When the Congressional Budget Office (CBO) produced a brief in late July on the nation’s debt levels and the risk they present to the economy, those pushing for immediate deficit reduction jumped on the report as evidence that the U.S. is about to go over a financial cliff. Upon closer inspection, though, the greatest threat facing the country is still the Great Recession and the lingering effects thereof.

With all of the attention placed on federal budget problems, it can be easy to forget that state budgets are facing similar troubles. Since almost every state has some form of a balanced budget requirement, states can be extremely susceptible to swings in the economy, and the recent recession is a perfect example. In an effort to help ameliorate the states' fiscal situation, President Obama recently signed into law a $26 billion state aid bill passed by Congress in a rare August session. The bill, which includes $10 billion in education funding and $16 billion for state Medicaid programs, is expected to save some 300,000 jobs. Still, it pales in comparison to the actual size of the fiscal problem facing the states.

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has proposed several changes to its regulation of chemicals that should improve the public's access to crucial information. The improved data collected under the proposed rule will help the agency and the public identify potential chemical risks and take action to manage those risks.

Classified documents from the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, released in recent months on the whistleblower website Wikileaks, have garnered public attention and prompted widespread debate. For instance, the website's Afghan War Diary, released in late July 2010, contains thousands of classified military documents relating to the war in Afghanistan. Such leaks have raised questions about whether the information should have been released, whether the leaker and Wikileaks should face prosecution, and the military’s strategies to control information.

Americans overwhelmingly support government protection of the environment and consumers, a series of new polls shows. The findings come as efforts to enforce and expand regulation face increasingly hostile rhetoric from conservatives and industry representatives in Washington.

The U.S. Department of Labor's Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) announced Aug. 12 that BP has agreed to pay a $50.6 million penalty for safety violations related to the 2005 explosion at its Texas City, TX, refinery that killed 15 workers and injured 170 others. In addition to the fine, BP has also agreed to allocate about $500 million to address unsafe conditions at the refinery.

Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington (CREW) and Melanie Sloan, its executive director, recently filed a lawsuit against the Federal Election Commission (FEC) for continually dismissing cases without providing information about the decisions. Those who file complaints with the FEC are often unable to legally challenge the commission's dismissal actions or obtain the reasons for the dismissals.

Recent congressional actions highlight concerns over corporate involvement in elections. Before the August recess, Congress made several attempts to regulate corporate electoral involvement, including the Senate’s failed attempt to pass the DISCLOSE Act and the House Financial Services Committee’s approval of the Shareholder Protection Act. Though some lawmakers worked around the clock, Congress ultimately failed to follow through on reform before the recess.