More than two years after the deadliest crash in Metro’s history, there are no federal standards in place for making the nation’s subways and light rail systems safer. This week, two bills that address safety are expected to go before the House and Senate for debate. One of the proposals would give the Federal Transit Administration oversight and the authority to set standards. Read full article > >

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Congress debates federal oversight for subways

Procter & Gamble’s failure to raise the price of Cascade dishwashing soap shows why investors are buying Treasuries at the lowest yields in history, giving the Federal Reserve more scope to boost the economy. Read full article > >

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Sign that bond market backs 3rd quantitative-easing round? Check Huggies’ price.

The average 30-year mortgage rate rose to 3.98 percent Thursday, reflecting a 0.10 percentage point jump after setting a new historic low last week, according to Freddie Mac. Despite the jump, the 30-year fixed rate has remained below 4 percent for eight weeks, and the Federal Reserve yesterday indicated it plans to keep interest rates at zero for some time. Read full article > >

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Mortgage rates rise to 3.98 percent

The Federal Reserve said it was not likely to raise interest rates until the end of 2014, adding 18 months to the expected duration of its response to the slump.

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Fed to Maintain Rates Near Zero Through Late 2014

The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration has a slogan that captures its odd position in the federal hierarchy: “NOAA may be the most important agency you’ve never heard of.” That contradiction was on full display earlier this month, when President Obama announced a reorganization plan for the Commerce Department. Some agencies were to join Commerce. But NOAA, which received only a brief mention , was to move to the Interior Department . Read full article > >

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NOAA’s proposed move raises questions about its role

When Mitt Romney said that his federal tax rate was about 15 percent, many wrongly assumed that their own rate was higher.

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News Analysis: Why Americans Think the Tax Rate’s High, and Why They’re Wrong

The president announced a new campaign to shrink the federal government, a proposal notable less for its goal than for its challenge to a hostile Congress.

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Obama Asks Congress for Powers to Trim Government

CVS Caremark has agreed to pay $5 million to reimburse some CVS and Walgreens customers who were allegedly misled about the prices of certain prescription drugs covered by Medicare, the Federal Trade Commission said Thursday. Read full article > >

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CVS Caremark to pay $5 million in reimbursement to customers, FTC says

In the most difficult economy in a generation, middle-income and poor Americans are hurting the worst. Congress is tied in knots, barely able to pass even the most basic measures to help. That has put pressure on the one arm of government with the power and the flexibility to try to boost ordinary Americans’ fortunes: the Federal Reserve. But the limited policies the Fed has at its disposal mostly put money in the hands of the affluent, at least through their direct effects. The affluent, in turn, are less likely than most to spend that money in the wider economy. Read full article > >

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For those hurting most, Fed’s remedies limited

A judge in Federal District Court in Manhattan ordered Fresh Step’s manufacturer, Clorox, to temporarily stop showing an ad because it makes “insufficiently reliable” claims.

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Judge Orders Cat-Litter Commercial Temporarily Off Air

TV newscasts are increasingly seeded with corporate advertising masquerading as news — and the federal government wants to do something about it. Concerned that subtle “pay-for-play” marketing ploys are seeping into the news, the Federal Communications Commission has proposed a regulation that would require the nation’s 1,500 commercial TV stations to disclose online the corporate interests behind the news. Read full article > >

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FCC seeks to change regulation of corporate interests disclosures on TV news

Verizon backed away on Friday from plans to charge customers a $2 fee to pay their bills online or over the phone after receiving thousands of complaints, the latest victory in a wave of consumer activism that has roiled some of the nation’s largest companies. The announcement came a day after the fee was made public. Consumer advocacy groups derided the charge as “ pay-to-pay .” The fee also caught the eye of Verizon’s regulator, the Federal Communications Commission, which had said it would look into the issue . But it was individual consumers — amped up after battles this year with corporate giants such as Bank of America and Target — that the company said tipped the scale. Read full article > >

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Verizon backs off plan to charge $2 convenience fee amid consumer backlash

It was a long, hard slog this year for financial reform– both for the federal agencies tasked with carrying out Wall Street reform and the politicians fighting over its future. Industry lobbyists swamped regulators in an effort to shape the new regulations, while Republicans tried to use the confirmation process and the budget to rein in Dodd-Frank. At the same time, outside events, both in the United States and Europe, added a new sense of urgency to the financial overhaul. Here’s a closer look at three biggest developments in 2011: Read full article > >

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Washington’s uneasy dance with Wall Street: 2011 in financial regulation

In a year packed with important developments across the federal government, news of hurricanes, tax fraud, layoffs and a potential government shutdown earned the most Eyeballs from The Federal Eye’s loyal readers. Here’s a quick look back at our best-read items of 2011: 11.) Hurricane Irene moves north, FEMA sets expectations (Aug. 25) Read full article > >

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Top Eleven of 2011: Shut it down!

It was an acrimonious and at times downright dysfunctional year in Washington, but those of us who track the nuts and bolts of the federal government for The Washington Post couldn’t let the year go without pointing out some of the things we think the government did well in 2011. Let’s take a brief look: Read full article > >

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Some things the government got right in 2011