FCC To Vote On Putting TV’s Campaign Ad Data Online
Government regulators take up a rule with wide political implications Friday. The Federal Communications Commission is expected to vote on a proposal requiring TV stations to post online information about the campaign ads they air. Stations are already compelled to keep those records in public files. FCC Chairman Julius Genachowski says it’s time to make [...]
Health Insurers Set To Pay $1.3 Billion In Rebates
If you buy your own health insurance, there’s nearly a 1 in 3 chance that come this summer you’ll get a nice little surprise in the mail: money back from your health insurance company. At least that’s the prediction from an analysis by the Kaiser Family Foundation. The checks are rebates. And they’re the result [...]
New Republic: The Misuse Of The German Example
Alec MacGillis is a senior editor for The New Republic. I don’t usually wade into global economic policy here on the Stump, but as Mitt Romney reminded us in his speech last night, the 2012 presidential race is “still about the economy — and we’re not stupid.” So after coming across a particular pet peeve [...]
After Backlash, Ethanol Industry Is Thriving
Five years ago, ethanol was seen as the next big thing to wean the U.S. off foreign oil. Then some studies on the corn-based fuel cast doubt on its environmental benefits, and auto companies turned their attention to hybrids and electric cars. The hype died off, but the ethanol industry is alive and well, driving [...]
For Some, ‘Frustration’ Over Mortgage Settlement
Earlier this month, a judge approved a settlement between five major banks and nearly all of the state attorneys general. The banks admitted to taking shortcuts — or “robo-signing” documents — as they pushed through some foreclosures. Most of the $25 billion settlement is supposed to go toward reducing mortgage payments for some troubled homeowners. [...]
Fed Chief Bernanke To Discuss Sluggish Economy
Policymakers at the Federal Reserve wrap up a two-day meeting Tuesday, and will explain what they plan to do about interest rates. The consensus seems to be they’ll keep short-term rates near zero to help support the sluggish economy. While policy may remain unchanged, there will likely be a spirited discussion over whether the Fed [...]
With ‘Drive,’ Google Joins The Cloud Storage War
After years of speculation and rumor, today Google announced Google Drive, a new service that allows users to store data on the cloud. In English, that means a service that allows users to keep documents, photos, videos and other files on Google’s servers and access them from many different devices. With services like Dropbox, Box, [...]
Government Files First Criminal Charges In BP Oil Spill
“The first criminal charges in connection with the BP oil spill have been filed in Houston, Texas against a former BP engineer named Kurt Mix,” NPR’s Carrie Johnson reports exclusively. Carrie just told our Newscast unit that Mix has been charged with obstruction of justice for allegedly deleting text messages after the spill. The texts [...]
Made In The USA: An Export Boom
In his State of the Union address two years ago, President Obama argued there were a few things the U.S. needed to do in order to recover from the economic recession. One of them was to export more of our goods around the world. “The more products we make and sell to other countries, the [...]
When Lobbyists Pay To Meet With Congressmen
Yesterday, we reported on the fundraisers that lobbyists hold for Congressmen every day in Washington. Today, we hear what happens inside those events. The stories are part of our series on money in politics. At a typical event, there’s a member of Congress and a member of his or her staff who is in charge [...]
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