Controversies
White House Visitor Logs Leave Large Blanks
When is the releasing of one million government records not that impressive? When the information in question is missing hundreds of thousands of details.
That’s the case with the White House visitor logs. After being sued by government watc... read more
Obama Administration Threatens Washington State in Battle against Legal Marijuana
The Obama administration has joined the political debate in Washington state over the legalization of medical marijuana dispensaries, with federal prosecutors telling the governor a proposed new law could result in residents losing their propert... read more
Borders Executives Fire 6,000 Employees…and Apply for $8 Million in Bonuses
After filing for bankruptcy and announcing the layoff of thousands of employees, Borders hopes to hand out million-dollar bonuses to its executives.
Borders filed for Chapter 11 protection in February, and as part of its restructuring decide... read more
Draft Registration Front and Center in Sex Discrimination Case
A federal appeals court has reinstated a lawsuit by four men who claim they unfairly lost their government jobs because they had not registered for the draft. The plaintiffs filed suit in Massachusetts federal court, but lost their case in which... read more
Oil and Gas Companies on Defense over Fracking
Hundreds of millions of gallons of hazardous or cancer-causing chemicals were pumped into underground wells by the oil and gas industry from 2005 to 2009, according to a report by congressional Democrats.
Companies injected the chemicals int... read more
Newly-Elected Republican Governors Aggressively Attack Environmental Regulations
Organized labor isn’t the only target of newly-elected Republican governors this year. Environmental laws also are within the GOP sights.
Maine’s governor, Paul LePage, has crafted a 63-point plan to cut environmental regulations, which incl... read more
IRS Completed Only 13 High Wealth Audits in 18 Months
A special unit created in 2009 by the IRS to audit wealthy Americans with foreign assets has investigated only 13 tax returns to date.
The Global High Wealth Industry Group of the IRS audited two returns in fiscal year 2010 and 11 during the... read more
Mine Safety Administration Uses Enforcement Rule for First Time in 33 Years
After more than 30 years, the Mine Safety and Health Administration (MSHA) has decided to flex its muscles at the coal mining industry, warning two operators to fix safety violations or face being shut down.
MSHA officials have told Bledsoe ... read more
Dozens of Top CIA Officials Leave for Private Firms
The CIA has lost nearly 100 top officials to the private sector since Sept. 11, 2001, denying the spy agency a wealth of experience as it seeks to combat terrorism and other threats to the United States. The losses also represent a change in att... read more
Congress Handing Big Victory to GE and Drug Firms over Small Inventors and Silicon Valley
America’s patent system has always been based on the first-to-invent principle, meaning whoever creates something new gets the right to sell it and profit from their work. Now, Congress is seriously considering replacing this historical system w... read more
Military Prosecutors Compared 19th Century Native American Resistance to Al-Qaeda
Leaders of the Seminole Indians have demanded a personal apology from President Barack Obama after military lawyers involved in tribunals for Guantánamo detainees compared the actions of the Florida tribe’s ancestors to al-Qaeda.
In 1818, Gene... read more
10 Most Endangered Species
Scientists in Australia have created what they say is the world’s first index listing those species most in danger of becoming extinct.
The Species Ability to Forestall Extinction (SAFE) index was established in the hopes it will save some a... read more
Who is the Mysterious Senator who is Fighting against Whistleblowers?
Affter 10 unsuccessful tries, U.S. Senator Daniel Akaka (D-Hawaii) is hoping this year will be the one to pass legislation that expands protection for whistleblowers. But one senator is secretly standing in his way.
The “secret hold” is a pr... read more
Oil Companies Try to Wriggle out of Law Requiring Disclosure of Payments to Foreign Governments
The Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) wants oil and mining companies doing business overseas to reveal payments (read: bribes) they’re making to foreign governments. Not surprisingly, the industry is fighting the new federal requirement, ... read more
Johnson & Johnson Agrees to Pay $70 Million to Settle Bribery Charges
Accused of bribery and providing kickbacks, Johnson & Johnson has agreed to pay the U.S. government $70 million to settle charges brought over its illegal activities in Europe and Iraq.
From 1998 to 2006, Johnson & Johnson, the world’s secon... read more
Long Island Village to Face Trial for Pushing Out Latinos
Farmingdale, New York, is being sued by Latino residents who claim the Long Island village has been trying to kick them out of the community.
The predominantly white town allegedly had developers tear down an apartment building largely occup... read more