A highly negative presidential campaign
This was the most negative presidential campaign in modern history. A full 86 percent of President Obama’s television ads and 79 percent of Mitt Romney’s were negative. By comparison, Obama and John McCain spent an average of 69 percent of their TV budgets on negative ads in 2008, and George W. Bush and John Kerry spent 58 percent in 2004.
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The rich leave China
China is facing an exodus of its richest citizens to Australia, Canada, and the U.S. A recent survey found that 16 percent of Chinese citizens worth more than $1.6 million have obtained foreign residency, and an additional 44 percent are planning to emigrate. They cited pollution, endemic corruption, and poor medical care among their reasons for wanting out.
Los Angeles Times
FEMA program owes billions
The National Flood Insurance Program, administered by FEMA because private insurers want no part of it, has been unable to collect enough premiums to cover the destruction of coastal homes and businesses since Hurricane Katrina struck in 2005. The program is $18 billion in debt to the U.S. Treasury.
Pacific Standard
Obama's presidential pardons
President Obama has been very stingy in dispensing presidential pardons, pardoning just 22 individuals while denying 1,019. He has granted pardons to roughly 1 of every 50 applications. At this point in their presidencies, Ronald Reagan had pardoned 1 of every 3 applicants, George H.W. Bush had pardoned 1 in 16, Bill Clinton had pardoned 1 in 8, and George W. Bush had pardoned 1 in 33.
ProPublica.org
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