Archive | Tax

Here in the United States, we think our Super Bowl is the biggest sporting event around. Every four years, though, we’re reminded that there are nearly seven billion other people on earth — and when it comes to sports, well, their version of futbol is even more popular than ours. This year’s Super Bowl reached […]

If you’ve spent any time online lately, you’re familiar with so-called “listicles” — those irresistible lists of trivial facts that pass for “online content” these days. You know what we mean: “13 Cute Cat Videos to Watch Now,” or “27 Hot Celebrities Who Overcame Teenage Acne,” or even “5 Redesigned Acme Products That’ll Help Wile […]

If you’re a golfer, you’ve surely heard of “Long John” Daly, renowned for his distance off the tee. In 1991, he roared onto the scene by winning the PGA Championship as the ninth alternate. In 1997, he became the first PGA player to average more than 300 yards per drive over a full season. Daly […]

Back when you were a kid, your mom said you’d catch more flies with honey than with vinegar. (We’re not sure why she thought you’d want to catch flies — she can’t have wanted them in her house in the first place.) Apparently, though, Andrew Calcione’s mom never gave him that advice. Or maybe he […]

Why did Willie Sutton rob banks? Because that’s where the money is, of course. Why does the IRS focus its attention on income taxes? Same reason! For fiscal 2014, they expect to collect $3 trillion in taxes: $1.4 trillion in individual income taxes, $1.0 trillion in Social Security and Medicare, $332.7 billion in corporate income […]

If you’re like millions of Americans, you spent last weekend welcoming the unofficial start of summer. (Time to start wearing white again!) You might have enjoyed a day at the pool, a game of tennis, or a round of golf. You may have even hosted a backyard barbecue. If so, you probably didn’t realize that […]

Politicians in Iowa, like politicians everywhere, want to encourage their local economy to grow. (Happy voters lead directly to reelection, of course.) But back in 2008, construction in Iowa, like construction everywhere, had slowed because of the recession. So the Hawkeye state’s legislators did what they thought was a smart thing. As part of an […]

The former Soviet republic of Ukraine has become the world’s hottest military and diplomatic flashpoint as Ukrainian nationalists face off against pro-Russian separatists. Russian President Vladimir Putin courteously waited until after the Sochi Olympics to seize Crimea, then position troops throughout eastern Ukraine. Now he’s announced he’ll withdraw the troops he denied dispatching in the […]

Two weeks ago, few Americans had heard of Los Angeles Clippers owner Donald Sterling. Now, thanks to Sterling’s big mouth, we’re all talking about him. As President Barack Obama said, “when ignorant folks want to advertise their ignorance you don’t really have to do anything, you just let them talk. And that’s what happened here.” […]

Donald Rumsfeld may be one of the most controversial figures of our time, but you have to respect his resume. He won a seat in Congress at an age (30) when some of today’s college graduates are still living in their parents’ basements. He served as the youngest Secretary of Defense in American history (under […]