The IRE office will be closed from December 25th to January 5th.
Government (federal/state/local)
Now, you can’t ban guns at the public pool
ProPublica reports possible changes to gun laws in Charleston, W.Va. “For 20 years, Charleston has been an island of modest gun restrictions in a very pro-gun rights state. But its gun laws — including a ban on guns in city parks, pools and recreation centers — are now likely to be rolled back, the latest…
Read MoreMinneapolis cops rarely disciplined in big-payout cases
The Star Tribune reports that Minneapolis police haven’t disciplined many of their officers accused of misconduct. “Despite nearly $14 million in payouts for alleged police misconduct over the past seven years, the Minneapolis Police Department rarely concluded that the officers involved did anything wrong, according to a Star Tribune analysis. Of 95 payouts from 2006…
Read MoreLaw to protect news sources could backfire in some cases, experts say
Legal experts say the proposed federal shield law could actually diminish the protections some federal courts have recognized, the St. Louis Beacon reports. “Contrary to conventional wisdom, the proposed federal shield law backed by the press and President Barack Obama wouldn’t help reporters protect their sources in big national security cases, such as the recent…
Read MoreSome enterprise zones located in Calif’s wealthier neighborhoods
“California’s enterprise program was established to give tax breaks for companies that set up business or move to one of 40 zones within the state. The program gives companies tax credits of up to $37,440 per person hired in one of the zones, which are intended to create jobs and spark investment in economically distressed…
Read More8News Investigates: Virginia SCC Waste Allegations
“Millions of dollars in questionable contracts, public funds used to pay for work that was apparently never completed and a high ranking state employee signing off on the whole sordid mess in violation of Virginia law.”
Read MoreChronic Lyme disease: Is it real?
“An exclusive Journal review of government emails suggests battles have been won, and minds swayed, through a combination of behind-the-scenes maneuvers and long-standing connections between the scientists’ group and government officials. These ties, some say, have served to keep competing ideas at bay.”
Read MoreCorrosion plagues new Bay Bridge span
“The Bee compared that Caltrans study against about 115,000 pages of construction and inspection records and found the conclusions were based on wrong information. The records show that the agency misstated in its report the extent of water contamination and its own inspection efforts. Conclusions that corrosion caused no harm were based partly on underestimates…
Read MoreTexas family planning department had millions left in budget as clinics closed for lack of funds
The Texas Observer reports that the s tate health department left approximately $2.3 million of its family planning funds unspent while clinics across the state closed because of lack of money. As a result, tens of thousands of women lost access to reproductive care. The unspent funds happened at a time when, according to previous Observer reporting,…
Read MoreSpeedy removal
“The government is bypassing judicial hearings in an attempt to swiftly deport thousands of immigrants each year,” according to an investigation by the Chicago Reporter.
Read MoreMillions in taxpayer-funded consulting work kept secret
“A Star investigation has found 90 per cent of the $2.4 billion paid out in the past decade comes with no description of the work done — and more than a dozen departments refuse to provide details when pressed.” Read the Star’s full investigation here.
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