Decoder: The Pension Fund Scandal
April 30: This post has been corrected.
The corruption scandal at New York State’s public pension fund has now tainted multimillion-dollar investment deals in at least two other states – California and New Mexico. Pension systems are reacting with changes meant to cast sunlight on a shadowy system, particularly on the role of investment middlemen called "placement agents."
The agents work for a variety of investment management firms, large and small, that seek to manage a slice of the assets held by big pension funds. The … more…
Who Runs Departments Before Heads Are Confirmed?
More than half of now-President Barack Obama's cabinet nominees have been confirmed by the Senate today -- but that leaves several … more…
Bush Signing Statements Will Retire With Their Author
Jan. 8: This post has been corrected.
President Bush has vetoed fewer bills than any president since Warren G. Harding, but not because … more…
Can Blagojevich Use Campaign Cash to Pay Lawyers?
Facing 30 years in prison on corruption charges, Illinois Gov. Rod Blagojevich is assembling the best defense team money can buy. The … more…
Why Is Cuban Facing a Fine When Martha Faced the Slammer?
With Dallas Mavericks owner Mark Cuban facing civil insider-trading charges (PDF) from the SEC, we got to wondering what it takes for … more…
What Happens if Felon-Senator Stevens Wins?
Updated 5:45 p.m.
Senator and convicted felon Ted Stevens (R-AK) is holding on to a slim lead in his bid for re-election. As we … more…
Does Stevens’ Conviction Disqualify Him from the Senate?
Today, a jury convicted Sen. Ted Stevens (R-AK) today on felony charges that he made false financial statements about gifts he received … more…
A Visual Guide to the Nominees’ Speeches
The vice presidential debate is tonight, and as always, there will be plenty of statements that deserve scrutiny. The speeches at the … more…
The Regulators Who Saw Crisis Coming
Long before the financial crisis claimed headlines, U.S. regulators and law enforcement officials had begun sounding alarms about … more…
What Are the Rules on Presidential Campaign Financing, Anyway?
With the presidential campaign entering the final stretch, we thought we'd dig into what rules govern how the candidates can raise … more…
Does Palin Really ‘Command’ Alaska’s National Guard?
The McCain campaign has made much of Gov. Sarah Palin's role as commander in chief of the Alaska National Guard.
A spokesman claimed, … more…
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