In case you missed it…

Education:

Almost every school in Detroit was closed earlier this week when the local teacher union organized a “sick out” after the district warned it might not be able to meet its financial obligations this summer. Teacher strikes are illegal under Michigan law, so the union urged teachers in 94 of the 97 schools to call in “sick,” forcing almost all of Detroit’s students to stay home — despite the fact that Detroit is ranked among the worst performing districts in the nation. (Read more)

Free market solutions:

Vietnam has been ruled by communists for more than 40 years — but free market reforms have been steadily creeping into the system. According to recent data from Pew Research, the people of Vietnam have the world’s most favorable opinion of capitalism with roughly 95 percent of citizens “agreeing” that “people are better off in a free market economy.” By comparison, only 70 percent of Americans have a similarly favorable view of free market economics. (Read more)

Environmentalism:

In an effort to boost the wind industry, the Obama administration has proposed a new rule that would exempt windfarms from regulations designed to protect bald eagles. Windfarms are notorious for causing bird deaths, and in recent years more attention has been brought to the problem as large-scale installations encroach on bald eagle habitats.  According to the proposed rule, windfarm operators would be permitted to kill or injure just over 4,000 bald eagles per year without penalty — nearly four times the current limit for similar industries. There are an estimated 143,000 bald eagles in the United States. (Read more)

Free speech:

The Drake University’s student senate has rejected a free-market group’s application for recognition as an official student group. Turning Point USA was denied its application as a student group on campus due to what the student senate said was a “hateful record.” Students who had advocated for the free-market organization argue the decision was politically motivated, and runs contrary to Drake’s mission of encouraging “diverse perspectives and the free flow of ideas and discussion” among the student body. (Read more)

Healthcare:

The FDA has issued final guidance for an Obamacare regulation that mandates calorie labeling on all restaurant menus. In the rule, the definition for a “menu” is more than 170 words long — and it even applies to many types of advertisements, coupons and marketing materials. Additionally, restaurants are not allowed to use plus or minus signs to indicate estimated calorie values, because the FDA believes such labels would be “too confusing” for average Americans. (Read more)