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Friday, October 24, 2014
Alty News: Democrats Blame China; Congress Wary of Probing NSA Corruption Allegations
Posted By Eric S. Peterson on October 24, 2014, 1:14 AM
Congress seems to be wary of investigating allegations of corruption between the NSA and key businesses.
Top of the Alty World
“Where Is the Investigation Into Financial Corruption at the NSA?”—The Atlantic
ProPublica looks at how a New York County refinanced its tobacco bonds in a deal that profited investors over taxpayers.—ProPublica
Following riots in Ferguson, MO. Rolling Stone looks at the triumphs of property destruction as protest throughout American history.—Rolling Stone
Congresisonal Democrats who are being hammered for voting with President Obama are in turn hammering their opponents for supporting Chinese interests over American ones.—Slate
Top of Alty Utah
The Utah Supreme Court clears the way for same-sex couples to adopt children.—Salt Lake City Weekly
Utah Political Capitol offers a primer on understanding some of the lesser known offices of the executive branch like the auditor and treasurer and how candidates get elected to these offices.—Utah Political Capitol
The Governor has announced that he has reached a deal with federal officials on his Healthy Utah Plan for a customized expansion of Medicaid in the state.—Salt Lake City Weekly
The Director of the Utah Commission on Criminal and Juvenile Justice explained to legislators that Utah's prison population would increase by 37 percent over the next 20 years unless immediate reforms were enacted.—Salt Lake City Weekly
Rantosphere
An anonymous inmate, incarcerated for the first time in the Utah Correctional system debunks some myths about prison such as that Utah inmates know exactly when they will get out of prison.
“Utah is one of the last states in the union to have what is called 'indeterminate sentencing."' Indeterminate sentencing means that when a person is sentenced, they have no idea how long they will serve. Utah has sentencing guidelines for each crime, but the guidelines have become ambiguous and meaningless.”—Salt Lake City Weekly
The Long View
Buzzfeed examines how the largest bribe the FBI ever paid in a public corruption scheme involved buying favors from a man who could help expand warehouse space in a secitn of California where locals have to deal with sprawling warehouses and non-stop diesel trucks fulfilling Americans demands for fast shipped online merchandise.
“The largest bribe the FBI has ever paid to a public official in a sting operation wasn’t to a United States senator or even a state lawmaker. It was to a lowly city councilman in this gritty, unglamorous Los Angeles exurb, where a fifth of the population lives below the poverty line, and local headlines play a steady drumbeat of grim news such as the daytime murder of a grandmother at a gas station.
Councilman Marcelo Co didn’t seem particularly interested in improving the town.
Even as he ran for office in 2010, he faced criminal charges for renting out apartments that were slummy and unsafe. Midway through his first term, he was caught on tape taking $2.36 million in cash from an undercover agent he thought was a land developer. Co told the agent that for enough money he would vote 'yes' on any land-use plans. 'I don’t care if it’s the shittiest can of worms,' Co said.”—BuzzFeed
Top of the Alty World
“Where Is the Investigation Into Financial Corruption at the NSA?”—The Atlantic
ProPublica looks at how a New York County refinanced its tobacco bonds in a deal that profited investors over taxpayers.—ProPublica
Following riots in Ferguson, MO. Rolling Stone looks at the triumphs of property destruction as protest throughout American history.—Rolling Stone
Congresisonal Democrats who are being hammered for voting with President Obama are in turn hammering their opponents for supporting Chinese interests over American ones.—Slate
Top of Alty Utah
The Utah Supreme Court clears the way for same-sex couples to adopt children.—Salt Lake City Weekly
Utah Political Capitol offers a primer on understanding some of the lesser known offices of the executive branch like the auditor and treasurer and how candidates get elected to these offices.—Utah Political Capitol
The Governor has announced that he has reached a deal with federal officials on his Healthy Utah Plan for a customized expansion of Medicaid in the state.—Salt Lake City Weekly
The Director of the Utah Commission on Criminal and Juvenile Justice explained to legislators that Utah's prison population would increase by 37 percent over the next 20 years unless immediate reforms were enacted.—Salt Lake City Weekly
Rantosphere
An anonymous inmate, incarcerated for the first time in the Utah Correctional system debunks some myths about prison such as that Utah inmates know exactly when they will get out of prison.
“Utah is one of the last states in the union to have what is called 'indeterminate sentencing."' Indeterminate sentencing means that when a person is sentenced, they have no idea how long they will serve. Utah has sentencing guidelines for each crime, but the guidelines have become ambiguous and meaningless.”—Salt Lake City Weekly
The Long View
Buzzfeed examines how the largest bribe the FBI ever paid in a public corruption scheme involved buying favors from a man who could help expand warehouse space in a secitn of California where locals have to deal with sprawling warehouses and non-stop diesel trucks fulfilling Americans demands for fast shipped online merchandise.
“The largest bribe the FBI has ever paid to a public official in a sting operation wasn’t to a United States senator or even a state lawmaker. It was to a lowly city councilman in this gritty, unglamorous Los Angeles exurb, where a fifth of the population lives below the poverty line, and local headlines play a steady drumbeat of grim news such as the daytime murder of a grandmother at a gas station.
Councilman Marcelo Co didn’t seem particularly interested in improving the town.
Even as he ran for office in 2010, he faced criminal charges for renting out apartments that were slummy and unsafe. Midway through his first term, he was caught on tape taking $2.36 million in cash from an undercover agent he thought was a land developer. Co told the agent that for enough money he would vote 'yes' on any land-use plans. 'I don’t care if it’s the shittiest can of worms,' Co said.”—BuzzFeed
More by Eric S. Peterson
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