Wall Emergency, Even If Legal Under Existing Law, Violates the Separation of Powers
Our Constitution divides federal power into three branches of government: the legislative, the executive, and the judicial. One of the powers given exclusively to the legislative branch (Congress) is to spend money, or to appropriate money for the executive branch to spend, in enforcing the law (which is the president ’s power and indeed duty). Specifically, Article I, Section 9 (the Appropriations Clause) says that “No Money shall be drawn from the Treasury, but in Consequence of Appropriations made by Law.” And of course, the purposes for which Congress can exercise this “power of the purse” are enume rated in ...
Source: Cato-at-liberty - February 15, 2019 Category: American Health Authors: Ilya Shapiro Source Type: blogs
The Islamic Republic's Foreign Policy at Forty
Forty years have passed since the Islamic Revolution. While Iran hasn ' t departed from its revolutionary roots, its foreign policy today is largely shaped by threat perceptions and interests, not ideology. (Source: The RAND Blog)
Source: The RAND Blog - February 8, 2019 Category: Health Management Authors: Ariane M. Tabatabai Source Type: blogs
Foreign Policy at the State of the Union
On foreign policy, the State of the Union was classic Donald Trump.There were the usual expansive promises which could actually move American foreign policy in a better direction. The president promised to withdraw troops from Syria, open negotiations with the Taliban in Afghanistan, and praised the growth in spending by NATO allies. He even criticized America ’s excessive military intervention in the Middle East.And as always, his speech had an underlying theme: blame my predecessor, not me. As he describes, his photo opportunity summits with North Korea are a good step towards diplomacy. But we can ’t forget that it ...
Source: Cato-at-liberty - February 6, 2019 Category: American Health Authors: Emma Ashford Source Type: blogs
Travel Ban Separates Thousands of U.S. Citizens from Their Spouses & Minor Children
President Trump announced the first version of his “travel ban” 2 years ago this weekend. The policy has already separated thousands of U.S. citizens from their spouses and minor children. In its current form, the travel ban blocks visas to nationals of five majority Muslim countries. By the end of this fiscal year, the government is on pace to separate an estimated 15,000 spouses and adopted minor children of U.S. citizens.While the State Department has not publicly revealed the exact figures, prior trends in visa issuances indicate that as of January 1, 2019, the travel ban had already prevented 9,284 spouses and ado...
Source: Cato-at-liberty - January 29, 2019 Category: American Health Authors: David Bier Source Type: blogs
The Future of Surfaces in Healthcare and Beyond
Augmented reality displays, transparent touchscreens, shape-shifting buildings, digital tattoos with screens, living organisms as vibrating information panels, projectors turning any exterior into a control panel: the future of surfaces is as exciting as never before. How could medicine and healthcare benefit from the change in the usage of surfaces in the future?
Beauty and aesthetics of the surfaces around humans
In the cacophony of noise, colors and constant stimuli, humans of the 21st century are yearning after simplicity, cleanliness, and nature. Clear-cut shapes, single colors and natural materials. An escape from th...
Source: The Medical Futurist - January 26, 2019 Category: Information Technology Authors: nora Tags: Healthcare Design augmented reality display future futuristic Hospital hospital design Innovation LED screen smartphone surface technology touchscreen VR Source Type: blogs
Helping Lebanon Succeed Is More Than About Countering Iran
As tensions increase on the Israeli-Lebanese border the possibility is growing that a confrontation with Iran may move from Syria to Lebanon. For the United States, turning its back on this small but strategically critical country and conflating U.S. interests in Lebanon solely with countering Iran could be short-sighted, and a missed opportunity at a time when the region has few. (Source: The RAND Blog)
Source: The RAND Blog - January 16, 2019 Category: Health Management Authors: Dalia Dassa Kaye Source Type: blogs
This Is Our Emergency
Last Friday, President Trumpthreatened to declare a national emergency and build his border wall using “the military version of eminent domain.” By Tuesday, Trump seemed to have climbed down somewhat, declining to repeat the threat in his televised Oval Office address. But the week’s end found the presidentdeclaring it would be “very surprising” if he didn’t pull the trigger.So is the emergency-powers gambit a live option or —like the executive orderrevoking birthright citizenship Trump floated before the midterms —another pump-fake designed to thrill the base and rile the media? Either way, it’s a noxi...
Source: Cato-at-liberty - January 11, 2019 Category: American Health Authors: Gene Healy Source Type: blogs
America's Absence Could Be Syria's New Nightmare
President Trump ' s decision to withdraw U.S. troops from Syria reverses his administration ' s recent policy of retaining them as long as Iranian troops stay. U.S. withdrawal from Syria would give Bashar al-Assad, Iran, and Russia freer rein to subdue opposition forces and Assad could feel emboldened to act with greater impunity and brutality. (Source: The RAND Blog)
Source: The RAND Blog - January 10, 2019 Category: Health Management Authors: Colin P. Clarke; William Courtney Source Type: blogs
Confusion Over the U.S. Withdrawal from Syria
Washington ' s strategy in Syria has been to impose costs on the Syrian government by diplomatic ostracism and economic sanctions. This punitive approach is morally satisfying and politically expedient, but as a practical matter it just helps perpetuate the conflict and sustain Assad ' s dependency on Iran. (Source: The RAND Blog)
Source: The RAND Blog - January 9, 2019 Category: Health Management Authors: James Dobbins Source Type: blogs
Withdrawing from Syria Leaves a Vacuum That Iran Will Fill
President Trump ' s decision to withdraw American troops from Syria may be unintentionally signaling that the United States is unwilling to compete in critical geopolitical hotspots. Such a message could embolden powerful states—including Iran—to expand their presence. (Source: The RAND Blog)
Source: The RAND Blog - January 8, 2019 Category: Health Management Authors: Colin P. Clarke; Ariane M. Tabatabai Source Type: blogs
Some Early Reactions to the Reactions to President Trump's Syria Announcement
PresidentTrump ’s Syria announcement yesterday has sent the foreign policy community into orbit. The distress is mostly bipartisan, although the real vitriol seems to be coming more from Republicans than Democrats. See, for example, the stories of Vice PresidentPence ’s meeting with GOP senators, and Rep. AdamKinzinger ’s meltdown on CNN.A few, however, appreciated the president ’s decision. See especially, Cato’s John Glaser (here andhere),Defense Priorities ’ Benjamin Friedman,Win without War ’s Stephen Miles, and timely tweets from Democrat Ted Lieu and RepublicansRand Paul andJustin Amash.Rather than s...
Source: Cato-at-liberty - December 20, 2018 Category: American Health Authors: Christopher A. Preble Source Type: blogs
