I would cut back the “interstate commerce” justification to laws genuinely about interstate commerce. But, in its place, I would expand Congress’s Fourteenth Amendment power to guarantee all citizens the equal protection of the laws.

“if it is a matter left to the states, then should there be a federal law involved at all?”

Maybe, if limited to federal land where state law has no jurisdiction and cases where the crime itself crosses state lines.

However, the DOJ’s current doctrine on federal criminal jurisdiction under the commerce clause is absurd. They claim they have valid jurisdiction if a tool used to commit the crime traveled in interstate commerce 30 years before the crime was committed. In other words, in today’s world, they always have jurisdiction on interstate commerce grounds. Heads we win, tails you lose.

I worked for Caterpillar’s financial services captive at one point. I took a course they were offering at corporate called “Business Law for the Non-Specialist,” which included a module on IP/copyright. CAT’s position was basically that no matter how low the likelihood of anyone confusing something containing the word “cat,” with the CAT trademark or Caterpillar brand they had to at least send a letter so as to show that they were vigorously defending their trademark. And mind you, there was a lot of cheap, knock-off CAT branded merchandise out there, so it wasn’t a completely irrational position to take.

So McDonald’s food is made of paper/cardboard? Figures.

Darrow convinced a judge that defendants who had no redeeming qualities that their lives should be spared, this in an era when capital punishment for first degree murder was common. For Caplan (and Walter too?) to say that they find the logic he used to be unconvincing and overrated suggests that they are using a totally different measuring stick than the one Darrow faced. Any lawyer who’s been inside a courtroom would have said beforehand that his task was beyond the abilities of any mortal.

Shredded cheese in the shakes? Yikes.

Yep, just checked their ingredient list today. Still there. Its no longer in the nuggets, the fried chicken patty, but remains in the fish.

Feel free to check yourself at: https://www.mcdonalds.com/us/en-us/full-menu.html

Similar results searching Wendy’s, Burger King, Taco Bell, Carl’s Jr, etc – generally in the same types of ingredients (plus shredded cheese).