Tied up in Red Tape?

[dropcap]Red Tape[/dropcap]Nearly everyone can related to the problem of red tape in their daily lives– whether it’s spending half your day off trying to correct a billing issue or navigating the myriad of costly government requirements and rules. There are estimates it all costs us $2 trillion a year…and that’s not counting the frustration it generates and the time it eats up. In this week’s cover story, we trace the aggravating bureaucracy that hounds a woman who operates a food truck at a fair. And we’ll also tell the story of what TV host Greta Van Susteren faced when she simply wanted to volunteer her services for the government funded Voice of America. (Hint: First, she had to get a building pass…)

“Crabby” Patty Tessari is drowning in red tape at her fair food booth

[button]Watch Sharyl’s TEDx Talk on the surprising, true origins of the phrase “Fake News.”[/button]

[dropcap]Missile Miss[/dropcap] As the U.S. faces threats from the likes of North Korea, which has said it could hit the continental United States with a nuclear missile, Scott Thuman traces the history of the $41 billion in tax money we’ve spent on missile intercept technology–and what we’ve gotten for the money. It turns out the system’s accuracy rate leaves a lot to be desired.

[dropcap]Internet of Things[/dropcap] And a fascinating tech story about the Internet of Things. Think of it as social networking for your stuff. We’ll show you a prototype toaster that can put itself up for sale on the Internet and find a better family if it doesn’t think you’re using it enough. It’s coming soon…