Latvia: Karin to resign as foreign minister

Source: Baltic Times [Latvia]

“After a meeting with Prime Minister Evika Silina (New Unity) today, Foreign Minister Krisjanis Karins (New Unity) has decided to step down. Karins will officially resign on April 10. He explained that this date was chosen so that Saeima could approve a new foreign minister during a parliamentary sitting the next day — April 11. For several months now, the scandal of private flights used by working delegations led by Karins during his time as prime minister has been a topic of public criticism. A reported, the Prosecutor General’s Office has opened and handed over to the Corruption Prevention Bureau (KNAB) for investigation the use of contract flights by Karins for working trips during his time in office.” (03/28/24)

https://www.baltictimes.com/karins_decides_to_step_down_as_foreign_minister/

Russia: Journalist sentenced to two years for opposing Ukraine war

Source: NDTV [India]

“A Russian court on Thursday sentenced a journalist to two years in prison for denouncing Moscow’s full-scale military offensive on Ukraine, as police in Moscow detained five other reporters over a 24-hour period. Russia has made on-the-ground reporting increasingly dangerous and illegal since it sent troops into Ukraine two years ago, arresting and fining those who defy the Kremlin’s narratives. A court in the western exclave of Kaliningrad said journalist Mikhail Feldman had discredited Russia’s armed forces in a series of posts on the VKontakte social network, the OVD-Info and Memorial rights groups said, citing his lawyer.” (03/29/24)

https://www.ndtv.com/world-news/russia-jails-journalist-for-2-years-for-opposing-ukraine-war-5330311

Do Private School Choice Programs “Take Money Away” from Public Schools?

Source: Show-Me Institute
by James V Shuls

“In a recent post, I argued that the claim that school choice was ‘welfare for the rich’ was a red herring. This argument diverts attention away from the real opposition from school choice critics. Opponents of school choice are not really concerned with wealthy families receiving public support for education. As long as those rich folks choose a public school, they can have their allotment of education dollars with no objection. The concern only arises when rich people choose a non-public school. For that matter, most of the die-hard supporters of public education are opposed to means-tested voucher programs that give money to only poor families. In other words, it has nothing to do with wealth and everything to do with choice. They simply do not believe parents should be able to direct those education dollars to the school of their choice.” (03/28/24)

https://showmeinstitute.org/blog/school-choice/do-private-school-choice-programs-take-money-away-from-public-schools/

The Hail of It

Source: Common Sense
by Paul Jacob

“Early yesterday, an out-of-control container ship ran into the Francis Scott Key Bridge over the Patapsco River in Baltimore. Early reports claimed that a dozen vehicles and 20 people went into the cold water, with only two survivors, so far, being rescued; last I heard, however, the total went down to six missing after the initial rescues. It looks like an accident, and accidents happen, sometimes horrific ones. There’s a reason ‘thoughts and prayers’ are mentioned at such times, all other talk seeming vastly inappropriate. Nevertheless, President Joe Biden immediately promised that the federal government would pay to replace the bridge. Eleven days earlier a more humdrum disaster gave us greater license to speculate.” (03/27/24)

https://thisiscommonsense.org/2024/03/27/the-hail-of-it/

US fourth-quarter growth revised up; weekly jobless claims fall

Source: Reuters

“The U.S. economy grew faster than previously estimated in the fourth quarter, lifted by strong consumer spending and business investment in nonresidential structures like factories. Gross domestic product increased at a 3.4% annualized rate last quarter, revised up from the previously reported 3.2% pace, the Commerce Department’s Bureau of Economic Analysis said in its third estimate of fourth-quarter GDP. … A separate report from the Labor Department on Thursday showed initial claims for state unemployment benefits fell 2,000 to a seasonally adjusted 210,000 for the week ended March 23. Economists had forecast 212,000 claims in the latest week.” (03/28/24)

https://www.reuters.com/markets/us/us-fourth-quarter-growth-revised-up-weekly-jobless-claims-fall-2024-03-28/

Boeing’s Problems Are Not Due to Free Markets

Source: Ludwig von Mises Institute
by Connor O’Keeffe

“On Monday, Boeing CEO Dave Calhoun announced he will step down at the end of the year. The news comes months after a door plug blew out midflight on a Boeing 737 …. When incidents as serious as this happen, the public is rarely satisfied with the label of ‘accident.’ People want accountability for those responsible and the proper changes made to prevent similar emergencies from happening again. Accountability is relatively straightforward. Investigations determine how an incident happened and who is responsible. Then, depending on the nature of the actions and the extent of the resulting damage, offenders can be disciplined, fired, or charged with crimes. … The discourse gets messy, however, when the focus shifts to institutional change. Often, advocates for more government control will seize on any bad thing done by a company to attack markets. That’s exactly what we’re seeing with Boeing.” (03/27/24)

https://mises.org/mises-wire/boeings-problems-are-not-due-free-markets

McDaniel’s NBC News firing: Must-see-tv proves leftist [sic] media set rules they never follow

Source: New York Post
by Miranda Devine

“The ‘Mean Girls’ pile-on at NBC against Ronna McDaniel is the perfect demonstration of what bullies all these leftists are — while pretending to be paragons of compassion and empathy. They lecture everyone else about the evil of bullying and impose disastrous ‘anti-bullying’ measures on schools only because they want to reserve this instrument of social control for themselves. When they attack a defenseless person in mob fashion, mock them, denigrate them, punch them in the face and then kick them while they’re down, it’s not bullying. You must understand that the rules they set for us don’t apply to them, because they are the Chosen Few, the selfless TV anchors embarked on a crucial mission. They are always saving ‘democracy’, defending the underdog, ‘Speaking Truth to Power’ or, in McDaniel’s case, preserving the ‘Sacred Airwaves’ of NBC and its crazy sister in the attic, MSNBC.” (03/27/24)

https://nypost.com/2024/03/27/opinion/ronna-mcdaniels-nbc-news-firing-is-must-see-tv-that-proves-leftist-media-set-rules-they-never-follow/

KY: GOP-passed bill removes role of Democratic governor if Senate vacancy occurs

Source: Associated Press

“Kentucky lawmakers gave final approval Thursday to a bill stripping the state’s Democratic governor of any role in picking someone to occupy a U.S. Senate seat if a vacancy occurred in the home state of 82-year-old Senate Republican leader Mitch McConnell. The legislation calls for a special election to fill any Senate vacancy from the Bluegrass State. The special election winner would hold the seat for the remainder of the unexpired term. … The state Senate voted 34-3 after a brief discussion to send the bill to Gov. Andy Beshear. The governor has denounced the measure as driven by partisanship, but the GOP supermajority legislature could override a veto when lawmakers reconvene for the final two days of this year’s session in mid-April.” (03/28/24)

https://apnews.com/article/kentucky-legislature-senate-vacancies-faf6f1f41fa42c3e0b818fc3fb3d4d4a