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Afghanistan: 5 areas of concern after the US leaves

The withdrawal of US and NATO forces from Afghanistan will have profound, direct effects on the country's security, economy, and society. Here are five areas that are likely to see an impact.
Election 101: Who is Gary Johnson?

Gary Johnson, who has already scaled Mt. Everest, has chosen the presidency as his next summit.
National debt ceiling 101: Is a crisis looming?

In a year of high drama over federal budgets, the nation’s so-called national debt ceiling is becoming a prominent part of the political debate. The Treasury is close to hitting this borrowing limit, yet many in Congress say the ceiling shouldn’t be raised without new commitments to put America on a path of fiscal prudence. Here’s a guide to how the ceiling works and what’s at stake for the economy.
Waterboarding and other 'Decision Points' in Bush's war on terror

Controversial 'Decisions Points' during George W. Bush's tenure, including his green light to waterboarding, have returned to public scrutiny.
In Pictures: You decide: The best and worst dressed in global politics

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Afghanistan: 5 areas of concern after the US leaves

The withdrawal of US and NATO forces from Afghanistan will have profound, direct effects on the country's security, economy, and society. Here are five areas that are likely to see an impact.
Obamacare gives Congress license to micromanage every facet of our lives

The Obama administration has never offered a principled explanation of how to square the health-care law's individual mandate with the Constitution. If Congress can force us to buy health insurance, what can’t it order us to buy?
Economist Mom
Tax policy won't fix the economy on its own

Many tax policy experts spin a simple fairy tale when they talk about how to reform the tax system. They say that we just need to cut tax rates, which will expand the economy, which in turn will reduce the deficit. But unfortunately, in the real world, we face real budget constraints and a real scarcity of resources.
Regime change: How fear of Iran nukes, and campaign politics, revived the call

A tough-talking debate over pursuing regime change is all the rage again, this time focused on Iran. But proponents say they prefer economic sanctions to military force as the main lever.
For some making minimum wage, the new year holds modest promise

For middle-class workers, the new year could mean the loss of the payroll tax cut. But for workers far down the pay scale, a Jan. 1 rise in the minimum wage in eight states offers some hope.
Why GOP candidates keep debating illegal immigration, despite pitfalls

For a core of conservative Republican primary voters, illegal immigration constitutes a key test for defining who a presidential candidate is.
When is a terrorist not a terrorist? America's Haqqani conundrum.

Congress is pushing the State Department to list the Haqqani network in Pakistan as a terrorist organization. Military officials have said Haqqani fighters are America's most formidable foe in Afghanistan, but the Haqqanis could also be key to any reconciliation efforts.
On Constitution Day, tea party and foes duel over our founding document

It's Constitution Day in the US, which this year features a healthy debate about the limits on government power. The growth of the tea party movement has heightened that continuing argument.
The Circle Bastiat
Why Bernanke's analysis is wrong

Washington leadership's anti-market rhetoric is to blame for our current economic woes
George Pataki isn't 11th GOP presidential candidate, after all

Former New York Gov. George Pataki has reportedly decided not to enter the crowded field of GOP presidential hopefuls. It's hard to see where he could have carved out some turf, say analysts.
Health-care reform law set back, setting stage for Supreme Court showdown

A federal appeals court rejects the individual mandate, the crux of Obama's health-care reform. With another appeals court having already upheld the law, a Supreme Court showdown is far more likely.
Medicare overhaul? Tea party sees a chance.

Medicare overhaul is priority of tea party activists planning to make themselves heard at town hall meetings in key battleground states. Supporters want Medicare overhaul along the lines of Rep. Ryan's plan.
Did tea party lawmakers win the great debt debate? They don't think so.

GOP leaders made a point of congratulating the tea party for its role in the debt ceiling debate. 'You've actually won,' Sen. Mitch McConnell said. But the movement sees only a job unfinished.
Who lives in better neighborhood: rich blacks or working-class whites?

Even affluent black and Hispanic households making more than $75,000 a year live in neighborhoods with higher poverty rates than white households earning less than $40,000, a new analysis shows
'Gang of Six' plan hailed as debt-ceiling breakthrough. What's in it?

The proposal by the 'Gang of Six' senators Tuesday draws on ideas from the deficit commission. The middle-of-the-road plan will have to overcome partisan concerns and a lack of time.
Why GOP vows to block Obama nominee for consumer-watchdog agency

The sweeping financial reform legislation passed by Congress a year ago created the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau. President Obama nominated its first director Sunday, but Republicans are against the structure of the entire agency.
McConnell's last ditch debt ceiling plan: What's in it for Republicans?

Senate Republican leader Mitch McConnell proposes a 'last choice option' that would allow President Obama to raise the national debt ceiling without GOP support.
Robert Reich
The growing desperation of the don't-raise-taxes-on-the-rich crowd

With the Senate vote to end tax breaks for ethanol, the Republican promise not to raise taxes is falling apart
Behind Kerry’s mission: In US-Pakistan relations, 'divorce' is not an option

On a mission to improve US-Pakistan relations, Sen. John Kerry announces a Pakistani goodwill gesture: the return of the tail section of the US helicopter used in the bin Laden raid.
Bin Laden raid: A model for how US should fight Afghanistan war?

The US is now waging a troop-heavy counterinsurgency to win Afghan hearts and minds. But the bin Laden raid has boosted critics, who say the Afghanistan war should involve smaller forces and a greater reliance on targeted strikes.
Aircraft carriers gain naval clout

Aircraft carriers: The floating fortresses became the backbone of U.S. sea power after WWII, projecting military might around the world in crises and in conflicts such as Korea, Vietnam, Iraq, Kosovo and Afghanistan.
Election 101: Who is Gary Johnson?

Gary Johnson, who has already scaled Mt. Everest, has chosen the presidency as his next summit.
Supreme Court should reject climate change nuisance suit

The Supreme Court is set to hear arguments in American Electric Power Co., Inc. v. Connecticut, an unprecedented “public nuisance” lawsuit brought against energy companies. The courts are hardly the place to set broad policy on climate change. Even Obama agrees.
Can Pakistan force US to back off special ops and drone attacks?

Pakistan is trying to use the case of the CIA's Raymond Davis to limit US drone strikes and covert operations on its soil. But with its reliance on US aid, how much leverage does it really have?
Somerville, Mass., aims to boost happiness. Can it?

Forget GDP, say a growing number of cities and nations. Instead, they're measuring happiness and hope to increase it.