“Facebook acknowledged that Russian propagandists spent $100,000 on election ads. It neglected to mention how many millions of people those ads reached.” More …
Month: September 2017
Trump promised not to work with foreign entities. His company just did: the Chinese Government
“A major construction company owned by the Chinese government was hired to work on the latest Trump golf club development in Dubai despite a pledge from Donald Trump that his family business would not engage in any transactions with foreign government entities while he serves as president.” More …
Trump Rescinds Obama-era Executive Order Limiting the Transfer of Surplus Military Equipment to Local Law Enforcement Agencies
“Local police departments can again buy previously restricted guns, ammunition, and riot gear, as well as other military-style equipment like grenade launchers.” More …
EPA Scott Pruitt Delayed Emergency Rules for Chemical Plants Weeks Before Toxic Fires Erupted in Houston
“In June, about 10 weeks before explosions and fires would begin erupting at a chemical plant damaged by Hurricane Harvey near Houston, Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Administrator Scott Pruitt placed a 20-month delay on the implementation of rules designed to prevent and contain spills, fires and explosions at chemical plants.” More …
How Washington Lobbyists Fought Flood Insurance Reform
“The catastrophic weather in Texas has thrown the spotlight on the federal government’s troubled flood insurance program, which is nearly $25 billion in debt after huge payouts following Katrina, Sandy and other devastating hurricanes. But as Houston starts the long process of recovering, lobbyists in Washington have already maneuvered to slow lawmakers efforts’ to overhaul the National Flood Insurance Program and protect their industries’ profits.” More …
Gary Cohn Thinks You’d Have to Be a “Moron” to Pay the Estate Tax
“Trump’s economic adviser accidentally admits an obvious truth: America has two tax systems. One for winners, and one for everyone else.” More …
Toxic Sites in Likely Path of Hurricane Irma
“The Associated Press surveyed six of the 54 Superfund sites in Florida before Irma’s arrival, all around Miami in low-lying, flood-prone areas. There was no apparent work going on at the sites AP visited this past week. The EPA said that if there was no activity, a site should be considered secured but would be closely monitored. The sites were in various stages of federally directed, long-term cleanup efforts.” More …
Why Haven’t Reporters Mass-Adopted Secure Tools for Communicating With Sources?
“When journalists don’t step up, leakers are forced to use riskier modes of communication to initiate contact.” More …
Houston Left with a Toxic Mess as Trump Relaxes Rules
“Explosions and fires at a Houston-area chemical plant triggered an evacuation Thursday in a region still in chaos from Hurricane Harvey — and generated new criticism of President Donald Trump’s efforts to repeal the industry’s safety rules.” More …
Kushners’ China Deal Flop Was Part of Much Bigger Hunt for Cash
“Jared Kushner, Donald Trump’s son-in-law and top adviser, wakes up each morning to a growing problem that will not go away. His family’s real estate business, Kushner Cos., owes hundreds of millions of dollars on a 41-story office building on Fifth Avenue. It has failed to secure foreign investors, despite an extensive search, and its resources are more limited than generally understood. As a result, the company faces significant challenges.” More …