Where is the Money Going?
VA Spent $717 Million for Useless Post-Traumatic Stress Drug
Risperdal, an anti-psychotic drug used to treat veterans suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is about as effective as a placebo, say medical researchers.
Experts with the Department of Veterans Affairs published a paper in the... read more
Federal Reserve Secretly Loaned Wall Street Elite more than $1 Trillion
When the financial crisis of 2008 erupted and threatened to take down Wall Street’s biggest institutions, the federal government rode to the rescue, with even more money than was previously disclosed. In addition to the well-publicized disbursem... read more
Food Stamp Use up 74% in Just 4 Years
The United States’ leading food-assistance program has expanded by nearly 75% over the past four years, demonstrating the crippling effect of the Great Recession on a large segment of American society.
Today, there are almost 46 million peop... read more
Alabama Nuclear Plant Wins Go-Ahead after 23-Year Delay
Thirty-seven years after construction first began, the Bellefonte Nuclear Plant in Jackson County in northeastern Alabama may yet become operational, if the Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA) spends billions of dollars more to finish the half-buil... read more
Arizona Tries to Build Border Fence with Private Donations, but Prospects Look Dim
When is raising $100,000 in a week a disappointment for a grass-roots campaign? When the goal is to collect $50 million.
That’s the sad news for supporters of Arizona’s border-fence initiative. Feeling compelled to seal off their state to th... read more
Cost of War to American Taxpayers? Don’t Ask
Common sense would dictate that a country that’s spent 10 years fighting two different wars would at least keep track of the fiscal sacrifice that’s been made. But the truth is that Uncle Sam really can’t say for sure how deep it’s had to dig to... read more
Another Growth Industry…Protecting Rich Executives
The rise of income inequality in the United States, with the rich accumulating greater and greater proportions of the nation’s wealth, has created opportunities for ex-military and police to become guardians of the upper strata.
According to... read more
FAA Inspectors Funding Their own Travel during Budget Crisis
Imagine if your boss told you that due to budget cuts, you would have to go without pay for an indefinite period of time, and pay for your own job-related travel expenses while jetting around the country? That’s the unwelcome situation 40 safety... read more
Pentagon Suckered into Grossly Overpaying for Simple Parts
A Dubai-based contractor has been accused of overbilling the Department of Defense by more than $4 million for work in Iraq.
According to the Special Inspector General for Iraq Reconstruction (SIGIR), Anham LLC and its subsidiary, Pioneer Ir... read more
U.S. Cheese Industry Booming Thanks to Asian Craving for Pizza and Cheeseburgers
Asia has been very good to the American cheese industry, driving up U.S. exports of the product faster than they can gobble up fast food.
The price of wholesale cheddar cheese is up 53% this year because the U.S. shipped more than twice as m... read more
Republican Budget Cuts Put Government Printing Office in Turmoil
As part of their cost-cutting agenda, House Republicans want to significantly reduce the budget of the Government Printing Office (GPO), which does considerably more than (as its name suggests) print documents.
GPO plays a major role in maki... read more
Majority of Pentagon Weapons Contracts Go Over Cost Estimates
When the Department of Defense decides to buy a new weapons system, there’s at least a 50% chance the price tag will be higher than promised, based on a new government watchdog report.
A review of nearly 100 weapons programs by the Government ... read more
Homeland Security Cancels $230 Million Radiation Detection Program
Realizing it made a big mistake, the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) has decided to cancel an expensive radiation-detection system intended to help customs officials foil terrorist attempts to smuggle nuclear bombs or material into the Uni... read more
Wealth Gap between Whites and Minorities Doubles in Just 4 Years
The Great Recession was hard on a lot of people. But it was especially devastating on minorities who have experienced far greater losses in terms of household wealth than whites did.
Experts at the Pew Research Center found that from 2005 to... read more
Obama Administration Sells Chrysler Shares to Foreign Company
Chrysler is no longer government, or entirely American, property now that the Obama administration has finished orchestrating the auto manufacturer’s merger with Italian car company Fiat.
The Department of the Treasury announced last week th... read more
Democrats' Big Tent Includes Murdoch
Contrary to popular belief about Rupert Murdoch’s conservative slant, the media mogul’s support for politicians has included huge sums for Democrats as well as Republicans.
The Sunlight Foundation says Murdoch’s flagship company, News Corp.,... read more