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Heritage Foundation… Christmas With the Presidents,
Lee Edwards
December 21, 2016 - Christmas is a time of celebration and coming
together, of letting go of old—and not so old—hurts and looking forward
to a new day and a new year. It is a time to remember the ancient
proverb, “It is better to light a candle than to curse the darkness.”
And this year, it is a prime opportunity to give thanks for a “tree...
read more |
The Daily Signal… Remembering the Many Accomplishments of
John Glenn,
Jacob Jordan & Thomas Spoehr - December 09, 2016 - In his 95 years,
Glenn held three distinguished careers as a military aviator, an
astronaut, and a four-term U.S. senator, accomplishing more in one
lifetime than many could ever dream. Glenn was born on July 18, 1921,
in Cambridge, Ohio. When the Japanese attacked Pearl Harbor, he left
college to enlist in the...
read more |
The Daily Signal… Ohio Lawmakers Put ‘Heartbeat’ Abortion Ban
on Governor’s Desk,
Leah Jessen - December 07, 2016 - The Ohio Legislature has passed and
sent to Gov. John Kasich’s desk a measure that would ban abortion after
a baby’s heartbeat is detected, about six weeks following conception.
Lawmakers passed the Unborn Heartbeat Protection Act on Tuesday as an
amendment to a child abuse and neglect bill. If signed by Kasich, the
legislation...
read more |
The Huffington Post… IMPACT... Feel The Sticker Shock Of Someone
Who Lives In Poverty,
Sarah Ruiz-Grossman - Editor Caution: Language... Imagine if instead of
$4.88 per gallon, your milk suddenly cost $24.40. It hurts, right?
Well, that’s how buying everyday necessities can feel for families in
poverty. An ad campaign called Poverty Line Prices, launched last month
by San Francisco Bay Area nonprofit Tipping Point Community...
read more |
The Daily Signal… The Continuing Relevance of the Constitution,
Larry Arnn
November 28, 2016 - Public policy is often exciting and urgent. When a
war begins or ends, when votes are counted in an election, or when a
major bill is passed, everyone senses the magnitude of the event. Some
struggles end and new struggles begin. Consequences carry far into the
future. Compared to this, and especially given the way...
read more |
The Daily Signal… Thanksgiving: A Uniquely American Holiday,
By Melanie Kirkpatrick
Just about every country has a national day, a holiday when citizens
stop to honor their constitution, celebrate a monarch’s birthday,
recall the day their nation was liberated from colonial rule, or
otherwise pay tribute to their country’s origins. The United States
isn’t unique in celebrating a day of independence. But Thanksgiving is
something else. Only a few countries set aside a day...
read more |
The Heritage Foundation… Thanksgiving Through the Years,
By Lee Edwards
November 23, 2016 - George Washington was first in war, first in peace,
and in November 1789, the first president to proclaim a national day of
thanksgiving, openly acknowledging God as the source of all “the great
and various favors which He has been pleased to confer upon us.” Among
the “favors” were a Declaration of Independence...
read more |
Federal News Radio… Trump’s blueprint for feds, By
Mike Causey
November 14, 2016 - If the mechanic gave your car an expensive overhaul
and clean bill of health and it exploded the next day on the Beltway,
would you take what’s left of it back to him to repair? If you paid big
bucks for a poodle puppy that grew into an eight-foot long Komodo
Dragon, would you patronize that pet shop again? If you go to the salon...
read more |
Streamlining 'Shadow Work', By
Colleen Flaherty
Cornell looks for ways to cut time professors spend on administrative
requirements, as opposed to teaching and research. November 8, 2016 -
Bagging our own groceries, printing out boarding passes, pumping our
own gas -- everyone's day involves some "shadow work," tasks that
previously would have been performed by someone else paid to...
read more |
Why We Use Electoral College, Not Popular
Vote, Jarrett Stepman
November 07, 2016 - The Electoral College remains in place over two
centuries after the framers of the Constitution empowered it to select
presidents. Though occasionally maligned, this system of electing a
chief executive has been incredibly successful for the American people.
Many modern voters might be surprised to learn that when...
read more |
Federal News Radio… You’re (almost) all winners. Literally!
By Mike Causey
November 4, 2016 - I once worked at a place that had an employee of the
month award. I forget what the prize was. Maybe because I never won it.
But I digress … There were only about 25 people in the operation. The
top managers, I assumed, were not eligible for the monthly award. I
think the pool of potential winners was like 17 or 18 people. A couple
of interesting...
read more |
Federal News Radio… Beware the flatulence police,
By Mike Causey
October 31, 2016 - It is often said that as California goes, so goes
the nation. When the biggest state gets a cold, the rest of us
eventually sneeze. Thanks in large part to the influence of Hollywood
and its sheer size, California is often a trendsetter for the 49 other
states. When experts try to predict premium changes in the federal
health program...
read more |
Heritage Foundation… Improving the Quantity and Quality of
America’s Volunteerism,
Brian Fikkert - Volunteerism dropped in 2015, continuing a decade-long
trend in which the percentage of adults who volunteer has declined by a
total of 3.9 percentage points. Regrettably, these recent declines are
part of a century-long decrease in rates of volunteerism in America,[1]
a trend rooted in fundamental issues that hinder not only the...
read more |
The Daily Signal… Lawmakers’ New Project Aims to Support
Religious Institutions,
Mark McKerrick - October 03, 2016 - A new project has been launched to
show the need of religious institutions, which are in danger of losing
influence in society as they face challenges to their existence today.
“We need our faith-based institutions,” Republican Study Committee
Chairman Bill Flores, R-Texas, said at the launch of the America
Without Faith...
read more |
The Daily Signal… Why Consumers May Be Feeling the Increasing
Costs of Drugs More Today,
by Melissa Quinn -- September 28, 2016 -- Consumers may be in for
sticker shock when they head to pharmacy counters not only because of
across-the-board increases in the prices of prescription drugs, but
also because of increasing deductibles, a trend that has been occurring
for several years. Lawmakers on Capitol Hill and health policy experts
brought the debate over the...
read more |
Federal News Radio… Donald Trump, taxes & your job,
By Mike Causey
October 6, 2016 -- What does the surprise revelation of GOP candidate
Donald Trump’s 1995 tax returns mean to his campaign and, maybe, to you
as a voter? Last week, somebody sent three pages of his old tax return
to The New York Times. They show business losses of more than $800
million and raise the possibility that he didn’t (quit legally) pay
taxes for a decade or more. So what, if anything...
read more |
The Daily Signal… Why Pharmaceutical Companies Like Mylan
Charge So Much for Drugs,
Melissa Quinn - September 23, 2016 - In the wake of news that
pharmaceutical company Mylan quadrupled the price of its popular EpiPen
anti-allergy device over a few years, lawmakers want to know why. But
rising drug prices for consumers isn’t a problem specific to Mylan and
its epinephrine auto-injector. Rather, research shows that generic
drugs...
read more |
Federal News Radio… What is this thing called ‘government’?
By Mike Causey
For most Americans, THE Government is probably the U.S. Postal Service,
the Internal Revenue Service and the Social Security Administration.
OK, and sometimes the Pentagon. Maybe the FBI or CIA, depending on your
level of paranoia. Or the Centers for Disease Control if you live in
Zika mosquito territory. After that the definition of what is the...
read more |
Heritage Foundation… Teen Drug Use: Cultural Amnesia, Current
Harm, Seth Leibsohn
When it comes to teen drug use, not only are we on the wrong track, but
things are getting worse. This is not a mysterious happenstance. First,
note two data points in the accompanying chart: The high-water mark of
teen drug use in America was 1979; the low-water mark was 1992.
However, since 1992, the share of 12th graders reporting...
read more |
Federal News Radio… Feds face STD threat, By Mike
Causey
August 30, 2016 - In the federal government, nearly everything is
referred to by initials. It is not only easier and quicker to use
initials, but it also helps to confuse people outside the agency or
government, which can be useful to people in the know. For example: In
government you don’t fire or layoff people, you RIF them. RIF, of
course, standing for reduction-in...
read more |
Start Talking… Know! Heroin is a threat in your community
8/10/2016 - Have you talked to your children about the dangers of this
drug? If not, you may be thinking: Heroin is not going to cross my
child’s path where we live. My child is terrified of needles; there is
no way she’d try heroin. Heroin may attract some kids, but not mine. If
you share similar thoughts, you’re not alone. But keep in mind, heroin
has...
read more |
The Daily Signal… The Dirty Little Secret Pot Pushers Don’t
Want You to Know About,
Cully Stimson & Alexandra Seymour - August 04, 2016 - States have
passed so-called “medical marijuana” laws under the theory that pot has
medicinal benefits that can’t be produced by other, legal means. But
what if there was a Food and Drug Administration-approved drug that
gave you all the benefits of the active ingredients in marijuana, such
as...
read more |
Cleveland Plain Dealer… 10 tips for college freshmen from Northeast
Ohio college professionals,
By Karen Farkas - August 12, 2016 - CLEVELAND, Ohio - In the next few
weeks thousands of wide-eyed college freshmen will arrive on campus
eager to begin the next stage of their lives. They will ditch curfews,
parental supervision and the opinions of high school classmates. While
social activities beckon, college officials said they need...
read more |
AgNewsCenter.com… A Threat to Farm and Ranch Taxpayers (and
Other Small Businesses),
by Neil E. Harl - In a shocking development, tucked away in the
Bipartisan Budget Act of 2015, passed by Congress and signed by the
President, there is a provision affecting farmers, ranchers and other
small businesses in a highly significant way. It signals the end of a
34 year-old tax law that has been depended upon by thousands of
taxpayers. It was a...
read more |
Inside Higher Education… Do Colleges Need to Be Need Blind?
By Rick Seltzer
Some maintain that they can drop the policy and preserve access, but
those who have gone need blind have seen gains in student diversity.
July 21, 2016 - Ceasing need-blind admissions is a politically tenuous
move for colleges and universities -- need-blind policies, associated
with meritocracy and equal opportunity, cut to the heart...
read more |
Federal News Radio… Is there life after the next election?
By Mike Causey
July 22, 2016 -- Despite previous warnings about a government meltdown
if you-know-who wins the November election, Uncle Sam keeps on keeping
on regardless of who’s in the White House and which political party
controls the House and Senate. You-know-who’s identity depends on your
politics and perception, not necessarily on your psychic powers or past
track record in picking winners...
read more |
Inside Higher Education… Do Colleges Need to Be Need Blind?
By Rick Seltzer
Some maintain that they can drop the policy and preserve access, but
those who have gone need blind have seen gains in student diversity.
July 21, 2016 - Ceasing need-blind admissions is a politically tenuous
move for colleges and universities -- need-blind policies, associated
with meritocracy and equal opportunity, cut to the...
read more |
Heritage Foundation… Big Debt, Little Study: What Taxpayers
Should Know About College Students’ Time Use,
By Lindsey Burke, Jamie Bryan Hall and Mary Clare Reim - College
students understandably bemoan the costs of higher education. During
the 2015–2016 school year, annual costs[1] at four-year public
universities reached $19,548 for in-state students and $34,031 for
out-of-state students. Annual costs at private...
read more |
Cleveland.com… RNC 2016 - Score another victory for
Cleveland: John R. Kasich
July 22, 2016 - With another championship performance, Cleveland shone
brightly in the national spotlight – yet again – as it hosted the
Republican National Convention earlier this week. While many
expected trouble and violence, it didn't happen. Despite protests, most
people expressed their grievances peacefully. When you consider the
fact that...
read more |
Being a fed: When no news really is good
news, By Mike Causey
July 19, 2016 - According to the American Heritage Dictionary of
Idioms, the proverbial phrase may have first been uttered by King James
I of England, who, in 1616, is believed to have said, “No news is
better than evil news.” It figures that he was in government. For 21st
century American civil servants, the no-new-is-good-news outlook on
life is for real...
read more |
Dog days are great, if you’re a dog,
By Mike Causey
July 15, 2016 - When is the last time the boss told you to take the
next two months off, with full pay and full benefits? Before you answer
that, answer this semi-trick question: Which place has the most
government-approved days off? Fiji, Monaco, Argentina, Colombia,
District of Columbia, Thailand, Iceland, Malaysia, Slovakia? When...
read more |
Federal News Radio… After the All Star game, all hell breaks
loose, By Tom Temin
July 11, 2016 -- Federal managers need to brace for a few weeks of
nuttiness. Like listening to mommy and daddy scream at one another,
career people will find it hard to tune out the coming noise. Before
that we have the fun of this week’s All Star break. Tuesday evening
Major League Baseball will indulge in its annual orgy of nostalgia and
self-worship. It’s a great spectacle...
read more |
Federal New Radio… House GOP prepares famous shoot-foot shot,
again, By Mike Causey
July 12, 2016 - A government shutdown in the fall of 2016. Really?
Another shutdown? Where did that come from? Haven’t we (they) learned?
Congressional Republicans (aided and abetted by some
naughty-but-politically-clever Democrats) may be heading the nation
toward another government shutdown. If it happens — big IF — it...
read more |
The Federalist… I’m Shocked, Shocked To Find Liberal Bias
At This Major Journalism Conference, By Kelsey Harkness -
July 5, 2016 - In June, I had the honor of attending one of the top
journalism conferences in the country, if not the world. For three
days, I rubbed shoulders with reporters from places such as The New
York Times, USA Today, and ProPublica. Call me naïve, but I expected to
learn about fairness, integrity, and...
read more |
Inside Higher Education… Why Academics Were Ignored, By
David Matthews
July 7, 2016 - Just over a week before Britain's referendum on European
Union membership, Paul Whiteley, a professor in the University of
Essex’s department of government, was scheduled to take part in a BBC
Norwich debate alongside three other academics to fact-check statements
made by politicians from both campaigns, to remain...
read more |
Federal News Radio… The fed-retirees, the politicians and the
public, By Mike Causey
June 29, 2016 - Back in the day, when so many people were protesting
police “brutality,” there was a popular bumper sticker that went
something like this: “Next time you get mugged, call a hippie! Much the
same could be said today about the way a large portion of the public
feels about the government. And bureaucrats. And misunderstand, or take
for granted...
read more |
Heritage Foundation… Common Core Does Not Prepare Students for
College,
Mary Clare Reim - June 14, 2016 - A recently released report confirms
what Common Core critics have suspected all along: Common Core State
Standards do not adequately prepare students for college-level work.
The ACT report finds many concerning shortcomings in the Common Core
State Standards, which have been adopted by most states. Notably, the...
read more |
Federal News Radio… Thank you for your service, now please go
away, By Mike Causey
June 20, 2016 - For decades, Uncle Sam gave military veterans a break
by giving them extra points when they were applying/testing for certain
federal jobs. The so-called Veterans Preference law also gave vets
extra job security when their agencies were slimming down via a RIF
(reduction in force). VP is important because Uncle Sam is one of the...
read more |
Federal News Radio… You posted a picture of your what on
Facebook? By Mike Causey
May 31, 2016 - Years ago in my first full-time job, our company got its
own copying machines. One for each floor. It was like Gutenberg’s
printing press on steroids. We were in awe. I’m pretty sure they were
Xerox machines. At least, that’s what we called them. Anyhow, we were
thrilled that such newfangled equipment was available to the likes of
us...
read more |
The Death of Common Sense, by
Lori Borgman
March 15, 1998 - Three yards of black fabric enshroud my computer
terminal. I am mourning the passing of an old friend by the name of
Common Sense. His obituary reads as follows: Common Sense, aka C.S.,
lived a long life, but died from heart failure at the brink of the
millennium. No one really knows how old he was, his birth records...
read more |
Federal News Radio… Congress vs. the IRS vs. you,
By Mike Causey
May 24, 2016 -- When two countries go to war, the citizen-taxpayers
supply both the funds and the bodies to pursue it. The residents of
Lower Slobovi fund their military’s just and valiant efforts. The
taxpayers of Upper Mandiville support their brave, and equally just,
warriors. The narrative in wars is nearly always the same. The other
guy started it. And the winner writes the official history. In the case...
read more |
Federal News Radio… Memorial Day: A time to remember,
By Mike Causey
May 30, 2016 - It’s important to remember that Memorial Day is not a
“fun” holiday. While it is OK to have fun, we should also recall that
is a date to honor those who have served, and died, for their country.
Our country. Despite its somber nature, many people, like me, have some
happy memories of Memorial Days past. Many years ago I served — on...
read more |
The
Daily Signal… Students,
Parents Ask Court for Permission to Halt Implementation of Obama’s
Bathroom Mandate,
by Kelsey Harkness -- May 25, 2016 -- A group of parents and students
in Palatine, Illinois, who are suing the federal government over the
Obama administration’s transgender bathroom policy asked a federal
court on Wednesday to grant the school permission to ignore the new
mandate. “Children are not guinea pigs,” a memorandum filed with the
motion for a preliminary injunction states, “and they should...
read more |
Older
& Wiser, From a CNO reader
1. I changed my car horn to gunshot sounds. People get out of the way
much faster now. 2. Gone are the days when girls used to cook like
their mothers. Now they drink like their fathers. 3. You know that
tingly little feeling you get when you really like someone? That's
common sense leaving your body. 4. I didn't make it to the gym today.
That makes five years in a row. I decided to change calling...
read more |
Federal News Radio… Airport security: What’s not to like?
By Mike Causey
May 19, 2016 -- Federal workers are probably some of the most frequent
fliers in America. Scientists going to conferences, air marshals who
fly a lot, inspectors, congressional staffers, diplomats. At any given
time, 67 percent of the State Department’s Foreign Service officers are
overseas, and two-thirds spend most of their careers outside the U.S.
While most Americans think of diplomats...
read more |
Heritage Foundation… Research Review: Universal Preschool May Do
More Harm than Good,
By Lindsey Burke and Salim Furth, Ph.D. - A growing body of empirical
evidence suggests that universal preschool programs fail to improve a
range of outcomes for participants. New studies of large-scale
preschool programs in Quebec and Tennessee show that vastly expanding
access to free or subsidized preschool may worsen behavioral and
emotional outcomes. In...
read more |
The Daily Signal… Why George W. Bush Let a Soldier’s Mom Yell
at Him, Dana Perino
April 21, 2015 - News of America’s military men and women [who] were
wounded and killed in Iraq and Afghanistan almost overwhelmed me on
some days. I may have sounded strong when I was talking to the press,
but sometimes I had to push my feelings way down in order to get any
words out of my mouth to make statements and answer...
read more |
The Daily Signal… Mixed News in April Jobs Report,
James Sherk
May 06, 2016 - The Bureau of Labor Statistics’ April jobs report
contained mixed economic news. The agency reported wages grew
healthily, overall unemployment did not rise, and long-term
unemployment fell slightly in April. At the same time, job growth
slowed and labor force participation dropped. The labor market is not
contracting, but it is not growing as quickly as some analysts had
believed either...
read more |
The Daily Signal… NIH Spends Millions on Hopped-Up Honeybees
and Sexy Goldfish, Then Asks for Zika Funding,
Philip Wegmann - May 10, 2016 - What do honeybees on cocaine, drunken
songbirds, and sexy goldfish have in common? Each was the subject of
extensive, taxpayer-funded research and each features prominently in
Sen. Jeff Flake’s most recent expose on government waste. The Arizona
Republican’s oversight report—”Twenty Questions: Government Studies
That Will Leave You Scratching Your...
read more |
The Daily Signal… ‘Thank You for Your Service’: How One
Organization Is Looking Out for Military Kids,
by Melissa Quinn -- May 01, 2016 -- Every Saturday, Jihee Ewart’s three
sons, Logan, Scott, and Ryan fight for a spot in front of the computer
in their Leesburg, Va., home, where they patch through a connection on
Skype. Half a world away on a military base in Jordan, Greg Ewart, the
boys’ father, waits on the other end. Saturdays are Greg Ewart’s day
off, and if the father of three has access to a computer, he connects
with his family on video calls. Greg Ewart...
read more |
Thoughts
by 'Ducky' From a CNO Reader
I saw a woman wearing a sweatshirt with 'Guess' on it. So I said
'Implants?' She hit me. How come we choose from just two people to run
for president and over fifty for Miss America? Marriage changes
passion. Suddenly you're in bed with a relative. Now that food has
replaced sex in my life, I can't even get into my own pants. I signed
up for an exercise class and was told to wear loose fitting clothing.
If I HAD...
read more |
The Daily Signal… IRS Admits Tax Code Is Too Complex to
Enforce,
Brian Drockton & Romina Boccia - April 29, 2016 - In an ideal world
the federal government would collect all of the taxes that it was
owed—and then spend only what it intended to. Unfortunately, things
aren’t that simple. The tax gap and improper payments serve as
reminders that the federal government is not very good at administering
complex programs. Instead, every year we have a “tax gap,” which is the
difference between what the government believes it is owed...
read more |
The Daily Signal… Debunking the Wage Gap: We Are Not Victims,
by Penny Young Nance
April 25, 2016 -- We have so many opportunities in the workforce, yet
women are often still told that we’ve got to run ourselves ragged and
forego balance in order to break through the glass ceiling. Why? Part
of the reason work-life balance is difficult to achieve is because our
society places so much weight on the financial success of one’s career.
For women, this has been particularly difficult because of the claim
that we are underpaid compared...
read more |
Federal News Radio… No buyout? Move to Buyoutland, Canada,
By Mike Causey
May 6, 2016 - Want to hang out with movie and TV stars like Whoopi
Goldberg, Rosie O’Donnell and other A-listers? Or at least remain as
close to them as you are now? If so, consider moving to Canada. They —
and many other celebs — have threatened to leave the U.S. of A.,
forever if Republican-heir apparent Donald Trump becomes president. Or
join...
read more |
Woman… A Mother’s Day Tribute, From
Poetic Expressions
When God created woman he was working late on the 6th day… An angel
came by and said: “Why spend so much time on that one?” And the Lord
answered: “Have you seen all the specifications I have to meet to shape
her? She must be washable, but not made of plastic, have more than 200
moving parts which all must be replaceable and she must function on all
kinds of food...
read more |
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