By Ian Sherr

CHICAGO (Reuters) – ANALYSIS – Major U.S. freight railroads and their advocates have argued for years that government investment is needed in the country’s rail system to take freight off congested highways and keep the economy moving.

But supporters say rail investments have been largely ignored by Congress, suggesting political support is lacking, despite warnings action must be taken sooner rather than later.

“We’re in a growing crisis in terms of investment,” Republican Congressman Tom Petri of Wisconsin, who is a member of the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee, said in an interview. “Any serious country needs to take a long-term perspective and make reasoned investments in its future.”

But many rail analysts are skeptical government will act.

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By Ian Sherr

CHICAGO, July 31 (Reuters) – The sale price for bankrupt Hartmarx, the men’s clothing company from which President Obama gets his suits, has risen to about $130 million, Chief Executive Homi Patel said in an interview, adding that he would step down as CEO on Friday.

Patel declined to say why the price had risen from $119 million, the price listed in court documents filed last month.

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By Ian Sherr

A look at the state approval process as cities prepare to work on “shovel ready” projects.

Note, while I was not allowed to voice the piece, I reported, produced and wrote the script.

(By Ian Sherr. Originally published May 6, 2009 on the air with KCBS Radio, here.)

By Ian Sherr

MONTGOMERY, AL – Since Bobby Bright was asking for his vote, Roger Gaither thought this would be the perfect opportunity to ask the Democratic congressional candidate what might be the most important question of the campaign.

“People around here talk about how when you were asked if you support Obama, you raised your hand and said ‘yes.’ Is that true?”

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By Ian Sherr

The Beijing Olympic Torch made its only appearance in North America on Wednesday. After protests disrupted the torch relay in Europe, San Francisco Mayor Gavin Newsom changed the planned route without an announcement to the public.

Video produced by the Center for Digital TV and the World with April Dembosky, Marnette Federis, Julie Johnson, Alison Satake, Kerry Seed, and Ian Sherr.

(Originally published April 10, 2008 with the Washington Post, here.)

By Ian Sherr

SAN FRANCISCO — EDITORIAL — Just when I thought I had figured out why the Democratic Party has superdelegates, Nancy Pelosi comes along and says I have got it all backward.

“The superdelegates were established to give many more people at the grassroots level the opportunity to go to the convention and be really the overwhelming majority of who will decide this convention,” the House Speaker told CNN’s Wolf Blitzer last Thursday.

With a straight face.

That was after Super Tuesday, which was supposed to decide the next Democratic nominee. Instead, presidential candidates Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama have battled themselves to a delegate draw that party elders may have to settle.

I don’t know what’s worse – Pelosi pretending that rank-and-file Democrats will get to decide anything this year, or the convoluted system created to ensure they would not. It was adopted in 1976, to reformulate the reforms of 1972, which came in response to the chaos of 1968, when the Democrats tore themselves apart in the streets of Chicago after convention delegates chose Hubert Humphrey, who had never won a primary that year.

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By Ian Sherr

BERKELEY — Maria is an engineering student at the University of California, Berkeley. She’s smart, she’s witty, and she’s driven. But when her sister disappeared in early September, she feared doing anything.

“I can’t report things to the police,” she said. “I’m afraid to. I’m afraid they would deport me.”

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By Ian Sherr

hey are standing at attention, looking straight ahead and completely silent. The rows of soldiers go on for what seems to be an eternity. And with each corner turned there are even more, just standing there, looking out at the world. Some of them look stern and confident; others are smiling. But every one of them is dead.

These are the faces of the

fallen.
Their portraits line the walls of Syracuse University in New York and the hall of the Women’s Memorial in Washington D.C.’s Arlington National Cemetery. Both “Faces of the Fallen” memorials have been created to honor the lives of these soldiers.

Their portraits line the walls of Syracuse University in New York and the hall of the Women’s Memorial in Washington D.C.’s Arlington National Cemetery. Both “Faces of the Fallen” memorials have been created to honor the lives of these soldiers.

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