as well — at least if they want to get into Lincoln Financial Field. Security guards forced a fan to turn an anti-Vick shirt inside out if she wanted in to see the game. Kori […]
Honey, I Shrunk the Docket!
What explains the Supreme Court’s shrunken docket? Adam Liptak reports on various theories to explain why the Supreme Court takes fewer cases, including increased participation in the “cert pool” and a decline in cert petitions filed by the Solicitor General. Liptak also highlights research by University of Minnesota law professor David Stras focusing on the […]
Wittes on Obama’s Detention Policy:
Benjamin Wittes is not happy with President Obama’s approach to detention and Guantanamo Bay. President Obama’s decision not to go to Congress for help in establishing reasonable standards for the continued detention of Guantanamo detainees is a failure of leadership in the project of putting American law on a sound basis for a long-term confrontation […]
The Roberts Court’s Hidden “Heart of Darkness”
Dahlia Lithwick is dismayed. Writing in Slate and Newsweek she laments that the Supreme Court is “completely misunderstood by the American public.” A majority of Americans approve of the Court’s performance in recent polls, she reports, and half of Americans think the Court is neither too liberal nor too conservative. So clearly the public does […]
Sunday Song Lyric:
The VC may have a new blog platform, but I thought it was a good day for a classic song lyric. David Bowie is among my favorite artists and songwriters of all time, and “The Man Who Sold the World” is among my favorite Bowie songs, even if the original studio version is a bit […]
“CRS Report” on Honduras “Coup”:
Thanks to a helpful reader, I’ve now located a copy of the CRS report on recent events in Honduras I mentioned here. The report, which was actually prepared by a different part of the Library of Congress and not CRS, the Law Library of Congress, the division of the Library of Congress responsible for reports […]
Revising Web-based Newspaper Articles Without Informing Readers:
On Wednesday, I wrote a brief post on ACORN’s lawsuit against those who made and distributed the now-infamous undercover videotapes of ACORN staff. In the post, I linked to a Washington Post story on the suit. Today, however, I learned that the story at that link is no longer the same as when I made […]
Read the Bill — A Reply to Eric:
I have read with dismay Eric’s defense of the expectation that legislators should not read legislation upon which they will vote. I am dismayed because I think has adopted a caricature of the “Read the Bill” position, and because his post reflects an unrealistic account of how legislatures work that is contrary to my experience […]
Debating the Constitutionality of an Individual Mandate:
Apropos the recent discussion on this site, the Federalist Society is hosting a debate between David Rivkin and Jonathan Turley on the constitutionality of an individual mandate in Washington, D.C. tomorrow. Details here.
ACORN Sues Muckrakers and News Site:
Politoc reports that ACORN has filed suit in Maryland against the two young film makers who recorded their visits to ACORN offices disguised as a pimp and prostitute seeking tax and other assistance. ACORN’s suit also extends to the internet news site, Breitbart.com. The complaint is here. More from the Washington Post here.
Read the Bill – A Response to Orin:
I won’t speak for David, but as I’ve also blogged in support of the idea that legislators have an obligation to read legislation before they vote on it, I’ll answer Orin’s questions. 1. I believe no legislator should vote in favor of substantive legislation that he or she has not read or does not understand. […]
CRS on the Honduras “Coup”:
The WSJ‘s Mary Anastasia O’Grady cites a new report by the Congressional Research Service on recent events in Honduras: a report filed at the Library of Congress by the Congressional Research Service (CRS) provides what the administration has not offered, a serious legal review of the facts. “Available sources indicate that the judicial and legislative […]