Where is the Money Going?

497 to 512 of about 1801 News
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How to Help the Struggling Post Office and the Poor: Turn USPS into a Bank…Again

The Postal Service continues to lose money by the billions, and no one in Washington has figured out a solution to the problem. But a new—or rather old—idea has surfaced that could receive consideration by policymakers: Turn the Postal Service back into a bank. The Post Office once operated as a bank by offering low-interest savings accounts. This service lasted from 1911 to 1967, and the Inspector General for the Postal Service thinks it might be time to offer financial services again.   read more

Misleading Republican Websites Hijack Democratic Campaign Contributions

The Republican Party is raising money for congressional races by putting up websites that pretend to represent Democratic candidates and that accept contributions that will go toward defeating the very same Democrats. In Florida, the National Republican Congressional Committee created a website that gave the appearance of backing Democrat Alex Sink for Congress. But a closer examination revealed contributions made through the site would “help defeat Alex Sink and candidates like her.”   read more

The High Cost of Working for a Low Wage

Being poor can be very costly, despite what conservatives say about low-income people having it easy because of government programs. Poverty is something affecting more Americans these days. At least 15% of the country lives in poverty, according to the U.S. Census Bureau. That translates into more than 46 million people. Half the population is categorized as “near poverty” and about three-fourths live paycheck to paycheck.   read more

Retailers Adjust to Rich Getting Richer and Middle Class Fading

As Americans in the economic middle struggle to keep up, many businesses have decided to focus on the demands of the wealthy. But retailers and restaurants that have long catered to the middle class are fading because middle-earners have so little disposal income these days. Many companies are filing for bankruptcy or closing their doors because they cater to the middle class. These include Olive Garden and Red Lobster restaurants, Sears, J.C. Penney, and Loehmann’s.   read more

Study Shows Expensive Hospitals are not Necessarily Better

Pricier facilities were outperformed by low-priced hospitals in keeping patients from coming back within a month of being discharged and for avoiding blood clots and death in surgical patients. The high-priced hospitals also weren’t any better at keeping heart attack and pneumonia patients alive. Overall, their ratings among patients were not significantly different than those for low-price hospitals.   read more

Appeals Court Rules Agriculture Dept. Shouldn’t Hide Retailer Earnings from Food Stamps

The appellate justices—in a unanimous ruling— ordered the case to be reheard in Schreier’s courtroom. The USDA can still argue for an exemption on other grounds, such as privacy or confidentiality. There are hundreds of thousands of vendors nationwide contracted with SNAP. And although 15% of them are made up of small convenience stores and markets, those retailers constitute 85% of the fraud perpetrated against the program.   read more

Bipartisan Attempt to Undo 1½-Year-Old Bipartisan Flood Insurance Law

Republicans embraced the law because it would curb government spending for flood costs. Democrats liked the bill because, they said, the reforms would reveal just how much climate change is impacting flood-prone areas. But a year and a half after Biggert-Waters was approved, many Democrats and Republicans want to delay, block or repeal many of its key provisions. Why? Money.   read more

For the First Time, Working-Age Americans are Majority of Food Stamp Recipients

Over the past five years, more than 50% of U.S. households receiving food stamps have been adults age 18 to 59. The Associated Press (AP) reports that multiple factors have caused more working-age adults to utilize food stamps (officially known as the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, or SNAP). These factors include persistent high unemployment, stagnant wages and dwindling middle-income jobs.   read more

Restaurant Owners Fight Rise in Minimum Wage for Tipped Workers

The last time lawmakers approved an increase in the minimum wage for waiters and waitresses was 1991: $2.13. That wage has stood since then, even though inflation has robbed nearly half its value. Today, the $2.13 is really more like $1.24. There are 3.3 million tipped workers nationwide, two million of whom are waiters and waitresses, whose median salary is $9.22 an hour including wage and tips.   read more

U.S. Charges with Fraud the Security Firm that Approved Snowden and Navy Yard Murderer

According to the lawsuit, USIS started “dumping” or “flushing” cases six years ago to boost profits. This action meant the company’s investigators never completed their reviews of security-clearance candidates, while telling the government that the work was finished. USIS earned between $95 and $2,500 for each background investigation. It also received bonuses from 2008 to 2010 totaling $11.8 million for meeting certain performance goals.   read more

Citizen’s United Case Started with Opposition to Hillary Clinton, But She may End Up being its Biggest Winner

Clinton has not said that she’s running for president in 2016. But the Ready for Hillary super PAC raised more than $4 million from 33,000 donors last year. This big a haul this early—for a candidate not even in the race yet—portends a juggernaut fundraising operation backing Clinton that mirrors the George W. Bush strategy in 2000 of tying up major donors early and intimidating potential primary opponents with a well-filled coffer.   read more

Federal Election Commission Lawyers Call for Investigation of Illegal Activity by Karl Rove Super PAC…No Action Expected

The super PAC claims that only 39% of its budget during the 2010 election went towards political spending—which is okay under federal law that places the ceiling at 50%. But in reviewing the super PAC’s financial records, the FEC concluded that Crossroads’ political spending reached 53% four years ago because Crossroads did not include “issue ads” that criticize a candidate without mentioning that there is an imminent election.   read more

Border Protection Screening Program…4 Years Late, Cost and Deadline are Still Unknown

Known as TECS, CBP uses it to screen people at border checkpoints, such as comparing names against terrorist watch-lists. ICE relies on it to manage case files for investigations into money laundering, online pornography and other criminal actions. But the technology behind TECS is said to be obsolete.   read more

IRS Audits Drop to 8-Year Low

Just under 1% (0.96%) of all individual tax returns were audited in 2013. The rate marked the second consecutive yearly decline, and the lowest level in eight years. IRS efforts to answer calls from taxpayers also declined last year. Budget cuts may be impacting the IRS’s mission. It has lost $1 billion in annual funding and 8,000 employees over the past three years.   read more

Postal Service Bypasses Union Workers in Deal with Staples

The agreement between Staples and USPS allows the retailer to use its own employees. This decision didn’t come as a surprise to outsiders, considering that 78% of the Postal Service’s costs are employee-related (salaries and benefits). APWU says it will first meet with Staples store managers by January 18 to express its concerns. If a solution cannot be reached, union officials intend to proceed with the demonstrations.   read more

Flaw in Electronic Health Record System Leads to Overcharging

A key problem discussed by the IG involves medical professionals’ use of cloning, which is a copy-and-paste function that helps speed up the converting of records from paper to electronic. But this process also can be abused to allow doctors to indicate a procedure was more expensive than it actually was, resulting in overcharges to Medicare.   read more
497 to 512 of about 1801 News
Prev 1 ... 30 31 32 33 34 ... 113 Next

Where is the Money Going?

497 to 512 of about 1801 News
Prev 1 ... 30 31 32 33 34 ... 113 Next

How to Help the Struggling Post Office and the Poor: Turn USPS into a Bank…Again

The Postal Service continues to lose money by the billions, and no one in Washington has figured out a solution to the problem. But a new—or rather old—idea has surfaced that could receive consideration by policymakers: Turn the Postal Service back into a bank. The Post Office once operated as a bank by offering low-interest savings accounts. This service lasted from 1911 to 1967, and the Inspector General for the Postal Service thinks it might be time to offer financial services again.   read more

Misleading Republican Websites Hijack Democratic Campaign Contributions

The Republican Party is raising money for congressional races by putting up websites that pretend to represent Democratic candidates and that accept contributions that will go toward defeating the very same Democrats. In Florida, the National Republican Congressional Committee created a website that gave the appearance of backing Democrat Alex Sink for Congress. But a closer examination revealed contributions made through the site would “help defeat Alex Sink and candidates like her.”   read more

The High Cost of Working for a Low Wage

Being poor can be very costly, despite what conservatives say about low-income people having it easy because of government programs. Poverty is something affecting more Americans these days. At least 15% of the country lives in poverty, according to the U.S. Census Bureau. That translates into more than 46 million people. Half the population is categorized as “near poverty” and about three-fourths live paycheck to paycheck.   read more

Retailers Adjust to Rich Getting Richer and Middle Class Fading

As Americans in the economic middle struggle to keep up, many businesses have decided to focus on the demands of the wealthy. But retailers and restaurants that have long catered to the middle class are fading because middle-earners have so little disposal income these days. Many companies are filing for bankruptcy or closing their doors because they cater to the middle class. These include Olive Garden and Red Lobster restaurants, Sears, J.C. Penney, and Loehmann’s.   read more

Study Shows Expensive Hospitals are not Necessarily Better

Pricier facilities were outperformed by low-priced hospitals in keeping patients from coming back within a month of being discharged and for avoiding blood clots and death in surgical patients. The high-priced hospitals also weren’t any better at keeping heart attack and pneumonia patients alive. Overall, their ratings among patients were not significantly different than those for low-price hospitals.   read more

Appeals Court Rules Agriculture Dept. Shouldn’t Hide Retailer Earnings from Food Stamps

The appellate justices—in a unanimous ruling— ordered the case to be reheard in Schreier’s courtroom. The USDA can still argue for an exemption on other grounds, such as privacy or confidentiality. There are hundreds of thousands of vendors nationwide contracted with SNAP. And although 15% of them are made up of small convenience stores and markets, those retailers constitute 85% of the fraud perpetrated against the program.   read more

Bipartisan Attempt to Undo 1½-Year-Old Bipartisan Flood Insurance Law

Republicans embraced the law because it would curb government spending for flood costs. Democrats liked the bill because, they said, the reforms would reveal just how much climate change is impacting flood-prone areas. But a year and a half after Biggert-Waters was approved, many Democrats and Republicans want to delay, block or repeal many of its key provisions. Why? Money.   read more

For the First Time, Working-Age Americans are Majority of Food Stamp Recipients

Over the past five years, more than 50% of U.S. households receiving food stamps have been adults age 18 to 59. The Associated Press (AP) reports that multiple factors have caused more working-age adults to utilize food stamps (officially known as the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, or SNAP). These factors include persistent high unemployment, stagnant wages and dwindling middle-income jobs.   read more

Restaurant Owners Fight Rise in Minimum Wage for Tipped Workers

The last time lawmakers approved an increase in the minimum wage for waiters and waitresses was 1991: $2.13. That wage has stood since then, even though inflation has robbed nearly half its value. Today, the $2.13 is really more like $1.24. There are 3.3 million tipped workers nationwide, two million of whom are waiters and waitresses, whose median salary is $9.22 an hour including wage and tips.   read more

U.S. Charges with Fraud the Security Firm that Approved Snowden and Navy Yard Murderer

According to the lawsuit, USIS started “dumping” or “flushing” cases six years ago to boost profits. This action meant the company’s investigators never completed their reviews of security-clearance candidates, while telling the government that the work was finished. USIS earned between $95 and $2,500 for each background investigation. It also received bonuses from 2008 to 2010 totaling $11.8 million for meeting certain performance goals.   read more

Citizen’s United Case Started with Opposition to Hillary Clinton, But She may End Up being its Biggest Winner

Clinton has not said that she’s running for president in 2016. But the Ready for Hillary super PAC raised more than $4 million from 33,000 donors last year. This big a haul this early—for a candidate not even in the race yet—portends a juggernaut fundraising operation backing Clinton that mirrors the George W. Bush strategy in 2000 of tying up major donors early and intimidating potential primary opponents with a well-filled coffer.   read more

Federal Election Commission Lawyers Call for Investigation of Illegal Activity by Karl Rove Super PAC…No Action Expected

The super PAC claims that only 39% of its budget during the 2010 election went towards political spending—which is okay under federal law that places the ceiling at 50%. But in reviewing the super PAC’s financial records, the FEC concluded that Crossroads’ political spending reached 53% four years ago because Crossroads did not include “issue ads” that criticize a candidate without mentioning that there is an imminent election.   read more

Border Protection Screening Program…4 Years Late, Cost and Deadline are Still Unknown

Known as TECS, CBP uses it to screen people at border checkpoints, such as comparing names against terrorist watch-lists. ICE relies on it to manage case files for investigations into money laundering, online pornography and other criminal actions. But the technology behind TECS is said to be obsolete.   read more

IRS Audits Drop to 8-Year Low

Just under 1% (0.96%) of all individual tax returns were audited in 2013. The rate marked the second consecutive yearly decline, and the lowest level in eight years. IRS efforts to answer calls from taxpayers also declined last year. Budget cuts may be impacting the IRS’s mission. It has lost $1 billion in annual funding and 8,000 employees over the past three years.   read more

Postal Service Bypasses Union Workers in Deal with Staples

The agreement between Staples and USPS allows the retailer to use its own employees. This decision didn’t come as a surprise to outsiders, considering that 78% of the Postal Service’s costs are employee-related (salaries and benefits). APWU says it will first meet with Staples store managers by January 18 to express its concerns. If a solution cannot be reached, union officials intend to proceed with the demonstrations.   read more

Flaw in Electronic Health Record System Leads to Overcharging

A key problem discussed by the IG involves medical professionals’ use of cloning, which is a copy-and-paste function that helps speed up the converting of records from paper to electronic. But this process also can be abused to allow doctors to indicate a procedure was more expensive than it actually was, resulting in overcharges to Medicare.   read more
497 to 512 of about 1801 News
Prev 1 ... 30 31 32 33 34 ... 113 Next