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SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 21, 2009
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NEWS ABOUT: watchdog

watchdog stories: 14 news summaries
OPINION

Lay Off Israel, Human Rights Watch: Founder

Group founded to light closed societies has gone astray

Oct 20, 09 9:42 AM CDT
(Newser) - Human Rights Watch has lost its way, writes founder and chairman emeritus Robert L. Bernstein. The once even-handed organization has launched a jeremiad against Israel—a liberal democracy with a “vibrant free press”—while effectively ignoring abuses in closed, autocratic societies in the region it was created to... More »

MORE ABOUT:
Palestine • Israel and Palestinians • watchdog • human rights abuse • Human Rights Watch • autocracies • liberal democracy • HRW • Robert L. Bernstein • closed societies

(Newser) - The Treasury may have to expand its toxic asset programs and repeat stress tests, particularly for smaller banks, a US bailout watchdog panel finds. While larger banks have begun to recover, smaller financial institutions remain exposed to billions in losses from outstanding commercial property loans and are still unable to... More »

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Congressional oversight • watchdog • Treasury Department • bailout • financial crisis • TARP • stress tests

(Newser) - Anybody seen $700 billion? The government watchdogs charged with overseeing TARP spending don't seem able to answer even basic questions about where the money went, Chris Adams writes at McClatchy. A special inspector general, a congressional panel, and eight other inspectors general are supposed to be keeping track of the... More »

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Henry Paulson • watchdog • Treasury Department • Government Accountability Office • bailout • Troubled Asset Relief Program • Wall Street bailout • Timothy Geithner • TARP • Neil Barofsky

Crash Renews Focus on Developing World's Air Safety

Yemen crash prompts concerns

Jul 1, 09 2:40 PM CDT
(Newser) - After yesterday’s Yemeni Airbus crash, international watchdogs are taking a closer look at airline safety in developing countries, Bloomberg reports. The European Union may add Yemen to a list of more than 90 dangerous airlines from around the globe. Regulators in developing countries “tend to be under- supported... More »

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European Union • Yemen • watchdog • airline safety • Federal Aviation Administration • International Air Transport Association • Yemenia Air

(Newser) - Despite President Obama’s promise of transparency, the administration is blocking requests for the White House visitors list, MSNBC reports, defying two federal court rulings that the lists are public record. In addition to denying MSNBC’s request for a list of all visitors since Jan. 20, the Secret Service... More »

MORE ABOUT:
Barack Obama • Secret Service • Freedom of Information Act • executive privilege • watchdog • visitor logs • transparency • Obama administration • President Obama

CNN Fiddled While Tehran Burned

Twitter users blast network's paltry coverage during riots

Jun 15, 09 6:03 AM CDT
(Newser) - Twitter has already become a go-to place for breaking news, but the micro-blogging site assumed the role of media watchdog over the weekend, reports the New York Times. As riots protesting Mahmoud Ahmadinejad’s victory began to heat up in Tehran—and CNN aired a Larry King repeat about American ... More »

MORE ABOUT:
Iran • Mahmoud Ahmadinejad • protests • CNN • watchdog • riots • disputed election • media coverage • Twitter • Iranian election • Mir Hossein Mousavi

Hasbro, Discovery Join
to Launch Kids Channel

Toy maker plans to use kids network to promote merchandise

May 1, 09 12:56 PM CDT
(Newser) - Hasbro and Discovery have struck a deal to revitalize the flagging Discovery Kids Network, the Los Angeles Times reports. Hasbro, manufacturer of Transformers and GI Joe, will buy a 50% stake in Discovery Kids for $300 million. The company plans to emphasize merchandise based on programming on the network, which... More »

MORE ABOUT:
entertainment • consumer • merchandise • Transformers • Hasbro • watchdog • Discovery Channel • consumer advocacy

analysis

Hidden RAT Spoils Obama's Stimulus Bill

New board has powerful sway over federal watchdogs

Feb 19, 09 6:37 PM CST
(Newser) - Hidden away in the $787 billion stimulus bill is a lousy provision that threatens to inject politics into the jobs of supposedly independent government watchdogs, writes Byron York of the Washington Examiner. The bill creates something called the Recovery Accountability and Transparency Board—the RAT board to the few who... More »

MORE ABOUT:
Congress • watchdog • economic stimulus package • Office of the Inspector General • President Obama

 'Predatory' Funeral Industry 
 Comes Under Fire 

Big industry players take advantage of the bereft, says watchdog

Jul 5, 08 6:21 PM CDT
(Newser) - The funeral industry preys on bereft customers, artificially raising prices and taking custody of bodies it has no right to handle, argues a watchdog group. The Funeral Consumers Alliance aims to push fair and environmentally friendly death-care practices, Newsweek reports. “Funeral corporations use predatory sales tactics and aggressive marketing... More »

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environment • cremation • death • watchdog • funeral • burial • funeral home

White House Emails Can Stay Missing: Judge

Watchdog group outraged by ruling about lost missives

Jun 16, 08 8:08 PM CDT
(Newser) - Records on millions of missing White House emails can stay secret after all, a federal judge ruled today. US District Judge Colleen Kollar-Kotelly rejected a watchdog group's lawsuit, saying the records are kept in an agency exempt from the Freedom of Information Act. A probe, lawsuit, and appeal are all... More »

MORE ABOUT:
White House • Freedom of Information Act • watchdog • federal judges • ruling • George W. Bush • missing White House emails

Global Action Urged on Kid Abuse Sites 

Watchdog calls for international body to wipe out 3,000 sites

Apr 17, 08 5:44 AM CDT
(Newser) - Britain's Internet Watch Foundation is calling for the creation of an international body to help stamp out internet sites profiting from images of child sex abuse, the BBC reports. There are nearly 3,000 such sites worldwide, a number that has stayed constant over the last three years as sites... More »

MORE ABOUT:
Internet • sexual abuse • watchdog • child pornography • Internet crime

US Stores Riddled With Unsafe Toys

Lead, choking hazards could be home
for the holidays

Nov 21, 07 3:22 AM CST
(Newser) - Despite massive recalls, hazardous toys still crowd US shelves, warn consumer watchdog organizations. Dozens of toys pose choking hazards, contain toxic chemicals, or use dangerously strong magnets, according to an annual toy survey by the US Public Interest Research Group released yesterday. Nine of 100 toys tested by the Center... More »

MORE ABOUT:
China • toys • choking • watchdog • Consumer Product Safety Commission • magnets • lead tainted toys • US Public Interest Research Group • Center for Environmental Health

Buyer, Beware of Recalled Goods on EBay

Online auction
stalwart warns users
to screen carefully

Oct 3, 07 12:03 PM CDT
(Newser) - After the recent recall of 21 million toys, eBay has cautioned its shoppers about buying tainted goods—and warned sellers of them they may be kicked off the site. The internet phenom says it’s unable to police all items in its marketplace, but will be providing tip sheets and... More »

MORE ABOUT:
eBay • online auction • watchdog • Mattel • toy recalls • Thomas and Friends

Panel to Shield Journal Editors

In latest deal, hybrid board would hire and fire key staffers

Jun 29, 07 5:38 AM CDT
(Newser) - A watchdog committee, not would-be owner Rupert Murdoch, would hire and fire editors under a tentative pact to protect the editorial independence of the Wall Street Journal,  a source familiar with details of the deal tells MarketWatch. Members of the panel would be chosen by Murdoch's News Corp., Dow... More »

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Rupert Murdoch • Wall Street Journal • Dow Jones • Bancroft family • news • watchdog • editor • News Corp

14 Stories


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