May 2
2012
WGRZ investigation of IDAs
Assemblyman Sean Ryan: “We shouldn’t be subsidizing part-time jobs at donut shops.”
Posted 13 years ago
Jim Heaney is editor and executive director of Investigative Post. He was an investigative reporter with The Buffalo News from 1986 to 2011 and a reporter and editor with The Orlando Sentinel from 1980-86. His coverage over the years has focused on economic development, local and state government, politics, education, housing and transportation, and he was an early practitioner of computer-assisted reporting. Heaney has won more than 20 journalism awards and was a finalist for the 1993 Pulitzer Prize for investigative reporting.
May 2
2012
Assemblyman Sean Ryan: “We shouldn’t be subsidizing part-time jobs at donut shops.”
Apr 29
2012
The New York Times on Sunday published yet another damning investigation on the business practices of Apple. Among the key findings: Apple has exploited the tax code, both here and aboard. According to The Times: Apple’s headquarters are in Cupertino, Calif. By putting an office in Reno, just 200 miles away, to collect and invest the company’s profits, Apple sidesteps state income taxes on some of those gains. California’s corporate tax rate is 8.84 percent. Nevada’s? Zero. Setting up an office in Reno is just one of many legal methods Apple uses to reduce its worldwide tax bill by billions[...]
Apr 28
2012
We’re No. 51 The Federal Communications Commission voted Friday to require the four major television networks and TV stations in the 50 largest markets to report details on political advertising that will be posted in the FCC website. Buffalo-Niagara Falls turns out to be the 51st largest market, meaning stations in WNY are among 160 smaller markets that have until July 2014 to comply. The near-term objective is to promote transparency regarding the estimated $3.2 billion that is expected to be spent on TV advertising this election year. But the new rule requires disclosure of all political advertising, including air[...]
Apr 25
2012
Lying has become rampant in public life. In politics, it’s called “spin.” In business, “public relations.” In sports, “upper body injury.” Well, not exactly, but you get the drift. The propensity of the press to produce “he said, she said” stories and otherwise give disproportionate coverage to the loudest voices in the room regardless of their credibility has helped enable this epidemic of dishonesty. Cable television and social media are also complicit. In response, a number of websites dedicated to fact checking have set up shop in recent years. Here’s a rundown on the best of them. PoliFact.com is produced[...]
Apr 23
2012
Apr 23
2012
Investigative Post is joining forces with WGRZ 2 On Your Side to form a ground-breaking partnership in the Buffalo market. WGRZ has contracted with Investigative Post to co-produce investigations, interviews and other news programming that focus on the problems confronting Buffalo and Western New York. “Investigative reporting is especially important in a troubled town like Buffalo and the partnership between Investigative Post and 2 On Your Side represents a solid one-two punch,” said Jim Heaney, editor and executive director of Investigative Post, which began operations in February. “2 On Your Side prides itself on investigative journalism and this partnership with[...]
Apr 23
2012
Walmart’s history is punctuated with repeated allegations of predatory and anti-labor business practices. Add corruption to the list. An investigation published Sunday by The New York Times reports the retail giant engaged in systemic bribery to gain a foothold in Mexico and that corporate executives covered up the corruption when it was brought to their attention. After being informed of the corruption by a former company executive, The Times reported: Wal-Mart dispatched investigators to Mexico City, and within days they unearthed evidence of widespread bribery. They found a paper trail of hundreds of suspect payments totaling more than $24 million.[...]
Apr 20
2012
Julian Assange resurfaces The WikiLeaks founder, still under house arrest despite not being charged with a crime, has launched a television interview program called The World Tomorrow. That prompted The New York Times to take another shot at Assange, while Salon’s Glenn Greenwald rose to his defense. Judge for yourself. Here is the first show, featuring an interview with Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah, who has not spoken on camera since 2006. Good reads Fast Company takes a look at Steve Jobs during his “wilderness years.” Jobs matured as a manager and a boss; learned how to make the most of[...]