Canadian government reaches deal with Google

Examining the Canadian government's deal with Google over the Online News Act.

Google to pay Canada news publishers $73m a year to keep news in search | The Guardian | Blake Montgomery and agencies:

November 30, 2023 - "Canada and Google have reached a deal to keep links to news stories in search results and for the tech giant to pay $73.6m annually, or C$100m, to news publishers in the country. The deal resolves Alphabet-owned Google’s concerns over Canada’s Online News Act, which seeks to make large internet companies share advertising revenue with news publishers in the country.... The Online News Act, part of a global trend to make internet giants pay for news, passed in June and the government is finalizing rules that are expected to be released by a 19 December deadline..... 

"As part of the agreement with Canada, Google will annually contribute C$100m, indexed to inflation, to news businesses, and the company will have the option to work with a single collective to distribute the funds. Google had previously threatened to block news on its search engine, a major source of traffic for nearly all websites on the internet.... The company said it was concerned it would be exposed to potentially uncapped liability....

"The legislation came after complaints from Canada’s media industry, which wants tighter regulation of tech companies to prevent them from elbowing news businesses out of the online advertising market. Paul Deegan, the chief executive officer of industry body News Media Canada, welcomed the agreement and thanked the government for ensuring cash compensation for publishers. The Canadian Broadcasting Corp broke the news of the deal earlier. 'We commend Google for their good faith, socially responsible approach,' Deegan added in a statement."

Read more: https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2023/nov/29/google-canada-online-news-act-agreement-publishers

Google reaches deal with Canada, will compensate news outlets $100 million annually | Global News | November 30, 2023:

The Feds Have Surrendered to Google Over Online News Act. Now What? | Epoch Times | Peter Menzies: 

November 30, 2023 - "Heritage Minister Pascale St-Onge, as expected, termed the deal “historic” and insisted there were “absolutely no concessions” on the government’s part. How her nose did not grow at least two feet longer while saying this is quite beyond me. Because the facts of the matter are that for the past two months, the government and the news industry lobbyists who promoted the act (Bill C-18) have been desperately trying to placate Google in order to prevent it from doing what Meta had already done — block news links in Canada.... Google had indicated it would ... unless the government manipulated the regulations supporting Bill C-18 to address its concerns. It ... needed a cap on its financial liability and ... couldn’t possibly comply with the expectation that it engage in what would have been multiple negotiations and arbitrations.... 

"But ... the bureaucrats at Canadian Heritage were able to get the regulations to say what Google needed them to say to agree to disarm and pay the amount of money it was always willing to pay — $100 million. What that means is that the news industry will now form itself into a single collective consisting of broadcasters, legacy print media, digital startups, and assorted others. Who will determine membership and how remains unclear.... The next step for the collective will be defining what roles qualify as 'journalism\ jobs.... That will be necessary because when it comes to dividing up the $100 million, it will be done purely on a per journalism employee basis. (I am assuming this because that is the sort of arrangement Google was looking for and it is relatively non-contentious.)...

"But here’s the rub. Prior to the introduction of the Online News Act, Google already had deals in place with publishers such as the Toronto Star, the Globe and Mail, Postmedia, and others, including broadcasters. It is extremely likely that the amount of money that once was flowing from Google through those agreements (they are private so we don’t know their value) will now be diverted to the $100 million 'collective' pot. That means the net benefit of St-Onge’s 'historic' deal is probably considerably less than $100 million.... 

"It gets worse. The Online News Act was originally promoted by legacy newspaper publishers — the group hardest hit by the invention of the internet and its plethora of alternative advertising and information platforms. Then the broadcasters, including CBC, muscled their way into the conversation. So now, with the $100 million being divided up on a per-journo basis, guess who has the most journalists? The CBC/Societé Radio Canada of course. Next up is Bellmedia with its TV, radio, and online reporters, probably followed by Rogers. In fact, preliminary estimates were that 75 percent of the cash produced by Bill C-18 would go to broadcasters. That leaves $25 million for the far more financially desperate legacy print publishers who, as noted, already had deals with Google.

"Don’t get me wrong. It is a good thing the government found a way to surrender to Google and avoid the nuclear option of it de-indexing news from its search engine. That would have been catastrophic. But there is no amount of lipstick that can pretty up the Bill C-18 pig."

Read more: https://www.theepochtimes.com/opinion/peter-menzies-the-feds-have-surrendered-to-google-over-online-news-act-now-what-5538869

Facebook & Instagram blocking news in Canada

Following final passage of the Trudeau government's Online News Act (Bill C-18), Meta has begun blocking news content on Facebook and Instagram in Canada.

Facebook turning off news in Canada as latest media bailout awaits Royal Assent | Western Standard | Shaun Polczer:

June 22, 2023 - "The standoff between Ottawa and Facebook billionaire Mark Zuckerberg deepened Thursday after Bill C-18 — the ‘online news act’ — cleared the Senate and prompted Meta to begin blocking news content on Facebook and Instagram. The bill, which is now awaiting Royal Assent, will require outlets that post news content — such as Facebook and Twitter — to pay for it.

"Reaction from Meta, Facebook’s parent company, was quick and came mere minutes after the bill’s passage was announced.

“Today, we are confirming that news availability will be ended on Facebook and Instagram for all users in Canada prior to the Online News Act (Bill C-18) taking effect,” it said in a statement. 'We have repeatedly shared that in order to comply with Bill C-18, passed today in Parliament, content from news outlets, including news publishers and broadcasters, will no longer be available to people accessing our platforms in Canada'....

"News outlets will continue to have access to their accounts and pages, and will be able to post news links and content; however, some content will not be viewable in Canada, it added.

"The company went on to say 'the Online News Act is fundamentally flawed legislation that ignores the realities of how our platforms work, the preferences of the people who use them, and the value we provide news publishers. As the minister of Canadian Heritage said, how we choose to comply with the legislation is a business decision we must make, and we have made our choice.' It’s not clear if Google will follow suit.

“'Not content with taking hundreds of millions of taxpayers’ dollars, Big Media has colluded with the federal government again to steal more money that they didn’t earn,' said Western Standard Publisher Derek Fildebrandt. 'The consequences — Facebook turning off the news — have been known for more than a year, but they did it anyway because they know that the biggest losers in this would be the upstart independent media that have been eating their lunch. These people — the federal government and Big Media — are criminals who have consciously conspired to either steal more money, or kill off their competitors using the power of the state.'

"Heritage Minister Pablo Rodriguez was reportedly holding last-minute talks with Google Thursday afternoon, the minister’s office and a Google source confirmed to the National Post. In an emailed statement to the National Post, Rodriguez said: 'Facebook knows very well that they have no obligations under the act right now. Following Royal Assent of Bill C-18, the Government will engage in a regulatory and implementation process. If the Government can’t stand up for Canadians against tech giants, who will?'

"During a Senate committee hearing earlier this month, Rodriguez threatened unspecified 'options' for retaliation if the companies followed through.... Google spokesperson Shay Purdy replied the company is 'doing everything we can to avoid an outcome that no-one wants.'

"During testimony before the Senate Transportation and Communications committee in Ottawa this month, Fildebrandt asked for the bill to be 'opt-in” so news organizations such as the Western Standard do not lose the traffic they receive from those platforms if the Big Tech companies decide to block Canadian news.... The amendment was included in the final version of the bill passed by the Senate on June 16. At the time Sen. Leo Housakos (QC) mentioned the Western Standard as an example of successful media companies thriving in the 'current news media landscape'.... 'We had witnesses that came before the committee, including print associations that represent journalists in this country that say thanks to Meta, their traffic is up as much as 31% to 33%,' said Housakos."

Read more: https://www.westernstandard.news/business/facebook-turning-off-news-in-canada-as-latest-media-bailout-awaits-royal-assent/article_d92c378e-1138-11ee-b79b-7bfe5ffd29d1.html

Facebook threatens to withhold news content in Canada | CTV National News | March 13, 2023:

How WikiLeaks revolutionized journalism

WikiLeaks designed 21st century model for leak-based journalism in a wired age | The Japan Times:

April 12, 2019 - "Using cryptography and virtual drop boxes, Julian Assange’s WikiLeaks created a revolutionary new model for media to lure massive leaks from whistleblowers, exposing everything from U.S. military secrets to wealthy tax dodgers’ illicit offshore accounts.

"Assange’s arrest in London Thursday on a U.S. extradition request to face computer crime charges could spell the end of 13-year-old WikiLeaks. But his legacy will live long in the world’s media. News outlets and journalists everywhere can now offer potential sources encrypted apps and secure virtual mailboxes to receive secrets that were once divulged by discreet whispers, furtive phone calls and unmarked manila envelopes.

"Skilled at hacking and cryptography — and motivated by a deep distrust of traditional institutions — Australia-born Assange applied his libertarian streak to the challenge of breaking government secrecy. In 2006 he built an online platform that offered an anonymous, encrypted path for leaking computerized files without fear of exposure. Leaks have forever been crucial currency in journalism. But no one had before created a convenient, relatively easy-to-use electronic drop box that could almost instantly, with absolute secrecy, take delivery of gigabytes of documents. And he did it at a ripe time, when the wired world was emerging and social media were taking off....

"WikiLeaks obtained documents exposing the Kenyan leader’s corruption, the secret operating rules for the U.S. Guantanamo Bay prison camp, and offshore banking records from a Swiss bank. It began scooping mainstream media on stories ranging from secret climate-change discussions to Iran’s nuclear activities and Icelandic banking fraud.

"In 2010, U.S. Army intelligence official Chelsea Manning ... began secretly feeding hundreds of thousands of classified files to WikiLeaks. They showed evidence of possible war crimes by U.S. forces in Iraq and Afghanistan.... Assange partnered with The New York Times, The Guardian, Der Spiegel and others to help sort through and make sense of the Manning material. WikiLeaks won awards and Assange was put on the cover of Time magazine....

"Almost as soon as he hit that peak, Assange’s star began to fade.... But by 2012 others were already adopting his model of setting up encrypted, anonymous paths for leakers to contribute documents. WikiLeaks copycat sites opened in different countries. Journalists became trained in the use of encryption and secret file transfers.... U.S. whistleblower Edward Snowden ... used the encrypted communications Assange helped popularize to communicate with the journalists who collaborated with him.

"In 2013 the Freedom of the Press Foundation, which had aided WikiLeaks with financing, developed a new anonymous drop box free for anyone to use: SecureDrop.... SecureDrop is important to the most successful WikiLeaks-like operation, the International Consortium of Investigative Journalists. In recent years it has obtained from leakers millions of financial account files detailing money laundering and tax avoidance from offshore banking centers — digital troves that became known as the 'Panama Papers' and 'Paradise Papers.'”

Read more: https://www.japantimes.co.jp/news/2019/04/12/world/wikileaks-designed-21st-century-model-leak-based-journalism-wired-age/#.XLNUNtQrLn4
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Danville Register & Bee endorses Gary Johnson

We support Johnson for president | Editorials | godanriver.com:

November 6, 2016 "In a normal year, the Danville Register & Bee would endorse the Republican candidate for president. But this isn’t a normal year, and Trump isn’t even a Republican. He most closely resembles a one-man political movement.

"That leaves us with a choice all Dan River Region residents will have to make on Tuesday, but it’s not a tough choice. Today, we endorse Gov. Gary Johnson, the Libertarian Party’s presidential nominee.

"We support Johnson because, like all Libertarians and conservatives, he understands that not all of our problems can be solved with new regulations and more government spending. Johnson is a businessman, who as governor of New Mexico cut taxes and vetoed 750 bills.

“'I hope that people will see that we don’t have to sit by the sidelines and watch as the two major parties limit their choices to slightly different flavors of the status quo,' Johnson writes on his campaign’s website. 'It is, in fact, possible to join the fray, stand up for principles and offer a real alternative.'

"Americans won’t have that real alternative if they keep voting for the lesser of two evils. The two-party system has survived for so many years because even when one party had a bad candidate, the other was able to provide a stronger one.

"That didn’t happen this year. There isn’t enough ink and paper to fully describe how Donald Trump and Hillary Clinton have failed us.

"But there is hope.

"Gov. Gary Johnson gives us a chance to tell the major parties that 2016 marks the end of business as usual in Washington and that the era of ever-expanding government is coming to an end.

"If you believe that it’s time for the American people to stop playing the game the two parties want us to play, then voting for a Libertarian this year makes sense. With Gov. Gary Johnson, we have a chance to slay the beast — and elect the best candidate on the ballot."

Read more: http://www.godanriver.com/opinion/editorials/we-support-johnson-for-president/article_b31132c2-a301-11e6-bff5-5f335c12fa62.html
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Charleston Post & Courier endorses Johnson

A liberating presidential-vote solution | Editorials | postandcourier.com:

November 6, 2016 - "This isn’t the first time both major-party presidential candidates have drawn widespread disdain from the public. But it’s grimly obvious that a record number of voters are thoroughly dismayed by what they justifiably see as their lack of a positive White House choice in either the Democratic or the Republican nominee.

"And if you’re among that vast group, register your displeasure loudly and clearly by voting for neither Hillary Clinton nor Donald Trump on Tuesday. Instead, vote for Libertarian presidential nominee Gary Johnson....

"Mr. Johnson established a solid record as a fiscally conservative governor of New Mexico from 1995 to 2003, earning re-election by a large margin in a state that has voted for the Democratic nominee in five of the last presidential elections.

William Weld, Mr. Johnson’s running mate, is also a fiscally focused ex-Republican governor. He was re-elected by a large margin in Massachusetts, which hasn’t voted for a GOP presidential nominee since Ronald Reagan in 1984. The Johnson-Weld ticket stresses the urgent need to reform unsustainable federal entitlement spending. Mrs. Clinton and Mr. Trump duck that dire challenge of our times.

"No, Mr. Johnson won’t win the White House Tuesday. But if he gains a substantial vote total, that could help spark the liberation of our politics from the two-party monopoly now failing Americans....

"Mrs. Clinton and Mr. Trump emerged victorious in their parties’ extended primary competitions. Yet since winning those nominations, their most effective pitches to voters have focused not on their own visions but on their opponents being 'unfit' for the presidency.

"Unfortunately, that 'unfit' charge rings all too true for both. Thus, many Americans will vote for Mrs. Clinton to prevent Mr. Trump from becoming president or vice versa....

"Yes, Mr. Johnson has committed some verbal stumbles over the last two months, exposing shortcomings in his knowledge of foreign affairs.

"But Mr. Johnson is not, as Mrs. Clinton is, under investigation by the FBI for improper use of a private email server while serving as Secretary of State. He has not, as Mrs. Clinton has, repeatedly lied about that case, expanding a credibility gap for a troubling pattern of deceit that began long before her latest scandal.

"And Mr. Johnson is not, as Mr. Trump is, a crude braggart who has consistently shown alarming ignorance on both domestic and international issues. He does not, as Mr. Trump does, have a blatantly weak claim to any constitutional or conservative perspective. Nor does he exhibit, as Mr. Trump does, an excessive self-confidence that borders on blinding narcissism."

Read more: http://www.postandcourier.com/opinion/editorials/a-liberating-presidential-vote-solution/article_8b22f73a-a2bd-11e6-b62a-e3d04d5923e5.html
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Fort Worth Star-Telegram endorses Libertarian Mark Miller for energy commission

Libertarian Mark Miller best for Texas energy regulator job | The Star-Telegram:

October 19, 2016 - "Texas voters ... should know about the election for railroad commissioner: It’s a very important statewide post, and it has nothing at all to do with railroads.

"The three-member Railroad Commission regulates the oil and gas industry, with which its commissioners have been overly chummy.

"On the ballot are a Republican who on his website prominently displays the Texas Oil and Gas Association president’s words praising the industry, a Democrat who is a retired schoolteacher and lacks direct knowledge of the industry, plus candidates from the Libertarian Party and the Green Party.

"Texans should buck two-party tradition and elect Libertarian Mark Miller, a former University of Texas at Austin petroleum engineering professor with deep oil and gas knowledge — but from a respectful distance.

"For transparency, Miller wants to change the agency’s name to the Energy Resources Commission. He’d help separate it from the industry it regulates.

"The Star-Telegram Editorial Board recommends Mark Miller for railroad commissioner."

Read more: http://www.star-telegram.com/opinion/editorials/article109268402.html
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Chicago Tribune endorses Gary Johnson

A principled option for U.S. president: Endorsing Gary Johnson, Libertarian - Chicago Tribune:

September 30, 2016 - "The Republicans have nominated Donald Trump, a man not fit to be president of the United States. We first wrote on March 10 that we would not, could not, endorse him. And in the intervening six-plus months he has splendidly reinforced our verdict: Trump has gone out of his way to anger world leaders, giant swaths of the American public, and people of other lands who aspire to immigrate here legally. He has neither the character nor the prudent disposition for the job....

"The Democrats have nominated Hillary Clinton, who, by contrast, is undeniably capable of leading the United States. Electing her the first woman president would break a barrier that has no reason to be.... But ... Clinton's vision of ever-expanding government is in such denial of our national debt crisis as to be fanciful.... Clinton calls for a vast expansion of federal spending, supported by the kinds of tax hikes that were comically impossible even in the years when President Barack Obama's fellow Democrats dominated both houses of Congress.... Sort through all the details and her plan would raise the national debt by $200 billion....

"Clinton knows she is ... promising Americans all manner of things she cannot deliver. That is but one of the reasons why so many Americans reject Clinton: They don't trust what she says, how she makes decisions, and her up-to-the-present history of egregiously erasing the truth.... Clinton's behavior affirms the perception that she's a corner-cutter whose ambitions drive her decisions.....

"We would rather recommend a principled candidate for president — regardless of his or her prospects for victory — than suggest that voters cast ballots for such disappointing major-party candidates....

"Libertarians Gary Johnson of New Mexico and running mate William Weld of Massachusetts are agile, practical and, unlike the major-party candidates, experienced at managing governments. They offer an agenda that appeals not only to the Tribune's principles but to those of the many Americans who say they are socially tolerant but fiscally responsible.... Theirs is small-L libertarianism, built on individual freedom and convinced that, at both ends of Pennsylvania Avenue, official Washington is clumsy, expensive and demonstrably unable to solve this nation's problems....

"Johnson, who built a construction business before entering politics, speaks in terms that appeal to many among us: Expanded global trade and resulting job expansion. Robust economic growth, rather than ever-higher taxation, to raise government revenue. A smaller, and less costly, federal government. Faith in Americans' ability to parlay economic opportunity into success. While many Democrats and Republicans outdo one another in opposing the proposed Trans-Pacific Partnership trade deal, or TPP, we're amused by this oddity: Today the nation's two most ardent free-traders arguably are Barack Obama and Gary Johnson.

"That said, Obama and Johnson are but two of the many candidates we've endorsed yet with whom we also can disagree. Johnson's foreign policy stance approaches isolationism. He is too reluctant to support what we view as necessary interventions overseas.... But unless the United States tames a national debt that's rapidly approaching $20 trillion-with-a-T, Americans face ever tighter constrictions on what this country can afford, at home or overseas. Clinton and Trump are too cowardly even to whisper about entitlement reforms that each of them knows are imperative. Johnson? He wants to raise the retirement age and apply a means test on benefits to the wealthiest....

"We wish the two major parties had not run away from today's centrist Americans. Just as we wish either of their candidates evoked the principles that a Chicago Tribune now in its 170th year espouses, among them high integrity, free markets, personal responsibility and a limited role for government in the lives of the governed. We hope Johnson does well enough that Republicans and Democrats get the message — and that his ideas make progress over time.

"This year neither major party presents a good option. So the Chicago Tribune today endorses Libertarian Gary Johnson for president of the United States. Every American who casts a vote for him is standing for principles — and can be proud of that vote. Yes, proud of a candidate in 2016."

Read more: http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/opinion/editorials/ct-gary-johnson-president-endorsement-edit-1002-20160930-story.html
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Detroit News endorses Gary Johnson

Endorsement: Libertarian Gary Johnson for president - Detroit News, editorial:

September 29, 2016 - "Since its founding in 1873, The Detroit News has backed a Republican every time it has made a presidential endorsement..... We abandon that long and estimable tradition this year for one reason: Donald J. Trump....Trump is unprincipled, unstable and quite possibly dangerous. He can not be president.

"His Democratic opponent, Hillary Clinton, has an impressive resume and a presidential bearing.... But character matters. Her career-long struggles with honesty and ethics and calculating, self-serving approach to politics trouble us deeply....

"We recognize the Libertarian candidate is the longest of long shots.... But this is an endorsement of conscience, reflecting our confidence that Johnson would be a competent and capable president and an honorable one.

"Gary Johnson has excelled at public service. In his eight years as the Republican governor of New Mexico, he cut taxes while balancing the budget, and left the state in better fiscal shape than when he arrived. He also was a champion of school choice, and the state under his guidance made great strides in improving education....

"Like this newspaper, he holds that an individual should have maximum freedom to navigate his or her personal decision-making, with little meddling from the government.

"His position on trade is the most responsible of any of the candidates in the race. He voices a healthy respect for free markets, and recognizes that unrestricted trade — absent crony capitalism — is a boon to the economy. He is the only candidate who would sign the Trans-Pacific Partnership trade deal....

"Johnson extends his free market philosophy to immigration, taking a position we’ve long advocated that immigration policy should match the demands of the economy. 'Make available to anyone who wants to come into this country a work visa,' Johnson says. 'And a work visa should entail a background check and a social security card so that applicable taxes get paid. Don’t put the government in charge of quotas. That’s one of the reasons for 11 million undocumented workers.'

"Our apprehension about Johnson rests with foreign policy. He holds to conventional libertarian non-interventionism. But he understands America’s position in the world.... He pledges to honor all existing treaties and obligations, and supports NATO, though he wants the European nations to live up to their commitment to pay 2 percent of GDP for the common defense; a reasonable expectation.....

"In abandoning the GOP nominee, The News has plenty of company among traditional Republicans and conservatives.... We urge readers who share our disillusionment with the presidential ballot and disdain for the GOP nominee to join us in casting a conscience vote for Gary Johnson."

Read more: http://www.detroitnews.com/story/opinion/editorials/2016/09/28/endorse-johnson-president/91254412/
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NH Union Leader endorses Johnson / Weld

Johnson-Weld 2016: A better choice | New Hampshire Union Leader - Editorial:

September 14, 2015 - "Trump or Clinton. Pick a side.

That’s a lousy choice, and a false one. As our Publisher writes on today’s front page, we refuse to choose the lesser of two evils. Not when there’s a reasonable, and honorable, alternative.

"Former New Mexico Governor Gary Johnson has a stellar record as a fiscal conservative in a swing state. His running mate, former Massachusetts Governor Bill Weld, proved that it’s possible to hold off a big spending Legislature, even in Taxachusetts. They are both intelligent, competent, experienced executives....

"Running on the Libertarian Party ticket, Johnson and Weld ... might be just the ticket to snapping a squabbling Congress out of its partisanship. Both Republicans and Democrats would be independent of the White House, and freer to debate issues apart from tribal loyalties....

"The pattern of presidential overreach stretches back not just eight years, but eight decades, as every commander-in-chief worked to consolidate political authority in the Executive Branch, and every Congress meekly consented.... Gary Johnson would be the first President in modern memory to limit the scope of both the federal government, and his own power as President....

"As the Winston-Salem Journal of North Carolina wrote in its endorsement of Johnson and Weld, 'They are principled and honorable in a time when our country sorely needs such qualities.'

"The Richmond Times-Dispatch of Virginia argues 'Johnson’s clear and consistent support for limited government, free enterprise, social tolerance and individual freedom appeals to our own philosophical leanings'....

"This is the best chance for a third party ticket in more than a century. Johnson and Weld are on the ballot in all 50 states, and should have significant appeal to disaffected conservatives and liberals looking for a better option. They must be included in this fall’s presidential debate.

"If you’re curious about Johnson and Weld, we urge you to watch our recent interview with the two former governors as part of our Voters First series at www.unionleader.com/JohnsonWeld.

"Don’t waste your vote on candidates who don’t deserve it. Gary Johnson and Bill Weld are the only choice for President and Vice President."
..
Read more: http://www.unionleader.com/editorials/johnson-weld-2016-a-better-choice--20160914
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Winston-Salem Journal endorses Gary Johnson

Decision 2016: Gary Johnson for president - Winston-Salem Journal: Editorials:

September 11, 2016 - "We’ve surprised even ourselves with this endorsement, our first for a Libertarian for president. But the timing has never been better for this particular Libertarian, Gary Johnson of New Mexico. He is everything the presidential candidates for the two major parties are not, thank God.

"Johnson and his running mate, William 'Bill' Weld of Massachusetts, were both popular, effective Republican governors who worked well with Democrats. They are principled and honorable in a time when our country sorely needs such qualities.... We join many Americans in being sick of the status quo in American politics, particularly presidential politics, that has far drifted from the bedrock ideals of our fabulous Founders. On this day, by endorsing Gary Johnson, we issue a challenge to change that status quo.

"This Westerner’s strong, common-sense record of being fiscally conservative and socially progressive matches our editorial board’s emphasis, as well as his concentration on small government, and, best of all, freedom. We suspect his stances mirror that of many other Americans.

"We are recommending Johnson on this early date because, as he has acknowledged, it’s crucial that his ticket be included on the presidential debate schedule that starts Sept. 26.... We make this early endorsement today in hopes it will help persuade the Commission on Presidential Debates to include Johnson, even if he falls short of the required number, a hope we share with a sister paper, the Richmond Times-Dispatch....

"On public education, he supports more local control. We agree, although we object to his emphasis on eliminating the federal Department of Education and Common Core. On the environment, we like his emphasis on reasonable regulation and his objection to politicians doing the bidding of lobbyists. He has good ideas on taxes, including eliminating double-taxation on small business.

"We like his emphasis on criminal-justice reform, especially on draconian and unequal drug laws, although we are not with him yet on the legalization of recreational marijuana. We like Johnson’s commitment to common-sense immigration reform that would include a better system of work visas, background checks and undocumented immigrants paying their fair share of taxes.

"Johnson does have much to learn on foreign policy. But we like his emphasis on a strong military, and that he says we can’t be the world’s police, especially with all the domestic problems in our country. War, he rightly says, must be authorized by Congress through a transparent process. And he emphasizes better care for our veterans."

Read more: http://www.journalnow.com/opinion/editorials/decision-gary-johnson-for-president/article_7351cdb6-327e-5cf0-b0d2-9bff7ab6d874.html
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Richmond Times-Dispatch endorses Johnson

Richmond Times-Dispatch endorses Gary Johnson for president - Richmond Times-Dispatch: OUR OPINION:

September 3, 2016 - "Gary Johnson is a former, two-term governor of New Mexico and a man who built from scratch a construction company that eventually employed more than 1,000 people before he sold it in 1999. He possesses substantial executive experience in both the private and the public sectors.

"More important, he’s a man of good integrity, apparently normal ego and sound ideas. Sadly, in the 2016 presidential contest, those essential qualities make him an anomaly — though they are the foundations for solid leadership and trustworthy character. (At 63, he is also the youngest candidate by more than half a decade — and is polling well among truly young voters.)

"As the nominee of the Libertarian Party, Johnson is expected to be on the ballot in all 50 states and the District of Columbia. He is, in every respect, a legitimate and reasonable contender for the presidency — but only if the voters give him a fair hearing. And that can happen only if he is allowed to participate in the presidential debates that begin on Sept. 26 at Hofstra University in Hempstead, N.Y. If the Commission on Presidential Debates wants to perform a real service to its country, it will invite Gary Johnson onto the big stage....

"Johnson’s clear and consistent support for limited government, free enterprise, social tolerance and individual freedom appeals to our own philosophical leanings. An examination of his policy positions revealed that they often match our longstanding editorial creed....

"But our final decision to endorse the Johnson/Weld ticket, and to do so with great confidence and enthusiasm, came only after Johnson met with the editorial board last Monday morning. We found him to be knowledgeable but unscripted, reasonable and good-humored, self-assured but free from arrogance, willing and able to address every question, consistent in his beliefs without being dogmatic, even-tempered, curious — and in all respects optimistically, realistically presidential.

"We have over the years interviewed hundreds of politicians — local, state, and national — and there’s no doubt that Johnson belongs in the major leagues, and on the debate stage this fall. He is a skilled and experienced leader, an able communicator, an intelligent man."

Read more: http://www.richmond.com/opinion/our-opinion/article_b79cc2b6-8ed5-532c-92eb-4a37e779c433.html
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Volokh Conspiracy blog moves to Washington Post

Volokh Conspiracy moves to Washington Post | United Liberty | Free Market - Individual Liberty - Limited Government - Matthew DesOrmeaux:

January 22, 2014 - "The libertarian moment indeed. It was just announced Tuesday that the hugely popular legal blog, Volokh Conspiracy, has been picked up by the Washington Post. The Bezos-owned paper will now host Eugene Volokh’s legendary blog on its website, which is sure to boost both its exposure and prestige, while the authors retain full control of their content. For those unfamiliar with the 12-year old blog, its authors are mostly law professors with a libertarian bent, who cover everything from Supreme Court decisions to NFL policies, all with a dry but fascinating flourish.

"This move immediately follows the departure of Ezra Klein and two others from his hugely popular, but primarily liberal, WonkBlog at the Washington Post. And less than two weeks before, Radley Balko, the civil libertarian firebrand was picked up by the Post as well. This has led to some jests about a 'vast libertarian conspiracy” brewing at the Post. Though certainly no conspiracy, Jeff Bezos, the founder of Amazon and new owner of the Washington Post, has been rumored to have libertarian sympathies"

Read more: http://www.unitedliberty.org/articles/16306-volokh-conspiracy-moves-to-washington-post
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Libertarian-leaning Bezos buys Washington Post

The politics of Jeff Bezos - Sean Sullivan, Washington Post:

August 7, 2013 - "The Washington Post will soon be coming under new ownership.... Jeffrey P. Bezos, the founder of Amazon.com will be taking the reins. Bezos, 49, has done most of his political talking with his checkbook, shelling out millions in support of gay marriage last year and thousands more over the years on behalf of mostly Democratic candidates. Those who know Bezos say he has libertarian leanings....

"Bezos’s most notable step into the political arena came in 2012, when he put a whopping $2.5 million into the campaign to defend gay marriage in the state of Washington. It was the largest donation of its kind, and came in response to to an appeal from a former Amazon employee, according to the Seattle Times. The former employee had asked Bezos to chip in less than a tenth of what he and his wife ended up giving....

"Early Amazon investor Nick Hanauer has described Bezos as a libertarian. And Bezos has donated to the nonprofit organization that publishes Reason.com, the Web site of the libertarian magazine with the same name. He also put $100,000 toward the defeat of a 2010 measure that would have imposed an income tax on top earners in the Evergreen State."

Read more: http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/the-fix/wp/2013/08/07/the-politics-of-jeff-bezos/
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Koch Industries plans to buy Tribune newspaper chain

Koch Brothers Making Play for Tribune’s Newspapers - NYTimes.com - Amy Chozick, New York Times:

April 20, 2013 - "Three years ago, Charles and David Koch, the billionaire industrialists and supporters of libertarian causes, ... laid out a three-pronged, 10-year strategy to shift the country toward a smaller government with less regulation and taxes.

"The first two pieces of the strategy — educating grass-roots activists and influencing politics — were not surprising, given the money they have given to policy institutes and political action groups. But the third one was: media....

"Now, Koch Industries, the sprawling private company of which Charles G. Koch serves as chairman and chief executive, is exploring a bid to buy the Tribune Company’s eight regional newspapers, including The Los Angeles Times, The Chicago Tribune, The Baltimore Sun, The Orlando Sentinel and The Hartford Courant.

"By early May, the Tribune Company is expected to send financial data to serious suitors in what will be among the largest sales of newspapers by circulation in the country. Koch Industries is among those interested, said several people with direct knowledge of the sale who spoke on the condition they not be named. Tribune emerged from bankruptcy on Dec. 31 and has hired JPMorgan Chase and Evercore Partners to sell its print properties."

Read more: http://www.nytimes.com/2013/04/21/business/media/koch-brothers-making-play-for-tribunes-newspapers.html?_r=1&
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Gary Johnson for president | Chattanooga Free Press

Gary Johnson for president | Chattanooga Free Press | timesfreepress.com:

October 24, 2012 - "For more than 80 years, the Free Press editorial page has been a voice for free market economic philosophies, personal responsibility and limited, responsible government. Endorsing the presidential candidate who most thoroughly represents those values has been an important function of the Free Press editorial page for nearly as long.

"For most of those election cycles, we have endorsed Republican candidates for president.... This election, however, the Republican Party nominee has failed to demonstrate a consistent commitment to conservative principles.... Mitt Romney is too flawed to earn the Free Press' endorsement.... Romney may be less eager to tax, spend, attack personal freedoms and disregard the constitutional limits on government than his Democratic opponent, President Barack Obama, but only slightly....

"As a result, the Free Press editorial page endorses Libertarian Party presidential candidate Gary Johnson for President of the United States."

"Read more: http://www.timesfreepress.com/news/2012/oct/24/1024b-fp1-gary-johnson-for-president/?opinionfreepress
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