Economy
Conflict brewing over Montana’s liquor system
The Bozeman Daily Chronicle reports on a growing conflict between Montana’s bar owners and craft brewers: “The draft bill is currently sitting in a pile of papers on a legislative staff attorney’s desk in Helena, but the rough outline has caused some upheaval among Montana’s craft brewing industry. It would combine two bills previously lobbied…
Read MoreDozens of internet sweepstakes cafes operated by those unfit for casinos
Dozens of Internet sweepstakes cafes are owned and operated by people who are in so much financial hot water that they couldn’t land a job at an Ohio casino. The pseudo gambling parlors have flouted a decades-old state law that requires businesses to register with the secretary of state. And most cafe owners snubbed an…
Read MoreWorker shortages drive calls for high school curriculum changes
It is what much of Austin’s manufacturing looks and sounds like today. Advanced machinery producing precision products. A computer monitor at virtually every workstation. And a workforce with an increasingly advanced set of technical skills. The difficulty is finding workers with the skills to make it all go.
Read MoreThe bank, the school and the 38-year loan
In early 2008, residents of Placentia and Yorba Linda approved a $200 million school construction bond after reading those fliers and being assured repeatedly that ‘their money will be spent wisely.’ What happened instead was that Measure A led to a debt so large and long lasting that it mortgaged the future of their children’s…
Read MoreBillions spent on phone subsidies that go to some who may not qualify
“The U.S. government spent about $2.2 billion last year to provide phones to low-income Americans, but a Wall Street Journal review of the program shows that a large number of those who received the phones haven’t proved they are eligible to receive them.”
Read MoreCO’s 5th largest school district hid millions while cutting student services
“Over the last three years, Denver’s fifth largest school district has cut its budget by more than $56 million, eliminated bus routes and cut more than 200 jobs and middle school sports.” “But a three-month investigation by FOX31 Denver raises serious questions regarding the district’s finances, its budget process and whether all those cuts were…
Read MoreExtra Extra Monday: Teacher absences, prescription painkillers, complaints at for-profit care centers
Welcome to IRE’s roundup of the weekend’s many enterprise stories — the last one of 2012 — from around the country. We’ll highlight the document digging, field work and data analysis that made their way into centerpieces in print, broadcast and online from coast to coast. Did we miss something? Email tips to web@ire.org. The…
Read MoreWSJ finds websites base varying prices, offers on user data
Consumer websites offer their users different prices and deals based on what data they have about the user, according to a Wall Street Jounal investigation. The Journal identified several companies, including Staples, Discover Financial Services, Rosetta Stone Inc. and Home Depot Inc., that consistently adjusted prices and product offers based on user characteristics they discovered, such…
Read MoreExtra Extra Monday: Several enterprise stories tackle gun control issues
The Washington PostReview of FBI forensics does not extend to federally trained state, local examinersThe Washington Post reports that thousands of criminal cases at the state and local level may have relied on exaggerated testimony or false forensic evidence to convict defendants of murder, rape and other felonies, according to former FBI agents. The Journal…
Read MoreA look at income inequality in the US
“Reuters, in a multi-part series, explore how the government is either exacerbating inequality or doing less than it could to alleviate it.” “As the nation’s leaders debate whose taxes to raise and what social programs to cut before a Jan. 1 deadline, today’s story, “Redistributing Up,” shows that the government’s hand in income inequality is…
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