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Hunter Biden sent an email to the manager of his Washington, D.C. office building in September 2017 asking her to make keys for his “office mates” Joe Biden and Gongwen Dong, who he said was the “emissary” for the chairman of the Chinese energy conglomerate CEFC. Hunter Biden also requested that a sign be made for his office stating “The Biden Foundation” and “Hudson West (CEFC US).” In his email to Browning, Hunter Biden provided the personal cell phone numbers for his father and uncle, and suggested that Browning’s associate call them “if she insists.” Starting on the day CEFC...

Quad City residents are now witnessing the creation of an architectural marvel with the construction of the new Interstate-74 bridge. Two of the world’s largest mobile cranes are employed in the project, along with hundreds of workers, and we are now seeing the concrete base of the center arch rise out from the river bottoms. This remarkable project is made possible by a federal and state government funding partnership that guarantees a dignified wage to the men and women who have been working throughout this brutally cold winter. Called "Davis-Bacon" protections, they were named after two Depression-era Republican congressmen who...

MOLINE -- Building the new Interstate 74 bridge will take years, but certification to bid on the jobs building it should only take about 90 days. The Illinois Department of Transportation held a Disadvantaged Business Enterprise certification and supportive services workshop Monday evening at the Moline Public Library, 3210 41st St. At the workshop, officials from IDOT shared information on how those who are in presumed disadvantaged groups can bid on contracts associated with the project. To qualify for DBE certification, the business owner must have a personal net worth of less than $1.32 million. Engineering consulting businesses must average...

The current news, reported in the Journal and elsewhere, is that her server contained information at the highest level of classification, known as SAP, or Special Access Program. This is a level so high that even the inspector general for the intelligence community who reported the discovery did not initially have clearance to examine it. The server also contained messages showing her contempt for classification procedures. This was bred at least in part by obvious familiarity with exactly "how it works"--such as when, an email shows, she directed a staff member simply to erase the heading on a classified document,...

Back in 2011 the Obama Administration asked contractors to release information on their political donations. Here’s the letter: Page 1

Those of you outside the medical services industry have probably never heard the phrases “DME” (Durable Medical Equipment) or the more formal DMEPOS (Durable Medical Equipment, Prosthetics, Orthotics and Supplies). You’ve also probably never heard of Medicare’s DMEPOS Competitive Bidding program, and now that I’ve said it, your first thought is probably, “Hey, bringing competition to the medical marketplace! That sounds like a great idea! After all, competition brings down prices while improving service, right? So who could be opposed to that?” Well, a lot of us, actually. Not because we’re evil monopolists bent on holding onto our little fiefdoms...

Nearly nine years after the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks, the bi-state agency that operates the World Trade Center is looking for a private partner to help manage the 1,776-foot office tower that is being built at Ground Zero -- and one of two companies under consideration may have ties to the Middle East. The bidding process for private partners for the "Freedom Tower" has been whittled down to two companies: Durst Organization and Related Companies, Fox News legal analyst Peter Johnson Jr. reports. The Port Authority of New York and New Jersey will soon decide which partner will manage and...

The value of federal contracts awarded without competitive bidding has soared since President Bush took office in 2000, according to a new study to be released Monday by the Center for American Progress, a liberal think tank. Federal contracting grew from $203 billion in fiscal 2000 to $377 billion by fiscal 2005. During the same period, the value of federal contracts awarded without competitive bidding more than doubled, from $67 billion to $145 billion, the study found. At the same time, government oversight of contracting has weakened, according to the study's author, Scott Lilly, a senior fellow at the center...

CUSTOMERS of the internet auction site eBay are being defrauded by unscrupulous dealers who secretly bid up the price of items on sale to boost profits. An investigation by The Sunday Times has indicated that the practice of artificially driving up prices — known as shill bidding — is widespread across the site. Last week one of the UK’s biggest eBay sellers admitted in a taped conversation with an undercover reporter that he was prepared to use business associates to bid on his goods for him. Our inquiries found evidence that a number of businesses — ranging from overseas property...

A case filed in Superior Court in Sacramento this week could reveal which state legislator or legislators are responsible for avoiding the competitive bidding process mandated by the California Public Contract Code. The purposes of the Contract Code are to “[protect] the public from misuse of public funds,” to “provide all qualified bidders with a fair opportunity to enter the bidding process, thereby stimulating competition in a manner conducive to sound fiscal practices” and to “eliminate favoritism, fraud, and corruption in the awarding of public contracts.” According to the case, the California legislature has been disregarding these principles and getting...

Monday August 22, 3:43 PM S.Korea's Doosan Heavy may bid for WestinghouseSEOUL, Aug 22 (Reuters) - South Korea's Doosan Heavy Industries said on Monday it was considering bidding in a consortium to buy U.S. nuclear power plant builder Westinghouse Electric Co. from British nuclear energy company BNFL. South Korea's largest manufacturer of power generation equipment would be able to reduce costs and acquire nuclear technology and know-how from the U.S. firm if a bid was successful, analysts said. Westinghouse provides nuclear fuel services, technology, plant design and equipment for nuclear power producers. State-owned BNFL bought the business, which employs about...

A String of Auctions Gets Canceled By Alex Fak Staff Writer A string of auctions for oil and gas development licenses have been canceled to prevent foreign companies from bidding, an official in the Natural Resources Ministry said.The cancellations appear to constitute a de facto widening of the ban on bids by non-Russian-controlled companies, contradicting recent assurances from Natural Resources Minister Yury Trutnev and other ministers. The latest cases also highlight uncertainties faced by foreign natural resource companies as the State Duma prepares to debate a long-anticipated bill on restricting foreigners' access to subsoil resources.Among the auctions canceled are those...

<p>WASHINGTON — A senior Defense official placed under investigation by the FBI (news - web sites) on allegations that he tried to steer Iraqi reconstruction contracts toward friends has been removed from office, Pentagon (news - web sites) officials confirmed Friday.</p>

Bush laughs off critics of 'spoils of war' bidding By Rupert Cornwell in Washington 12 December 2003 George Bush poured fuel on the flames of the Iraq contracts dispute yesterday with a sneering dismissal of a suggestion by the German Chancellor that the decision to bar Germany, France Russia and Canada from bidding might violate international law. "International law? I'd better call my lawyer," the American President joked in response to a reporter's question at the White House. Gerhard Schröder had spoken earlier after a meeting in Berlin with Kofi Annan, the UN secretary general. Mr Annan called the decision...

Poor Baby Axis of WeaselBarred from Iraq Contracts By Andrew L. Jaffee, December 10, 2003 Home   Search   Forum   Terms The U.S. today barred Axis of Weasel countries (like Russia, Canada, France, and Germany) from bidding on $18.6 billion in contracts for rebuilding Iraq. These countries all opposed the U.S.-led coalition's liberation of Iraq. It seems only reasonable for U.S. taxpayer money to be spent on countries that support the U.S. in bringing democracy to the Middle East. French, Canadian, Russian, and German soldiers aren't being killed in Iraq now. Remember how vociferously these countries defended Saddam? Why should they be rewarded for...

The Dems’ Enemy Smearing Halliburton. The Democrats have discovered the enemy in the ongoing Iraq war. And it is Halliburton. Nothing quite so angers Democrats about the current situation in Iraq than that Halliburton is making money there. Dennis Kucinich, the out-to-lunch leftist who sounds ever more mainstream given the leftward drift of the rest of the Democratic field, wants the United Nations in Iraq so there will be "no more Halliburton sweetheart deals." Bob Graham huffs, "I will not support a dime to protect the profits of Halliburton in Iraq." John Edwards vows "to stop this president from giving...

At the Iowa Electronic Markets, you can spend $5 or $500 online buying and selling futures for the California recall election, with 12 different outcomes open for trading and an opportunity to treble your investment if you don't let sentiment get in the way of greed. "We ask you to think about not what you want to happen, but what you think is going to happen," said Joyce Berg, a member of IEM's board of directors and an accounting professor at the University of Iowa's Henry B. Tippie College of Business -- inventor and custodian of the electronic market. IEM...

HAVANA - Havana formally entered its bid to host the 2012 Olympics after a special meeting Friday of the Cuban Olympic Committee. Havana Mayor Juan Continou said Cuba's strong international sports program makes it worthy of hosting the showcase event. The last major sports event staged by Cuba was the 1991 Pan American Games. In choosing an Olympics site, "athletic merits should be a priority, not the wealth of a country, nor sponsors, nor television," said Jose Ramon Fernandez, president of the Cuban Olympic Committee. Cash-strapped communist Cuba traditionally has opposed the commercialization of sports. Cuban Foreign Minister Felipe Perez...