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An itemized deduction is an eligible expense that individual taxpayers in the United States can report on their federal income tax returns in order to decrease their taxable income.

Most taxpayers are allowed a choice between the itemized deductions and the standard deduction. After computing their adjusted gross income (AGI), taxpayers can itemize their deductions (from a list of allowable items) and subtract those itemized deductions (and any applicable personal exemption deductions) from their AGI amount to arrive at their taxable income amount. Alternatively, they can elect to subtract the standard deduction for their filing status (and any applicable personal exemption deduction) to arrive at their taxable income. In other words, the taxpayer may generally deduct the total itemized deduction amount, or the standard deduction amount, whichever is greater.

The choice between the standard deduction and itemizing involves a number of factors:

• Only a taxpayer eligible for standard deduction can choose it.
• U.S. citizens and resident aliens are eligible to take the standard deduction. Nonresident aliens are not eligible.
• If the taxpayer is filing as "married, filing separately", and his or her spouse itemizes, then the taxpayer cannot take the standard deduction. In other words, a taxpayer whose spouse itemizes deductions must either itemize as well, or claim "0" (zero) as the amount of the standard deduction.^[1]
• The taxpayer must have maintained the records required to substantiate the itemized deductions.
• If the amounts of the itemized deductions and the standard deduction do not differ much, the taxpayer may take the standard deduction to reduce the possibility of adjustment by the Internal Revenue Service (IRS). The amount of standard deduction cannot be changed upon audit unless the taxpayer's filing status changes.
• If the taxpayer is otherwise eligible to file a shorter tax form such as 1040EZ or 1040A, he would prefer not to prepare (or pay to prepare) the more complicated Form 1040 and the associated Schedule A for itemized deductions.

Deductions are reported in the tax year in which the eligible expenses were paid. For example, an annual membership fee for a professional association paid in December 2009 for year 2010 is deductible in year 2009.

Examples of allowable itemized deductions[link]

There are a number of allowable deductions:

• Medical expenses, to the extent that the expenses exceed 7.5% of the taxpayer's AGI. (e.g., a taxpayer with an AGI of $20,000 and medical expenses of $5,000 would be eligible to deduct $3500 of their medical expenses ( 20,000 X .075 = 1500; 5000 - 1500 = 3500 ).) The 7.5% floor means that most taxpayers are unable to take advantage of the medical expense deduction. Allowable medical expenses include:
  • Capital expenditures that are advised by a physician, where the facility is used primarily by the patient alone and the expense is reasonable (e.g. a swimming pool for someone with degenerative spinal disorder, an elevator for someone with heart disease)
  • Payments to doctors, dentists, surgeons, chiropractors, psychologists, counselors, physical therapists, osteopaths, podiatrists, home health care nurses, cost of care for chronic cognitive impairment
  • Premiums for medical insurance (but not if paid by another, or with pre-tax money)
  • Premiums for qualifying long-term-care insurance, depending on the taxpayer's age
  • Payments for prescription drugs and insulin
  • Payments for devices needed to treat or compensate for a medical condition (crutches, wheelchairs, prescription eyeglasses, hearing aids)
  • Mileage for travel to and from doctors and medical treatment
  • Necessary travel expenses
  • Non-deductible medical expenses include:
    • Over-the-counter medications
    • Health club memberships (to improve general health & fitness)
    • Cosmetic surgery (except to restore normal appearance after an injury or to treat a genetic deformity)
• State and local taxes paid, including:
  • Income taxes (or, alternatively, state and local general sales taxes)
  • Vehicle registration license fee
  • Property taxes (assessed by reference to the value of the property)
  • but not including:
    • Use taxes
    • Excise taxes
    • Fines or penalties
• Mortgage interest expense on debt incurred in connection with up to two homes, subject to limits (up to $1,000,000 in purchase debt, or $100,000 in home equity loans)
  • also, points paid to discount the interest rate on up to two homes; points paid upon acquisition are immediately deductible, but points paid on a refinance must be amortized (deducted in equal parts over the lifetime of the loan)
  • also private mortgage insurance premiums through 2010
• Investment interest, up to the amount of income reported from investments (the balance is deferred until more investment income is declared)
• Charitable contributions to allowable recipients; this deduction is limited to either 30% or 50% of AGI, depending on the characterization of the recipient. Donations can be made as money, or in the form of goods. The value of donated services cannot be deducted as a contribution. Reasonable expenses necessary to provide donated services can, however, be deducted (such as mileage, special uniforms, or meals). Non-cash donations valued at more than $500 require special substantiation on a separate form. Non-cash donations are deductible at the lesser of the donor's cost or the current fair market value, unless the non-cash donation has been held for greater than a year (Long term), in which case it can be deducted at fair market value.
  • Eligible recipients for charitable contributions include:
    • Churches, synagogues, mosques, other houses of worship
    • Federal, state, or local government entities
    • Fraternal or veterans' organizations
  • Non-eligible recipients include:
    • Individuals
    • Political campaigns or political action committees (PACs)
• Casualty and theft losses, to the extent that they exceed 10% of the taxpayer's AGI (in aggregate), and $100 (per event, $500 starting tax year 2009)
• Gambling losses, but only to the extent of gambling income (For example, a person who wins $1,000 in various gambling activities during the tax year and loses $800 in other gambling activities can deduct the $800 in losses, resulting in net gambling income of $200. By contrast, a person who wins $3,000 in various gambling activities during the year and loses $3,500 in other gambling activities in that year can deduct only $3,000 of the losses against the $3,000 in income, resulting in a break-even gambling activity for tax purposes for that year -- with no deduction for the remaining $500 excess loss.)

Miscellaneous itemized deductions[link]

It is important to distinguish miscellaneous itemized deductions from other “normal” itemized deductions. The reason for this is because miscellaneous itemized deductions are subject to a 2% floor ^[2], a.k.a. the "2% Haircut." A taxpayer can only deduct the amount of miscellaneous itemized deductions that exceed 2% of their adjusted gross income. ^[3] For example, if a taxpayer has adjusted gross income of $50,000 with $4,000 in miscellaneous itemized deductions, the taxpayer can only deduct $3,000, since the first $1,000 is below the 2% floor.

Failed to parse (Missing texvc executable; please see math/README to configure.): 4,000 - .02(50,000) = 3,000

There are 12 deductions listed in 26 U.S.C. § 67(b). These are NOT miscellaneous itemized deductions, and thus not subject to the 2% floor (although they may have their own rules). Any deduction not found in section 67(b) is a miscellaneous itemized deduction.^[4] Examples include:

• Job-related clothing or equipment, such as steel-toed boots, hardhats, uniforms (if they are not suited for social wear: suits and tuxedoes are not deductible, even if the taxpayer does not like to wear them, but nurses' and police uniforms are), tools and equipment required for work
• Union dues
• Unreimbursed work-related expenses, such as travel or education (so long as the education does not qualify the taxpayer for a new line of work; law school, for example, is not deductible.)
• Fees paid to tax preparers, or to purchase books or software used to determine and calculate taxes owed
• Subscriptions to newspapers or other periodicals directly relating to one's job^[5]

Limitations[link]

If the taxpayer's adjusted gross income is above a threshold (or "applicable amount"), then the total allowable itemized deductions is reduced by 1/3 of the lesser of

• 3% of the excess of adjusted gross income over $166,800; or
• 80% of the total itemized deductions otherwise allowable^[6]

In 2009, the threshold adjusted gross income is $166,800 ($83,400 if married filing separately).
So, for example, if one's adjusted gross income is $300,000 and one has $20,000 in itemized deductions, first figure out 3% of the excess above $166,800:

Failed to parse (Missing texvc executable; please see math/README to configure.): .03(300,000 - 166,800) = $3996

Then figure out 80% of the total deductions

Failed to parse (Missing texvc executable; please see math/README to configure.): .80(20,000) = $16,000

Finally, determine which value is lesser, then take 1/3 of this value. In this instance, the lesser value is $3996 so the taxpayer's total itemized deductions shall be reduced by $3996 divided by 3, or $1332. This means out of the $20,000 itemized deductions claimed, only $18668 will be allowed.

Failed to parse (Missing texvc executable; please see math/README to configure.): $20,000 - $1332 = $18,668

Even though the Internal Revenue Code sets the applicable amount at $100,000, that amount is subject to inflation.^[7] Therefore, it's necessary to double-check the Consumer Price Index for the applicable amount for the current year.

In addition, this limitation on itemized deductions is applied after any other limitation.^[8] This means that you first need to figure out the total allowable miscellaneous itemized deductions, etc., before determining any limits on the total amount of deductions.

Phaseout[link]

This limitation of itemized deductions has been "phased out."^[9] For taxable years 2006 and 2007, the amount was reduced to 2/3 of the limitation, and for taxable years 2008 and 2009, the amount was reduced to 1/3 of the limitation. This "phase out" was completed on January 1, 2010.^[10]

Notes[link]

External links[link]

• IRS Mileage Rates

Chris Van Hollen
Member of the U.S. House of Representatives from Maryland's 8th district
Incumbent
Assumed office January 3, 2003
Preceded by	Connie Morella
Ranking Member of the House Budget Committee
Incumbent
Assumed office January 3, 2011
Preceded by	Paul D. Ryan
Chairman of the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee
In office January 3, 2007 – January 3, 2011
Preceded by	Rahm Emanuel
Succeeded by	Steve Israel
Personal details
Born	(1959-01-10) January 10, 1959 (age 53) Karachi, Pakistan
Political party	Democratic
Spouse(s)	Katherine Van Hollen
Children	Anna Van Hollen Nicholas Van Hollen Alexander Van Hollen
Residence	Kensington, Maryland
Alma mater	Georgetown University Law Center (J.D.) Harvard University (M.P.P.) Swarthmore College (B.A.)
Occupation	Attorney
Religion	Episcopalian
Signature

Christopher "Chris" Van Hollen, Jr. (born January 10, 1959) is the U.S. Representative for Maryland's 8th congressional district, serving since 2003. He is a member of the Democratic Party. The district includes most of Montgomery County, an affluent suburban county adjacent to Washington, D.C., as well as parts of Prince George's County, another Washington suburb.

Speaker Nancy Pelosi created a new leadership post, Assistant to the Speaker, in 2006 so that Van Hollen could be present at all leadership meetings. After the Democrats regained control of the House in the 2006 elections, Van Hollen became the chairman of the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee, the fifth-ranking position among House Democrats. In this post, Van Hollen was responsible for leading efforts to get more Democrats elected to Congress.

After the Democratic losses in 2010, Van Hollen did not run for re-election to chair of the DCCC. Van Hollen instead chose to run for the top Democratic spot on the House Budget Committee, which was being vacated by outgoing chairman John Spratt who had been defeated for re-election. Van Hollen was elected as the ranking member on the Budget Committee on November 17, 2010. Pelosi appointed him to the 12-member bipartisan Committee on Deficit Reduction with a mandate for finding major budget reductions by late 2011.

Early life, education and career[link]

The oldest of three children, Van Hollen was born in Karachi, Pakistan, to Christopher and Eliza Van Hollen. His father was a Foreign Service officer who served as Deputy Assistant Secretary of State for Near Eastern Affairs (1969–72) and U.S. Ambassador to Sri Lanka (1972–76); and his mother worked in the Central Intelligence Agency and the State Department, where she served as chief of the intelligence bureau for South Asia.^[1][2] He also lived in Turkey, India, and Sri Lanka.^[1] He returned to the United States for his junior year of high school, and attended the Middlesex School in Concord, Massachusetts, where his grandfather once taught.^[1]

In 1982, Van Hollen graduated from Swarthmore College with a Bachelor of Arts degree in philosophy.^[3] He continued his studies at Harvard University, where he earned a Master of Public Policy degree, concentrating in national security studies, from the John F. Kennedy School of Government in 1985.^[3]

Early political career[link]

Van Hollen worked as a legislative assistant for defense and foreign policy to U.S. Senator Charles Mathias, a Republican from Maryland, from 1985 to 1987.^[4] He was also a staff member of the U.S. Senate Committee on Foreign Relations (1987–89), and a legislative advisor for federal affairs to Maryland Governor William Donald Schaefer (1989–91).^[4] He earned a Juris Doctor from the Georgetown University Law Center in 1990.^[3] He was admitted to the Maryland bar in 1990, and joined the law firm of Arent Fox.^[5]

Maryland Legislature[link]

Van Hollen served in the Maryland General Assembly from 1991 to 2003, first in the House of Delegates (1991–95) and then in the State Senate (1995–2003).^[3] In the Senate, he served on the Budget and Taxation Committee and the Health and Human Services Subcommittee. He led successful efforts to raise the tobacco tax, prohibit oil drilling in the Chesapeake Bay, mandate trigger locks for guns, and increase funding for education and healthcare.^[1] In 2002, The Washington Post called Van Hollen "one of the most accomplished members of the General Assembly."^[6]

U.S. House of Representatives[link]

Committee assignments[link]

• Committee on the Budget (Ranking Member)
• Joint Select Committee on Deficit Reduction

Party leadership and Caucus membership[link]

• Ranking Member on the House Budget Committee
• Vice Chairman of the Renewable Energy and Energy Efficiency Caucus
• Co-Chairman of the Chesapeake Bay Watershed Task Force
• Co-Chairman of the Congressional Caucus on Global Road Safety
• Vice Chairman of the Democratic Task Force on Budget and Tax Policy
• International Conservation Caucus^[7]
• Congressional Chesapeake Bay Watershed Caucus

Chair, Congressional Down Syndrome Caucus

Maryland's 8th District hugs the northern border of Washington, D.C. and is one of the most educated and wealthy congressional districts in the nation. The federal government is the largest single employer in the district, and many private companies are funded by the government.^[8]

In 2003, Van Hollen was named Outstanding New Member of the Year by the Committee for Education Funding, the nation's largest and oldest non-partisan education coalition.^[9] The first bill Van Hollen introduces every session is the Keep Our Promise to America's Children and Teachers (PACT) Act, which would fully fund No Child Left Behind and IDEA. He also introduced an amendment, which passed, that repealed a 9.5 percent loophole in student loans that had allowed lenders to pocket billions of taxpayer dollars. Now, that money is available for additional student loans.^[10]

Because many federal employees live in his district, Van Hollen has worked on a number of issues relating to them. He supported pay parity in pay raises for civilian employees and introduced an amendment, which passed, to block attempts to outsource federal jobs.^[11]

Van Hollen has secured federal funding for a number of local-interest projects, including transportation initiatives, local homeland security efforts, education programs and community development projects. Van Hollen has been a strong supporter of Palestinian Statehood throughout his career in Congress.

Van Hollen often joins his colleague, Adam Schiff (CA-29), to discuss issues of National Security on the floor of the House, with particular commentary on the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq.^[12]

In May 2006, Van Hollen formed a Congressional Caucus on the Netherlands with Dutch-born Republican representative Pete Hoekstra. The goal of the caucus is to promote the U.S. relationship with the Netherlands and remember the Dutch role in establishing New York and the United States.

In July 2006, Van Hollen urged the Bush administration to support a ceasefire supported by a peacekeeping force that would end the Israeli-Lebanon War. He was heavily criticized by the Jewish and pro-Israel community, a large part of his constituency. According to the Washington Jewish Week, Van Hollen clarified but did not retract his position.^[13]

In 2006, Van Hollen opted out of the race to succeed the retiring Senator Paul Sarbanes, saying he would rather spend time with his family and help elect more Democrats to Congress.^[14] In keeping with that, Van Hollen was appointed the Chairman of the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee.

Van Hollen speaks during the second day of the 2008 Democratic National Convention in Denver, Colorado, in his capacity as chair of the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee. He is flanked by Democratic House challengers.

In 2009, Van Hollen introduced a bill which establishes a Green Bank to catalyze the financing of clean energy and energy efficiency projects.^[15]

In March 2010, when Charles Rangel was forced to resign as Chairman of Ways and Means over ethics charges, Van Hollen played a key role in having Sander Levin succeed to the Chairmanship over Pete Stark. Stark was the second-most experienced member of the committee while Levin was third, and party tradition would have made Stark chairman due to seniority. However, Van Hollen and other younger members saw Stark's past intemperate comments as a liability to the Democrats in an election year.^[16]

On April 29, 2010, Van Hollen introduced the campaign finance DISCLOSE Act.^[17]

In April 2011, Val Hollen sued the Federal Election Commission charging it with regulatory capture and the creation a loop hole that allowed unlimited and undisclosed financing in the 2010 election reason. Had it not been for the loop hole, according to Representative Chris Van Hollen "much of the more than $135 million in secret contributions that funded expenditures would have been disclosed." ^[18]

Congressman Van Hollen has been a strong supporter of disability rights, especially for individuals with intellectual disabilities. In 2010 he became a co-chair of the Congressional Down syndrome Caucus and has sponsored numerous bills that would benefit individuals with disabilities.

Political campaigns[link]

Prior to Van Hollen's election, incumbent Connie Morella had won eight elections in the district, despite the fact that she was a Republican in a district where Democrats far outnumbered Republicans. Morella's success was largely attributed to her political independence and relatively liberal voting record, including support for abortion rights, gay rights, gun control and increased environmental protections.

After Morella's re-election in 2000, Democratic Maryland Senate President Thomas V. "Mike" Miller made no secret that he wanted to draw the 8th out from under Morella. Indeed, one redistricting plan after the 2000 Census went so far as to divide the 8th in two, giving one district to Van Hollen and forcing Morella to run against popular State Delegate Mark Kennedy Shriver in November. The final plan was far less ambitious, but made the district even more Democratic by adding heavily Democratic precincts from neighboring Prince George's County, an area that Morella had never represented. It also restored a heavily Democratic spur in eastern Montgomery County that had been cut out in the last round of redistricting.

In 2002, Van Hollen entered a competitive Democratic Party primary against Shriver and former Clinton administration aide Ira Shapiro. Though Shriver had the most money, Van Hollen launched a very successful grassroots effort that mobilized Democratic voters. After receiving the endorsement of the Washington Post, the Baltimore Sun, and other local papers, Van Hollen defeated Shriver 43.5 percent to 40.6 percent.

During the campaign, Van Hollen emphasized that even when Morella voted with the district, her partisan affiliation kept Tom DeLay and the rest of her party's more conservative leadership in power. Van Hollen also touted his leadership in the State Senate on issues such as education funding, HMO reform, trigger locks for handguns, and protecting the Chesapeake Bay from oil drilling. Ultimately, after a tight race, Van Hollen defeated Morella 51.7 percent to 48.2 percent.^[8] Van Hollen crushed Morella in the Prince George's County portion of the district, while narrowly winning Montgomery County. However, Morella won the precincts she'd previously represented.

Van Hollen has been reelected four times, each time winning over 70 percent of the vote against token Republican opposition. However, it had long been taken for granted that the Republicans would face extremely long odds of retaking the seat if Morella retired or was defeated in an election.

Positions[link]

Van Hollen has been endorsed by the Brady Campaign to Prevent Gun Violence,^[19] a group which campaigns for more government regulation of guns.^[20] Van Hollen received a 0% from the gun owners of America in 2006.^[21] In September 2008, Van Hollen voted against restoring Second Amendment rights in the District of Colombia.^[22]

Van Hollen also supports animal rights groups such as the humane society, the society for animal protective legislation, big cat rescue, and defenders of wildlife action fund, all who gave him a 100% approval rating.^[21] Van Hollen also received endorsement from the humane society legislative fund in 2010.^[23] However Van Hollen is not a supporter of organizations which aim to protect the rights of sportsman and animal owners, and received an approval rating of 0% from the sportsmen and Animal Owner’s Voting Alliance.^[21]

Van Hollen received a 0% rating for the Citizens against government waste, and national taxpayers union in 2010.^[21] Both of which are organizations that advocate for lower taxes.^[24][25] In 2006 Van Hollen received a 100% rating from Citizens for tax Justice, a group that calls for higher taxes on the wealthy.^[26] Van Hollen is not in support of eliminating the federal estate tax.^[21][27]

Electoral history[link]

Personal life[link]

Van Hollen and his wife Katherine live in the town of Kensington with their three children, Anna, Nicholas, and Alexander.

References[link]

• Congressional Quarterly Voting and Elections Collection

External links[link]

• Congressman Chris Van Hollen official U.S. House site
• Chris Van Hollen for Congress official campaign site
• Biography at WhoRunsGov.com at The Washington Post
• Biography at the Biographical Directory of the United States Congress
• Voting record maintained by The Washington Post
• Biography, voting record, and interest group ratings at Project Vote Smart
• Congressional profile at GovTrack
• Congressional profile at OpenCongress
• Issue positions and quotes at On the Issues
• Financial information at OpenSecrets.org
• Staff salaries, trips and personal finance at LegiStorm.com
• Campaign finance reports and data at the Federal Election Commission
• Appearances on C-SPAN programs
• Appearances on Charlie Rose
• Appearances at the Internet Movie Database
• Works by or about Chris Van Hollen in libraries (WorldCat catalog)
• Chairman Chris Van Hollen at the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee
• Calm, Cool and Collecting Silla Brush, US News & World Report, April 29, 2007, profile
• Can Nice Guy Chris Van Hollen Finish First?, Matusow, Barbara, Washingtonian, June 1, 2008

Erin Burnett
Photographed outside of Bear Stearns' midtown Manhattan office on March 17, 2008
Born	Erin Isabelle Burnett (1976-07-02) July 2, 1976 (age 35) Mardela Springs, Maryland, United States
Occupation	News anchor Journalist
Years active	2003–present
Agent	CAA
Notable credit(s)	CNBC's Squawk on the Street co-anchor Street Signs anchor CNN's Erin Burnett OutFront anchor
Website
http://www.cnn.com/CNN/anchors_reporters/burnett.erin.html?iref=allsearch/

Erin Isabelle Burnett (born July 2, 1976) is a journalist and news anchor, currently the anchor of her own news show on CNN, Erin Burnett OutFront.^[1] She was previously the co-anchor of CNBC's Squawk on the Street program and the host of CNBC's Street Signs program. Burnett has also appeared on NBC's Meet the Press, Today, MSNBC's Morning Joe, and NBC Nightly News, as well as occasional appearances on The Celebrity Apprentice serving as an advisor to Donald Trump. She is a member of the Council on Foreign Relations.

Burnett has hosted a number of documentaries filmed outside of the United States: "India Rising: The New Empire",^[2] "The Russian Gamble", and "Dollars & Danger: Africa, The Final Investment Frontier.^[3] She has focused extensively on the Middle East as well, reporting live from across the region and hosting documentaries including: "On Assignment: Iraq", "Big Money & the Middle East", "City of Money and Mystery" and "The Forbidden Zone".

Personal life[link]

Burnett was born and raised in Mardela Springs, Maryland. She is the youngest daughter of corporate attorney Kenneth King Burnett and Esther Margaret (Stewart).^[4][5] She attended St. Andrew's School in Middletown, Delaware, graduating in 1994,^[6] and returned in 2009 to deliver the commencement speech.^[7][8] Burnett attended Williams College in Williamstown, Massachusetts, where she studied political science and economics, graduating with a Bachelor of Arts in political economy. As an undergraduate, she played lacrosse and field hockey.^[9][10]

She is engaged to Citigroup executive David Rubulotta.^[11]

Career[link]

Early years[link]

Burnett began her career as a financial analyst for Goldman Sachs^[12] in their investment banking division, where she worked on mergers and acquisitions and corporate finance. While working as an investment-banking analyst, Burnett was offered a position at CNN as a writer and booker for CNN's Moneyline with Stuart Varney, Willow Bay, and Lou Dobbs.^[13]

Cable news career[link]

From 2005 to 2011 Burnett was the host of CNBC's Street Signs and co-anchor of Squawk on the Street.^[14] Following her debut, both shows received an increase in rating from those aged 25–54.^[15] On May 6, 2011 she left CNBC after 5-1/2 years.^[16] On October 3, 2011 Burnett returned to CNN as the anchor of a New York-based, prime time news program, called Erin Burnett OutFront.^[17][18] By May 2012, Erin Burnett OutFront averaged just 89,000 viewers in the key demographic aged 25-54, which were the lowest ratings for CNN in the 7pm time slot since October 1991. ^[19]

Host shows[link]

• Street Signs (2005–2011)
• Squawk on the Street (2005–2011)
• Bloomberg on the Markets (2003–2005)
• Erin Burnett OutFront (2011–)

Impact and controversies[link]

In August 5, 2009, Burnett used the term "serial killer" in a discussion with her host Jim Cramer regarding a report about the Australian Prime Minister Kevin Rudd's plans to spend millions of dollars on aerial shooting to cull Australian feral camels in the outback. Cramer referred to the reported plan as "camelcide."^[20][21][22] The next day on the show, Burnett said her comment was meant as a joke.^[23]

On December 7, 2010, Burnett did an investigative report on chemical giant Transammonia^[24] doing business in Iran. She reported that a Transammonia subsidiary—100% owned by Transammonia in the United States—purchased ammonia from Iran. In the same report, Burnett said according to an economic plan released by the Iranian government, Iran was trying to increase ammonia production by 60 percent over the next five years. She also mentioned that ammonia is used for explosives, including roadside bombs in Afghanistan. On December 13, 2010, as a result of the CNBC report, Transammonia sent a press release to Congressional leaders stating that Transammonia's Swiss subsidiary would not enter into new contracts with Iranian companies, and would wind down its business with Iran "as soon as possible."^[25]

Shortly after arriving at CNN, on October 4, 2011, Burnett did a segment on the Occupy Wall Street protests titled "Seriously?" in which she mocked the protesters. Media watchdog groups, including Fairness and Accuracy in Reporting, claimed Burnett's reporting was purposely inaccurate in order to paint the protesters in a negative light. In response to the criticism, CNN issued a statement saying, "We support Erin and the OutFront team and we respect that there will be a range of opinions on any given story."^[26]

References[link]

External links[link]

Wikimedia Commons has media related to: Erin Burnett

• Erin Burnett biography at CNBC
• Erin Burnett at the Internet Movie Database
• Squawk on the Street official website at CNBC
• Street Signs official website at CNBC
• Erin Burnett's OutFront blog official website at CNN