Source: Electronic Frontier Foundation
by Corynne McSherry
“Discussions about illegal activity clearly are protected speech. Indeed, the Supreme Court recently affirmed that even ‘advocacy of illegal acts’ is ‘within the First Amendment’s core.’ In fact, protecting such speech is a central purpose of the First Amendment because it ensures that people can robustly debate civil and criminal laws and advocate for change. There is no reason to imagine that this bedrock principle doesn’t apply just because the speech concerns copyright infringement –especially where the speakers aren’t even defendants in the case, but independent third parties. And unmasking Does in copyright cases carries particular risks given the long history of copyright claims being used as an excuse to take down lawful as well as infringing content online.” (12/19/24)
https://www.eff.org/deeplinks/2024/12/theres-no-copyright-exception-first-amendment-protections-anonymous-speech
Source: Washington Post
“The Teamsters are launching strikes against seven Amazon warehouses Thursday, in the union’s biggest provocation yet against the nation’s second-largest private employer, threatening to delay some package delivery during the busy Christmas season. The strikes will take place at sites in New York City, Atlanta, San Francisco, Skokie, Ill., and Southern California. Roughly 9,000 Amazon workers around the country have joined the Teamsters, according to the union, but Amazon has refused to recognize their union and bargain with them. The Teamsters are hoping to force Amazon to the bargaining table to hammer out a union contract with this round of strikes, which they are threatening to expand. ‘If your package is delayed during the holidays, you can blame Amazon’s insatiable greed,’ Teamsters President Sean O’Brien said. … Amazon has said the union illegally coerced its workers to join, a key reason it cites for not recognizing the union’s representation of the workers.” (12/19/24)
https://archive.is/vdvYS
Source: New York Post
by Miranda Devine
“The shamelessness of the first family was writ large at the White House this week as the president’s final whirl of Christmas parties attracted social media ‘influencers’ whose biggest thrill was posting selfies with celebrity nepotist Hunter Biden. In the very week that he was due to be sentenced to jail for tax fraud, the first son merrily pressed the flesh and flashed his $70,000 pearly whites, secure in the knowledge that his father’s ‘full and unconditional’ pardon has got him off the hook for any and all crimes committed for the past 11 years. The outrage over Hunter’s pardon has been buried in an avalanche of other pardons Joe Biden has been doling out like candy to assorted scumbags. … It’s a fitting end to Biden’s benighted presidency.” (12/18/24)
https://nypost.com/2024/12/18/opinion/miranda-devine-if-joe-biden-can-pardon-his-son-hunter-why-cant-he-do-the-same-for-devon-archer/
Source: ABC 9 Chattanooga
“Big Lots is preparing to close all remaining locations, following the closure of hundreds of stores and filing for Chapter 11 bankruptcy, the company announced on Thursday. … In an email to employees, shared with Nexstar and reported by The Hill, president and CEO Bruce Thorn stated that the planned store closures could ‘be reversed if we successfully complete a sale.'” (12/19/24)
https://newschannel9.com/news/nation-world/big-lots-to-close-all-stores-after-bankruptcy-and-failed-sale-with-nexus-capital-bruce-thorn-closing-down-warn-act-job-loss-unemployment
Source: The Hill
“Robby Soave delivers a radar on how funding for censorship agency was added to the continuing resolution.” (12/19/24)
https://thehill.com/hilltv/5048329-rising-december-19-2024/
Source: Future of Freedom Foundation
“Should Judeo-Christian Principles Be Taught in the Public Schools?” (12/19/24)
https://libertarianangle.libsyn.com/should-judeo-christian-principles-be-taught-in-the-public-schools
Source: Ludwig von Mises Institute
by Heather Carson
“I first came across the idea of fads within the education system upon reading Reginald Damerall’s book Education Smoking Gun. In it, Damerall details the total lack of scholarship in the education colleges, which leads to a vulnerability to faddishness in teaching. Teachers are led away from time tested teaching methods to methods that seem more exciting, more progressive, and less intellectual, in an effort to be more inclusive and make learning more fun. Nowhere has this been more evident than in the area of reading instruction.” (12/19/24)
https://mises.org/mises-wire/nations-reading-instruction-disaster
Source: US News & World Report
“Specialty pharmacies and online companies that have been selling off-brand copies of two blockbuster drugs for obesity and diabetes will need to phase out their versions next year under a federal decision issued Thursday. The Food and Drug Administration said that a nationwide shortage of Eli Lilly’s Zepbound and Mounjaro has been resolved, eliminating the need for copycat versions of the drugs that have become wildly popular with Americans trying to lose weight. The decision is a win for Lilly — which had been pressing the FDA to take the step for months — and is expected to impact how patients access the drugs, including how much they pay. Zepbound is FDA-approved to treat obesity and Mounjaro is approved for diabetes. They use the same active ingredient, tirzepatide. The FDA said Thursday that ‘Lilly’s supply is currently meeting or exceeding demand,’ after two years of shortages.” (12/19/24)
https://www.usnews.com/news/business/articles/2024-12-19/fda-says-knockoff-versions-of-lilly-obesity-drug-must-come-off-the-market
Source: The Daily Economy
by David Rose
“Tariff increases might make good political sense, but they are bad economic policy. Only addressing entitlements can save us.” (12/19/24)
https://thedailyeconomy.org/article/protectionism-wont-save-us-from-budgetary-disaster/
Source: Bloomberg
“Russia is poised for another aggressive rate hike on Friday as the central bank continues to find little success in tackling inflation that has recently accelerated well above its forecast. The Bank of Russia is set to raise borrowing costs for the fourth time in a row — and by 200 basis points just like in October, according to six out of 12 economists surveyed by Bloomberg. Two foresee the benchmark climbing by 300 basis points to 24%, while Goldman Sachs International and HSBC Bank Plc suggest rate setters will put monetary tightening on hold at their Dec. 20 meeting. … Russia’s annual inflation accelerated again in November to 8.9% from 8.5% in the previous month, even after the central bank increased the key rate in October to a record-high 21%.” (12/20/24)
https://archive.is/XFzHb
