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Dodd-Frank: Will the bill overturn decades of industry influence?
By Bill Allison Jul 18, 2011 11:31 a.m.The financial crisis had several authors--federal policies that opened the door to predatory mortgage lending, unregulated financial products, integrated firms that borrowed heavily from one another to invest in the "sure bet" of mortgage-backed securities, and hedge funds and insurers that sought to profit by mitigating risk through complex financial instruments. In the aftermath of the crisis, Congress passed and President Obama signed on July 21, 2010, the Dodd Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act to set new safeguards for the public, to rein in financial firms, to ensure oversight of new types of financial instruments, and to give regulators more tools to prevent another crisis.
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Agencies slow to provide new data required by Dodd-Frank
By Lindsay Young Jul 18, 2011 11:30 a.m.One year after passing Dodd Frank Financial reform, much of the work of reforming America’s financial system still lies ahead. This is not too surprising considering the sheer size of the legislation. The law created 243 rules and requires agencies to produce 67 studies, according to Harvard Law School Forum on Corporate Governance and Financial Regulation. One-hundred-twenty-two deadlines are due between July 16 and July 21.
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Controversy heats up over Medicare cost-cutting board
By Sarah Dorsey Jul 14, 2011 10:10 a.m.The fight over who will be in charge of keeping Medicare costs in line heated up this week as two House committees held contentious hearings on the subject. Opponents of the Independent Payment Advisory Board (IPAB), a 15-member panel appointed by the president and authorized to cut Medicare spending when it rises above a certain level, say such decisions should be left to Congress.
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Sunlight Live to cover Rematch of the Elizabeth Warren Hearing
By Lindsay Young Jul 13, 2011 6 a.m.If you didn't get your fill of fireworks on July 4, then be sure to tune in to a Capitol Hill fireworks display set for July 14. That's when Elizabeth Warren returns to Capitol Hill to defend her Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) in front of the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee.
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Sharron Angle's campaign committee is biggest contributor to her Super PAC
By Aaron Bycoffe Jul 12, 2011 11:07 a.m.A Super PAC launched by former U.S. Senate candidate Sharron Angle reported nearly $13,000 in contributions for the first six months of the year, with more than half -- $7,500 -- coming from Angle's campaign committee.
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Lobbyists pay millions to honor Congress, executive branch
By Keenan Steiner Jul 12, 2011 8:28 a.m.Last year, four of the country’s biggest military contractors paid $100,000 or more to become top sponsors of a black tie charity gala that honored the influential former chair of the House Armed Services Committee, Rep. Ike Skelton, D-Mo.
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Some lobbyists’ gifts to lawmakers' pet causes remain in the dark
By Keenan Steiner Jul 12, 2011 8:27 a.m.In the past two years, JPMorgan Chase and Bank of America have donated tens of thousands of dollars to a Florida nonprofit where congresswoman Corrine Brown, D-Fla., serves on the board of directors. Yet JPMorgan disclosed this contribution in a lobbying report while Bank of America did not.
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Graphic: Lobbyists' Honorary Gifts to Federal Officials
By Keenan Steiner Jul 12, 2011 3:14 a.m.Companies and organizations can donate an unlimited amount of money to honor officials, sponsor their conferences, and donate to their pet charities, so long as these donations are reported to the Senate. The Sunlight Foundation analyzed these filings from 2009 and 2010 and found about $50 million in honorary gifts and meeting costs. These donations can all be viewed in the interactive display below by company making the donation or by official being honored.
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IRS halts audits of donors to political committees
By Bill Allison Jul 7, 2011 6:07 p.m.The head of the Internal Revenue Service's enforcement division advised colleagues to shelve open audits of donors for 501(c)4 organizations--some of which, like Crossroads GPS and Moveon.org Civic Action, have been active in political campaigns.
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Help us identify the lobbyists
By Joshua Hatch Jul 6, 2011 10:48 a.m.On May 11, the Senate Judiciary Committee's Antitrust Subcommittee held a hearing on the proposed AT&T and T-Mobile merger. Titled "Is Humpty Dumpty Being Put Back Together Again?" the hearing was concerned with possible antitrust issues, questions of competition, access to wireless service, rising costs and the loss of jobs.
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FEC allows candidates to solicit limited contributions for Super PACs
By Aaron Bycoffe Jun 30, 2011 11:26 a.m.The Federal Election Commission voted unanimously Thursday to allow federal candidates and party officials to solicit limited contributions for Super PACs, groups that have changed the campaign-finance landscape in the past year by raising and spending unlimited amounts from indivuals, corporations and labor unions.
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Natural gas proponents powered by industry donations
By Keenan Steiner Jun 29, 2011 12:45 p.m.An investigation by the New York Times this week raised questions about whether the natural gas industry has had too much influence on policymaking by federal agencies, and whether that sway has led investors, members of Congress and others to be overly bullish about the energy source.
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One out of ten investment advisers disciplined
By Nancy Watzman Jun 29, 2011 12:19 p.m.Throughout his career as a broker-dealer, Anthony Gerard Manaia has been fired twice. He’s been the subject of 18 complaints by disgruntled investors, most of whom accused him of putting their money in risky investments without their knowledge. He’s currently under investigation for his role in a scandal around offerings by a medical financing company that a federal agency has accused of misappropriating investor funds.
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Good investor data are hard to find
By Nancy Watzman Jun 29, 2011 12:18 p.m.In a recent report to Congress, mandated by the Dodd-Frank financial overhaul law, the SEC maintained that "because selecting a broker-dealer or investment adviser is one of the most important decisions that investors face, information to help them make this choice should be easy to find, easy to use, and easy to understand."
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