Top Stories
Senate Republicans Block Debate on Popular Proposal to Raise Taxes of Super-Rich
Senate Republicans this week blocked the passage of President Barack Obama’s plan for raising taxes on the wealthy, even though polls show a majority of GOP respondents support such legislation.
The “Paying a Fair Share Act” (aka the Buffett R... read more
Treasury Dept. Wording Could Exclude Millions from Health Care Benefits
As many as four million Americans could wind up without health care benefits if a new federal rule is implemented as interpreted by the Treasury Department, warned consumer advocates, doctors and Democratic lawmakers.
Under the healthcare refo... read more
New Consumer Protection Agency Allows Credit Card Companies to Charge Sign-Up Fees
Is the new Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB), under attack since the moment of its conception, already in danger of becoming a paper tiger? Congress created CFPB in 2010 as part of the Dodd–Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protect... read more
Many of 500 Americans on No-Fly List Don’t Know Why
What do Raymond Knaeble, Ayman Latif, Abe Mashal and Steven Washburn have in common, aside from being veterans of the U.S. armed forces? They all have no idea why they are on the government’s secret “No-Fly List”—and they’re suing the government o... read more
Arizona Law Declares Life Begins before Conception: Update
Today Arizona Governor Jan Brewer signed into law a bill that will radically redefine when life begins for an unborn child.
A State Senate amendment to the bill, H.B. 2036, states that a fetus’ life starts not at conception, but up to two week... read more
Arizona Bill Declares Life Begins before Conception
Lawmakers in Arizona have passed legislation that would radically redefine when life begins for an unborn child.
A State Senate amendment to the bill, H.B. 2036, states that a fetus’ life starts not at conception, but up to two weeks before th... read more
Obama Opens Door to Fraud by Signing (No) JOBS Act
Legislation intended to “jumpstart” job creation may instead do more to allow fraud on Wall Street.
Developed by the White House, and signed by President Barack Obama on April 5, the “Jumpstart Our Business Startups Act” (or JOBS Act) swept th... read more
Homeland Security and Navy Award Contract to Hack into Gaming Systems
The federal government wants to obtain the capability to hack into video game consoles, all in the name of thwarting terrorism and pedophiles.
Obscure Technologies, a small San Francisco-based company that performs computer forensics, has rece... read more
More Jobs and More Job Seekers, but Far Less Money for Job Training
At a time when 12.7 million unemployed Americans are in need of jobs, the U.S. government is spending less on job training than it did during better economic times.
Federal funding for the “primary training program for dislocated workers,” acc... read more
Government Jobs Disappearing…Unlike Other Post-Recession Periods
Despite complaints on the Republican presidential campaign trail about President Obama’s alleged bias in favor of government spending, in fact his administration has actually seen a contraction in the size of government, which has slowed the natio... read more
Why Does the U.S. Have Such a High Infant Mortality Rate?
A nation’s infant mortality rate (IMR) has long been widely understood to be an excellent indicator, not only of infant health, but of a people’s health and general well-being as well. Thus it is sobering news to read, in a recent report prepared ... read more
Do Public Housing Residents Bring Crime with Them When They Move Out?
A first-of-its-kind study examining the movements of public housing residents into other city neighborhoods shows crime may follow them wherever they go if they relocate in large numbers.
After reviewing crime statistics in Chicago from 2000 t... read more
Almost Half of U.S. Tax Money Goes to Military and Health Care
For those paying income taxes later this month and wondering just what their money goes toward, here is a breakdown of how the U.S. government spends it.
One quarter of all income taxes are consumed by national defense, which represents the la... read more
AK Steel Takes First and Third in Contest for Worst Polluter of U.S. Waterways
Between industry and the military, more than 200 million pounds of toxic pollutants are dumped each year into American waterways, but one corporation takes two of the top three spots of biggest polluters.
According to the Environment America R... read more
Supreme Court Rules Jailers Correct in Strip-Searching Anti-War Nun
The U.S. Supreme Court ruled 5-4 this week that anyone being held in jail can be subject to strip searches, no matter how minor the offense or who the arrestee is. That applies to even someone like Sister Bernie Galvin, a Catholic nun and resident... read more
Judge Overrules FEC’s Support of Anonymous Campaign Donations
Wealthy benefactors of special-interest political campaigns may have to reveal their identity in the wake of a federal judge’s ruling.
U.S. District Judge Amy Berman Jackson ruled late last week that the Federal Election Commission (FEC) went ... read more