Federal funds may have illegally supported state and local lobbying efforts as part of a “prevention and wellness” program by the Department of Health and Human Services, according to HHS’s Inspector General. The IG noted that possibility in a letter to Sen. Susan Collins (R-ME), who first raised concerns about …
At 1:15 pm on Tuesday, Scribe’s investigative reporter Lachlan Markay will join Rep. Jim Jordan, chairman of the Republican Study Committee, on a Google+ “hangout” to discuss issues currently before Congress. Once the event begins, video will appear in the window above. The “hangout” feature allows viewers to see live …
The U.S. Department of Agriculture has doled out millions of dollars in subsidies to farms on which farming isn’t actually taking place, according a new report from government watchdogs. Billions more have gone towards supporting farms that don’t grow the crops for which they’re being subsidized. USDA gave nearly $3 …
The Department of Energy recently awarded $25 million to a French company that posted net losses of about $70 million last year, and whose solar division is particularly troubled financially. As part of its Scaling Up Nascent PV At Home (SUNPATH) project, DOE’s Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy (EERE) division …
The Agriculture Department’s Rural Housing Service likely loaned hundreds of millions of dollars to ineligible borrowers as part of President Obama’s stimulus package, a report by federal watchdogs has revealed. The stimulus earmarked more than $1 billion for RHS home loans in rural communities. According to the Ag Department’s Inspector …
With all the gloomy economic news coming out of late, one bright spot flew under the radar last week: the United States is poised to be the proverbial center of the energy universe. A recent study by Harvard Research Fellow Leonardo Maugeri found that the United States’ incredible shale reserves represent “the …
The federal government has financed a multi-million dollar ad campaign in New York City and elsewhere attacking sugary soft drinks. But legislation passed last week continues subsidizing sugar producers, and allows food stamp recipients to buy soda and other supposedly unhealthy foods with taxpayer money. Uncle Sam is fighting soda …
Another stimulus-backed green energy company has filed for bankruptcy, further fueling criticism of Energy Department programs that backed highly-risky investments on the taxpayer dime. Like Solyndra and a number of other green energy investments made under this administration, Abound Solar had a very poor credit rating, but enjoyed a wealth …
Now that the Supreme Court has ruled that Obamacare’s health insurance mandate is in fact a tax levied on those who do not purchase insurance, Senate Republicans will look to repeal the full law through the budget reconciliation process. Reconciliation was used to push Obamacare through the Senate in 2009. …
President Obama’s stimulus package subsidized home loans for individuals who already owed the federal government millions in back taxes, according to a new report by federal watchdogs. The report, released Wednesday by the Government Accountability Office, found that the Federal Housing Administration, a division of the Department of Housing and …
