Free Republic

Does it pay to save? For many households, particularly young and lower-income families, the answer is often no, according to a new study from the National Center for Policy Analysis (NCPA). The report found that due to government policies, saving can cost many low-income families thousands of dollars in lost benefits, such as food stamps. "We're constantly told that we need to save early and often to prepare for retirement," said NCPA Senior Fellow Laurence Kotlikoff, professor at Boston University and author of the study. "Yet government policies tell low-income families: if you save for the future, you won't get...

CARTHAGE, Tenn. - Al Gore has profited from zinc mining that has released millions of pounds of potentially toxic substances near his farmstead, but there is no evidence the mine has caused serious damage to the environment in the area or threatened the health of his neighbors. Two massive white mountains of leftover rock waste are evidence of three decades of mining that earned Gore more than $500,000 in royalty payments for the mineral rights to his property. New owners plan to start mining again later this year, after nearly four years of inactivity. In addition to bringing 250 much-needed...