Topic: West Virginia

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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.
5 best books of July: Amazon editors' favorite picks

Some of this summer's most interesting books will take you places – all the way from the moon to Korea to the seemingly placid Midwest, and from tales of masked vigilantes to the inside workings of the Church of Scientology. Here are five of the July 2011 titles that are drawing the most enthusiastic thumbs-up from the editors at Amazon.com.
Five ways House Republicans are striking fear in environmentalists

House Republicans are attempting to shape US environmental policy by attaching to their 2011 spending plans so-called "riders" that would target regulations ranging from greenhouse gases to mining.
Unemployment down? For these five cities, it has gone up.

Unemployment has fallen to 8.8 percent, the lowest rate in two years. In March, the economy added 216,000 new jobs. But the recovery is leaving some US metros behind. Already mired in above-average joblessness, their unemployment rate is now higher than what it was when the recovery began in June 2009. Here’s a look at five of these wrong-direction metros:
Five unusual Census 2010 facts

Which state has more people per square mile than India? Which state saw its smallest population growth in at least a century? The data released Tuesday gives Americans a first look at what Census 2010 is saying about the United States. For example, the US population grew more slowly this past decade – 9.7 percent – than in any decade since the 1930s. Back during the Great Depression, six states lost population. In the first 10 years of the 2000s, only one state was a loser. Do you know which one?

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'Hatfields and McCoys': Is History Channel miniseries fact or fiction?

The family feud between the Hatfields and McCoys is brought to life in a new History Channel series. But history and folk legend blur as the show follows the lead of cable TV's more mature fare.
Culture Cafe
'Hatfields & McCoys' stars talk about the central love story

'Hatfields and McCoys' stars Lindsay Pulsipher and Matt Barr talk about the star-crossed lovers they portray.
Decoder Wire
Obama loses 42 percent of Kentucky, Arkansas primary vote. Should he worry? (+video)

No and yes. The key issue here may be whether the Kentucky and Arkansas primaries are a portent of trouble for President Obama in North Carolina, a crucial swing state.
Senate Republicans plead for a budget as frustrations boil over

Senate Republicans proposed five budgets Wednesday, but the Democratic-controlled Senate defeated them all. Republicans say Democrats are punting on tough choices, Democrats say they already have a budget.
Ouch! Obama loses 41 percent of W.Va. primary vote to federal inmate.

Meet Keith Judd, who's incarcerated in Texas for extortion. He's also a serial presidential candidate, and in West Virginia's Democratic primary Tuesday, he grabbed 41 percent of the vote from President Obama. Republicans are gleeful.
Vox News
Rupert Murdoch deemed 'not fit' to lead media in Britain. What about US?

A British parliamentary panel found that Rupert Murdoch is 'not fit' to run media giant News Corp. But the question for Congress is: What laws – if any – were broken in the US?
Horizons
Target waves goodbye to the Amazon Kindle (but Nook can stay)

Target and Kindle are parting ways. What's behind the split? 
Painkiller addiction becoming more common in infants, study shows

Painkiller addiction is becoming more and more common in infants, according to a recently released study that shows that the number of US babies born with opiate drug withdrawal has tripled in the past decade.
Senate staves off postal Armageddon with USPS reform bill

Postal bill averts 3,700 post-office closings for at least two years, but fails to address deeper, structural problems in how the postal service manages a vast operation, rivaled only by Wal-Mart in total employment.
Modern Parenthood
Bullying: Teens take the lead as anti-bullying mentors, advocates

Bullying prevention starts with teens, and in communities around the country they are taking the lead as anti-bullying leaders, advocates, and mentors for their peers. It is an inspiring trend at a time when several high-profile teen suicides have been linked to bullying.
Natural gas: Should America export its surplus?

A new liquefied natural gas export terminal in Louisiana just received federal approval. But the demand for more export permits has some industrial consumers worried they'll pay higher prices.
What’s Rick Santorum’s exit strategy – er plan to prevail?

Rick Santorum is falling farther and farther behind Mitt Romney in the Republican convention delegate count. To reverse that, he needs to win his home state of Pennsylvania and then the southern states that follow.
Reader recommendation: The Evening Hour

Monitor readers share their favorite book picks.
Will Blunt amendment backfire on Republicans?

Republicans cast the Blunt amendment as a fight for religious freedoms, but it put at least one of their own, Sen. Scott Brown, in a tough spot – and he could be crucial to GOP efforts to retake the Senate.
Storm system causes damage in Kentucky, flash-flood threat in West Viriginia

The storm system raked the Midwest overnight Tuesday with tornadoes that killed at least nine. Now, concern is also centering on Kentucky and West Virginia.
Rick Santorum in Congress: why his record is costing him now

Some see Rick Santorum as an uncompromising firebrand of a culture warrior, but his rivals are focusing their attacks on his legislative record in Congress, which bridged party lines.
Catholic furor over birth control rule turns Democrats on one another

The Catholic Church's anger over a proposed federal rule to force church-affiliated organizations to offer health plans covering birth control has provided Republicans with an opportunity – and Democrats with a problem.
Education 2.0: Can Digital Learning Day begin a classroom revolution?

Thirty-nine states, 15,000 teachers, and 1.7 million students are expected to participate in a series of events and webcasts on Wednesday, Digital Learning Day.
Are you smarter than an NFL star? A lottery winner?

High-profile jackpot winners fritter away winnings. An estimated 8 in 10 NFL players are bankrupt, jobless, or divorced two years into retirement. Could you manage a windfall better than they do? Here are six steps.
Does First Amendment protect students' online speech off-campus?

The Supreme Court declined to take up Tuesday three potentially important test cases of the First Amendment of students engaged in controversial speech on the Internet.
Fracking: Pollution finding could hurt gas drilling

Fracking – a modern method to extract oil and gas – may be contaminating drinking supplies in Wyoming. But EPA report on the impact of fracking is not conclusive.
Payroll-tax cut not dead yet. Can the House save it?

House Republicans met behind closed doors Friday in search of common ground on the payroll-tax cut and other popular measures, set to expire Dec. 31.
Payroll tax cut: why Republicans might back Obama's plan (VIDEO)

President Obama has hit the road to lobby for his plan to extend and expand this year's payroll tax cut 'holiday.' Though concerns remain, Republicans worry that Obama is gaining traction.
Census finds 1 in 8 Americans are seniors – an all-time high

Newly released 2010 Census figures show that seniors make up a larger share of the American population than ever before. The trend will only gain steam in the years ahead.
Readers Write: US in wrong conversation on taxes; loopholes widen income gap

Letters to the Editor for the weekly issue of November 28, 2011: One reader argues that Americans need to have a conversation about the role of federal government before they argue over taxes. Another decries loopholes in corporate taxation and the widening income gap.