CLIMATE SKEPTICS TAKE ON THEIR CRITICS: On Monday, the controversial free-market think tank, The Heartland Institute, will host its ninth climate skeptic conference in Las Vegas. The event falls auspiciously amid a recent White House effort to put the topic of climate change on the front burner of the nation’s political discourse. While the conference will seek to challenge, among other things, the recent Environmental Protection Agency proposals to reduce carbon emissions from power plants, a clear secondary purpose is to prove Heartland’s influence isn’t waning, in spite of a spate of recent setbacks. Read more
OBAMACARE’S BIG THREAT: It’s the biggest Obamacare case you’ve never heard of — and if the plaintiffs win, it could imperil the ACA’s individual mandate scheme. In Halbig v. Sebelius, the plaintiffs are challenging the legality of the federal government giving subsidies to Obamacare enrollees who signed up via the federal exchange HealthCare.gov — which sells insurance in 36 states. The plaintiffs say that is illegal under the Affordable Care Act because the language of the ACA says such subsidies can be awarded only through “an exchange established by a state.” The plaintiffs argue that the only legal subsidies are ones granted through the 15 exchanges run by the individual states and DC. This may seem like a nitpicking argument, but if the plaintiffs prevail, the stakes are huge — nearly 90% of HealthCare.gov enrollees receive a subsidy. DC Circuit Court of Appeals could rule at any time on this case, versions of which are also pending in three other federal courts. Read more
REFUGEE ENTREPRENEURS: As the war rages on in Syria and Iraq, thousands of new refugees continue to pour across the Jordanian border each month to settle in camps. And amazingly, some are beginning to re-order their lives. A growing number are managing to build businesses, setting up things like beauty salons and bakeries right inside the refugee camps, with the help of micro-financing provided by nonprofits. Read more
US STOCKS FINISH LOWER, INTERRUPTING RECORD RUN: Read more
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