$540M lottery has states anticipating tax jackpot

PROVIDENCE, R.I. (AP) — People queuing up for Mega Millions tickets aren't the only ones salivating over the record $540 million jackpot PROVIDENCE, R.I. (AP) — People queuing up for Mega Millions tickets aren't the only ones salivating over the record $540 million jackpot that could be won Friday — some state governments struggling through lean times know a hometown winner would bring a tax bonanza.
Taxes on a lump-sum payment option to a single winner could mean tens of millions of dollars of badly needed revenue that could go to restore entire social service programs on the chopping block, pay for hundreds of low-income housing units, forestall new taxes or hire more state troopers.

June 28th 2010 - Russian Spy Ring Arrested in U.S.

With Obama recently telling Dmitry Medvedev, the Russian president, that after he's re-elected he will have more flexibility to cooperate (concerning arms treaties), I was reminded of this 2010 story. Below is a version from CBS that was posted at that time. Notice that the headline of the article combines the warm and friendly notion of "Burger Diplomacy" with "Russian Spy Arrests". Indeed, the arrests of 10 Russian spies isn't mentioned until 57 words into the short article - and then, only after comparing the warm hamburger diplomacy of Obama to the adversarial nature of high level talks during the

Obamacare Creates More Jobs

A woman waits outside the Supreme Court in Washington, Monday. (Carolyn Kaster/AP

WASHINGTON -- Temperatures are expected to dip below freezing overnight Monday, and Charles Medley will spend the whole time outdoors near the base of the steps of the U.S. Supreme Court. Why? He's hoping to hold a coveted place near the front of a line for access to the oral arguments over the federal health care law.

Let the gas hikes begin!

Obama Announcement

$6-A-Gallon Gas Hits Florida

TAMPA (CBS Tampa) — Talk about pain at the pump! 

Some Florida drivers are spending nearly $6 a gallon to fill up their gas tanks.According to GasBuddy.com, motorists are shelling out $5.89 for a gallon of regular gas at a Shell station in Lake Buena Vista, topping out at $5.99 a gallon for premium. It doesn’t get better at a Suncoast Energy station in Orlando, where drivers are paying $5.79 for a gallon of regular.

Proposed Surtax On Ammo Sales in Illonois

An Illinois lawmaker wants gun owners to shell out extra taxes in order to finance a new grant program for trauma centers, a move firearms advocacy groups say amounts to a "sin tax" on law-abiding hunters and target shooters.

State Rep. Kelly Cassidy, in a bill introduced earlier this month, proposed a 2 percent surtax on ammunition. The proceeds would go toward a "high-crime trauma center grant fund," which would then send the tax money to trauma centers in "high-crime areas."