Controversies
National Engineering Academy Report on Gulf Oil Rig Explosion Blames Failure to Heed Warnings
The warning signs were there, they just weren’t heeded. That is the conclusion of experts from the National Academy of Engineering who studied the possible causes of the Deepwater Horizon accident in the Gulf of Mexico.
The academy says ther... read more
Holder Reverses Bush Policy of Trading Lighter Sentences for DNA Waivers
Attorney General Eric Holder Jr. has decided to end a Bush-era policy of allowing federal prosecutors to get criminal defendants to waive their rights to future DNA testing as part of pleading guilty in exchange for lighter prison sentences.
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One of Seven Medicare Patients in Hospitals Harmed by Medical Care
Medicare beneficiaries who enter a hospital stand a 1-in-7 chance of receiving medical care that causes them harm, based on data collected by the Department of Health and Human Services’ inspector general.
After reviewing the cases of one mi... read more
Erin Brockovich Town Faces Unfortunate Real-Life Sequel
The town of Hinkley, California, is reliving a nightmare it thought had ended a decade ago. Made famous by Erin Brockovich’s battle against Pacific Gas & Electric and the subsequent film starring Julia Roberts, Hinkley residents are again facing... read more
Animal Shelter Killed War Hero Dog
Target, a female shepherd-mix dog, survived suicide bombings in Afghanistan, but couldn’t avoid death at an animal shelter in Arizona, where she was mistakenly euthanized.
Only last month Target was honored at the eighth annual Hero Awards b... read more
Businesses Don’t Create Jobs; Corporate Tax Breaks Don’t Help: Dave Johnson
Businesses do not create jobs, says Dave Johnson at Campaign for America’s Future who sees companies as an enemy of employment.
“Businesses have more incentives to eliminate jobs than to create them,” argues Johnson. “Businesses in our economy... read more
Average Immigration Court Case Took 47 Days Longer This Year
Immigration courts are taking longer these days to hear and process cases, including those that end with deportation orders. The specialized courts took an average of 280 days during FY 2010 to complete cases, which was 47 days longer (or 20%) t... read more
Obama Hasn’t Granted a Single Pardon…Nearing Modern Record
What used to take only days is now stretching into months and close to years for the issuance of the first pardon by a new president.
Like his immediate predecessors, President Barack Obama has continued a recent trend of putting pardons and... read more
Chief Engineer on Deepwater Horizon Refuses to Cooperate with Federal Investigation
Stephen Bertone, former chief engineer of the Deepwater Horizon oil rig that exploded in the Gulf of Mexico, has refused to comply with a subpoena from the U.S. Chemical Safety Board (CSB), arguing that the CSB does not have jurisdiction to prob... read more
Dangerous Job: Social Security Judge
With wait times lasting longer than two years for a decision, judges who hear Social Security disability cases are experiencing a rise in violent threats from frustrated Americans. At least 80 threats to kill or harm administrative law judges or... read more
Did Supreme Court Justice Alito Violate Code of Conduct?
U.S. Supreme Court Justice Samuel Alito is no stranger to conservative political fundraisers, having attended events hosted by the partisan magazine, American Spectator. Alito apparently sees no problem with his presence at events that favor Rep... read more
Obama Should Pardon Clarence Aaron: Debra J. Saunders
A victim of the criminal justice system’s draconian punishment for first-time drug offenders, Clarence Aaron deserves to be pardoned by President Barack Obama, argues conservative columnist Debra J. Saunders.
Aaron was a college student at Sou... read more
EPA Sued for Allowing Mercury Pollution 900 Times Safe Level
Accused of failing to properly regulate the discharge of toxic metals by power plants into waterways, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is being sued by two environmental organizations. The Defenders of Wildlife and the Sierra Club ... read more
Pentagon Report Shows 70% Don’t Object to Gays in Military
An internal survey conducted by the Department of Defense involving active duty and reserve troops found that more than 70% of respondents did not express opposition to repealing the ban on homosexuals serving openly in the military. The effect ... read more
Chemicals in Fast Food Wrappers End Up in Human Blood
As if the food in fast food wasn’t questionable enough from a health standpoint, it turns out the wrappers used for hamburgers, chicken sandwiches, microwave popcorn, etc. contain chemicals that are leaching into the human body.
Researchers ... read more
Anti-Gun Smuggling Program Doesn’t Go after Big Gun Runners
The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) has spent too much time going after small-time gun runners instead of focusing on larger operations that have supplied weapons to Mexico’s drug cartels, according to a federal audit.
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