Controversies
Failed SEC Enforcement Officials Gain Big Salaries at Major Law Firms
Several former enforcement officials at the Securities and Exchange Commission—who were in a position to stop the fraudulent schemes of Bernard Madoff and others but failed to do so—are doing quite well for themselves since leaving federal servi... read more
USDA Sides with Humane Society to Stop Slaughterhouses Using Disabled Calves for Veal
At the urging of a leading animal rights organization, the U.S. Department of Agriculture has decided to ban the slaughter of disabled calves for veal production. The Humane Society of the United States called for the new regulation in light of it... read more
Congress Blasts JPMorgan for Military Foreclosures…and Suicides
Lawmakers on the House Veterans Affairs Committee excoriated JPMorgan Chase for charging soldiers more interest on their mortgages than allowed under federal law, causing many families to lose their homes, and perhaps even their lives.
As fa... read more
Veterans’ Jobless Rate Jumps above 15%
While the national unemployment rate has gone down, the jobless rate among veterans has climbed higher.
The Bureau of Labor Statistics reported that more than 15% of Iraq and Afghanistan war veterans were unemployed in January, the highest l... read more
CIA Agents Who Make Bad Mistakes Go Unpunished
In the post-September 11 world of the CIA, numerous agents who made critical mistakes or violated the law have received little in the way of punishment. Indeed, some have been promoted despite their reckless decision-making.
An investigation... read more
Speculators Drive Sugar Prices to 30-Year High
The price of sugar has reached its highest peak in 30 years, thanks to “parasitic” computer traders whose micro-fraction buying and selling has manipulated the cost of the commodity.
Fed up with the situation, the World Sugar Committee lashed ... read more
U.S. Regulators Refuse to Release Spill Hazard Estimates for Pipeline from Canada
The Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration (PHMSA) is coming under criticism for not releasing a Canadian company’s plans for managing oil spills and estimating a worst-case scenario in the event its pipeline burst in the United St... read more
Air Force Claims It’s Illegal for Families to Read WikiLeaks at Home
The U.S. Air Force tried last week to make the case that its military and civilian personnel, as well as their family members, cannot legally access the classified documents published by WikiLeaks on home computers. To do so, stated a policy dir... read more
Climate Scientist Sues Climate Change Skeptic for Libel
Accused of falsifying data on climate change, Canadian scientist Andrew Weaver is suing fellow expert Tim Ball, an outspoken skeptic of the issue, for defamation.
Weaver, a researcher at the University of Victoria and former editor of Journa... read more
Health Care Law Loophole Could Cause Millions to Miss Out for Months at a Time
Despite the inclusion of a special provision in the new federal health care law, nearly 30 million Americans could still experience temporary loss of coverage if their income fluctuates in the course of a year.
Those affected by this potenti... read more
Air Force to Lay Off 2,300 Officers
With officers remaining longer in the service, the U.S. Air Force is faced with laying off more than 2,000 commissioned personnel in order to accommodate a shrinking budget. Currently, the Air Force has 2,300 more officers than it can afford, wh... read more
Ohio Mother Jailed for Trying to Put Her Kids in Better School
Kelly Williams-Bolar has gained national fame for simply trying to put her daughters into safer schools.
The 40-year-old single mother was convicted in an Ohio court of tampering with records to falsely claim her family lived in the Copley-Fai... read more
Judge Rules that Administrator of Oil Spill Fund is an Agent of BP
The administrator of the $20 billion fund established by BP to compensate victims of the Gulf of Mexico oil spill should not claim he is independent of the oil company, which is paying his salary, ruled a federal judge.
The ruling by Judge C... read more
EPA Agrees to Set Limits to Rocket Fuel Ingredient in Tap Water
For the first time ever, the federal government will establish health standards for how much perchlorate, an ingredient in rocket fuel, will be allowed in drinking water.
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is expected to take two... read more
States Clash with Energy Department about Power Lines in National Parks
The federal government’s plan to fast-track the building of new electrical transmission towers, intended to reduce the risk of regional blackouts, has been put on hold by an appellate court that sided with a coalition of states and environmental... read more
Boeing Received $5 Billion in Illegal Government Subsidies
The World Trade Organization has ruled that Boeing benefited from $5 billion in improper subsidies from American government agencies for its 787 Dreamliner and other jets.
Boeing’s European rival, Airbus, was quick to seize on the news, and ... read more