UPDATE: House Judiciary Chairman Lamar Smith said they will not take up SOPA until there is “wider agreement” on the issue. According to Politico : House Judiciary Committee Chairman Lamar Smith (R-Texas) said today that his committee won’t take up SOPA until “there is wider agreement […]

By Robert Romano — In an unexpected move, on Jan. 19, the U.S. Department of Justice, along with New Zealand law enforcement officials, have taken down Hong Kong-based Megaupload.com, a popular file sharing site that had been promoted by pop culture icons Alicia Keys, Kim Kardashian, and […]

By Paul Driessen — “[G]leaming white wind turbines generating carbon-free electricity carpet chaparral-covered ridges and march down into valleys of Joshua trees.” This is “the future” of American energy — not “the oil rigs planted helter-skelter in [nearby] citrus groves,” nor the “smoggy San Joaquin […]

By Rick Manning — I wonder if we have lost our nation. I don’t come to the conclusion lightly.  But, If those Americans who take more in benefits from the government than they produce have not already overwhelmed the system to form an effective majority, they are […]

The Department of Justice shut down the website MegaUpload after being charged with committing copyright violations . This comes just a day after many websites, such as Wikipedia and Reddit, “blacked out” in protest of legislation in front of Congress that would give the government more power to preemptively shutdown websites that are suspected of being involved in Internet piracy and […]

To receive the Must Reads in your inbox,  click here ! Good Thursday morning, Here are the  Must Reads according to  Adam Bitely : Perry drops out; Endorses Newt What’s in the ABC News interview with Newt’s ex-wife? Cartoon: Re-elect me Captain! Obama says NO to Keystone pipeline SOPA support implodes What’s next for SOPA and PIPA? The NLRB’s lost records Romney’s missed opportunity on Europe The golden age of libertarianism that never was Creative destruction, properly understood Don’t trust your instincts: Simple answers are satisfying, but often wrong

Cartoon by William Warren NRD Editor’s Note: As always, you may reprint this cartoon anywhere you please, but we ask that you provide a link back to this source. To see more Warren Toons, click here .

By Frank McCaffrey — Greece, a once proud nation, has been reduced to a beggar nation. Here is a look at what has caused the financial crumbling in that nation.

By Robert Romano — It is telling that on the same day the Wall Street Journal published a lead editorial in favor of legislation that would censor the Internet in the name of protecting copyright that the bill lost no less than 14 previous backers, who dropped their support of the legislation. Eight were in the Senate alone, […]

Sources say Rick Perry will end his campaign for the GOP nomination and will endorse Newt Gingrich.