More news items

Thursday, October 20, 2011  |  WLF Resources

“Voluntary” Food Marketing Limits: A Hazard To Philanthropy’s Health

WLF Legal Opinion Letter by Cory Andrews, Washington Legal Foundation

Thursday, October 20, 2011  |  News, Commentary & Updates

Food companies voluntarily making products “healthier”, and profiting in the process

The Progressive Grocer

Thursday, October 20, 2011  |  News, Commentary & Updates

Institute of Medicine issues second report on Front-of-Package labeling

Food Politics

Thursday, October 20, 2011  |  WLF Resources

Will Federal Food Ad “Guidelines” Tread On Brand Trademarks?

WLF Legal Opinion Letter by Joseph Lewczak and Angela M. Bozzuti of the law firm Davis & Gilbert LLP

Wednesday, October 19, 2011  |  News, Commentary & Updates

Consumer groups accuse soda company of misleading digital advertising

New York Times Media Coder blog

Wednesday, October 19, 2011  |  News, Commentary & Updates

CSPI’s Food Day: Healthier eating through government policy changes

The Atlantic

Wednesday, October 19, 2011  |  News, Commentary & Updates

The drumbeats intensify Down Under for anti-obesity policy through taxation

Brisbane Times

Wednesday, October 19, 2011  |  News, Commentary & Updates

Yale’s Brownell pulls out the “addiction” card, says regulation is inevitable

Australian Broadcasting Corporation

Tuesday, October 18, 2011  |  News, Commentary & Updates

Administration overreached on overhaul of kids’ food marketing

Human Events

Tuesday, October 18, 2011  |  WLF Resources

Concessions Welcome, but Fall Short of What’s Needed on Federal Food Ad Principles

WLF Legal Pulse blog

Tuesday, October 18, 2011  |  WLF Resources

CSPI’s Fruit-by-the-Foot Suit: That Which you Didn’t Say is Untruthful

WLF’s Legal Pulse blog

Tuesday, October 18, 2011  |  WLF Resources

CSPI’s Fruit-by-the-Foot Suit: That Which you Didn’t Say is Untruthful

WLF’s Legal Pulse blog

Tuesday, October 18, 2011  |  News, Commentary & Updates

Philadelphia seeks waiver from federal menu labeling rules to impose city rule seeking more information

FDA Law Blog

Monday, October 17, 2011  |  News, Commentary & Updates

CSPI files suit against General Mills

Media Post

Monday, October 17, 2011  |  News, Commentary & Updates

Eating Healthy: Whose Choice Should it Be?

NPR

Monday, October 17, 2011  |  News, Commentary & Updates

McD TV: Will the activists be howling?

Los Angeles Times

Monday, October 17, 2011  |  News, Commentary & Updates

Will Australia jump on the dietary sin tax bandwagon?

Stuff.co.nz

Sunday, October 16, 2011  |  News, Commentary & Updates

Washington Post plays mythbuster on reasons for obesity

NACS Online

Friday, October 14, 2011  |  News, Commentary & Updates

A sustainable farmer who supports consumer freedom, i.e. one the activists will never promote

Time Ecocentric blog

Friday, October 14, 2011  |  News, Commentary & Updates

Are junk food companies “contradicting themselves” on marketing to kids?

Huffington Post

Friday, October 14, 2011  |  News, Commentary & Updates

Curtains for Cap’n Crunch

Washington Times

Friday, October 14, 2011  |  News, Commentary & Updates

Even when food makers offer “healthier” foods, activists whack them

The Atlantic

Friday, October 14, 2011  |  News, Commentary & Updates

Even when food service chains offer smaller portions, activists whack them

USA Today

Friday, October 14, 2011  |  News, Commentary & Updates

Fruit Suit

Ad Week

Friday, October 14, 2011  |  News, Commentary & Updates

Grocery association restates demands that federal food/beverage ad “principles” be withdrawn

Food Navigator-USA

Friday, October 14, 2011  |  News, Commentary & Updates

UK Consumer Activists Urge Greater Use Of “Traffic Light” Approach on Food Labels

Food Navigator

Thursday, October 13, 2011  |  News, Commentary & Updates

Childhood Obesity War a Food Fight?

Politico

Thursday, October 13, 2011  |  News, Commentary & Updates

Coca-cola, Fruit Loops, and Lobbying are among CSPI’s “Terrible Ten” public health threats

Chicago Tribune

Thursday, October 13, 2011  |  News, Commentary & Updates

Utah Legislator Pushes Carbonated Beverage Tax to Fund Education

Daily Herald

Wednesday, October 12, 2011  |  News, Commentary & Updates

Foodmakers “Win” Scaled Back Guidelines for Kid Ads

BusinessWeek

Wednesday, October 12, 2011  |  News, Commentary & Updates

General Mills directly engages activists on self-regulation

PreventObesity.net

Wednesday, October 12, 2011  |  News, Commentary & Updates

Goverment Pulls Back on Junk Food Marketing Proposal

CBS News/AP

Wednesday, October 12, 2011  |  News, Commentary & Updates

Hearing a “Victory for opponents of food marketing guidelines”

Adweek

Wednesday, October 12, 2011  |  News, Commentary & Updates

Political food fight over junk food ads to kids

MSNBC

Wednesday, October 12, 2011  |  News, Commentary & Updates

Silly Government, Parenting Is for Parents

The Hill

Wednesday, October 12, 2011  |  News, Commentary & Updates

To Rep. Waxman, Food = Tobacco

The Hill’s Healthwatch Blog

Tuesday, October 11, 2011  |  News, Commentary & Updates

“Health Advocates” Line Up Against Sugary Drinks

brand channel

Tuesday, October 11, 2011  |  WLF Resources

On Eve of Congressional Hearings, FTC Makes Strategic Concessions on Food/Beverage Marketing Guidelines

WLF Legal Pulse blog

Tuesday, October 11, 2011  |  News, Commentary & Updates

Why Brits Shouldn’t Jump on the Sin Tax Bandwagon

Spiked Online

Monday, October 10, 2011  |  News, Commentary & Updates

Denmark’s Fat Tax? Now That’s Rich!

The Atlantic

Monday, October 10, 2011  |  News, Commentary & Updates

FoodPolitik: A fat tax for an obese bureaucracy

Daily Caller

Friday, October 7, 2011  |  News, Commentary & Updates

France strikes a blow against American food imperialism, bans ketchup in schools

The Moderate Voice

Friday, October 7, 2011  |  News, Commentary & Updates

With ideas failing to gain traction in U.S., American food/drink tax advocate invades Australia

Tax-News

Thursday, October 6, 2011  |  News, Commentary & Updates

Activists decry “Box Tops for Education” program as stealth promoter of “junk food”

HealthState.org

Thursday, October 6, 2011  |  News, Commentary & Updates

League of Paternalistic Activists rally to “save” federal guidelines on kid-directed food & drink marketing

Los Angeles Times Booster Shots blog

Thursday, October 6, 2011  |  News, Commentary & Updates

To fatten up its frail economy, France doubles tax on sugary drinks

UK Daily Mail

Wednesday, October 5, 2011  |  News, Commentary & Updates

Fat tax, touchdown tax, let’s just tax!

Time Magazine’s Curious Capitalist

Wednesday, October 5, 2011  |  News, Commentary & Updates

Food Politics blogger stumbles upon the truth: “If kids watch a lot of TV — and they have a TV set in their bedrooms — they are at high risk of becoming obese. The obvious conclusion? Get rid of the TV.”

The Atlantic

Wednesday, October 5, 2011  |  News, Commentary & Updates

Government’s highest duty is making “healthy options” the default dietary choice?

The Examiner

Wednesday, October 5, 2011  |  News, Commentary & Updates

Paternalists who don’t have to implement them find federal guidelines for kid-directed food/drink ads “refreshingly simple”

The Hill

Tuesday, October 4, 2011  |  News, Commentary & Updates

Editorial: Sin Taxes a Recipe for Disaster

Calgary Herald

Tuesday, October 4, 2011  |  News, Commentary & Updates

More expensive hummus, hard boiled eggs, join less “healthy” choices in public school vending machines

New York Times News Service

Tuesday, October 4, 2011  |  News, Commentary & Updates

NY Times’ Mark Bittman living his fantasy as Denmark embraces fat tax

NY Times Opinionator blog

Monday, October 3, 2011  |  News, Commentary & Updates

Finland, Romania may join Denmark with tax on high-saturated fat foods

Los Angeles Times Booster Shots blog

Monday, October 3, 2011  |  News, Commentary & Updates

In the midst of European economic struggles, Denmark adopts a sin tax on high-saturated fat foods

ABC News

Thursday, September 29, 2011  |  News, Commentary & Updates

Activist assails food makers for having the temerity to offer clear information on front of packages

The Atlantic

Thursday, September 29, 2011  |  News, Commentary & Updates

Another activist rings the alarm bell to help save “voluntary” food/beverage marketing restrictions

The Atlantic

Thursday, September 29, 2011  |  News, Commentary & Updates

Call by Mark Bittman for food taxes ignores slippery slope

myNewOrleans.com

Thursday, September 29, 2011  |  News, Commentary & Updates

Major changes expected to Interagency Working Group advertising proposal

Broadcasting & Cable

Thursday, September 29, 2011  |  WLF Resources

Signs Both Encouraging and Discouraging in Agencies’ Letter on “Voluntary” Food & Drink Ad Guidelines

WLF Legal Pulse blog

Thursday, September 29, 2011  |  News, Commentary & Updates

The FTC’s proposed voluntary guidelines: Crowding out private philanthropy one industry at a time

Philanthropy Daily

Wednesday, September 28, 2011  |  News, Commentary & Updates

Federal efforts to regulate sodium could prove unpopular: 6 of 10 consumers in surveys feel their salt intake is just fine

Food Navigator USA

Wednesday, September 28, 2011  |  News, Commentary & Updates

Seeing support for “voluntary” federal guidelines on food ad limits waver, CSPI and activist scientists write to the President

CSPI

Wednesday, September 28, 2011  |  News, Commentary & Updates

Two “prominent experts” criticize federal rejection of New York City’s effort to ban use of food stamps on soda

New York Times City Room blog

Wednesday, September 28, 2011  |  News, Commentary & Updates

Why Beverage Taxes Won’t Reduce Obesity

Philadelphia Inquirer

Tuesday, September 27, 2011  |  News, Commentary & Updates

“Obese” on the Way Out? Yale Institute Tells Doctors: Use “Unhealthy Weight”, Not “Obese”, When Assessing Children

Yale Rudd Institute

Tuesday, September 27, 2011  |  News, Commentary & Updates

FoodPolitik: Food cops have sour prescription for our diets

Daily Caller

Monday, September 26, 2011  |  News, Commentary & Updates

News Flash: A Healthy Home-Cooked Meal Costs Less Than Fast Food

TIME Moneyland

Friday, September 23, 2011  |  News, Commentary & Updates

Ability of Soda Taxes to Reduce Consumption Is Debatable at Best

You Beauty.com

Thursday, September 22, 2011  |  News, Commentary & Updates

Food Makers Rename Voluntary Front-of-Package Labeling Program; Activists Cry Foul

Marketing Daily

Wednesday, September 21, 2011  |  News, Commentary & Updates

Former FDA Commissioner Kessler argues in context of UN event that food & beverage advertising fall outside First Amendment

Washington Post

Wednesday, September 21, 2011  |  News, Commentary & Updates

Former FDA Commissioner Kessler argues in context of UN event that food & beverage advertising fall outside First Amendment

Washington Post

Wednesday, September 21, 2011  |  News, Commentary & Updates

Law School Institute Releases Guide to Suing Food & Beverage Companies Over Marketing

The Public Health Advocacy Institute

Tuesday, September 20, 2011  |  News, Commentary & Updates

Ag Secretary Lectures Restaurants on How to “Create an Appropriate Transition” for What We Eat

CNS News

Tuesday, September 20, 2011  |  News, Commentary & Updates

Demonization of Food & Beverage Industries Goes Global at UN Event

NPR Shots health blog

Tuesday, September 20, 2011  |  News, Commentary & Updates

FDA Failure to Define “Natural” Inspiring Litigation

Wall Street Journal

Friday, September 16, 2011  |  News, Commentary & Updates

Philadelphia Rejects Hospital’s Offer to Fund Anti-Obesity Program Because of Donations by Beverage Industry Group

Philly.com

Friday, September 16, 2011  |  News, Commentary & Updates

Senate Appropriations Committee Sets December 15 Deadline for Agencies Draft “Report” on Child-Directed Food & Beverage Ads

Ad Week

Thursday, September 15, 2011  |  WLF Resources

Five Questions for . . . CFBAI’s Elaine Kolish on Self Regulation of Advertising

WLF Legal Pulse

Thursday, September 15, 2011  |  News, Commentary & Updates

Junk Science Scare Tactics by “Dr. Oz” on Apple Juice? Even FDA Says Yes

MedPage Today

Wednesday, September 14, 2011  |  News, Commentary & Updates

Man Sues White Castle Hamburger Restaurant Over Too-Small Booths

My Fox New York

Tuesday, September 13, 2011  |  News, Commentary & Updates

Congressional Leaders Question Agencies’ Draft “Report” to Congress on Child-Directed Food & Beverage Ads

Regulatory Rumblings blog

Wednesday, September 7, 2011  |  News, Commentary & Updates

Center for Science in the Public Interest cooks up support for sugary-drink taxes

Eating Well Food News blog

Wednesday, September 7, 2011  |  News, Commentary & Updates

Kashi Cereal Targeted with Class Action on Use of “Natural”

FDA Law Blog

Wednesday, September 7, 2011  |  WLF Resources

Putting Cart Before Horse in a Consumer Class Action?

WLF Legal Pulse

Tuesday, September 6, 2011  |  News, Commentary & Updates

Boston City Officials Turn to Media in Demonization of Soda Efforts

Boston.com

Tuesday, September 6, 2011  |  News, Commentary & Updates

Boston City Officials Turn to Media in Demonization of Soda Efforts

Boston.com

Tuesday, September 6, 2011  |  News, Commentary & Updates

Law Professors Pro and Con Debate Government’s “Voluntary” Kid-directed Food Ad Guidelines

Wall Street Journal Law Blog

Saturday, September 3, 2011  |  News, Commentary & Updates

New Food Labeling Regulation in the Offing?

San Jose Mercury News

Wednesday, August 31, 2011  |  WLF Resources

Is FTC Exposing Businesses to Antitrust Suits with “Voluntary” Food Advertising Limit Proposal?

WLF Legal Pulse

Wednesday, August 31, 2011  |  News, Commentary & Updates

Update: Federal Court Won’t Throw Out Nutella Suit

Consumer Class Actions & Mass Torts blog

Tuesday, August 30, 2011  |  News, Commentary & Updates

Study Says Eating Chocolate Good for the Heart

Environmental News Network

Thursday, August 25, 2011  |  News, Commentary & Updates

From the Ivoriest of Towers: Only Taxes and Regulation Can Save World from Obesity

The Daily Caller

Tuesday, August 23, 2011  |  WLF Resources

ObamaCare “Public Health Fund”: Federal Financial Support for State, Local Obesity “Sin Tax” Policies”?

WLF Legal Pulse blog

Friday, August 19, 2011  |  News, Commentary & Updates

Federal Regulators Reject NYC Effort to Cut Food Stamp Recipients Off from Soda

New York Times

Thursday, August 18, 2011  |  News, Commentary & Updates

Obamacare menu regs eat into small-business profits

Washington Examiner

Wednesday, August 17, 2011  |  News, Commentary & Updates

Fat-uous Approach to the Obesity Problem

The Rationalist, Forbes.com blog

Tuesday, August 9, 2011  |  News, Commentary & Updates

Coconut Water Makers Sued Over Nutrition Claims

Thomson Reuters News & Insight

Tuesday, August 9, 2011  |  WLF Resources

Regulators & Activists Attack Enterprises’ Most Valuable Assets: Their Brands

WLF Legal Pulse blog

Friday, August 5, 2011  |  WLF Resources

“Voluntary” Speech Principles: High Court Offers Food For Thought On Advertising Regulatory Initiative

WLF Legal Backgrounder

Wednesday, August 3, 2011  |  News, Commentary & Updates

Nutella Wars

OpenMarket.org

Tuesday, August 2, 2011  |  News, Commentary & Updates

Can Big Food Regulate Itself? Fat Chance

Mark Bittman’s N.Y. Times Opinionator

Friday, July 29, 2011  |  News, Commentary & Updates

Fat taxes go over like a lead balloon

Washington Times

Monday, July 25, 2011  |  News, Commentary & Updates

Food Label Redesign Contest Entries Stress Scary Imagery Over Facts

Good Food blog

Monday, July 25, 2011  |  News, Commentary & Updates

Meddling in Other People’s Diets Is ‘Fun’ and ‘Inspiring’

Reason Hit and Run

Monday, July 11, 2011  |  News, Commentary & Updates

Mandatory Voluntary Guidelines

Huffington Post

Friday, July 8, 2011  |  WLF Resources

Menu Labeling Mandate: Regulation for the Sake of Regulating

WLF Legal Pulse blog

Friday, July 8, 2011  |  News, Commentary & Updates

Not So Grrrreat!

Wall Street Journal

Thursday, July 7, 2011  |  WLF Resources

In Re Food Marketing to Children

WLF regulatory comments to Interagency Working Group

Sunday, July 3, 2011  |  News, Commentary & Updates

Soda Taxes: politics vs. public health

Marion Nestle’s Food Politics blog

Thursday, June 30, 2011  |  News, Commentary & Updates

Local Laws Fighting Fat Under Siege

New York Times

Wednesday, June 29, 2011  |  WLF Resources

New England Journal of Medicine Supplements Echo Chamber of Food Nanny Activists

WLF Legal Pulse

Monday, June 27, 2011  |  News, Commentary & Updates

Doctors’ Group, Oblivious of Constitution, Seek Ban on “Fast Food” TV Ads

Fox News.com

Friday, June 24, 2011  |  News, Commentary & Updates

Food Police Arrest of Our Diet is a First-Course Mistake

The Daily Journal

Monday, June 13, 2011  |  WLF Resources

In re: Nutrition Labeling of Standard Menu Items in Restaurants and Similar Retail Food Establishments

WLF regulatory comments to Food & Drug Administration

Friday, June 10, 2011  |  News, Commentary & Updates

Proposed Class Rep Not Adequate in Deceitful Iced Tea Case

Mass Tort Defense blog

Saturday, June 4, 2011  |  WLF Resources

Kicking The Soda Can: Hard Truths About Soft Drink Taxes

WLF Legal Backgrounder by Patrick Basham, an adjunct scholar at the Cato Institute, and John Luik, a senior fellow at the Democracy Institute.

Friday, June 3, 2011  |  News, Commentary & Updates

Obamacare Healthcare Grants Inspire Soda Taxation

Los Angeles Times

Wednesday, May 18, 2011  |  News, Commentary & Updates

McDonald’s Pressured to Fire Ronald

Wall Street Journal

Monday, May 2, 2011  |  News, Commentary & Updates

Bully Pulpits, Not Food Bureaucracy

National Review Online

Sunday, May 1, 2011  |  News, Commentary & Updates

Step-by-Step Guide from Law School Clinic on How to Impose Dietary Sin Taxes

William Mitchell College of Law’s Public Health Law Center

Thursday, April 21, 2011  |  News, Commentary & Updates

Proposed Calif. Soda Tax Would Fund Youth Anti-Obesity Programs

Education Week

Tuesday, April 5, 2011  |  News, Commentary & Updates

Go Philly!

Mark Bittman’s N.Y. Times Opinionator

Tuesday, April 5, 2011  |  News, Commentary & Updates

Go Philly!

Mark Bittman’s N.Y. Times Opinionator

Monday, April 4, 2011  |  News, Commentary & Updates

Federal Court Dismisses “Diet Coke Plus” Class Action

Consumer Class Actions & Mass Torts blog

Friday, April 1, 2011  |  News, Commentary & Updates

Class Action Lawsuits Set to ‘Explode’ in Health Claims Area

Food Navigator USA

Tuesday, February 22, 2011  |  WLF Resources

Mandatory Labeling of Genetically Enhanced Foods: Why It’s Not on the Policy Menu

WLF Legal Pulse blog

Monday, February 14, 2011  |  WLF Resources

Attacks on Food Companies’ Front-of-Package Labels a Small Taste from a Supersized Agenda

WLF Legal Pulse

Wednesday, February 9, 2011  |  WLF Resources

Suit Against Nutella Maker: Not Part of a Balanced (or Rational) Regulatory Process

WLF Legal Pulse

Monday, November 8, 2010  |  WLF Resources

New Prohibitionists Gradually Eat Away Our Freedom to Choose

WLF Legal Pulse

Thursday, September 16, 2010  |  WLF Resources

Preemption Rejected In Advocacy Group’s VitaminWater® Consumer Class Action

WLF Counsel’s Advisory

Friday, November 6, 2009  |  News, Commentary & Updates

After Calorie Warnings, New York City Diners Order More Calories

Wall Street Journal

Friday, July 10, 2009  |  WLF Resources

Is FDA Warning Letter An Ominous Signal To Food Industry?

WLF Legal Opinion Letter

Friday, March 13, 2009  |  WLF Resources

In Re Pepsico Provides Guidance On Arguing Express Preemption

WLF Legal Backgrounder

Thursday, October 30, 2008  |  WLF Resources

Self-Regulation of Advertising: Does it Effectively Advance Free Speech & Consumer Protection?

WLF Media Briefing program

Friday, September 19, 2008  |  WLF Resources

We Interrupt This Program…Is FCC’s Product Placement & Integration Proposal Necessary And Legal?

WLF Legal Backgrounder

Friday, June 13, 2008  |  WLF Resources

Losing More than Weight? How Taxes, Speech Mandates & other Anti-Obesity Policies Threaten Personal Freedom

WLF Web Seminar program

Friday, June 13, 2008  |  WLF Resources

Losing More than Weight? How Taxes, Speech Mandates & other Anti-Obesity Policies Threaten Personal Freedom

WLF Web Seminar

Saturday, December 1, 2007  |  WLF Resources

Nutrition Labeling On Menu Boards And Menus: A Recipe For Failure

WLF Working Paper

Friday, August 10, 2007  |  WLF Resources

Marketing And Child Obesity: Questioning The Claimed Linkage

WLF Legal Opinion Letter

Wednesday, August 1, 2007  |  WLF Resources

Science Through The Looking-Glass: The Manipulation Of “Addiction” & Its Influence Over Obesity Policy

WLF Monograph

Friday, February 23, 2007  |  WLF Resources

UK To Impose New Restrictions On Food Advertisements To Children

WLF Counsel’s Advisory

Thursday, February 1, 2007  |  WLF Resources

Advertising On The Edge: Viral, Buzz Word-of-Mouth And Much, Much More…

WLF Contemporary Legal Note

Tuesday, December 5, 2006  |  WLF Resources

Self-Regulation of Advertising: Promoting Responsibility and Maintaining Commercial Speech

WLF Media Briefing program

Tuesday, August 1, 2006  |  WLF Resources

Ideology Masked As Scientific Truth: The Debate About Children And Advertising

WLF Monograph

Friday, March 10, 2006  |  WLF Resources

Impending Legal Attacks On Food Ads Should Not Be Welcome In Court

WLF Legal Backgrounder

Friday, November 18, 2005  |  WLF Resources

Would You Like A Prop 65 Warning With Those Fries?

WLF LEGAL BACKGROUNDER by Ann Grimaldi, a partner with the law firm McKenna Long & Aldridge LLP.

Friday, May 6, 2005  |  WLF Resources

My “Big Fat”Update: Courts Disserve Rule Of Law In Food Lawsuits Decisions

WLF Legal Backgrounder

Monday, April 25, 2005  |  WLF Resources

Exploiting Beer, Liquor, and Food

WLF In All Fairness Advertorial

Tuesday, February 8, 2005  |  WLF Resources

In re Proposed Rule on the Nutrient Content Claim “Lean”

WLF regulatory comment to Food & Drug Administration

Friday, September 3, 2004  |  WLF Resources

Heavyweight Litigation: Will Public Nuisance Theories Tackle The Food Industry?

WLF Legal Backgrounder

Friday, March 14, 2003  |  WLF Resources

Suits Against “Big Fat” Tread On Basic Tort Liability Principles

WLF Legal Backgrounder

Monday, April 15, 2002  |  WLF Resources

Eating Away Our Freedoms

WLF In All Fairness Advertorial

Response to Dr. Nestle

Repsonse

 

Repsonse

 

Repsonse

 

 

Repsonse

 

 

Repsonse

 

 

Repsonse

Fifth Annual SIR College Bowl Pick ‘Em

Download Bowl Spreadsheet

Dear Friends,

Happy Chanukah! Merry Christmas! Happy New Year’s! And most importantly, Happy College Bowl Season!

Yes, ‘tis the season when I can permissibly subject you to two short notes.  If you haven’t yet received the first—in the form of a Christmas/Holiday Card—it’s because I’ve either 1) found a particularly engrossing fiction read, 2) haven’t yet tracked down your address this year, or 3) because I’ve overdosed on holiday parties and eggnog.  If you fear that reason 2 is the culprit (or if you just want to save me the hassle of searching past emails, text messages, and business cards), please email me with your address!

But more importantly is the second piece of correspondence: an invitation to participate in the FIFTH annual SIR College Bowl Pick Em’ Contest.

For those of you who have not played before, this is a fairly simple process.  I’ve attached (Download Bowl Spreadsheet) a Microsoft Excel spreadsheet. In the first two columns are the two opposing teams, column C has the date of the game, and column D lists the bowl names. In column E, you have to list which team you think you will win.  Each correct pick is worth one point, except the BCS games which are worth two points each (the five BCS games are highlighted in red).  Also, for tie-breaking purposes, please list your undergraduate school and your home state (I will explain this later for those who sign up).

When you have predicted a winner for each game, please save the spreadsheet as your name (e.g. HARRYJAMESPOTTER) and send it to me at Stephen.richer@gmail.com. This email must be sent by 3:00 PM EST on December 19.

Per usual, fantastic prizes will be given to the top finishers.  In past years, winners have received books, menorahs, t-shirts, memorabilia from wherever I’m currently living, etc. I have pretty nice noise-cancellation headphones that I got from a corporate wellness program that I never opened—I think they might be a top prize.  If you have anything lying around your house that you want to donate as a prize, please let me know.

But the real prize is being able to see your name atop the list of competitors, many of whom are known for a good deal of trash-talking.

Please invite others. To qualify to participate, I have to have interacted with you at least once, or I have to have heard your name at least twice from another friend. (e.g. if you are Colorado friend of Kevin Lander’s, I promise I have heard your name).

There is of course no entrance fee. But if you want to send me a check just for fun, please make it out to StephenRicherForCongress2024.

Happy Holidays!

SIR

Download Bowl Spreadsheet

The Lost Symbol

Stephen Richer

Review of Dan Brown’s The Lost Symbol

To all outward appearances, the United States government did not have its best performance last week.  President Obama canceled the missile defense program, effectively placing Poland and the Czech Republic back under the Russian sphere of influence; George Mitchell returned home after failing to find common ground in Jerusalem, and the healthcare debate continued to focus on coverage and death panels instead of competition and cost.

But not all went wrong.  Thanks to Robert Langdon, the U.S. government avoided a potentially devastating scandal.

In The Lost Symbol—Dan Brown’s new bestseller—protagonist Robert Langdon this time takes to Washington D.C., where he discovers secrets far greater than why the Nationals baseball team is so bad.

The book is in essence very similar to Brown’s Angels & Demons and DaVinci Code—braniac professor thwarts exotic bad guy by solving a series of puzzles while running around with a similarly smart and attractive woman, both of whom overwhelm the reader with facts delivered in discordant lectures, most of which exist not to advance the story line, but to prove that Brown spent more time researching his fiction than Jimmy Carter does his non-fiction.

Unfortunately the book lacks some of the twists and turns of Brown’s previous novels—there is no hidden bad guy waiting to be revealed at the last moment; it’s fairly obvious where the final clue is located; and the killer’s link to the central Solomon family is also transparent.

But the book is still an enjoyable (and incredibly fast) read.  And more important than its literary merits are the effects it will undoubtedly have on Washington D.C. and the United States.  First, as cited by the Washington Post, Symbol will undoubtedly boost D.C. tourism, just as Demons and DaVinci created huge new interest in Rome and Paris.  It won’t be long before D.C. has specialized Dan Brown tours.  Fortunately, this will provide families with a less-expensive substitute for European vacations, and it will help the United States catch France (the leader) in international tourism.  The only real losers on this front are the congressional interns, “No ma’am, I cannot take you down to the secret basement vaults in Congress.”

(Note: If you are a D.C. resident, visit these sites before it is too late: Sixteenth Street Masonic Temple, King Street Masonic Temple, Capitol, Library of Congress, top of Washington Monument).

The second thing to look out for is another rise in art history majors.  I still remember being frustrated with a requisite microeconomics class that kept me from taking Intro To Art History on the heels of the DaVinci Code.  Some might complain that what our country really needs is scientists and engineers.  But if art majors discover the truth of the Holy Grail or save the Vatican from destruction, who can complain that they will never patent new technology?

Lastly, The Lost Symbol’s focus on the Masons and other secret societies ensures that conspiracy theories will not be leaving our country any time soon.  Considering the annoyances of the “birthers” on the right and the “truthers” on the left, I almost wish I was back in high school where the most popular conspiracy theory—that the Mormon Church ran our state—seemed at least somewhat reasonable.

But for good or bad, the dam has burst—The Lost Symbol is out, and considering the first printing is for 6.5 million copies, it’s bound to make its mark.

The Music Stops on The Man With Perfect Pitch

Stephen Richer
8/4/09
The Music Stops on The Man With Perfect Pitch

Since the 2008 election, Republican leaders have been playing an odd game of musical chairs. Mitt Romney has altered the game so that instead of running when the music starts, he sits calmly in his gold-covered chair, only shifting his position when it comes close to election time. Sarah Palin gave up her chair, but she claims she can play the game (even better) without one. Newt Gingrich prefers book-publishing to chair-chasing, but his supporters have saved him a chair anyway. And Michael Steele is currently redesigning the chairs in the hope that his bottom will be the only one that properly fits.

But despite these antics, the game still mirrors the one played in first grade—one player loses a chair each round when the music stops.

For Bobby Jindal, the music stopped just when it should have started—during his rebuttal to President Obama’s State of The Union. Mark Sanford lost his chair somewhere in the Appalachian Trail, and John Ensign lost his chair despite the best effort of his parents.

This week’s dropout is Utah Governor Jon Huntsman Jr.—President Obama’s pick for ambassador to China.

Unfortunately, Huntsman is exactly the type of competent conservative that the Republican Party needs. Evidence? According to the Pew Center on the States, Utah is the “The Best Managed State in the Nation.” In May 2008, Forbes Magazine named Salt Lake City one of the top 10 “recession proof cities,” and it goes on to describe Utah as the second best state for business. Throughout most of his tenure, Huntsman held approval ratings above 80 percent, and he won reelection in 2008 with 77.6 percent of the vote. Governor Huntsman is intelligent, has strong conservative credentials, is free of controversy, and, as an added bonus, he is wealthy enough to make his own waves.

National recognition of Huntsman had just begun to grow prior to Obama’s appointment. The Washington Post and USA Today both named him as one of the “top Republicans” in the months following the election, and the New York Times called him one of the leaders of “New Republicanism.” http://www.nytimes.com/2009/03/14/us/14utah.html. Prominent figures ranging from John McCain to John Kerry acknowledge Huntsman as a competent, knowledgeable, and eloquent leader.

So what happened?

First, and most obviously, President Obama nominated Huntsman to be Ambassador to China—and when the President asks you to serve in a position of high importance, it’s hard to say “no” even if he is of the other party. Some commentators say Obama deserves praise for ignoring party line to pick a Republican, but as Andrew Sullivan http://andrewsullivan.theatlantic.com/the_daily_dish/2009/05/the-huntsman-coup.htmland others have pointed out, the nomination could be seen as an Obama stratagem to eliminate a strong 2012 rival.

Second, Huntsman’s decision to leave the United States and Republican politics is partially self-motivated. The Governor has long had an interest in China—he served a two-year LDS mission in Taiwan and has returned to China and Taiwan many times on behalf of the United States government. After a year spent as the ambassador to Singapore (1992-93), he lobbied for the Chinese embassy—a wish that has now come true. Furthermore, if Huntsman does have an eye on the oval office, 2012 is not the right year. The field is already crowded with leftovers from 2008, and Mitt Romney is firmly entrenched as the “Mormon candidate.”

The third and final factor contributing to Huntsman’s departure is the attitude of the Republican Party. David Frum has previously noted that the Party may not yet be ready for Huntsman’s brand of moderate Republicanism (http://www.newmajority.com/kiss-another-reformist-goodbye/). This became especially apparent after the Grand Rapids Republican “unvitation” due to Huntsman’s endorsement of civil unions and the following reasonable statement:

“We must embrace all citizens as equals; I’ve always stood tall on this.”- New York Times

The Republican Party also continues to display a sad skepticism toward members of the Mormon (LDS) faith. Mike Huckabee did a masterful underhanded job of painting Mitt Romney as a cult member—Governor Huntsman would face the same charge if he moved into the national spotlight.

If the Republican Party has played a role in casting out one qualified leader, let’s make sure we don’t unjustly eliminate any more—heavens knows there are already too few chairs left in the game.

Fun stuff

Miss manners on greeting foreign heads-of-state:

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/06/09/AR2009060902992.html

Obama visits Denny’s

http://www.theonion.com/content/video/obama_drastically_scales_back?utm_source=a-section

Some Videos

 

On taxation: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ekKk4SkiC-w&eurl

On McDonalds: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q5H7IYPw40Q&feature=related

On mac vs. pc: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Jkrn6ecxthM&NR=1

Just some links

Just some links that I’ve been meaning to share:

Driving through districts:

http://volokh.com/posts/1242140642.shtml
Cleveland Television counts Lebron out a bit early…
http://nba.fanhouse.com/2009/05/24/lebron-james-cant-be-jinxed/

Ilya Shapiro on Sotomayor (CNN): http://www.cnn.com/2009/POLITICS/05/27/shapiro.scotus.identity/index.html

David Brooks on Obama administration (NY Times):
http://www.nytimes.com/2009/05/26/opinion/26brooks.html?_r=1

Washington Nationals. The worst show in baseball (WSJ):
http://online.wsj.com/article/SB124278645494837629.html

Hey, we might not be the greatest every year, but at least I went to a school with a real football team.
http://thequad.blogs.nytimes.com/2009/05/17/the-quad-countdown-no-107-tulane-for-sunday/

Vaclav Havel on the UN (NY TIMES):
http://www.nytimes.com/2009/05/11/opinion/11havel.html?_r=2

New Running Shoes
http://www.runnersworld.com/article/0,7120,s6-380-383–13012-1-1X2-3,00.html

Running… Running Around in Circles…
http://www.runnersworld.com/article/0,7120,s6-243-297–13032-0,00.html

Maureen Dowd on Twitter:

http://www.nytimes.com/2009/04/22/opinion/22dowd.html?_r=2

What does Judaism mean?

University of Chicago PhD political science student, Shayna Zamkanei is conducting a project on what it Judaism means/what being Jewish means to you. She has asked a large number of Jews in their 20s and 30s to respond to the question in 100 words.  She is still looking for participants. If you want to write, let me know.

Here is my response (though I consider myself far-from-expert on anything pertaining to religion):

Judaism is like the matrix, you can’t be told about it; you have to see it/experience it for yourself. As such, I can only hazard a “necessary but not sufficient” explanation of Judaism. Judaism necessitates the existence of others; it cannot exist in a vacuum. Religious Judaism proscribes 613 mitzvah that are supposed to be done “unto others (or God).” Hillel, while standing on one foot, said that Judaism is about one thing: “Do not unto others what you would not do to yourself.” The Tanakh and Talmud only open up to us when we are paired in study. Secular Judaism is likewise centered around shared experiences—Judaism can flourish through a shared passion for Israel, Jewish literature, or even Fiddler on The Roof. In sum, Judaism knew well before John Donne existed that “no man is an island.”

Organs

Luke, Lexi, and most especially Megan,
One of the things that regularly depresses me (fortunately there aren’t too many) is the limited efficacy of writing in today’s world. But for now I’m going to ignore this, largely because of the intelligence and “open-mindedness” of my intended audience (Megan), and take the time to write what should be at least an explanatory, if not persuasive, essay on why I support compensation for organ donors.
 
Let’s real quickly define what is at hand: The ability for an individual to give up his kidneys in exchange for some valuable consideration beyond the benefits of altruism as is expressly prohibited by the 1984 National Organ Transplant Act.
 
Per your preference, I’ll start with the practical (as opposed to the philosophical) justification for organ compensation.
 
Today, in 2009, more than 75,000 Americans require a kidney transplant. Approximately, 25,000 additional Americans are in need of a different type of organ. The average wait time for a kidney in the United States is almost five years. In 2008, 4,000 individuals on the waiting list died from complications arising from their need for organs.
 
As these numbers grow with the aging of the baby boomer generation, people will become more and more desperate. Already a substantial large black market exists that promotes unhealthy organ extractions or else organ extractions from the indigent in places like China.
 
Clearly altruism alone is not providing a sufficient number of organs. Compensation of some form can raise supply.
 
If the death and suffering of kidney patients is alone not enough to merit a change in the 1984 policy, then a cost benefit analysis is. The costs associated with people in need of kidneys are huge. The most conspicuous costs are the dialysis machines that patients must use—dialysis patients currently cost Medicare $20 billion dollars a year. Second, by not allowing organ transplants, we are wasting the lives of the 100,000 Americans in need of organs. Instead of contributing to society, these patients become weak, are regularly in the hospital, are incapable of strenuous activity, and live shorter lives. The GDP lost from these workers is significant. 
 
Philosophical:
 
This is an abbreviated version, but it should convey the main point at hand:
 
Dating back to John Locke, most Liberal philosophers have claimed that we have absolute property rights in our selves. To say otherwise, would be to insinuate that somebody owns a part of us—the greater the percentage, the more slave-like the conditions.
 
If we have absolute rights to property in self, we can do whatever we want with our bodies except violate the rights to non-interference of others. We can eat what we want; we can work when we want; we can watch as much TV as we want, and we can sleep with whom we want. As you suggested, this definition covers the right to prostitution so long as both parties are consenting (the problem with prostitution is that it often involves minors or girls that have been sold into the sex business, i.e. non-consenting person). Unless I’m mistaken, you also agree that we should be able to smoke marijuana in private confines because we have the right to put what we want in our bodies.
 
Why then would this right to use our bodies as we wish not extend to the right to extract organs? We’re allowed to remove our appendices; we’re allowed to sell our plasma; we’re allowed to sell sperm and eggs. How is an organ different from these things?
 
I don’t want to play the slippery-slope game (If the government can tell you what to do with your organs, then it will soon tell you exactly what you can and cannot do with your body, including 5 miles of regimented exercise every other day), but if the government is going to claim property rights in our bodies, it better have a pretty compelling reason for doing so (and this is what we discussed in the case of the prohibition of cocaine).
 
 So how do we make this work?
 
When I first started thinking a fair amount about organs in my senior year of college, my friends and I wanted to bring a lawsuit over our ability to bundle the post-mortem right to our organs. The concept was that we would get the cash now; promise not to smoke or engage in other unhealthy actions, and when we died they could harvest our bodies for any organs (this would have only worked with institutions like hospitals and research schools).
 
A lot of people point to post-mortem transplants as the solution to the kidney shortage. While this certainly be encouraged (through presumed-consent measures, etc.), it is not enough. Only a small percentage of post-mortem organs are useable and even these organs are of inferior quality.
 
So we need to be able to get organs from living people—do we just let the free market do its magic? Perhaps this would eventually be ideal, but I don’t think it’s the solution for right now for the following reasons:
 
People worry that the poor will be exploited.
People worry that the rich will get organs and the poor will not.
People worry about the safety of the donor.
 
So instead we should have the government regulate organ transfers. To solve problem 1, donators will have to go through a lengthy consent process to make sure they understand all of the implications of donating and that this is not just an impulsive decision. Also, instead of being compensated with cash, they would be compensated with something like free-health-care for life or free education at a public university. This keeps the organ transaction from working like a pawn store.  To solve problem number 2, the government should keep in place a law saying that you cannot sell your organs directly to another person. If you want to give your organs to a friend, a family member, or Joe Schmo on the street, you cannot be compensated. If you want to be compensated, then you need to go through the government. Government organs are given to people in order of their rank on the waiting list—not according to how much they can pay. The solution for number 3 is implicit in the solution for number 1, this is a long process in which all of the precautions are taken and in which the government will designate a qualifying hospital and surgeon.
 
The only “logical” argument I see for frowning upon this regulated organ extraction comes from those who believe that it is somehow spiritually impure or “not-right” for one person to house the organs of another, or for one person to give up his organs. Like I said, you can’t really argue with the logical path of this—if it is wrong, immoral to exchange organs, then you shouldn’t do it. I don’t personally subscribe to this (obviously)—any higher power I could believe in would allow you to give up your kidney to relieve the suffering of a human being.

There are other arguments against compensation of course, but I haven’t seen a truly convincing one yet. If you have a favorite, send it my way, and I will try to field an answer for it.
Will such a “half-market” solve the organ demand? Probably not, but it will go a long to way to relieving some of the suffering that is produced by 100,000 people waiting in line…
 
Most of the logic and data here is taken from my friend’s recent book on the subject:
 
When Altruism Isn’t Enough: The Case For Compensating Kidney Donors – Sally Satel
SIR