Brian Koenig
Healthcare Industry Prepares for ObamaCare Medical Device Tax
Responding to a “devastating” new medical device tax, lawmakers are scrambling to delay ObamaCare’s latest job-killing provision.
Amid Union Protests, Mich. GOP Passes Right-to-work Laws; Gov. to Sign
In a controversial push, Michigan state Republican legislators made waves Thursday by passing a series of right-to-work measures, attracting a wave of protests from union members and other opponents of the bills. The statutes would bar unions from requiring employees to become union members, or to pay dues or fees as a condition of employment.
NSA Whistleblower: “Every American Is Under Surveillance”
NSA whistleblower William Binney says the FBI’s probe into General David Petraeus indicates that “every American is under surveillance.”
TSA Employees Secure Union Contract
Airport security screeners for the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) have formally ratified a union contract that will add some 45,000 members to the ranks of the American Federation of Government Employees (AFGE), a labor union representing over 650,000 employees of the federal government. Affiliated with the American Federation of Labor and Congress of Industrial Organizations (AFL-CIO), the AFGE is the largest union for non-postal federal employees and the largest union for District of Columbia workers who report directly to the mayor.
Energy Boom Could Make U.S. Largest Oil Producer by 2020
The growing energy boom in the United States could make it the largest global oil producer by the end of the decade, temporarily exceeding Saudi Arabia, and a top exporter of natural gas, according to a new report. Released Monday, the International Energy Agency (IEA), a French research group for oil-importing nations, published data showing that by 2030, the United States will be energy self-sufficient on net and North America will become a net oil exporter.
Rep. Allen West Trails in Florida, Fighting for Recount
Republican Rep. Allen West, the outspoken Army veteran who won Florida's 18th congressional contest during the 2008 Tea Party blitz, lost by a slight margin Tuesday in his hotly-contested battle against Democratic challenger Patrick Murphy. But while Murphy has declared himself the winner, after securing an initial vote count in front by 2,456 — out of more than 300,000 total votes — West has yet to concede the race and is asking for a recount.
France Pledges $25 Billion Tax Break to Businesses
To improve business competitiveness and revitalize the economy, France’s government has pledged $25 billion in tax credits to businesses.
California Voters Pass $6-Billion-a-Year Tax Hike
In the wake of the November 6 elections, voters have approved a number of contentious state initiatives, including a $6-billion-a-year bundle of tax increases sponsored by California Governor Jerry Brown. Proposition 30, a focal point of Brown’s administration, would increase the sales tax by 0.25 cent for the next four years, while raising income taxes on those earning more than $250,000 for the next seven years.
Chris Christie Institutes Gas Rationing System in New Jersey
In the wake of Superstorm Sandy, cities on the East Coast are enduring widespread power outages, infrastructure complications, and even gasoline shortages. As a consequence, New Jersey Governor Chris Christie issued an executive order late Friday that instituted an odd-even gas rationing system in 12 northern New Jersey counties.
Study Bankrolled by U.S. Treasury to Tie Taxes to Carbon Emissions
A lengthy and far-reaching study being bankrolled by the U.S. Department of Treasury will deliver environmentalists and other liberal groups ammunition for their rigorous campaign to curb so-called “global warming,” possibly including a new carbon levy weaved into the U.S. tax code. In short, it’s an analysis determined to advocate a “green” tax code for American businesses and individual taxpayers.