Christopher Flavelle was an intern at ProPublica. He has written for Newsweek, Slate and The Washington Post, and produced videos for The New York Times' Web site. He is also a contributing writer for The Big Money, Slate's new business and economics site. Before studying at Columbia Universityâs School of International and Public Affairs, Christopher was chief speechwriter to the leader of the Liberal Party of Canada, and an assistant editor at The Walrus magazine in Toronto. He has a bachelorâs degree in political science from McGill University.
Christopher Flavelle
Intern
Congress Does Repair Job on Stimulus School Construction Plan
President Obama has signed a bill providing federal subsidies directly to school districts for construction, rather than relying on lenders to offer lower interest rates because of prospective tax credits. The stimulus bill provided for the school construction funds, but school districts were unable to sell many of the bonds.
Anniversary of Stimulus Met with Praise and Scorn
The anniversary of the stimulus brings the government’s claims that it's working, with 2 million jobs created or saved, and brings praise from some corners. Some critics -- and Republicans, of course -- beg to differ. The government says it has spent or cut taxes to the tune of $453 billion so far.
Stimulus Speed Chart
Just how fast are federal agencies getting stimulus money out the door?
New York City Calls for Drilling Ban in Watershed, Rejects State Study
ew York City officials have called for a ban on natural gas drilling within the city’s 2,000-square-mile upstate watershed and urged Albany to withdraw its controversial draft environmental review for drilling across the state.
Schools Have Trouble Tapping Stimulus Funds
The stimulus program included $11 billion in bonds intended to let school districts raise capital through interest-free bonds to fund repairs and construction, but red tape and other roadblocks have prevented many school districts from taking advantage.
