Top Stories
Supreme Court Bans Life in Prison for Juvenile Non-Murderers
Continuing a recent trend of lessoning harsh sentences for juvenile offenders, the U.S. Supreme Court has ruled, in a 5-4 decision, that states cannot lock away for the rest of their lives young criminals who have not committed murder.
Justice... read more
Feds Ignored Louisiana Concerns about Experimental Chemicals Used against Oil Slick
The federal government approved BP’s use of chemicals to break up the oil from the Deepwater Horizon spill despite concerns from scientists and public officials in Louisiana.
When the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) discussed the ch... read more
Shareholders Sue Transocean for Hiding Oil Rig Blowout Preventer Failures
Two shareholders of Transocean Ltd., owner of the Deepwater Horizon oil rig that blew up in the Gulf of Mexico, are suing the company and claiming executives defrauded investors by concealing its history of failed equipment designed to prevent the... read more
Oil Drilling Agency Ignored Scientists, Bypassed Federal Permit Laws
Under the Bush and Obama administrations, the Minerals Management Service (MMS) has granted permits to BP and other oil companies to drill in the Gulf of Mexico despite environmental concerns raised by another federal agency that endangered specie... read more
Karzai Family Inc. in Afghanistan
Karzai is not just the last name of the president of Afghanistan—but also the name of perhaps the most powerful family in the country. A new report produced by the Institute for the Study of War states that the Karzai family exerts enormous influe... read more
Senate Rejects Regular Audits of Federal Reserve
The U.S. Senate voted unanimously to force the Federal Reserve to undergo an audit, for the first time, by Congress’ investigative arm. But the proposed legislation would only allow for a one-time examination by the Government Accountability Offic... read more
The Protestant-Free, Harvard/Yale-Only Supreme Court
If Elena Kagan is confirmed as the next justice on the U.S. Supreme Court, the religious and educational composition of the high court will be narrowly defined. No Protestants will be serving on the court, with Kagan giving the court three Jewish ... read more
Two-Thirds of Senate Ready to Ban Land Mines; But Not Obama
The United States has the political votes to join an international treaty banning land mines—an agreement first pushed by Washington more than 15 years ago—leaving it up to President Barack Obama to join in the effort. Sixty eight senators, repres... read more
Obama Administration Still Granting BP Environmental Study Waivers
Despite what some are calling the worst ecological disaster in recent U.S. history, the much-criticized federal agency that oversees oil exploration has continued to exempt petroleum companies from having to perform in-depth environmental studies.... read more
How Serious is the Threat of Terrorism in the United States?
Is anti-U.S. terrorism on the rise among Muslim Americans? That depends on how you look at the findings of a new RAND report.
On the one hand, there have been at least 46 cases of plots by “homegrown terrorists” broken up in the United States ... read more
Army Gives KBR No-Bid Contract in Iraq Hours after Justice Dept. Joins Anti-KBR Kickback Suit
The U.S. Army’s timing could have been better, while saying nothing about its better judgment. Only hours after the U.S. Department of Justice announced it was backing a lawsuit against defense contractor KBR Inc., the Army awarded the controversi... read more
BP Oil Spill Cleanup: Is the Solution Now Part of the Problem?
Considered the lesser of two evils by some environmentalists, the spraying of chemical dispersant into the Gulf of Mexico to break up the giant oil slick comes with its own risks and uncertainties for the environment.
So far, BP and the federa... read more
Obama Justice: Acquittal Does Not Guarantee Release from Prison
Human rights activists are questioning the point of military tribunals for suspected terrorists if the likely result is that detainees, even if they are acquitted, will remain behind bars, potentially forever.
Amnesty International has reporte... read more
Two Arizona Cities Sue State over Immigration Law
Some of the top city officials in Arizona have come out in opposition to the state’s tough new immigration law and plan to fight the legislation in court.
The city councils of Tucson and Flagstaff have voted (5-1 and 5-0) to sue the state ove... read more
Why Did Leaking Oil Rig Lack Safety Switch Used in Other Countries?
Oil-producing nations Norway and Brazil both require the use of a remote-control shut-off switch for offshore oil platforms—something the Deepwater Horizon in the Gulf of Mexico, as well as other drilling operations off the United States’ coasts, ... read more
As Somali Islamists Drive Out Pirates, What Happens to 360 Hostages?
Islamic rebels seeking to take control of Somalia have seized a key coastal village used by pirates, leaving the fate of some 360 hostages in doubt. Members of Hizbul-Islam entered Haradhere over the weekend, prompting pirates to flee the area. A ... read more