| Mar 30, 2016 | Economy / BusinessEvery federal budget is a dream sheet. They’re all unrealistic. It goes something like this: The president lays out a slate of new programs, revenue raisers, and strategic cuts. Then Republican leaders pull out their X-Acto knives, highlighting cuts to programs...
| Jan 20, 2016 | Economy / BusinessFor the first time in more than 30 years, the federal government has decided to hold off on authorizing new leases for coal mining on federal land. It will undertake a review to see whether taxpayers are getting a fair deal while assessing the program’s environmental...
| Aug 19, 2015 | Food / FarmingIt’s a timeless story of teenage romance: pledging love, abandoning reason, rebelling against authority. No, this isn’t the plot of a John Hughes movie. Instead, I’m talking about Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack’s love affair with ethanol. While Vilsack is tasked...
| Jun 3, 2015 | Economy / BusinessHave you heard of the Export-Import Bank? It’s little-known yet high on the list of special-interest priorities these days. Created in 1934, this government agency loans money to foreign buyers of American products and gives U.S. exporters loan guarantees. It also...
| Mar 11, 2015 | Peace / SecuritySay you really want a sports car, a vacation, a big new house, or some other fancy thing you can’t really afford. You know that if you buy it, you’ll bust your budget. It would mean a ramen noodle diet and a threadbare closet from now to eternity for you and your...
