The U.S. economy unexpectedly contracted in the last three months of 2012, according to early data released by the Dept. of Commerce on Jan. 30.

U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) Secretary Ray LaHood announced his retirement on Jan. 29, a move expected by many in the transportation industry.

U.S. Secretary of Transportation Ray LaHood reaffirmed the strength of the U.S. aviation industry on Jan. 23 in an address to the Aero Club of Washington marking four years to the day from when he was sworn in as Secretary of Transportation.

The U.S. Internal Revenue Service has announced a simplified option for taking a deduction for costs associated with a business office in your home.

In an effort to bridge the impasse in negotiations on the fiscal cliff and sequestration, the Business Coalition for Fair Competition showed President Obama and Congressional leaders last month how to save $795 billion. Most of these recommendations were never acted upon.

The stakes for the U.S. economy are huge and would affect the central bank's monetary policy stance if the White House and Congress are unable to reach an agreement on raising the debt ceiling.

According to a U.S. Government Accountability Office report released Jan. 8, user fees based on miles traveled could lead to "more equitable and efficient" use of roadways.

The Internal Revenue Service will begin accepting tax filings eight days later than planned this year thanks to the fiscal-cliff deal lawmakers passed last week.

In December 2012, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement issued guidance stating that Student Exchange Visitor Program-certified flight schools that do not currently have Part 141 and 142 certifications may continue to train flight students until February, 2012.

According to a Jan. 4 Dept. of Labor statement, the U.S. economy added 155,000 jobs in December, bringing the total number of jobs created in 2012 to 1.84 million. The unemployment rate held steady at 7.8 percent.

The U.S. Department of Homeland Security has determined that thirteen states have met the standards of the REAL ID Act of 2005 for driver's licenses and identification cards, and has granted a temporary deferment for all other states and territories.

The recently passed FAA Modernization and Reform Act of 2012 included a provision requiring air tour operators conducting tours over national parks and abutting tribal lands to submit reports to the FAA and the National Park Service.

A laundry list of aviation groups is asking for a Government Accountability Office study "to gain a better understanding of pilot supply and demand and its potential effects on the U.S. aviation industry and the U.S. economy."

A new $63-per head fee to cushion the cost of covering people with pre-existing conditions under President Barack Obama's healthcare overhaul is buried in a recent regulation that will cost some companies tens of millions of dollars.

A group of Democratic-leaning U.S. states is urging the White House to not curtail an air pollution standard the administration has said it will finalize by Dec. 14.

According to a long-awaited U.S. Energy Department report released Dec. 5, the U.S. is sitting on a glut of cheap natural gas and stands to gain economically by exporting the resource to other countries.

Just two days after auctioning off wide swaths of the Gulf of Mexico to new oil and gas drilling, the U.S. Interior Department announced competitive lease sales for offshore wind energy development in federal waters off the coasts of Virginia, Massachusetts and Rhode Island.

The U.S. Department of Transportation Office of Drug and Alcohol Policy and Compliance has released its minimum requirements for drug and alcohol testing of employees at various DOT agencies in 2013.

The FAA may miss its year-end deadline for selecting six sites to test integrating unmanned aerial vehicles into the airspace, over privacy concerns.

The U.S. Department of Labor's Occupational Safety and Health Administration is urging workers and members of the public engaged in Hurricane Sandy cleanup and recovery efforts to be aware of the hazards they might encounter and the steps they should take to protect themselves.

The Obama administration has extended by 30 days the deadline for states to decide whether they plan to create their own online insurance marketplace.

Following White House comments earlier in the week over the Obama administration's "committment" to reducing airplane carbon emissions through the International Civil Aviation Organization, the controversial idea of adding a carbon tax as part of a deal on the fiscal cliff is emerging in numerous circles in Washington.

There is a lot of talk in Washington about the so-called "Fiscal Cliff," but what is it? The cliff  encompasses a variety of events, most of which are scheduled to take effect in January 2013.

President of the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, Tom Donohue, claims business lobby plans to insert energy development into the already complicated debate over the "fiscal cliff."

On November 15, 2012, the new ICAO Flight Plan Amendment will take effect, changing the way all ICAO flight plans are filed. You must take these new changes into account when filing your ICAO flight plans, or your flight plans will be rejected by ATC.

U.S. Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner is set to play a crucial role as the administration's top economic official and a liaison to both Capitol Hill and the financial markets.

According to The Hill, the U.S. financial industry is worried that a European move toward establishing a tax on financial transactions could hit the United States.

Latest United Technologies/National Journal Congressional Connection poll finds that voters lean toward retaining the status quo in Washington.

When it comes to the details of the impending $1.2 trillion cut to their budgets, agency officials often find themselves unable to explain just how those cuts would affect the myriad programs on the ground, offering instead a unified message: talk to the Office of Management and Budget.

October 22 is the third and final U.S. presidential debate in the close race between President Obama and Mitt Romney.

No matter who wins the White House, Election Day is likely to unleash a flurry of regulatory action within the Environmental Protection Agency. But if Mitt Romney wins, the stakes will be particularly high.

U.S. voters are more likely to embrace tax increases for households making $250,000 or more than cuts to Medicare or other domestic spending. They are also more worried about cuts in entitlement programs than about tax hikes.

FAA acting administrator Michael Huerta indicates that the FAA is conducting a re-evaluation of how the agency certifies aircraft and new technology operators might want to install.

Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke defends his organization against critics who say its policies are destabilizing currencies abroad.

According to Reuters, three Federal Reserve officials have argued for plans to boost employment in the U.S. by letting inflation rise above the organization's stated 2 percent goal.

The creation of a unified European airspace is seriously off track, potentially requiring the European Union to use sanctions to force compliance from member states.

Leaders of the business community gathered at Washington, D.C.’s Newseum on Oct. 9 to discuss what actions are necessary to break the gridlock in the nation’s capital and get the U.S. economy moving again. Asked if the wave of economic malaise that has hit the United States is the “new normal,” all of the panelists agreed it was not. “The U.S. could lead the world to a recovery if the government would just get out of the wa," said Gov. Engler.

During his Oct. 3 debate with Republican presidential nominee Mitt Romney, President Barack Obama mentioned business aviation as one of the areas he would take aim at.

The tax break in question allows taxes many aircraft owners to accelerate their depreciation of the asset.

A modest pullback in gasoline prices has not provided much relief for drivers, says the AAA, with retail pump prices posting 43 consecutive daily records.

Guidance from U.S. Office of Management and Budget urges defense industry and other government contractors to not issue mass layoffs in light of pending sequestration.

The FAA has selected a handful of universities to lead an Air Transportation Center for Excellence, focused on general aviation issues such as safety and airport technology.

Pessimism among executives at large U.S. businesses hit a three-year high in the third quarter because of global economic weakness and fear that Congress will be unable to resolve its standoff over tax increases and automatic spending cuts.

The FAA has published new guidance explaining operator options for crafting Initial New Hire training programs for pilots who may have previous aircraft and/or air carrier experience.

U.S. Lawmakers and Federal Trade Commission are being lobbied re a "do-not-track" option giving consumers the choice of whether they want to be tracked online.

Since the U.S. Supreme Court ruled on the health care reform law, many HAI members have been wondering what to do. The Small Business Legislative Council has provided HAI with a health care reform planning tool.

A new Interagency Helicopter Pilot Qualification Card will be issued commencing 1 October 2012. Previously issued pilot qualification cards shall continue to remain valid until the card expiration date.

White House releases progress report on response from the departments of State and Homeland Security to President Barack Obama's call to boost travel and tourism.

A new FAA order provides guidance for Aircraft Certification Service personnel to accomplish certain agency responsibilities. These include the evaluation and approval of production activities of manufacturers and their suppliers producing products or articles in accordance with Title 14, Code of Federal Regulations.

The FAA announces formation of a new office responsible for providing technical information and guidance related to developments in aviation fuels, including unleaded options.

Thirty percent of the U.S. Federal Aviation Administration's budget will be exempt from mandatory sequestration cuts sent to take effect on Jan. 3. However, the agency's $11.5 billion operations budget will be reduced by $377 million from 2012 levels.

U.S. Federal Reserve taking aim at driving down mortgage rates in an attempt to foster a nascent recovery in the real estate market.

Only obstacle to Shell Oil exploratory drilling remains certification of the company's oil-spill containment barge and delivery of the barge off the north coast of Alaska in the Chukshi Sea.

U.S. economy adds 96,000 jobs in August, while U.S. unemployment rate fell to 8.1 percent from 8.3 percent – but only because more people gave up looking for work.

Companies operating crude oil tankers offer mixed message for the industry, painting bleak picture for the immediate future but potential for a long-term rebound.

U.S. offshore oil platforms in the Gulf of Mexico are beginning to ramp up production as crews are returning in the wake of Hurricane Isaac. However about 12 percent of the region’s platforms were still without staff on Sept. 4.

Seventy-eight percent of daily oil production in the Gulf of Mexico and 48 percent of daily natural-gas production in the Gulf has been halted in anticipation of Hurricane Isaac.

International Civil Aviation Organization continues to develop regulatory framework for integration of unmanned aerial vehicles.

Department of Transportation inspector general says FAA program to address bird strikes is not well-enforced, and that data is not uniformly collected.

Number of Americans filing new claims for jobless benefits rises, suggesting that labor market is healing too slowly to make much of a dent in the unemployment rate.

The U.S. national gasoline price average reached $3.72 per gallon on Aug. 20 – the highest price on record and a 12 percent increase since July 1.

The Obama administration is once again considering releasing the United States' Strategic Petroleum Reserve in order to prevent high gasoline prices from undermining sanctions on Iran.

Secretary of the U.S. Dept. of the Interior, Ken Salazar, announces that planned drilling by Shell oil could be delayed, possibly until 2013.

Current U.S. economic recovery is the weakest of the nine three-year recoveries with sufficient data since the Second World War. Economic growth, consumer spending, and wage gains have never been weaker.

The FAA has issued a Notice Announcement requesting public comment on a proposal to decommission all 29 Direction Finders and associated approaches in Alaska.

On Aug. 3, the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) agency announced the steps young illegal immigrants will need to take to apply for a temporary reprieve from deportation under the government’s new deferred-action program.

U.S. Defense Secretary and Interior Secretary sign Memorandum of Understanding encouraging development of renewable energy on federal lands set aside for military use.

U.S. Federal Reserve's Senior Loan Officer Survey finds that "large businesses and prime-credit households are the main beneficiaries of a thawing credit market."

President Obama signs pilot's bill of rights on Aug. 4. The measure easily passed both chambers of Congress.

White House Office of Management and Budget issues letter on the automatic defense and non-defense budget cuts scheduled to occur on Jan. 2, 2013.

U.S. Federal Reserve took no new action after a two-day policy meeting, but acknowledged that economic activity had slowed over the first half of the year.

The big question is not whether a third round of quantitative easing is on the way, it is whether QE3 will come now or in September. Consensus is shifting toward the latter.

The U.S. Federal Reserve will once more weigh whether it is time to act to boost the U.S. economy when its policy-setting committee meets the week of July 30.

The Pilot's Bill of Rights awaiting President Obama's signature makes a number of improvements to the regulatory landscape surrounding general aviation, including streamlining Notice to Airman publications and provisions to improve the pilot medical certification process.

More than 350 U.S. veterans and national security officials sign letter calling on President Obama and members of Congress to support Defense Department efforts to invest in alternative fuels.

The political fight last year over raising the United States' debt ceiling created uncertainty in the Treasury bond market that caused the Treasury Department's borrowing costs to rise by at least $1.3 billion.

FAA requests comment on intent to request approval from Office of Management and Budget to renew for three years an information collection that had previously been granted emergency clearance.

Chairman of the U.S. Federal Reserve warns of dire risks surrounding the approaching fiscal cliff.

U.S. government to host a meeting July 31 of some dozen countries that oppose an EU law that forces all foreign aircraft to pay for greenhouse gas emissions.

Barack Obama's nominee to head the Federal Aviation Administration, Michael Huerta, remains in limbo as he continues to await his confirmation.

The U.S. economy added just 80,000 jobs in June, while the unemployment rate held steady at 8.2 percent – a further sign that the economic recovery has begun to lose some momentum.

The U.S. Interior Department said on June 26 that Shell Oil is on track for approval to start exploratory drilling off the coast of Alaska this summer. Interior Secretary Ken Salazar and other administration officials have insisted that Shell will have intensive regulatory oversight.

The U.S. Supreme Court on June 25 issued its opinion on the Arizona immigration bill, upholding the “Show Me Papers” provision while overturning the other contested sections - leaving other states weighing similar laws with little certainty on how to proceed.

If U.S. Supreme Court strikes down individual mandate at heart of 2010 health reform law, an alternative option recommended by Obama administration could create an even bigger policy headache.

Two Republican freshman congressmen from Arizona propose nearly identical bills to block enforcement of President Obama's new immigration policy.

Studies underway to consider merits of alternative northern route for Keystone XL pipeline to carry oil from Canadian tar sands to Gulf Coast refineries.

U.S. Senate Commerce Committee to hold confirmation hearing for Michael Huerta's nomination to job of FAA administrator on June 21.

Lawmakers discuss U.S. economic outlook and Europe’s sovereign debt crisis with Federal Reserve Chairman at Joint Economic Committee hearing.

Congressional Budget Office Long-Term Budget Outlook report warns federal debt is set to surpass 70 percent of U.S. annual economic output.

Finance ministers and bank governors from Group of Seven leading industrial nations hold conference call June 5 to discuss financial crisis in eurozone and implications for the global economy.

Italy has called for using euro bonds to create a quicker path to common debt for Europe, while Spain has floated the idea of a common fiscal authority in Europe to synchronize budgets and manage debts.

Subcommittee on Aviation of U.S. House of Representatives Transportation and Infrastructure Committee examines delays in FAA’s planned consolidation of air traffic control facilities.