Tag: Government Accountability
Indivisible launches For The People Project to ‘unrig our democracy and make it work for all’
“We’re holding nothing back as we work to make D.C. the 51st state, protect the rights of voters, and root out corruption in our government.” by Brett Wilkins, staff writer Wednesday, March 3, 2021 In…
“I don’t trust the people above me”: Riot squad cops open up about disastrous response to Capitol insurrection
Interviews with 19 current and former officers show how failures of leadership and communication put hundreds of Capitol cops at risk and allowed rioters to get dangerously close to members of Congress. by Joaquin Sapien and…
Utility companies owe millions to California regulatory agency. The problem? The agency can’t track what it’s owed.
When a whistleblower alleged that $200 million was missing from the California Public Utilities Commission, the agency says it took steps to collect. Yet an audit uncovered more missing money and cited flaws in the agency’s…
Are We Living in a Failed State?
by Wade Rathke January 27, 2021 New Orleans The inauguration was hardly a week ago, and the honeymoon is already over. Ok, you’re right. There was absolutely no honeymoon ever! Who is surprised? Probably no…
How Operation Warp Speed created vaccination chaos
States are struggling to plan their vaccination programs with just one week’s notice for how many doses they’ll receive from the federal government. The incoming Biden administration is deciding what to do with this dysfunctional system….
Accountability some fine day – make your own list
Hope is not a plan, but it’s something to hang on to now, so we can imagine a better future. by Wade Rathke Wednesday, October 21, 2020 Greenville Miss Georgia is now a 45-45 tie between…
Montana judge rules Trump’s illegal land manager’s decisions are invalid. ‘The Pendley Fire’
Illegal, unconfirmed acting official charade has consequences. Meteor staff Monday, October 19, 2020 Late last Friday, federal district judge Brian Morris ruled William Perry Pendley’s decisions as acting Bureau of Land Management director in Montana were…
Some small businesses received just $1 in Covid-19 Relief loans as Kushner family, Wall Street investors raked in millions
“Serious questions remain about whether PPP funds were equitably distributed to minority-owned businesses, and there is an alarming rate of small-dollar loans.” by Jake Johnson, staff writer Tuesday, July 7 The Kushner family, large chains backed…
Federal agencies have spent millions on KN95 masks, often without knowing who made them
Government employees at several agencies are relying on KN95 masks that the agencies cannot guarantee offer the most protection. Some agencies have paid little attention to important manufacturing details and been tripped up by shifting regulations….
“I can’t speak negatively about the President,” says Official charged with stimulus oversight
President Donald Trump’s purge of watchdogs is on the mind of one of the newly hired officials charged with overseeing the more than $2 trillion CARES Act. by Ilya Marritz and Katherine Sullivan, WNYC Wednesday, June…
Defending assault on peaceful protesters in DC, William Barr falsely claims pepper spray ‘not a chemical irritant’
“Barr is lying. Pepper balls contain chemical irritants. They are paint balls stuffed with oleoresin capsicum. Pepper spray is also a chemical irritant.” by Jake Johnson, staff writer Sunday, June 7 In an interview on CBS…
New York Supreme Court Judge rules protesters can be detained indefinitely
“This is suspension of habeas corpus, it is unconstitutional,” said Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez. by Jake Johnson, staff writer Friday, June 5 A New York State Supreme Court judge on Thursday rejected a petition seeking the immediate…
Law enforcement seizes thousands of masks sent to help protect protesters from coronavirus
“It appears they want to ensure that people who protest are susceptible to the same deadly pandemic that they have failed miserably at stopping.” by Jake Johnson, staff writer Friday, June 5 In an effort to…
Warnings of domestic military threat as top US General walks DC streets in combat fatigues
‘This Isn’t a Healthy Democracy’ “The commander of the joint chiefs is surveying the streets of D.C. in uniform like he’s planning a military assault.” by Jake Johnson, staff writer Tuesday, June 2 Why was U.S….
A closer look at federal COVID contractors reveals inexperience, fraud accusations and a weapons dealer operating out of someone’s house
The Trump administration has promised at least $1.8 billion to 335 first-time contractors, often without competitive bidding or thorough vetting of their backgrounds. by Ryan Gabrielson, Lydia DePillis, J. David McSwane and Derek Willis, ProPublica, and…
Trump puts UnitedHealth Group, a for-profit Insurer in charge of Covid-19 hospital funds
‘Never Heard of Anything Like This’ “It’s simply bizarre and unconscionable that the Trump administration would have United manage billions in relief to hospitals.” by Jake Johnson, staff writer Wednesday, April 22, 9:00 AM MST Watchdog…
Coronavirus stimulus law allows the Federal Reserve to hold secret meetings on corporate bailouts
“That provision’s a body blow to transparency when we need it most.” by Jake Johnson, staff writer A brief and obscure provision buried in the nearly 900-page coronavirus stimulus package passed by Congress last month authorizes…
Trump Removed the head of the Coronavirus Bailout Oversight Board. Its members could be next.
Democrats are scrambling to stop the president from replacing independent government watchdogs after he quickly pushed aside the leader of coronavirus bailout oversight. by Isaac Arnsdorf, ProPublica April 9, 1:27 p.m. EDT In the wake of…
Taxpayers paid millions to design a low-cost ventilator for a pandemic. Instead, the company is selling versions of it overseas.
As coronavirus sweeps the globe, there is not a single Trilogy Evo Universal ventilator — developed with government funds — in the U.S. stockpile. Meanwhile, Royal Philips N.V. has sold higher-priced versions to clients around the…
Senator dumped up to $1.6 million of stock after reassuring public about coronavirus preparedness
Intelligence Chair Richard Burr’s selloff came around the time he was receiving daily briefings on the health threat. by Robert Faturechi and Derek Willis March 19, 2:01 p.m. MST Soon after he offered public assurances that…
ACLU challenges new border wall funds transfer
by Meteor staff Feb 28, 2020 The American Civil Liberties Union filed a new lawsuit today challenging the Trump administration’s transfer of an additional $3.8 billion in military funds for border wall construction. Congress did not…
