Posted inMoney and Politics

Federal office may have saved less on training than it claims

Figures on how much money the Department of Homeland Security’s Office of Inspector General spent on recent traning sessions differ in a public press release and internal expense documents.Sergey Mironov/Shutterstock Mindful of tightening federal budgets, the Homeland Security Department’s top watchdog said that in the spring, it saved taxpayers about $188,000 by holding “all-hands” training […]

Posted inMoney and Politics

Firm’s mortgage bailout plan relies on municipal seizures

A foreclosed homeJeffery Turner/Flickr Former San Francisco Mayor Willie Brown and a longtime business partner are among investors in a company drawing criticism for working with local government officials to take over and discount underwater mortgages. The plan gained impetus last month, when officials in San Bernardino County formed a joint powers authority to consider a […]

Posted inMoney and Politics

Danger Zone: Aging nuclear reactors

Despite the Fukushima catastrophe in Japan last March, nuclear power is experiencing a rebirth in the United States. Billions of dollars in federal funding has been allocated to develop nuclear capacity; applications are under consideration to build more than a dozen new reactors; and last month, the Nuclear Regulatory Commission announced approval for the construction of […]