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 […]
Money 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 […]
California’s top 100 political donors
In a state with nearly 38 million people, few have more influence than the top 100 donors to California campaigns – a powerful club that has donated overwhelmingly to Democrats and spent $1.25 billion to influence voters over the past 11 years.
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 […]