A homeless man in New Hampshire has spent 854 days in jail for mostly minor offenses over a six-year period at a cost to taxpayers of about $63,000.A NPR reporter caught up with the 53-year-old man, Michael Treadwell, while researching how poor people are jailed for minor crimes when they can’t afford bail.Treadwell has mental health problems, and he drinks alcohol to cope, according to his ex-wife, Sherri Treadwell. Many of his crimes stem from a combination of being homeless and drunk, the article reports.From 2011 through 2016, Treadwell was jailed 575 days for trespass, 167 days for disorderly conduct, 79 days for vandalism, and 33 days for receiving stolen property—a jacket he was wearing. The stolen property charge was later dropped. In all, he was found guilty of 26 out of 63 charges during that time period.“Here’s a random sample of his criminal record, from a few months last summer,” the article reports. “Trespass in an apartment building; … [Read more...] about Homeless man spent 854 days in jail for mostly minor offenses
30 million to spend in 30 days
Boosted by $30 Million During Campaign, Trump Will Thank NRA By Speaking at Convention
Donald Trump, who was buoyed as a candidate by $30 million from the gun lobby, will become the first president in more than three decades to address the annual convention of the National Rifle Association.The NRA, which is hosting its annual convention this week in Atlanta, spent big to get Trump and other Republicans elected. The group dropped almost $53 million on outside spending during the 2016 cycle -- $37 million opposing Democrats and $16 million favoring Republicans, according to OpenSecrets data. The group also contributed more than $1 million directly to GOP candidates, parties, and leadership PACs.The NRA was an early endorser of Trump’s candidacy, announcing its support at last year’s convention. Its support has led to access. Trump met with NRA Executive Vice President Wayne LaPierre at the White House during the first two weeks of his presidency as part of a Supreme Court strategy … [Read more...] about Boosted by $30 Million During Campaign, Trump Will Thank NRA By Speaking at Convention
Illinois Unlocks $30 Million for Solar Investment
On May 30, 2014, the Illinois General Assembly passed House Bill 2427, which unlocks $30 million of roughly $54 million in existing state funds for investment in new renewable generation. The $30 million comes from the Renewable Energy Resources Fund (RERF), which is administered by the Illinois Power Agency (IPA). The $30 million is anticipated to be targeted at solar generation, with a focus on “distributed” solar generation, or generation with a name-plate capacity of less than two megawatts. To date the IPA has only made one procurement using the RERF and committed less than $3 million, even though the RERF is anticipated to grow to nearly $130 million this September.The RERF is funded by Alternative Retail Electric Suppliers (ARES) who pay into the fund as partial compliance of Illinois’ renewable portfolio standard on behalf of their customers. Due to statutory language that did not anticipate the dramatic success of ARES securing “mass market” … [Read more...] about Illinois Unlocks $30 Million for Solar Investment
BP Alaska to Pay $25 Million Penalty for Alaskan North Slope Oil Spill
WASHINGTON – The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), the U.S. Department of Justice and the U.S. Department of Transportation’s Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration (PHMSA) today announced that BP Exploration Alaska, Inc. will pay $25 million in civil penalties and implement a system-wide pipeline integrity management program for spilling more than 5,000 barrels of crude oil from the company’s pipelines on the North Slope of Alaska. The penalty is the largest per-barrel penalty to date for an oil spill.“Today’s settlement with BP Alaska imposes a tough penalty and requires the company to take action to prevent future pipeline oil spills on the Alaska North Slope,” said Cynthia Giles, assistant administrator for EPA’s Office of Enforcement and Compliance Assurance. “The Clean Water Act gives the U.S. authority to assess higher penalties when oil spills are the result of gross negligence, and this case sends a … [Read more...] about BP Alaska to Pay $25 Million Penalty for Alaskan North Slope Oil Spill
Adelson Gave $40 Million to Super PACs in Final Weeks of Election
Top 25 donors supplied more than a third of super PAC cashBillionaire casino magnate Sheldon Adelson and family poured nearly $40 million into the coffers of GOP-aligned super PACs In the final three weeks of the 2012 campaign, bringing their total giving to the groups to more than $93 million.Adelson ranks as the top donor to the outside spending groups by a wide margin, according to a Center for Public Integrity analysis of campaign finance records. Sheldon Adelson, chairman and CEO of the Las Vegas Sands Corp. Vincent Yu/AP fileSuper PACs raised roughly $830 million in the 2012 election, with conservative groups accounting for about 60 percent of the total, according to the nonpartisan Center for Responsive Politics.By contrast, President Barack Obama’s presidential campaign raised nearly $720 million and Republican challenger Mitt Romney’s raised almost $450 million, according to Federal Election Commission filings.In all, the top 25 super PAC super donors doled out … [Read more...] about Adelson Gave $40 Million to Super PACs in Final Weeks of Election