federal government

Anyone who has ever watched an episode of Animal Planet knows that ecosystems are fragile, relying on the delicate balance of species and resources. But what is less-known is the high economic cost incurred when a balance is upset by a species that is alien to the area. Killer bees, coyotes and Canadian geese are just a few of the biggest offenders.

Thurs., Aug. 19 marks this year's "Cost of Government Day." The date, calculated by the Americans for Tax Reform, signals when the average American finishes paying off his or her respective share of federal, state and local taxes, and the cost of implementing government regulations. This year, that...

Congressional leaders have been battling over the soon-to-expire Bush tax cuts for more than a year. Yet, there's still no word on whether Congress will vote to extend the cuts, allow the cuts to expire or work out some compromise package that might do a little of both. At the center of the tax...

The Supreme Court will not weigh in on seven tobacco industry appeals. But by passing on the cases, the justices gave a big boost to the tobacco industry, which is safe from the threat of having to pay the government $280 billion.

Faced with an estimated $7 billion shortfall in 2010, the United States Postal Service is contemplating radical cuts that would eliminate Saturday mail delivery and raise the cost of postage. But to really turn the USPS's problems around, it will either need to be directly funded by the government or it needs the freedom to set its own prices, policies, and hours.

If you are fence sitting about whether to buy that house, you may not want to wait too much longer: If government officials can be believed, the more than year-long federal support of mortgages, which brought rates to post World War II lows, is slated to end within the next couple of...

The Federal Reserve's latest snapshot of the U.S. economy showed that conditions continued to stabilize in July and August, giving further credence to economists' beliefs that the nation's deepest recession since the Great Depression may finally be easing. In issuing its latest "Beige Book"...

Uncle Sam may have made hundreds of millions of dollars after it agreed to stand behind $1 billion in loans to Chrysler in 1979, but 30 years later it stands to lose billions for agreeing to bail out Chrysler and General Motors. That's the conclusion of a Congressional Oversight Panel in its latest...

There has been a good deal of controversy over the original plan for AIG (AIG) to pay some of its "key" employees and managers $245 million in bonuses. The federal government, which owns 80 percent of the insurance holding company, has been under pressure from Congress and the public to hold off...

The Federal government is the nation's biggest employer, and it plans to hire even more this year, thanks to President Obama's stimulus package and recently proposed budget . Hiring by the executive branch will increase 15.6% for the 2010 fiscal year (which officially starts October 1). Salaries...