Great idea — “news by the numbers,” providing a platform for evidence-based claims, reader-generated content, etc.

Really, really bad idea: having the front end be Flash. There are a variety of excellent, embeddable data visualization tools easily and freely available.

Not being able to use my mouse scrollwheel on the page is reason enough not to visit the site again any time soon.

Why actively prevent your users from engaging with your site in the way they engage with nearly other every site they visit?

Seems a needless rhetorical mistake: preventing your readers from acting on established expectations….