Veronique de Rugy: The Government Wasted Tons Of Money On 'Shrimp Fight Club' And A Million Other Things

Waste, fraud, abuse, and monkeys on hamster wheels.  In honor of the release of the new Star Wars movie, Sen. Jeff Flake (R-Arizona), subtitled this year's "Wastebook" as "The Farce Awakens." The latest edition of this annual report details 100 spending programs—totaling $108.5 million—that are a complete waste of your money.    ... MORE

Another Insurance Mess Government Has Gotten Us Into

Kathleen Pender on the flood insurance snafu.     A complex new federal insurance law is having so many unintended consequences that some of its original sponsors and backers are now trying to delay it. It's not the Affordable Care Act. It's the Biggert-Waters Flood Insurance Reform Act of 2012. Its goal was to put the National Flood         ... MORE

Steve Chapman: Head Start And Other Federal Failures

Expensive measures that leave little trace behind.     When the government shutdown began on Oct. 1, it forced the closing of Head Start facilities in several states, stopping educational services for thousands of low-income kids. So heart-rending was this spectacle that a pair of Texas philanthropists gave $10 million to keep the programs going.       ... MORE