Andrew Chamberlain of the noteworthy Tax Policy Blog highlights a subscribers-only Wall Street Journal article on state efforts to tax cosmetic surgery. He then makes the case against them: What makes a good tax? Economists teach that taxes with broad bases and low rates are usually best. Why? Because while every tax creates deadweight losses [...]

The Associated Press has a frightening update on the Los Alamos National Laboratory investigations: Los Alamos Lab Whistleblower Beaten A Los Alamos lab whistleblower scheduled to testify before Congress about alleged financial irregularities was badly beaten outside a bar — an attack his wife and lawyer believe was designed to silence him. Police said that [...]

I apologize for the recent barrage of movie gossip. But, after completing my first year of graduate school a week or so ago, I have, as you can imagine, great difficulty mustering the energy to discuss the equity issues that surround the practice of discounting regulatory benefits, a topic perhaps more conducive to OTB (though, [...]

Ringwald Mulls ‘Sixteen Candles’ Sequel (AP) Could it be time to put more candles on the cake? Molly Ringwald said she’s in discussions to make a sequel to “Sixteen Candles,” the 1984 movie about the obstacles and embarrassments a teen girl faces on her birthday. The film, directed by John Hughes, shot Ringwald to teen [...]

The Los Angeles Times provides yet another example in which private action generally outdoes government regulation. As the following article notes, the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety, whose crash tests are featured on Dateline NBC, often prompts car manufacturers to make engineering adjustments even before federal mandates are handed down: Car Safety Group Is Making [...]

CNN, among others, has the latest story on Abu Farraj al-Libbi: Top Al Qaeda Suspect Given to U.S. Pakistan has handed over to the United States a senior al Qaeda terrorist suspect believed to have masterminded two assassination attempts against President Gen. Pervez Musharraf. Abu Farraj al-Libbi, captured last month in Pakistan, is widely regarded [...]

The American Civil Liberties Union knows that it can expect to hear cries of “Hypocrisy!” Concerns Arise at A.C.L.U. Over Document Shredding (NYT | RSS) The American Civil Liberties Union has been shredding some documents over the repeated objections of its records manager and in conflict with its longstanding policies on the preservation and disposal [...]

Alumni in Poll Say President of Harvard Shouldn’t Quit (NYT | RSS) A majority of Harvard alumni believe that the university’s president, Lawrence H. Summers, has done a good job over all and should not resign, according to a poll conducted for a new independent alumni magazine. In January, Dr. Summers ignited a firestorm when [...]

In the Washington Post Sunday Outlook, Anne Dumas supplies the answer to an intriguing question: What’s American and Envied by France? [T]here’s one area in which France would love to emulate that place across the Atlantic — the ability to foster small businesses and turn them into big ones. It’s not exactly haute culture, but [...]

David Fairris et al claim to have “the most definitive analysis” of the Los Angeles Living Wage Ordinance’s impact on workers and employers. The report automatically draws some skepticism, since it’s sponsored by the very organization that advocated for the 1997 law. But everyone deserves a fair shot, right? So let’s take a close look [...]

Apparently, Knight Rider executives considered silencing the beloved Trans Am, KITT. But the star thought better of it: Hasselhoff Holds Out for Talking Kitt in Movie (Oldies 108) A new big-screen version of Knight Rider has endured a two year delay – because movie bosses wanted to mute the show’s trademark talking car, Kitt. But [...]

In examining Christopher Cox’s nomination for the Securities and Exchange Commission, the New York Times provides the following expert quotation: Bush S.E.C. Pick Is Seen as Friend to Corporations (NYT | RSS) William Lerach, a prominent shareholder lawyer in San Diego who a decade ago found himself on the losing end of the political battle [...]

USC Bans Beer at Games (LAT) The sale and possession of alcoholic beverages inside the Coliseum will no longer be allowed at USC home football games, USC President Steven Sample said Wednesday, citing increasing surliness, foul language and other behavior by fans that he said was harming the game-day atmosphere. “We’re going to get tough,” [...]

If New York City is a potential site of good educational policymaking, California is a leading candidate for oddball legislation. In a commonsensical op-ed, the San Jose Mercury News thrashes Democratic legislators who want to regulate book lengths: Assembly Sticks Nose into Textbooks On Thursday they approved AB 756, a bill by Jackie Goldberg, D-Los [...]

Michael Bloomberg attributes the educational gains to the imposition of strict social-promotion rules: Student Scores Climb Strongly Across the City (NYT | RSS) New York City public school students achieved strong gains on the citywide reading and math tests this year. They were led by fifth graders, who posted extraordinary increases in the face of [...]

A terrorism expert claims that a recent job offer was rescinded because of a planned gender transition: The Right Person for the Job (WaPo) The job candidate interviewing to be a terrorism research analyst at the Library of Congress seemed to have exceptional qualifications: a 25-year Army veteran and former Special Forces commander who spent [...]

Joseph Stephanides, who took part in contractor selections and other procurement activities, is the initial casualty: UN Fires First Staffer over Oil-for-Food Role (Reuters) Secretary-General Kofi Annan, himself under attack for mismanagement of the Iraq oil-for-food program, has dismissed the first U.N. official connected to the scandal-tainted humanitarian plan, the United Nations said on Wednesday. [...]

As expected, Dutch voters delivered a second blow to the European Union constitution. Proponents had hoped to narrow the gap, but exit polls suggested that it was still rather significant: Dutch Deliver a Huge ‘No’ on EU Constitution (NYT | IHT) Dutch voters on Wednesday overwhelmingly rejected a constitution for Europe, following France in undermining [...]

Which country has seen the most journalists killed on duty since 2000? Naturally, my initial guesses revolved around the wars, so Iraq and Afghanistan came to mind. But the actual answer stunned me: The Five Most Murderous Countries for Journalists (CPJ) Murder is the leading cause of job-related deaths among journalists worldwide, and the Philippines [...]

Time presents its list of exemplary films. I don’t think it’d be particularly fruitful to discuss each selection, so let me just offer a few remarks: 2000s: Kudos to critics Richard Corliss and Richard Schickel for highlighting City of God, which I’m inclined to say is perhaps the best film of the past five years. [...]

In the New York Times op-ed section, Olle Wastberg makes the case for the former mayor: The Peacemaker (RSS) TODAY I will send a letter to the Norwegian Nobel Committee nominating the former mayor of New York City, Rudolph W. Giuliani, for the Nobel Peace Prize. As a former member of the Swedish Parliament I [...]

The Christian Science Monitor looks into “purple power,” in which House Democrats whose districts were carried by President Bush support “a significant number” of GOP bills: ‘Purple Power’ Pulls New Laws through House The recent votes with Democratic support include issues backed by pro-business lobbyists: $70 billion in tax-cut provisions in the fiscal 2006 budget [...]

As a supplement to the previous post, it’s worth highlighting various sources that had suggested Mark Felt’s identity. James Mann, “Deep Throat: An Institutional Analysis,” Atlantic Monthly, May 1992 Even though Mann focused on bureaucratic interests, he noted: As I said at the outset, I didn’t know who Deep Throat was. I know from conversation [...]

It seems that American conservatives and hawks aren’t the only ones complaining about slanted coverage. In the Christian Science Monitor, African leaders and interest groups argue that, beyond genocide, AIDS, and famine, the following stories are underreported: Africans Ask: ‘Why Isn’t Anyone Telling the Good News?’ (CSM)

Would you want this man to lead your Congress? Brazil’s ‘Anti-Lula’ a Paragon of Political Incorrectness (LAT) Nepotism is good. Homosexuality is bad. Getting pregnant through rape is a “horrible accident.” Severino Cavalcanti, the author of these sentiments, is on a roll. When he was but a lowly back-bench congressman, such public pronouncements might have [...]

Princeton economist Alan Krueger compares academic earmarks to farm subsidies and military contracting: The Farm-Subsidy Model of Financing Academia (NYT | RSS) THE University of Michigan received $4 million for curriculum development and training at its Gerald R. Ford School of Public Policy. Marshall University in West Virginia received $11 million for a new heart [...]

Powell Joins Group Bidding for Nats (WaPo) Former Secretary of State Colin L. Powell has joined a group of Washington-based investors led by Fred Malek and Jeffrey Zients who are trying to buy the Washington Nationals. In a statement released by the investment group, Powell, 68, said, “In Washington, we have the opportunity to reinvigorate [...]

Today’s big story involves Voyager I’s arrival at the final frontier. But the following item in the CNN account, flagged by my good friend PJ Aspuria, is even more intriguing to me: NASA: Voyager I Enters Solar System’s Final Frontier Golden record: Should they encounter any form of life, the Voyager probes carry a greeting. [...]

Bets Reopen on Dumbledore Death (BBC) Betting has reopened on the possible death of Dumbledore in the latest Harry Potter book, Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince, due out in July. Bets on which protagonist dies in the novel opened eight months ago, after author JK Rowling confirmed that a key character would be killed. [...]

Nato Agrees Darfur Support for AU (BBC) Nato has agreed to offer air transport, training and logistics support to African Union (AU) peacekeepers in the Sudanese region of Darfur. Secretary General Jaap de Hoop Scheffer said the alliance had agreed a package of measures ahead of an international conference in Addis Ababa on Thursday. The [...]

Report on China Warns of Emerging Rival (FT) The Pentagon is preparing to release a report on the Chinese military warning that the US should take more seriously the possibility that China may emerge as a strategic rival, according to three sources familiar with the report. Some officials at the State Department and the National [...]

The former chair of the White House Council of Economic Advisers is, to put it mildly, quite critical of the New York Times columnist: Economist Greg Mankiw Sounds Off… (Fortune) Q: So you often read the paper and slap your forehead? A: Let me give you example. This is as I was arriving [as the [...]

The row between the two Asian powerhouses takes a turn for the worse: China Cuts Short Mission to Japan (LAT) Delivering a sharp diplomatic rebuke to Japan, Chinese Vice Premier Wu Yi cut short a fence-mending visit here Monday, a day early and just a few hours before she was to meet with Japanese Prime [...]

Critics Are Saying ‘That’s Too Hot’ of Sexy Carl’s Jr. Ad (LAT) As in a racy music video, a scantily clad Paris Hilton cavorts with a water hose as she washes a black Bentley, while singer Eleni Mandell’s sultry version of Cole Porter’s “I Love Paris” pulsates throughout. After a sensuous sudsing of the Bentley [...]

Ban on Iran Reformists Reversed (Reuters) Iran’s hardline Guardian Council watchdog has reversed its ban on two reformists excluded from presidential elections on June 17, easing a row that had sparked some calls for a boycott of the vote. The reinstatement of former Education Minister Mostafa Moin and Vice President for Sports Mohsen Mehr-Alizadeh on [...]

It’s over for now: Senators Said to Reach Filibuster Deal (AP) Centrists from both parties reached a compromise Monday night to avoid a showdown on President Bush’s stalled judicial nominees and the Senate’s own filibuster rules, officials from both parties said. These officials, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said the agreement would clear the [...]

Researchers Pinpoint Brain’s Sarcasm Sensor (Forbes) Oh yeah, right! No, it’s true — many of you don’t go a day without dishing out several doses of sarcasm. But some brain-damaged people can’t comprehend sarcasm, and Israeli researchers think it’s because a specific brain region has gone dark. The region, according to the researchers, handles the [...]

The Los Angeles Times describes the significance of a video that shows rebellious acts against Kim Jong Il: Secret N. Korean Footage Suggests Nascent Dissent (LAT) The 33-minute tape has created a sensation in Japan and South Korea, where it has aired repeatedly. South Korean human rights advocates say it is the first evidence of [...]

Computer Could Be Causing Righty’s Elbow Problems (AP) Cubs right-hander Carlos Zambrano has been told to cut back on his computer time because the hours he’s spending typing could be contributing to his elbow problems. Zambrano said he had been logging about four hours a day communicating via e-mail with his brother. “I have to [...]

The Guardian Council builds on last year’s consolidation of power: Leading Reformer Is Banned from Poll in Iran (FT) Mostafa Moein, the main reformist candidate in next month’s Iranian presidential election, has been disqualified, increasing the odds of a conservative victory. Iranian state television on Sunday night announced that the Guardian Council, the country’s Islamic [...]

James reminds me of a rather humorous incident. Ten days ago, as my wife and I channel-surfed, we stumbled upon Robert Byrd on C-SPAN. I made a point of stopping and watching because I wanted to explain just how distinctive he was on the floor. He did not disappoint. During the filibuster debate, he passionately [...]

China in National Bird Flu Alert (BBC) China has ordered nationwide emergency measures to try to stop the spread of bird flu after discovering that wild geese had been killed by the virus. Agriculture officials say the migratory birds may have brought a more virulent flu strain into China from South East Asia, Xinhua official [...]

A Love Affair With S.U.V.’s Begins to Cool (NYT) To believe the commercials, sport utility vehicles can climb the most indomitable mountain, ford any stream and haul around the kids to boot. But gas prices are a more unconquerable force of nature. With higher prices at the pump sinking in as something more than a [...]

Anthony Lane wins the prize for his sharp and amusing takedown in the New Yorker. I worry about spoiling the essay with an excerpt of the best parts, so I’ll just highlight the first paragraph, which is awesome in its own right: Space Case Sith. What kind of a word is that? Sith. It sounds [...]

The case of Luis Posada Carriles mixes Florida politics with the following question: Is the Bush administration harboring a terrorist? Accused Cuban Bomber Arrested by US (Reuters) US immigrations officials on Tuesday arrested a Cuban exile accused of bombing a Cuban airliner nearly 30 years ago and wanted by Venezuela. “Today, US Immigration and Customs [...]

Prosecutor Blames Fundraiser (WaPo) David F. Rosen deliberately and illegally underreported the costs of a star-studded Hollywood fundraiser for Hillary Rodham Clinton’s 2000 Senate campaign, federal prosecutors said Wednesday at Rosen’s trial here. Rosen, who was Clinton’s finance director at the time, intentionally underreported the cost of the August 2000 gala by two-thirds, prosecutor Peter [...]

Or, more precisely, the headline should be “New Manchester United Controller Also Owns American Football Team.” Let’s face it: in the global sports world, when it’s all said and done, the club at Old Trafford matters a heck of a lot more than the Super Bowl XXXVII champions. Glazer Gains Control of Manchester United (AP) [...]

In a new report, the Congressional Budget Office attempts to answer this question. Here are its main findings: The Effects of Reserve Call-Ups on Civilian Employers CBO̢۪s analysis revealed that most employers are unaffected by the activation of reservists. Only about 6 percent of business establishments employ reservists, and fewer than half a percent of [...]

Workers Set against Fixed Retirement Ages (FT) People around the world overwhelmingly oppose mandatory retirement, according to a ground-breaking survey of global attitudes to ageing published on Tuesday by HSBC, the international banking group. The survey, described by the bank as the largest of its kind, found that 80 per cent of people on average [...]

My hometown paper finally comes to its senses: L.A. Times Launches First Stage of Yearlong Web Redesign The Los Angeles Times today launched the first stage of a year-long initiative to improve and expand the newspaper’s Internet offerings, with a special emphasis on utility for Southern Californians. As part of this effort, The Times also [...]