Business Advocates Ready Final Push to Defeat Costly Obamacare Provisions

On the heels of last Thursday’s bipartisan Senate vote to repeal an Obamacare provision that would slap a 2.3% tax on medical device companies, industry and business groups are making a final lobbying push to knock out costly healthcare provisions embedded in the law before it goes into full effect in eight months. 26 Mar 2013

Chinese Solar Panel Giant Declares Bankruptcy

Chinese solar panel giant Suntech declared bankruptcy last week after it missed a $541 million payment to bondholders. 26 Mar 2013

Media Matters Attacks NPR for Exposing Entitlement Abuse

Media Matters researcher Hannah Groch-Begley attacked NPR by breathlessly warning that a “misleading NPR report has become fodder for a right-wing media campaign to scapegoat federal disability benefits, despite the fact that the rise in disability claims can be attributed to the economic recession and demographic shifts.” 26 Mar 2013

Biden's Limo Services for European Visit Cost Taxpayers $321,665

News of the pricey limo services comes on the heels of reports that Biden’s London lodging cost taxpayers $459,388.65 for “136 hotel rooms for 893 room nights” at the Hyatt Regency London. And his one-night stay at the Hotel Intercontinental Paris Le Grand rang up to a whopping $585,000.50. 25 Mar 2013

Govt. Spends More on Disability than Food Stamps, Welfare Combined

In an eye-opening six-month investigation into America’s disability program, Planet Money reporter Chana Joffe-Walt uncovered a “disability industrial complex” fraught with fraud that churns out 14 million checks every month to citizens the government has deemed disabled. 25 Mar 2013

IMF Draft Report Cuts 2013 U.S. Growth to Just 1.7%

The Italian News agency ANSA is reporting that it has a seen a draft of the International Monetary Fund’s World Economic Outlook report slated for release next week and that that U.S. growth forecast has been lowered from 2% to 1.7%. 25 Mar 2013

Cyprus Bailout Calls For up to 40% Seizure of Bank Customer Cash

Cypriot President Nicos Anastasiades has struck a deal with the European Union and International Monetary Fund that will seize up to 40% of uninsured funds from wealthier depositors with over 100,000 euros and will not siphon funds from those below that amount. 25 Mar 2013

Opponents Call Rahm Emanuel Chicago School Closing Plan 'Racist'

Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel’s decision to close 53 public schools and 61 buildings in largely minority neighborhoods to help close a $1 billion budget shortfall has some opponents calling the Emanuel plan “racist.” 24 Mar 2013

Pakistani Firm Seeks U.S. Taxpayer-Subsidized Loans

An estimated 80% of the roadside bombs that have killed or injured U.S. forces in Afghanistan were made with chemicals manufactured by Pakistani fertilizer maker Fatima Group. Now the company wants U.S. taxpayer funds to open a plant in Indiana. 24 Mar 2013

U.S. Still Making Payments to Relatives of Civil War Vets

The U.S. government spends over $40 billion a year to compensate veterans and their family members for service in conflicts as far back as the Civil War. 21 Mar 2013