The San Francisco Chronicle reports that two attorneys for former Gitmo detainee Binyam Mohamed face sanction for sending a letter to President Obama asking seeking government disclosure of information related to Mohamed’s treatment. Mohamed claims he was subject to extraordinary rendition that resulted in torture, but government information to substantiate this claim is classified. In […]
Author Archive | Jonathan H. Adler
More on the Myth of “Green Jobs”:
Speaking of “green jobs,” my former colleague Andrew Morriss has co-authored a paper with Roger Meiners, Andrew Dorchak, and William Bogart debunking basic “green jobs” claims. The full study, “Green Jobs Myths” is on SSRN. Here’s the abstract: A rapidly growing literature promises that a massive program of government mandates, subsidies, and forced technological interventions […]
Newsweek Previews Debate Over Koh:
Newsweek features an essay by Stuart Taylor and Evan Thomas previewing the debate over the nomination of Harold Koh to the State Department and the broader question of the proper use of foreign and international law in U.S. courts. As the article notes, Koh is a highly regarded academic, at the top of his field. […]
Bradley & Goldsmith on Alien Tort Statute Apartheid Litigation:
Curtis Bradley and Jack Goldsmith have an op-ed in today’s Washington Post decrying a federal court’s refusal to dismiss Alien Tort Claims Act suits against several American corporations for allegedly aiding and abetting the crimes of South Africa’s apartheid regime. Their article begins: As American taxpayers shell out hundreds of billions of dollars to bail […]
U.S. to Boycott U.N. “Racism” Conference:
A promising development: The Obama administration will boycott “with regret” a U.N. conference on racism next week over objectionable language in the meeting’s final document that could single out Israel for criticism and restrict free speech, the State Department said Saturday. . . . The administration had wanted to attend the April 20-25 meeting in […]
No Appeal of Concealed Carry in Parks Decision:
The Obama Administration has decided not to appeal a federal court decision striking down an Interior Department rule allowing concealed carry in National Parks. A federal district court had voided the rule due to the government’s failure to conduct an environmental impact statement, or even an environmental assessment, before adopting the rule. According to the […]
Sunday Song Lyric:
What can one say about Lily Allen? The first single off of her latest album, “The Fear,” is wry and fun (and has its own video game). I want to be rich and I want lots of money I don’t care about clever I don’t care about funny I want loads of clothes and fuckloads […]
Minicars Offer Minimum Safety:
Some believe that smaller, more fuel-efficient vehicles are a key component of any sensible climate policy. But smaller cars, all else equal, tend to be less safe cars. Indeed, a recent report on much ballyhooed “minicars” finds that they are less crashworthy than normal sized vehicles. The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) reported that […]
EPA Issues Endangerment and Contribution Findings:
Yesterday, as expected, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency issued a proposed finding that emissions of six greenhouse gases, including carbon dioxide, pose a threat to public health and welfare due to their contribution to global warming. The EPA further found that the emission of such gases from motor vehicles contribute to dangerous concentrations in the […]
Torture Memos Could Spur More Revelations:
The NYT reports: the new revelations are fueling calls by lawmakers for an extensive inquiry into controversial Bush administration programs, and Mr. Obama now faces a challenge making good on his promise to protect from legal jeopardy those intelligence operatives who acted within Justice Department interrogation guidelines. Some members of Congress and human rights lawyers […]
Justice Stevens Rules for Edward de Vere:
The WSJ reports Justice John Paul Stevens believes that some/all of the work attributed to William Shakespeare were actually written by Edward de Vere, the 17th Earl of Oxford. Justice Stevens, who dropped out of graduate study in English to join the Navy in 1941, is an Oxfordian — that is, he believes the works […]
EPA’s Endangerment Finding:
Word is that the White House has given the go ahead for the Environmental Protection Agency to make a formal finding that the emission of greenhouse gases may be reasonably anticipated to harm public health and welfare, perhaps as early as tomorrow. This finding is the trigger for the regulation of greenhouse gases under the […]
Renewable Energy v. Wildlife
Environmental activists and alternative energy enthusiasts continue to discover that there’s no such thing as “green” energy — if by that we mean significant sources of energy free of significant environmental impacts. Renewable-energy development, which the Obama administration has made a priority, is posing conflicts between economic interests and environmental concerns, not entirely unlike the […]
Obama Orders Release of “Torture Memos”:
President Obama has decided to release OLC “torture memos” drafted between 2002 and 2005. In his statement (reproduced here), he cited “exceptional circumstances” justifying the memos’ release (reportedly over the objection of some intelligence officials). He also said that those who relied upon the memos “in good faith” would not be prosecuted for their actions. […]
Illegal NSA Wiretaps:
The NYT reports that “in recent months” the National Security Agency has engaged in surveillance beyond what is allowed under federal law. A few excerpts from the story: Several intelligence officials, as well as lawyers briefed about the matter, said the N.S.A. had been engaged in