Controversies
Fed Chairman Bernanke’s Favorite Words…“Employment” a Distant 4th
Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke doesn’t seem to consider America’s unemployment problem a high priority. An analysis of Bernanke’s public testimony by the investor website dshort.com found his favorite word to be “financial,” (1,298 mentions... read more
Parks Director Jarvis, Bowing to Coca-Cola, Halted Plastic Bottle Ban in Grand Canyon
Officials at Grand Canyon National Park were planning last year to ban all plastic bottles from the scenic treasure in order to reduce litter. But National Park Service Director Jon Jarvis scuttled the plan after Coca-Cola, a major donor to the Na... read more
1in 4 Medicare Patients Mistreated at Hospitals
More than 25% of Medicare patients in 2008 were at risk of being subjected to an “adverse event” at a hospital, according to a report from the Department of Health and Human Services inspector general.
A 2008 survey of 81 hospitals found that ... read more
Gruesome Details of Mishandled War Dead at Dover Air Force Base
Once again the U.S. military has failed to properly tend to its fallen soldiers, having first botched burials at the nation’s leading cemetery for service personnel and now mistreating remains upon their return to the U.S.
At Dover Air Force B... read more
Did Radiation Leak from TSA Screening Booth at Hawaii Airport?
Nearly a dozen Transportation Safety Administration (TSA) employees working at the Lihu‘e Airport on the island of Kauai in Hawaii were overcome on November 3 by unidentified emissions coming from the security checkpoint they were manning.
Sus... read more
Guantánamo Hearing to be Broadcast to U.S. Media and Public for First Time
In a surprising about-face, the Department of Defense has decided for the first time to broadcast the military trial of a Guantánamo detainee.
The decision comes after years of secrecy that has surrounded the holding of accused terrorists, inc... read more
Tennessee First State to Allow TSA Highway Random Search Program
Tennessee has become the first state in the nation to welcome the federal government’s latest anti-terrorist program: Visible Intermodal Prevention and Response (VIPR).
The U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) created VIPR in December 20... read more
Texas Appeals Court Considers DNA Testing for Prisoner on Verge of Execution
After pleading 10 years for a chance to clear his name, Hank Skinner received a ray of hope only two days before his execution date in Texas.
The convicted triple murderer has insisted since his trial in 1995 that he did not kill his girlfrien... read more
ID Thieves Steal Names of Dead Children from Social Security Database
Created to thwart such crimes, a Social Security Administration database is being used by criminals to file fraudulent income tax returns involving the names of deceased children.
The government established the Death Master File in 1980 to hel... read more
Crude FBI Turns to Army for Help in Anti-Terrorism Training
Having been publicly exposed for teaching that all Muslims are dangerous, the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) has asked for help from the U.S. Army’s premier educational source.
The Combating Terrorism Center at West Point (CTC) will soo... read more
Pentagon Wants Military Tribunal to Hide that Defendant Will Not be Freed if Found Innocent
Even if found not guilty of the bombing of an American warship more than a decade ago, Abd al-Rahim al-Nashiri won’t be going free.
Al-Nashiri is accused of masterminding the October 12, 2000, attack on the USS Cole that killed 17 American sai... read more
Violence against Occupy Movement Nothing New for Oakland Police
The violent crackdown last week by police in Oakland, California, against Occupy protesters was nothing new to local residents who have witnessed the city’s law enforcement behave brutally, and sometimes illegally.
In 2003, several Oakland pol... read more
TSA Again Misses Deadline for Scanning Cargo on International Flights
Twice now the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) has failed to meet a deadline mandated by Congress to inspect 100% of all cargo on international U.S.-bound passenger planes. Following recommendations made by the commission that investig... read more
NRA Clashes with Military Suicide Prevention
With suicides in the military continually rising, the Center for a New American Security has recommended Congress repeal the restriction, imposed last year, on commanders talking to troops about their personally owned guns.
The think tank’s ne... read more
Arizona Gov. Brewer Removes Independent Chairwoman of Redistricting Commission
As the 2012 elections draw nearer, the battle over redistricting based by on the 2010 census is heating up in several states.
With the help of the Republican-controlled state Senate, Governor Jan Brewer this week removed the chairwoman of the ... read more
New Head of Guantánamo Prison Orders Guards to Begin Reading Mail from Lawyers
Since taking command of Guantánamo Bay, Rear Admiral David Woods has ordered prison guards to read all mail for detainees, including correspondence from their lawyers which is supposed to be protected under attorney-client privilege.
Woods dec... read more