Weekly Watchdog: Unmasking the Payday Lending King

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September 29, 2011 Unmasking the Payday Lending King   Share on Facebook  |     Share on Twitter Scott Tucker made his fortune from payday lending, including hiding behind the sovereignty of Indian tribes. Now he's spending it on his new passion, auto racing, according to a new joint iWatch News/CBS News investigation. Regulators in at least five states have tried to shut down the payday outfits for violating their laws. Hiding behind a labyrinth of shell companies and operating from the ether of the Internet, Tucker's businesses make payday loans over the Web even in states where they are outlawed. Tucker says his payday lending businesses are now owned by the Miami and Modoc tribes of Oklahoma as well as the Santee Sioux of Nebraska. However, we found evidence in court and public records showing that Tucker secretly runs the payday lending business from his offices in Overland Park, Kan. Photo: Level 5 Motorsports   More Political Largesse at Energy Department?   Share on Facebook  |     Share on Twitter Several of Barack Obama's top campaign supporters went from soliciting political contributions to working from within the Energy Department as it showered billions in taxpayer-backed stimulus money on alternative energy firms. In some instances, the supporters had a personal stake in companies that later became recipients of Energy Department support, iWatch News and partner ABC News learned this week. One of them was Steven J. Spinner, a high-tech consultant and investor who raised $500,000 for Obama. He became one of Energy Secretary Steven Chu's key advisers while Spinner's wife's law firm represented several companies that applied for project loans and made $2.5 million.   Vietnam-War Era Unexploded Bombs Haunt Laos   Share on Facebook  |     Share on Twitter There are an estimated 80 million unexploded bombs scattered around Laos—still-lethal remnants of a secret war against communists waged by U.S. forces four decades ago. U.S warplanes dropped 270 million explosives on Laos during more than a half-million missions during the Vietnam War. Each year, 300 Laotians die or are injured because of U.S bombs. The explosives remain a particular menace to farmers who risk death or serious injury when they plow into what could be minefields. Government officials refer to unexploded ordnance as UXOs. Across Laos, villagers and school children know them simply as "bombies." Photo: AP   Ellen Weiss Named Executive Editor I'm pleased to tell you that Ellen Weiss has been named executive editor at the Center. Weiss will oversee the Center's domestic investigations and editorial staff. She comes to us with deep journalism and management experience as former senior vice president of news at NPR. There Weiss managed 36 bureaus, more than 400 U.S. and international staffers and a $75 million budget. Under Weiss' leadership, the audience for NPR.org grew from four million unique monthly visitors in 2006 to 12 million in 2010. During that timeframe she also oversaw a 10 percent growth in audience for NPR's news programs to more than 27 million weekly listeners. I know the Center will gain enormously from Ellen's knowledge of investigative reporting and digital media.   Until next week, Bill Buzenberg Executive Director

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