Politics
Looking at the vast diversity of American voters
“To win national office in America, candidates must appeal to a mosaic of diverse communities, which vary in culture, religion, income, education, geography and political views. How well they succeed in appealing to some groups without alienating others can only be measured by data that reflects this rich diversity. Working with Ipsos, Reuters has created…
Read MoreTaxpayers foot the bill for convention parties
“WTSP-Tampa has found, through federal filings, that the Republican & Democratic national conventions promise economic windfalls to host cities but most of the money spent comes from the U.S. Treasury, including money spent on alcohol and parties.“
Read MoreEmails reveal how University of Montana’s administration handles cases of alleged rape
“Earlier this month, the U.S. Justice Department announced a first-of-its kind investigation into how rape cases are handled by the University of Montana and its campus police, along with the Missoula Police Department and the Missoula County Attorney’s Office because of a series of investigations by the Missoulian.” “Since December, the paper has been reporting…
Read MoreAnalyzing Governor Walker’s calendars
In a three-part series for the Wisconsin Center for Investigative Journalism, Kate Golden and Amy Karon used the state’s open records law to receive Gov. Scott Walker’s official calendars. “To analyze how Walker has used his time as the state’s chief executive, WCIJ reporters created a database of the more than 4,400 entries in Walker’s…
Read MoreS.C House Speaker’s PAC channels hundreds of thousands of dollars to Republican Party
“South Carolina’s House speaker is affiliated with a political action committee that has doled out hundreds of thousands of dollars in donations and private contracts to sitting state lawmakers.” “According to publicly filed data analyzed by The Post and Courier, the Speaker’s PAC has channeled about a half-million dollars in the last four years to…
Read MoreWhite House sought healthier school lunches, food industry fought back
Duff Wilson and Janet Roberts, for Reuters, report on “how food and beverage companies have dominated policymaking in Washington by doubling their lobbying expenditures during the past three years and defeating government proposals aimed at changing the nation’s diet.” Reuters Investigates TV also produced a video about “how the food industry fought back when the…
Read MoreObama Administration silently diverting funds to IRS to enact Health Care Reform
The Hill has uncovered that the Obama administration has been quietly diverting funds to the IRS in order to implement their new health care reform law- to the tune of around $500 million. The report states that the funds are being provided outside of the normal appropriations process and the $500 million is only part…
Read MoreSome members of Congress use earmarks to improve areas close to home
“Thirty-three members of Congress have directed more than $300 million in earmarks and other spending provisions to dozens of public projects that are next to or within about two miles of the lawmakers’ own property, according to a Washington Post investigation.“ “The Post analyzed public records on the holdings of all 535 members and compared…
Read MorePartisan candidates treated differently in Virginia
This month, members of the General Assembly are gathering in Richmond, while “legislators are buzzing about the exclusion of four major Republican candidates from the presidential preference ballot in Virginia on Super Tuesday.” “Missing in that conversation is any discussion of a loophole that gives political parties power to say whether or not candidates have…
Read More“Retired” NJ budget guru collecting thousands in pension payments
NJ Governor Chris Christie hired Louis C. Goetting in 2010 as a budget guru to help trim the cost of government. But Goetting resembles a problem, not a solution, according to a New Jersey Watchdog analysis of his employment history. Despite the fact that Goetting was hired to help with the budget, he has raked in…
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