Trans-Pacific Partnership: Twilight of the Nation-State Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY) on Thursday 12/10 declared that President Obama should not act to pass the Trans-Pacific Partnership before his lame-duck session following the 2016 election. Given the massive trade deal’s dependence on Republican support, it seems McConnell will get his way. Opponents of the treaty,
by Jim Caton The most important federal case of our lifetimes had its beginning four years ago this month. It was a case that was never heard by the Supreme Court, a case almost wholly ignored by the media, a case you have probably never heard of. In December of 2011, President Obama signed the
by Jim Caton Predictably, the U.S. security state has begun to exploit the recent terrorist attacks in Paris in order to tighten its grip on the public. Using the Sunday talk shows, the New York Times and other social media accounts, government officials and mouthpiece pundits have fired their first salvo of cynical alarm over
On Monday, November 9th, the U.S. Supreme Court issued a ruling that in the words of one of the justices herself “renders the protections of the Fourth Amendment hollow.” The case in question, Mullenix v. Luna, involves the 2010 killing of Israel Leija, Jr., by Texas Department of Public Safety officer Chadrin Mullenix. Fleeing officers
The Future of Our Private Prisons by Jim Caton http://photos.gograph.com/thumbs/CSP/CSP992/k12902504.jpg Hillary Clinton’s recent vow to end privatized prisons and immigrant detention centers and her renunciation of contributions from firms such as GEO Group and Corrections Corporation of America amount to yet another insult added to the fatal injuries long since sustained by American liberalism. The
Despite the dosing concerns, however, the advisory panel voted 23-0 in favor of recommending Xtampza for approval. The FDA generally follows the advice of advisory panels, although it is not obligated to do so. While the FDA stated days prior to the panel meeting that Collegium’s packaging should contain a clearer warning about the dosing issue, it did not explicitly state that approval was contingent on labeling improvements.
The 2-1 panel decision in favor of the attorneys general of 18 states follows a similar ruling issued in late August in North Dakota federal court in a separate lawsuit involving 13 states. That stay was ordered a day before the rule was to have gone into effect. The most recent ruling, which was a consolidated appeal of four separate lawsuits by the states and other interest groups, greatly expands the geographically-limited North Dakota decision and instead blocks the majority of the country from the Obama-led initiative.
Despite the grim news, the conviction may actually increase the odds for a diplomatic solution. Late last month, Iranian President Hassan Rouhani strongly indicated the desire for a prisoner swap. Currently, 19 Iranians are being held within the U.S. for violating its sanctions policy against Iran. In an interview with CNN’s Christine Amanpour, Rouhani said “If the Americans take the appropriate steps and set them [Iranians held in the U.S.] free, certainly the right environment will be open and the right circumstances will be created for us to do everything within our power and our purview to bring about the swiftest freedom for the Americans held in Iran as well.” Secretary of State John Kerry told reporters Sunday night “I have yet to hear directly from the Iranians on anything direct,” adding that, “We’ve had some conversations but … we’ll wait and see where we are.”
Congressman Fitzpatrick’s law simply reads: “Not later than 60 days after the date of enactment 8 of this Act, the Commissioner of Food and Drugs shall issue an order under section 515(e) of the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act (21 U.S.C. 360e(e)) withdrawing approval for Essure System.” Essure Problems is also asking others who have experienced complications from the device to also send their Representatives this letter (which is provided in Word Doc. Format at the bottom of the page).
It appears that there is no viable candidate that could possibly satisfy the 42-member far-right Freedom Caucus or the Tea Party, and still garner the 218 votes needed for election without requiring the help of Democrat votes. The Freedom Caucus, who backed conservative Floridian Daniel Webster, essentially pushed McCarthy to drop out of consideration. There is one ‘non-candidate,’ however, who looks poised to deliver the GOP from its internal division, having the consensus support of nearly the entire Republican Party: former vice-presidential nominee and House Ways and Means Committee Chairman Paul Ryan (R-WI).