THE DAILY READ
Congress's Travel Tab Swells; Group Says Government Used False Confessions;Staffer at SEC Had Warned of Madoff
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Congress's Travel Tab Swells Wall Street Journal($)
The spending on overseas travel is up almost tenfold since 1995, and has nearly tripled since 2001, according to the Journal analysis of 60,000 travel records. Hundreds of lawmakers traveled overseas in 2008 at a cost of about $13 million. That's a 50% jump since Democrats took control of Congress two years ago.
Group Says Government Used False Confessions Washington Post
The American Civil Liberties Union accused the Obama administration of using statements elicited through torture to justify the confinement of a detainee it represents at the U.S. military prison in Guantanamo Bay, Cuba.
Staffer at SEC Had Warned of Madoff Washington Post
An investigator at the Securities and Exchange Commission warned superiors as far back as 2004 about irregularities at Bernard L. Madoff's financial management firm, but she was told to focus on an unrelated matter, according to agency documents and sources familiar with the investigation.
CIA Report on Interrogation Is Delayed Again WSJ($)
Secret CIA Jails an Issue in Terror Case NYT
Evidence to Charge Ruth Madoff Lacking WSJ($)
Trustee's Total of Madoff Losses Nears $3 Billion NYT
Rule Requires Reporting of Contractors' Past Performance GovExec
Partner of Blago Witness Sentenced to 18 Months ChiTrib
Court Cases Question TSA Search Authority WSJ($)
Immigration Crackdown Shifts Focus to Employers WSJ($)
SEC Moves to Make Companies More Accountable WaPo
Home Builder Charged With Fraud NYT
Stanford Executive Reaches Plea Deal NYT
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THE DAILY READ
CIA Report on Interrogation Expected Today; After Call From Senator's Office, Small Hawaii Bank Got U.S. Aid; Social Security Audit Finds Dead People Getting Checks
Today's Daily Read powered by Publish2. See what else we're reading by subscribing to our GoogleReader feed, or following us on Twitter.
CIA Report on Interrogation Expected Today Washington Post
The Justice Department is expected to release an internal CIA report on the agency's secret detention and interrogation program during the Bush administration.
After Call From Senator's Office, Small Hawaii Bank Got U.S. Aid Washington Post
Sen. Daniel K. Inouye's staff contacted federal regulators last fall to ask about the bailout application of an ailing Hawaii bank that he had helped to establish and where he has invested the bulk of his personal wealth.
Social Security Audit Finds Dead People Getting Checks McClatchy
The Social Security Administration has continued to pay millions of dollars in benefits to dead Americans, and other elderly U.S. residents are at risk of losing badly needed aid because they're improperly recorded as deceased, federal investigators warn in a new report.
U.S. Pursues Firms With Ties to North Korea Reuters
The United States said Tuesday that it had cracked down on companies involved in North Korea's missile program and in purchases of equipment that could be used in a nuclear weapons program.
Advocates Claim Patients' Treatment Is Denied Illegally LAT
US Seeks Order for UBS to Name Acccount Holders AFP
Ohio Rep. Gets $3.5 Billion in Earmarks in Climate Bill WashTimes
Obama Presents Bill to Create Consumer-Finance Watchdog WaPo
Two States Restrict Firms' Gifts to Doctors WSJ($)
Former CIA Officer in Algeria Charged With Sexual Assault WaPo
Records:Tension Between Agency's Fired IG and Officials WaPo
Sanford's Travel Records Probed CNN
Radio Ratings Under Scrutiny WaPo
Drug Industry Increases Lobbying Efforts CQ Politics($)
Finance Lobby Cut Spending as Feds Targeted Wall Street WSJ($)
Ex-Governor of Alabama Seeks Retrial in Bribery Case NYT
Stanford to Remain Jailed Pending Trial WSJ($)
Chinese Delay Plan for Censor Software WSJ($)
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THE DAILY READ
Supreme Court to Review Campaign Finance Laws; States Can Challenge Banks; Madoff Sentenced to 150 Years in Prison
Today's Daily Read powered by Publish2. See what else we're reading by subscribing to our GoogleReader feed, or following us on Twitter.
Justices to Review Campaign Finance Laws Washington Post
The Supreme Court announced that it will consider whether to uphold a ban on corporate spending in federal elections, a move that campaign finance experts said could have a dramatic effect on the 2010 and 2012 federal elections.
Court Backs State Oversight of Big Banks Washington Post
The Supreme Court held that states can challenge the practices of national banks in court, a decision that marks a major victory for consumer advocates. Major banks have long argued that only federal bank regulators can compel them to comply with rules meant to protect consumers from potentially unfair lending practices or pursue cases of potential discrimination against minorities.
Report: 10 More to be Charged with Madoff CBS
A person familiar with the investigation tells CBS News that 10 more people are expected to face federal charges by the time the probe into the multibillion-dollar fraud is complete. So far, only Madoff and an accountant accused of failing to make basic auditing checks have been criminally charged. Madoff was sentenced yesterday to 150 years in prison.
Expanded Intelligence Oversight Advised Washington Post
The House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence has approved legislation intended to strengthen congressional oversight of sensitive intelligence matters, including covert operations.
Detroit Councilwoman Resigns After Admitting Bribery AP
Prosecutors Say Stanford Is Flight Risk WSJ($)
House Probes Resignation at Amtrak WSJ($)
Private Banker Moved Funds Undetected NYT
EPA Names Locations of Hazardous Coal-Ash Piles USAT
Emails Scrutinized in Jefferson Case Times-Picayune
Ex-U. of I. Officer Describes Start of Clout List ChiTrib
Lawsuits Challenge Police 'Scent Lineups' USAT
Oncologist Defends His Work at a V.A. Hospital NYT
D.C. Scam Leader to be Sentenced Today WaPo
Russian in Extradition Battle Says U.S. Agents Violated Law NYT
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THE DAILY READ
Stiff Sentence Urged for Madoff; GE Benefit From Bailout Loophole; Corruption Plays Key Role in Iraqi Justice
Today's Daily Read powered by Publish2. See what else we're reading by subscribing to our GoogleReader feed, or following us on Twitter.
Stiff Sentence Urged for Madoff Associated Press
Victims who lost millions of dollars in the multibillion-dollar fraud perpetrated by Bernard Madoff described their ruined lives Monday to the judge sentencing the 71-year-old former Nasdaq stock market chairman.
Loophole Helps GE Benefit From Bank Rescue Washington Post
General Electric, the world's largest industrial company, has quietly become the biggest beneficiary of one of the government's key rescue programs for banks while avoiding many of the restrictions facing other financial giants getting help from the government.
Corruption Plays Key Role in Iraqi Justice Los Angeles Times
Questions of collusion between corrupt security forces and judges who issue warrants are so great that Iraq's Supreme Judiciary Council ordered an inquiry into the matter this month.
White House Weighs Exec. Order on Detention Washington Post
Obama administration officials, fearing a battle with Congress that could stall plans to close the U.S. prison at Guantanamo Bay, are crafting language for an executive order that would reassert presidential authority to incarcerate terrorism suspects indefinitely, according to senior government officials.
New Guidance Issued on Detainee Military Trials New York Times
Feds Challenge Stanford's Release Houston Chronicle
Admissions Probe to Hear from U. of I. Lobbyists ChiTrib
Political 'tit for tat' illustrated at Jefferson trial Times-Picayune
Conyers says little about wife's legal troubles AP
Report: EPA May Have Suppressed Climate Report CNET
Thousands Still in FEMA Trailers USAT
Justice Department Extends Probe of Oracle-Sun Deal WSJ($)
Acorn Role in Census Challenged WSJ($)
Ethics Committee Investigating Lawmakers' Travel AP
Did Toxic Chemical in Iraq Cause GIs' Illnesses? AP
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THE DAILY READ
Senate Panel Hears of Health Insurers' Wrongs; Republicans: Fed Shielded Facts of Merrill Sale; 53 Indicted in Medicare Fraud Sting
Today's Daily Read powered by Publish2. See what else we're reading by subscribing to our GoogleReader feed, or following us on Twitter.
Senate Panel Hears of Health Insurers' Wrongs Washington Post
Health insurers have forced consumers to pay billions of dollars in medical bills that the insurers themselves should have paid, according to a report released yesterday by the staff of the Senate Commerce Committee.
Republicans: Fed Shielded Facts of Merrill Sale Washington Post
The Federal Reserve tried to keep other federal regulators out of the loop while pushing Bank of America to follow through on its deal to buy the crippled investment bank Merrill Lynch late last fall, according to Republicans on the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee.
53 Indicted in Medicare Fraud Sting Washington Post
The Justice Department unsealed criminal indictments against 53 people for allegedly bilking the Medicare system, the latest step in a wide-ranging effort to prevent fraud that costs the federally funded health program billions of dollars each year.
Cuomo's Money Manager Got Funds Linked to Scandal
Bloomberg
EnTrust Capital Inc., a hedge fund firm that's handled New York Attorney General Andrew Cuomo's personal and campaign money, received state pension funds to invest from a company he has identified as paying possible illegal kickbacks.
'Anomalies' Found in DC Metro Control System WaPo
New York Assemblyman Pleads Guilty To Soliciting Payments NYT
Records: Burris Failed to Disclose Stock Options ChiTrib
Some Mark Sanford Trips Were Taxpayer-Funded Politico
Bush Administration Received Generous Foreign GiftsPolitico
Scrutiny Grows as U.S. Pays Staffers' Student Loans WSJ ($)
Groups Urge VA to Reform Disability Claim Procedures WaPo
Inaccurate Accounting of the Uninsured WSJ ($)
Medtronic Gets FDA Warning On Two Pumps WSJ ($)
More Transparency Urged at FDA WSJ ($)
Apple's Silence on Jobs' Have Broken Securities Rules LAT
Blogger Charged With Threatening Federal Judges Hartford Courant
Private Clubs That Aren't Private Under the Law WSJ ($)
Study Ties Madoff Loss to Charity's Board Size NYT
U.S. Policies Criticized by U.N. Rights Watchdog WaPo
Switzerland Orders Nuclear Case Files Destroyed NYT
U.S. Presses China on Censorship WaPo
U.S. Sends Weapons to Somalia Washington Post
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THE DAILY READ
Documents Back Saudi Link to Extremists; Rise in Native Contracts Eyed; DHS to Curb Spy-Satellite Program
Today's Daily Read powered by Publish2. See what else we're reading by subscribing to our GoogleReader feed, or following us on Twitter.
Documents Back Saudi Link to Extremists New York Times
Documents gathered by lawyers for families of Sept. 11 victims provide new evidence of extensive financial support for Al Qaeda and other extremists by members of the Saudi royal family, but the material may never find its way into court because of legal and diplomatic obstacles.
Rise in Native Contracts Under Scrutiny Anchorage Daily News
Special contracting rules for Native corporations have allowed them to "qualify for large contracts while circumventing the normal competition process" according to a new report by the Senate Subcommittee on Contracting Oversight.
DHS to Cut Police Access to Spy-Satellite Data Washington Post
Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano has announced plans to kill a controversial Bush administration program to expand the use of spy satellites by domestic law enforcement and other agencies.
Madoff Client Netted $5 Billion ProPublica
It is rare these days to see Bernard Madoff's name in print unaccompanied by the word "Ponzi." But it now appears that the biggest winner in Madoff's scheme may not have been Madoff at all, but a secretive businessman named Jeffry Picower.
Madoff's Attorneys Seek 12-Year Sentence WaPo
OMB Calls For More Detailed Stimulus Reporting Nextgov
Senate to Begin Proceedings to Remove Federal Judge Politico
GAO Report Criticizes Nuclear Detectors WaPo
Defense Dept. Creates Cyber-Defense Command WaPo
New Orleans City Hall Target of FBI ProbeTimes-Picayune
Lawmakers Get 'Generous' Healthcare Plans USAT
Calif. Budget Built With Fiscal Gimmicks LAT
D.C. Train Operator Apparently Hit Brakes Before Crash WaPo
Medtronic Subpoened Over Surgeon's Product Study WSJ ($)
U Wisc. Doctors Disclose Outside Payments Journal Sentinel
E-mail Spammer Pleads Guilty to Fraud Detroit Free Press
Antigua Fires Regulator Charged in Stanford Case NYT
Report: U.S. Contacted Iran's Ayatollah Before Election WashTimes
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THE DAILY READ
New Details in Madoff Case; White House to Nix Spy-Satellite Program; An Earmark-Stuffed War Funding Bill
Today's Daily Read powered by Publish2. See what else we're reading by subscribing to our GoogleReader feed, or following us on Twitter.
New Details Emerge in Madoff Case New York Times
Federal regulators contend that a prominent investor and a small brokerage firm both helped Mr. Madoff sustain the Ponzi scheme by steering billions of dollars into it, in exchange for hundreds of millions of dollars in fees and profits.
Obama to Abandon Spy-Satellite Program Wall Street Journal ($)
The White House plans to kill a controversial Bush administration program that would have provided federal, state and local officials with extensive access to spy-satellite imagery — but no eavesdropping capabilities — to assist with emergency response and other domestic-security needs.
Congress Stuffs War-Funding Bill with Earmarks McClatchy
Obama originally sought $83.5 billion to fund the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. By the time Congress rewrote the bill and passed it last week, the price had jumped to $105.9 billion.
GAO Cites Gun Sales to Those on Watch List Washington Post
People named on the government's terrorism watch list have successfully purchased firearms hundreds of times since 2004, government investigators reported. In one case, a known or suspected terrorist was able to obtain an explosives license.
Judge Orders Guantanamo Detainee's Release WaPo
Justices Retain Oversight by U.S. on Voting NYT
Va. Official's Ouster Over Big Contract Investigated WaPo
Blagojevich Fundraiser Sentenced to 3 Years in Prison ChiTrib
Court Will Not Revive Plame's Lawsuit AP
FEC Dismisses Cases Against 527s CQ
PMA Client Seeks Restitution for Lost Earmark Roll Call ($)
Justices Say Waste Can Be Dumped in Lake NYT
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THE DAILY READ
Iran's Spying Aided by Western Technology; Blair Under Fire Over War Inquiry; V.A. Hospital's Rogue Cancer Unit
Today's Daily Read powered by Publish2. See what else we're reading by subscribing to our GoogleReader feed, or following us on Twitter.
Iran's Spying Aided by Western Technology
Wall Street Journal ($)
The Iranian regime has developed, with the assistance of European telecommunications companies, one of the world's most sophisticated mechanisms for controlling and censoring the Internet, allowing it to examine individual online communications on a massive scale.
Blair Tried To Stop Public Iraq War Inquiry
The Times
Former British Prime Minister Tony Blair tried to stop a public inquiry into the Iraq war as new evidence emerged suggesting that he knew Saddam Hussein may not have had weapons of mass destruction.
V.A. Hospital's Rogue Cancer Unit
New York Times
A Veteran's Affairs Hospital operating a cancer unit with virtually no outside scrutiny botched 92 of 116 cancer treatments over six years — and then kept quiet about it.
Forgotten Warriors: Contractors Fight to Get Care L.A. Times
Of the 200,000 civilians working in Iraq and Afghanistan under U.S.-funded contracts, many are so-called third-country nationals covered by taxpayer-funded insurance. But the program has failed to deliver medical care and other benefits to many foreign workers and their survivors.
VA Moves Texas Lab After Years Pass Without Testing WaPo
FTC to Monitor Blogs for False Claims, Payments WaPo
Hedge Funds Boost Lobbying Profile WSJ ($)
Questions Raised as Amtrak IG resigns Boston Globe
Critics Urge Greater Insurance Regulation Roll Call ($)
Public Transit Lacks Stimulus Funds Salon
D.A.'s Immigrant Job Training Program Under Scrutiny LAT
Goldman Sachs to Make Record Bonus Payout Guardian
Taliban Wanted $25 Million for NYT Reporter ABC
Jefferson Corruption Trial ContinuesTimes-Picayune
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If you have solid tips, news or documents on potential ethical violations or abuses of power, we want to know. Send us your suggestions.

Unfortunately I believe that we are limited in what we can focus on. I think that if we proceed with the partisan sideshow of prosecuting Bush admin. officials, healthcare will get lost in the brouhaha.
The Washington Post's permanent investigative unit was set up in 1982 under Bob Woodward.