US government

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On National Debt Front, a 'Hard to Grasp' Number

US has exceeded $34T, a record: 'America just cannot stop borrowing'

(Newser) - In September, the United States broke its national debt record, reaching $33 trillion. Now, just three months later, a new record has been set. CNN Business notes that, per year-end figures released by the Treasury Department last month, our government's debt shot up to $34.001 trillion on Dec....

Feds Admit: We Share Terror List More Than We've Indicated

After years of insisting the list isn't generally shared with private sector

(Newser) - The federal government has conceded it shares its terrorist watchlist with more than 1,400 private entities, including hospitals and universities, prompting concerns from civil libertarians that those mistakenly placed on the list could face a variety of hassles. The government's admission that it shares the list so broadly...

Couple Allegedly Stole $5M to Prep for 'Fall of US Government'

Florida pair face up to 30 years in prison if convicted

(Newser) - A Florida couple is accused of stealing $5 million allegedly used to prepare "for the fall of the US government." An arrest warrant states Gretchen Camp of Jacksonville admitted to stealing from Swisher International, where she worked as a tax manager, partly because her unemployed husband "wanted...

'Extensive' Porn Browsing Led to Malware on Gov't Network

USGS employee visited 9K adult sites: inspector general's report

(Newser) - Russian malware found infecting a US government network got the in from a US Geological Survey employee who violated agency rules about watching porn on a government-issued computer. That's according to a Oct. 17 report by the Department of the Interior's inspector general, which found the unnamed employee...

Secret Gov't Airline Needs Someone to Fly to Area 51

You'll need top secret security clearance, of course

(Newser) - Looking for an exciting new employment opportunity? A secret airline tasked with delivering people to some of the most closely guarded locations in the US apparently has an opening. Janet Airlines—a classified government airline USA Today notes "sort of doesn't exist"—is seeking a Las Vegas-based...

Defrauded Students Getting Debt Relief—25 Years Later

Government settles lawsuit filed by students of shuttered for-profit college

(Newser) - One of the largest for-profit college chains in the US was shuttered in 1994 after federal investigations revealed it had defrauded thousands of students by falsely certifying them for federal loans. Ever since, the US government has been collecting on federal student loan debt left behind by students of Wilfred...

Kobe Bryant Tweet Gets High-Schoolers Out of Final

'Great lesson in the power of social media'

(Newser) - Truly, tweets and US government are hopelessly intertwined these days. WRTV reports a high school senior in Indianapolis got his entire US Government class out of their final—thanks to a retweet from Kobe Bryant. William Pate was told by his teacher, Mr. Belser, the final would be canceled if...

Victims of Horrific 1940s Study Still Wait in Pain

Slate describes their fight to get compensation

(Newser) - In 2010, Hillary Clinton was among those to apologize on behalf of the US for horrific medical experiments that government researchers performed on Guatemalans in the 1940s. More than 1,000 were infected with STDs without their consent and at least 83 died as researchers sought to prevent illness in...

Uncle Sam Has a Plan for 11M Pounds of Excess Cheese

USDA to spend $20M to scoop up surplus, distribute to food banks and pantries

(Newser) - "Get rid of the gouda" isn't something you'd expect from a government directive, but that's the gist of what the Department of Agriculture is doing to ease the country's cheese crisis. By "crisis," we mean there's more cheese stockpiled and languishing in...

Seattle Couple Leaves Entire Fortune to 'America'

Perhaps they wanted to say 'thank you' with their $847K gift

(Newser) - The US government is $847,215.57 richer thanks to an extraordinary gift from an immigrant couple. Peter Petrasek escaped Czechoslovakia during World War II and met and married his wife Joan, an Irish immigrant, in Canada. The pair made Seattle their home in the late 1950s. Joan died in...

Congress' Most Endangered Incumbents

Unpopular President Obama could hurt Democrats

(Newser) - The congressional midterm elections are coming, meaning it's time to mine the tea leaves for potential losers. So, who might be facing the music come November? Of the Senate's 10 most vulnerable, nine are Democrats, according to Roll Call . A sampling from its list:
  • Mary Landrieu—An oddball
...

Government Doled Out $100B Improperly Last Year

2013 number below 2010's $121B peak

(Newser) - By its own estimate, the government made about $100 billion in payments last year to people who may not have been entitled to receive them—tax credits to families that didn't qualify, unemployment benefits to people who had jobs, and medical payments for treatments that might not have been...

US Government Also Uses 'Password' for Password

Report slams lazy cybersecurity measures in place at federal agencies

(Newser) - Yes, ordinary and lazy humans often use "password" as a computer password , but a new report complains that the same thing applies to sensitive government agencies, reports Mashable . The Senate cybersecurity report finds that agencies ranging from Homeland Security to the IRS use weak security measures that leave their...

US Government Sells GM Stake, Loses $10.5B

Treasury secretary says bailout saved a million jobs

(Newser) - The US government ended up losing $10.5 billion on its bailout of General Motors, but still says the alternative would have been much worse. Treasury Secretary Jacob Lew announced today that the government sold its remaining shares in the Detroit automaker. The government received 912 million GM shares, or...

China Hackers Have Hit Majority of Washington: Experts

Rare to find 'network that hasn't been breached'

(Newser) - Just how widespread is Chinese hacking against the US? Well, it's hit pretty much every Washington institution, experts tell the Washington Post . "The dark secret is there is no such thing as a secure unclassified network," says one. "Law firms, think tanks, newspapers—if there’s...

New End-of-Life Planning: Social Media Wills

Feds want you to plan what happens to your online profile

(Newser) - Social networking has already changed our lives; now, officials want us to consider its implications after our death. On its blog, the US government is calling on Americans to create "social media wills," which detail our wishes for the future of the huge range of online accounts we...

Feds Plan 'Garage Sale' to Raise $22B

Sale of airwaves, unused properties eyed as deficit reduction measure

(Newser) - The federal government is going through its stuff looking for things it doesn't use much anymore and can sell off to raise some cash. A "garage sale" included in President Obama's deficit reduction plan could see the government selling off unused land, roads, vehicles, and even airwaves,...

Record 81% Unhappy With Way US Is Governed
Record 81% Unhappy With
Way US Is Governed
gallup poll
Sep 26, 2011 9:29 AM CDT

Record 81% Unhappy With Way US Is Governed

And the record numbers don't stop there

(Newser) - We are not a very content bunch. Majorities of Democrats and Republicans alike are unhappy with the US government, leading to a record high of 81% who are dissatisfied with the way America is bring governed, the latest Gallup poll shows. A whopping 92% of Republicans are dissatisfied, as are...

Feds Can't Fix Economy: Poll
 Feds Can't Fix Economy: Poll 
Aug 11, 2011 10:58 AM CDT

Feds Can't Fix Economy: Poll

New survey shows many of us agree with S&P

(Newser) - Another day, another poll about how much we hate Congress . This latest poll shows, in particular, that just one in four of us believes the federal government can fix the economy. That's down 21 points from October, notes the Washington Post . And a whopping 71% of respondents believe S&...

Family Fights US Mint Over Rare Coins

1933 double-eagles were supposed to have been destroyed

(Newser) - A Philadelphia family is going head-to-head with the US government in a legal battle over ownership of 10 rare "double-eagle" coins worth $20 each when minted, and now valued in the millions. The coins were first produced by the US Mint in 1933 but never distributed. All but two...

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