Alex More, a law student in Austin, recently shopped at Whole Foods to load up on sprouted oatmeal, almond milk, and flavored flax crackers. "It's health food that I couldn't get at a normal big supermarket," he says.
On the front page of its business section today, the Washington Post reported on the arrests of 38 people in South Florida who are accused of defrauding Medicare offor $142 million in a series of scams in which the federal government was charged for services and equipments that were never actually ordered.
What, do the GOP presidential candidates think that Democrats are going to make it easy on them? In a nonbinding vote, the Democratic-controlled House voted this week in favor of some of the Bush tax cuts–such as the 10 percent tax bracket, marriage penalty relief, and child tax credits–so that they don't expire at the end of 2010 as they are now scheduled to do. Other tax cuts, such as the 2003 investment tax cuts (capital gains and dividends) and the 2001 cuts in marginal tax rates, are still on the chopping block. In other words, the Dems are latching on to the most populist, politically easiest-to-defend tax cuts and then advocating higher taxes for wealthier Americans to pay for new spending programs. Expect more or less the same strategy from the Democratic presidential candidates.
AP - The Democratic-controlled House voted Thursday night to pay for military operations in Iraq on an installment plan, defying President Bush's threat of a second straight veto in a fierce test of wills over the unpopular war.
AP - Attorney General Alberto Gonzales confidently deflected House Democrats' demands Thursday for details in the firings of U.S. attorneys, appearing ever more likely to survive accusations that the dismissals were politically motivated.
AP - Republican presidential candidate John McCain said Thursday he believes President Bush's low approval ratings are hurting the GOP yet won't affect the party's 2008 nominee.
The House of Representatives today approved a $96 billion war spending bill that would make continued funding of the Iraq war dependent on a July progress report -- defying President Bush's threat to veto the bill a second time. The bill now goes to the Senate, where both parties have been seeking a compromise with the White House.
Stocks tumbled Thursday, with the Dow Jones industrial average giving up nearly 150 points one session after ending at an all-time high, as investors eyed higher oil prices, weak economic news and lackluster April retail sales.
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