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Pulling back the curtains on wage-theft enforcement in MN; Trump's latest attack is on RFK, Jr; NM LGBTQ+ equality group endorses 2024 'Rock Star' candidates; Michigan's youth justice reforms: Expanded diversion, no fees.

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Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg says rebuilding Baltimore's Key Bridge will be challenging and expensive. An Alabama Democrat flips a state legislature seat and former Connecticut senator Joe Lieberman dies at 82.

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Historic wildfires could create housing and health issues for rural Texans, a Kentucky program helps prison parolees start a new life, and descendants of Nicodemus, Kansas celebrate the Black settlers who journeyed across the 1870s plains seeking self-governance.

Congress, Whistleblower Give Big Oil a "Royal (ty) Pain"

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Friday, January 19, 2007   


It's been a week of big headaches for big oil, but possible relief for the public. The price of crude is falling, and yesterday the Department of Interior's internal watchdog publicly reported mismanagement at the DOI, where senior officials of the Minerals Management Service were notified of a loophole that would allow oil companies to skip out on billions in royalties, but failed to address the problem. Beth Daley with the Project on Government Oversight says real oversight is needed.

"The federal government is operating under an honor system where we get royalties based simply on whatever the oil industry wants to give us."

Here in Colorado, a trial began this week involving a Department of Interior auditor who filed a civil suit after being told not to collect legal oil royalties from Oklahoma-based Kerr McGee. Daley argues the agency needs to fix its process for auditing oil leases.

"I think we're talking about an agency that is captured by the oil industry and fails to think first about the American taxpayer."

The House voted late yesterday to repeal billions of dollars in tax breaks and subsidies for the oil industry. The bill now goes on to the Senate.



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A report from the Tennessee HealthCare Campaign recommended the federal government needs to strengthen 340B drug pricing and other federal negotiation mechanisms to make needed medicines more readily available and less expensive for hospitals to purchase and administer. (Spotmatikphoto/AdobeStock)

Health and Wellness

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A recent report examined how some rural Tennessee hospitals have managed to stay afloat despite financial challenges. The report includes interviews …


Social Issues

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Michigan recently implemented a significant juvenile justice reform package following recommendations from a task force made up of prosecutors…

Health and Wellness

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Medicare and Medicaid are key sources of health coverage for many Americans and some people qualify for assistance under both programs. With lagging …


Organizations fighting wage theft said it harms affected workers and surrounding communities because the money withheld is not being circulated through the local economy. (Adobe Stock)

Social Issues

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A mix of policy updates and staffing boosts has helped to put wage theft enforcement on the radar in Minnesota, and officials leading the efforts are …

Social Issues

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New research shows more than six in 10 abortions in the U.S. last year were medically induced, and U.S. Sen. Catherine Cortez Masto - D-NV - is …

Social Issues

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Missouri lawmakers are concerned with protecting people from the potential risks of the increasing accessibility of AI-generated images and videos…

Environment

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A farm group is helping Iowa agriculture producers find ways to reduce the amount of nitrogen they use on their crops. Excess nitrates can wind up …

 

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