Topic: Maryland
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Earth Day: Five ways we affect the planet
The late Sen. Gaylord Nelson (D) of Wisconsin organized the first Earth Day in 1970 after the devastating oil spill off the coast of Santa Barbara, Calif. The event started as an environmental teach-in, with some 20 million Americans taking part on college campuses across the United States. Today, 500 million people in 175 countries observe Earth Day on April 22 as a way to celebrate the natural world and raise awareness of the environment. How much do humans affect the earth? Click below to find out.
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Hillary Clinton for president? Eight Democrats who might run next time.
Tired of the 2012 presidential race? 2016 actually isn’t that far away, especially for Democrats looking hungrily at a nomination race that will not include President Obama. Speculation has already started over who might run – fueled by no less a figure than former President Clinton, who has suggested in recent TV interviews that his wife, Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton, might change her mind about not running once she’s had a break. Here are some of the possible contenders.
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Tax tips: Top 5 reasons to hire a tax pro
Tax tips can take you only so far if you're filling out your own returns. Sometimes, you need a tax pro. Most taxpayers, to the tune of 60 percent, opt to go with a tax professional. That share has climbed steadily: Just 41 percent used a professional preparer 30 years ago. Although a growing swath of the population – about 20 percent – is using tax-preparation software to complete returns, according to the Internal Revenue Service (IRS), it seems that software isn't displacing accountants as much as it's simply becoming the mode of choice for do-it-yourself filers. As the Tuesday, April 17, tax filing deadline nears, here are five cases in which it might be wise to consider bringing a pro aboard:
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Herman Cain's 9-9-9 plan: What would your sales tax be?
Herman Cain's 9-9-9 tax plan would create a new 9 percent federal sales tax. Here are estimates of the cumulative state, local, and federal sales taxes that consumers in each state would have to pay under the plan.
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"One City, One Book" – what 5 cities chose to read
Collective reading is alive and well in the 2000s – thanks to large-scale online book clubs (think "One Book, One Twitter," for example) and also to community “One City, One Book” programs which encourage an entire metropolis to read the same book at the same time. What are cities reading this year? Here are the 2011 picks of five participating cities – all of them apparently drawn to books with strong cultural themes .
All Content
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Feds shut down 26 intercity bus companies for safety violations
The unprecedented motorcoach safety crackdown primarily targeted bus companies operating along the East Coast's I-95, where crashes last spring left several people dead and dozens injured.
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In Gear
Your teen is ready to drive? Here's how to pick a driving school.
Nearly half of US states require driver education for teens under 18. In choosing a driving school, look for one accredited by the AAA.
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Transit of Venus: Early 'tape measure' for size of our solar system (+video)
The next transit of Venus occurs June 5. Astronomers once used the transit of Venus across the sun to come up with the 'astronomical unit' – the distance from Earth to our sun.
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Curt Schilling fires staff at video-game firm
Curt Schilling fires staff of 300 in Rhode Island, which had given a $75 million loan guarantee to the video-game company. Curt Schilling fired staff with an e-mail that thanked them for dedication but claimed an 'economic downturn' had hit the company
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The Daily Reckoning
Leave Facebook's Eduardo Saverin alone
Eduardo Saverin's timely renunciation of his American citizenship is no reason to keep him out of the US. People should be able to move where they want, when they want, for any reason.
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China is a lead cyberattacker of US military computers, Pentagon reports
China is especially interested in gleaning how best to defend its own computer networks from cyberattack, says a Pentagon report on cyberwar threats. But China is also improving its offensive abilities.
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Focus
The gay marriage paradox: as acceptance rises, so do legal barriers
President Obama's embrace of gay marriage mirrors growing support among many Americans, but states continue to ban it. The US Supreme Court could play a key role.
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Decoder Wire
Democrats return fire after John Boehner's opening debt-ceiling salvo (+video)
Democrats charge that John Boehner's renewed call for spending cuts as a condition to raise the debt ceiling is 'dangerous,' recalling the standoff last summer that drove consumer confidence – and Congress's approval rating – sharply down.
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Decoder Wire
John Boehner fires opening shot in potential debt-ceiling showdown
In a speech Tuesday, Speaker John Boehner will lay out his expectations for how the debt ceiling will be handled in the next round. His plan harks back to the House Republicans' position last year.
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With G8 snub, US-Putin 'reset' off to stumbling start
'President Putin expressed his regret that he would be unable to attend the G8 Summit at Camp David on May 18-19,' the White House announced this week.
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Decoder Wire
How the sequester could save Democrats in December
Congress has an apocalyptic list of issues to deal with after the November elections, including the Bush tax cuts and the sequester. Any chance for compromise could rest on Democrats' willingness to be as ruthless as Republicans have been.
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Appalled by sequester cuts, House begins efforts to avoid them
The House on Thursday passed a measure that would spare the Pentagon from looming cuts by making deeper cuts to social programs. But Congress isn't expected to get serious about altering the debt deal's $109 billion sequester until after the November election.
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Robert Reich
Forget gay marriage. America's real problem is in its boardrooms.
In pushing legislation to ban same-sex marriage and limit women's reproductive rights, Republicans are avoiding a much bigger issue: what's going on in the country's corporate boardrooms.
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Obama supports gay marriage: Historic switch carries risks (+video)
Obama supports gay marriage in an interview with ABC News, ending a period in which he said his views were 'evolving.' The move was instantly hailed and denounced by the opposing sides on the issue.
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Why North Carolina banned gay marriage (+video)
Republicans and African Americans in North Carolina were united in supporting a constitutional ban on gay marriage. The North Carolina is a key swing state in the 2012 presidential election.
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Pet food recall 2012 now includes 39 states
Pet food recall 2012 involves brands including Kirkland, Premium Edge, and Diamond Naturals, manufactured by Diamond Pet Foods. The biggest pet food recall 2012 has been expanded multiple times since April. Counting additional recalls by separate brands manufactured in the Diamond Pet Foods facility, affected dog food has been sold in 39 states.
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North Carolina ready for constitutional ban on gay marriages, says poll
North Carolina will vote Tuesday on a constitutional amendment to ban same-sex marriages and civil unions. One North Carolina poll shows only 38 percent oppose the ban.
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Price of debt-ceiling deal: GOP plan goes 'for the jugular,' Dems say
No one in Congress likes the 'sequester' – the more than $900 billion in automatic cuts written into last year's debt deal – but Democrats say that's better than the new GOP plan to avoid it.
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Saving Money
The best and worst grocery stores: You get what you pay for
When it comes to grocery stores, customers generally must choose between great quality and low prices. But a few supermarket chains ranked high in both categories.
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Joe Biden stirs the pot on same-sex marriage (+video)
Vice President Joe Biden says he's 'absolutely comfortable' with same-sex marriage. That seems to put him out front of President Obama on a hot-button issue that is sure to come up in the presidential election.
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Cleveland anarchists' getaway plan: a box full of thumbtacks
Five men were arrested Monday for an alleged conspiracy to blow up a bridge near Cleveland. Their purported discussions about their plans are detailed in a 22-page affidavit.
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Private Empire
Pulitzer Prize-winner Steve Coll takes a close look at secretive behemoth that is Exxon Mobil.
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Forgiving mortgage loans would save taxpayers money, say Fannie Mae papers
Mortgage loans giant Fannie Mae supported principal reductions for some struggling homeowners in 2009
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Diggin' It
After a move: Replacing your favorite plants
When a gardener moves, she finds that it's hard to replace some of her favorite roses and other plants.
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National Honesty Day: This story is an attempt to get Web traffic
National Honesty Day: April 30 marks National Honesty Day. We hope that you'll visit this page so that we can get a tiny bit of advertising money.
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