Items filed under "studies and reports"

The Hijacked Commission - NYTimes.com

Mike — Fri, 12 Nov 2010 08:01:54 -0500

It’s no mystery what has happened on the deficit commission: as so often happens in modern Washington, a process meant to deal with real problems has been hijacked on behalf of an ideological agenda. Under the guise of facing our fiscal problems, Mr. Bowles and Mr. Simpson are trying to smuggle in the same old, same old — tax cuts for the rich and erosion of the social safety net.

In Ad Wars, Democrats Shy From Ties to Own Party - NYTimes.com

Mike — Mon, 13 Sep 2010 19:05:48 -0400

In the last six weeks alone, Republicans broadcast 45,100 commercials and Democrats broadcast 38,400 in the competitive races included in the Times analysis of advertising data collected by the independent Campaign Media Analysis Group.

Seeing a Tilt in Sunday Talk - NYTimes.com

Mike — Mon, 13 Sep 2010 19:03:56 -0400

The study, of the five network Sunday shows from February to December 2009, found that while 14.6 percent of members of Congress were minorities, just 2.5 percent of the Congressional TV guests were minorities; and that while 16.9 percent of members were female, 13.5 percent of the guests were female.

Special-interest spending surges in state Supreme Court campaigns

Mike — Mon, 16 Aug 2010 08:12:57 -0400

In perhaps the best-known recent example, the chief executive of Massey Coal Co. spent $3 million to help elect a West Virginia high-court judge, who then participated in a case overturning a $50 million verdict against the company. The case led to a landmark ruling from the U.S. Supreme Court, which found that excessive campaign contributions can create an unconstitutional threat to a fair trial.

Study of Waterboarding Coverage Prompts a Debate in the Press - Media Decoder Blog - NYTimes.com

Mike — Sun, 04 Jul 2010 11:12:04 -0400

A study released this week of the four biggest newspapers in the United States said that in the wake of the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks, there was “a dramatic shift in coverage away from nearly a century of practice recognizing waterboarding as torture.”

Global temperature at its warmest ever, NASA scientist says - The Boston Globe

Mike — Thu, 03 Jun 2010 09:31:23 -0400

“Public perception has been radically impacted by a short campaign’’ by climate skeptics, said Grubb, who is also chairman of the advisory group Climate Strategies at the University of Cambridge. “That is deeply troubling if you want a sensible long-term solution to climate change.’’

Operators of Drones Are Faulted in Afghan Deaths - NYTimes.com

Mike — Sat, 29 May 2010 11:31:04 -0400

KABUL, Afghanistan — The American military released a scathing report Saturday on the deaths of 23 Afghan civilians earlier this year, saying that “inaccurate and unprofessional” reporting by a team of Predator drone operators helped lead to an inadvertent missile strike on a group of innocent men, women and children.

Report shows close ties between rig inspectors, oil industry

Mike — Wed, 26 May 2010 09:05:10 -0400

The result, the report found, was regulation that often looked less than rigorous. One confidential source, it said, told investigators that service inspectors let the oil and gas companies fill out their own inspection forms -- in pencil. Then an inspector would trace over their writing in ink.

National Research Council Urges Action on Climate - NYTimes.com

Mike — Thu, 20 May 2010 07:55:46 -0400

WASHINGTON — In its most comprehensive study so far, the nation’s leading scientific body declared on Wednesday that climate change is a reality and is driven mostly by human activity, chiefly the burning of fossil fuels and deforestation.

Senate report says tweaks can sustain Social Security - The Boston Globe

Mike — Tue, 18 May 2010 08:09:21 -0400

WASHINGTON — Social Security faces a $5.3 trillion shortfall over the next 75 years, but a new congressional report says the massive gap could be erased with only modest changes to payroll taxes and benefits.