This morning's roundup of stimulus coverage:
* The AP's "Follow along as Obama counts jobs" is today's must-read. At the center of the debate over stimulus job creation is a formula used by the president's advisers to estimate job growth. According to the AP, the formula is being "misused by the president, whose advisers acknowledge it was never intended as a way to count jobs. And it's being mischaracterized by Republicans, who previously used such formulas to promote their own stimulus plans." The formula was designed to predict jobs, not count them, the AP says. For more, check out our explainer on the issue.
* The debate over Sen. Tom Coburn's report detailing 100 “questionable” stimulus projects continues. Yesterday, the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel called out Coburn, R-Okla., for using a statistic from its "Data on Demand site" without calling the state or U.S. Department of Transportation to update or verify the information. In this case, the national database on the Journal Sentinel's site contained an incorrect figure. (See update below.)
* The California High-Speed Rail Authority and the Midwest Rail Initiative are the lead contenders for $8 billion in stimulus funds to develop high-speed rail service, reports the AP. California plans to build 800 miles of track, while the Midwest Rail Initiative would upgrade routes in Illinois, Missouri, Wisconsin, Michigan, Indiana, Iowa, Minnesota and Ohio. (The Federal Railroad Administration released guidance on the high-speed rail program yesterday.)
* The Recovery Accountability and Transparency Board is soliciting bids for a contractor to redesign Recovery.gov. The Sunlight Foundation, an open-government group, is throwing its hat into the ring. Here’s the RAT board’s request for proposal.
* In one corner you've got the Boston Globe. In the other corner you've got Fox News. At issue? Whether Vice President Joe Biden has handled his stimulus role well. Today's Kansas City Star features a "Pro-Con" about Biden's "Road to Recovery" tour. You be the judge...
* The stimulus funds two positions in Arizona's St. Joseph School District and saves several others.
Update 6/18 7:13 p.m.: John Hart, Sen. Coburn's communications director, told us that the incorrect figure was included in a draft of the senator's report, not the final, published version.
