For GOP Comeback, Leaders Urge Stepped-Up Outreach
“I will talk to a head of lettuce if I can get them to vote Republican,” says Sharon Day, the newly re-elected Republican National Committee co-chair. RNC Chairman Reince Priebus says the GOP needs better relationships in “minority communities, urban centers, college towns.”» E-Mail This » Add to Del.icio.us
Critics Decry Looser Rules For Inauguration Fundraising
President Obama has changed course from 2009, allowing bigger donations and corporate money. Advocates for overhauling campaign finance laws wonder what happened to the president’s old pledge to change the way Washington works.» E-Mail This » Add to Del.icio.us
The Phantom Tax That Made The Deficit Look Better
Congress finally made a permanent fix to the alternative minimum tax, which threatened to boost the tax bills of millions of Americans each year. But the AMT also created a “useful fiction,” as one analyst says, by appearing to shrink future budget deficits.» E-Mail This » Add to Del.icio.us
Is The Party Over For The Tea Party?
All large classes elected to Congress want to change Washington. The Tea Party has found that there are all kinds of tripwires built into the American system of checks and balances that prevent newcomers from quickly remaking the political culture into their own image.» E-Mail This » Add to Del.icio.us
On Your Plate In 2013, Expect Kimchi And Good-For-You Greens
NPR food commentator Bonny Wolf dishes out predictions for hot foods in the new year. She says Asia is the new Europe and healthy, farm-to-table trends will even make it into your cocktails.» E-Mail This » Add to Del.icio.us
How Boehner’s ‘Critical Moment’ Could Turn Out OK For Him
The House speaker is trying to emerge from a blow from his own party. But if John Boehner can pull off a bipartisan agreement to avert the fiscal cliff, he could come out of this better off.» E-Mail This » Add to Del.icio.us
Lead Poisoning Cases Offer New Reminder About Hazards Of Ancient Remedies
Ayurveda is a form of traditional medicine that’s thousands of years old. But some ayurvedic remedies have harmful heavy metal additives, including lead. And those remedies are finding their way to the U.S., as two recent cases of childhood lead poisoning in New York attest.» E-Mail This » Add to Del.icio.us
Farm Bill Becomes Fodder In ‘Fiscal Cliff’ Wrangling
Farm-state lawmakers are urging leaders to include a farm bill as part of any budget deal to avert year-end tax increases and spending cuts. But others argue that Congress shouldn’t toss the farm bill into a giant package because it would very likely stifle debate and amendments.» E-Mail This » Add to Del.icio.us
What Do Aliens, Climate Change And Princess Di Have In Common?
The finding that climate denial is linked to conspiratorial thinking has sparked a backlash in the blogosphere. Commentator Tania Lombrozo checks in with a contested paper’s lead author.» E-Mail This » Add to Del.icio.us
What Porcupines Can Teach Engineers
The barbs on porcupine quills help them pierce the skin. If the bumpy needles work so well for the big rodents, couldn’t they they also help doctors and nurses giving injections? Designers of medical devices are looking to try the porcupine approach.» E-Mail This » Add to Del.icio.us
