Time to clean out the aggregator —
ITEM: The latest version of a proposed federal “journalist shield law” has died in the Senate. A key point of contention was the notion of allowing the government to decide who would and would not qualify as a “legitimate” journalist entitled to protection. I have long argued against journalist privilege, precisely because journalism is not a “privileged” profession.
ITEM: Another never-ending litigation, that of the “Mount Soledad Cross” in San Diego, had yet another court decision handed down. The transfer of title from the city (subject to stricter California church-and-state laws) to the federal government (subject only to the Establishment Clause) has been upheld by a federal district judge. An appeal to the Ninth Circuit may or may not follow. Previous post here. Trunk v. San Diego, No. 06-cv-01597 (S.D. Cal., July 29, 2008) (PDF – 36 pages)
ITEM: Yet another never-ending litigation — Five states and New York City are suing the EPA for failing to reduce air pollution. It is not clear how the states and their activist legislators have standing to sue the federal government, but what is clear is that the EPA need not respond before President Bush leaves office. The litigation is, therefore, a frivolous media stunt. I blasted a similarly went-nowhere “states plus NYC” lawsuit over CO2 emissions here.
ITEM: One more case — The Fifth Circuit has denied rehearing en banc in a Texas “sex toy ban” lawsuit in which Lawrence v. Texas was held to secure a commercial right as well as a privacy right. As I noted when the decision was first handed down, there is now a circuit split that could lead to the Supreme Court taking up the case. Reliable Consultants v. Earle.
ITEM: The Associated Press ran a major report highlighting the ongoing lack of details about Barack Obama’s proposal to eliminate the wage cap on Social Security taxes — especially the lack of information regarding whether those who would pay higher taxes would subsequently earn higher benefits. My earlier version of the analysis here.
ITEM: A member of Congress has introduced a bill to alter U.S. currency to make it easier for the visually impaired to use it:
Stark’s proposal would round all four corners on the $1 bill, three corners on the $2 bill, cut two diagonal corners on the $5 bill, two corners on a long side of the $10 bill, two corners on the $20 bill’s short side and one corner on the $50 bill. The $100 bill would remain unchanged.
The legislation is in response to a federal court ruling that currency as it exists today violates the Rehabilitation Act. Some advocates for the blind argue that the bill is unnecessary. As I noted previously, the easier alternative would simply be to amend the Rehabilitation Act to exempt currency (i.e., this is not a constitutional issue). (H.R. 1931)
ITEM: Speaking of currency — another week, another massive devaluation of Zimbabwe’s currency. Most recent post here.
ITEM: Meanwhile, our other favorite mockworthy dictator, Hugo “Willie Sutton” Chavez, is now threatening to steal and loot “nationalize” another foreign bank. Because that’s where the money is. Most recent post here; see also here.
