Author Archives: matt ohern

Murders, Arrests and the Politics of Racial Grievance

The Washington Post had what could have been an interesting idea: Map more than 52,000 homicides and arrests in major American cities over the past decade. Sadly, the newspaper floundered with the data, unable to identify any meaningful trends other … Continue reading

Posted in Crime | Comments Off on Murders, Arrests and the Politics of Racial Grievance

Getting to Yes on Expanded Truck Parking

This spring the already-serious problem of insufficient safe parking spaces for long-haul trucks has gotten significantly worse. As noted last issue, the new federal effort to seriously enforce federal Hours of Service (HOS) rules, thanks to electronic log books (ELDs), … Continue reading

Posted in Transportation | Comments Off on Getting to Yes on Expanded Truck Parking

New York court strikes down portions of permit for large dairies

A New York Supreme Court struck down portions of a General Permit which would regulate large concentrated animal feeding operations (CAFOs). The New York Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) issued a General Permit under its own water statute and the … Continue reading

Posted in Agriculture | Comments Off on New York court strikes down portions of permit for large dairies

Can’t Win for Losing

If we continue to burn coal to generate electricity, we might destroy the Earth’s capacity to support life. If we switch to natural gas, then fracking might poison the water and set our faucets on fire. Biomass sounds good, but … Continue reading

Posted in Energy | Comments Off on Can’t Win for Losing

The Logperch Veto

Virginia has its very own snail darter – the Roanoke logperch, a threatened species of fish, the existence of which could delay or even obstruct a multibillion-dollar infrastructure project. The snail darter became a cause celebre for endangered species in … Continue reading

Posted in Environment, State Government | Comments Off on The Logperch Veto