The IRE office will be closed from December 25th to January 5th.
Government (federal/state/local)
Maker of popular tax software fights free, simple tax filing
Collaborative reporting between ProPublica and NPR reveals that Intuit, the company behind America’s most popular tax software, TurboTax, has long fought efforts to establish an easier, free tax filing system in the U.S. Similar systems already exist in Denmwark, Spain and Sweden, and advocates for such a system say it could save millions of taxpayers…
Read MorePenalties and prosecution light as illegal gun market thrives in Minnesota
Over the last decade, federal prosecutors pursued only eight domestic gun-trafficking cases in Minnesota, according to court records examined by the Star Tribune. Federal law enforcement officials say their limited presence in the state and significant constraints in federal law present serious obstacles to cracking down on illegal gun trafficking. Minnesota U.S. Attorney B. Todd…
Read MoreConsultant’s report kept secret over ’embarrassing’ criticism
The Charleston Gazette reports that “a state agency paid a Virginia-based company an estimated $118,000 to review West Virginia’s use of $126.3 million in federal stimulus funds to expand high-speed Internet, but Gov. Earl Ray Tomblin’s administration won’t release the consultant’s findings to the public.” The reason, Commerce Secretary Keith Burdette told the Gazette, is that at…
Read MoreConflict 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 MoreStar Watch: Troy Woodruff ordered bridge rebuilt to benefit his family, records suggest
“To help out his family, a state highway official last year ordered construction supervisors to redo the approaches to a bridge over Interstate 69, despite objections from the project supervisor — at a cost to Indiana taxpayers of $770,444.”
Read MoreFederal government quietly scaling back once-heralded ballistics network
An investigation by KING TV in Seattle reveals the federal government has been quietly scaling back a nationwide ballistics network that was once heralded as a high-tech tool to fight gun crime. The television station’s Trail of the Gun investigations previously uncovered thousands of “crime guns” in Washington State that were not subjected to routine…
Read MoreCongressional staffers often travel on tabs of foreign governments
A Washington Post examination of congressional disclosures revealed the extent of this congressional travel for the first time, finding that Hill staffers had reported taking 803 such trips in the six years ending in 2011.
Read MoreHealthcare facility forced into federal oversight
“In its “Chronic Condition” series spanning the last three weeks, The Dallas Morning News is delving into how Parkland Memorial Hospital has become the nation’s largest healthcare facility ever forced into federal oversight to remedy patient-safety dangers.“ “This week, the installment by Miles Moffeit discloses how Parkland’s medical-school partner acts as a shadow government over…
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 MoreExtra Extra Monday: Public schools lose millions to crooks, radon hotbeds, campaign-finance funded luxury
Center for Investigative Reporting/EsquireThe Shooter“The man who shot and killed Osama bin Laden sat in a wicker chair in my backyard, wondering how he was going to feed his wife and kids or pay for their medical care.” The Tampa Bay TimesPublic schools lose millions to crooks and cheaters“Axson’s case points to a larger problem with…
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