In case you missed it…

Merry Christmas!

It’s hard to believe that the end of the year is almost here. Hanukkah begins on Saturday, Christmas day is Sunday and the New Year is just around the corner. 

It’s a time of year when many of us try to step back from our day-to-day lives and spend a little time with family and friends. After all, this last year has been extraordinarily busy for most of us — and things aren’t about to slow down in 2017. But for now, we can rest.

The holidays present an opportunity to refocus on the people that are most important to us, and let them know how grateful we are for their love and support.

Which is why, on behalf of the entire staff at the Nevada Policy Research Institute, I would like to thank the Institute’s family of supporters and friends. Your generosity, dedication and enthusiasm for our shared ideals has helped to both preserve and expand liberty and individual freedom during a time of increasingly intrusive government.

I hope that as you celebrate the holidays you will consider renewing your support for the Institute, by making a tax-deductible donation before the end of the year. Such a gift will help ensure that there remains a strong and independent voice for liberty in the Silver State. Please visit NPRI.org to make a donation.   

Once again, thank you for helping us keep Nevada prosperous and free.

Merry Christmas and happy holidays!

Warm regards,

Education:

Educational choice — such as Nevada’s Education Savings Accounts — really should not be a partisan issue. Kevin Chavous, a Democrat and former councilman in Washington D.C., understands this more than most politicians after seeing the success of school choice in in his own city. According to Chavous, the people who are generally against school choice, are the ones that already have it. Among parents who have children trapped in underperforming schools, however, the possibility of a better education is overwhelmingly popular. (Read more)

 

Healthcare:

Yet another healthcare provider has decided to leave the Obamacare exchange at the end of the year. Evergreen Health Cooperative’s announcement earlier this month means only five out of the original 23 co-ops will continue to operate in exchanges created by the Affordable Care Act. The massive losses incurred by Evergreen forced the company to abandon the exchanges — despite a $65.5 million taxpayer-funded loan in 2012. (Read more)

 

Green energy:

Government officials in Colorado, Utah and Nevada have agreed to fully subsidize a series of electric vehicle charging stations — creating a network that would make it possible for electric vehicles to travel the 2,000 miles of highway between Denver, Salt Lake City and Las Vegas. (Read more)

 

First Amendment:

Families of three individuals killed in the Orlando nightclub massacre are suing Facebook, Google and Twitter, claiming that the social media giants did not do enough to censor material that may have contributed to the radicalization of the gunman. The lawsuit even goes so far as to allege that the social media companies provide “material support” and “an infrastructure” to terrorist organizations by not censoring enough content. The lawyer for the case argues that social media companies should essentially be held responsible for the content published by its users.  (Read more)

 

Political favoritism:

Bald and Golden eagles are among the numerous protected birds that are slaughtered in large numbers by industrial-scale wind energy. While other industries must cope with fines, penalties and even criminal charges for exceeding a permitted number of “acceptable” eagle deaths, renewable energy companies have been virtually licensed to kill the majestic birds. In fact, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service has decided to quadruple the number of eagles wind farms will be allowed to kill per year, and has even said it will waive fines and criminal charges for firms that exceed their permitted number of kills. (Read more)