EPA Increases Information on Dioxin

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) announced a final rule on May 10 to increase reporting of dioxin compounds, some of the most potent carcinogens, under the Toxics Release Inventory (TRI) program.

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Social Programs Are Collateral Damage of the War Funding Debate

Congress and the president have yet to resolve their differences over an emergency spending bill for the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. Caught in the middle of this fight are high-priority proposals to raise the minimum wage, provide stopgap funding for a children's health insurance program, and restore some cuts for energy assistance. A drawn-out debate over war funding could end up causing unnecessary hardship for people who depend on the passage of these initiatives. War Funding

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CAP on Contract Reform

May 15, 2007 by Matt Lewis

The Center for American Progress has a comprehensive new report on government contracting and how it could be reformed.

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The Health Care Mountain

May 15, 2007 by Craig Jennings

Ezra Klein has an excellent post on the nature of long term fiscal health. Given this chart from a Center on Budget and Policy Priorities report, Klein wonders why Social Security get so much attention. Or, as he puts it: Look at that gentle slope for Social Security! You could do that in Rockports! Mt. Medicare and Medicaid, by contrast, require climbing gear.

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More on What's Wrong With Health Care

May 15, 2007 by Matt Lewis

If you've got 45 minutes, take a look at this article in the New York Review of Books. It's an analysis of how doctor's think, and how bad habits of mind promote inefficiency and bad outcomes in the health care system.

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Budget Conferees Settle on "Trigger"; not Full Report

May 15, 2007 by Dana Chasin

Yesterday, House and Senate budget resolution negotiators took a step forward to agreement, but seem unlikely to meet a key but informal deadline.

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Senate Passes FDA Reform Bill, Expands User Fees

On May 9, the Senate ended weeks of debate and passed S. 1082, the Food and Drug Administration Revitalization Act. The two primary aims of the bill are to renew the Prescription Drug User Fee Act and to generally strengthen the regulatory authority of the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA).

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Cost-Benefit Provision Latches onto Fuel Economy Standard

A Senate panel has approved a bill reforming the federal standard for passenger vehicle fuel economy. The bill aims to increase vehicle fuel efficiency over the next 25 years, but a proposal to mandate cost-benefit analysis could undermine meaningful regulation. The bill raises questions as to the limits of cost-benefit analysis in the federal regulatory process.

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House Hearing Asks Interior: Entangled in Politics, or Enlightened by Science?

In a May 9 hearing, the House Committee on Natural Resources heard witnesses discuss the extent to which Interior Department officials have manipulated scientific assessments when implementing the Endangered Species Act (ESA). The hearing came on the heels of the resignation of a top-ranking official and the release of a departmental investigation that found rules violations and intimidation of agency scientists.

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Muslim Charity Files Libel Suit over Allegations of Terrorist Ties

KinderUSA, a U.S. charity that provides humanitarian aid to children in war zones, including Palestine, filed suit April 26 against the author and publishers of a book that ties the group to terrorist organizations. The libel suit, which seeks $500,000 in damages and other relief, was filed in Los Angeles Superior Court after the publishers refused a request to discontinue distribution.

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