Top Stories
9 Billion-Dollar Disasters So Far This Year
This year is turning into the most costly on record in terms of weather-related disasters.
A new report by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) says 2011 so far has had nine disasters costing $1 billion or more. That to... read more
Dictator of the Month: Muammar al-Gaddafi of Libya
“All of the great prophets of modern times have come from the desert: Mohammed, Jesus and myself.”
-Muammar al-Gaddafi, October 1988
Muammar al-Gaddafi seized power in the North African nation of Libya in 1969 when he was only 27 years old. ... read more
Judge Orders White House to Publish Visitor Logs
A federal judge this week rejected the Obama White House’s contention that turning over thousands of visitor records might endanger the nation’s security, and ordered the administration to reveal documentation that’s been withheld from the media.
... read more
Exxon Sues U.S. Government for Rights to Gulf Oil Bonanza
Exxon Mobil is at risk of losing its rights to what might turn out to be the largest oil discovery ever in the Gulf of Mexico, which is why the oil behemoth is suing the federal government.
The problem for Exxon is that it allowed its leases... read more
SEC Destroyed Files of Thousands of Investigations
The whole point of the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) is to keep tabs on Wall Street, by making sure banks and other financial institutions and firms are abiding by the law. If suspected of not behaving lawfully, then investigations ar... read more
U.S. Combat in Iraq is Over…Except for the Air Strikes and Deaths
The dictionary defines combat as “to oppose in battle; fight against” or “to engage in fighting.” On August 31, 2010, President Barack Obama announced that the United States’ combat mission in Iraq was finished. However, based on what the U.S. m... read more
U. S. Weapons Industry Makes Too Much Profit from Pakistan to Reject its Government
Concerns over the reliability and loyalty of Pakistan’s government in the fight against the Taliban and al-Qaeda are well established. But the compromised nature of Pakistan’s military and intelligence service has not stopped U.S. defense contra... read more
Lower Courts Clash with Supreme Court over Gun Rights Rulings
District of Columbia v. Heller was supposed to bring legal salvation to gun-rights advocates, after the U.S. Supreme Court, in a 5-4 decision in June 2008, invalidated the District of Columbia’s strict gun-control law. Another 5-4 pro-gun ruling... read more
Unnamed U.S. Official Denies Drones Have Killed 168 Children in Pakistan
The Obama administration has vehemently denied a report out of the United Kingdom that nearly 170 children have been killed in Pakistan by American drone strikes over the past seven years.
The London-based Bureau of Investigative Journalism ... read more
Obama Hopes to Turn Foreclosed Properties into Rentals
Saddled with almost a quarter of a million foreclosed homes, the federal government is looking for ways to turn the empty properties into rental opportunities.
The Federal Housing Finance Agency, the Department of Housing and Urban Developme... read more
Southern Ranches Severely Threatened by Drought Conditions
Drought conditions have devastated nearly all of the range and pasture land in Oklahoma and Texas, forcing ranchers to buy feed to maintain their herds or else face the prospect of “liquidating” them.
At least nine states have lost the use o... read more
U.S. Court Panel Forbids Foreign Money in American Elections
In an attempt to piggyback on the landmark Citizens United ruling, two foreign nationals tried unsuccessfully in federal court to force open American elections to overseas political contributions.
Benjamin Bluman a Canadian citizen, and Dr. ... read more
Surprise! Budget Cuts Lead to Rioting…a 90-Year History
Civil unrest can be brought about by a government’s change in economic policy, specifically efforts to reduce spending or impose harsh austerity measures. Researchers at the Centre for Economic Policy Research reviewed historical data from the 1... read more
Bill Opposing Health and Safety Secrecy Introduced in Senate…Again
Democrats are again trying to limit the practice of sealing legal settlements that arise from product liability and other types of lawsuits, arguing that the public has a right to know about potential safety and public health problems.
The S... read more
Democratic Leaders Challenge Obama Medicaid Policy in Supreme Court
Unhappy with the White House’s legal position, Democratic leaders of Congress have filed a brief with the U.S. Supreme Court challenging President Barack Obama’s position on Medicaid.
The dispute stems from Douglas v. Independent Living Cent... read more
Were the Troops Killed in Afghanistan Tricked and Hit by a New Weapon?
The nearly 40 military personnel killed on Saturday in Afghanistan may have been lured into a trap by the Taliban employing a relatively new kind of rocket to bring down the helicopter carrying Navy SEALs and others.
The 38 people killed whe... read more