December 2016 Archive
Family’s Shipping Company Could Pose Problems for Trump’s Transportation Pick
Elaine Chao’s family owns ships flagged abroad, a way to avoid U.S. taxes and higher labor costs. But one of Chao’s missions at the Transportation Department will be to press American-owned ships to fly the U.S. flag.
Will Trump Scrap NASA’s Climate Research Mission?
NASA does more than explore other planets; it studies our own. Agency scientists worry Donald Trump will abort the work.
Pro-Trump Group Blew by Basic Campaign Finance Laws
The America Comes First PAC did not disclose its donors before Election Day. And its top funder is banned from the securities industry.
Suspected of Corruption at Home, Powerful Foreigners Find Refuge in the U.S.
Guess where politicians and businessmen fleeing criminal charges find safe haven.
Could Programs to Help Undocumented Immigrants Gain Driver’s Licenses Backfire?
Advocates fear that programs in a dozen states might be used by a Trump administration to bolster deportations aims.
Sunlight Labs Takeover Update
A status update on the projects we took over from the Sunlight Foundation
Boomtown, Flood Town
Climate change will bring more frequent and fierce rainstorms to cities like Houston. But unchecked development remains a priority in the famously un-zoned city, creating short-term economic gains for some while increasing flood risks for everyone.
Boomtown, Flood Town (Full Text)
Climate change will bring more frequent and fierce rainstorms to cities like Houston. But unchecked development remains a priority in the famously un-zoned city, creating short-term economic gains for some while increasing flood risks for everyone.
De Blasio Says ‘Enough is Enough’: Landlords Getting Big Tax Break Must Cap Rent Hikes
The mayor’s statement, publicizing a crackdown on owners of more than 3,000 rental buildings, is his sharpest critique yet of enforcement lapses benefiting scofflaw property owners.
New Jersey Will No Longer Collect Loans From Families of Dead Students
After a ProPublica and New York Times investigation into New Jersey’s student loan program, Gov. Chris Christie stayed silent. On Monday, he signed a reform bill ending its most onerous practice.
Jury Awards $93 Million in Federal Fraud Case Against Allied Home Mortgage
Federal prosecutors win case against Allied six years after ProPublica detailed an extensive list of misconduct and government sanctions against the Houston firm.
Why Trump Would Almost Certainly Be Violating the Constitution If He Continues to Own His Businesses
The meaning of the Emoluments Clause is fairly clear. And it all goes back to a diamond-encrusted snuffbox Ben Franklin got from Louis XVI.
Trump’s Treasury Secretary Pick is a Lucky Man. Very Lucky.
Steven Mnuchin has a long history of coming out ahead, even in questionable deals.
