Morning Matters

• Poverty spreading in suburbs. The middle class is now beginning to realize its debt induced poverty.
• Gun manufacturer HS Precision Rifles is using an endorsement from Lon Horiuchi to market its products. Horiuchi is the federal agent who shot and killed unarmed Vicky Weaver while she was holding her infant daughter at Ruby Ridge. Sounds like a good way to piss of your customer base.
• President Bush promised to cooperate with Barack Obama on a smooth transition. But that hasn't stopped his administration from trying new regulations.
• Here’s an exceptionally stupid, jingoistic commentary on “buying American.” Except that instead of coming from some populist paleoconservative publication, it’s from the “progressive” Mother Jones. The author actually interviews an economist who explains why the “buy American” argument is mostly crap, and that manufacturing output in the U.S. actually increased (technology takes far more jobs than outsourcing ever could). But she still can’t resist the urge to “applaud” when she finds some American-made wax paper. The conclusion is something of a non-sequitur, too.
• Nicholas Kristof on the horrific practice of acid-throwing in parts of Asia. Kristof is by far and away the New York Times’ best columnist. I don’t always agree with him, but he’s intellectually honest (he actually changed his position to support sweat shops after an extended stay in Asia). And there’s no columnist anywhere who’s better at reporting and exposing human rights violations in the developing world.
• Northern Virginia has no acorns.
• Two steps forward, one step back. Swiss voters vote to continue giving taxpayer-bought heroin to addicts, but reject a measure that would legalize marijuana.
• French appeals court says stores can sell Sarkozy voodoo dolls, but “must carry a notice saying that pricking them harms the president’s dignity.”
• Born to run? $149 test that aims to predict a child’s natural athletic strengths.
• Yet more collateral damage from sex crime hysteria.

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