Should you be worried about Social Security and Medicare?

In this Jan. 11, 2013 file photo, the Social Security Administration's main campus is seen in Woodlawn, Md. A significant worsening in the financial condition of Social Security and Medicare and bitter political divisions among lawmakers who'd have try to find solutions have raised the level of concern around the government's latest status report on the two bedrock programs.

US inspired by Aadhaar: Lawmakers believe biometrics better option than social security number

Amid reports of massive breach of social security numbers along with identity theft, US lawmakers, encouraged by India's Aadhaar, explored the possibility of biometrics as an option, but privacy issues prevented experts from arriving at a consensus. In the US, a Social Security Number is a nine-digit number issued to American citizens, permanent residents and temporary working residents.

Alabama Storm Survivors Should Register for Disaster Assistance

Homeowners, renters and business owners in Calhoun, Cullman and Etowah counties affected by the March 19-20 severe storms and tornadoes are urged to register with the Federal Emergency Management Agency, for federal disaster assistance. Assistance available to eligible individuals and businesses who sustained damages during those storms.

Paul Ryan: Entitlement reform is the policy goal that ‘got away’

Speaker Paul Ryan said the reforms, which have passed in GOP-authored budgets over the years, have never cleared the Senate and faced opposition by former President Barack Obama. House Speaker Paul Ryan said he decided to retire in part because he was able to accomplish many of his top goals, including a massive overhaul of the tax code.

GOP unsettled by narrow win in US House race in Arizona

It took a big money push from the Republican Party, tweets by the president and the support of the state's current and former governors, but the GOP held onto an Arizona U.S. House seat they would have never considered endangered in any other year. Tuesday's narrow victory by Republican Debbie Lesko over a Democratic political newcomer sends a big message to Republicans nationwide: Even the reddest of districts in a red state can be in play this year.

GOP unsettled by narrow US House win in ‘safe’ Arizona district

It took a big money push from the Republican Party, tweets by the president and the support of the state's current and former governors, but the GOP held onto an Arizona U.S. House seat they would have never considered endangered in any other year. Tuesday's narrow victory by Republican Debbie Lesko over a Democratic political newcomer sends a big message to Republicans nationwide: Even the reddest of districts in a red state can be in play this year.

NEA Tries to Boot Refugee Student From National Poetry…

A high-school student in Maine is suing the National Endowment for the Arts after the agency disqualified him from a poetry contest because he isn't an American citizen or green card holder. Allan Monga, a junior at Portland's Deering High School, fled Zambia last year and applied for asylum in the United States.

Meet the Indian-American doctor vying to replace Rep. Trent Franks

In the wake of the 2016 presidential election, Hiral Tipirneni talked to her three kids about the importance of civic engagement, of standing up for the issues you think are important, and of the value of women in politics. In response, Tipirneni's daughter Mira - who was 19 years old at the time - told her mother to put her money where her mouth was.

The NSA Wants a Skeleton Key to Everyone’s Encrypted Data

In this day and age, your receipts, social media activity, public records, GPS data, and internet search history are the every day create a detailed mosaic of our lives used to target advertising and create personality profiles that are exploited by the And those are just the legal shenanigans! Instances of malicious hacking that jeopardize social security numbers and other important data Automatically encrypted search engines and internet services simplify the process for users. They protect individuals' data from hacking, theft, and even the government, but they also retain a repository for all the combinations they use to lock data up.

Analysis: Tax cuts, spending to raise deficit to $1T by 2020

The combined effect of President Donald Trump's tax cuts and last month's budget-busting spending bill is sending the federal deficit toward the $1 trillion mark next year, according to a new analysis by the Congressional Budget Office. The CBO report says the nation's $21 trillion debt would spike to more than $33 trillion in 10 years, with debt held by investors spiking to levels that would come close to equaling the size of the economy, reaching levels that many economists fear could spark a debt crisis.

Analysis: Tax cuts, spending to raise deficit to $1T by 2019

The combined effects of President Trump's tax cuts and last month's budget-busting spending bill is sending the government's budget deficit toward the $1 trillion mark next year, according to a new analysis by the Congressional Budget Office. The CBO report says that that the twin tax and spending bills will push the budget deficit to $804 billion this year and just under $1 trillion for the upcoming budget year.

Trump Tariff Tweets, Plus a Bold New Proposal for Protecting American Businesses

Hi! It's me, Troy the Legislator! You might remember me from such bills as "Reducing Barack Obama's Unsustainable Deficit Act" or "The Pension And Social Security Measuring Equivalence Permanent Linking of Everyone's Actual Savings Environment Act"! I'm a Congressman from the heartland of America, and Patterico has invited me to do a guest post, to give you guys a little peek into how the legislative sausage is made! I hope you're not eating breakfast! Some people get a little nauseated at first. It's OK.

Kentucky lawmakers pass pension overhaul despite protests

Saddled with one of the worst-funded public retirement systems in the country and defying a powerful teachers union that vowed political retribution, Republican lawmakers in Kentucky passed a pension overhaul Thursday that preserves benefits for most workers and does little to address the state's massive debt. The 291-page proposal suddenly appeared Thursday afternoon, taking the place of a sewage bill and giving opponents an opportune metaphor to denounce its passage.

Republicans Still Don’t Get Trump

If so, the GOP has an odd way of showing affection. Green cites a lack of Republican criticism of Trump, the president's continued popularity within the party, and Trump's rescue of incumbent Nevada senator Dean Heller from a primary challenge.