IRONY IS NOT DEAD: Dems Blast ‘Stupid Bill’ on Health Care.
Archive for 2017
May 5, 2017
NANCY PELOSI: ‘Thank God’ Founders Made Constitution ‘Amendable’ to ‘Expand Freedom’
This is the same Nancy Pelosi who led the House side of the Democratic effort to partially repeal the First Amendment.
FORGET IT, JAKE — IT’S CALIFORNIA: California seeks to tax rocket launches, which are already taxed.
The tax board is seeking public input from now until June 16, when it is expected to vote on the proposed tax. The federal government already has its own taxes for commercial space companies, and until now no other state has proposed taxing commercial spaceflight. In fact most other states, including places like Florida, Texas, and Georgia, offer launch providers tax incentives to move business into their areas.
Phil Larson, a former Obama White House official who now is assistant dean of the University of Colorado’s College of Engineering and Applied Science, told Ars that California is discriminating against rocket companies by doubly taxing them. He also noted that such a tax would impede California’s ability to launch climate satellites, which Governor Jerry Brown has said he would do if President Trump cuts the ability of federal scientists to study Earth’s climate.
At least they haven’t put a tax on thingy.
CHANGE: Trump eases ban on political activity by churches.
President Trump signed an executive order Thursday making it easier for churches and other religious groups to engage in politics without endangering their tax-exempt status.
Trump approved the measure in the Rose Garden at the White House surrounded by clergy and leaders of faith organizations during a National Day of Prayer event.
“Today my administration is leading by example as we take historic steps to protect religious liberty in the United States of America,” the president said. “We will not allow people of faith to be targeted, bullied or silenced anymore.”
The measure is designed to ease enforcement of a provision in the federal tax code known as the Johnson Amendment that bars religious institutions from endorsing or opposing political candidates and parties. It directs the IRS to “exercise maximum enforcement discretion” of the amendment, according to the White House.
Additionally, it orders regulatory relief for those who object to ObamaCare’s preventive service mandate on religious grounds.
So that’s a campaign promise kept.
Chinese rival to Boeing 737 and Airbus A320 takes to the air for the first time.
Yet western experts believe it won’t put much of a dent in the market share of the dominant U.S. and European players.
Launched nine years ago and now running three years late, the C919 jet won’t enter service until 2019 or 2020.
The Airbus neo is already in service and has won more than 5,000 orders. And the Boeing MAX, which is due to enter service later this month with Malaysian carrier Malindo Air, has just over 3,700 orders.
Boeing leaders have said for years that it’s the next generation of Chinese commercial jets after the C919 that will offer real competition, likely around 2030.
It may be even longer before anyone trusts Chinese engines.
GOOD MORNING: Start it right with Liz Sheld’s Morning Brief.
May 4, 2017
21ST CENTURY RELATIONSHIPS: A Terminally Ill Woman Is Helping Her Husband Find A New Partner.
MORE ON THE OBAMA ADMINISTRATION’S DOMESTIC ESPIONAGE: Intelligence Reports Raise Questions About Obama Administration Surveillance.
I AM ALTERING THE HOMEWORK ASSIGNMENT. PRAY I DON’T ALTER IT ANY FURTHER: School Evacuated after Kid Wears Darth Vader Costume to Class.
GALLERY: Todd Webb’s vintage NYC photos.
AT AMAZON, shop the Mother’s Day Gift Shop.
Plus, save on high-speed HDMI Cables.
FEROCITY WILL TAKE YOU A LONG WAY: Tennessee woman beats home invasion suspect with baseball bat.
WELL, THEY’RE NOT WRONG: 63% of men think women mainly wear makeup to trick people into thinking they’re attractive.
BEGUN, THE BEER WARS HAVE: Craft Beer Bars Cutting Off Wicked Weed, Other AB InBev-Owned Breweries.
Falling Rock Taphouse, Euclid Hall, the Crafty Fox, Walter’s 303 Pizzeria and Publik House and First Draft Taproom — all respected Denver craft beer bars — also said they will stop serving Wicked Weed and other AB-owned brands.
…
“We will not be purchasing any more Wicked Weed beers to be sold at Freshcraft,” says Jason Forgy, who owns Freshcraft with his two brothers. “We do have a few kegs that we have already purchased squirreled away that we will tap and sell however. This is a difficult decision for myself, my brothers and our management team. The people from Wicked Weed have been great to work with and we truly wish them the best. They also have made some pretty great beer and I would think that they will continue to do so.“We made the decision not to financially support AB InBev several years ago and this acquisition has not changed our position,” Forgy continues. “We believe that where the money that we spend when purchasing beer goes is important. We have and will continue to focus on supporting independent craft brewers.”
“AB does not need our money. We are happy for the founders of Wicked Weed, but will not support AB,” adds Drew Watson, co-owner of Hops & Pie, which will tap six remaining kegs of Wicked Weed, but none after that.
I’ll take my local brewpub over AB InBev any evening, but I suspect this move is more about posturing for their customers — with maybe also a little fear of InBev and/or jealousy of Wicked Weed’s founders for taking the Lear.
BUT TO BE FAIR, THERE’S A SURPLUS OF WOMEN’S STUDIES GRADS: NYT reports chronic national shortage of automotive mechanics. One of my friends was talking about this: His car dealer told him that he has a flood of people wanting to work in the office making $40K, but can’t get enough people willing to work in the shop making twice that.
HIGHER EDUCATION BUBBLE UPDATE: 350 Colleges Still Have Room For New Undergrads.
PANIC IN THE YEAR 2117! Stephen Hawking says humans must flee Earth within century.
It might be a bit premature to start packing, but the BBC’s Expedition New Earth will explore technological and scientific advances that will enable life in space or a colony on another planet, reports the Telegraph.
It will show “Hawking’s ambition isn’t as fantastical as it sounds—that science fact is closer to science fiction than we ever thought,” the BBC says, per Newsweek.
Elon Musk of SpaceX is already planning to send humans to Mars in the next decade. But while a Mars colony is a good idea, bringing new scientific discoveries, columnist Eric Mack says Hawking needs to give his head a shake if he honestly believes Mars, the moon, or anywhere else in our solar system will be more hospitable than Earth even after a host of disasters.
“Just cleaning up our own mess and starting over by rising from the rubble seems more practical” and more affordable than figuring out how to grow food or survive radiation poisoning on Mars, he writes at Forbes.
I suspect there’s quite a bit of life left in this old planet yet, but that doesn’t mean we need to stay here exclusively.
IT ISN’T A REPEAL: House approves Obamacare repeal bill.
Now, on to the Senate. Bridget Johnson has more on that.
WE LIVE IN AN ERA OF HORSEPOWER AND CHEAP, ABUNDANT GASOLINE: Here Are Ten of the Most Powerful Sedans You Can Buy Today: If you want a four-door with 600 hp or more, you’re spoiled for choice.