Government (federal/state/local)
Extra Extra Special Edition: Second chemical involved in W. Va. leak
There’s been a lot of great reporting coming out of West Virginia recently as reporters continue to cover a chemical spill that contaminated water for about 300,000 people. National publications investigated the lax government oversight and toothless regulations that applied – or, perhaps, failed to apply – to Freedom Industries. But let’s not forget the local…
Read MoreFEMA money unequally distributed in flooded Colo. neighborhoods
“It’s been four months since record floods tore up roadways and transformed the geography of northeastern Colorado. Since then, the Federal Emergency Management Agency has spent millions helping people affected by the disaster. Yet an investigation by FOX31 Denver found some neighborhoods are getting a lot less FEMA money than others.” Read the full story…
Read MoreNo tracking for hazardous materials traveling across Iowa
“Each day, trucks and railcars hauling hazardous materials share roadways with Iowa drivers and pass through Iowa towns and fields. But unless there is an accident, officials often don’t know what materials pass through the state.” Read the full story from IowaWatch/Investigative News Network here.
Read MoreChemical spill site went largely unregulated for years
The Wall Street Journal reports that “the site of a West Virginia chemical spill that contaminated the water supply for 300,000 people operated largely outside government oversight, highlighting gaps in regulations and prompting questions on whether local communities have a firm grasp on potential threats to drinking water.”
Read MoreFeds in Ajo for Border Patrol home cost audit
“Following an uproar by residents and some members of Congress, the Department of Homeland Security has opened an investigation into whether $15 million in tax dollars to build housing for Border Patrol agents here was improperly spent,” The Arizona Republic reports. Read the full story here.
Read MoreHow Lobbyists Still Fly Through Loopholes
“It’s widely believed that the 2007 rewrite of congressional travel rules spurred by the scandal that sent lobbyist Jack Abramoff to prison banned such international dalliances. But that’s far, far from true,” the National Journal reports. “A National Journal investigation has found that despite efforts to clip the wings of congressional travel planned and paid…
Read MoreBaldwin says ATF stings “totally inexcusable,” DOJ IG to investigate
“The U.S. Justice Department inspector general is reviewing the findings of a Milwaukee Journal Sentinel investigation revealing how ATF used rogue tactics in storefront sting operations nationwide and is considering how he will investigate them.” Read the full story here.
Read MoreChristie stuck in a jam over GWB lane closings
“A cache of private messages linking Governor Christie’s office to vindictive lane closures at the George Washington Bridge in September plunged the administration into a deep crisis on Wednesday, threatening Christie’s national profile as a straight-talker and feeding criticism that his administration has used its power to bully political enemies,” northjersey.com reports. Read/watch the full…
Read MoreMRSA infections worse than stats suggest
“A USA TODAY examination finds that MRSA infections, particularly outside of health care facilities, are much more common than government statistics suggest. They sicken hundreds of thousands of Americans each year in various ways, from minor skin boils to deadly pneumonia, claiming upward of 20,000 lives. The inability to detect or track cases is confounding…
Read MoreBaltimore using taxpayer dollars to send youths to a Christian school.
“The Balitmore Sun reports that over the past year and a half, the Baltimore City Department of Social Services paid $40,000 of taxpayer money to send youths in foster care to a private Christian school in Philadelphia where they have obtained a high school diploma in one day.”
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