Dan Kildee of Michigan said it let lawmakers hear about Flint's problems firsthand and kept up pressure for Congress to act on a stalled bill aimed at helping the city. More than two dozen Democrats, including House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi, also visited Flint on Friday to hear from families affected by the water crisis.

They can legally raise unlimited money from corporations and then spend it on virtually anything they want. (AP Photo/Steve Helber) A statue of Thomas Jefferson greets visitors in the main lobby of the Jefferson Hotel in Richmond, Va. An Associated Press review shows lawmakers there have freedom unlike their colleagues in other states.

Marcus Simon, D-Fairfax County, applauds a visitor in the gallery during the House session at the Capitol in Richmond, Va. Simon is carrying a bill to prohibit using campaign money for personal expenditures _ something already illegal for federal politicians. An Associated Press review shows lawmakers there have freedom unlike their colleagues in other states. They can legally raise unlimited money from corporations and then spend it on virtually anything they want. (AP Photo/Steve Helber)

The persistence of "involuntary" part-time employment has led many economists to worry that it could be a long-term problem, but they disagree on whether the health care overhaul is the root cause of that. ___
TRUMP: Says allowing health insurers to sell polices across state lines would spark competition, and "that's going to solve the problem. But it's not clear that many consumers would want them. "
THE FACTS: Allowing the interstate sale of health insurance policies could result in a proliferation of lower-premium plans. This long-standing GOP proposal has previously run into opposition from regulators in many states.

Trump, meantime, has run a profanity-laced campaign, blurted out the S-word on multiple occasions and used an offensive term for coward against rival Ted Cruz. THE FACTS: At issue, it must be said, is the F-bomb. At a rally in New Hampshire, he declared: "We're not going to let Mexico steal all our businesses. We're going to bring business back. Fox dropped it when denouncing Trump's plans for the wall. But what about THAT bomb? And you can tell them to go" - pausing - "themselves because they let you down, and they left.

But Romney continued to face scrutiny over his reluctance to produce filings from earlier years, and released additional tax information during the general election campaign. Romney released his 2010 tax returns and 2011 tax estimates in January of 2012, earlier in the election season than any of the current leading Republican candidates have offered comparably recent information. THE FACTS: Trump is wrong.

In late February, Long won a jury verdict in Augusta, Georgia, against Sentinel in a suit filed by a woman who'd been repeatedly jailed for probation violations. Steven Queen, Sentinel's director of Georgia Services, disputes the notion that his company runs up fees, regardless of probationers' ability to pay. She was awarded $50,000. "There is no intent, practice, behavior or policy that in any way promotes the exploitation of any participant, regardless of financial position," Queen said in a letter responding to questions from The Associated Press.

ADVANCE FOR USE SUNDAY, MARCH 13, 2016 AND THEREAFTER - This Thursday, Dec. Probation is supposed to substitute for jail or prison, requiring offenders to report regularly and maintain good behavior. But in more than a dozen states, probation for misdemeanors is a profit-making - and increasingly contentious - venture. 10, 2015 photo shows attorney Jack Long in his office in Augusta, Ga. "The system is designed to sell as many probation services as possible," says Long who has brought 18 suits against one company, Sentinel Offender Services.

Rick Snyder, who has repeatedly apologized for the state's response, said it's taking longer than expected to locate all the lead pipes in the city but the state is working to find them. Kildee criticized Senate Republicans for delaying the bill and noted that lawmakers who have visited Flint in recent weeks were all Democrats.

DEQ also does not conduct surveillance visits, sanitary surveys and other monitoring within required time frames, a problem in places other than Flint, the report said. The department said 95 percent of sanitary surveys and 64 percent of surveillance visits meet required deadlines, exceeding goals set by the U.

Local officials and the probation company agreed recently to end their contract at the end of March. The county mayor, citing a responsibility to taxpayers, has recommended the county take over the job. But more than 1,000 courts, most in the South but ranging to Michigan and Washington state, sign over supervision of misdemeanor offenders to private companies. The federal judge who granted an injunction against the county and company pointed to a 1983 Supreme Court decision that courts cannot jail people just because they can't afford fines."
THE FACTS: The bursting of the housing bubble in late 2007 is what really damaged the Hispanic community, before Barack Obama took office. Under Obama, Hispanics have made strides from the depths of the Great Recession. Their unemployment rate is 5.
___
CRUZ: "The Obama-Clinton economy has done enormous damage to the Hispanic community. 9 percent, but it's well below the 2009 peak of 13 percent. The rate is above the national average of 4. And Trump used the word loudly and several times in a 2011 Nevada speech before he was a candidate.

She is facing $1,200 in fines and court costs. After nine years of running the Journey Home ministry, Scott Foster says he's used to seeing the men and women who come in one day for lunch show up the next on the sheriff's mug shot app. The probation officer told her they didn't take cash. "They knew I was homeless because I wrote it down," she says. Charged for trespassing or public intoxication, most wind up on probation, and often in jail.
Scroggins, 54, says her only income is a $744 monthly disability check. On her first visit to the probation office, she says, she brought an instant coffee jar holding $3 in change.


And Trump used the word loudly and several times in a 2011 Nevada speech before he was a candidate. we led the effort and wiped out that bailout fund. "When they passed Obamacare they put a bailout fund in Obamacare . He didn't say the word. ___
RUBIO: Repeats a flawed claim to have wiped out an insurance "bailout" in President Barack Obama's health care law.

Cruz exaggerates when calling it the Obama-Clinton economy. Hillary Clinton was his secretary of state with little or no influence on his economic policy. Bush, there was a 21 percent growth of 3. Hispanics have gained 5 million jobs under Obama, a 25 percent increase since 2009. But there is one key area where Hispanics are struggling to recover: Median income for that group was $28,757 in 2014, about $1,644 less than in 2007 after adjusting for inflation.

They found evidence of rodent and vermin infestations at 16 shelters, fire safety issues like expired extinguisher inspections at 15 shelters, and mold in residents' rooms at eight shelters, as well as various worn and soiled mattresses, missing carbon monoxide detectors and holes in walls and ceilings.

Republican presidential candidate, businessman Donald Trump, center, speaks as Republican presidential candidate, Sen. , left, and Republican presidential candidate, Sen. Phillip)
Republican presidential candidate, Sen. Ted Cruz, R-Texas, right, look on during a Republican presidential primary debate at The University of Houston, Thursday, Feb. , left, reacts as Republican presidential candidate, businessman Donald Trump speaks during a Republican presidential primary debate at The University of Houston, Thursday, Feb.

5 said most shelters were in disrepair with filthy living conditions, some posing serious and obvious health risks. The audit from April 2013 until last Aug. They estimated New York's homeless population at 80,000. "We did identify numerous issues that rendered living conditions unacceptable at most of the shelters," they reported.

The rate is above the national average of 4. Bush, there was a 21 percent growth of 3. Hispanics have gained 5 million jobs under Obama, a 25 percent increase since 2009. Their unemployment rate is 5. Under Obama, Hispanics have made strides from the depths of the Great Recession. 9 percent, but it's well below the 2009 peak of 13 percent.

, contributed to this report. We've been paying for something we couldn't use. Associated Press writer Michael Gerstein in Lansing, Michigan, and Matthew Daly in Washington, D. Can't wash with it," Felton said. ___
Flesher reported from Traverse City, Michigan. Flint resident Brittani Felton watches out her front door as Waldorf & Sons Excavating digs up and changes the first lead service line on Thursday, March 3, 2016 in Flint, Mich.

4 million jobs since the law took effect. "
THE FACTS: The claim that Obama's health care law is a job killer is hard to square with the fact that the economy has added more than 13. ___
MARCO RUBIO: "It is a health care law that is basically forcing companies to lay people off, cut people's hours, move people to part-time. It is not just a bad health care law, it is a job-killing law. percent since Obama signed the act. The unemployment rate has fallen to 4.

That figure has declined steadily from 9 million since the Great Recession ended in June 2009, though it is still high. To be sure, about 6 million of those with part-time jobs would prefer full-time work but have been unable to find it.

, businessman Donald Trump, Sen. John Kasich stand before the national anthem during the Republican Presidential Primary Debate at the University of Houston Thursday, Feb. Ted Cruz, R-Texas and Ohio Gov. Republican presidential candidates retired neurosurgeon, Ben Carson, from left, Sen. Caldwell and Ricardo Alonso-Zaldivar and Jeff Horwitz contributed to this report. (AP Photo/Houston Chronicle, Gary Coronado, Pool) MANDATORY CREDIT ___
Associated Press writers Jill Colvin, Alicia A.Weaver said the work that started Friday will target lead service lines at homes in neighborhoods with the highest number of children under 6 years old, senior citizens, pregnant women, people with compromised immune systems and homes where water tests indicate high levels of lead at the tap.

Two others - Massachusetts and Rhode Island - are weighing bills that simply authorize their state lotteries to develop fantasy sports games but steer clear of the regulatory debate. In terms of oversight, the industry-backed bills generally call for companies to hire a third party to conduct a compliance audit, which is then reviewed by the state attorney general. At least two states - Indiana and Maryland - are considering bills placing oversight directly in the hands of state agencies that regulate gambling, horse racing and lotteries.

For instance, GOP Senate President Pro Tem Steve Newman has raised more than $360,000 since 2012; 99 percent of that money came from corporations, trade groups, lobbying firms or special interest groups. - A handful of lawmakers, including senior members in both parties, rely almost entirely on business interests and their representatives for campaign contributions. Newman said he didn't have to do any serious fundraising because he ran unopposed and said his haul from corporate interests hasn't unduly influenced his votes.

Contractors/Vendors that do not have valid insurance certificates proving independent coverage will be added to the company's exposure totals. Not only do the possibly uninsured contractors/vendors increase a company's exposure to loss, they can also cause significant increases in their premiums.

I can only tell you, if I would have used even half of that word, it would have been national scandal. ___
TRUMP on coarse language used by former Mexican President Vicente Fox over Trump's proposal to make Mexico pay for a fortress-like wall along the border: "I saw him use the word that he used. This guy used a filthy, disgusting word on television, and he should be ashamed of himself, and he should apologize, OK?

Phillip)
TRUMP: "I saw him use the word that he used. This guy used a filthy, disgusting word on television, and he should be ashamed of himself, and he should apologize, OK? 25, 2016, in Houston. I can only tell you, if I would have used even half of that word, it would have been national scandal. "
THE FACTS: At issue, it must be said, is the F-bomb. Fox dropped it when denouncing Trump's plans for the wall.

At Community Housing Innovations family shelter in Westchester County, they found a rooftop-access door removed from its hinges, allowing anyone including children unprotected access to the roof. At Bellevue men's shelter in Manhattan, with capacity for 850, two of three elevators were out of service.

Martin's campaign reported spending more than $7,000 on tire and auto repair shops and several thousand at area gas stations in recent years. Martin, who had his Senate wages garnished and has been sued for alleged unpaid debts, said the campaign paid for those expenses because he usually traveled for official reasons.

Currently, Virginia officials are only prohibited from spending campaign money for personal use when they close out their campaign accounts. Marcus Simon, D-Fairfax County, is carrying a bill to prohibit using campaign money for personal expenditures - something already illegal for federal politicians and in most states. Terry McAuliffe and others to tighten the state's campaign finance system.

Lionell Spruill, who hasn't faced an opponent in two decades. A sign for a Legislative conference greets visitors at the entrance to the grand staircase at the Jefferson Hotel in Richmond, Va. They can legally raise unlimited money from corporations and then spend it on virtually anything they want. An Associated Press review shows lawmakers there have freedom unlike their colleagues in other states. An Associated Press review of the state's finance system turned up examples like Chesapeake Democrat Del.

___
TRUMP: Criticizing Romney for delaying filing his own tax returns, said, "Mitt Romney looked like a fool when he delayed and delayed and delayed . And it cost him big league. But in any event, no level of scrutiny prevents him from making his returns public, said Joseph Thorndike, a tax law professor and contributing editor to Tax Analysts, an industry publication. THE FACTS: It was the first time Trump has mentioned audits as a reason to delay releasing his returns - after saying over the last several weeks he planned to make them public soon. And Mitt Romney didn't file his return until September 21st of 2012, about a month and a half before the election.

Every year they audit me, audit me, audit me. " He further said that he's been audited for "12 years, or something like that. ___
TRUMP: Challenged by former GOP presidential nominee Mitt Romney to release his tax returns, he said, "I will absolutely give my return, but I'm being audited now for two or three years, so I can't do it until the audit is finished, obviously.Because, no matter how straight you play it, freelancers get audited much more than salaried employees do. No - the United States IRS doesn't have it in for independents, but the numerous deductions that we file set us apart from other taxpayers. You probably aren't too concerned about being selected for an audit. Well, if you're a freelancer, avoiding an audit should always be on your mind as you file your taxes.

Unless you live with your mother who pays the mortgage or rent, there's no way that you could survive in Aspen on this income. If you live in a very high-income area, but you only claimed that you earned $15,000 that year, this is a red flag for an audit. The IRS will want to know how you spread $15,000 out to pay all your bills.

Some insurance industry insiders see another complication: Out-of-state companies may not have adequate local networks of hospitals and doctors. Proponents of interstate competition say they'd prevent that by spelling out a basic benefits plan. State insurance and consumer-protection regulators say such an approach would allow skimpy out-of-state policies to undercut benefits that individual states require, triggering a race to the bottom.

" If you answer 95% business, you have flunked the test -- the answer needs to be 100% business. You'll also need to keep your personal life out of your home office. We'll talk about this more in Home Office Deductions for Freelancers. For example: a trick that I heard the IRS sometimes uses is to ask the taxpayer being audited "Do you use your computer for 50% personal and 50% business or 5% personal and 95% business? This example demonstrates the strict enforcement of the guidelines for the home office deduction.

Waldorf & Sons Excavating crew foreman Brian Damon holds the first lead service line removed from Flint after digging for hours on Thursday, March 3, 2016, in Flint, Mich. (Jake May/The Flint Journal-MLive.

Nor is there evidence that workers are being moved en masse to part-time hours. 4 million jobs since the law took effect. THE FACTS: The claim that Obama's health care law is a job-killer is hard to square with the fact that the economy has added more than 13. percent since Obama signed the act. 6 million part-timers working in March 2010, and there are 26. The unemployment rate has fallen to 4. The number of part-time workers has actually fallen slightly since the health care law was passed: There were 27.

But, he adds, for people guilty of offenses like domestic violence or repeated drunken driving, probation matches them with court-ordered counseling. People are given opportunities to show financial hardships, and courts can sentence them to alternatives such as community service, Queen says.

Chris Peace, R-Hanover, right, and Del. A sign marks the entrance to the Jefferson Hotel in Richmond, Va. They can legally raise unlimited money from corporations and then spend it on virtually anything they want. They can legally raise unlimited money from corporations and then spend it on virtually anything they want. An Associated Press review shows lawmakers there have freedom unlike their colleagues in other states. An Associated Press review shows lawmakers there have freedom unlike their colleagues in other states. (AP Photo/Steve Helber) Mark Keam, D-Fairfax, left, listen to proceedings during the House session at the Capitol in Richmond, Va. (AP Photo/Steve Helber)
Del.

"For each service they sell, they make a profit. " (Michael Holahan/Augusta Chronicle via AP)
ADVANCE FOR USE SUNDAY, MARCH 13, 2016 AND THEREAFTER - In this Jan. 29, 2016 photo, Steven Gibbs, 61, sits in the motel room he shares with his wife, Debbie, and their daughter and son-in-law in Murfreesboro, Tenn. "Half the time I'm scared to go outside the door," says Gibbs, 61, a former construction worker who has been jailed twice since late 2013 after he couldn't pay hundreds of dollars in probation fees for driving on a suspended license. " He calls the system "cash register justice.

The committee tabled two of Simon's bills relating to campaign financing. Marcus Simon D-Fairfax, gestures as he answers a question during a meeting of the Privileges and Elections subcommittee at the Capitol in Richmond, Va. Martin, who lost a GOP primary for his Richmond-area seat last year, say their official salaries of about $18,000 a year plus a $1,250-a-month office stipend don