Controversies
Post-9/11 Detainees, Never Charged, Sue Bush Officials for Illegal Arrest and Abuse
Representing hundreds more like them, a group of individuals imprisoned immediately following the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks are suing former leaders of the Bush administration, alleging they were falsely detained and in some cases abused by law en... read more
Obama Working on Plan to Wiretap Skype, Facebook, BlackBerrys
The Obama administration wants to force all communications companies to make their networks compliable with wiretapping orders from law enforcement, a change that would primarily affect the likes of Facebook, Skype, BlackBerrys and similar encry... read more
FBI Exam Cheating Scandal
Hundreds of FBI agents may have cheated on an exam testing their knowledge about when they can legally spy on Americans. The FBI’s inspector general found widespread “cheating and abuse” by agents located around the country who took the bureau’s... read more
New York Town Orders Muslims to Dig Up Bodies from Cemetery
Officials in Sidney, New York, want the local Muslim religious community to remove its small cemetery, claiming bodies have been buried illegally in the upstate locale. But when pressed on the matter, town leaders were unable to cite the laws br... read more
Privatizing Public Libraries
Ongoing budget deficits at the local government level have opened the door for a private company to develop into the fifth largest library system in the United States. Library Systems & Services (LSSI) currently operates 14 public library system... read more
Dial Soap Hit by Class Action Suit Alleging False Anti-Germ Claims
David Walls doesn’t think much of Dial Corporation’s claims about the disinfecting powers of its soap. He’s suing the manufacturer to stop it from claiming Dial Complete 1) “'kills 99.99% of germs,” 2) is the most recommended product of its kind... read more
CIA Accused of Using Pirated Software for Drone Assassination Attacks
Intelligent Integration Systems (IISi), a small software company in Massachusetts, claims the CIA is using a stolen computer program for its drone attacks in Afghanistan and Pakistan.
In a lawsuit it filed in Boston, IISi alleges that a form... read more
Act to Allow Undocumented Students to Attend College Killed in Senate
Legislation granting illegal immigrant students the chance to remain in the U.S. as legal residents died in the Senate after Republicans refused to vote for a defense authorization bill to which the measure was attached.
The DREAM (Developme... read more
Left Behind in Iraq, State Dept. Will be Forced to Rely on Contractors Instead of Defense Dept.
Once the U.S. military completely pulls out of Iraq, the State Department will be on its own to handle security—a task for which it does not have the funding, the experience or the expertise.
The State Department will now be in charge of mor... read more
Revolving Door, Postal Service Edition
The U.S. Postal Service, facing a $230 billion deficit over the next decade, has been giving out contracts to former top executives and employees who in some cases have earned twice what they made while working for the federal government.
Si... read more
USA Today Documents 200 Cases of Federal Prosecutors Cheating
From hiding evidence to lying in court, federal judges accused prosecutors in more than 200 criminal cases of bending or breaking laws designed to ensure a fair trial for defendants, according to an investigation by USA Today.
“Federal prose... read more
Taxpayer-Owned GM Gives Money to Candidates
The U.S. government still controls General Motors, meaning it’s really owned by American taxpayers. But the executives running GM don’t see a problem with them contributing nearly $100,000 in campaign contributions in an effort to influence cong... read more
Orlando Policeman Breaks 84-Year-Old’s Neck
Daniel Daley Jr., 84, of Orlando, Florida, was in critical condition at a local hospital with a broken neck following a recent confrontation with a police officer. Two witnesses say Officer Travis Lamont, 26, overreacted when Daley, a World War ... read more
Big Health Insurers Halt Child-Only Policies
Unhappy with a provision of the federal healthcare reform law banning the practice of denying coverage to children with pre-existing medical conditions, large insurance companies have decided to stop offering child-only policies in certain state... read more
U.S. Government Wants Company to Remove Unidentified Toxic Waste at Textiles Mill
Meridian Industries walked away in June 2003 from its textiles mill in Belmont, North Carolina, and then sold the property to another owner in 2006. Meridian left behind 300 containers filled with unidentified hazardous waste, a big no-no accord... read more
Border Patrol Deported U.S.-Born Daughter of Fourth-Generation U.S. Citizen
Monica Castro thought she had a deal. In exchange for telling the Customs and Border Protection (CBP) service about the whereabouts of her daughter’s father, Omar Gallardo, an illegal immigrant whose violent behavior caused Castro to flee her ho... read more