Reason Roundtable, 12/23/24
Source: Reason
“Was Biden Right to Take Prisoners Off Death Row?” (12/23/24)
https://reason.com/podcast/2024/12/23/was-biden-right-to-take-prisoners-off-death-row/
Author: Thomas L. Knapp
Biden Commutes 37 Death Sentences Ahead of Disgtaced President-Elect’s Plan to Resume Federal Executions
Source: New York Times
“President Biden on Monday commuted the sentences of nearly all prisoners on federal death row, sparing the lives of 37 men just a month before Donald J. Trump will return to the Oval Office with a promise to restart federal executions. Those affected by Mr. Biden’s action, all of whom were convicted of murder, will serve life imprisonment without the possibility of parole instead of facing execution. Only three men, who each carried out notorious mass killings, will remain on federal death row. The president campaigned in 2020 on ending the federal death penalty. Although proposed legislation to that effect failed to advance in Congress during his administration, Mr. Biden directed the Justice Department to issue a moratorium on federal executions. Thirteen prisoners on federal death row were put to death during Mr. Trump’s first term.” (12/23/24)
A Decaying Joe Biden Underlines the Need for a Less Powerful Presidency
Source: Reason
by JD Tuccille
“Observers of the American presidency warn with increasing frequency that the office of the country’s chief executive has acquired power more befitting a monarchy than a republic with elected officials. But what if the person holding that office is a placeholder for aides who cocoon the president and who really make the decisions? That is, what if all that growing power is wielded by an unelected and relatively faceless circle of advisers? That brings us to the Biden administration which, in just one term, has powerfully reinforced the argument for making the presidency much less important.” (12/23/24)
NY: Mangione pleads not guilty to state murder, terror charges in CEO killing
Source: United Press International
“Luigi Mangione, the suspect in the shooting death of UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson, pleaded not guilty to state murder and terror charges Monday. Mangione, 26, replied ‘not guilty’ as he was presented the 11 charges in connection with the shooting, including first-degree murder in furtherance of terrorism, two counts of second-degree murder, two counts of criminal possession of a weapon in the second degree, and four counts of criminal possession of a weapon in the third degree. If convicted of the state charges, Mangione faces life in prison without the possibility of parole. The Manhattan District Attorney’s office said he has been working with federal authorities to make the arraignment happen even though a time has not been set.” (12/23/24)
https://www.upi.com/Top_News/US/2024/12/23/Mangione-Manhattan-court-plea/3181734965949/
Charity Begins at Home
Source: EconLog
by John Alcorn
“Charity naturally has circles and gradients. A charitable soul will perforce soon go bankrupt unless she targets and calibrates her gifts. Individual philanthropy might ignore the neediest, who tend to be socially remote from prosperous potential donors. Private institutions — for example, churches and charitable foundations — might partly specialize in extending the scope of sympathy and charity, if they, too, can reliably identify true need and desert. However, A Christmas Carol focusses narrowly on the issue of individual philanthropy by businessmen. Dickens ignores the invisible hand of markets-and-competition. Given the stark fallout of rapid industrialization and urbanization, his focus is understandable. Nonetheless the focus on Scrooge’s redemption implicitly oversells the potential effectiveness of seasonal charity in business circles as a remedy to destitution.” (12/23/24)
AR: Federal judge notices state’s censorship law is unconstitutional
Source: Northwest Arkansas Democrat-Gazette
“A federal judge has struck down as unconstitutional two provisions of a state law aimed at criminalizing the furnishing of obscene materials to minors at public libraries and bookstores. The law was challenged by the American Civil Liberties Union of Arkansas and others on behalf of a coalition of public libraries, booksellers, patrons of bookstores, boookseller associations and author associations. … Plaintiffs argued the law was vague and contained undefined terms that could subject the librarian and bookstore plaintiffs to a credible fear of prosecution, as they are uncertain what lengths they must go to in order to comply with the law. [U.S. District Judge Timothy L.] Brooks said it also follows that to avoid criminal prosecution, librarians and booksellers would have no other choice but to burden older minors’ and adults’ access to books that contain even a modicum of sexual content.” (12/23/24)
https://www.nwaonline.com/news/2024/dec/23/federal-judge-rules-arkansas-law-involving/
The Story of “Santa’s Last Journey”
Source: Foundation for Economic Education
by Roger Koopman
“Reproducing this story fifty years later delivers an especially poignant message. It is just as relevant now as it was in 1974, and none of the federal harassments Santa faced back then have gone away! They have only grown more pervasive and more crushing of our liberties.” (12/23/24)
France: Macron unveils new regime under PM Francois Bayrou
Source: Deutsche Welle [German state media]
“The office of French President Emmanuel Macron presented a new government under new Prime Minister Francois Bayrou on Monday, almost three weeks after the collapse of the previous administration. This is France’s fourth government in 2024.” (12/23/24)
https://www.dw.com/en/france-unveils-new-government-under-pm-francois-bayrou/a-71149291
There Are No Lost Causes
Source: The Dispatch
by Kevin D Williamson
“Syria. Bangladesh. Poland. South African democracy. The Ukrainian defense forces. The Greek economy. If there is a lesson to be learned from the events of 2024, it is this: There are no lost causes.” (12/23/24)
Nissan, Honda formally announce merger plans
Source: CNN
“Honda and Nissan have formally agreed to hold talks over the next six months on a possible merger, a deal that would create the world’s third-largest automaker and give them more resources to compete with a growing threat from Chinese carmakers. A third, smaller Japanese automaker, Mitsubishi, which is already in an alliance with Nissan, will also participate in the talks. The combined company, should it be created, would trail only Toyota (TM) and Volkswagen in global sales.” (12/23/24)
https://www.cnn.com/2024/12/23/business/nissan-honda-merge-automakers-intl-hnk/index.html