The four principal farm bill negotiators have tentatively agreed on a framework for a new farm bill. A central aspect of this framework would be hilarious if it weren’t so sad. The House and Senate farm bills both eliminate a program called direct payments because it pays farmers who don’t even plant a single seed. […]
Food stamp spending is at historic highs—it has doubled twice since 2000. Now some on Capitol Hill say the House is trying to make major cuts to the program, but they’re really making some much-needed policy reforms that would achieve modest savings. The House bill proposes a small 5 percent reduction, while the Senate proposes […]
A year ago, in December 2012, a Gallup Poll revealed that the only profession that had a lower approval rating than Congress was a car salesman. Congress’s rating was 10% and car salesmen had a rating of only 8%. In January 2013, a poll showed that the approval ratings of Congress compared to a number of other […]
GENYA SAVILOV/AFP/Getty Images/Newscom The brutal dispersal of demonstrators in Ukraine last week led to dozens wounded—and a public protest movement which now surpasses the Orange Revolution of 2004. Demonstrators want Ukraine in Europe—and President Victor Yanukovich out of power. Ariel Cohen, Heritage’s Senior Research Fellow for Russian and Eurasian Studies, gives some perspective on where […]
A report issued by the Crime Prevention Research Center (CPRC) shows that gun bans result in higher murder rates. The report looks at the January 1997 “handgun ban in England and Wales” to substantiate this. Between the time of that ban and 2012, the “homicides rates” rose, exponentially at times, and fell, but they only […]
Former White House spokesman Robert Gibbs says it would be “inexplicable” if no one was fired for the botched rollout of healthcare.gov. Appearing on MSNBC Monday morning, Gibbs told host Alex Wagner that he expected one or more people to be fired over the failure, probably by spring. [youtube VPz1QL1BSL8 nolink] Gibbs: It will be […]
Canadian woman denied entry over “mental illness” Is the Department of Homeland Security Google searching the names of travelers before they enter the United States? That’s the question being asked after a Canadian woman was turned away by a U.S. Customs and Border Protection agent as a result of being hospitalized for a mental illness […]
(CNSNews.com) – President Barack Obama told the crowd at a Democratic fundraiser in Beverly Hills on Tuesday that he has accomplished “as much, if not more” than any other president. “Over the last five years, thanks to the leadership of Nancy (Pelosi) and Harry (Reid) and legislators who are here, we have accomplished as much, […]
The United States’ former CIA and NSA Director, Gen. Michael Hayden, said Sunday that the deal made with Iran at Geneva means that Iran will be allowed to enrich uranium and be a nuclear threshold state. “Let’s be honest with ourselves,” Hayden told Fox News Sunday. “We have accepted Iranian uranium enrichment. There’s no question […]
U.S. borrowers are increasingly missing payments on home equity lines of credit they took out during the housing bubble, a trend that could deal another blow to the country’s biggest banks. The loans are a problem now because an increasing number are hitting their 10-year anniversary, at which point borrowers usually must start paying down […]
