Yesterday, a federal district court threw out a Maryland law requiring Wal‐​Mart to dedicate at least 8 percent of its employee compensation in that state to health care for its Maryland workers. The law was backed chiefly by the AFL-CIO, which has been attempting to get similar laws passed in 33 other states. Those efforts are now likely dead.


This will, no doubt, come as a disappointment to the National Education Association (NEA), which has had an anti‐​Wal‐​Mart campaign since last summer. “Huh,” you say? “What does Wal‐​Mart have to do with public education?” Well, all those NEA officials have to occupy themselves somehow during slow nights at the casino, or while riding around Hawaii in limousines.