Top Stories
Massey and Transocean Both Won Safety Awards before Disasters
The validity of government safety awards has come under question in light of the bestowing of such honors to companies responsible for two of the country’s worst accidents this year.
Six months before the Upper Big Branch coal mine accident ... read more
Loan Modification Program Has Spent Barely 1% of Available Budget
While millions of Americans have struggled to keep from losing their homes to foreclosure, the Obama administration has spent only a little more than 1% of the $50 billion it promised to help stem the mortgage crisis.
So far, the Department ... read more
Bush Admits to Breaking U.S. Anti-Torture Law…but No Prosecution Planned
Despite former President George W. Bush’s recent admission about authorizing torture, the Obama administration has given no indication it wants to reopen the controversy over how suspected terrorists were treated during the “war on terror.” At l... read more
Torture Tapes Destruction…Another Crime Unpunished
The Obama administration has decided not to pursue criminal charges against CIA officials who destroyed more than 90 videotapes showing the torture of suspected terrorists during the early Bush years. Special Prosecutor John Durham with the U.S.... read more
65% of Washington State Voters Voted against Tax on Richest 1%
More taxes are out of the question for voters in Washington state, even if those feeding the coffers of government are the rich. Residents overwhelmingly rejected a plan during last week’s election to establish a state income tax that would have... read more
Number of Women in Congress Drops for First Time in 32 Years
There were 93 women serving in the U.S. Congress…until last week’s election. The 2010 campaign was not friendly to women, whose numbers in the House and Senate will drop once the 112th Congress convenes. The decline marks the first time in three... read more
Supreme Court Listens to AT&T Arguments Banning Class Action Suits
If AT&T has its way, the telecom giant and other corporations won’t be subject to class-action lawsuits by consumers.
In a case pending before the U.S. Supreme Court (AT&T Mobility vs. Concepcion), the company will argue that the cell phone ... read more
40% of Outside Campaign Money was Made Possible by Supreme Court Ruling
Perhaps no other U.S. Supreme Court decision has had as much impact on an election in modern times as the Citizens United ruling did this year. The court case, which threw out longstanding limits on contributions by corporations and unions, help... read more
Mine Safety Administration in Rare Move to Shut Down Dangerous Coal Mine in Kentucky
For the first time ever, the federal government has filed suit in federal court to shut down a coal mine. The mine is owned by Massey Energy, which was responsible for the Upper Big Branch mine that killed 29 workers earlier this year.
The D... read more
Gay Candidates and Recent Veterans Scored Big on Election Night
Lost amid the post-election news about Tea Party victories and Republicans taking back the U.S. House of Representatives was the fact that November 2010 also was good to homosexuals and veterans of Iraq and Afghanistan who ran for public office.... read more
100 Senators: 0 African-Americans, 0 Mexican-Americans, 2 Asian-Americans from Hawaii
In the midst of the political upheaval resulting from the 2010 Congressional election, one aspect that may be overlooked is the extremely unrepresentative nature of the new Senate. Although African-Americans account for 12.9% of the U.S. populat... read more
Obama Administration Refuses to Release Investigation into Illegal Immigrant Killing of Nun
Officials in Virginia are upset with the Department of Homeland Security over its refusal to release the results of an investigation into a drunk-driving homicide involving an illegal immigrant and a Catholic nun.
In August, Carlos Martinell... read more
Obama Grants Waiver to Give Aid to 4 Governments Using Child Soldiers
Claiming that fighting terrorism is more important than protecting human rights, President Barack Obama has allowed four countries to continue receiving U.S. military aid even though they use child soldiers. The decision was made at the same tim... read more
The Most Republican City in the United States
Provo, Utah, has the distinction of being the most Republican city in the United States based on election results. In the 2008 presidential election, 78% of Provo voters chose Republican John McCain while only 19% went with Democrat Barack Obama. ... read more
U.S. Military Uses More Oil per Day than the Entire Nation of Pakistan
The U.S. Department of Defense consumes more oil per day than 170 nations, including Pakistan, a country with 166 million people. Although the amount of fuel consumed by the military is not published, the quantity is estimated to be between 400,... read more
Women Most Likely to be Murdered by Men in Nevada, Least Likely in New Hampshire
The national homicide rate among women murdered by men in 2008 was 1.26 per 100,000, according to a study by the Violence Policy Center. Those states that exceeded the national average were led by Nevada whose 2.96 rate was more than double the ... read more