Good luck: President Barack Obama declared on tax-filing day that he aims to take the dread out of deadline day. At a White House event today, Obama says he’s working toward “a simpler tax code that rewards work and the pursuit of the American dream.” “For too long, we’ve seen taxes used as a wedge to scare people into supporting policies that increased the burden on working people instead of helping them live their dreams,” Obama says. “That has to change, and that’s the work that we’ve begun.” Obama met at the White House with several working families to mark April 15—known notoriously as file-or-else day—and underscore his efforts to make the tax code fairer and less complex.
Where to go: Cochon Butcher, a New Orleans restaurant, and Bar Tonique, a French Quarter bar, have been named as two of the hot new attractions by Conde Nast Traveler. Cochon Butcher, Donald Link’s addition to his Tchoupitoulas Street restaurant Cochon, was singled out for dishes such as a duck pastrami sandwich, smoky bacon pralines and pickled pig’s feet. Bar Tonique, on Rampart Street, was honored for its cocktails made with fresh squeezed juices and homemade tonic water. For the full list, click here.
Getting better? The Federal Reserve says there are some small signs the steep plunge in economic activity that began last fall is starting to level off. The Fed’s latest survey of business conditions nationwide found five of its 12 regional banks reporting a moderation in the pace of the economic decline. The Fed says several regions “saw signs that activity in some sectors was stabilizing at a low level … (but) overall economic activity contracted further or remained weak.”
