The Supreme Court’s current term is already sure to be an big one for environmental law. Two major Clean Air Act cases, Massachusetts v. EPA and Environmental Defense v. Duke Energy, should yield important environmental decisions and more may be on the way. As Marty Lederman details on SCOTUSBlog, the Solicitor General has recently filed […]
Author Archive | Jonathan H. Adler
Murphy Rehearing:
The U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit has granted the petition for rehearing in Murphy v. IRS. In Murphy, a unanimous three-judge panel held unconstitutional a provision of the Internal Revenue Code that taxed as income, compensation for personal injuries unrelated to lost wages or earnings. Note, this is not an En banc […]
Science Fiction As Literature:
A well-crafted sci-fi book can be a fun read, but are there many modern science fiction works that would qualify as “literature”? Any science fiction books that would qualify as literary masterpieces?
Does Pork Still Buy Protection?
One benefit of political incumbency has been the ability to dispense goodies to one’s constituents. For years, members of Congress larded up appropriations bills with pork barrel projects to curry favor back home. This was the rule during decades of Democratic control of Congress, and when Republicans took over, they did the Dems one better. […]
Sixth finds Standing to Challenge Recusal Rule:
This morning the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit held in Fieger v. Ferry that infamous Michigan trial lawyer Geoffrey Fieger has standing to challenge the constitutionality of the Michigan Supreme Court’s recusal rule, and that his challenge is not barred by the Rooker-Feldman doctrine. To the extent that Fieger challenges the constitutionality […]
“Able Danger” Put to Bed:
The Senate Intelligence Committee’s investigation concluded that the “Able Danger” allegations that military anlysts identified the 9-11 hijackers before September 11, the LA Times reports. “Able Danger did not identify Mohammed Atta or any other 9/11 hijacker at any time prior to Sept. 11, 2001,” the committee determined, according to an eight-page letter sent last […]
Sunday Song Lyric:
Somehow, I’d managed to go 37 years without ever hearing the holiday classic, “I Want a Hippopotamus for Christmas.” Written by John Rox, and first recorded by Gayla Peevey in 1953. It is clever and cute, especially when sung by young children (or Redheadlaw7). Here’s a taste of the lyrics: I want a hippopotamus for […]
Court Voids EPA NAAQS Rule:
On Friday, a unanimous three-judge panel of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit invalidated the Environmental Protection Agency’s rules implementing the new 8-hour National Ambient Air Quality Standard (NAAQS) for ozone (aka “smog”). The EPA adopted the 8-hour ozone NAAQS under the Clinton Administration. The controversial standard, upheld by the Supreme Court […]
Was Your Old Team Better?
Some friends and I used to debate which college basketball programs produced the best professional basketball players. The typical argument would center on which school’s active almni would produce the best current NBA team. we found this interesting because some caoches and programs have clearly been better, over time, at producing wining college teams than […]
So Long, Southern Appeal:
Stephen “Feddie” Dillard closes up shop at SA.
Bailey on Rifkin on Cities:
Ronald Bailey was not too impressed with the Rifkin op-ed on urbanization and the environment. As humanity has urbanized, we have become ever less subject to nature’s vagaries. For instance, a globally interconnected world made possible by the transportation networks between cities means that a crop failure in one place can be overcome by food […]
Off to the “Third World”:
We’re off to Miami to visit family. We should need passports for the trip, according to nativist congressman Tom Tancredo, as he believes Miami is a “Third World country.” (I suppose he’s writing off the southern Florida vote for his presidential run.) Contra Tancredo, I find Miami to be wonderfully diverse and cosmopolitan. It’s an […]
Sandy Burglar OIG Report:
The Inspector’s General report on Sandy Berger’s theft of classified documents is available on-line here. One does not need to believe that Berger was part of some sort of conspiracy to believe his actions, as described therein, were serious breaches of the public trust.
Melo Won’t Appeal Suspension:
Carmelo Anthony has decided not to appeal his 15 game suspension for his role in the Nuggets-Knicks melee last weekend. According to his attorney, Anthony believes the appeal would be a “distraction.” “It’s Melo’s wish to just keep the focus on basketball,” [attorney Bill] Duffy told ESPN.com. “In his words, he’s just going to take […]
“Why They Deny the Holocaust”:
Via Concurring Opinions, a disturbing op-ed explaining why Holocaust denial finds so much of the Islamic world to be fertile ground: Western leaders today who say they are shocked by Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad’s conference this week denying the Holocaust need to wake up to that reality. For the majority of Muslims in the world, […]