Intelligence Report | Parade.com

Does It Pay to Host the Olympics?

Thu, 02 Jul 2009 11:34:43 EDT

In October, Chicago will learn whether its $5 billion bid to host the 2016 Olympics will beat out competition from Rio de Janeiro, Madrid, and Tokyo. But while hosting the Games can boost a...

Federal Employees Rack Up Big Bills

Thu, 02 Jul 2009 11:34:43 EDT

Ten years ago, Congress created a new system of government credit cards for federal employees booking work-related travel. The cards were meant to curb waste and abuse. But since their introduction,...

Huge Rewards for Terror Info

Thu, 02 Jul 2009 11:34:43 EDT

The State Department now hands out multimillion-dollar rewards for information on terrorists, and spokespeople for the department claim that the unprecedented size of the bounties has helped...

Tax Credits for Home Windmills

Fri, 26 Jun 2009 09:14:47 EDT

The market for small wind turbines that can generate enough juice to power a home, farm, or small business grew by 78% in 2008, according to the American Wind Energy Association (AWEA). A new 30% tax...

The Mentally Ill In Prison

Fri, 26 Jun 2009 09:14:47 EDT

More than one in eight prisoners in the U.S. has a serious mental illness. Advocates of a new system of “mental-health courts” say that, with treatment, many of them could become lawful...

Why Are There More Food Recalls?

Fri, 26 Jun 2009 09:14:47 EDT

In April, the federal government advised citizens not to eat raw alfalfa sprouts, while earlier in the year we were warned against pistachios and peanut butter. If it seems like these...

Can You Believe What You Read on the Web?

Fri, 19 Jun 2009 08:22:22 EDT

Recently, a man identifying himself as a representative of Belkin, a major technology company, offered to pay people to post five-star reviews of its products on Amazon.com. When the incident was...

Fighting To End Slavery

Fri, 19 Jun 2009 08:22:23 EDT

Sold into slavery at age 16, Somaly Mam now works to rescue others from the brothels of Cambodia. Human trafficking is growing faster than the trade in illegal drugs. More than 2 million people are...

Keep Drugs Out of the Water Supply

Fri, 19 Jun 2009 08:22:23 EDT

Doctors, pharmacists, and, until recently, even the federal government long advised patients to flush unused pharmaceuticals down the toilet. Then trace amounts of drugs began showing up in...

More Money for Public Transit?

Fri, 12 Jun 2009 11:10:20 EDT

Congress is readying a sweeping six-year, multibillion-dollar plan that may mean more money for public transit and less for new roads and highways. It could be the biggest overhaul of...

New Efforts To Keep Workers Safe

Fri, 12 Jun 2009 11:10:21 EDT

Nearly 40 years after the Occupational Safety and Health Act was enacted to protect workers, organized labor and some members of Congress say the government's regulations are in need of an overhaul....

Cracking Down on Offshore Accounts

Fri, 05 Jun 2009 08:17:49 EDT

President Obama's plan to crack down on offshore tax havens was promoted as an attack on tax-dodging corporations. But wealthy individuals also hide millions in accounts from Switzerland to the...

Despite Recent Violence, Gun Laws Are Softening

Fri, 05 Jun 2009 08:17:50 EDT

Thirteen killed at an immigration center in New York. Eight at a nursing home in North Carolina. Five in a house in California. These were among the 57 people killed in mass shootings in a...

Making Money In a Recession

Fri, 05 Jun 2009 08:17:50 EDT

Jim Skinner is CEO of McDonald's, the world's largest fast-food chain, with some 32,000 restaurants in 118 countries. How has business been affected by the slumping economy? Overall, buying has...

Unescorted Prisoners Take the Bus

Wed, 03 Jun 2009 17:11:57 EDT

Thanks to a little-known policy at the federal Bureau of Prisons (BOP), the guy sitting next to you on the bus could be a convicted felon. As part of a cost-cutting program, the BOP allows more...

Every Penny Counts

Fri, 29 May 2009 09:37:04 EDT

Last month, PARADE reported that the U.S. Mint spends 1.4 cents on every penny it produces. While 58% of readers say the penny should go, a full 42% of you say you're not giving up your lucky...

Is Your Property Tax Too High?

Fri, 29 May 2009 09:37:04 EDT

Across America, home values have plunged, but property taxes—the tax homeowners pay based on their homes’ assessed value—have not. “Nationwide, we have properties that may be overassessed by as much...

Helping End Homelessness

Fri, 22 May 2009 10:55:21 EDT

Sister Mary Scullion runs Project HOME in Philadelphia, a national model for ending homelessness. The rate of homelessness in Philadelphia decreased by 50% between 1997 and 2000. How? We convinced...

How Germany Created Jobs by Going Green

Fri, 22 May 2009 10:55:22 EDT

President Obama says investing in a “green economy” can create 5 million jobs in the next 10 years. How? The answer may lie in Germany. The country that is home to Mercedes-Benz and Volkswagen is...

Will Stimulus Funds Be Stolen?

Fri, 22 May 2009 10:55:22 EDT

As $787 billion in federal stimulus money flows into the economy, authorities expect some of it to land in the hands of swindlers. It’s impossible to say how much will be lost to fraud, but...

Trying To Stop Passport Fraud

Fri, 15 May 2009 11:38:31 EDT

Alarmed by a government report revealing how easy it is to obtain a fraudulent passport in the United States, lawmakers are calling for changes to the system. “A U.S. passport is a key to virtually...

Who Should Help Struggling Churches?

Fri, 15 May 2009 11:38:31 EDT

About 20% of households cut back on giving to their churches when the economy started to sink last year, according to the Barna Group, which tracks religious statistics. The...

Will GM Design Your Next Car?

Fri, 08 May 2009 09:07:11 EDT

Larry Burns, head of research and development for General Motors, recently unveiled GM's new two-wheeled, two-seat PUMA (Personal Urban Mobility and Accessibility), a high-tech electric scooter for...

Why Criminals Are Buying Body Armor

Fri, 08 May 2009 09:07:11 EDT

In April, 16 people, including three police officers, were murdered in separate incidents in Binghamton, N.Y., and Pittsburgh. In both cases, the killers wore bulletproof vests. Federal law bans...

How Space Junk Threatens Us

Fri, 08 May 2009 09:07:11 EDT

A spate of recent extraterrestrial incidents is giving new urgency to international efforts to decrease the danger posed by space junk, the remains of rockets and derelict satellites that have been...

Lobbyists' Ranks Swell Despite President's Efforts

Wed, 06 May 2009 11:52:31 EDT

With a new administration in office and billions in stimulus dollars up for grabs, D.C.’s legion of lobbyists is growing, even as the President tries to block the influence of special interests....

How Food Policy Affects You

Wed, 06 May 2009 10:42:28 EDT

Tom Vilsack, former governor of Iowa, is Secretary of the Department of Agriculture. The Obama plan to cut subsidies to big farms was rejected by Congress. So is the idea dead? President Obama put...

Our Electricity Deficit

Wed, 06 May 2009 10:42:29 EDT

The U.S. is barely generating enough electricity to meet current needs, and demand is expected to grow 26% over the next 20 years, according to the Energy Information Administration. A new report from...

Fewer Lawyers For The Poor

Wed, 06 May 2009 10:42:28 EDT

The Supreme Court ruled in 1963 that criminal defendants who cannot afford a lawyer must be provided with legal representation, but shrinking state and county budgets are undermining...

Rethinking Retirement

Wed, 06 May 2009 10:42:29 EDT

In the last year, many Americans have seen the value of their 401(k)s drop by more than 50%. The economist Teresa Ghilarducci recently testified before Congress in favor of an alternative—”g uaranteed...