Controversies
Motorcyclist Dies of Head Injury While Protesting Helmet Law
Philip Contos was determined to show that the government had no right to make him wear a helmet while riding his Harley Davidson motorcycle, regardless of the consequences.
He set out on Saturday with a group of fellow enthusiasts who were par... read more
Why Do Republican Women Have a Problem with American History?
If the Republican Party goes on to nominate one of its prominent female candidates as their 2012 presidential challenger, it might be a good idea to hire a tutor so they can brush up on their American history.
Both Sarah Palin and Michele Bach... read more
Kansas Relents and Allows a Single Abortion Provider in the State, but That’s Not Good Enough for the Judge
State health officials in Kansas blinked this week and granted a license to Planned Parenthood to perform abortions, avoiding becoming the only state in the nation without a single provider of the controversial medical procedure. But a federal jud... read more
Budget Impasse Brings Minnesota to a Screeching Halt
“Closed” became the operative word for Minnesota’s state government on Friday, once Republican lawmakers and the Democratic governor failed to reach a compromise on the state’s new budget.
With no spending plan in place for the new fiscal year... read more
Russia Turns Up the Heat, Sends Two Army Brigades to the Arctic
Determined to secure its claim to a wealth of underwater natural resources, Russia announced plans to deploy two army brigades to the Arctic, where receding ice flows are opening up new economic opportunities.
Russian military leaders are stil... read more
Obama Administration Steps Up Attack on Legal Marijuana with Threat to Growers
The Obama administration made it clear this week with a memo to federal prosecutors that Washington is not going to allow large-scale cultivation of medical marijuana by local governments.
With the growing acceptance of medical marijuana dispe... read more
GM Recalls Impalas…but Only if Owned by Police
General Motors is being sued after it selectively recalled its 2007-2008 models of the Chevrolet Impala sold to police departments.
At issue is the Impala’s rear wheel structure, which allegedly causes misalignment and premature tire wear. T... read more
Supreme Court Snuffs Out Scalia’s Pro-Tobacco Ruling
Justice Antonin Scalia guessed wrong last fall when he acted unilaterally to delay a multimillion-dollar legal settlement at the request of tobacco companies, figuring the U.S. Supreme Court would want to review the lower court decision and reve... read more
Clarence Thomas: An Ethics Problem with a Seat on the Supreme Court
U.S. Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas’ growing list of apparent ethical violations has raised the specter of former Justice Abe Fortas, who resigned five decades ago from the high court for similar problems.
In the late 1960s, Fortas lo... read more
Growing Controversy over Use of Medtronic’s Infuse for Bones
Infuse, a leading biotech solution for repairing damaged spinal cords, has been called out by a medical journal that devoted an entire issue to the product and questioned whether its manufacturer, Medtronic, has been above board in its promotion.
... read more
More than 2,000 Companies Hide Assets Using One Address in Wyoming
Labeled the “little Cayman Island on the Great Plains,” a modest-looking home near the state capitol of Cheyenne, Wyoming, serves as the official address for more than 2,000 companies, including phony ones set up to hide assets from the governme... read more
Military Crime Lab Seeped in Chaos and Controversy
Scientific analysis has taken a backseat to scandal and chaos at the military’s top crime lab, where a host of controversies have plagued the facility’s management.
Complaints ranging from racism and sexual harassment to assault and fraud ha... read more
First-Ever Federal Bill to Legalize Marijuana
Left-leaning Democrats and the libertarian wing of the Republican Party have come together to propose the first-ever legislation to legalize marijuana at the federal level.
Representatives Barney Frank (D-Massachusetts) and Ron Paul (R-Texas... read more
USDA Report: Apples Most Often Contain Pesticides; Onions Safest
An apple a day can keep the doctor away, as long as it’s not heavily contaminated with pesticides.
America’s second most popular fresh fruit (behind bananas) is nearly always sold with some amount of farm chemicals on it, according to the En... read more
Charged with Murder for Taking Cocaine or Trying Suicide While Pregnant
Rennie Gibbs faces a possible mandatory sentence of life in prison for taking cocaine while pregnant, because a prosecutor in Mississippi insists the drug use caused the stillborn death of her baby.
Gibbs, who was 15 when she became pregnant... read more
Navy Has Too Many Sailors, Plans to Force Early Retirement
Thousands of sailors soon will be forced ashore permanently, once the U.S. Navy decides who to discharge into the ailing civilian economy.
Because of the weak job market, fewer sailors have been leaving the service. Only 28% are leaving afte... read more