Monthly Archives: December 2010

Dec
28

New Year’s Party Crashers

By Katie Kieffer

Image credit: "The shop around the corner" by Shannon K on Flickr via Creative Commons.

My 2011 New Year’s Eve Party was crashed. Let me rephrase that: My plans to host a 2011 New Year’s Eve party were foiled. This year, I was expecting over 700 guests to my humble abode on 1776 Capitalist Curve. Last year, I hosted a New Year’s Eve party that included a celebrity mixologist and gastropub chef, live music, helicopter rides, overnight accommodations and breakfast the next morning. Well, my 2011 party was going to make that party seem like a yawn.

This week, my guest list of over 700 dwindled down to a sad 37 due to the NYE Party Crashers. They “pre-crashed” my party by sending the foul weather that stranded my East Coast friends and delayed or canceled flights for my friends throughout the rest of the country. They sent the foul winter storms that are preventing my friends in Moscow, London and Frankfurt from traveling. And, now, they are warning of a blizzard for New Year’s Eve in Minnesota, where I live. Continue reading →

Posted in Economy, Energy, Humor, Law, National Security | Comments Off

Dec
15

Struggling in Taxapolis

By Katie Kieffer

Image credit: "Minneapolis" by Enrico Fuente on Flickr via Creative Commons.

At the end of the day, many things in life come down to money. And Monday night was no exception. As the Vikings took on the Giants in Detroit during Monday’s rescheduled game after the Metrodome collapsed under 18 to 20 inches of snow, many Minneapolis residents had something other than football on their minds: Taxes.

Instead of watching the game from the comfort of their homes, Minneapolis property owners bundled up and braved the frigid wind chill to attend a “public comment hearing” on the proposed 2011 property tax levy at the Minneapolis City Hall. Continue reading →

Posted in Economy | 1 Comment

Dec
08

How to shut WikiLeaks up

By Katie Kieffer


Image credit: "Julian Assange (WikiLeaks)" by biatch0r on Flickr via Creative Commons.

WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange is a professional mover. “Home” is a work in progress for Assange. The notorious hacker and “freedom-of-information activist” has been on the move from childhood. TIME Magazine reports that Assange’s family “…ran a theater company and moved more than 30 times before he turned 14. At one point, reportedly, he, his baby half brother and his divorced mother fled her boyfriend for years across Australia.”

Since launching the WikiLeaks website, Assange has continually been on the move. He has hopped from one country to the next, avoiding the U.S. Today, he is being hounded by world governments, particularly the U.S. government, for leaking at least 1,325 diplomatic cables on WikiLeaks. Continue reading →

Posted in Economy, Energy, Free Speech, National Security | 1 Comment

Dec
02

Mayo, U of M challenge IRS

By Katie Kieffer

Image credit: "Medical students learning about stitches" by Tulane Public Relations on Flickr via Creative Commons.

Did you know that medical students at the prestigious Mayo Clinic and the University of Minnesota are required to pay taxes on their residency work? In 2005, the Treasury Department issued a rule that eliminated the exemption from paying Social Security taxes for medical students who work over 40 hours a week.

The Mayo Foundation of Rochester and the University of Minnesota are currently challenging this rule in the Supreme Court. The High Court’s decision on this case will have widespread implications that could impact your health. I will break down the basic arguments on both sides of Mayo Foundation v. U.S. I will also recap my interview with a pre-med student so that you can determine your stance on this case and see the relevance to your day-to-day life. Continue reading →

Posted in Economy, Health Care, Law | 1 Comment