Niraj Chokshi

Niraj Chokshi

Policy Writer

Niraj Chokshi is a policy reporter at National Journal. Before that he was an early-morning editor in charge of the newsroom. He has also written about technology and business as a staff editor at TheAtlantic.com and reported on the business of the nation's largest law firms for The Recorder, a San Francisco legal newspaper.

Niraj Chokshi's Latest Posts

The Good Side of the IRS Scandal

By
If there’s just one lesson to learn from the IRS scandal, it’s that big government failed. If there’s another, it’s that big government worked. Read More »

How, Exactly, Did Apple Shelter $44B From Being Taxed?

By
It's simple: Funnel your foreign profits through an umbrella company in a low-tax country.  Read More »

The U.S. Wants to Inspect Your Catfish, Twice

By
The farm bill has a reputation, and it’s not a good one. Read More »

How Much Does Debt-Limit Brinksmanship Cost? Last Time, More Than $1B

By
Here’s how the last debt-ceiling saga played out. Read More »

Are Recessions Good for Your Health?

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With the recovery underway, things are starting to look up. Consumer confidence rose to a six-year high on Friday, the housing sector is improving, the economic gears are turning. But there may also be a less-welcome rebound: fatali...

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Immigration Will Soon be the Biggest Population Driver—For the First Time Since 1850

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Some time in the roughly next 15 to 25 years, immigration will become the primary driver of U.S. population growth, overtaking “natural” increases for the first time in nearly 200 years. Read More »

Are Health Care Costs Healing Themselves?

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A mysterious shift in health spending patterns could have major implications for the fiscal policy debate—if only experts could figure out what’s behind it. Read More »

Why Might the Cleveland Kidnapper Get Charged With Murder?

By
The government is wading into the murky waters of what constitutes a human life. Read More »

Who Says Fiscal Policy Is Hurting the Economy? (Almost) Everyone.

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OK, not  everyone  thinks that the recent spending cuts and tax hikes are slowing the recovery, but plenty of experts say current fiscal policy will slow growth in 2013—by anywhere from 0.3 percent to 2 percent. Read More »

The Budget Debate in 6 Simple Graphics

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There are hundreds of ways to slice up the budget, but some of the simplest come from the Congressional Budget Office. Read More »

Why an Online-Sales Tax May Not Help Brick-and-Mortar Retailers After All

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Taxes are all about changing behavior, and legislation establishing sales taxes for Internet commerce, which is expected to pass the Senate on Monday, is no different. But it’s not clear that the online-sales tax will achieve its goal. Read More »

Why Immigration May Not Have a Big Impact on Wages

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How immigration affects the wages of existing citizens has emerged as one of the most contentious concerns in the immigration reform debate. But, don’t worry. The impact, if there is any, is small. Read More »

How Achievable Are the Immigration Plan's Border-Security Goals?

By and Joey Carolino
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6 Ways to Get the Long-Term Unemployed Back to Work

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It’s one of the most puzzling modern economic problems: how do you get those who have been jobless the longest back to work? Their share of the unemployed doubled in recent years and their numbers have remained stubbornly high. An...

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The Poorly Attended Hearing on One of the Economy's Toughest Problems

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It stands to reason that lawmakers who often decry the high jobless rate would want to be seen publicly trying to tackle the problem, right? Well, apparently not. Read More »

The Socio-Economic Benefits of the ZIP Code

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The postal service may be in a financial vise right now, but fifty years ago it created an economic legacy–one now reportedly worth billions of dollars a year. On July 1, 1963, it introduced the five-digit zip code. Read More »

Immigration Reform: Once More, With More Meritocracy

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If you want to move to the United States, it helps to have skills. Under the new Senate immigration bill, that would be truer than ever. Read More »

What You Need to Know About Chechnya

By , Cory Bennett and
With the troubled Russian region in the news, here's a primer on a violent region that has long struggled against Russian hegemony. Read More »

Why the Immigration Plan Really Could Give Us Border Security

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The "Gang of Eight" plan is encouraging news for legalization advocates, but first there’s the little issue of securing the border. Read More »

The Income Tax Form Turns 100

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One hundred years ago, Congress was granted the authority to tax income. Here's the 1040 tax form from that year. Read More »

The Upside of Obama's Tobacco Tax Hike

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Obama's proposed tobacco tax hike could do even more good than his budget gives it credit for. Here’s how. Read More »

Why This Is the Age of Small Government (Sort Of)

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With the president's budget released on Wednesday, all the plans are in. And there’s at least one theme that unifies them: Under each, nondefense spending—funding for many of the government's most visible operations—will reach...

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Beware Obama's Budget Predictions: Many Forecasts Are Wrong

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CBO forecasts are bound by current law, not future policies, while White House forecasts reflect a president's hopes. Both have been wildly amiss. Read More »

Why Obama's Entitlement Compromise Could Fail

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His expected "chained CPI" cost-of-living proposal galvanizes the grays. Read More »

Is Chained CPI the Wrong Solution to the Right Problem?

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When President Obama releases his budget next week, it's expected to include what some tout as an elegant solution to the nation's fiscal problems, a way of measuring price changes known as “chained CPI.” Read More »

In Ruling Out 'Illegal Immigrant,' AP Bans a Long-Favored Search Term

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Expect to read fewer stories about "illegal immigrants.” The Associated Press on Tuesday announced that it was dropping the term from its stylebook, which countless newsrooms use as their de facto style bible. In so doing, AP has ...

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April Fools! Using the Day of Hijinks to Advance a Message

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Leave it to the wonks and activists who work in Washington to turn an occasion for hijinks into a chance to further what they do every day: Attack their opponents and peddle their causes. Read More »

There’s Nothing to Fear But the Debt Itself

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Quick, which segment of federal spending will grow fastest from 2015 through 2021? Did you guess Medicare? If you did, you’d be wrong. Read More »

Why Immigration Reform Is So Hard

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Here’s why immigration reform is so tough: It has to balance the conflicting needs and desires of a very diverse group. Pull too hard on any one thread, and the whole thing could unravel. Read More »

Are the 1% Driving the Economic Debate?

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The very rich may be partially responsible for the current deficit debate in Washington, according to academics who have researched the policy views of the wealthiest 1 percent of Americans. Read More »

Left and Right Agree: Immigrants Don't Take American Jobs

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As Congress considers immigration reform, experts across the political spectrum say American jobs are safe. Read More »
ECONOMY

The One Word You Can't Say in Washington

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Democrats agree on the need for stimulus. Just don't call it that. Read More »

Nondefense Slice of Domestic Spending on Track to Hit 50-Year Low

By
Both the Senate Democratic and House Republican budgets project funding for things like welfare programs and government operations will reach a 50-year low as a share of economic activity. Read More »

How Personal Finance Can Help You Think About the Federal Budget

By
It may be an imperfect analogy, but that doesn’t mean that household financial planning can’t be a helpful way to understand this week's federal-budget fight. Read More »

No, Budgets Aren't Like Family Finances. But the Analogy Is Telling About the Fiscal Debate.

By
When Paul Ryan unveiled the Republican budget this week, he leaned on a familiar analogy: the household budget. In pushing the goal of balancing the federal budget within 10 years, the congressman from Wisconsin said families across...

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In Break With 92-Year Tradition, Congress Will Kick Off Budget Process

By
It’s budget week on Capitol Hill--the start of an annual ritual, but one that this year bucks a nearly century-old tradition. Read More »

Jobs Market Is Improving, But the Long-Term Unemployed Still Can't Catch a Break

By and
The good news? The nation is adding jobs. The bad news? Those who have been out of work the longest still can't seem to get them. Read More »

In the Budget Debate, Even the Definition of Spending Is Up for Grabs

By
If you needed any more indication that lawmakers are going to have a tough time getting the nation’s fiscal house in order, look no further. The parties can't even agree to the terms of the debate. Read More »

The Math Behind the Automatic Budget Cuts

By
Under a deal to raise the legal limit on the government's borrowing in August 2011, lawmakers agreed to roughly $1 trillion in spending cuts over the next decade and set up a process to find at least $1.2 trillion in further savings...

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Who Is Ernest Moniz, Obama's Choice for Energy Secretary?

By
President Obama on Monday nominated MIT professor Ernest Moniz to become the next Energy secretary, succeeding Steven Chu. Here's what you need to know about him. Read More »

The Overhyped, Overblown, & Overly Politicized Sequester Fears

By and
It turns out that the next big fiscal crisis will seem more like a whimper when it hits on March 1. Read More »

Is Anything Safe From the Automatic Budget Cuts? Actually, a Few Things Are.

By
Yes, the across-the-board spending cuts set to go into effect on Friday are blunt. And it’s true they will affect most corners of the federal government. But some programs are safe. In fact, it’s a lot easier to identify what’...

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What Is Sequestration and What Does It Mean for Me?

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The massive spending cuts are broad, bad for states, bad for business, bad for the economy, and bad for a lot of people. Read More »

Business and Labor Agree: The U.S. Needs Better Data on Immigration

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In announcing their principles for immigration reform this week, two of the nation’s largest lobbies revived an old idea: creating a federal bureau to study labor shortages. Read More »

If a Simpson-Bowles Debt Plan Drops in D.C., Will Anybody Hear It?

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By now, Erskine Bowles and Alan Simpson must feel like two Cassandras—prophets of crisis doomed to be ignored. Read More »

Protesters Disrupt Deficit-Reduction Breakfast

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At least five protesters interrupted a Politico breakfast on deficit reduction Tuesday morning, demanding tax and employment equity. Read More »

Budget Wonks Dance the 'Harlem Shake' — the Latest Web Trend

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If anyone had any doubts that the latest Internet sensation--“Harlem Shake”--has run its course, this might settle it: Former officials Alice Rivlin and David Walker have just posted their own rendition. Read More »

Sugar Wars Advance on Valentine's Day

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Before you bite into that next Valentine’s Day morsel, you may want to contemplate the complex sugar subsidies behind it — and their far-reaching impact on the U.S. economy. Read More »

Why It's a Good Sign for Jack Lew That His Hearing Was So Bland

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Jack Lew could hardly have asked for a better confirmation hearing: It was bland, civil, and almost forgettable. Even the activists in attendance didn’t interrupt the proceeding. Read More »

Live Blogging the State of the Union Address

By and
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ECONOMY

Obama and Rubio Agree on 1 Thing: Jobs Are the Key in State of the Union

By
The Cliff Notes to the State of the Union speech are out: It’s going to be about jobs. Read More »

Easy Ride Expected for Jack Lew at Confirmation Hearing

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Jacob Lew is nothing if not prepared. Read More »

Immigrant Share of the Population Could Reach Huge 1900 Levels

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Immigrants and their children could soon make up as much of the population as they did during the immigrant boom at the beginning of the 20th century, according to an analysis from the Pew Research Center. Read More »

The 22 Funniest #GeithnerBookTitles Tweets

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News broke late Wednesday morning that former Treasury Secretary Tim Geithner plans to write a book about his response to the financial crisis. Within hours, jokes about possible book titles began trending nationwide on Twitter unde...

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3 Major Economic Predictions From CBO's New Report

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The American economy is about halfway through a lost decade of economic potential, at least according to the nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office's projections. Read More »

Excuses, Excuses -- Why the White House Keeps Missing Its Budget Deadline

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When the White House missed its deadline to release a budget on Monday, Officials did something a little unusual: They wouldn’t say when the blueprint would be released. Read More »

Super Bowl Blackout Could Energize a Debate on Power Grid

By and
Questions remain over what caused the half-hour  power outage  during Sunday’s Super Bowl in new Orleans. What is clear is that advocates of improving the nation’s energy infrastructure see it as a metaphor. Read More »

Economy Could Take Big Hit From Lapse of Payroll-Tax Cut

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The recent payroll-tax hike could play a major role in slowing down consumer spending this quarter. Read More »

Why Patents—Yes, Patents—Matter to Economic and Jobs Growth

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If you’re concerned about the economy, pay close attention to a new report on, of all things, patents. It could have implications in two of the biggest policy fights this year.  Read More »

4 Takeaways From a Week of Mixed Economic Data

By
Three numbers will get the most attention here in the Beltway: Jobs, growth and confidence. The latter two delivered a resounding 'meh' this week. It was a reminder to Washington that the fledgling recovery is far from out of the ...

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One Way to Boost Jobs? Patents. Here Are 5 Cities With the Most Per Person

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The top cities with the most patents per capita are not the ones you'd expect. Read More »

This Andy Warhol Unemployment Chart Could Rake in $30,000

By
Art and economic policy are about as far apart as two subjects can be. One is an expression of human creativity. The other, the dismal science. Leave it to Andy Warhol to find a way to marry the two. Read More »

Why Now Is the Right Time for Immigration Reform

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It’s been years since the nation’s immigration system has been comprehensively reformed. Why would this time be any different? Read More »
IMMIGRATION

Tuesday's Proposed Immigration Bill Would Focus on High-Skilled Immigrants

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A bipartisan group of senators plans to unveil a bill on Tuesday morning that would open the door to more highly skilled immigrants, according to a Senate GOP aide. Read More »

The New, New Immigration Plan Coming Tuesday Is Aimed at High-Skilled Immigrants

By
A bipartisan group of senators plans to unveil a bill on Tuesday morning that would open the door to more highly skilled immigrants, according to a Senate GOP aide. Read More »
IMMIGRATION

Basics of the Immigration-Reform Plan

By
The most detailed part of the bipartisan immigration plan, offered by a group of eight senators, carves a path to citizenship for undocumented immigrants. Read More »

What's in the New Immigration Plan

By
It may just be a framework, but the bipartisan immigration-reform plan isn’t all broad-strokes proposals. Read More »

5 Things to Know About Denis McDonough, Obama's New Chief of Staff

By Caren Bohan and
President Obama announced a reshuffling of his staff on Friday, picking Denis McDonough as his new chief of staff. Read More »

Who Is Mary Jo White, Obama's Choice for Top Wall Street Cop?

By
The president nominates an outsider with an insider past to lead the Securities and Exchange Commission. Read More »

Could GOP Bill Be a Prelude to Ending the Debt Limit?

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Opponents of the statutory limit on the government's borrowing—and there are plenty —may get a glimpse of life without the debt ceiling, but only for a few months. Read More »

How Washington's Disarray Could Prompt Another Credit Downgrade

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Raising the nation’s borrowing limit, and thus avoiding a historic default, isn’t enough to prevent a potential downgrade. Not by a long shot. Read More »

Mayors Preview Immigration-Reform Fight

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If a gathering of mayors Thursday is any indication, the administration can expect to hear from dissatisfied officials as it tackles immigration reform. Read More »

What Treasury's 'Least Harmful' Debt-Ceiling Response Looks Like

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If Congress misses the deadline for raising the country's borrowing limit, the Treasury Department may start playing catch-up on the nation's bills. Read More »

Obama Leans on Metaphors to Press Case on Debt Limit

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President Obama covered themes ranging from gambling to guns to dining out as he rolled out metaphors on Monday to push his message on the debt ceiling.  Read More »

Treasury Has Options on Debt Ceiling But All of Them Are Ugly

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If past is precedent, Treasury Department staff sees four responses to bumping up against the nation’s borrowing limit, none of them great. Read More »

What Treasury Secretary Jack Lew Needs to Do

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If confirmed as the next Treasury secretary, White House Chief of Staff Jacob Lew will be tagging into an immediate three-round fight, with a long tournament ahead. Read More »

Chamber of Commerce Lawyers Up to Take on Key Democratic Reforms in 2013

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The organization is beefing up its private law firm to gird for battle over new regulations flowing from recent Democratic legislative victories. Read More »
ECONOMY

The Latest Debt-Ceiling Proposal: Issue IOU's

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The $1 trillion platinum coin seems too wacky; the 14th amendment too risky. But could IOU's be the solution to an impasse on raising the nation's borrowing limit? Read More »

The Corporate-Tax Change That Could Raise $114 Billion

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Just one tweak to the way the United States taxes corporations could raise $114 billion over 10 years, according to a new report from the Congressional Budget Office, the official agency that provides economic analysis to Congress. Read More »

How the Fiscal-Cliff Deal Affects Tax Season

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Tax-filing season will be eight days later than planned this year thanks to the fiscal-cliff deal lawmakers passed last week, the Internal Revenue Service said on Tuesday afternoon. Read More »

Debt-Limit Fight Seem Played Out? It Is

By
If the back-and-forth arguments over the upcoming debt-ceiling fight seem played out, that’s because they are—and they were, even 50 years ago. Read More »
ECONOMY

The Emergency Debt Plan That Would Put U.S. Citizens Second

By
In just a few weeks, the federal government won’t be able to pay all its bills on time. If that happens, the nation could  start paying its lenders before its citizens. Read More »
ECONOMY

The 5 Top Republicans Open to Shutting the Government to Get Their Way

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The fiscal-cliff deal wasn’t great for Republican priorities, but some in the party say that a government shutdown could help them get their way. Read More »
ECONOMY

Obama May Have Passed Up Nearly $250 Billion in Tax Savings

By
President Obama didn't just back away from a campaign promise when he relented to GOP demands to cut taxes for more upper-income Americans this week. He may also have passed up hundreds of billions of dollars in savings. Read More »
CONGRESS

Several ‘Cliff’ Battles Still Lie Ahead in 2013

By and
Congress may have pulled the country back from the fiscal cliff—the year-end threat of more than $500 billion in major tax hikes and spending cuts that could have sparked a new recession—this week, but there are still some ban...

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POWER

Senate GOP Hopeful for Monday Night Vote

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Senate Republicans hope to vote Monday night on a package to avert the fiscal cliff, according to members leaving an evening caucus meeting. Read More »
POWER

U.S. Hits Borrowing Limit

By
The federal government reached its borrowing limit on Monday, Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner  wrote in a letter  to congressional leaders. Read More »

Congress Pushes to Prevent Spike in Milk Prices from 'Dairy Cliff'

By
It was one of the best-received bits of news on Sunday, a day that saw little progress in talks to avert the fiscal cliff: Congress may yet avoid the “dairy cliff.” Read More »
WHITE HOUSE

Obama: 'I'm Modestly Optimistic' About Averting Fiscal Cliff

By
President Obama on Friday said he was "modestly optimistic" that lawmakers would be able to avert the fiscal cliff of expiring tax cuts and automatic spending reductions. Read More »
ECONOMY

How to Delay a National Default in 3 Steps

By
So how does a country that can’t borrow anymore stave off default? Mostly, it needs to just stop investing in things. Read More »
POWER

Hawaii's New Senator Steps Up to the Cliff

By
Hawaii’s Senator-to-be Brian Schatz arrived in Washington prepared. Wearing a brand new overcoat shortly after stepping off of Air Force One, Schatz said he’s ready and eager to work toward preventing a year-end austerity...

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CONGRESS

A Guide to 'Fiscal Cliffmas' Humor

By
The fiscal cliff is no joke. It’s fodder for them. Read More »
BUDGET

Experts: GOP Plan B Would Lighten Tax Burden for Some Wealthy Households

By
Only those who earn between $200,000 and $1 million will see their federal tax burden shrink under the GOP's 'Plan B' proposal, according to analysis from the nonpartisan Tax Policy Center. Read More »

IRS: Flood of Late Tax Filings Expected If AMT Is Not Patched

By
If Congress fails to patch the Alternative Minimum Tax by year's end, up to 100 million Americans could end up having to file their taxes late, IRS Acting Commissioner Steven Miller wrote in a letter to the leaders of the House Ways...

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Boehner's Plan B Is a Message to Both Obama and the GOP

By Billy House
A "Plan B" offered by Speaker John Boehner that would avert year-end tax hikes for all Americans who make less than $1 million was on one level a warning to the White House to bend more in the fiscal-cliff negotiations. But it was a...

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INFLUENCE

Sen. Levin, Small Businesses Push for Corporate Tax Hikes

By
It’s time to raise corporate taxes, Sen. Carl Levin , D-Mich., and small business owners said on Friday. Read More »
POLITICS

Axelrod: Hillary Clinton 'First Among Equals' for 2016 Nomination

By and
David Axelrod thinks Hillary Rodham Clinton would be the Democratic Party’s presidential front-runner in 2016, and that isn’t news. What does grab attention is the extent to which President Obama’s political guru on Thursday m...

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ECONOMY

Report: Cutting Top Tax Rates Doesn’t Boost Economy

By
It’s back. A report showing that cutting top tax rates does not stimulate the economy--a cornerstone of tax philosophy among many Republicans--was reissued this week after being pulled in early November amid complaints from Senat...

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Axelrod: Outside Game Key for Obama on Cliff

By
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INFLUENCE

Business Roundtable Defends New Tax Stance

By
Shared sacrifice is key to avoiding the fiscal cliff, according to many of the nation's CEOs. Read More »

Key House Conservatives: We Won't Budge on Taxes

By
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Welch: Obama Has Support to Unilaterally Raise Debt Limit

By
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ECONOMY

Millionaires Push for Expanded Estate Tax

By
A group of millionaires and billionaires on Tuesday pushed to expand the estate tax—levied on high-value assets when people die—beyond the levels sought by President Obama. Read More »
ECONOMY

GOP Playing With Fire on Debt Limit

By
Republicans' biggest piece of leverage in the year-end fiscal-crisis talks is one fraught with risk. Read More »

Jobs Market Strong, but Fiscal-Cliff Worries Hit Consumers

By and
The jobs market is showing resilience in the face of the year-end fiscal cliff, despite economists' fears that the mere threat of the tax hikes and spending cuts might cause employers to put the brakes on their hiring plans. Read More »
ECONOMY

AARP Readies Big Push on Fiscal Cliff Issues

By
AARP, the giant seniors lobby, plans to send dozens of staff and volunteers to Capitol Hill on Wednesday to lobby lawmakers on issues related to the fiscal cliff, the $500 billion combination of tax hikes and spending cuts set to...

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ECONOMY

Fundamentals of Recent Economic Growth Are Not Fine

By
The economy is growing faster than initially thought, according to a Thursday report, but it may be taking on more fat than muscle, which could slow down growth in the final few months of the year, economists say. Read More »
POWER

More Than 60 House Members Urge Leaders to Consider All Fiscal Options

By
Last year, more than 100 House members signed a letter urging the deficit-reduction “super committee” to “go big.” The super committee went nowhere, but the lawmakers behind the letter are at it again. Read More »
POWER

Bowles: White House Showed ‘Flexibility’ on Top Tax Rates

By
President Obama and his team are willing to offer some “flexibility” on their long-held position that upper-income tax rates must be allowed to revert back to Clinton-era levels at year’s end, said Erskine Bowles, the co-ch...

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POWER

White House Tips Its Hand on Payroll Tax Cut

By
The president's top economic adviser on Monday said Obama still believes the expiring payroll tax cut should be a part of broader fiscal talks, suggesting that an issue that some believed was settled months ago could see new life. Read More »
BUDGET

Outgoing Treasury Secretary Geithner Still Immersed in Fiscal-Cliff Negotiations

By Stacy Kaper
In the postelection showdown over expiring tax cuts and automatic spending reductions, seasoned crisis fighter Timothy Geithner will play a crucial role as the administration’s top economic official and a liaison to both Capito...

Read More »
BUDGET

Fiscal Cliff To Be Decided by a Few Key Players

By
The campaigning marathon may be over, but there’s a legislative sprint ahead. Read More »
BUDGET

CBO Outlines 'Cliff' Options and Consequences

By and
Two reports released on Thursday by the Congressional Budget Office give new ammunition to lawmakers in an already-contentious battle over the nation’s fiscal future. Read More »
POWER

Left Divided Over 'Grand Bargain'

By Niraj Chokshi
Groups concerned with protecting entitlements such as Social Security and Medicare are finding themselves at odds over whether an overarching fiscal deal during Congress's end-of-year session would help or hurt their cause. The ...

Read More »
LEADERSHIP

D's and R's Already Staking Out Cliff Ground

By Niraj Chokshi
Key Democratic and Republican players began staking out their positions ahead of a seven-week fight over tax and spending cuts on Wednesday, just hours after President Obama won reelection. Vice President Joe Biden told reporters t...

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INFLUENCE

AFL-CIO Plans Post-Election Push on Entitlements, Tax Rates

By Niraj Chokshi
After pouring millions of dollars and many man-hours into the election, the behemoth AFL-CIO is gearing up for a new campaign--one to push lawmakers to protect entitlement benefits from potential cuts and to raise taxes on the ...

Read More »

Texas, 33rd House District

Marc Veasey, the Democrat from the newly drawn 33rd District, has enjoyed a relatively smooth political ascent. Since his first campaign in 2004, he has won elections for state office with at least 90 percent of the vote and, despit...

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ECONOMY

Economy Grew 2 Percent in Third Quarter, Mostly In Line With Expectations

By and
The economy picked up slightly in the third quarter of the year, growing at an annual rate of 2.0 percent, the Commerce Department reported in a Friday estimate. The change in the real Gross Domestic Product was just above e...

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POWER

Mayors to Gang of Eight: Don't Forget About Cities

By Niraj Chokshi
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POWER

Obama Says He's Confident A Grand Bargain Can Be Reached

By Niraj Chokshi
President Obama thinks he and Congress will be able to quickly handle the nation's vexing fiscal problems, despite mounting concern to the contrary. Obama told the Des Moines Register that he thinks a grand bargain with Republi...

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POWER

Van Hollen: Keep Payroll Tax Cut Extension on the Table

By Niraj Chokshi
  An extension of the expiring payroll-tax cut should be on the table during negotiations after the election, the top-ranking Democrat on the House Budget Committee said on Sunday. The comments suggest a shift from what some...

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ECONOMY

Data Show Mixed Jobs Picture in Swing States

By
Most of the 16 states identified by National Journal  as key battlegrounds in the presidential election saw less improvement in unemployment last month than the nation as a whole, according to new Labor Department data. Read More »
ECONOMY

In New Survey, Executives Pick Romney for Growth

By
A majority of executives say Mitt Romney is the better candidate for the success of their businesses, but their ideas for boosting jobs growth included those put forth by both Democrats and Republicans. Read More »
INFLUENCE

AARP: Let the Payroll Tax Cut Expire

By Niraj Chokshi
AARP , the huge lobby group representing older Americans, took issue with a call by some economists to renew the payroll tax holiday that is set to expire at the end of this year. Read More »
POWER

Are Democrats Blurring the Line on High-End Tax Cuts?

By Niraj Chokshi
When it comes to extending the expiring Bush-era tax cuts, Democrats drew a line in the sand long ago--let the cuts expire on households with income above $250,000. But, lately, rhetoric from some prominent players has blurred the line. Read More »
LEADERSHIP

Dems and GOP Agree, Government Needs More Money

By Niraj Chokshi
The federal government needs more money. That's one thing both parties can agree on, Republican and Democratic lawmakers said Tuesday. The rub, of course, is how to get it. Read More »
ECONOMY

Is CPI a 'One-Size Fits Nobody' Inflation Gauge?

By
How much do you spend a week on alcohol? Whatever it is, you're probably underestimating. By a lot. And that’s a problem for government bookkeeping and policy analysis. Read More »
POWER

Larry Summers Wants to Extend the Payroll Tax Cut

By
  Former White House economic adviser Larry Summers warned on Thursday against letting the payroll tax cut expire at the end of the year, a view at odds with that of many Democrats on Capitol Hill and within the Obama admi...

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LEADERSHIP

In Tax Plan, Schumer Crystallizes 3 Key Dem Arguments

By Niraj Chokshi
Democratic Sen. Chuck Schumer on Tuesday outlined a tax reform approach that expands the case Senate Democrats have been building for months. Read More »
LEADERSHIP

Schumer to Dems: Embrace 'Serious' Entitlement Reform

By Niraj Chokshi
Sen. Chuck Schumer plans to urge fellow Democrats in a Tuesday speech to resist extending tax cuts for the wealthy, instead suggesting they embrace "serious" entitlement reform in the negotiations over looming year-end spending cu...

Read More »

Experts Dismiss Claims of 'Cooking Books' on Jobs Data

By and
The high-wire act of keeping the country’s economic data secret is guided by a hyper-precise atomic clock and a dryly named 27-year-old rule, Statistical Policy Directive Number 3. Read More »

Jobs Data May Cool Romney's Post-Debate Momentum

By and
A drop in the unemployment rate below the psychologically important 8 percent mark will blunt some of Mitt Romney's post-debate momentum, but it is unlikely to swing huge numbers of voters toward Obama. Read More »
ECONOMY

Jobless Rate Below 8 Percent, Lowest Since Obama Took Office

By and
Jobless rate falls unexpectedly to 7.8 percent, lowest since January 2009, when Obama took office. Read More »
ECONOMY

Labor Market Plagued by Unevenness, Experts Say at National Journal Panel on Jobs

By
Party operatives will no doubt try to spin the monthly jobs report when it comes out on Friday, but whether the unemployment rate nudges up or down, there’s one point on which there will be nearly universal agreement: It’s st...

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ECONOMY

Economic Confidence Spikes, Despite Looming Fiscal Cliff

By
Americans either have faith that Congress can deal with the many threats facing the economy or they just haven't come to terms yet with the gravity of the problem, according to a new Gallup survey. Read More »
ECONOMY

Fiscal Cliff, Global Economy Woes Fuel CEO Pessimism

By
Pessimism among chief executives hit a three-year high in the third quarter, due both to weak demand abroad and uncertainty over Congress' ability to deal with the looming spending cuts and expiring tax cuts that compose t...

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INFLUENCE

Mayors Fret Over Fiscal Cliff Cuts

By Niraj Chokshi
Across-the-board cuts scheduled to go into effect next year could wreak havoc on the nation's cities, according to a letter 131 mayors sent Thursday to congressional leadership. Read More »
POWER

OMB Sequestration Report Incomplete, Senators Say

By Niraj Chokshi
Updated at 9:55 a.m. on Friday, Sept. 21, to include detail from the OMB report. Two Republican senators on Thursday criticized the Office of Management and Budget for failing to provide what they say is legally mandated analy...

Read More »
INFLUENCE

Club for Growth President: Bring on Sequestration

By Niraj Chokshi
Nearly $110 billion in looming spending cuts that almost no one backs? Bring it on, says Club for Growth President Chris Chocola . Read More »

View from the Capitol: Bernanke and Baucus

By Niraj Chokshi
Senate Finance Committee Chairman Sen. Max Baucus , D-Mont., thanks Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke--while surrounded by members of the press--for "graciously" agreeing to meet with members of the committee. Bernanke'...

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ECONOMY

Business Groups Urge Action on Fiscal Cliff

By
A coalition of business groups led by the Chamber of Commerce has urged Congress and President Obama to act to avert the "fiscal cliff" of expiring tax cuts and automatic spending cuts. Economists have warned that going over the cli...

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CONVENTIONS 2012

Big Cash Windfall Unlikely for Tampa, Charlotte

By
Cities that host political conventions can rake in as much as a quarter-billion dollars or as little as nothing. It depends on who’s doing the math—and what’s in the forecast. Read More »
HOUSING

Housing Regulator Deals Setback to Obama, Democrats

By Stacy Kaper
The decision on Tuesday by a top housing regulator to shut the door on principal forgiveness for underwater mortgages dealt a major setback to an initiative sought by President Obama and congressional Democrats. Read More »
POLITICS

Emanuel Brings Detail-Oriented Management Style to Chicago

By
Rahm Emanuel’s current role as mayor of Chicago may be much more narrowly focused than his last job as President Obama’s chief of staff, but one thing has held constant: his detail-oriented management style. Read More »

Lender's Remorse in the Highway Deal?

By Niraj Chokshi
Read More »

Jobs Data Show Sluggish U.S. Economy

By Niraj Chokshi
The economy added just 80,000 jobs in June while the unemployment rate held steady at 8.2 percent, the Labor Department reported Friday, a further sign that the economic recovery has begun to lose some of its momentum from earlier i...

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ECONOMY

Jobs Data Show Sluggish U.S. Economy

By
The economy added just 80,000 jobs in June while the unemployment rate held steady at 8.2 percent, the Labor Department reported Friday, a further sign that the economic recovery has begun to lose some of its momentum from earlier i...

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ANALYSIS

Pace of Recovery More Frustrating Than Jobs Report Will Suggest

By
Good news: The United States appears to be on the path of slow, steady growth. The bad is that it’s probably even slower than you thought.  Read More »

Transportation Bill: An Early Christmas Present or a Lump of Coal?

By Niraj Chokshi
They finally did it. In an 11th-hour turnaround, Congress passed a compromise transportation reauthorization (including a student loan interest rate extension and flood insurance reauthorization). Read More »
LEADERSHIP

Triple-Header Deal Posted; Votes Expected in Coming Days

By Niraj Chokshi
There is nothing wrong with your computer. Do not attempt to adjust the monitor. After months of wrangling, several stops and few starts, and 11th-hour pressure from leadership to forge a compromise, negotiators have reached a ...

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POWER

Highway Deal Will Fund Projects Through 2014

By Niraj Chokshi
Read More »
LEADERSHIP

Boehner Offers Hint of What Could Be In Transportation Deal

By Niraj Chokshi
House Speaker John Boehner , R-Ohio, on Wednesday said the 11th-hour transportation deal expected to be negotiated out on Wednesday will drop some programs and shorten regulatory reviews, at least in some cases. Read More »
LEADERSHIP

McConnell: Student Loan Deal May Pair Well With Highway Measure

By Niraj Chokshi
Read More »
LEADERSHIP

Boxer 'Very Optimistic' for Highway Bill

By Niraj Chokshi
There's hope yet for a transportation bill, says Sen. Barbara Boxer , D-Calif, the chairwoman of the conference committee tasked with producing a bill ahead of the expiration of current authority on Saturday.  Read More »
LEADERSHIP

Hoyer to GOP: Don't Punt on Transportation

By Niraj Chokshi
With hopes of a compromise transportation bill fading fast, House Democratic Whip Steny Hoyer on Tuesday called on Republicans to pass anything but another extension. Read More »

Streamlining is Major Sticking Point

By Niraj Chokshi
The writing is pretty much on the wall. Lawmakers may say they're holding out for a conference transportation bill, but, let's face it, June 30th is fast approaching with no sign of a coming compromise. Senate Democrats are calling ...

Read More »

Unemployment Rises to 8.2 Percent

By Niraj Chokshi
CORRECTION: An earlier version of this story incorrectly reported the last time monthly unemployment rose. It was June, 2011. Read More »
ECONOMY

Unemployment Rises to 8.2 Percent, Reversing Nearly Yearlong Downward Trend

By
The unemployment rate rose a tenth of a percent to 8.2 percent in May, reversing a nearly yearlong downward trend, a bad sign for President Obama whose reelection rests on the state of the economy. Read More »

Not Waiting for the Feds

By Fawn Johnson and Niraj Chokshi
The transportation community in the states should want the federal government to be fired. Over the next few weeks, they are waiting for negotiators in Congress to pass a highway bill. If lawmakers are successful (and there is no gu...

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ECONOMY

Surprise J.P. Morgan Loss of $2 Billion Could Help Volcker Rule Proponents

By
In a Thursday afternoon conference call, J.P. Morgan Chase Chief Executive James Dimon announced an estimated $2 billion in losses over six weeks, news that could have a significant impact on the fight over the forthcoming V...

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ECONOMY

Obama Takes His Tax-the-Rich Speech to a Rich Zip Code

By
When President Obama delivered his "Buffett Rule" speech on Tuesday afternoon calling for a minimum tax on the wealthy, he did so in a zip code where three of four people earn $200,000 or more in taxable income, according to the lat...

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CAMPAIGN 2012

In Wisconsin, Voters Fear the Recovery May Leave Them Behind

By
If Republican presidential candidates hope to appeal to the economic concerns of voters in Wisconsin’s primary on Tuesday, they’ll have to address the pervasive feeling there that the recovery is passing the state by. Read More »
POLITICS

Cheney Recovering From Heart Transplant

By
Former Vice President Dick Cheney is recovering from a heart transplant, according to media reports. Read More »

GRAPHIC: Stacked and Sprawled

By Ryan Morris, , Stacy Kaper and Kristin Roberts
Read More »
COVER STORY

The White House’s Housing Fumbles

By Kristin Roberts and Stacy Kaper
The Obama administration's approach to housing policy is a story of missed opportunities, competing priorities, out-of-whack expectations, and a few noteworthy successes. Read More »
TRANSPORTATION

Infrastructure Financing Hangs in Limbo

By
There’s at least one bit of common ground on surface-transportation legislation: Everyone wants to make it easier to finance local infrastructure projects. Read More »
ECONOMY

Fed Slightly Sunnier About Economy, but Still Cautious

By and
The Federal Reserve issued a slightly sunnier economic outlook on Tuesday following a single-day meeting of its policy-setting committee, but remained cautious about the overall state of the recovery, echoing its previous statement ...

Read More »
ECONOMY

Jobs Report Paints Picture of Solid Recovery, Good News for Obama

By and
The U.S. economy added 227,000 jobs in February and earlier months' gains were greater than previously thought, the Labor Department reported on Friday, painting the picture of a solid recovery that gives President Obama some room t...

Read More »
ECONOMY

Job Trends Look Good, but Unemployment Still a Flashpoint

By
Economists expect Friday's jobs report to show good trend lines. The political problem for President Obama is that the overall numbers still are not. Read More »
CAMPAIGN 2012

Romney Casts Tax Plan as Ambitious, Sensible and Conservative

By
GOP presidential front-runner Mitt Romney cast his new tax plan, which includes an across-the-board 20 percent income tax cut, as conservative, amibitious and unique among the plans offered up by his rivals in a  Wall Street J...

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CAMPAIGN 2012

Debt Would Grow Under All But One GOP Presidential Candidate—Report

By
The national debt would expand under three of the four GOP presidential candidates, according to an analysis of the candidates' proposals,  The Washington Post  reported. Read More »
ECONOMY

White House to Propose Corporate Tax Cut, Ending Some Deductions

By
An Obama administration plan would cut the top corporate tax rate but raise revenue overall by closing loopholes and ending subsidies -- an election-year proposal meant to draw a contrast with Republican contenders for the Whit...

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ECONOMY

Geithner Says Debt Limit Likely to Be Reached in 2012

By
The U.S. economy appears to be gaining strength, but that won’t prevent another bitter showdown over raising the debt limit this year, according to Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner. Read More »
ANALYSIS

Weekly Jobless Claims Fall, Extending String of Strong Economic Data

By
Unemployment claims hit a four-year low last week, continuing a trend that could benefit the president in an election year. And economists say there’s little Washington can do to screw it up, so long as Washington keeps doing noth...

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TECHNOLOGY

Facebook Critics Hope IPO Forces Some Hard Questions

By
Facebook critics are hoping that the company's initial public offering could provide them with allies in the form of the social network’s future shareholders. Read More »
TECHNOLOGY

QUICK TAKE: Facebook PAC Raises $170K In First Three Months

By
Facebook's political action committee raised $170,000 in its first three months, according to a Tuesday FEC filing. Read More »
CAMPAIGN 2012

Liberal Groups Target Romney in Florida

By
Liberal groups are planning a Florida assault on Mitt Romney, including an at least $1 million ad buy,  The Washington Post  reports. Read More »
WHITE HOUSE

Obama to Host Buffett's Secretary at State of the Union

By
President Obama will have a visual aid when he argues for economic equality in Tuesday night's State of the Union address: Warren Buffett's secretary, Debbie Bosanek, who was made famous by her billionaire boss for paying a higher t...

Read More »
CONGRESS

Rep. Giffords to Step Down This Week

By Billy House, and
Rep. Gabrielle Giffords, D-Ariz., is stepping down from Congress this week, almost exactly one year after she was shot at close range at a campaign event, she said in a video posted to YouTube on Sunday. Read More »
CAMPAIGN 2012

Gingrich on Romney Releasing Returns: Issue is 'Now Set to Side'

By
GOP presidential candidate Newt Gingrich reacted swiftly on Sunday to news that rival Mitt Romney would release his tax returns this week, with Gingrich suggesting he would relent after pressuring Romney to do so for weeks. Read More »
CAMPAIGN 2012

Santorum Tops Romney in Iowa Caucus 'Split Decision'

By
Rick Santorum led Mitt Romney by 34 votes in the race for the GOP presidential nomination in Iowa, according to a recount of the Jan. 3 state caucus results, with data from 8 precincts missing and never to be certified, GOP off...

Read More »
CAMPAIGN 2012

Economist Behind Cain's '9-9-9' Plan Says It's Time to Drop a Nine

By
One of the economists behind GOP presidential candidate Herman Cain’s "9-9-9" tax plan thinks it's time Cain drops one of those nines—the proposed 9 percent sales tax. Read More »
CAMPAIGN 2012

Report: Obama Loses More Than 100 Wall Street Donors to Romney

By
President Obama has lost more than 100 Wall Street donors to Republican presidential hopeful Mitt Romney, according to a Bloomberg report. Most of the donors are investors who supported Obama in 2008. Read More »
POLITICS

RNC Outraises Democratic Counterpart by Wide Margin in August Haul

By
The Republican National Committee far outraised its Democratic counterpart in August, raking in $8.17 million compared with the Democratic National Committee's $5.5 million, Roll Call reports. The RNC claimed the haul -- nearly ...

Read More »
WHITE HOUSE

VIDEO: Obama Borrows Fan's Phone, Chats With Her Friend

By
You've stood in line for what must have been hours and then pushed your way to the front of the crowd, all to meet the leader of the free world. There you are, standing face-to-face with President Obama, but what does he do? He u...

Read More »

New York Times: I.M.F. Head Arrested on Sexual Attack Allegations

By
The head of the International Monetary Fund was arrested Saturday on accusations that he sexually attacked a hotel maid earlier in the day, The New York Times reported in a breaking news alert Saturday night. Read More »
NATIONAL SECURITY

Three U.S. Citizens Charged With Financing, Supporting Pakistani Taliban

By
Six people, including two Florida imams, have been indicted on charges that they provided the Taliban in Pakistan with financial and material support, U.S. officials said Saturday, according to news reports. Read More »

PICTURES: Newspapers Front Pages Lead With Bin Laden's Death

By
Newspapers around the country and the world are leading with the late-breaking and historic news that U.S. forces have found and killed Osama bin Laden. Here's a roundup of front pages as they become available. Read More »
NATIONAL SECURITY

Reports: Bin Laden Buried at Sea

By
Osama bin Laden has been buried at sea, according to various news reports. The burial comes just hours after President Obama announced that the terrorist leader was killed in an operation this weekend. Read More »
LIBYA

Two Photographers Killed, Two Others Injured in Libya

By
Photographer and Oscar-nominated director Tim Hetherington was killed amid fighting in the Libyan city of Misurata on Wednesday, according to various media reports citing colleagues. Three other photographers were wounded, one fatally. Read More »
TECHNOLOGY

AT&T Enlists New Lobbyists While Pursuing T-Mobile Deal

By
AT&T has hired five lobbyists, including two former congressional staffers with ties to the Senate Judiciary Committee, since announcing plans to purchase T-Mobile USA from Deutsche Telekom for $39 billion on March 20. Read More »
WHITE HOUSE

Oval Office Doors Locked on Obama

By
After returning early from his five-day trip to Latin America, President Obama found a set of doors to the Oval Office locked on him Wednesday afternoon. He had just stepped off Marine One with his wife and daughters, who walked ...

Read More »
FOREIGN AFFAIRS

Google: China Slowing Access to Gmail

By
Google on Monday accused the Chinese government of deliberately slowing access to its e-mail service in the country, saying the government "carefully designed" a blockage to Gmail. Read More »

Protesters Make Progress in Bahrain, Fall Back in Libya, Yemen

By
Anti-government protesters in Bahrain successfully retook a public square in the country's capital Saturday, as demonstrators in Libya and Yemen suffered violent setbacks. Read More »

Leaders Condemn Iran Protests

By and Ben Terris
Members of Iran's parliament are calling for the execution of opposition leaders after large anti-government protests swept through the streets of Tehran on Monday, the BBC reports . Read More »

Haley's Diet

By
When asked last year whether he would run for president, Mississippi Governor Haley Barbour tied his presidential ambitions to his waistline: "If you see I lose 40 pounds, you'll know I'm either running or got cancer," he tol...

Read More »

Mubarak's Son, Key Leaders, Resign From Egypt's Ruling Party

By
The leadership of Egypt's ruling National Democratic Party has resigned, according to news reports . Read More »
PHOTOS

SLIDESHOW: Guests Arrive at Holbrooke's Memorial Service

By
See National Journal's slideshow of notable politicians and dignitaries on their way to the 3 p.m. memorial service for veteran diplomat Richard Holbrooke, who died last month. Read More »

Billy Graham's Son Comes to Sarah Palin's Defense

By Niraj Chokshi
Franklin Graham, the son of evangelist Billy Graham, came to Sarah Palin's defense this week, calling the suggestion that the former Alaska governor's rhetoric incited political violence "outrageous." Read More »
TECHNOLOGY

Did Julian Assange Have a Secret Rapper Life?

By Niraj Chokshi
Is WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange the author of a nerdy 1995 rap about a rival geek? What...Straight outta New South Wales? No Sleep Till Sydney? Read More »

Fiscal Commission Draft Document: $200 Billion In Savings

By Niraj Chokshi
Draft Document : $200 Billion In Savings (Click a column header to sort the table accordingly.) Read More »
ONLINE EXCLUSIVE

Report: Open E-Government Makes Happy Citizens

By Niraj Chokshi
More transparency on federal agency Web sites may lead to increased public trust in government, but it hasn't happened yet, according to two related surveys out today. Read More »
SEE MORE
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