Douglas Ernst
Articles by Douglas Ernst
Rangel gets racial: Tea party a bunch of ‘white crackers’
New York Rep. Charlie Rangel wants the world to know: Tea party members are a bunch of "white crackers." Published August 3, 2013
L.A., Chicago hold nation’s top slots — for murder: Report
Los Angeles leads the nation in the number of gun murders, according to a new report by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Published August 2, 2013
Geraldo: Female jurors ‘would have shot and killed Trayvon’ before Zimmerman
Geraldo Rivera asserted Friday that all-female jury in the George Zimmerman murder trial "would have shot and killed Trayvon Martin a lot sooner than George Zimmerman did." Published July 12, 2013
IG: IRS policy cost U.S. $4B in tax credits for illegal immigrants
An IRS policy decision made 17 years ago resulted in the agency distributing $4.2 billion in refundable tax credits to illegal immigrants, according to an oversight committee for the Treasury Department. Published July 12, 2013
Benghazi security squad nabs book deal for $3M
How much is the inside story on the Benghazi terror attack worth? If you're former members of the security team stationed there at the time, the answer is $3 million. Published June 28, 2013
Labor Dept. sends $2.5M for Bangladesh factory fixes
The U.S. Department of Labor has earmarked millions of dollars in grants to improve factory conditions in Bangladesh's garment industry, where workers often must deal with shoddy buildings and overcrowded workplaces. Published June 21, 2013
Downey Jr. inks deal for 2 more ‘Avengers’ films
Thanks in large part to Robert Downey Jr.'s turn as Tony Stark/Iron Man, Marvel's "The Avengers" and "Iron Man 3" has brought in almost $3 billion worldwide. Studio heads can breathe a sigh of relief, because he's signed on for two more films. Published June 20, 2013
Va. kidney patient gets first bioengineered vein
Ready-made livers and hearts are not yet a reality, but Duke University has put the world on notice: bioengineered veins are. Published June 11, 2013
Illinois on ‘credit precipice,’ gets two downgrades in one week
Illinois, which already has the lowest credit rating in the United States, managed to drop lower Thursday. Published June 7, 2013
IRS digging through 64 million pages relevant to tea party targeting
It may take Congress considerable time to comb through the paper trail of the IRS' targeting of conservative groups — the records stretch at least 64 million pages long. Published June 7, 2013
‘Awesome’: Iowa City bans drones, red light cameras and license plate readers
An Iowa town could be one of the first municipalities in the nation to ban drones — a bold move in an era of increasing concerns over constitutional privacy rights. Published June 6, 2013
Deal gives Saudi Arabia ‘unrestricted’ access to U.S. airspace
Saudi Arabia's struggles with terrorism are well known, but that hasn't stopped the United States from signing an "Open Skies" agreement with the nation. Published June 5, 2013
Record number of Americans on disability would make up 8th most populous state
Newly released data by the Social Security Administration shows that 10,978,040 Americans now are receiving disability benefits. What the numbers don't tell is that if all those individuals created their own state, it would be be the eighth-most populous. Published May 30, 2013
Gary Sinise’s leading role: Actor’s commitment to troops goes beyond Memorial Day
There are few better ways to honor the memory of the nation's fallen heroes than by acknowledging the special sacrifices and answering the special needs of the nation's military community. Few have done more to help veterans and first responders than Gary Sinise, who traces his long commitment back to his breakthrough role as broken Vietnam veteran Lt. Dan in "Forrest Gump." Published May 24, 2013
Networks’ initial coverage of London terror attack excludes Islam
The machete attack that left a British soldier dead on the streets of London on Wednesday included attackers shouting, "Allahu akbar," but the main television broadcast networks failed to reference Islam in their initial coverage. Published May 23, 2013
NASA gives company grant for 3-D food printer; pizza deliverymen tremble
The pizza deliveryman might be in trouble if Anjan Contractor's 3-D food printer is a success. Published May 22, 2013
Planned Parenthood ad: ‘Your baby will thank you’
Planned Parenthood has a new promotional campaign: 'Your baby will thank you' for using its services. Published May 16, 2013
Obama: It’s a ‘cliche’ to say America is ‘the greatest country on earth’
President Obama told attendees at a Democratic National Committee event Monday that it is a "cliche" to call America the greatest country on earth. Published May 15, 2013
Feds pay to teach endangered fish to ‘recognize,’ ‘avoid’ predators
The federal government strategy for protecting a pair of endangered fish species includes training them to "recognize and avoid predators" — a nearly half-million-dollar project funded with taxpayer money. Published May 14, 2013
Reid on Associated Press scandal at Justice Dept.: ‘Inexcusable’
In the wake of revelations that the Justice Department secretly subpoenaed phone records of Associated Press reporters and editors last year, leaders in the House and Senate are beginning to weigh in, among them Sen. Harry Reid. Published May 14, 2013
