Mar 8, 2024 3 min read

MISS: If you’ve never heard of Amos Miller, he is an Amish farmer from the Lancaster area whose plight has become a cause celebre for libertarians and free-market fundamentalists because he has been selling raw dairy milk to customers without a permit. The Pennsylvania Department of Agriculture recently ruled that he can give the raw, unpasteurized milk to his family, but he cannot sell it commercially without the permit. In the past, Miller has done so, and it’s gotten him in trouble, and not without good reason. Drinking raw milk can be extremely dangerous. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, raw milk can carry bacteria like salmonella and listeria, which can make you really, really sick. Miller has claimed that he does not need a permit because he is a “sovereign citizen.” Then, on Wednesday, the Libertarian Party of Pennsylvania put out a news release supporting Miller and trumpeting the fact that at its recent state convention it approved a resolution “supporting food freedom and unregulated food production.” If they truly support unfettered “food freedom,” then we hope they keep lots of Pepto Bismol handy.

MISS: In recent months, the bipartisan group No Labels has been beating the drums about its plans to pull together a middle-of-the-road, “unity” ticket for this year’s presidential campaign. No Labels has been arguing that it would offer broad appeal to centrist voters turned off by the options being put forward by Democrats and Republicans. Of course, the reality is that third-party presidential bids have not gained much traction in the United States in recent years – the last independent candidate who managed to win even a single state was George Wallace in 1968 – and a No Labels bid would almost certainly be a spoiler. Perhaps realizing this, none of the big names No Labels hoped to attract has agreed to toss their hats in the ring, and time is rapidly running out for someone to do so. No Labels has also not had the best defenders. Former Gov. Jay Nixon, a Democrat from Missouri, recently expounded on the sins of both parties, taking Republicans to task for Jan. 6, 2021, and Democrats for … U.S. Sen. John Fetterman wearing shorts on the Senate floor. Undoubtedly many people would prefer that Fetterman get a little more gussied up, but there is a canyon-sized gap between trying to overturn an election and dressing down.

HIT: One way public libraries have made themselves more welcoming in recent years is eliminating overdue fines for materials that are returned late. The consensus is that it brings more people into the library, makes them happier and also makes staffers happier. The New York Times reported this week that the Worcester Public Library in Massachusetts is taking the idea a step further. They are inviting patrons whose accounts have been suspended because they lost or damaged an item and never paid for it to simply bring in a cat photo and have their accounts reactivated. If a patron doesn’t have a cat photo, a magazine clipping will do, or even a sketch of a cat. That’s how one boy who lost a “Captain Underpants” book got his card reactivated. Oftentimes, patrons feel a sense of shame when they have lost or damaged items, or they would have a hard time finding space in a tight budget to pay for them. A forgiveness program like this one is something other libraries should emulate.