In the furious fallout from the revelation that the IRS flagged applications from conservative nonprofits for extra review because of their political activity, some points about the big picture — and big donors — have fallen through the cracks. Consider this our Top 6 list of need-to-know facts on social welfare nonprofits, also known as dark money groups because they don’t have to disclose their donors.... Read more»
ProPublica’s job is to report the news rather than to make news ourselves, but sometimes we find an article of ours to be itself a subject of public debate. Last week was such a time, when two articles we had published back in December and January became the subject of significant attention in light of the uproar over IRS oversight of the process for granting tax exemption to so-called “social welfare” groups.... Read more»
During its past four fiscal years, the Internal Revenue Service has formally denied the applications of just 60 organizations seeking recognition under Section 501(c)(4) of the U.S. tax code as “social welfare” groups. In the same period, the agency processed 8,214 applications and approved 6,837 of them.... Read more»
As President Barack Obama and his national security advisors continue to weigh the costs and benefits of providing greater financial and materiel support for elements of the Syrian opposition—potentially including lethal aid—it is important to understand the structure of the Syrian opposition, which remains plagued by many divisions.... Read more»
Latin America’s Catholics multiplied in past centuries. Now their numbers are shrinking. The new Argentine pope canonizing two Latina nuns sends a calling to the region.... Read more»
Many public health experts say the administration deserves credit for increasing access to drug treatment. But others say despite an increase in funding for rehab, the administration has continued to push programs and policies built to punish drug users. As the administration lays out its latest plan on a new approach to drugs, here’s look at what’s in it, and what they’ve done so far.... Read more»1
Lawmakers on both sides of the immigration debate have falsely claimed that “some” or “all” of the 9/11 hijackers were in the U.S. on student visas. Only one of the 19 hijackers came to the U.S. on a student visa. The rest arrived here on tourist or business visas.... Read more»
Friday marks arguably the most important day on a Mexican calendar, celebrated countrywide with patriotic parades, patron saint parties and local lark. Mexico’s Mother’s Day honors the touchstones of a nation in which family matters above all. So why are so many moms protesting?... Read more»
A group with ties to Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg hijacks the credibility of news organizations in a misleading ad that supports a bipartisan immigration overhaul bill. The ad, featuring Sen. Marco Rubio, attributes several quotes to media outlets, but the quotes come from opinion pieces written by backers of the immigration bill.... Read more»
Analysis: Obama and Mexico’s Peña Nieto will play up the positives this week in Mexico. But what about the countries’ glaring drug war failures?... Read more»
Analysis: Teachers’ unrest and new cracks in the uneasy alliance supporting the government’s reforms agenda mean hard days ahead for Mexican President Enrique Peña Nieto.... Read more»
In the days following the dramatic manhunt in Boston for surviving terrorism suspect Dzhokhar Tsarnaev, questions have multiplied regarding the significance of the Tsarnaev brothers’ Chechen roots. Thus far, it isn’t clear whether this connection played any role in their fatal attack on the city last week, but it will likely continue to be investigated in the weeks to come.... Read more»
Both parties are putting political spin on the deficit reduction contained in President Obama’s $3.78 trillion budget plan.... Read more»
Prison reform has never seemed very high on Arizona’s “to do” list, even though we’re spending $1 billlon annually for a “corrections” system that sees half of its released inmates return within six years. But saving money is always popular. So what if there were a way to reduce the state prison population at minimal threat to public safety?... Read more»
The United States Senate is now poised to debate a background check bill. The real story of Thursday’s demolition of a filibuster threat by Republican senators is that the NRA no longer has unchallenged veto power in Congress. That’s a big deal.... Read more»3
In the wake of the overwhelming Latino and Asian American support for President Obama in the 2012 election—support that was critical to his re-election—the political winds on immigration have shifted significantly to favor reform with a pathway to citizenship for the approximately 11 million undocumented living in our country.... Read more»2
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