politics

Political turmoil in the Middle East keeps growing, with the ouster of Egyptian president Hosni Mubarak, rebellion in Libya and riots in Bahrain. It's no wonder that businesses with investments in those countries are feeling nervous. And that's benefiting purveyors of political-risk insurance, who are seeing premiums rise.

Here we go again: Congressional Republicans and White House Democrats are engaging in a game of rhetorical warfare over the budget. If the parties don't agree on a plan by March 4, the federal government could close, rattling stock and bond markets.

Ronald Reagan tops a USA Today/Gallup poll of Americans' favorite U.S. presidents. The results suggest that a nostalgia for better economic times may play a factor, along with politics, in the survey.

It's hard to fathom that something as mundane as weather could affect employment statistics. But it clearly does. And it also has big impact on how much work actually gets done. And beyond the snows of winter, there's distractions like the Super Bowl that keep worker from their duties.

With the economic recovery gaining steam, President Obama's State of the Union address -- and the GOP response -- should be seen as a shift to a less activist approach. Feel-good rhetoric may be wiser than heavy-handed policies that could easily backfire.

Jersey residents voted in 2005 to give their state a lieutenant governor. Still, with Gov. Chris Christie vacationing in Florida while his state got pounded by a blizzard, there's a leadership vacuum in Trenton because Lt. Gov. Kim Guadagno is away on vacation, too.

Gallup, Pew Center and Washington Post/ABC News surveys all showed that Americans, for the most part, support the tax package approved by the Senate on Wednesday.

About six in 10 Americans approve of a tax package passed by the Senate on Wednesday that extends George W. Bush-era tax breaks for the wealthy as well extending unemployment benefits and cutting payroll taxes, according to a Wall Street Journal/NBC News poll.

House Committee appointments this week of Ron Paul, Harold "Hal" Rogers and Fred Upton appear to be splitting Republican opinion, as many conservatives are lauding the 112th Congress's selection of Paul while bashing those of Rogers and Upton.

If the extension of the Bush tax cuts triggers a market rally, as many expect, investors will likely rush in. But caution is advised: High prices can also mean high risk. Here are some tips from Alan Lancz, director of research at LanczGlobal.com, on how investors can avoid getting burned.