Dr. Jay Richards, Acton's Director of Media, joins host Frank Pastore on KKLA in Los Angeles to discuss the recent proposal by some Democrat members of Congress to nationalize the US domestic oil industry in response to this year's spike in gasoline prices. Richards addresses the idea that such a move would decrease prices, arguing that it would be more likely to increase prices and lead to shortages. Richards and Pastore also talk about Jim Wallis' argument that Christians need to de-emphasize social issues like abortion and place more emphasis on issues such as poverty, global warming, and the like.

Quick Links

• Taking a Left Turn at Chavez Boulevard by Marc VanderMaas
• Religion, Economics, and the Market Paradox by Robert H. Nelson
• What Latin Americans Want by Dr. Samuel Gregg
• Entries tagged as Socialism on the Acton Institute PowerBlog

The June 19 premiere of "The Birth of Freedom" in Washington, D.C., is sold out, but tickets are now available for a special 2nd screening which will take place on July 16.

Quick Links:

• The Birth of Freedom - Official Website
• The Birth of Freedom - Washington D.C. Special 2nd Screening
• The Birth of Freedom - Tickets to the Chicago Premiere
• Acton Media

Registrations are now being accepted for the Toward a Free and Virtuous Society Conference in Sonntagberg, Austria. This conference is hosted by the Europa Institut, Acton's Austrian affiliate and will feature presentations by both Acton veterans, including Dr. Samuel Gregg and Mr. Michael Miller, and European leaders in free-market economics and religion.

By combining an in-depth treatment of economic principles of social justice and anthropology, these conferences introduce participants to the moral foundations of personal and economic liberty. In addition, these seminars focus on applying economic liberty to complex issues such as poverty, welfare reform and globalization.

Although conference participants come from various backgrounds and countries, all share a commitment to Christian anthropology and a respect for the rights of individuals.

Michael Miller, Director of Programs at the Acton Institute, makes an appearance on Jacksonville's progressive talk radio station, AM 1460 WZNZ, to discuss the issue of Global Warming and how Republican presidential candidate John McCain plans to address it.

Miller looks at whether or not McCain's "Cap and Trade" proposal is actually a market and whether or not it will actually work. In an interesting twist, the discussion also moves into an examination of whether or not modern environmentalism is pantheistic, and a discussion of the dangers of a moral system based on pantheism.

Ray Nothstine, an associate editor at Acton, joins host Bud Hedinger on AM 540 WFLA in Orlando, Florida to discuss the unintended consequences of the federal government's decision to heavily promote and subsidize corn-based ethanol as an alternative to petroleum based fuels. As Mr. Nothstine predicted last year, the result of the diversion of a large portion of the corn crop into fuel production has resulted in rising prices for food, while at the same time fuel prices continue to rise. Mr. Nothstine and Bud Hedinger discuss possible solutions to this policy fiasco in this 13 minute interview.