In case you missed it…
Regulatory burden:
On Thursday, November 17th, the Obama Administration produced an astounding 527 pages of new rules and regulations in a single day — an all-time record. This brings the administration’s Federal Register up to 81,640 pages for 2016 — another all-time high. The previous record was also held by the Obama administration, with 81,405 pages of new regulations created in 2010. (Read more)
Government overreach:
A single mother of six is facing multiple criminal charges in California for selling homemade ceviche to family, friends and neighbors. Mariza Ruelas let a local food group on Facebook know she was selling or trading the Latin-American dish as a way to help her children afford basic school supplies. Often, Ruelas would exchange her homemade meals for household items and children’s clothes — other times she would simply sell the homemade food for a small profit. When her ceviche came to the attention of California investigators, however, they decided to target Ruelas with an undercover sting operation. The mother of six is now facing criminal charges, and even jail time, for “selling food without a license.” (Read more)
Healthcare:
Demonstrating a general dissatisfaction with Obamacare, HealthCare.gov enrollment numbers are down substantially from last year. The number of individuals who have submitted an application and selected a health care plan through the government-run website is down 33 percent since last year. Even the number of customers shopping for prices — without actually starting an application — has dropped, with unique visitors to the site down roughly 16 percent. (Read more)
Media bias:
According to a report by Buzzfeed — a viral gossip and tabloid-style online magazine — “fake” news gained more attention on Facebook than “real” news during the election cycle in 2016. The report caused quite a stir this week, as pundits and journalists lamented the fact that fake news stories apparently influenced voters more than actual journalism. But, there was one problem: The “report” was, itself, patently misleading and untrue. (Read more)
Free speech:
Students at City University of London, home to one of the United Kingdom’s most prestigious journalism schools, have voted to ban newspapers it determines to be politically incorrect. In a motion titled “opposing fascism and social divisiveness in the UK media,” the student government agreed to censor “unacceptable” journalism from the University. (Read more)