The IRE office will be closed from December 25th to January 5th.
Government (federal/state/local)
Township mayor faces ethics violation charges
“State officials are investigating construction and zoning permits Monroe officials granted to township Mayor Michael Gabbianelli and his son. A week after the Courier-Post reported apparent ethics violations, state Department of Community Affairs (DCA) officials said they’ll determine whether Monroe officials breached the state Uniform Construction Code (UCC) with various approvals for Michael Gabbianelli Jr.’s…
Read MoreRegardless of bailout, Gov. Perry has deep ties to one of TX’s largest banks
In his bid for the president, Governor Rick Perry has attacked the Troubled Asset Relief Program numerous times; calling it an “unprecedented assault on free markets.” However, The Dallas Morning News reports that the very bank Perry designated for his campaign finances received more than $87 million in TARP money. That same bank, PlainsCapital, is…
Read MoreData shows mayor hyped crime claim against Hispanic-owned business
When the mayor of Mount Vernon, Wash., requested that a liquor license be denied, he claimed it had to do with the proposed location of the business. However, when Kate Martin, of the Skagit Valley Herald checked with the local police department, the numbers didn’t add up. “Too many 911 calls have been made from…
Read MoreState legislators earning pension before retirement
It may be surprising to learn that after legislators in South Carolina passed a law that would allow them to collect their pension, while still working for the state full time, their annual incomes have nearly tripled. Thomas Frank, of USA TODAY, investigates the disturbing, yet legal, actions our legislators are taking. “More than 4,100 legislators…
Read MoreStimulus money for Florida school districts misused
President Obama’s 2009 economic stimulus package granted “millions of federal dollars” to public school districts in Florida. As part of the President’s vision “to accelerate improvement in schools,” the money was meant to provide a means to improve low performing schools and prevent teacher layoffs. However, this investigation by Mc Nelly Torres of the Florida Center for…
Read MoreElectrolux plan holds “hidden concessions” for Memphis taxpayers
When appliance giant Electrolux annouced plans to build a factory in Memphis, Tenn., it seemed like a great economic boost for the region. However, a closer investigation by reporters Daniel Connolly and Amos Maki of The Commercial Appeal reveals that the plan may cost taxpayers a lot more than it appears. “Government officials approved a massive package…
Read MoreFBI to agents: “Mainstream” Muslims are “terrorists in waiting”
Spencer Ackerman, of WIRED.com Danger Room, has acquired dozens of FBI training materials on counter terrorism and Islam. The training material argues that it does not matter whether or not American Muslims are law abiding citizens, “the Islamic “insurgency” is all-encompassing and insidious. In addition to outright combat, its “techniques” include “immigration” and “law suits.” So…
Read MoreFood anti-terror plan costing billions, but is it working?
After the attacks on September 11, 2001 President George Bush told the nation that he would make certain that the food we eat would be safe from chemical terrorist threats from the ‘farm to the fork’. However, with no single agency in charge of policing our farms, factories, warehouses, or grocery stores, this multi-headed bureaucracy…
Read MoreNational Practitioner Data Bank goes blank
Two decades ago, if a doctor ran into malpractice trouble in one state, all he or she had to do was move to another state and their slate was wiped clean. This posed problems for hospitals so, in 1986, Congress “established the National Practitioner Data Bank: a clearinghouse for hospitals, professional societies and state regulators…
Read MoreTexas’ top politicians hiding just how much radiation is in the water
In a one-hour comprehensive special, KHOU-TV revealed how Texas and U.S. authorities often allow the public to drink water with more radioactive contamination than is allowed by federal law. “A Matter of Risk” also uncovered a report by state-scientists that nearly a quarter of a million Texans drink water that give them a 1 in…
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