Frugal Fine Fare: Tips For Three-Course Meals On Less Than $5

Don’t get us wrong: We know fine food can come at a price. But leave it to Michel Nischan, the chef behind Dressing Room restaurant of Westport, Conn., and the president of the non-profit Wholesome Wave, to serve up a first rate, seasonal dinner at the down-home price of $4.50 per person. And who was [...]

Ron Paul’s New, Tough Ad Hits Newt Gingrich Hard On ‘Serial Hypocrisy’

Ron Paul’s presidential campaign strikes what looks to be the hardest blow yet on the surging Newt Gingrich in a new video called “Serial Hypocrisy.” The ad uses several instances where Gingrich either aligned himself with liberals (his famous ad with Rep. Nancy Pelosi on climate change or attack on fellow Republican, Rep. Paul Ryan’s [...]

A Debate Over Who Regulates Gas ‘Fracking’ in Pa.

A new Pennsylvania law could curb municipalities’ ability to zone and regulate hydraulic fracturing — or “fracking.” And that raises questions about how much say a local government should have over what goes on within its borders. State lawmakers are grappling with how to update Commonwealth’s decades-old Oil and Gas Act to catch up with [...]

U.S. Weighs Sanctions Targeting Iran’s Central Bank

Iran has been dealing with economic sanctions for years, but the country could soon face measures tougher than anything it has encountered before: Legislation moving through the U.S. Congress would target the Central Bank of Iran, with the likely effect of severely limiting Iran’s oil exports. Such sanctions would almost certainly damage Iran’s economy. The [...]

Big Solar Project Moves Forward Without Uncle Sam

We’ve heard a lot about Solyndra, a solar panel maker that went bankrupt despite lots of federal subsidies. But on Wednesday, a solar installation company and one of the country’s biggest banks are announcing a billion-dollar project to put solar systems on the roofs of military housing. And they’re doing it without the kind of [...]

In Fox Interview, Cain Says He’ll Decide Campaign’s Future In Next Week

Embattled GOP presidential candidate Herman Cain says that the future of his campaign will be decided within days, and hinges on whether his family can weather the scrutiny that comes with a run for the White House. During an appearance on Fox News Wednesday afternoon, Cain said that his “No. 1 priority” in coming days [...]

Medicare Offers Expanded Coverage To Battle Expanding Waistlines

Keeping off the pounds is tough at any age. Now seniors are getting a helping hand from the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, which has announced that it will cover screening and counseling for obesity as a free preventive service for Medicare beneficiaries. Coverage is effective immediately. Advocates hope that CMS’s decision may encourage [...]

For Iranian-Americans, Sanctions Can Be A Minefield

At the beginning of last year, Mahmoud Reza Banki’s future looked bright. He was a senior associate at the prestigious consulting firm McKinsey and Co., and had been accepted to the Wharton School of Business at the University of Pennsylvania. But Banki, 35, was arrested in January 2010 and charged with accepting large money transfers [...]

Congress’ GOP Tries To Blunt Obama, Democrats’ Use Of Payroll-Tax Issue

What politician wants to be on the side of not extending the very populist payroll tax holiday at a time when many Americans with jobs are struggling to pay their bills? Certainly not congressional Republican leaders who realize that’s a dangerous spot to be in as your party gets ready to defend its House majority [...]

Stocks Soar, But How Strong Is The Economy?

The U.S. economy is experiencing its strongest across-the-board growth of the year, as private companies hire more people, some manufacturers expand and the stock market surges on a plan to ease Europe’s financial crisis. The Dow Jones industrial average gained 490 points Wednesday, an increase of more than 4 percent. But analysts say the economy [...]