Now that the fiscal cliff has been avoided, Congress is lurching toward the next self-created and totally unnecessary fiscal crisis.

He may have channeled the no-nonsense fighting spirit and know-how of Gen. George S. Patton. He might have been this generation’s Dwight D. Eisenhower — a military hero-turned president — if he’d had the personal ambition.

Disgraceful. That’s the best description of the findings released recently that show unnecessary and damaging shortages of some cancer-treating drugs have led to relapses among some kids fighting cancer at St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital and elsewhere.

For years, upriver and downriver interests have argued about use of Missouri River water. Now a third option looms that could confound the issue further: diversion of water to parched Western states by way of a pipeline.

An era ended on Tuesday when the U.S. Senate passed a hastily negotiated deal to take the nation off the brink of automatic spending cuts and tax increases that could have sent the economy back into recession.

To the people who moved to Maine in 2012: Welcome, we’re glad you are here.

The storm of outrage triggered by House Republican leaders’ failure earlier this week to take up a $60 billion measure for superstorm Sandy relief was remarkable for its ferocity.

A newspaper in White Plains, N.Y., stirred up local gun owners — as well as an angry debate on the Web — by publishing an interactive map showing the names and addresses of people with permits to own handguns.

While members of Congress were fighting about marginal tax rates on income between $200,000 and $450,000 per year, a two-year, 2 percent payroll tax holiday was allowed to expire.

Residents of Maine’s largest city got a nasty surprise last month when a water main collapsed during the morning rush hour, flooding a busy intersection, damaging cars and buildings.