Original reporting

Any hopes that large employers would be penalized for failing to offer affordable insurance coverage to the spouses and dependent children of their employees under the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (ACA) were recently dashed by a proposed interpretation of the law from the Obama Administration.

In part 2 of our story on New York’s failure to get a full build-out of the Second Avenue subway, we focus on the area’s politicians — especially those who claim to be advocates of mass transit. Most hid from our questioning; some accepted the idea that key infrastructure needs will not be met; a few insisted that the decision to shortchange the Second Avenue subway was indefensible.

The Northeast seaboard is chock-full of nuclear power plants. Sandy, for all its wrath, was only a Category 1 hurricane. Climate change will drive more severe storms, raise sea levels, and increase flood risks. To what extent has the industry and its regulator taken these projected climate change consequences into account?

Though the supporters of Proposition 30 (Prop 30), the California ballot initiative to raise income tax rates on high earners as well as sales taxes across the board, put together a highly successful campaign, some wonder whether the techniques used to sell Prop 30 carry with them the risk of undermining future efforts to bolster government services.

Remapping Debate investigates how advocates for California’s tax-increasing ballot initiative made their case and what lessons the campaign holds for others who seek to bolster government services.

But despite their new legislative power, the tone set by Democrats in Sacramento has been decidedly cautious.

A fully realized Second Avenue subway would replace service lost decades ago, help meet ever growing transit demand, and provide a wide range of economic and environmental benefits to New York City and its residents. Even though the entire line could be built at one time, and even though delay is more costly than action, all that has been funded is a less-than-two-mile stub.

In the face of gains by proponents of fossil fuels, some groups in denial; others hunkering down. Only a few explore new strategies to go on the offensive.

Told to operate like a business but prevented from thriving like one, the Postal Service is the victim of politicians who either wanted it fail or had a remarkable lack of foresight.

Worker beware.

Part 3 of our series on businesses incentives examines the justifications given by state and local officials who favor granting subsidies, but resist disclosing who gets them.