5 chapters across the catalog
A federal judge has restructured the timeline for the FDA to release Pfizer vaccine trial documents, requiring 20,000 pages to be released monthly through April. Concurrently, Pfizer has added new language to its financial earnings reports regarding risks associated with preclinical and clinical safety data. These disclosures follow legal pressure to increase transparency regarding the vaccine's original approval process.
Congressional Settlement Transparency, Taxpayer Funded Payouts
A new bill aims to eliminate mandatory non-disclosure agreements and secret settlements for members of Congress accused of sexual misconduct. Reports indicate that $16 million in taxpayer funds has been used to settle 260 harassment claims over the last decade.
An investigation into a small Austin-based NGO focused on children in Kenya reveals questionable financial allocations. Analysis of the organization's Form 990 shows that out of $350,000 raised, a significant portion goes toward salaries for the founder's family and home-office rent. The necessity of private American charities in Kenya is questioned given the large-scale aid already provided by the State Department and China.
Pentagon Audit Deadlines and Cyberspace Terminology
The Department of Defense has officially moved its full audit readiness deadline from 2014 to September 30, 2017. This delay ensures that billions of dollars in taxpayer money remain without a validated full statement of budget resources for several more years. The hosts also mock the bill's use of the 1980s-era term "cyberspace" to describe modern internet security and network operations.
Britney Spears, AIG Counterparty Secrecy
The Associated Press reported on Britney Spears visiting sick children and donating to a clown program, which is characterized as a distraction from serious financial news. In the banking sector, the Treasury and the Fed refuse to name the "counterparties" receiving AIG bailout funds, claiming such transparency could destroy those entities.
