NPR : News

Filed Under:

Today's Three Stories To Read About The 'Fiscal Cliff'

By: Mark Memmott // November 30, 2012
comments

The White House and congressional leaders continue to talk about taxes, spending cuts and how to avoid the so-called fiscal cliff that arrives at midnight Dec. 31 — when Bush-era tax cuts are set to expire and automatic spending cuts are set to go into effect.

As NPR and others cover the story, we'll try to to point to interesting reports and analyses. Here are three of the latest.

-- "Obama To GOP: I'm Done Negotiating With Myself," by Ezra Klein on The Washington Post's Wonkblog. Klein writes that:

"We're seeing two things here. One is that the negotiations aren't going well. When one side begins leaking the other side's proposals, that's typically a bad sign. The other is that Republicans are frustrated at the new Obama they're facing: The Obama who refuses to negotiate with himself.

"That's what you're really seeing in this 'proposal.' Previously, Obama's pattern had been to offer plans that roughly tracked where he thought the compromise should end up. The White House's belief was that by being solicitous in their policy proposals, they would win goodwill on the other side, and even if they didn't, the media would side with them, realizing they'd sought compromise and been rebuffed. They don't believe that anymore."

-- "McConnell 'Burst Into Laughter' as Geithner Outlined Obama's Plan," by Fred Barnes for The Weekly Standard. He reports that:

"Mitch McConnell, the Senate Republican leader, says he 'burst into laughter' Thursday when Treasury Secretary Tim Geithner outlined the administration proposal for averting the fiscal cliff. He wasn't trying to embarrass Geithner, McConnell says, only responding candidly to his one-sided plan, explicit on tax increases, vague on spending cuts."

-- "How Much Income Taxes Could Rise: A Breakdown Of The Options," by NPR's John Ydstie on our It's All Politics blog. In the negotiations, John writes:

"Perhaps the most important sticking point is over income tax rates. The outcome of the negotiations will determine how many Americans will face higher tax rates — and how much of a hike it will be."

Copyright 2012 National Public Radio. To see more, visit http://www.npr.org/.

Arts & Culture

NPR

Styling The NBA

Basketball star Carmelo Anthony is known off the court for his signature fashion flare. Host Michel Martin speaks with his stylist, Khalilah Williams-Webb, about what goes into dressing Anthony and other high-profile clients.

Food

NPR

How Genomics Solved The Mystery Of Ireland's Great Famine

Although scientists have known that a funguslike organism caused the potato blight that triggered the Great Famine in Ireland in the 1840s, they didn't know which strain was the culprit. But they do now, thanks to the genes in some 19th century potato samples.

Politics

NPR

Libya 'Talking Points' Emails Put Petraeus Back In Spotlight

The role former CIA Director David Petraeus played in creating the discredited U.S. "talking points" about the violence in Benghazi, Libya, that left four Americans dead, including a U.S. ambassador, last year is under new scrutiny, as a Washington Post story suggests that Petraeus sought to shape the resulting memo to favor his agency.

Technology

NPR

Apple CEO Defends Tax Practices At Senate Hearing

Apple CEO Tim Cook faced tough questions on Capitol Hill on Tuesday. He defended a tax strategy that allows Apple to avoid taxes on tens of billions of dollars of profits. Cook also called on the Congress to lower the U.S. corporate tax rate.

Leave a Comment

Help keep the conversation civil. Please refer to our Terms of Use and Code of Conduct before posting your comments.