Though I live and work in a city that is an obvious target, I join a lot of people here in Washington in purposefully ignoring, as I go about my daily life, threats like nuclear warfare or a radioactive explosive device. (more…)

Sheila Bair, chair of the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation, is taking a rigorous approach to banking regulation — in the interests, she says, of the taxpayer. Bair has pressed for tighter regulation of state-licensed mortgage lenders and refused applications from Wal-Mart and Home Depot to start federally-insured savings banks. Damian Paletta of the Wall Street Journal profiles Bair here.