State and Local

Budget Battles

  • Senator Ben Cardin (D-MD) arrives at Democratic Party caucus meeting on Capitol Hill in Washington, U.S., January 19, 2018. REUTERS/Yuri Gripas/ File Photo

    Factbox: What happens in a U.S. government shutdown?

    By Richard Cowan and Susan Cornwell and Amanda Becker and Richard Cowan and Susan Cornwell and Amanda Becker, Reuters

    In shutdowns, nonessential government employees are furloughed, or placed on temporary unpaid leave. Workers deemed essential, including those dealing with public safety and national security, keep...

  • FILE PHOTO: A pharmacist holds prescription painkiller OxyContin at a local pharmacy in Provo

    Delaware Sues Opioid Manufacturers, Distributors Over Epidemic

    By Nate Raymond, Reuters

    (Reuters) - Delaware on Friday became the latest state to file a lawsuit accusing corporations of helping fuel the national opioid epidemic, suing a wide range of companies involved in making,...

  • FILE PHOTO - Treasury Secretary Steve Mnuchin listens as U.S. President Donald Trump hosts a tax reform industry meeting at the White House in Washington, U.S., October 31, 2017. REUTERS/Kevin Lamarque

    Trump Tries to Sell Tax Reform to Democrats

    By David Morgan, Reuters

    WASHINGTON (Reuters) - President Donald Trump intensified his efforts to sell Democrats on his tax reform plan on Wednesday even as Senate Republicans edged closer to passing a budget measure that...

  • FILE PHOTO: U.S. Homeland Security Secretary Jeh Johnson (L) listens to Representative Tom Marino (R-PA) (R) before a House Judiciary committee hearing on the 'Oversight of the US Department of Homeland Security' on Capitol Hill in Washington July 14, 20

    Trump's drug czar nominee withdraws from consideration

    By Sarah N. Lynch and Makini Brice, Reuters

    WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The U.S. lawmaker who was President Donald Trump's pick for drug czar withdrew on Tuesday after a report he spearheaded a bill that hurt the government's ability to crack down...

  • U.S. President Donald Trump speaks about the Iran nuclear deal in the Diplomatic Room of the White House in Washington, U.S., October 13, 2017. REUTERS/Kevin Lamarque

    Senate Republicans Gain Crucial Support for Budget Vital to Tax Reform

    By David Morgan, Reuters

    WASHINGTON (Reuters) - U.S. Senate Republicans on Monday gained crucial support for a vote on a budget resolution that is vital to President Donald Trump's hopes of signing sweeping tax reform...

  • David Brooks: How Big Decisions are Really Made

    By Maureen Mackey, The Fiscal Times

    In an important new book, The Social Animal, David Brooks argues that emotions play at least as big a role in important economic decisions as reason and rational thought – and that cities and...

  • Wisconsin Lawmakers Cut Public Workers’ Rights

    By SCOTT BAUER, Associated Press

    Wisconsin lawmakers have voted to strip nearly all collective bargaining rights from the state's public workers, ending a heated standoff over labor rights and delivering a key victory to Republicans...

  • Wisconsin Dems Return to Fight

    By Michael A. Fletcher and ARIANA EUNJUNG CHA, The Washington Post

    The Wisconsin State Assembly began a session Thursday afternoon to vote on a bill that sharply curtails union rights for public workers. The session comes a day after the Republican-led state Senate...

  • Walker’s Union Reform: Time to Cut a Deal

    By Liz Peek

    This was probably not the best time for the Milwaukee teachers union to press their demand for free Viagra. As labor activists rallied in Wisconsin to win over public opinion and block Governor Scott...

  • Pension Funds Understated Shortfall by $1.5T

    By Peter Whoriskey, The Washington Post

    he pension funds for state and local workers are understating the amount they’ll owe workers by $1.5 trillion or more, according to some economists – meaning that the benefits are much costlier than...