Gloves Off: Justin Trudeau’s Fight to Stay in Power
Tuesday October 22, 2024 | Francis Crescia

In every politician’s career, there comes a time when one must decide how ambitious one wants to be and if one is ready to go after more power and greater glory—for Justin Trudeau, that moment occurred in 2012 with the “Thrilla on the Hilla” boxing charity event.  (more…)

Exploding Interest on the National Debt
Tuesday October 22, 2024 | Craig Eyermann

The final numbers for the U.S. government’s spending and revenues during its 2024 fiscal year have finally come in. From October 1, 2023, through September 30, 2024, the U.S. government’s spending exceeded its revenues by $1.833 trillion. (more…)

Encryption Day: The Role of Mary Queen of Scots in the Evolution of Cryptanalysis
Monday October 21, 2024 | Jonathan Hofer

On October 21, 2021, the Global Encryption Coalition organized the first “Encryption Day” to raise awareness about the importance of safeguarding privacy. Over 150 different organizations participated in the event, which consisted of workshops, petitions, and a coordinated push for media placements. Since 2021, October 21st has become an unofficial recurring “holiday” and an opportunity to communicate how efforts to weaken encryption risk eroding civil liberties. Although Encryption Day may be new, the conflict over private communications is not. (more…)

Success! Anti-Housing Legislation Dies in California
Tuesday October 15, 2024 | Lawrence J. McQuillan

Three state bills that would have reduced investment in California housing have died. (more…)

The Man Who Shouts Fire in a Crowded Theater
Tuesday October 15, 2024 | Daniel B. Klein

In the Vice-Presidential debate, the Democratic candidate Tim Walz used shouting fire in a crowded theater to justify limitations on free speech. Ironically, he resembles a man shouting fire in a crowded theater. The history of this phrase traces to Justice Oliver Wendell Holmes Jr. in the 1919 Supreme Court case Schenck v. United States, in which he said it is wrong to “falsely” shout fire. The case concerned the right to protest war. Schenck was later largely overturned by Brandenburg v. Ohio in 1969. (more…)

The A’s Skip “The Town”: What Cities Can Learn from Oakland and LA
Tuesday October 1, 2024 | Jonathan Hofer

The Athletics’ time in Oakland has come to a close. After several attempts to relocate the A’s since 2006, the team will finally depart from the city they called home for 57 years.  (more…)

Is Las Vegas Rethinking the Oakland A’s Gamble?
Tuesday October 1, 2024 | Craig Eyermann

There are some big signs that the people of Las Vegas and the state of Nevada are getting genuine buyer’s remorse over the Oakland Athletics. Last summer, Nevada’s state legislature approved a $380 million bill toward funding a proposed $1.5 billion new stadium for the A’s in Las Vegas. In November 2023, the A’s secured the unanimous approval of Major League Baseball owners to relocate from Oakland, California, to Las Vegas, Nevada, where the team would begin playing at its new stadium in 2028. (more…)