Filed under Bulldog Extra, Offshore corporations on April 4, 2013 at 12:27 pm
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By Gerard Ryle, Marina Walker Guevara, Michael Hudson, Duncan Campbell, Stefan Candea and Nicky Hager of the International Consortium of Investigative Journalists and the Center for Public Integrity 
A cache of 2.5 million files has cracked open the secrets of more than 120,000 offshore companies and trusts, exposing hidden dealings of politicians, con men and the mega-rich the world over.
The secret records obtained by the International Consortium of Investigative Journalists lay bare the names behind covert companies and private trusts in the British Virgin Islands, the Cook Islands and other offshore hideaways. (more…)
Filed under Bulldog Extra, Consumer on April 1, 2013 at 6:30 am
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By Marian Wang, ProPublica 
At the University of California Santa Cruz, where tuition runs to nearly $35,000 for non-residents, students every year pay more than 30 additional fees — including a small charge for what’s billed as “free” HIV testing. Students at Oklahoma State University pay a handsome sum to attend one of the state’s flagship schools, but they are also responsible for covering 18 different fees, including a “life safety and security fee.” (more…)
Filed under Bulldog Extra, Politics on March 26, 2013 at 6:28 am
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By Dave Levinthal, Center for Public Integrity
President Barack Obama’s new nonprofit advocacy group wants to know what its donors do professionally and for whom they work.
But don’t expect to ever see the information. (more…)
Filed under Bulldog Extra, Energy on March 21, 2013 at 12:13 pm
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By Justin Elliott, ProPublica
Energy secretary nominee Ernest Moniz Photo: MIT
When President Obama nominated Ernest Moniz to be energy secretary earlier this month, he hailed the nuclear physicist as a “brilliant scientist” who, among his many talents, had effectively brought together “prominent thinkers and energy companies” in the continuing effort to figure out a safe and economically sound energy future for the country.
Indeed, Moniz’s collaborative work – best captured in the industry-backed research program he oversaw at The Massachusetts Institute of Technology – is well known. So, too, is his support for Obama’s “all of the above” energy strategy – one that embraces, fossil fuels, nuclear, and renewable energy sources. (more…)
Filed under Bulldog Extra, Ethics on March 19, 2013 at 12:42 pm
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By Nicholas Kusnetz, Center for Public Integrity
New Mexico’s state capitol, the Roundhouse
SANTA FE — On February 20, New Mexico’s House Energy and Natural Resources Committee gathered for one of its regular meetings in a drab room here at the capitol, a circular building known as the Roundhouse. On the agenda: a bill that would hike fees and penalties for energy companies drilling wells in the state.
The votes fell along party lines, with five Republicans lining up against the bill and the committee’s Democratic majority voting to send the legislation to the House floor. The Republicans argued the bill would stifle business and cost jobs, and for one lawmaker, the issue hit particularly close to home. Rep. James Strickler spends most of the year running his own small oil and gas production company, JMJ Land & Minerals Co. The bill would directly affect his profits. (more…)
Filed under Bulldog Extra, Consumer on March 12, 2013 at 6:01 am
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By Tracy Weber and Charles Ornstein, ProPublica 
Dr. Jon W. Draud, the medical director of psychiatric and addiction medicine at two Tennessee hospitals, pursues some eclectic passions. He’s bred sleek Basenji hunting dogs for show. And last summer, the Tennessee State Museum featured “African Art: The Collection of Jon Draud.”
But the Nashville psychiatrist is also notable for a professional pursuit: During the last four years, the 47-year-old Draud has earned more than $1 million for delivering promotional talks and consulting for seven drug companies. (more…)
Filed under Bulldog Extra, Ethics on March 6, 2013 at 10:01 am
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By Nicholas Kusnetz, Center for Public Integrity 
The Republican-controlled Florida Senate unanimously passed a landmark ethics reform package on Tuesday, the first day of the legislative session, setting the stage for what could be the first major changes to the state’s ethics laws in decades.
The bills would strengthen provisions that prevent lawmakers from immediately becoming lobbyists, expand the powers of the state’s ethics commission and require that financial disclosure reports be posted online. (more…)
Filed under Bulldog Extra, Environment on February 27, 2013 at 11:19 am
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By Bridget Huber, FairWarning 
Chemicals used to treat drinking water for millions of Americans may raise the risk of cancer and lead to other unintended health hazards, according to a report released today by the Environmental Working Group, an advocacy organization.
The group is urging the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency to reevaluate its standards for the byproducts created when water is disinfected. The Environmental Working Group also is pushing officials to clean up sources of public drinking water to reduce the need for chemical treatment in the first place. (more…)
Filed under Bulldog Extra, Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles on February 20, 2013 at 10:40 am
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By Lloyd Dunkelberger and Michael Pollick, Sarasota Herald-Tribune
Canadians wait to obtain an international driving permit in Montreal on Feb. 14. (Pierre Obendrauf / The Gazette)
Gov. Rick Scott and state lawmakers said they will work to alter or overturn a new law that requires Canadian and other foreign travelers to obtain international permits to drive in Florida.
The law, passed last year by the Legislature and signed by Scott, could be amended as early as March, when lawmakers officially convene. Typically, state laws go into effect in either July or October. (more…)
Filed under Bulldog Extra, Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles on February 19, 2013 at 1:10 pm
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By Michael Pollick and Justine Griffin, Sarasota Herald-Tribune
In Canada, lines form as people anxiously pursue international driver’s licenses. Photo: Toronto Star
Just because a law isn’t being enforced doesn’t mean it can’t still bite you — in the wallet, anyway.
In the international driver’s license furor now straining relations between the Sunshine State and the Great North, insurance appears to be the rub. (more…)
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