Topic: Social Security
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Five ways to improve Obama's pre-k plan
President Obama’s Preschool for All plan is well intentioned but includes features that are not justified by research and won’t help it pass in Congress. The plan must make the following five adjustments.
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5 myths about amnesty for illegal immigrants in Senate bill
Under a bipartisan Senate immigration bill, immigrants who have come to the United States illegally are given a "path to citizenship." On close inspection, each of the following five claims about the requirements for illegal immigrants to earn amnesty are not what they seem.
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If not 'sequester,' then what? Five ideas from left and right.
Few in Washington believe that "the sequester,” $85 billion in automatic spending cuts set to hit the federal budget as of March 1, is a good idea. But what's the alternative? Here are five proposals, from the right, the center, and the left, to replace the sequester. Which do you like?
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Sequester 101: What happens if $85 billion in cuts hit on March 1
The sequester is a complex concept with a tortuous history. Here are the basics on the automatic spending reductions set to kick in March 1.
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Eight steps to getting the right insurance
Comparing insurance policies is tough. However, by following these eight steps, you can simplify the process and find the right insurance policy for you.
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Raising Medicare's eligibility age: How much money would it save?
A full account of the impact of raising Medicare's eligibility age to 67 must also include the added costs to other expensive programs, as some seniors switch to Medicaid or seek government subsidies for private insurance.
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Tax VOX Tax hikes ahead. Time to accelerate dividend payments?
While some investors would be hurt by the accelerated dividend payouts, many low- and middle-income taxpayers could benefit, Williams writes.
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Boehner: Don't make Christmas plans, 'serious differences' remain in 'fiscal cliff' talks
Boehner's comments came as top Democrats pushed back on GOP demands for tough steps like raising the Medicare eligibility age and curbing the cost-of-living adjustment for Social Security.
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Robert Reich Fiscal cliff overshadows inequality in the heartland
As Washington fiddles over the fiscal cliff, a larger battle over inequality is being waged all over America, Reich writes.
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Americans' 'fiscal cliff' fix? Cut government spending – but not Medicare.
A new Monitor/TIPP poll finds Americans favor cutting government spending to solve the fiscal cliff, but few want to cut entitlements such as Medicare, which make up most of the budget.
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Obama, Boehner meet to discuss 'fiscal cliff' negotiations (+video)
The President and Speaker of the House met privately at the White House on Sunday.
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More Republicans agree to higher tax rates for the wealthy
Recognizing that President Obama has the upper hand, more Republicans say they're now willing to consider higher tax rates for the wealthy. On Sunday, it was Sen. Bob Corker (R) of Tennessee.
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Same-sex marriage: Waiting now for the Supreme Court to act
As reflected in polls and recent ballot measures, public opinion is moving in favor of same-sex marriage. Now that the US Supreme Court has agreed to take up the issue, both sides in the debate look for clear legal resolution.
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Supreme Court: Both sides in gay marriage debate voice optimism
The Supreme Court's decision to take up appeals over DOMA and California's Prop. 8 ban on gay marriage elicited positive reactions from advocates on both sides of the contentious issue.
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Gay marriage reaches Supreme Court: Justices to review Prop 8., DOMA
The two cases being taken up by the Supreme Court involve a challenge to California’s Prop. 8 ban on gay marriage and a suit from New York City testing the federal Defense of Marriage Act.
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Seattle issues 364 gay marriage licenses by 10 am on first day of legality
Because the state has a three-day waiting period, the earliest that weddings can take place is Sunday.
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Fiscal cliff: Is there a deal in the making?
President Obama and House Speaker John Boehner disagree about whether tax rates on the top two percent of earners should go up. The White House says, 'yes' and Republicans say, 'no'. Most Americans don't think the two sides will reach an agreement by January 1, according to a recent poll. But others are more optimistic.
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Stocks little changed; Investors await budget deal
Stocks changed little Tuesday on Wall Street as fiscal cliff negotiations continued in Washington. Some say stock trading will grow in volatility the longer budget talks progress without a deal.
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Robert Reich Fiscal cliff: 8 principles for Democrats
Reich offers some principles to Democrats as a guide to negotiating with Republicans on the fiscal cliff.
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White House rejects GOP plan: Tax rates for top 2 percent must go up (+video)
It did not take long for the White House to dismiss the Republican deficit-cutting proposal, which raised revenues by capping deductions. Now both sides have laid down their markers.
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Stocks edge lower after weak manufacturing report
A surprisingly weak manufacturing report sent stocks lower Monday. December is historically the best month for stocks.
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Timothy Geithner, John Boehner edge toward the 'fiscal cliff'
With less than a month before the 'fiscal cliff' imposes automatic tax increases and spending cuts, Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner and House Speaker John Boehner dueled rhetorically on the Sunday TV news programs.
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Energy Voices Oil and the 'fiscal cliff'
Tverberg explores the connection between changes in the oil market and growing concern of the 'fiscal cliff.'
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Why Obama is pushing for stimulus in 'fiscal cliff' deal (+video)
President Obama's opening offer in 'fiscal cliff' talks includes $255 billion in stimulus spending – tax cuts, incentives, and more. It could be a bargaining ploy or a bid to offset rising taxes on the rich.
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Workplace has no 401(k). Could states help?
Six in 10 private-sector employees aren't offered a retirement plan at work. So California and a few states are looking to offer them retirement plans.
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Will Supreme Court decide if gay marriage is constitutional? (+video)
The Supreme Court meets Friday to decide whether it should take up a case on same-sex marriage, and the claim that the Constitution gives people the right to marry regardless of sexual orientation.
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'Fiscal cliff' talks turn sour: Are prospects for deal vanishing?
House Speaker John Boehner charges that 'no substantive progress has been made' to avoid the Dec. 31 fiscal cliff, but such comments are a part of negotiating, an expert says.
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The Monitor's View: A parachute for Americans on their fiscal cliff
The hard decisions in the fiscal cliff negotiations between the GOP and Democrats would be easier if lawmakers could point to other nations that have seen the benefits of fiscal discipline in lifting an economy.
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Deported Mexican dad to be reunited with US-born kids
Deported father Felipe Montes, a Mexican national, should be reunited with his three US-born children next month, a North Carolina judge said this week. The ruling brings closer to resolution a two-year legal battle that has garnered international attention.
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Growing wealth concentration threatens to end American opportunity as we know it
The American creed of equal opportunity is in danger of becoming Hollywood fiction. Wealth concentration, manufacturing's demise, and technology eliminating jobs are destroying upward mobility. We must invest in education, training, and R&D. We must also pay for it.
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