Kip Esquire points us to an AP wire story that has some shameful news (emphasis mine): WASHINGTON - Two-thirds of U.S. corporations paid no federal income taxes between 1998 and 2005, according to a new report from Congress. ... Collectively, the companies reported trillions of dollars in sales, according to GAO's estimate. "It's shameful that so many corporations make big … [Read more...] about Twisted Facts About Corporate Income Tax
Archives for August 2008
Scooter-Cops, Pseudo-Porno-Cop, Dog-Hating-Cops, and Bears
I've been a little too busy to do proper blogging, so I'll just post a few random shots around the web: Heh. Nice Try LONGMONT, Colo. - A man claiming to be a police detective tried to get an adult novelty shop to give him free X-rated videos, saying he wanted to make sure the performers weren't underage, authorities said. He made three tries within nine days last month … [Read more...] about Scooter-Cops, Pseudo-Porno-Cop, Dog-Hating-Cops, and Bears
The Changing Story in Prince George’s County
Last week, Prince George's County cops raided the home of Cheye Calvo. They were there to seize 32 pounds of marijuana that had just been delivered by FedEx. Even when the story first broke, it seemed unlikely that Calvo was actually the intended recipient of the drugs, since he's the mayor of Berwyn Heights, Maryland. Of course, that didn't stop the county's finest from … [Read more...] about The Changing Story in Prince George’s County
Why They Are Corrupt
The Chicago Tribune has a story about Alderman Arenda Troutman that illustrates some different ways of looking at public corruption. It was the headline on the home page that caught my eye: Ex-Ald. Troutman pleads guilty in corruption case The former alderman admits taking cash to support zoning changes and permits for developers. Really? She "admits taking cash" from … [Read more...] about Why They Are Corrupt
Rob Gillies Demonstrates How To Write a Great Lede
I've had a few short seminars in newswriting, and one of the things they emphasize is writing a great lede. That's the first sentence of a news story, and it's supposed to hook the reader into the rest of the story. I spotted this awesome lede in a piece by AP writer Rob Gillies: Greyhound has scrapped an ad campaign that extolled the relaxing upside of bus travel after one of … [Read more...] about Rob Gillies Demonstrates How To Write a Great Lede