Obama's judicial nominees being pushed through the Senate at fast clip

From Politico:

The Senate barely does anything these days — except approve judges that could shape the law for a generation. 

Since Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.) changed Senate rules in November to ease the approval of most of President Barack Obama’s nominees, Democrats have churned through confirmations of dozens of new judges — giving them lifetime appointments that will extend the administration’s influence for years to come. Over a roughly equivalent period during the 113th Congress, the Senate confirmed 36 district and circuit court judges before the rules change and 68 after, according to Senate statistics. 

Republicans have fought Democrats at every step, using their remaining procedural tools to stymie quick approval of judges and many executive branch nominees whose sway over regulations are magnified by today’s congressional stalemate. But the days of epic confirmation fights are over now because all nominees — save for those to the Supreme Court — need only a bare majority for approval after Democrats used the unilateral “nuclear option” to change the rules. . . .

Of course, the comparison of 36 to 68 is quite misleading as it takes a while at the beginning of every Congress to get the judicial nomination process up to speed.

UPDATE: The WSJ has this discussion on court packing.

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Another broken promise by Obama: immigration

From Politico:

Obama hinted during a press conference Thursday that he may not act by the end of summer, a deadline he set in June when he turned from a legislative strategy to an administrative one. At the White House briefing Friday, press secretary Josh Earnest also declined to say that Obama would make a move soon. . . .

The deadline was a political one and he broke it for political reasons. 

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The problem with US corporate income taxes isn't just that we have the highest rates in the world, but that we make American companies pay that high rate on money that they earn in other countries

From Megan McArdle at Bloomberg View:

If you're writing about inversions, and you don't prominently mention global taxation in the first few paragraphs, then your article is not serious and anyone with even a smidgen of actual interest in the issue should stop reading. . . . 

The purpose of an inversion has never been, and never could be, and never will be, "ooh, Canada has a 15 percent tax rate, and the U.S. has a 35 percent tax rate, so we can save 20 points of taxes on all our income by moving." Instead the main purpose is always: "If we're incorporated in the U.S., we'll pay 35 percent taxes on our income in the U.S. and Canada and Mexico and Ireland and Bermuda and the Cayman Islands, but if we're incorporated in Canada, we'll pay 35 percent on our income in the U.S. but 15 percent in Canada and 30 percent in Mexico and 12.5 percent in Ireland and zero percent in Bermuda and zero percent in the Cayman Islands." . . .

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Why Google's self-driving car is not ready for prime time, and may not be for a while

MIT Technological Review has a pretty devastating discussion on the problems that the Google car team has yet to solve.

Weather: "Among other unsolved problems, Google has yet to drive in snow, and Urmson says safety concerns preclude testing during heavy rains."

Road obstacles: "The car’s sensors can’t tell if a road obstacle is a rock or a crumpled piece of paper, so the car will try to drive around either. Urmson also says the car can’t detect potholes or spot an uncovered manhole if it isn’t coned off."

Unmapped areas: "Google says that its cars can identify almost all unmapped stop signs, and would remain safe if they miss a sign because the vehicles are always looking out for traffic, pedestrians and other obstacles.Alberto Broggi, a professor studying autonomous driving at Italy’s Università di Parma, says he worries about how a map-dependent system like Google’s will respond if a route has seen changes. . . .  Urmson said his team is still working to prevent them from being blinded when the sun is directly behind a light."

Construction: "Despite progress handling road crews, “I could construct a construction zone that could befuddle the car,” Urmson says."

Pedestrians: "Pedestrians are detected simply as moving, column-shaped blurs of pixels—meaning, Urmson agrees, that the car wouldn’t be able to spot a police officer at the side of the road frantically waving for traffic to stop."

Google is talking about solving these problems within five years, but many don't believe these problems will be solved anytime soon: "But researchers say the unsolved problems will become increasingly difficult. For example, John Leonard, an MIT expert on autonomous driving, says he wonders about scenarios that may be beyond the capabilities of current sensors, such as making a left turn into a high-speed stream of oncoming traffic."

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Your tax dollars at work: US Forest Service spends money telling us how to roast marshmallows and what we should be eating on those camping trips

Can't people look up on the internet how to roast marshmallows?  Yes, they can.  Indeed, posts exist that even have pictures to show you how to do it.  In case you didn't know it, you can find out how to roast marshmallows over a candle or a toaster oven or a regular oven.  But in case all the many posts aren't enough for you or you can't find enough information on what we should be eating, the Obama administration has decided it should spend our tax dollars on writing up things such as this:

Now, let’s get to the marshmallow basics. Use a roasting stick of at least 30 inches in length. The degree a marshmallow is roasted runs the gamut, from the barely cooked, light caramel-colored outer layer to the flaming marshmallow that contains a gooey interior wrapped by a crispy, blackened shell. From there, most people graduate to s’mores and rarely move on. 

But there are some innovative ways to roast the little white treats that can help cut down on the amount of sugar intake by the kids, thus making bedtime a little more doable.
Think fruit. 

Even if the kids – including us older ones – insist on more traditional s’mores, there are some healthy tricks. Grill thin slices of pineapple and substitute chocolate for the sweet, warm fruit. You will still get a tasty treat but by substituting with fruit, it is healthier – as long as you watch the amount of marshmallows used. If you want to cut down even more on calories, try using slices of angel food cake instead of graham crackers. 

You can also get a little inventive and move away from s’mores. 

Grab a small bag of chocolate or peanut butter chips – or a combination of the two. Take a banana and slice one side open, exposing the fruit but leaving the peel intact. Slice the banana, add a few chocolate chips then top with tiny marshmallows. Or substitute the chips for blueberries from the local farmer’s market. Place the banana in aluminum foil and wrap tightly. Place the foil-wrapped fruit next to but not on the flames. Wait five to 10 minutes or enough time for the chips and marshmallows to melt. Open and enjoy with a spoon. . . .

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Obama ready to go it alone on UN climate change treaty, ignoring the US Senate and ratification

With one title in the New York Times pointing out "Democrats see winning issue in Carbon Plan," it isn't too surprised the Obama administration is just going to ignore the Democrat controlled Senate.  Apparently a UN agreement is being planned for next year (a non-election year) from the Obama administration.  From the New York Times:

The Obama administration is working to forge a sweeping international climate change agreement to compel nations to cut their planet-warming fossil fuel emissions, but without ratification from Congress. . . . 

To sidestep that requirement, President Obama’s climate negotiators are devising what they call a “politically binding” deal that would “name and shame” countries into cutting their emissions. The deal is likely to face strong objections from Republicans on Capitol Hill and from poor countries around the world, but negotiators say it may be the only realistic path. 

“If you want a deal that includes all the major emitters, including the U.S., you cannot realistically pursue a legally binding treaty at this time,” said Paul Bledsoe, a top climate change official in the Clinton administration who works closely with the Obama White House on international climate change policy. . . .

“Unfortunately, this would be just another of many examples of the Obama administration’s tendency to abide by laws that it likes and to disregard laws it doesn’t like — and to ignore the elected representatives of the people when they don’t agree,” Senator Mitch McConnell . . . . 

There is a little irony in the NY Times piece:

The Obama administration’s climate change negotiators are desperate to avoid repeating the failure of Kyoto, the United Nations’ first effort at a legally binding global climate change treaty. Nations around the world signed on to the deal, which would have required the world’s richest economies to cut their carbon emissions, but the Senate refused to ratify the treaty, ensuring that the world’s largest historic carbon polluter was not bound by the agreement. . . .

What isn't mentioned is that even without the Kyoto agreement the US is one country that has actually seen a significant drop in carbon emissions.

Even some Democrats are having a tough time with Obama push:

"Whether it’s the regulatory overreaches that would shut coal out of our energy mix, or this latest end-run around Congress on climate change, these actions cannot stand, and I will work with my colleagues on both sides of the aisle to do everything we can to stop them."

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Update on state waiting periods. Judicial decision in California provides a useful summary of waiting period laws.

The court's decision in SILVESTER v. Harris has 

ten states and the District of Columbia impose a waiting period between the time of purchase and the time of delivery of a firearm.  Three states and the District of Columbiahave waiting period laws for the purchase of all firearms: California (10 days), District of Columbia (10 days), Illinois (3 days for pistols, 1 day for long guns), and Rhode Island (7 days).  Four states have waiting periods for hand guns:  Florida (3 days), Hawaii (14 days), Washington (up to 5 days from the time of purchase for the sheriff to complete a background check), and Wisconsin (2 days). Connecticut has a waiting period for long guns that is tied to an authorization to purchase from the Department of Emergency Services and Public Protection. Minnesota and Maryland havea waiting period for the purchase of handguns and assault rifles (7 days). There is no federal waiting period law.  See18 U.S.C. § 922(s) (Brady Act‟s 5-day waiting period expired in 1998).

For California, the history of waiting periods is given as such:

In 1923, the California Legislature created awaiting periodfor handguns,wherebyno handgun, pistol, or other concealable firearm could be delivered to its purchaser on the day of purchase. . . . 

In 1953, the 1923 handgun waiting-period law was codified into the California Penal Code with no substantive changes. . . .   One California court has cited legislative hearing testimony from 1964 in which witnesses testified that this 1953 law was “originally enacted to cool people off,” but that this law was “not enforced with regard to individual transfers through magazine sales nor at swap meets.”  . . . . 

In 1955, the California Legislature extended the handgun waiting period from 1 day to 3 days. . . . No legislative history has been cited that addresses why the waiting period was extended from 1 to 3 days.   

In 1965, the California Legislature extended the handgun waiting period from 3 days to 5 days.  . . . The legislative history indicates that the Legislature extended thewaiting period from 3 days to 5 days in 1965 because the 3-day waiting period did not provide Cal. DOJ sufficient time to conduct proper background checks on prospective concealable firearms purchasers, before delivery of the firearms to the purchasers.   . . . 

Additionally, a report from the 1975-1976 session of the Senate Judiciary Committee indicates that the “purpose of the 5-day provision is to permit the law enforcement authorities to investigate the purchaser's record, before he actually acquires the firearm, to determine whether he falls within the class of persons prohibited from possessing concealed firearms.”  . . .  No legislative history relating to the 1965 law has been cited that relates to a “cooling off” period. 

In 1975, theCalifornia Legislature extended thehandgun waiting period from 5 days to 15 days. . . .  The legislative history indicates that the California Legislature extended the waiting period from 5 days to 15 days in order to “[g]ive law enforcement authorities sufficient time to investigate the records of purchasers of handguns prior to delivery of the handguns." 

In 1991, the California Legislature expanded the waiting period to cover all firearms. . . . In 1996, theCalifornia Legislature reduced thewaiting period from 15 days to 10 days. . . .

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Pennsylvania school districts keeping substitute teacher hours under 30 because of Obamacare

This is one of the rules that was supposed to go into effect this last January.  As we get closer to January 1st, more and more people are going to be forced back to less than 30 hours of work a week. As one teacher points out in this news story on WTAJ (CBS TV in Altoona, PA), what happens when the primary teacher is sick for a week?  The students can't even have the same substitute for the same week.

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Scary: Harvard Prof. Charles Ogletee just makes things up about the Ferguson case

Professor Charles Ogletree's statements about what happened in Ferguson even seems to make Chris Matthews uncomfortable.  The strong certainty by which he claims that Michael Brown was shot in the back and that he had his hands up and was trying to surrender is surprising.  It is concerning that a professor at Harvard Law School

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Soros, Bloomberg, Steyer, and other billionaires make huge donations to Democrats to help out with Senate and House elections

It is interesting to see Senator Harry Reid complain about wealthy individuals helping out Republicans when it appears as if Democrats are getting more donations from billionaires than are Republicans.  Harry Reid should know as these donations are also going to Harry Reid's own Senate Majority PAC.  From Politifact:

We cross-checked the Open Secrets list of the top 100 individuals donating to outside spending groups in the current election against the Forbes list of the world’s billionaires and found that, as of June 19, there were 22 individuals on the Open Secrets list who were billionaires. Of those 22 billionaires, 13 -- or more than half -- gave predominantly to liberal groups or groups affiliated with the Democratic Party. The other nine gave predominantly to conservative groups. (A list of billionaires and how much they donated can be found here.) . . .

From Politico: 

STEYER: Climate-change activist Tom Steyer gave the biggest super PAC donation in this month's reports: $7.5 million to his own group, NextGen Climate. Steyer, who made his fortune as a successful hedge-fund manager, also spread some of that money around. NextGen gave a half-million dollars to Senate Majority PAC, the biggest Senate Democratic super PAC, and $150,000 to the League of Conservation Voters Victory Fund, another environmental group. 

BLOOMBERG: Michael Bloomberg is staying plenty active in his post-mayoral days. Aside from funding his gun-control-focused super PAC, Bloomberg has written checks to Senate Majority PAC and super PACs that backed GOP Sens. Thad Cochran and Lindsey Graham during their primary battles. Most recently, the former New York City mayor donated $2 million to Women Vote!—the largest contribution the EMILY's List super PAC has ever received. Only Steyer has given more money to super PACs this election season. 

SOROS: Democratic financier George Soros's checkbook has been active this summer: The prolific donor gave $500,000 apiece to House Majority PAC and the League of Conservation Voters Victory Fund. But that million dollars wasn't his family's only big outlay so far this summer. Soros's daughter, Andrea Soros Colombel, gave $250,000 to Planned Parenthood Votes. . . .

Information on six other billionaires is available here.  The list leaves out Tom Steyer's brother, Jim.

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Georgia dad files lawsuit to allow him to carry gun when visiting his daughter's school

Georgia's current law about schools and gun-free zones seems pretty clear, but there was sufficient ambiguity that a court decision is necessary to clear things up.  Well, it looks like that such a legal challenge might be at hand.  From Fox News:

A Georgia father has filed a lawsuit after he says the principal at his daughter’s elementary school told him he was not allowed to bring his gun on school grounds. 

MyFoxAtlanta.com reported Friday that the lawsuit claims that the principal told Hugh Myers that he could not bring his gun onto the campus of Beulah Elementary School other than when he is dropping off or picking up his daughter. The principal allegedly threatened to have him arrested if he did so. 

Myers’ attorney John Monroe is arguing that Myers is allowed to bring his gun under a new Georgia law that took effect last month, according to MyFoxAtlanta.com. . . .

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Four new nutty examples of political correctness and the school year is just getting started

-- Student punished and thrown out of class for saying "bless you" to a fellow classmate who sneezed.
-- Boy Arrested and suspended for a week for writing a fictional story about shooting a dinosaur in school project.
-- Cookies served for 40-years in Elyria, Ohio banned from public schools by federal government because "It has too many calories."

-- Now something from a college:  University of Mary Washington's student newspaper has been called "The Bullet" since 1922, but political correctness has caused them to change the name to "The Blue & Gray."

“The editorial board felt that the paper’s name, which alludes to ammunition for an artillery weapon, propagated violence and did not honor our school’s history in a sensitive manner,” the release said. “The board intends to remain faithful to the history our university stands upon, and we continue to honor this history both in a respectful and meaningful way.”

Bullet "alludes to ammunition for artillery weapon"?  Seriously?  Well, there is no violence associated with the Civil War, right? For those University of Mary Washington alumni or others who are disappointed with the decision (it won't be official until sometime this coming week), you can let the school president know your feelings by clicking on the link here.

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How to put an end to joy rides by parking valets: "New Corvette will record every move a valet driver makes"

This is one tempting car to drive.  But valets aren't going to be taking any joy rides with these Corvettes.  From the LA Times:

Attention valet drivers: Don’t get frisky with the 2015 Chevrolet Corvette -- big brother is watching. 

General Motors is offering next year’s model of the famous sport coupe with a data recorder that captures video, audio and driving data from the vehicle when switched into a special “Valet Mode.” 

The Vette’s owner can come back from dinner and check out if the valet was testing the sports car’s 3.8 second zero to 60 mph time. The car will have recorded data such as speed, engine RPM, which gears have been used and the highest level of g-force incurred on that joy ride to the parking garage. . . . 

A video of driving hanky panky will be captured by a high-definition camera, which records the driver’s point-of-view through the windshield. Audio of any other hanky panky will be caught by a microphone in the cabin. It all can be viewed or heard instantly on the Corvette’s 8-inch color touchscreen when the car is parked, or downloaded to a computer. . . .

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The new Democrat US Senate candidate looks to be pretty anti-gun, especially for Montana

This Republican ad using Amanda Curtis' own words seems to be pretty damning (more of her videos are available here).  Did the Democratic nominating committee actually look into this candidate before they nominated her?  I guess the question is whether she will drag down other Democrats who are running for office in Montana.

Here is some more information on her.

[Montana Shooting Sports Association] tracked 24 gun-related votes cast by Curtis in the Montana House last session.  Curtis voted anti-gun on 23 of 24 opportunities.  For that, she scored a miserable 2.6%.  A 59% score would have earned her an "F" on gun issues.  She is well below F-, if there is such a thing.

Curtis  voted:
NO on a bill to encourage manufacturers to move to Montana and create new jobs if those manufacturers make firearms (HR5).
NO on two bills to protect hunters' hearing by allowing sound reduction for hunting (HB205 & HB27).
NO on a bill to prohibit the university system from suspending the Montana Constitution (HB240).
NO on a bill to allow investigators working for public defenders to carry firearms for self defense (SB133).
NO on a bill to exempt from criminal “disorderly conduct” charges a hunter who fires a shot at a deer or elk (even the Governor disagreed with her on this bill) (HB446).
NO on a bill to allow people located inside city limits the same ability for self defense as those outside city limits (HB304).
NO on a bill to allow a person eating at a restaurant that serves beer to provide for his or her self defense (HB358).
NO to medical privacy for gun owners (even the Governor disagreed with her on this bill) (HB459).
NO to preventing newspapers from publishing the private information about people who have been issued a concealed weapon permit by the local sheriff (the Governor disagreed with her on this bill too) (SB145).

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Even the New York Times notes that Obama's unilateral decision making is drawing all the lobbyists to the White House

Big surprise here.  If the president has all the poser because he can make laws on his own, why should lobbyists bother with Congress.  From the New York Times:

. . . the process of drafting what will likely be the only significant immigration changes of his presidency — and his most consequential use of executive power — has been conducted almost entirely behind closed doors, where lobbyists and interest groups invited to the White House are making their case out of public view.

Mr. Obama’s increasingly expansive appetite for the use of unilateral action on issues including immigration, tax policy and gay rights has emboldened activists and businesses to flock to the administration with their policy wish lists. It also has opened the president, already facing charges of executive overreach, to criticism that he is presiding over opaque policy-making, with the potential to reward political backers at the expense of other interests, including some on the losing side who are threatening to sue. 

“We look at what they’ve been doing with executive action and are deeply concerned, and have focused a lot of our energies on how we can roll back these things,” said Geoff Burr, the vice president of federal affairs for Associated Builders and Contractors, whose member companies do 60 percent of federal construction jobs. 

Mr. Burr said an executive order issued by Mr. Obama last month that would block companies with a history of workplace violations from receiving federal contracts had prompted his group to contemplate “the virtues of a litigation strategy.” . . .

Apparently, Obama thinks it is OK for him to unilaterally make these changes because he is now talking to others about his changes.

White House officials say Mr. Obama has been inclusive as he looks to wield his authority, reaching out to an array of lawmakers, experts and business leaders for a wide range of perspectives to inform his plans for executive actions. . . .

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Video of Michael Brown robbing convenience store. This is not a very nice guy. Believable that he would get into fight with police.

I wanted to wait until some evidence was in about the Ferguson, Missouri shooting.  However, after watching this video of a robbery that Michael Brown committed shortly before he was shot by police, I find it credible that Brown could instigate a fight with a police officer.  This is one big guy who was very belligerent.  Whether he also attacked the police officer isn't clear at this point, but I would find it quite plausible that he did.

More commentary from a former federal prosecutor on this new video is available here.

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In attempting to distance herself from Obama, Hillary Clinton leaves herself all over the map on Syria

Is Hillary Clinton willing to say anything and take any position to win the presidency?  She keeps trying to portray herself as a moderate when she previously supported Obama's position.  From Fox News:

For a moment, Hillary Clinton appeared to draw a clear distinction with President Obama on foreign policy, after telling The Atlantic that the “failure” to help moderate Syrian rebels allowed extremists to flourish. 

But her comments both before and after that interview have left unclear what the former secretary of State’s views actually are on the crisis.   

Two years before her Atlantic interview, Clinton suggested to CBS News that arming a moderate faction in Syria was not “viable.” And since her critical comments of the Obama administration’s policy were published, the ex-secretary has phoned the president to clarify her remarks. According to reports of the call, the message was: no hard feelings. . . . . 

“This is such a blatant display of Clinton inauthenticity. It's breathtaking,” Fox News contributor and syndicated columnist Charles Krauthammer said Wednesday. “She did finally appear to say something that she believes and then, of course, retracted.”  . . . 

Clinton tried to take the sting out in advance of Wednesday's party, saying it was not a hard choice to call the president on the heels of her Syria comments and they'd "absolutely" hug it out. “We agreed we are committed to the values and the interests and the security of our country together,” Clinton said. “We have disagreements, as any partners and friends, as we are, might very well have. But I'm proud that I served with him and for him.” . . .

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Concealed carry permit holder uses gun to defend himself against three gang members, fatally shoots one of them

From the Orlando Sentinel:

An armed Lakeland man killed a 14-year-old gang member in a shootout Wednesday evening after both drew guns and opened fire, according to the Lakeland Police Department. 

At 7:49 p.m., Smith and two unidentified companions began taunting Canteen in the courtyard outside his Oregon Avenue apartment before the teen drew an handgun, a witness told police. 

Canteen also had a handgun and, according to Canteen, the teen began shooting at him first, striking him several times in the "upper extremities," police spokesman Sgt. Gary Gross said in a report. 

Canteen said he returned fire, striking the teen "numerous times." 

This was not the 5-feet 8-inch tall, 130-pound teen's first brush with violence. State records state he was a convicted felon arrested twice since age 12 for armed robbery with a gun, once for battery on a public or school employee and once for burglarizing a home. . . .

The Orlando Ledger has some useful information on Smith and his family.

. . . Wednesday's incident was not the first shooting to affect Davion Smith and his family.
Records show he was arrested in November 2012 following a shooting at the Lakeland farmers market in which a 79-year-old man was wounded. Davion Smith and six other teens were each charged with armed robbery and attempted murder, the Polk Sheriff's Office said at the time.
Smith's brother, 15-year-old Bayshawn Kelly, who is also a documented gang member, was shot in April this year during a gang-related drive-by shooting, police said. Kelly was hit in the arm and back, but recovered.
A few weeks later, Kelly was arrested on two counts of aggravated assault with a firearm stemming from a separate drive-by shooting, police said.
Smith's cousin, 15-year-old Shyhiem Morris, was wounded in a drive-by shooting in early May. At the scene of that shooting, Patricka Smith told The Ledger that she didn't understand all the violence among Lakeland's teens. . . .

Here is later Ledger article from August 12th with Smith's mother explaining that Davion's arrest record didn't involve anything serious.

Davion's mother, Patricka Smith, said she knows her son wasn't perfect, but he didn't deserve to die.
Davion, who was known as DayDay, was a star on the football field and always had a smile on his face, his family said.
He was one of five children and was generally respectful, his mother said.
He had a few problems in school and had been arrested before, but Patricka Smith said none of it was serious. . . . 

Having read a lot of these cases, if Canteen was not a concealed handgun permit holder, that information would surely have been released within five days of the shooting. 

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Sheriff David Clarke wins re-election by 4% despite major campaign spending by Bloomberg and other left wing groups

Michael Bloomberg put $150,000 into the Milwaukee Sheriff's race.  In response, former Wisconsin governor Tommy Thompson urged Republicans to vote in the Democratic primary.  Well, with 100 percent of precincts reporting, David Clarke was beating Chris Moews by 52 to 48 percent.  As someone who respects Clarke, this is great news.

It looks like Thompson's request worked.  The Milwaukee Sheriff Democratic Primary had 108,955 votes while Milwaukee Treasurer Democratic Primary had just 68,181 votes.  It could be that the difference in vote totals is simply due to the fact this was a much more contested race.  However, before those who support Clarke's policies celebrate too much, they should realize that there is a less sanguine explanation for this 40,774 vote difference between the two races.  If it was due to Republicans voting (assuming that some of the Republicans didn't also vote in the treasurer race), Clarke would have been crushed if only Democrats had voted. Indeed, if that were the case, Clarke would have lost 76 to 24 percent.  That is quite a reversal from Clarke's previous win in the Democratic primary 4 years ago when he won by 6 percentage points without the benefit of Republican cross overs.

The Milwaukee Journal Sentinel discusses the vote breakdown in the city of Milwaukee, which is just a part of the county:

. . . In Milwaukee, Clarke won with a razor-thin margin over Moews, just 1% in Milwaukee wards, yielding him 50.4%, according to unofficial returns. Four years ago, Clarke rolled up almost 57%. 

In the city, Clarke did particularly well in predominantly African-American wards in Milwaukee that traditionally have voted heavily Democratic. There, Clarke ran up a 23% lead over Moews, our review of returns from areas with at least 66% black voting population showed. . . .

From Fox News:

The money from Bloomberg’s Independence USA super PAC was more than what Clarke and Moews spent on their entire campaigns combined. . . .

The city of Milwaukee had 599,164 people in 2013 and the county had 956,023.  However, it is slightly less lopsided than that as the city has a larger portion of its population under age 18.

The bottom line of all this is that people will be making a mistake to think that Bloomberg and others didn't make this a much tougher race than it should have been.  


Fox & Friends has this: "Pro-gun rights Milwaukee sheriff: 'Bloomberg made a huge miscalculation'"

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How technology killed auto theft

Technology has made it very difficult to steal cars made after about 2000.  The old cars that can be stolen are not very valuable.  If it wasn't for old Hondas retaining some of their value, auto theft would be down even further.  From the New York Times:

. . . 1990, the city had 147,000 reported auto thefts, one for every 50 residents; last year, there were just 7,400, or one per 1,100. That’s a 96 percent drop in the rate of car theft. . . . 

The most important factor is a technological advance: engine immobilizer systems, adopted by manufacturers in the late 1990s and early 2000s. These make it essentially impossible to start a car without the ignition key, which contains a microchip uniquely programmed by the dealer to match the car. 

Criminals generally have not been able to circumvent the technology or make counterfeit keys. “It’s very difficult; not just your average perpetrator on the street is going to be able to steal those cars,” said Capt. John Boller, who leads the New York Police Department’s auto crime division. Instead, criminals have stuck to stealing older cars. 

You can see this in the pattern of thefts of America’s most stolen car, the Honda Accord. About 54,000 Accords were stolen in 2013, 84 percent of them from model years 1997 or earlier, according to data from the National Insurance Crime Bureau, a trade group for auto insurers and lenders. Not coincidentally, Accords started to be sold with immobilizers in the 1998 model year. The Honda Civic, America’s second-most stolen car, shows a similar pattern before and after it got immobilizer technology for model year 2001. . . .

Making it hard to steal cars undoubtedly matters a lot, but the drop in auto theft from 1991 to 2000 or 2001 is much larger than the drop from 2000 or 2001 to 2012.  However, the percentage drop from 2001 to 2012 (46%) is somewhat greater than the drop from 1991 to 2000 (37%).

By contrast, larceny has continued to fall over that entire period, though the drop is very similar in the two periods (1991 to 2000 is 23% and 2001 to 2012 is 22%).  It at least raises the question whether most of this drop would have occurred anyway.

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Michael Bloomberg and other gun control groups target Milwaukee's Sheriff David Clarke

I have met Sheriff Clarke and I have had the chance to be interviewed by him on his radio show.  If Bloomberg's money makes a difference in this race, it is something that we will hear a lot about.  From Fox News:

Former New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg - who through his political group has publicly committed to spending $50 million on gun-control politics in 2014 – has paid $150,000 to air a series of television ads targeting Clarke’s conservative pro-gun policies.
The money from Bloomberg’s Independence USA super PAC is more than what Clarke and Moews have spent on their entire campaigns combined.
Bloomberg spokesman Howard Wolfson told the Wall Street Journal on Monday that he decided to get involved in the sheriff’s race because it allowed him to shape policy on a local level.
“The issue of guns is one that (Bloomberg) cares an awful lot about and there’s a very clear contrast on that issue in this race,” Wolfson told the newspaper.
But Bloomberg isn’t the only person pumping cash into the primary.
The Greater Wisconsin Committee spent $400,000 on its own anti-Clarke ads.
Clarke, who is running as a Democrat but regularly aligns himself with conservative Republicans, spoke at the National Rifle Association’s annual meeting in April. The NRA, who calls Clarke a “rising national star,” has come to Clarke’s defense, soliciting donations from its members on his behalf and buying online ads for his re-election bid. . . .

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Police in Britain now regularly carrying guns, anti-gun activities upset, claim no benefit

From the BBC:

In a little-noticed move, a small number of police officers are now routinely carrying sidearms while on patrol in parts of the mainland UK. . . .
It's a sight that once would have been unthinkable. In this corner of the Scottish Highlands - an area with one of the lowest crime rates in the UK - the officers showing up to a relatively workaday disturbance are armed.
Although every police force has a firearms unit, for decades it has been an article of faith that in the mainland UK, almost uniquely among major industrialised nations, the police do not carry guns as a matter of course.
But with little fanfare at first, a policy of routinely allowing specialist officers to wear sidearms as they walk the streets of Scotland has come into being. . . .

Meanwhile, an anti-gun activist in Scotland opposes police carrying guns.  From the UK Daily Record:

. . . Dr Mick North lost his five-year-old daughter Sophie when killer Thomas Hamilton struck at her school.
The anti-gun activist has slammed Police Scotland Chief Constable Sir Stephen House for suggesting armed bobbies could have stopped the massacre.
At a force summit in June, the country’s top policeman highlighted the mass murder of Sophie, her 14 primary 1 classmates and teacher Gwen Mayor as a reason why units should not spend “an extra five, 10, 15, 20 minutes” arming themselves.
Dr North said: “I can’t see how any armed police would have stopped Dunblane.“It took 15 minutes until any police officer arrived at the school when the incident was all over in three minutes.” . . . 

Some notes: I agree that it is very doubtful that police could have arrived quickly enough to stop the attack at Dunblane.  But does that mean that there won't be a few other times when speed might save some lives.  Of course, my response is to speed up response time to these tragedies by getting rid of gun-free zones, not by disarming even police.  It is hard to see any benefits from having police being disarmed.

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Very interesting data from The Economist on prostitution prices

Clicking on the screen shot will enlarge the picture.  The Economist information is available here.  Prices tell us what types of characteristics in women that men like most.  The second slide probably tells us what women don't like to do and the prices make a lot of sense.  Oral sex without a condom is much more dangerous and less desirable than with a condom (similar for splitting out semen or swallowing it).  Having sex with multiple men is more work.  What seems most interesting here is that women charge less for "heavy" S&M than for just spanking.  Is this saying that female prostitutes prefer “heavy” S&M, which I would think involves much more work, over just spanking?  Possibly there are those out there who have more insights into this than I do.

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Continued massive coverage of the Taylor Woolrich story: What happens when a woman is being stalked but not able to defend herself

KGTV San Diego: "College student wants right to carry gun on campus"

Fox 5 San Diego: "Dartmouth student from San Diego wants to carry a gun on campus"
Red Alert Politics: "Darmouth College student advocates for concealed carry on campus"
KTOK 1000 Oklahoma: "Why David Boren et. al. Need to Re-think Their Gun Policies"
MyFoxChicago: "Ivy Leaguer with stalker may drop out over anti-gun policy"
The UK Daily News: "College student threatens to drop Dartmouth if the school does not allow her to carry a handgun on campus to protect herself from a 'stalker with a rape kit'"
Business Insider: "Dartmouth Won't Allow Student To Carry Gun For Protection, Despite A Man Allegedly Stalking Her For Four Years"
Fox 5 San Diego: "Dartmouth student from San Diego wants to carry a gun on campus"
China News: "美女学生长期遭老男人骚扰欲携枪防身遭校方拒绝 [The beautiful woman student suffers the old man to harass for a long time wants to take along the gun self-defense to suffer the school authorities to reject]"
The Blaze: "Ivy League School’s Response to Student Requesting to Carry a Concealed Handgun to Defend Herself From Dangerous Stalker"
NBC News in San Diego: "Dartmouth Student Seeks Right to Carry Gun to Protect Herself Against Stalker"
The Washington Times: "Stalked student may drop out of Dartmouth over no-guns policy"
Inquisitr: "Gun Control Rule At Dartmouth College Denies Taylor Woolrich Protection From Stalker With ‘Rape Kit’"
Katie Pavlich at Townhall.com: "Female Campus Carry Advocate and Dartmouth Student Details Stalking: "They Found a Rape Kit in His Car"
Katie Pavlich at Townhall.com: "Mother of Virginia Tech Victim Advocates For Concealed Carry on Campus
The Truth About Guns: "Dartmouth College Denies Stalker Victim Right to Armed Self Defense, Perpetuates #waronwomen"
Rare: "Dartmouth wouldn’t let this woman carry a gun to fend off her stalker"
Breitbart: "Dartmouth Student to "Drop out" unless she can carry gun to fend off stalker"
Newsbusters: "NBC Highlights College Student Fighting for Right to Carry Gun on Campus"
News World Today: "Dartmouth Won’t Allow Student To Carry Gun For Protection, Despite A Man Allegedly Stalking Her For Four Years"
Independent Journal Review: "Student Tormented By Stalker May Have To Drop Out Because College Won’t Allow Her To Defend Herself"
Georgia Newsday: "Stalked student will 'drop Dartmouth' for not allowing her a handgun"
The Examiner: "Female student not allowed to carry gun to protect self against predator"
NewHampshire.com: "Woman stalked by man, 67, caught with rape kit says she'll drop out of Dartmouth if not allowed to carry a gun"
MyFoxChicago: "Ivy Leaguer with stalker may drop out over anti-gun policy"
Voice of San Diego: "Student from SD Takes Stand on Carrying Gun"
BizPacReview: "College student stalked for 4 years makes impassioned plea to carry a gun for self-defense"
Campus Reform: "Dartmouth student denied concealed carry despite aggressive stalker"
Heavy: "Taylor Woolrich: 5 Fast Facts You Need to Know"
Opposing Views: "Dartmouth Won't Allow Student To Carry Gun To Protect Against Stalker"
Red Alert Politics: "Darmouth College student advocates for concealed carry on campus"
KTOK 1000 Oklahoma: "Why David Boren et. al. Need to Re-think Their Gun Policies"
Los Angeles Times: "Dartmouth won't let woman carry gun to protect against accused stalker"
KTLA-TV Channel 5 in Los Angeles: "Dartmouth College Student Denied Request to Carry Gun to Protect Against Alleged Stalker"
Texas GOP Vote: "Dartmouth College Puts Anti-Gun Ideology Above Safety of Stalked Female Student"
KFMB 760 AM: "San Diego student seeks gun permit from Dartmouth"
WRTV Channel 6 Indianapolis: "College student wants right to carry gun on campus"
The Daily Reporter, Greenfield, Indiana: "San Diego student seeks concealed gun permit from Dartmouth to protect against alleged stalker"
KERO ABC Channel 23, Bakersfield, California: "San Diego student seeks gun permit from Dartmouth College"
The Lompoc Record, Lompoc, California: "San Diego student seeks gun permit from Dartmouth"
Breitbart (revisited): "Dartmouth will not allow stalking victim to carry gun for self-defense"
DigiNews: "Women Against Feminism fight back"

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Canadian mail order guns from 1902 to 1975

The first ad is from 1902 and the second from 1975.  The ads are available here for many other years.  Mail order guns in Canada were available up until 1979.

A history of Canadian gun control is available here (1945-1977) and here (1867-1945).

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Vice President Joe Biden refers to the "Nation of Africa"

Vice President Joe Biden's gaffes are so frequent the media doesn't cover them.

UPDATE:  Of course, there is always CNN that says that Hong Kong is in Brazil.

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Why are women much more likely to think that we are in a recession and also believe that Democrats have the solution

After almost six years of Obamanomics, why is such an overwhelming majority of want more Democrat solutions.  What I would like to see is how these percentage compare to 2008, 2010, and 2012.  From the Wall Street Journal:

. . . This week's Wall Street Journal/NBC News poll found that women are more in sync with Democrats on a range of economic issues, including minimum wages and concerns about growing income inequality. With Republicans holding substantial advantages this year, the Democrats' appeal among women could provide a bulwark against a political drubbing. 

As members of the party that doesn't hold the White House, Republicans might ordinarily stand to gain most from the broad pessimism in the new poll that the nation is on the wrong track. But the poll found that women would prefer this fall's elections to produce a Democratic-controlled Congress, by a 51% to 37% margin—a 14-point gap. The reverse is true for men, who preferred a Republican Congress by 52% to 35%—a 17-point lead for the GOP. . . . .

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Obama administration can't account for how $619 billion was spent

Even by the Federal government standards, not being able to account for $619 billion is a lot of money.  From Fox News:

The Obama administration failed to properly account for how it spent nearly $619 billion, according to a watchdog audit of the main federal website meant to track where taxpayer money is going. 

The report from the Government Accountability Office picked apart the website USASpending.gov, and the agencies feeding information to it. 

The database of government spending and contracts was created out of a 2006 transparency law, but the GAO found it continues to have serious problems. The Department of Health and Human Services was the worst offender, during the 2012 period GAO examined. 

“Although agencies generally reported information for contracts to USASpending.gov, they did not properly report information on assistance awards, totaling nearly $619 billion,” the GAO reported. . . .

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By almost 2-to-1 vote, Missouri approves stronger constitutional protections to own guns

Bloomberg's gun groups claimed that this change would hurt safety in Missouri.  Voters overwhelmingly rejected the claims.  An explanation of the changes to the Missouri Constitution are available here at KFVS Channel 12:

Missourians voted to strengthen the state's gun rights law when they headed to the polls on Tuesday, Aug. 5.  This ballot measure reads as follows:

"Shall the Missouri Constitution be amended to include a declaration that the right to keep and bear arms is an unalienable right and that the state government is obligated to uphold that right?"

Currently, the U.S. Constitution grants American's the ability to keep and bear arms.
Missouri state law also protects that right. 

Essentially, voters were asked to decide if this right to keep and carry guns should be an "unalienable right" just like American's rights to life and liberty. 

That would mean the right is impossible to take away and if it was challenged in court, this amendment would give Missourian's the highest level of legal protection.

Senator Kurt Schaefer, a supporter of the change, says if passed, Missouri would have the strongest gun rights in the country. . . .

The St. Louis Post has this discussion of the outcome of the vote:

And Amendment 5, reitervating the U.S. Constitution’s right to bear arms, won by almost 2 to 1. . . . 

The “right to bear arms” referendum (Amendment 5) will reiterate the U.S. Constitution’s similar guarantee, but with more specificity, making that right “inalienable.” Supporters argued it was needed because of attempts to restrict gun rights on the national level. 

Opponents argued that it would be an unnecessary duplication of the federal Constitution’s Second Amendment and that it could impede enforcement of reasonable firearms restrictions. 

After the vote, the group “Moms Demand Gun Sense in America” issued a statement warning: “Today Missouri voters approved a gun lobby-backed proposal that could gravely undermine public safety.” . . .

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If you want to get the wealthiest billionaires to live in your state, get rid of the state income tax

The states without an income tax are

Alaska

Florida

Nevada

South Dakota

Texas

Washington

Wyoming

Apparently, Tennessee and New Hampshire are not really zero income tax states as they impose significant taxes on interest and dividend income (6% and 5%, respectively).  There is a list of the wealthiest person in each state available here.

I ran two regressions: one with the wealthiest person in the state on a dummy variable for them not having an income tax and then the same thing for just the continental US.

Both estimates show the same thing.  Not having an income tax raises the wealth of the wealthiest person by $16.8 billion and not having an income tax in the continental states raises the wealth of the wealthiest person by $21.3 billion.

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Dartmouth Student Is Stalked for 4 Years, Wants Right to Carry Gun

Here is the first part of the story that was the lead up at Fox News:

A 20-year-old Dartmouth student says she may have to give up her Ivy League dream and drop out of school because the prestigious college won't allow her to carry a gun -- to protect herself against a predator.

Taylor Woolrich, a junior, says Dartmouth administrators told her they won’t let her carry a gun on campus, even though she lives in fear of a man who has been stalking her since she was a high school student in San Diego. 

“It’s absolutely unfair,” Woolrich said about her attempts to have the school make an exception to its weapons ban. “It’s one of the hardest things I’ve had to deal with.”
Woolrich was 16 years old and working in a San Diego café when she says a man came in to buy coffee and then kept returning throughout the day, staring at her for long periods of time and trying to flirt with her. The man, 67-year-old Richard Bennett, kept this up for days, she says, even sitting outside the store for an entire day and then following her home, demanding that she talk to him and saying he was “trying to protect her.” 

She filed a restraining order, but it did little to keep Bennett away. Woolrich says he constantly harassed her during her first two years at Dartmouth, stalking her on social media and sending messages in which he “promised” to fly across the country to see her at college. 

“I thought they were empty threats, but when I came home from school last summer, he was at my front door within eight hours of my plane landing,” she said. “That’s when I realized how serious it was.” 

Woolrich and her family called the police, and Bennett was arrested. A search of his car uncovered a slip noose, a knife, gloves and other items. 

Bennett is currently in jail in San Diego County, accused of violating the restraining order and felony stalking, as well as other charges. His next court date is Aug. 20. If convicted, his maximum sentence would be four years. 

Woolrich says she inquired about obtaining a permit to carry a concealed weapon in California and learned that the minimum age to get one is 21, though exceptions can be made under special circumstances. She says the Sheriff’s Licensing Division told her she could qualify, and she learned the same exception can be granted in New Hampshire, where Dartmouth is located. 

But Dartmouth administrators told her she was “absolutely not” allowed to carry a weapon on campus. She says she tried to plead her case and was told to speak with several campus officials, all of whom provided little to no help. 

“There’s no option. There’s no one to go to. They don’t want to hear my case,” she said.
Many colleges across the country have banned guns on campus to prevent mass shootings and accidental shootings by irresponsible or inebriated students. But the pro-gun rights Crime Prevention Research Center, in a study published on Monday, said there have been no reported problems or issues with college-age permit holders on campuses in the nine states –  Colorado, Florida, Wisconsin, Utah, Pennsylvania,Oregon, Mississippi, Kansas and Idaho – whose laws mandate that students and others be permitted to carry concealed handguns on public college grounds. 

“There’s this fear about the possibility of students causing problems, but people talk about these things without actual examples,” the center’s president, John Lott, told FoxNews.com. “By far, the safest course of action is to carry a gun for protection, especially for female victims.” 

“[Woolrich] has legitimate concern,” he added. “There’s only so much a restraining order can do.” 

Woolrich says Dartmouth’s Department of Safety and Security told her that instead of carrying a gun, she should call campus security and arrange for an escort if she felt unsafe after dark. But she says she was often asked to justify her requests when she called, and security officers gave her a hard time for calling often. 

“What they don’t understand is that it’s not enough,” she says. “Stalkers just don’t only show up after dark. Unless they have an armed guard in front of my dorm room, I'm not sure how safe I will be. I don’t think there’s much an unarmed guard can do.” . . .

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New piece at the Daily Caller: "Why Legalizing Concealed Carry Is The Answer To Persistent Stalkers"

Here is a piece that I had at the Daily Caller:

Stalking victims often despair because they can’t control their own lives. They are forced to move, stay indoors, keep drapes closed, avoid posting on social media sites, and even change their cars. It’s almost like being held hostage. 

Shall we tell women that they just have to put up with this? The answer is “no.” Women must be able to defend themselves. The most effective way of doing this is by using a gun. By the time the police arrive to enforce a restraining order, it is often too late. 

One of us, Taylor Woolrich, has been living such a nightmare for over four years. It started when she was 16. Taylor was working at a café in San Diego when a 67-year-old man, Richard Bennett, came into the store for coffee. He kept coming back, staring at her for long periods of time and trying to flirt. He then would sit outside the store for the entire day. 

It soon got much worse. He followed her around outside of work, demanding to talk and saying that he was “trying to protect [her].” 

Right now, Richard Bennett is in jail a third time for violating his restraining order and will soon go to trial again. In June of this year, Taylor was shocked to discover how closely she was still being followed. It was late at night when she returned home to California from Dartmouth College on the East Coast. Early the very next morning, Bennett was at her door, wanting to talk. 

Bennett was arrested and police searched his car. They discovered a “rape kit” including rope tied as slip noose, a knife, gloves, and other items. When police got a warrant, they found Taylor’s pictures all over Bennett’s house. They also found illegally obtained guns. . . .

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Students for Concealed Carry Conference in Washington DC at the National Press Club tomorrow

From the Daily Caller:

Students for Concealed Carry is a national, non-partisan, grassroots organization comprising over 43,000 college students, professors, college employees, parents of college students, and concerned citizens who believe that holders of state-issued concealed handgun licenses should be allowed the same measure of personal protection on college campuses that they enjoy virtually everywhere else. 

The group will hold its third Students for Concealed Carry Conference at the National Press Club in Washington, D.C., on August 5, 2014, from 12:00 noon–5:00 p.m. 

The event will feature many distinguished speakers, including author and scholar John R. Lott Jr., a panel of women speaking of their experiences in gun-free zones on college campuses, an academic panel for legal analysis, military and police trainers, and state legislators from across the country. . . .

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Department of Homeland Security seizes Land Rover over EPA regulations? Is this really possible? Unfortunately, yes.

The video from Fox News is available here.

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Have you ever wondered why Rotisserie chickens are so cheap? They actually cost less than a chicken that you could buy to fix yourself

Megan McArdle deserves a hat tip for pointing to this article by Cat Vasko:

A couple of years ago, I got it into my head that I wanted to roast a whole chicken, just because. I wandered around my local Ralphs for a few minutes looking for poultry that hadn't already been turned into individually shrink-wrapped meat units before asking for help. The gentleman I flagged down blinked a few times at my question. "Um," he answered finally. "You know we have chickens for sale up at the front of the store that have already been cooked, right?" 

I bought the raw chicken anyway. I took it home, rubbed it in butter and herbs, shoved a lemon half up its butt, and roasted it low and slow for the majority of the day. It turned out okay. For all the work it took, it certainly wasn't notably better than a store-bought rotisserie chicken, and with the other ingredients factored in, it cost significantly more. Right now, an uncooked chicken at Ralphs runs you $9.87, but a rotisserie chicken is $6.99; at Gelson's, you'll pay $8.99 for a cooked chicken or $12.67 for the raw version; and at that beloved emporium of insanity Whole Foods, a rotisserie chicken is $8.99, while a whole chicken from the butcher counter is $12.79 ... per pound. . . . 

Even Whole Foods' notoriously inflated prices don't offset that level of production. Instead, much like hunters who strive to use every part of the animal, grocery stores attempt to sell every modicum of fresh food they stock. Produce past its prime is chopped up for the salad bar; meat that's overdue for sale is cooked up and sold hot. Some mega-grocers like Costco have dedicated rotisserie chicken programs, but employees report that standard supermarkets routinely pop unsold chickens from the butcher into the ol' rotisserie oven. . . .

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Obama administration spies on Americans and now they are forced to admit they are spying on US Senators

Outrageously, the CIA engaged in surveillance of Senate emails.  When they were caught they "demonstrated a lack of candor about their activities."  Democratic Senators have "lost confidence" in Brennan, but is Obama talking about firing Brennan?  No. There is no criticism at all coming from the White House.  It makes it look as if President Obama has no problem with what the CIA did.  From Fox News:

The director of the CIA, offering a rare apology, has acknowledged an internal probe's findings that CIA employees in the Executive Branch improperly spied on the Legislative Branch by searching Senate computers and reading staffers' emails earlier this year.  

According to a declassified CIA inspector general's report, CIA officers improperly accessed Senate computers, read the emails of Senate staff, and exhibited a "lack of candor" when interviewed by agency investigators. The document, released Thursday by the CIA, is a summary of an internal CIA investigation -- which prompted CIA Director John Brennan to abandon his defiant posture in the matter and apologize to Senate Intelligence Committee leaders. 

Brennan also has convened an accountability board that will investigate the conduct of the CIA officers and discipline them, if need be. 

But the admission already has led to fierce recriminations from Senate lawmakers. 

Sen. Mark Udall, D-Colo., said he has "lost confidence" in Brennan, and urged the administration to appoint an independent counsel to investigate. . . .

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