A 52-pound "mountain of miscellaneous used hand tools" sold for about $150. A lot of 200 Swiss-style (but Chinese-made) knives went for a bit more--at slightly over $1 per knife. Bidding was just getting underway on a pile of 30 pounds of scissors (22 scissors per pound).

Anyone who thinks the education standards movement has gone overboard may be interested in what Ohio has in store for its preschoolers.

Taking a Fresh Look at State Spending.

Momentum has shifted in a hot area of insurance regulation. State approval of the conversion of Blue Cross and Blue Shield health plans to for-profit status is no longer a foregone conclusion. Although a dozen or so states have approved such sales since 1995, regulators in two states recently said no.

A new study suggests that state and local tax incentives for existing businesses don't create new jobs.