Politics

IRS

How the IRS's Nonprofit Division Got So Dysfunctional

The IRS division responsible for flagging Tea Party groups has long been an agency afterthought, beset by mismanagement and financial constraints.

— By Kim Barker and Justin Elliott, ProPublica

 | Sat May. 18, 2013 3:00 AM PDT
murder rate declining

The US Murder Rate Is on Track to Be Lowest in a Century

And if we want it to keep declining, there's one simple thing we can do.

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| Thu May. 16, 2013 10:32 PM PDT

Is the Government Spying on Reporters More Often Than We Think?

There's evidence that the Justice Department's seizure of Associated Press phone records is far from unprecedented.

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| Fri May. 17, 2013 1:01 PM PDT
cia memorial wall

Benghazi: What Did the CIA Know, and When Did It Know It?

Forget the talking points. The CIA's cover-your-ass operation may be the real mystery.

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| Fri May. 17, 2013 3:00 AM PDT

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How Congress Helped Create the IRS-Tea Party Mess

Lawmakers could clear up the confusing rules for dark money groups. But do they really want to?

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| Fri May. 17, 2013 3:00 AM PDT

The Next Senator From Georgia Will Probably be Nuts

"Lies straight from the pit of hell," "War of Yankee Aggression," and nine other quotes from actual politicians seeking statewide office in the 21st century. (Plus: kittens.)

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| Fri May. 17, 2013 3:00 AM PDT
Eric Holder and President Obama

Should President Obama Fire Eric Holder?

Columnists have called for the attorney general's ousting, but does the public actually care?

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| Thu May. 16, 2013 8:56 AM PDT
tea party washington monument

Actually, Tea Party Groups Gave the IRS Lots of Good Reasons to Be Interested

IRS profiling was a fiasco. Yet, some tea party groups have left a trail of fiscal problems and possible tax-code abuse.

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| Fri May. 17, 2013 7:02 AM PDT

Saws Cut Off 4,000 Fingers a Year. This Gadget Could Fix That.

So why are the big power tool companies refusing to use it?

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| Thu May. 16, 2013 3:00 AM PDT

Elizabeth Warren to Obama Administration: Take the Banks to Court, Already!

Senator also asks federal agencies to justify their policy of settling with law-breaking financial institutions.

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| Tue May. 14, 2013 4:34 PM PDT

5 Things You Need to Know in the Inspector General's IRS Tea Party Scandal Report

How and why IRS staffers subjected conservative nonprofits to special scrutiny.

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| Wed May. 15, 2013 12:22 PM PDT

Ex-IRS Director: Tea Party Groups Deserved Scrutiny, But IRS Bungled the Job

Marcus Owens, who used to run the IRS division now rocked by scandal, weighs in.

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| Wed May. 15, 2013 3:00 AM PDT

Contractors Raked in $385 Billion on Overseas Bases in 12 Years

Every year, US taxpayers send billions of dollars abroad to build and maintain our military presence.

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| Tue May. 14, 2013 11:49 AM PDT

Study: Conservative Anti-Immigration Paper by Controversial Scholar Had Basic Errors

Jason Richwine's Heritage Foundation study on the costs of immigration reform had far-reaching problems, a new study finds.

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| Thu May. 16, 2013 2:48 PM PDT
dick cheney "smiling"

Dick Cheney, Benghazi, and White House Lies

The former veep knows all about misleading the public.

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| Wed May. 15, 2013 3:00 AM PDT
copyright lock

This Copyright Bill Could Help Small Business Owners, Girl Talk, Service Members, and the Blind

But will entertainment industry giants block it?

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| Thu May. 16, 2013 3:00 AM PDT
Richard Nixon

Shocking IRS Witch Hunt? Actually, It's a Time-Honored Tradition

Tea partiers join a club including the Communist Party, Christian schools—and Mother Jones.

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| Tue May. 14, 2013 3:00 AM PDT
America's worst prisons: San Quentin

America's 10 Worst Prisons: Dishonorable Mentions

7 runners-up, from a "gladiator school" to America's largest death row.

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| Wed May. 15, 2013 3:00 AM PDT
Riker's Island

America's 10 Worst Prisons: Rikers Island

New York City lockup has a "deeply entrenched" pattern of violence by guards, lawsuit claims.

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| Tue May. 14, 2013 3:00 AM PDT

The IRS Tea Party Scandal, Explained

It's Washington's new outrage. What exactly happened and who is responsible?

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| Tue May. 14, 2013 3:00 AM PDT

Photo Essays + Slideshows

Portraits of Addiction

A Manhattan banker shoots portraits of drug abuse, sex work, and homelessness in the Bronx.

Garry Winogrand, John F. Kennedy, Democratic National Convention, Los Angeles, 1

Never Before Seen Photos From Legendary Street Photographer Garry Winogrand

Fourteen amazing scenes of life in America—and hundreds more where that came from.

CSI Desert: When Migrants Die, Who IDs Them?

The Anime Within

Fans of cosplay ask: Are you fact or fiction?

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