Maybe, for all its travails, government isn’t so bad after all. The latest American Customer Satisfaction Index shows a small uptick in the approval ratings Americans give the federal government. Averages are one thing, but the range of scores among agencies shows citizens prefer a hike in the woods to paying taxes.

The Agriculture Department’s Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program or SNAP is claiming victory in battles against fraud. Last year, it sanctioned nearly 700 retailers. What’s more, it put nearly 1,400 stores on a black list for trafficking in food stamps or lying on applications. But can USDA win the war against fraud in an $80 billion program?

People on Capitol Hill are whispering about one powerful GOP congressman. They want to know: what’s up with Rep. Darrell Issa (R-Calif.)? The Hill newspaper reports the House Oversight Committee chairman appears to have had a change of heart. Gone is the tough-as-a-tiger partisan. And in his place, someone ready to sing Kumbaya.

We hear a lot about the troubles at the U.S. Postal Service these days. But there is at least one thing to celebrate — it saved more the $50 million last year through the conservation efforts of its green teams. It also made nearly $25 million in revenue by recycling.