It has been more than 20 years since a majority of Americans said they were satisfied with the direction of their country, a period that covers the presidencies of two Republicans and two Democrats. The last time a majority of Americans had a favorable view of the Democratic Party was in August 2009. The Republicans? Except for one poll in January 2020, no majority favorable since April 2005.   read more

Linda S. Birnbaum began serving as the Director of the National Toxicology Program and the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences (NIEHS) on March 13, 2009. Based in Research Triangle Park, North Carolina, the NIEHS has a $684-milli...   read more

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

Tea Party supporters are keeping Sarah Palin’s daughter, Bristol, alive in the competition on ABC’s hit show Dancing with the Stars. Despite receiving the lowest scores from the show’s judges for her jive, her Viennese waltz and her instant samb...   read more

The last men standing from World War I who fought for the United States and Great Britain reflect differently on their experiences. One refuses to participate in ceremonies commemorating the “Great War,” while another fights for the establishmen...   read more

An outspoken advocate for homosexuals, as well as a writer and educator, Kevin Jennings has served since July 2009 as assistant deputy secretary to head the Office of Safe and Drug-Free Schools in the U.S. Department of Education. Founded in 200...   read more

A former state legislator from Virginia, L. Preston Bryant, Jr. was appointed chairman of the National Capital Planning Commission (NCPC) by President Barack Obama in September 2009. His term on the commission expires in 2013. The NCPC reviews a...   read more

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

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

The Great Recession did nothing to convince Congress to slow down the soaring increase in highly-paid federal workers. An analysis by USA Today has revealed that the number of U.S. government employees earning $150,000 or more a year jumped tenfol...   read more

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

Americans have continued to put off getting married for the first time, according to new figures from the U.S. Census Bureau. Both men and women have reached a record average age for their first marital commitment: 28.2 for men and 26.1 for wome...   read more

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

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

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. ...   read more

Two civil liberties groups argued in federal court this week that the U.S. government does not have the legal right to order the assassination of American citizens overseas even if they advocate terrorist violence.   The case was brought by th...   read more

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is supposed to maintain a database of dangerous chemicals to better inform the public of risks posed by the substances. But EPA officials have fallen so far behind on updating the Integrated Risk In...   read more