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04.05.10 07:00 PM

California Attorney General Jerry Brown issued a report on Thursday stating that he will not prosecute employees from the Association of Community Organizations for Reform Now (ACORN) or the conservative activists who posed as a prostitute and pimp on a notorious videotape that incriminated the controversial anti-poverty group last year.

Brown’s office launched the investigation in September after the release of video evidence showing two ACORN employees allegedly giving financial advice to the couple and helping them evade taxation.

While announcing that his office will not press charges against the organization, Brown, the leading Democratic candidate for governor in California, said the ACORN employees engaged in "highly inappropriate behavior" and that their organization was "disorganized and very poorly managed."

"A few ACORN members exhibited terrible judgment in videotapes obtained in the investigation," Brown said. "But they didn’t commit prosecutable crimes in California."

However, the report also indicated that the organization probably violated several civil laws, including dumping 500 pages of confidential information into the trash, failing to file a state tax return and possibly engaging in voter registration fraud in San Diego, The Los Angeles Times reports.

http://www.personalliberty.com/news/…oing-19703808/

04.05.10 07:01 PM

You’re in the food store and get lost in all the claims about what is healthy and not healthy for you. So you make your way to a vitamin shop or Whole Foods and try your luck there. But when you grab a bag of this, or a bar of that and turn it to check out the label… you are just as lost. What IS all that stuff in there?

In this article I’d like to discuss the worst and the best ingredients in the so-called healthy bars and drinks. I hope you will find this information helpful in your healthful shopping adventures for the healthiest foods for you and your family.

MSG—These initials meanMonosodium Glutamate. It is the main flavor enhancer in your local Chinese take-out place. Like Mrs. Dash, MSG enhances flavor especially in frozen and processed foods… and causes people who are allergic to it to experience headaches, rashes and muscle pains. In fact, the American Academy of Pediatrics removed MSG from all products for infants under the age of one after injections into lab animals showed nerve cell damage!

Despite the fact that MSG has been proven a poisonous substance, it is so widely used that you might not even think where it might be. Cans of tuna? You bet! Turkey breast cold cuts? Absolutely, in some brands! And the result: an increase in neurodegerative diseases like Alzheimer’s, a serious rise in cases of asthma, Parkinson’s disease, migraine headaches and heart trouble.

Bottom line: Stay away from MSG. Check the label of everything you buy and avoid the brands that include it. And when ordering food from a restaurant, they are obligated by law to NOT include MSG if you specifically tell them you are allergic. Sounds like a plan.

Maltodextrin—Maltodextrin is essentially a powder derived from potatoes or corn and when combined with other spices and ingredients it becomes a tasty coating for snack foods. This powder food additive is found in items like flavored potato chips, pretzels and crackers.

While the FDA says this chemical is “safe,” it does not label it as being either healthy or unhealthy. That is, the content amount found in food is so low that it barely counts. Yet, in large quantities it is not healthy. So what is “non toxic” in one bag of chips may not be so healthy when one eats several bags of chips, pretzels, crackers in the course of a week, a month or a year.

And while the matodextrin processed in North America is derived from potato and corn, the Asian equivalent is manufactured from wheat and is thus not gluten free. This means that if you are prone to migraine headaches, candida or have Celiac disease… you should stay away from snacks imported from Asia.

Again, check the labels. If an item contains maltodextrin it will say so and if it contains the wheat-based form, this must also be noted on the package. In moderation, the sweet or savory aspect of this additive can be delightful. But over-consumption is unhealthy. Not just because it is a chemical but because the foods it is used to flavor are, themselves, not on the diet plan of any serious wellness program!

High Fructose Corn Syrup—This sweetener has been called the main culprit in the rise in childhood obesity in the United States… but has been given a clean bill by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA). Talk about bipolar! No wonder we don’t know what is going on with our health. Well, here’s the scoop…

High-fructose corn syrup (HFCS) is corn syrup that has undergone enzymatic processing to convert its glucose into fructose. This fructose has then been mixed with regular corn syrup, which is 100 percent glucose, and the result is a sweet liquid known as HFCS.

This liquid is the sweetener found in just about every cold beverage in your local convenience store, including iced tea, sodas and energy drinks. Not only that, but it is also found in so-called healthy foods like tomato soup and yogurt, and less healthy items such as salad dressings and cookies.

Yes it’s true that the FDA did a 30-year study and found a correlation between HFCS and obesity and that it is worse for your health than plain sugar. Yet the Corn Refiners Association has launched an aggressive advertising campaign to counter these criticisms, claiming that HFCS "is natural" and "has the same natural sweeteners as table sugar.”

Well, if you have any questions, just look to two of the largest-consumed beverages, Pepsi and Snapple. Both have ditched the nasty stuff and gone back to sweetening their drinks with plain old sugar. Stay away from the HFCS, it will make you fatter than sugar!

Partially Hydrogenated Oils—Whatever you do, stay clear of hydrogenated and partially hydrogenated oils. They are unnatural and very unhealthy. You see, the original oil is subjected to hydrogenation, which changes its molecular structure. This allows the oil molecules to harden thus giving it a longer shelf life, which is why manufacturers like it. But the changed oils are actually closer to plastic than to oil, and the hydrogenation process kills the omega-3 and omega-6 essential fatty acids, which are the healthy parts of the original oils.

What this means is that the body does not get the desired antioxidant affect of consuming oils, and the new hydrogenated oils are then treated in the body as fatty foods that the bloodstream can’t process. The result is fat stored in the body. Excess storage of fat in the body and arterial plaque build-up, then, are the big issues with partially hydrogenated oils.

Avoid foods containing partially hydrogenated oils at all costs. Check the labels on spreads, crackers, cookies, cakes and even some so-called fruit snacks.

The bottom line is you should eat natural foods and fresh foods and always read the labels. When in doubt, write down the ingredient and do an online search. You just might be surprised at what you find!

The ones listed above are the worst ingredients found in the foods you eat. These are the “foods” that the FDA says are okay to feed Americans. Yet, we are becoming sicker faster than ever before and suffering long, slow deaths from heart disease, obesity and high cholesterol levels.

Now I want to tell you about the best ingredients to look for in the foods you eat. These are among the best foods you can eat and should be included in your daily diet. Let’s take a look at what they are.

Whole Grain–*Before we get to whole grain, let’s first look at “enriched flour” products. These are the breads and rolls and pastas that are first stripped of their outer grain portion, removed of their nutrients and bleached of their natural color. The product is so poor and so value-less that they are “enriched” with vitamins and nutrients. Ridiculous! Forget these products, they are scams and unnatural.

What you should be grabbing for are whole grain products. These are carbohydrates that are made from the entire grain and contain the original vitamins, nutrients and fiber and are thus good for digestive regularity, normal blood sugar levels, healthy cholesterol levels and optimal brain function.

When checking out the ingredients on carbohydrate products, looks for those where the first ingredient listed says whole grain, whole wheat, whole meal or whole corn. These will be in the form of bread, pastas, hot cereals, brown rice, bulger, buckwheat, spelt and wild rice. The United States Department Of Agriculture (USDA) suggests that each of us get at least three servings of whole grains every day.

Soy Lecithin—A product of soybean oil and also extracted from soya beans, soy lecithin is used as an emulsifier in prepared foods. It keeps chocolate from crumbling or splintering, helps dough rise in baked goods and keeps spreadable “butters” and cheeses from separating.

This product has passed the muster of the American Dietetic Association. It was found not only safe, but also good for you. As a result, soy lecithin also comes in supplement form. You see, it’s packed with choline, which is found in eggs and is known to boost brain development while also preventing heart disease, lowering cholesterol and helps treat dementia. Not too shabby.

The bottom line is, the USDA says soy lecithin is a safe emulsifier. And keeping your intake below 3.5 grams per day will yield no known side effects. So if you have to grab a bite of a processed food, look for this as its ‘hold it together’ ingredient. Better yet… go for whole, unprocessed foods instead.

Disodium Phosphate—The liver and gallbladder are so important to your health and wellness. They help purify blood and break down toxins and fats. As far as food preservatives go, disodium phosphate is one of the better ones. In fact, it helps maintain proper pH levels in the body as well as metabolizing cholesterol.

Disodium phosphate is found in products such as frozen hash browns (to keep their brown color), canned tuna (for buffering and chelating), poultry and pork (as a scalding agent) and potato products (as a sequestrant).

On the whole it is best to avoid preservatives in foods as they are generally toxic to the body and harmful to the liver. However, disodium phosphate actually supports liver and gallbladder function and has properties that foster good health. So, go ahead and eat limited amounts of preserved meats, fish and potato products—just be sure they are preserved with disodium phosphate and nothing else.

Riboflavin—Who doesn’t know how vital the B vitamins are to the body? Like magnesium, the B-complex vitamins are essential to so many vital functions of the body. And riboflavin (B2) is among the most important of the group.

In fact, a deficiency of riboflavin can cause nervous system disorders and lesions on the skin and digestive tract. This water-soluble vitamin helps maintain normal cell function and proper metabolism and aids in the production of energy.

Vitamin B2 is found in both plant and animal tissue. As such, if you eat a well-balanced diet there will be no need to take a supplement containing this vitamin. Riboflavin can be found in meat, green vegetables and dairy products.

In conclusion, there are many healthy and unhealthy foods out there. But even among prepared foods, there can be healthy options. The choice is yours to make. So next time you are out shopping, or running to grab a quick snack, check the labels. Look for those foods containing whole grains, soy lecithin, disodium phosphate and riboflavin. They can do a body good!

—Dr. Mark Wiley

http://www.personalliberty.com/perso…-in-your-food/

On 04.06.10 09:00 AM posted by Thomas Perrin

<ahref="http://blog.heritage.org/wp-content/uploads/Tallahassee.jpg"></p>In 2006, under former Governor Jeb Bush, Florida rolled out the most comprehensive <atitle="http://ahca.myflorida.com/Medicaid/medicaid_reform/waiver/index.shtml" href="http://ahca.myflorida.com/Medicaid/medicaid_reform/waiver/index.shtml">Medicaid reform plan in the country. Studies from both <atitle="http://www.jamesmadison.org/wp-content/uploads/pdf/materials/Bkgrnder_ReformMedicaid_BondApril10.pdf" href="http://www.jamesmadison.org/wp-content/uploads/pdf/materials/Bkgrnder_ReformMedicaid_BondApril10.pdf">The James Madison Institute and the <atitle="http://mre.phhp.ufl.edu/" href="http://mre.phhp.ufl.edu/">University of Florida have shown these innovative reforms not only save money, but also improve the quality of care.

On Wednesday, the Florida Senate passed a proviso <atitle="http://www.flsenate.gov/data/session/2010/Senate/bills/amendments/pdf/sb2700AM995071.pdf" href="http://www.flsenate.gov/data/session/2010/Senate/bills/amendments/pdf/sb2700AM995071.pdf">amendment to their 2010-2011 budget that would require the Florida Agency for Health Care Administration (<atitle="http://ahca.myflorida.com/index.shtml" href="http://ahca.myflorida.com/index.shtml">AHCA) to draft a new federal Medicaid waiver.

This new waiver, if accepted by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS), would essentially grant the state of Florida the ability to cap its Medicaid spending to the amount allotted by the state budget. The legislature would then be allowed to adjust optional eligibility groups and services depending on the amount appropriated. The waiver would also allow Florida to set up a voucher system where beneficiaries could purchase insurance products from private companies. Finally, the waiver would require higher-income Medicaid recipients to make coinsurance and deductible payments, but grant them incentives for efficiencies.<spanid="more-30654"></span>

As it currently stands, the House does not have this language drafted as part of their budget package, so the provision’s fate will ultimately be determined in the budget conferences over the next few weeks. However, the amendment was sponsored by three of the top leaders in the Senate, so it’s very likely that the House will be persuaded into accepting this waiver request. The budget must be agreed upon by April 30, the end of Florida’s Regular Session.

In 1990, Medicaid represented 10 percent of Florida’s state budget. Once the 2010-2011 budget is finalized, Medicaid will swallow up approximately 27.5 percent of the state budget. This rate of growth simply cannot be maintained. The 2006 reforms were a giant step in the right direction, but with the passage of Medicaid expansion in the new federal health care overhaul, it’s time for Florida to lead the way in additional reforms.

Thomas Perrin is the Director of Public Affairs for The James Madison Institute. The views expressed by guest bloggers on the Foundry do not necessarily reflect the views of the Heritage Foundation.

http://blog.heritage.org/2010/04/06/…dicaid-waiver/

On 04.06.10 08:00 AM posted by Kim Holmes

<ahref="http://blog.heritage.org/wp-content/uploads/NATO.jpg"></p>The NATO military operation in Afghanistan is a “NATO operation” in name only. In quality and quantity, most of the forces there are from the English-speaking countries – the United States, the United Kingdom, Australia and Canada. Without a doubt, some NATO nations like Romania, Poland, and Denmark clearly understand how important this mission really is, especially regarding America’s future commitment to the transatlantic security alliance. In contrast, NATO heavy-weights like France and Germany are barely present and accounted for in Afghanistan. Although Paris and Berlin are happy to micromanage their national deployments in safer parts of the country, they have been reluctant to respond with support that NATO really needs – things like trainers and helicopters.<spanid="more-30647"></span>

What is disturbing about the NATO operation in Afghanistan is how smaller (and less affluent) non-NATO countries like Georgia and Macedonia are more willing to go out on a limb than France or Germany. Georgian troops are gearing up for a deployment to the south – where the majority of the action will be seen in the next few months; Macedonian troops faithfully man the front gates at the NATO headquarters in Kabul, where suicide bombers present a daily threat. These countries want to become members of NATO, but they are being blocked by the very same countries that are refusing to carry their weight in Afghanistan – specifically, France, Germany and Greece. The same kind of nearsighted parochialism that leads Paris and Berlin in particular to shirk their “shared” responsibility in Afghanistan is behind their cold shoulder toward NATO expansion.

The United States needs a new alliance strategy, one that relies less on old, purely regional alliance structures like NATO and more on stalwart allies who are willing to pull their weight in defending freedom, and new allies who share that goal. America needs to lead a new Global Freedom Coalition that would complement NATO. We should approach freedom-loving countries all over the world that have been willing to help us fight for freedom. They, and not European countries more interested in building up the European Union than strengthening NATO, should be given pride of place in America’s international relations.

For far too long, France, Germany and some other West European countries in NATO have been living off America’s willingness to overlook their parochialism and tendency to free ride off the United States and a few NATO stalwarts like the UK. They think they can always count on America’s pro-NATO (and even pro-European Union) policies to excuse and cover up their efforts to undermine NATO with competing EU defense policies. They know that the U.S. cares far more about the strength and integrity of NATO than they do, and thus believe they have little to worry about if they shirk their responsibilities in Afghanistan or elsewhere.

The charade is getting old. If they are not worried about being weak and desultory members of NATO, then neither should we be. America should form new flexible alliances with countries that not only need it, but are also willing to truly share the burden of the common defense – like Poland, the Czech Republic, the UK, Australia and South Korea. We need not abandon NATO; but neither should we pretend that NATO is the an alliance whose members are all equally dedicated to the task of common defense and security–or, for that matter, is the centerpiece of America’s alliances. They are not. It’s time we admitted it.

http://blog.heritage.org/2010/04/06/…tend-alliance/

On 04.06.10 07:00 AM posted by Nile Gardiner

<ahref="http://blog.heritage.org/wp-content/uploads/BrownObama.jpg"></p>There will be much at stake when the United Kingdom finally goes to the polls on May 6 after months of phony war between the two leading parties: the future course of the British economy, the fifth largest in the world, now submerged under mountains of debt and regulation after 13 years of socialist rule; the state of Britain’s defenses, gutted by more than a decade of vicious cuts, and under threat from a European defense identity; Britain’s relationship with the European Union, which could be renegotiated with a change of government at Westminster. And the most important issue from America’s point of view, the future of the Anglo-American alliance, which currently stands at its lowest point in a generation.<spanid="more-30637"></span>

There are two seminal dates, however, which are likely to decide the fate of the Special Relationship, the most enduring and successful partnership since the Second World War: May 6, 2010, and November 6, 2012, the date of the next U.S. presidential election. While the Special Relationship continues in terms of intelligence and defense cooperation, as well as economic, trade, and cultural ties, at the political level it is currently in a dangerous state of decline. The current British prime minister and the current U.S. president seem largely indifferent to the long-term future of the U.S.-UK alliance, and both have inflicted serious damage upon it.

The British government’s decision last August to free the Lockerbie bomber, Abdelbaset Ali al-Megrahi — responsible for the murder of more than 180 Americans — at the request of Scottish authorities, was an appalling affront to the U.S. It was a sharp reminder that anti-American sentiment is never far under the surface in the Labour Party, despite the brief love affair with Washington under Tony Blair. Further confirmation of the Brown government’s reckless approach towards the United States was given last week when the Labour-dominated House of Commons Foreign Affairs Committee voted to officially end the use of the term “Special Relationship.”

At the same time, the Obama administration has displayed what can only be described as sneering condescension towards America’s closest ally, from throwing a bust of Sir Winston Churchill out of the Oval Office in its opening days, to siding with Argentina in its call for U.N.-brokered negotiations over the sovereignty of the Falkland Islands. Barack Obama has been conspicuously cold towards the United Kingdom, and has shown no interest at all in preserving the Special Relationship, treating Britain no differently than most other allies in Europe, and significantly less warmly than France.

There are never any guarantees in politics, but a change in government in London is likely to significantly revive support for the Special Relationship on the British side. The Conservative Party leader, David Cameron, is a firm believer in the importance of the Anglo-American alliance, as are several leading figures in his Shadow Cabinet, including Liam Fox (Defense), William Hague (Foreign), and Michael Gove (Education).

Conservatives on both sides of the Atlantic have a significantly stronger affinity and commitment to the Anglo-American alliance than their left-wing counterparts, and the party of Winston Churchill and Margaret Thatcher is far more likely to preserve the Special Relationship than Gordon Brown’s Labour. Similarly, on the U.S. side, the party of Ronald Reagan and George W. Bush traditionally attaches far more importance to the ties with Great Britain than its political rivals.

It remains to be seen of course whether a Cameron-led government, if elected, can actually succeed in forging a successful partnership with an increasingly isolationist Obama administration that has shown little interest so far in Britain. The omens certainly don’t look good on that front. Ultimately, however, it will be the U.S. presidential election in 2012 that will play the biggest role in deciding the fate of the Special Relationship. To succeed, the alliance must operate as a two-way street, with both sides fully invested in ensuring it remains the engine of the free world. If the White House isn’t interested, the partnership simply cannot survive, no matter who is in charge in Downing Street.

<ahref="http://corner.nationalreview.com/post/?q=YmRkZmU2NjE4MzZlZTA1NmVkMmI0Y2RiYWZlYzEwMWE=">C ross-posted at <ahref="http://corner.nationalreview.com/">The Corner.

http://blog.heritage.org/2010/04/06/…-relationship/

On 04.06.10 06:30 AM posted by Brandon Stewart

<ahref="http://blog.heritage.org/wp-content/uploads/empty-pockets.jpg"></p>After the first few lines of liberal columnist Thomas Friedman’s <ahref="http://www.nytimes.com/2010/04/04/opinion/04friedman.html">piece*in Sunday’s New York Times, you would have thought he had finally seen the light:

“If we want to bring down unemployment in a sustainable way, neither rescuing General Motors nor funding road construction will do it.”

Yes, exactly. Maybe he’s finally seen the disastrous stimulus bill (that he supported) for what it is—a failure.

“We need to create a big bushel of new companies.”

Preach it, brother.

“We’ve got to get more Americans working again for their own dignity—”

Yes! Exactly!

“—and to generate the rising incomes and wealth we need to pay for existing entitlements, as well as all the new investments we’ll need to make.”

Say what? And he was doing so well.<spanid="more-30605"></span>

This sort of commentary exemplifies a pervasive liberal attitude towards the economy. Even when they are worried about it, their main concern is their ability to continue to fund increasingly large and unstable dependency programs. As in so many other areas, liberals see “job creation” as a means to an end. And that end is the expansion of the welfare state and the rising dependence of the average American on government. A recent Heritage report revealed that <ahref="http://www.heritage.org/research/reports/2010/03/the%202009%20index%20of%20dependence%20on%20govern ment">roughly 60.8 million Americans rely on the government for their daily housing, food, and health care while a growing share of Americans—<ahref="http://www.heritage.org/research/reports/2010/03/the%202009%20index%20of%20dependence%20on%20govern ment">more than 34 percent of all tax filers—pay no income tax.

This is simply unsustainable.

What we need as a country is <ahref="http://www.heritage.org/research/reports/2009/06/entitlements%20darken%20long%20term%20outlook%20fo r%20federal%20budget">entitlement reform, a reduced dependency economy and—fundamentally—a shift in the conception of the government’s role as a benefactor for <ahref="http://www.heritage.org/Research/Reports/2007/07/The-Progressive-Movement-and-the-Transformation-of-American-Politics">moral as well as <ahref="http://www.heritage.org/Research/Reports/2008/11/Why-Government-Spending-Does-Not-Stimulate-Economic-Growth">economic reasons. As President Reagan once said, “Welfare’s purpose should be to eliminate, as far as possible, the need for its own existence.” We need to restore a government that encourages growth while empowering people to be self-sufficient.

http://blog.heritage.org/2010/04/06/…e-can-tax-you/

On 04.06.10 05:44 AM posted by Conn Carroll

<ahref="http://blog.heritage.org/wp-content/uploads/Obama-Putin-10-04-06.jpg"></p>Later today, the Obama administration will release the Nuclear Posture Review (NPR) which <atitle="http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/04/05/AR2010040504174.html" href="http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/04/05/AR2010040504174.html">will set the framework for decisions on U.S. nuclear policy for the next five to 10 years. Coupled with the follow-on Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty (START II) to be signed in Prague this Thursday, these documents begin to implement the <atitle="http://www.nationaljournal.com/njmagazine/nj_20090530_1512.php" href="http://www.nationaljournal.com/njmagazine/nj_20090530_1512.php">“road to zero” nuclear dream President Barack Obama outlined in Czech Republic last year. their exclusive interview with President Obama about the NPR, David Sanger and Peter Baker report in <atitle="http://www.nytimes.com/2010/04/06/world/06arms.html?ref=todayspaper" href="http://www.nytimes.com/2010/04/06/world/06arms.html?ref=todayspaper">The New York Times:

Discussing his approach to nuclear security the day before formally releasing his new strategy, Mr. Obama described his policy as part of a broader effort to edge the world toward making nuclear weapons obsolete, and to create incentives for countries to give up any nuclear ambitions. To set an example, the new strategy renounces the development of any new nuclear weapons, overruling the initial position of his own defense secretary.

Unfortunately for Americans, President Obama’s new strategy will have the exact opposite result of its intended effect. Instead of incentivizing countries to give up nuclear ambitions, it creates new incentives for them to maintain or develop their own nuclear programs. <spanid="more-30609"></span> First look at the Russians, who clearly still see their nuclear weapons as the cornerstone of their defense, no matter how much President Obama wishes it were otherwise. Moscow has no interest in diminishing its own nuclear arsenal, but it is perfectly happy to allow the Obama administration to weaken the U.S. deterrent until it is on equal footing with Russia’s currently mediocre might.

A country like Iran is equally unimpressed with President Obama’s unilateral disarmament strategy. Tehran wants to be the pre-eminent power in the Middle East, and as a nuclear state it can more credibly make that claim. But more importantly, nuclear weapons would also boost the current regime’s domestic survival. Nuclear powers do not mess in the internal affairs of other nuclear powers. Witness Tiananmen Square. The ayatollahs believe that, when they have the bomb, they can crush the freedom-loving opposition with total impunity. They are counting the days.

First START and now the NPR demonstrate a shift by the Obama administration away from relying on nuclear deterrence to protect America and toward reliance on unverifiable international treaties. But as President Obama makes our nuclear arsenal smaller, less reliable and less usable, it becomes a far less credible deterrent to nuclear attack. Rather than serve as an example for other nation’s to follow, President Obama’s nuclear weakness will only give America’s enemies every incentive to advance their own programs. The President’s arms control “road” is more likely to lead to a new arms race, rather than to “zero.”

To provide some stark reality to the Obama administration’s dreams of a nuke-free world, The Heritage Foundation and the American Enterprise Institute’s Center for Defense Studies are hosting a <atitle="http://www.heritage.org/Events/2010/04/Questioning-Obamas-Nuclear-Agenda" href="http://www.heritage.org/Events/2010/04/Questioning-Obamas-Nuclear-Agenda">Conservative Counter Summit to Question the Obama Nuclear Agenda. The first event is today at Heritage, and you can watch it online <atitle="http://www.heritage.org/Events/2010/04/Questioning-Obamas-Nuclear-Agenda" href="http://www.heritage.org/Events/2010/04/Questioning-Obamas-Nuclear-Agenda">here beginning at 10 AM EDT. The second event will be at AEI shortly after Congress reconvenes.

Quick Hits:

• According to a new report by the <ahref="http://www.usatoday.com/news/washington/2010-04-05-ethics_N.htm">Office of Government Ethics, two dozen of President Obama’s political appointees worked as registered lobbyists during the two years prior to joining the administration, and 22 appointees received waivers that allowed them to participate in matters in which their former employers or clients had an interest.
• The owner and majority shareholder of General Motors – the Obama administration – announced they would fine rival Toyota the <ahref="http://online.wsj.com/article/SB20001424052702304017404575166201889934186.html"> maximum penalty allowed by law for the non-unionized automaker’s gas-pedal safety problems.
• Energy and anti-tax groups are collecting signatures to put a <ahref=" http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052702304620304575165843688369042.html?m od=WSJ_hpp_MIDDLENexttoWhatsNewsThird">repeal of Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger’s (R) cap and trade law on the California ballot this fall.
• According to <ahref="http://www.gallup.com/poll/127220/Americans-Prioritize-Energy-Environment-First-Time.aspx">Gallup, for the first time in the question’s 10-year history, more Americans say the United States should prioritize development of energy supplies over protecting the environment.
• Cincinnati is just one area of the country where after the passage of Obamacare <ahref="http://cincinnati.bizjournals.com/cincinnati/stories/2010/04/05/story11.html?b=1270440000^3129981&ana=e_vert">“the re are simply not enough primary-care providers available to take care of all these newly insured individuals.”

http://blog.heritage.org/2010/04/06/…ear-arms-race/