The five easy steps to setting up a shell corporation
The leak of 11.5 million documents from the Panamanian firm Mossack Fonseca, dubbed the “Panama Papers,” details hundreds of individuals who used Mossack Fonseca to set up a shell corporation — a fake, nonexistent company ‘based’ in a country with loose tax laws. Through financial intermediaries, along with enough accountants and lawyers, the super-wealthy who […]
US needs to prevent housing market crashes to better economy
The demise of the housing market played a key role in creating the economic troubles that accompanied the late 2000s. Today, the housing market is in a better place than it was in 2008, but is the U.S. still in danger of slipping back into economic recession? In order to know if the U.S. is […]
Head-to-head: Free Trade Agreements cause loss of U.S. jobs, enable inhumane labor
The United States has 14 Free Trade Agreements in effect with 20 countries. The goal behind Trade Agreements is to reduce import quotas and tariffs in order to increase trade between the countries named in the Free Trade Agreement (FTA). On paper, FTAs sound appealing. Tariffs are reduced, meaning that trade with other countries is […]
Genetically modified foods safe to eat, provide many benefits for consumers
Genetically modified foods (GMFs), genetically modified organisms (GMOs), “Frankenstein Foods.” With more than a mouthful of names, GMOs are a topic surrounded by a heavy haze of uncertainty for many people. Some people say GMOs are dangerous, while others say they’re safe. And why do we need GMOs? The answers to all of the questions […]
Head-to-Head: Sri Srinivasan the most capable candidate to fill Supreme Court Justice space
In the wake of the death of former Supreme Court Justice Antonin Scalia, president Barack Obama finds himself in a very normal position for a president: he has the task of appointing a new Supreme Court Justice, who’ll then be given a timely hearing by the Senate. Except, the political atmosphere in 2016 is unique. […]
Head-to-head: International terrorism more serious than domestic threats
According to a recent report from the Southern Poverty Law Center, the number of hate groups operating in the U.S. grew 14 percent from 2014, an unprecedented amount. It’s also worth noting that anti-government “patriot” groups — armed militias animated by conspiracy theories — grew by the same amount. With all of the domestic problems […]
Head-to-head: Drug testing welfare recipients with resonable cause is beneficial, not a waste of state money
South Dakota’s state legislature recently voted against a bill that would require all welfare recipients to pass a drug test in certain situations before receiving public benefits. House Bill 1174, introduced by Rep. Nark Venner, would’ve mandated welfare recipients to pass a drug test based on reasonable cause. While this bill won’t go into effect, […]
Early-voting states don’t predict political party nominees despite what the media says
It’s that time of year again. As the first results roll in from early-voting states like Iowa and New Hampshire, the population waits on edge, hardly able to bear the anticipation. Okay, maybe not. In fact, many people don’t get excited for one reason: early voting states only matter because some people say they matter. […]
Head-to-head: New high-speed rail system costly, inefficient use of nation’s resources
In the days of his 2008 campaign, current President Barack Obama promised a high-speed rail system for the United States. This promise has gone largely unfilled, as the U.S. lags far behind China and Europe in terms of high-speed rail systems. The Obama administration has spent $11 billion since 2009 to develop faster passenger trains. […]
Head-to-head: Paul Ryan’s voting rule has backlash
Speaker of the House Paul Ryan recently exercised a seemingly obscure rule that disenfranchised American voters. Because of this rule, Ryan was able to slam the voting shut after only 15 minutes, at a time when many members of Congress were in the chamber, and some were even “coming in the door,” House Minority Leader […]