Day: May 15, 2015

Out Of Control US Government Adds 3,554 New Regulations In 2014

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regulatoryRaven Clabough – Further evidence of the federal government’s vast overreach can be found in a report out of the Competitive Enterprise Institute (CEI) that reveals that over 3,500 new regulations were issued in 2014, while 224 new laws had been passed. According to the report entitled Ten Thousand Commandments, the cost of government regulations is $1.88 trillion per year, or $14,976 per every household.

According to the CEI website, Ten Thousand Commandments is “the Competitive Enterprise Institute’s annual survey of the size, scope and cost of federal regulations, and how they affect American consumers, businesses, and the U.S. economy.”

Ten Thousand Commandments was authored by CEI Vice President for Policy Clyde Wayne Crews, Jr. in order to expose the growing “hidden tax” resulting from the increasing regulatory state.

The report puts the cost of the regulations into perspective with a few mind-boggling points:

• The estimated cost of regulation exceeds half the level of the federal spending itself, which was $3.5 trillion in 2014.

• Regulatory costs of $1.88 trillion amount to 11 percent of the U.S. GDP, which was estimated at $17.4 trillion in 2014 by the Commerce Department’s Bureau of Economic Analysis.

• When regulatory costs are combined with federal FY 2014 outlays of $3.5 trillion, the federal government’s share of the entire economy now reaches 30.6 percent

• If it were a country, U.S. regulation would be the world’s tenth-largest economy, ranking behind Russia and ahead of India Continue reading →

USA Freedom Act Passes House, Codifying Bulk Collection For First Time, Critics Say

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Sam Sacks – After only one hour of floor debate, and no allowed amendments, the House of Representatives today passed legislation that seeks to address the NSA’s controversial surveillance of American communications. However, opponents believe it may give brand new authorization to the U.S. government to conduct domestic dragnets.

collectionThe USA Freedom Act was approved in a 338-88 vote, with approximately equal numbers of Democrats and Republicans voting against. The bill’s supporters say it will disallow bulk collection of domestic telephone metadata, in which the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Court has regularly ordered phone companies to turn over such data. The Obama administration claims such collection is authorized by Section 215 of the USA Patriot Act, which is set to expire June 1. However, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit recently held that Section 215 does not provide such authorization.

Today’s legislation would prevent the government from issuing such orders for bulk collection and instead force it to rely on telephone companies to store all their metadata — some of which the government could then demand using a “specific selection term” related to foreign terrorism. Bill supporters maintain this would prevent indiscriminate collection.

“A vote in favor of this bill is a vote to end dragnet surveillance in the United States,” Rep. John Conyers, D-Mich., a co-sponsor of the legislation, claimed on the House floor ahead of the vote.

However, the legislation may not end bulk surveillance and in fact could codify the ability of the government to conduct dragnet data collection. Continue reading →

Amazing Benefits Of Tea Tree Oil

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Dr. Mercola – Practical, inexpensive, and has many uses for your health and around the home – no wonder tea tree oil is hailed as a “jack of all trades” among nature’s herbal oils. Here’s what you need to know about tea tree oil.

What Is Tea Tree Oil?

Tea tree oil (TTO), also called melaleuca oil, is made from the leaves of the tea tree plant (Melaleuca alternifolia), a member of the myrtle tree family, which is native to Australia. The name was coined by British explorer Lieutenant James Cook in the 1770s, when he saw native Australians brewing tea using the leaves from the tree. Later on, he brewed his own batch of tea, and gave it to his crew to prevent scurvy. [1]

The tea tree plant is highly prized by primitive Australian communities for its unique healing ability. According to the University of Sydney, [2] numerous aboriginal communities along the east coast of Australia have a long historical use of tea tree as an antiseptic for skin conditions. They simply crushed the tea tree leaves and applied it to cuts, burns, and infections.

Tea Tree Oil It was only in the 1920s, after Arthur Penfold, [3] an Australian state government chemist, published a series of papers on tea tree oil’s antiseptic properties that this oil’s benefits became widely known. Through modern distillation methods, manufacturers are now able to produce tea tree oil with a clear to very pale golden or yellow color, and a fresh, camphor-like scent. [4]

Uses of Tea Tree Oil

Tea tree oil has been long valued for its antifungal, antibacterial, and antiviral properties. In the 1920s, it was used in dentistry and surgery to clean wounds and prevent infections. [5] Surgeons believed that it is more effective than carbolic acid, the commonly used antiseptic at that time. [6] Continue reading →