A number of news reports tried to reengage the climate change debate by reporting on a press release from National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) and NASA’s Goddard Institute for Space Studies that suggested 2010 tied 2005 for the warmest year on record. The Associated Press reports, “Indeed, the last three months have been particularly cool in the U.S. Southeast, even while worldwide readings were going on to tie 2010 with 2005 for the warmest year on record as climate change continues to affect the atmosphere.”

But the article fails to differentiate between warmest years in the United States … Continue Reading

The Associated Press’ Stephen Ohlemacher had a fine item out February 7th noting that federal tax receipts as a percentage of GDP are at their lowest level since World War II. Ohlemacher even properly reported that “the poor economy is largely to blame.” But no where does Ohlemacher clearly explain the difference between tax rates and tax receipts. It is not until the 14th paragraph that he finally reports that “Income tax rates remain unchanged.”

So will federal taxes remain low when the economy improves? Ohlemacher does not tell us. But the Congressional Budget Office does. Thanks to our … Continue Reading

Tom Raum of The Associated Press reported on President Barack Obama’s pay freeze on November 29th:

The proposal, which must be approved by Congress, would not apply to the military, but it would affect all others on the Executive Branch payroll. It would not affect members of Congress or their staffs, defense contractors, postal workers or federal court judges and workers.

But there are more limitations to President Obama’s pay freeze. It only applies to 2011 and 2012 cost of living increases. Most federal employees will still receive seniority-based pay increases over the next two years, and no one’s federal benefits … Continue Reading

Arthur Max of the Associated Press wrote on November 20th about the dangers of permafrost melting and releasing carbon dioxide into the atmosphere. He writes, “Some scientists believe the thawing of permafrost could become the epicenter of climate change. They say 1.5 trillion tons of carbon, locked inside icebound earth since the age of mammoths, is a climate time bomb waiting to explode if released into the atmosphere.” That may be a concern of some scientists but Max is wrong when he says “Most climate scientists, with a few dissenters, say human activities - … Continue Reading

An Associated Press article, under the header “Workers bear larger share of health premium costs,” reports that “workers are paying a larger portion of health insurance costs as businesses, trying to ride out the economic downturn, shift more of the burden to their employees.”

The September 2nd Tom Murphy article adds: “The average employee contribution toward premiums for family coverage climbed 14 percent this year to nearly $4,000, according to a report by the Kaiser Family Foundation and the Health Research and Educational Trust released Thursday. Contributions for single coverage grew 15 percent.”

But this study repeats the myth that there … Continue Reading

Reporting on the $26.1 billion government union bailout for the Associated Press on August 13th, Steven Paulson wrote:

U.S. Rep. Jared Polis told his colleagues in the House on Tuesday that the bill will provide Colorado school districts with $160 million and save the jobs of 2,600 teachers in Colorado.

Paulson did go on to add:

State Sen. Nancy Spence, a Republican from Centennial, said an unofficial survey by the Colorado School Finance Project, a joint venture by teachers, educators and school executives to track school finances, raises serious questions about the number of jobs that will be saved.

But this makes the … Continue Reading

In his July 21st article, Carbon-control bill faces steep hill in Senate, Associated Press reporter Charles Babington makes it sound like nothing but good will come from a bill that prices carbon dioxide. Discussing last year’s Waxman-Markey bill Babington writes, “The House voted 219-212 last year for a “cap and trade” energy plan. It would create economic incentives to limit heat-trapping gases from power plants, vehicles and other sources.”

These economic incentives are nothing more than crony capitalist handouts given to large corporations. The incentives are subsidies, loan guarantees, tax credits, and regulations. In the free … Continue Reading

Matthew Lee and Eileen Sullivan of the Associated Press wrote a story with the headline, “Cleanup Aid from Overseas Comes with a Price Tag,” lamenting about the cost that comes with foreign assistance to clean up the Gulf oil spill. They say, “The State Department confirmed that nearly every offer of equipment or expertise from a foreign government since the April 20 oil rig explosion would require the U.S. to reimburse that country.”

Of course they do. Under the 1990 Oil Pollution Act, the party responsible for the spill is also responsible for all the direct … Continue Reading

Jeannine Aversa of The Associated Press wrote a June 29th article detailing some of the economic damage from the Deepwater Horizon spill including:

Wells Fargo economist Mark Vitner estimates that up to 250,000 Gulf jobs in fishing, tourism and energy will be lost in the second half of the year.

But what Aversa fails to report is that almost half of this jobless is the direct result of President Barack Obama’s oil drilling moratorium. The American Petroleum Institute forecasts that if the drilling ban continues, more than 120,000 jobs could be lost in the Gulf Coast and key … Continue Reading

The Associated Press’s Matthew Daly reported June 15th on the Environmental Protection Agency’s new analysis of the Senate cap and trade bill introduced by Senators John Kerry (D-MA) and Joe Lieberman (I-CT). The analysis says cap and trade would cost American households cost households an average of $79 to $146 per year. But the AP fails to report on the faulty assumptions that come with the EPA analysis.

To get there, the EPA includes generous assumptions, specifically on the use of carbon capture and sequestration (CCS), the use of offsets and the increase in nuclear power. With CCS, … Continue Reading

Associated Press reporter David Espo wrote about the DISCLOSE Act on June 15th:

The measure requires the listing of the names of the top five donors to an organization running political ads, including unions, businesses and non-profit organizations. … In a concession negotiated over the weekend, House Democrats agreed to an exemption from the disclosure requirements for organizations that have been in existence for a decade, have at least 1 million dues-paying members and do not use any corporate or labor union money to finance their campaign-related expenditures.

This language makes it seem that the DISCLOSE Act treats union and corporation … Continue Reading

On June 16, Michelle Price writes for the Associated Press in “Ariz. lawmaker takes aim at automatic citizenship” about a proposal by local law makers to prohibit issuing birth certificates unless at least one parent can prove US citizenship. Arizona state senator Russell Pearce, the article states, is considering legislation because he, “contends that the practice of granting citizenship to anyone born in the U.S. encourages illegal immigrants to come to this country to give birth and secure full rights for their children.”

Price goes on to write that “Legal scholars laugh out loud at Republican state … Continue Reading

A June 3rd Associated Press report, “Impact: US-Mexico border isn’t so dangerous,” by Martha Mendoza carries a misleading title and omits key facts about the state of border security. The article claims “government data obtained by The Associated Press show it actually isn’t so dangerous after all.” The article notes that crime rates in four major border cities San Diego, Phoenix, El Paso and Austin is down. In addition, it cites an internal Department of Homeland Security report that concludes the levels of violence against US Border Patrol agents is declining as well.

What the report omits, however, is … Continue Reading

Associated Press reporter Julie Hirschfeld Davis reported on May 12th:

Republicans hunting for clues about what kind of justice Supreme Court nominee Elena Kagan would be said Tuesday they want to see papers from her time serving in the Clinton administration.

Hirschfeld Davis then goes on to give other details about the fight over Kagan’s nomination and her tenure with the Clinton administration, but she complete leaves out one key detail: the Senate Democrat filibuster of DC Circuit Court nominee Miguel Estrada over the Bush administration’s refusal to turn over papers from Estrada’s service as an adviser … Continue Reading

Jim Kuhnhenn of the Associated Press reported on May 5th:

The Senate voted Wednesday to prohibit the use of taxpayer money for any more Wall Street rescues but set up a mechanism where the government would have to front the money, even if only temporarily, to liquidate a “too big to fail” financial institution.
…
Under the agreement:

Instead of using the $50 billion fund, the Federal Deposit Insurance Corp. would borrow from the Treasury to pay for the costs of liquidating a firm. Those costs would be recovered by the sale of the firm’s assets, with shareholders and creditors bearing the losses.

… Continue Reading

To recognize Earth Day and the important strides the United States has taken to improve the environment, the Associated Press credits the government for passing tough regulations that cleaned our nation’s water and skies. AP’s Seth Borenstein reports that “Improvements took shape in the form of the Clean Air Act, the Clean Water Act and changes in the way businesses treat the environment.”

This it not the case. Improvements took place before the passage of these bills. Indur Golkany’s book Clearing the Air: The Real Story of the War on Air Pollution and paper “The Environmental … Continue Reading

In an otherwise fine April 19th article reporting on Pew Research Center’s new poll showing “nearly in 10 Americans say they don’t trust the federal government,” the Associated Press‘ Liz Sidoti writes:

The survey found that Obama’s policies were partly to blame for a rise in distrustful, anti-government views. In his first year in office, the president orchestrated a government takeover of Detroit automakers, secured a $787 billion stimulus package and pushed to overhaul the health care system.

One quibble. According to revised accounting by the Congressional Budget Office released this January, because the stimulus failed to keep unemployment … Continue Reading

An April 9th Associated Press Anne Flaherty article claims “Republicans expected to line up behind New START.” Flaherty reports:

Despite near gridlock in the Senate, Republicans were expected to swing behind a new arms control treaty with Russia that President Barack Obama said they will like, even though some are reserving judgment until Obama can assure them the pact won’t set back U.S. defenses against other potential foes such as North Korea and Iran.
…
Republicans, however, did not rush to either praise or criticize the treaty. They want Obama to promise it won’t undercut the nation’s ability to set up missile

… Continue Reading

A January 12th Associated Press article carries the headline “Employer health mandate may be dropped” and Erica Werner reports:

The House-passed bill included an income tax increase on individuals making more than $500,000 a year and couples making over $1 million, as well as a requirement for large businesses to cover their workers. The Senate bill contained neither. It included a tax on high-value insurance plans and a modest increase in the Medicare payroll tax. Instead of requiring employers to offer health coverage, the Senate bill penalized businesses if any of their workers obtained government-subsidized health care.

The House and Senate … Continue Reading

On January 11th, Matt Apuzzo and Brett Blackledge reported on an Associated Press analysis of federal government infrastructure stimulus spending writing:

Spend a lot or spend nothing at all, it didn’t matter, the AP analysis showed: Local unemployment rates rose and fell regardless of how much stimulus money Washington poured out for transportation, raising questions about Obama’s argument that more road money would address an “urgent need to accelerate job growth.”
…
AP’s analysis, which was reviewed by independent economists at five universities, showed that strategy hasn’t affected unemployment rates so far. And there’s concern it won’t work the second time. For

… Continue Reading

A December 18th USA Today headline read: “House narrowly OKs year-end, $100B jobs bill.” But then reading Associated Press report we learn:

According to documents released by Democrats, the measure would cost $154 billion. But there’s also another $20 billion from the federal treasury to keep the highway trust fund afloat.

Similarly, under the headline: “U.S. House Approves $154 Billion Jobs Bill, Debt Limit Increase”, Bloomberg reports:

The U.S. House approved a $154 billion economic-aid package and a $290 billion increase in the legal limit on government borrowing as the chamber wrapped up its legislative business for the year.

So where did … Continue Reading

A November 29th Associated Press article reports that Sen. Chuck Schumer (D-NY) has pressured the NBA to drop Adidas as the league’s official uniform supplier because the German company plans to move production of NBA gameday jerseys from upstate New York to Thailand:

Schumer planned to publicly urge the leadership of the NBA on Sunday to intervene and stop Adidas from moving production of the league’s official uniforms to Thailand, or pull out of its contract with the sports apparel giant.

Schumer said not only is “an all-American product” at stake, but also about 100 jobs at American Classic Outfitters’ factory

… Continue Reading

A December 8th Associated Press item by David Espo reports:

At its core, the legislation would expand health care to millions who lack it, ban insurance companies from denying coverage on the basis of pre-existing medical conditions and rein in the rise of health care spending nationally.

The first two items are fine, but the last assertion on cost control is just plain false. Much of the media bought Democrats spin that the recent Congressional Budget Office analysis of the Senate bill showed that proposed health care changes are somehow fiscally responsible. Yet what the CBO actually reported was … Continue Reading

Reporting on the October 2009 US trade deficit and the bilateral deficit with China, the Associated Press’ Martin Crutsinger and Christopher S. Rugaber conclude:

American manufacturers contend that China is manipulating the value of its currency, keeping it undervalued by as much as 40 percent in relation to the dollar. That gives Chinese manufacturers a competitive advantage and makes U.S. goods more expensive in China.

While Crutsinger and Rugaber are correct that American manufacturers still allege that China’s currency is undervalued by 40%, the journalists fail to mention that this statistic is from 2003, and that China’s currency – the … Continue Reading

Erica Werner and Ricardo Alonso-Zaldivar wrote a November 5th article for the Associated Press on the AARP’s endorsement of the latest version of the House health bill.

Many retirees are concerned about cuts in Medicare payments to medical providers, which will be used to finance an expansion of health insurance coverage to millions of working families who now lack it. Also, AARP says its membership is about evenly divided among Democrats, Republicans and independents, meaning its endorsement in today’s highly politicized atmosphere could anger many members.

This is a good start, but a better report would have noted AARP’s conflict of … Continue Reading

The November 2nd Associated Press article by David Espo, AP sources: House health bill totals $1.2 trillion, is a great start at honest reporting on the true costs of the House health care bill. Espo reports:

The health care bill headed for a vote in the House this week costs $1.2 trillion or more over a decade, according to numerous Democratic officials and figures contained in an analysis by congressional budget experts, far higher than the $900 billion cited by President Barack Obama as a price tag for his reform plan.

While the Congressional Budget Office has put the cost of

… Continue Reading

Associated Press reporter Laurie Kellman’s October 25th article, “Patients—and patience—in health care end game,” contains a big whopper. In an article otherwise devoted to chronicling the political back-and-forth of health care negotiations, she writes:

In a time of lingering recession, there is no more compelling pocketbook issue than health care overhaul. It’s an effort that’s intensely personal because it could affect every American.

How is the statement that health care is the most compelling pocketbook issue facing Americans justified? It’s not. Polling regularly shows the overall economy, job creation, and even deficit reduction are higher priorities than is … Continue Reading

A unattributed October 21st Associated Press article reports:

The industrialized world again in 2007 boosted, rather than reduced, its emissions of global-warming gases, the U.N. reported Wednesday, as international negotiators looked ahead to crucial climate talks in December.

But a search of the Web easily turns up news stories that show 2008 data, referring to numbers compiled by the Institute of the Renewable Energy Industry (“IWR”). This data, when compared to the IWR’s prior year data, shows that CO2 emissions from the “industrialized world” dropped substantially in 2008 versus 2007 (although the IWR goes out of their way … Continue Reading

An October 21st Associated Press story highlights a push from child-welfare advocates for more money from Washington to combat the problem of child-abuse related deaths. AP reporter David Crary writes:

Armed with grim statistics, experts and activists are mobilizing this week to demand expanded federal efforts — including more money and tougher oversight — to reverse a recent rise in the number of children dying from abuse and neglect. …

“Child abuse and neglect are national problems that require national solutions,” said Michael Petit, president of the Every Child Matters Education Fund. “That means federal lawmakers must work with states to

… Continue Reading

Covering the debate in Congress over whether a government-run health program should created under President Barack Obama’s health care plan, the Associated Press’ Ricardo Alonso-Zaldivar asserts on September 25th:

The public option continues to enjoy broad support in opinion polls.

Alonso-Zaldivar then completely fails to actually cite any polling data to back up this claim. To better inform his readers, Alonso-Zaldivar ought to check out the NBC News/Wall Street Journal poll conducted Spetember 17-20 by Democrat Peter Hart and Republican Bill McInturff.

They asked 1,005 adults: “Would you favor or oppose creating a public health care plan administered by the federal … Continue Reading