The Washington Post is reporting that a federal judge has denied the Obama Administration’s motion to dismiss Virginia’s constitutional challenge to the recently enacted health care reform law. UPDATE: Thanks to Dave Hoffman at Concurring Opinions, here’s the district court opinion. It concludes: While this case raises a host of complex constitutional issues, all seem […]
Author Archive | Jonathan H. Adler
Plagiarism 2.0
The NYT has an interesting article on the apparent increase in plagiarism by college students. Why is this happening? One explanation the story offers is that “many students simply do not grasp that using words they did not write is a serious misdeed.” And this, in turn, is the fault of the Internet: It is […]
Why It’s Embarrassing to Be a “Conservative”
Professor Bainbridge lists “ten things that make this conservative embarrassed by the modern conservative movement.” I’m not as enamored with David Klinghoffer’s lament (see also here), nor would I equate Hugh Hewitt with Michael Savage, but I largely agree. UPDATE: Of course it ain’t so hot to be a liberal either. SECOND UPDATE: Patterico counters […]
Court Under Roberts Is Most Restrained in Decades
Last Sunday, the NYT published a lengthy article by Adam Liptak, titled “Court Under Roberts Is Most Conservative in Decades,” arguing that the Supreme Court, under Chief Justice Roberts, has become “the most conservative one in living memory.” I was in Yellowstone National Park at the time, and did not have the opportunity to comment. […]
Philipson and Posner on the Causes of Obesity
The University of Chicago’s Tomas Philipson and Judge Richard Posner had an interesting op-ed in yesterday’s WSJ on the economic and technological factors that have led to high rates of obesity in the U.S. A taste: The rise in obesity is attributable primarily to changes in the price of consuming, and the cost of expending, […]
Sunday Song Lyric
“Him’s now a real boy!” So exclaimed Madeline Joyce with wonder and excitement at the conclusion of Disney’s Pinocchio yesterday. The movie may have been made 70 years ago, but it still has the ability to capture the imagination of a 2-and-a-half-year-old girl. It’s nice to know the frenetic displays that pass for children’s programming […]
One Democrat to Oppose Kagan
Senator Ben Nelson (D-NE) has announced he will vote against confirmation of Elena Kagan to the Supreme Court. He is the first Democrat to come out against her. Nelson’s decision marks the first time a Democrat has crossed Obama over a Supreme Court nominee. The president’s first pick for the high court, Justice Sonia Sotomayor, […]
EPA Rejects Reconsideration of Endangerment Finding
Yesterday, the Environmental Protection Agency denied ten petitions seeking reconsideration of its December 2009 finding that emissions of greenhouse gases cause or contribute to air pollution that can be reasonably anticipated to endanger human health or welfare. (Hat tip: Legal Planet) This so-called “endangerment finding” is the trigger for the regulation of greenhouse gases under […]
How Bad Is the BP Spill?
Time has an interesting article by Michael Grunwald suggesting that the environmental effects of the BP spill have been exaggerated. The Deepwater explosion was an awful tragedy for the 11 workers who died on the rig, and it’s no leak; it’s the biggest oil spill in U.S. history. It’s also inflicting serious economic and psychological […]
More Thoughts on the AZ Immigration Ruling
A few more thoughts on Judge Bolton’s ruling in the Arizona immigration case. As noted below, on Wednesday Judge Bolton issued a preliminary injunction blocking several key provisions of Arizona’s law from taking effect on the grounds that the federal government is likely to succeed in arguing that some of its provisions (but not others) […]
Judge Enjoins Most of AZ Immigration Law
This morning, U.S. District Court Judge Susan Bolton issued a preliminary injunction blocking key provisions of Arizona’s immigration law from taking effect on the grounds that these provisions are likely to be preempted by federal law. The Arizona Republic reports: Key parts of Senate Bill 1070 that will not go into effect Thursday: • The […]
Monday Bear Blogging
Ellen (9) and Madeline (2) saw their first wild bear today: a Cinnamon black bear south of Mammoth Hot Springs in Yellowstone National Park. Appropriately enough, it’s a Monday, the day for bear blogging. The picture is below.
Warren for CFPA?
President Obama is reportedly considering whether to nominate Harvard law professor Elizabeth Warren to head the new Consumer Financial Protection Agency created by the new financial regulatory reform bill. Treasury Secretary Tim Geithner is reportedly opposed, and some Senate Democrats wonder whether she could be successfully confirmed. UT’s Sandy Levinson thinks this decision is an […]
Are Asian Carp a “Public Nuisance”?
Five states filed suit against the federal government and Chicago yesterday, alleging that the U.S Army Corps of Engineers and Metropolitan Water Reclamation District of Greater Chicago have created a “public nuisance” through the maintenance of water infrastructure (locks, intakes, etc.) that could enable the Asian carp to enter the Great Lakes (if they have […]
Polling Justice Kagan
The Senate Judiciary Committee is scheduled to vote on Elena Kagan’s nomination to the Supreme Court this week. Barring a truly shocking development, the Senate will vote to confirm her later this summer. Gallup reports that Americans support her confirmation 44 percent to 34 percent. That a plurality of Americans supports her confirmation should not […]