Ripple

A water drop and ripples

Connecticut provides a fantastic case study in a state moving progressive on taxation…

By Justin Katz | October 11, 2021 |

… too bad it’s not studied more.  (Maybe because academics know what they’ll find.)  Anyway, it now takes the most-taxed award: Connecticut received the dubious honor on Sept. 29 of displacing New Jersey as the state with the highest taxpayer burden, according to a new “Financial State of the States” report from Truth-in-Accounting (TIA). Illinois,…

A water drop and ripples

RI’s DOH Medical Director James McDonald gets COVID messaging for the holidays right.

By Justin Katz | October 11, 2021 |

This is how the messaging should have been for COVID and the vaccine for a long time: The holiday season fast approaching, and R.I. Department of Health Medical Director Dr. James McDonald is expecting the celebrations to look like they did prior to the pandemic. “I’m not planning on a virtual Thanksgiving or Christmas this…

A water drop and ripples

Leftism makes things worse in such a way as to leave people not knowing what they’re missing.

By Justin Katz | October 11, 2021 |

That’s a conclusion that leaps off the page of Stacey Matthews’s roundup of info on New York City’s ban on gifted & talented programs for children.  First, consider a tweet from New York Post columnist Karol Markowicz: It really is leftism in action. They could not make the bad schools better so they’ll make the…

A water drop and ripples

Shocking night of Hollywood discoveries for me…

By Justin Katz | October 9, 2021 |

Not only did I learn that actor Clint Howard is the brother of Richie Cunningham, but also that he isn’t the same person as Curtis Armstrong. Just when you think you’ve got a grip on reality…

A water drop and ripples

Modern autocracies are benefiting from the Sparta spin.

By Justin Katz | October 8, 2021 |

In an EconTalk episode, Russ Roberts evoked a fascinating response from University of North Carolina historian Bret Devereaux when he asked why, considering that the Spartans were so evil by today’s standards and also mediocre at warfare, they’ve enjoyed such a positive legend: The Spartans get really good press in our ancient sources. And part…

A water drop and ripples

Fading vaccine effectiveness shows the foolishness of confidence.

By Justin Katz | October 8, 2021 |

One of (the many) aspects of our public arguments around COVID-19 and the vaccine is the confidence with which everybody is asserting their positions.  This affects both sides, but I’m thinking in particular of the pro-vax people who assert that we know that naturally acquired immunity fades after a few months.  Frankly, the virus hasn’t been…

A water drop and ripples

When it comes to energy, public outcry is the only control.

By Justin Katz | October 8, 2021 |

Jon Caldara makes an excellent point about energy in Colorado that applies in Rhode Island, as well: … the Public Utilities Commission’s job was (key word there) to fight for the least cost energy while protecting our environment. That mission has been turned on its head. Least cost is the PUC’s very last priority. This…

A water drop and ripples

The problem with Rocky V is the ending.

By Justin Katz | October 7, 2021 |

Rocky IV was iconic when I was young, and for decades I’ve heard what a let-down Rocky V was.  I finally got around to watching it tonight (while cleaning the kitchen, lest you think I’m a couch potato or something).  It actually wasn’t bad, and I think the promo summary has done it harm all these years…

A water drop and ripples

The Cultural Revolution comes to UMass Amherst.

By Justin Katz | October 7, 2021 |

It’s not a good sign when vague, anonymous allegations on the Internet against an unnamed member of a group lead to violent attacks on that group’s residence: Recent online sexual assault allegations against Theta Chi at the University of Massachusetts Amherst resulted in raucous protests that included flipping a car and injuring a member of…

A water drop and ripples

A kidney patient and her willing donor are being denied the operation because they aren’t vaccinated.

By Justin Katz | October 7, 2021 |

The world has gone mad.  Disclaimer: I’ve been vaccinated and think other adults should be, too.  But this is ridiculous. This is concerning at the baseline level. This becomes even more concerning when you overlay that both the kidney donor and the transplant patient are unvaccinated and aligned without issue. The hospital is refusing the…