Last Thursday, the Congressional Budget Office (CBO) released their last Monthly Budget Review (MBR) for the fiscal year. So how much debt did Uncle Sam rack up in 2010, you ask. Well, just under $1.3 trillion. This figure is $50 billion less than what CBO projected just last month and is "$125 billion less than the shortfall recorded in 2009." Everyone say, "Hooray" for deficit reduction.

A new study of natural resource transparency in 41 countries finds the U.S. among the top countries but not leading the pack. Brazil and Norway scored the highest marks, while countries such as Russia, Colombia, and Kazakhstan also ranked higher than the U.S.

It can't get much closer than this. In the early hours of the last day of fiscal year 2010, and the last legislative day before it adjourned for the midterm elections, Congress passed a basic continuing resolution, temporarily funding the government through December 3. That gives lawmakers from November 15, when they're scheduled to return, though December 3 to pass the entire FY 2011 budget. If they fail, which is entirely likely considering it only gives them three weeks to work, Congress will have to pass another continuing resolution.

It's been an exciting few weeks on the Hill, with President Obama's OMB director nominee sitting before two Senate hearings before being blocked by a Democrat, House Republicans released their Pledge to America, and an effort to extendthe Bush tax cuts failed to move in the Senate. With all this excitement, I guess congressional appropriators couldn't find much time to work on their appropriations bills. In fact, the House Appropriations Committee made exactly zero progress on the fiscal year 2011 budget, meaning we're still waiting on the full committee to vote on ten appropriations bills. The Senate hasn't been much better, with its appropriations committee only approving two bills, and no floor votes. Which, as recent congressional witness Stephen Colbert might say, brings us to today's word: continuing resolution.