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British government wants booze price hike
Stephen Beard Nov 28, 2012
Faced with the costs of alcoholism and alcohol-related crime, Britain's government wants to introduce a mandatory minimum price for alcohol. Cheap drink is believed to cost the country billions of dollars each year.
Could Britain leave the European Union?
Stephen Beard Nov 22, 2012
Britain contributes far more to the budget of the European Union than it receives in subsidies for agriculture and infrastructure. Its prime minister wants to freeze the budget where it is.
In defense of the income tax, a history
Kai Ryssdal Nov 19, 2012
It took a natural disaster and a financial panic to get income taxes written into the U.S. Constitution. That was 1907. And even those who like public programs are still struggling to defend taxes.
British Army brought in to fill Olympic security gap
Stephen Beard Jul 12, 2012
The British government says it will have to deploy an extra 3,500 soldiers to protect the Olympic Games after a private security contractor abruptly said it would fall short.
Would an income tax hike hurt hiring?
Mitchell Hartman Jul 11, 2012
Fewer than a million small-business owners would likely face higher taxes. And some would keep hiring anyway.
Tax rates hit historic low in 2009
Jeff Horwich Jul 11, 2012
A new report from the Congressional Budget Office says the tax rates paid by most Americans were at near-record lows in 2009. Who's paying less, who's paying more, and what's causing the change?
The curse of the skyscraper strikes again
Sarah Gardner Jul 5, 2012
Tomorrow, The Shard will officially open in London. It's the tallest building in Europe at over a thousand feet high. Meanwhile, Britain's economy isn't looking so good.
How Europeans view the U.S. health care debate
Jeff Horwich Jun 28, 2012
The problems that got us today's health care Supreme Court decision -- rising health care costs, the pull between personal liberty and the social safety net -- are familiar around the world, even if the solutions have been very different.
The price of nature conservation in the U.K.
Stephen Beard Jun 25, 2012
In the spirit of environmental conservation, the British government wants to put a price on nature. They've created a group called the Natural Capital Committee, which will put a dollar value on landscapes, river purity, and wildlife.
In 'Capital,' remembering what we really have
Kai Ryssdal Jun 25, 2012
Author John Lanchester's new novel explores the lives of a group of people living in London on the eve of the 2008 financial crisis. He discusses themes from the book: the London property bubble and capital's role in our lives.
