Policy


Budgets and Deficits

Feds gave $450,000 for defunct women's cricket in Afghanistan

By Sean Higgins | 12/29/14 03:29 PM

The State Department issued a $450,000 grant to support women's cricket in Afghanistan even...

Got a question for the IRS? It will cost you $42, and 20 minutes on hold

By Luke Rosiak | 12/29/14 02:40 PM

Taxpayers pay sky-high costs for subpar service at call centers.

Minimum wage fights turns to states, cities

By Sean Higgins | 12/27/14 02:00 PM

State and local efforts to raise the minimum wage comes in waves while the federal level...

Sanders names 'deficit owl' his chief economist

By Joseph Lawler | 12/26/14 08:29 PM

"We're very excited to have her on our team," Sanders aide Warren Gunnels told the Examiner,

Free-marketers want dynamic scoring from new CBO chief

By Joseph Lawler | 12/29/14 03:07 PM

Almost four dozen prominent free-market political organizations signed a letter sent to GOP...

Federal spending drops to 20 percent of GDP

By Sean Higgins | 12/29/14 12:56 PM

The drop puts current federal spending close to the norm for the last half-century.

U.S. agencies ignore thousands of suggestions to cut waste, stop fraud

By Luke Rosiak | 12/28/14 05:00 AM

Many federal agencies treat open recommendations identifying waste, fraud and abuse as "an...

Reviewing 2014's domestic policy debates

By Jason Russell | 12/27/14 05:00 AM

Poverty, economic inequality, government infrastructure and immigration were the topics of...

Law

Cops' Bronx cheer for De Blasio

By Brian Hughes | 12/29/14 12:19 PM

The New York City mayor has spent recent days trying to showcase his commitment to the NYPD.

Tiny fraction of 30,000 'border surge' families, children deported

By Kelly Cohen | 12/29/14 10:43 AM

Only 1,600 of 13,000 unaccompanied children caught have been ordered removed.

McDonnells' daughter blames former first lady for ex-gov's conviction

By Jennifer Peebles | 12/28/14 10:32 AM

"My mom ... has always been concerned about getting discounts or freebees," the daughter wrote.

Watch NYPD officer Ramos' funeral live here

By Justin Green | 12/27/14 10:31 AM

RIP

Farmers' complaint: If immigrants aren't worried about deportation, we'd have to pay them more

By Timothy P. Carney | 12/29/14 11:42 AM

Farmers don't deserve sympathy for the fact that they'll have a harder time exploiting...

Obama says race relations helped by Ferguson, Garner cases

By Paul Bedard | 12/29/14 08:33 AM

President Obama believes that race relations are improving -- in part because of the...

NYPD chief: Turning backs to de Blasio 'inappropriate'

By Zack Colman | 12/28/14 01:08 PM

"To bring politics or to bring issues into that event I think was very inappropriate,"...

Biden at NYPD funeral: 'Thank God' for police officers

By Zack Colman | 12/27/14 11:49 AM

"He was a cop for all the right reasons."

Health Care

Ebola deaths hit 7,708; CDC comic book offers free burials

By Paul Bedard | 12/29/14 03:16 PM

The Ebola death toll has reached 7,708 and the CDC is warning families to stay away from the...

All life matters: Jahi McMath's journey

By Michelle Malkin | 12/25/14 05:00 AM

Medical officials callously referred to Jahi as "dead, dead, dead" and dismissed the child...

Doctors demand Feds provide birth control access to all women

By Paul Bedard | 12/23/14 12:47 PM

The nation's baby doctors want to open birth control access to women in Obamacare plans that...

HHS touts 6.4 million Obamacare sign-ups

By Brian Hughes | 12/23/14 11:07 AM

"We still have a lot of work to do before the Feb. 15 enrollment deadline, but this is an...

Regressive cigarette tax hikes hardly improve health

By Jason Russell | 12/26/14 04:35 PM

Public health claims that cigarette tax hikes are needed to discourage smoking are going up...

CDC monitoring lab tech for possible Ebola exposure

By Kelly Cohen | 12/24/14 06:04 PM

A lab technician in Atlanta is being monitored for possible exposure to Ebola.

FDA recommends ending ban on blood donations from gay men

By Kelly Cohen | 12/23/14 01:57 PM

Gay and bisexual men soon may be able to donate blood.

Supreme Court to hear Obamacare subsidy case in March

By Kelly Cohen | 12/23/14 12:24 PM

The hearing will determine the fate of tax credits given to lower-income individuals using...

Economy

Study finds costly loopholes in military payday loan rules

By Joseph Lawler | 12/29/14 03:37 PM

The CFPB released a new study on the reliance of military personnel on short-term, high-cost...

Texas manufacturers optimistic despite oil downturn

By Joseph Lawler | 12/29/14 01:17 PM

The precipitous drop in oil prices has not darkened the outlook of manufacturers in...

Cheer up: The pessimists are wrong and America's future is bright

By Dan Hannan | 12/29/14 05:00 AM

How do you think 2015 will be for you? If you're typical, you'll be pessimistic, and...

The world's third largest economy just approved a $29 billion economic stimulus

By Justin Green | 12/27/14 08:05 AM

Japan tries out a stimulus to help its ailing economy.

Free-marketers want dynamic scoring from new CBO chief

By Joseph Lawler | 12/29/14 03:07 PM

Almost four dozen prominent free-market political organizations signed a letter sent to GOP...

Federal spending drops to 20 percent of GDP

By Sean Higgins | 12/29/14 12:56 PM

The drop puts current federal spending close to the norm for the last half-century.

Farmers' complaint: If immigrants aren't worried about deportation, we'd have to pay them more

By Timothy P. Carney | 12/29/14 11:42 AM

Farmers don't deserve sympathy for the fact that they'll have a harder time exploiting...

Minimum wage fights turns to states, cities

By Sean Higgins | 12/27/14 02:00 PM

State and local efforts to raise the minimum wage comes in waves while the federal level...

Energy and Environment

Shakeup on House Natural Resources panel signals tougher oversight

By Zack Colman | 12/29/14 08:29 PM

Rob Bishop is known for his fiery rhetoric and a laser-like focus on White House public...

Texas manufacturers optimistic despite oil downturn

By Joseph Lawler | 12/29/14 01:17 PM

The precipitous drop in oil prices has not darkened the outlook of manufacturers in...

Cheer up: The pessimists are wrong and America's future is bright

By Dan Hannan | 12/29/14 05:00 AM

How do you think 2015 will be for you? If you're typical, you'll be pessimistic, and...

Republicans plan to attack Obama's climate agenda early and often

By Zack Colman | 12/27/14 05:00 AM

EPA's carbon proposal is the center of conservatives' beef with Obama's environmental and...

Key GOP House committee sets policy agenda

By Jason Russell | 12/29/14 07:43 PM

Rep. Upton, chairman of the House Energy and Commerce, outlined a sweeping policy agenda for...

Russia's economy shrinking as oil plunges

By Joseph Lawler | 12/29/14 12:09 PM

Russia's economy is contracting as the effect of collapsing oil prices and international...

Pope Francis to issue climate change edict: Report

By Zack Colman | 12/29/14 10:20 AM

The pope is trying to get the message out to influence UN climate talks set for December...

Russia agrees to energy deal with Ukraine

By Zack Colman | 12/27/14 08:37 AM

Russia will send 500,000 tons of coal to Ukraine each month.

Technology

Regulator bypassed colleagues to ramrod rule picking cellular winners, losers

By Sarah Westwood | 12/29/14 01:51 PM

"This is not how democracy works. And it's not how the FCC in particular has ever worked."

Sony, Xbox restoring online service after hack attack

By Zack Colman | 12/27/14 08:58 AM

The networks went dark Christmas Eve, with hacker group "Lizard Squad" taking credit.

Balancing the old and the new

By Linda Chavez | 12/26/14 05:00 AM

The more connected I am, the less connected I feel.

Sony makes 'The Interview' available for streaming

By Kelly Cohen | 12/24/14 03:33 PM

The controversial film "The Interview" is now available to stream online.

Wanted: FBI seeks 'Cyber Special Agents,' even hackers

By Paul Bedard | 12/29/14 12:10 PM

The FBI is hiring a cybersecurity corps and that will even include experienced hackers.

What Twitter talked about most in 2014

By Kelly Cohen | 12/26/14 02:57 PM

Ferguson dominated Twitter this year.

Playstation network down after Christmas Day hacking

By Joseph Lawler | 12/26/14 10:15 AM

Technology

Up-Lyft-ing Christmas tale

By John Stossel | 12/25/14 05:00 AM

The Internet has given birth to exciting businesses that challenge the rules.

Entitlements

Here's how inspectors found $43b Washington could save

By Ethan Barton | 12/29/14 05:00 AM

The 14 inspector generals' offices returned almost $11 billion to the U.S. Treasury.

Welfare-to-work programs might not be increasing employment among the poor

By Sarah Westwood | 12/23/14 03:44 PM

Under the direction of the HHS, TANF hands out $16.5 billion every year to 1.6 million...

States with the highest percentage of residents on food stamps

By Jason Russell | 12/24/14 05:00 AM

Nearly 23 million U.S. homes are enrolled in food stamps.

Administrative law judges waste billions by granting most disability appeals

By Sarah Westwood | 12/22/14 05:00 AM

The judges handed out benefits to more than 3.2 million people between 2005 and 2013.

Labor

Farmers' complaint: If immigrants aren't worried about deportation, we'd have to pay them more

By Timothy P. Carney | 12/29/14 11:42 AM

Farmers don't deserve sympathy for the fact that they'll have a harder time exploiting...

Initial jobless claims figures fall

By Susan Crabtree | 12/24/14 11:43 AM

The lower-than-expected jobless figure is the latest sign that the American economy is...

Minimum wage fights turns to states, cities

By Sean Higgins | 12/27/14 02:00 PM

State and local efforts to raise the minimum wage comes in waves while the federal level...

Minimum wage loophole written to help labor unions

By Sean Higgins | 12/24/14 05:00 AM

The waivers are a good deal for the business and the union, but it's not such a good deal...

National Security

Study finds costly loopholes in military payday loan rules

By Joseph Lawler | 12/29/14 03:37 PM

The CFPB released a new study on the reliance of military personnel on short-term, high-cost...

Obama: 'Never say never' on U.S. embassy in Iran

By Brian Hughes | 12/29/14 10:01 AM

The president is leaving open the possibility of establishing diplomatic ties with Iran as...

Obama faces narrowing window to score foreign policy successes

By Susan Crabtree | 12/28/14 05:00 AM

Obama has been met with widespread public mistrust for his handling of foreign affairs.

US diplomatic mission to become Cuban embassy

By Zack Colman | 12/27/14 04:26 PM

The discussion over the U.S. outpost is the first step as the two nations begin to normalize...

Wanted: FBI seeks 'Cyber Special Agents,' even hackers

By Paul Bedard | 12/29/14 12:10 PM

The FBI is hiring a cybersecurity corps and that will even include experienced hackers.

Obama salutes troops as Afghanistan marks US exit

By Zack Colman | 12/28/14 02:36 PM

National Security

US, allies conduct 12 air strikes against the Islamic State

By Zack Colman | 12/28/14 08:37 AM

The U.S. is coming hard at the Islamic State.

Lindsey Graham: Iran sanctions bill coming in January

By Zack Colman | 12/27/14 04:52 PM

"It is important to let the Iranians know that from an American point of view sanctions are...