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New Law Would Shift All Terror Suspects to Military Instead of Civilian Authority
Senate Republicans want to strip President Barack Obama and all future presidents of the ability to decide whether terrorism suspects should be handed over to civilian law enforcement or the military, preferring instead that detainees automatica... read more
Obama Sides with Manufacturers in Blocking Stricter Smog Standards
In a move that floored his environmental supporters, President Barack Obama late last week killed a tough new anti-smog plan proposed by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).
Obama’s decision was exactly what Republicans and business in... read more
The Nine 9/11 Commission Recommendations Still Unmet
Since the 9/11 Commission issued its report on the causes of the 2001 attacks, governments at the federal, state and local levels have implemented about 75% of the recommendations put forth by the special panel.
But that’s not good enough, say... read more
While White Unemployment Rate Dips, Black Unemployment Hits 27-Year High
Black Americans continue to have a tougher time finding work than white Americans, according to the latest job figures from the U.S. government.
While the unemployment rate for whites dipped a little in August (to about 8%), the rate for bla... read more
First Month without Job Growth Since the Month after World War II Ended
There could hardly be a worse way to celebrate Labor Day.
The August job numbers weren’t just bad, they were historically bad. The nation produced its first month without job growth since September 1945, just after World War II ended. Unempl... read more
Obama Administration Sues Big Banks for Mortgage Fraud…Finally
Three years after Wall Street nearly collapsed after investing in risky home loans and dubious securities, the Obama administration has finally decided to go after the nation’s largest banks, as well as several international institutions, for mo... read more
Newly-Discovered Documents Reveal CIA Helped Gaddafi against His Opponents
Once Libya‘s dictator, Muammar Gaddafi, gave up attempts to develop weapons of mass destruction in 2004, the CIA under President George W. Bush came calling to Tripoli to enlist the Arab country’s help with the extraordinary rendition of terrori... read more
Virginia Earthquake Exceeded Safety Limit of Nuclear Power Plant
Last week’s earthquake that rattled the Mid-Atlantic region also left federal safety inspectors a little shaken after they examined a Virginia nuclear power plant that was shut down by the seismic event.
Regulators with the Nuclear Regulator... read more
Pentagon Wasted $12 Million a Day for 10 Years on War Contracting
No matter how you look at it, the decision to spend more than $200 billion on contractors for the Iraq and Afghanistan wars proved extremely wasteful.
The congressionally-created eight-member, bipartisan Commission on Wartime Contracting in ... read more
25 Major Companies Paid More to CEOs than They Did in Taxes
From the perspective of the board room, the fact that 25 corporations last year paid more money to their CEOs than they did in income taxes to the U.S. government is an achievement deserving applause.
But few people outside Wall Street are c... read more
10 Most Popular AllGov Stories—August 2011
August found AllGov readers most interested in science-related controversies and court cases having to do with tobacco; responsibility for the September 11, 2001, terror attacks; and drug companies. In addition, one story from nine months ago, h... read more
August Deadliest Month Yet for Americans in Afghanistan
As it begins its phased drawdown of troops, the United States has experienced its worst month in Afghanistan in terms of fatalities after almost 10 years of warfare.
Sixty-six military personnel have died in August, surpassing the previous hig... read more
Pentagon No-Bid Contracts Rise to 45% in 2011
The post-9/11 years at the Department of Defense have seen an enormous increase in no-bid contracts, with the lack of competition approaching 50% during the first six months of this year.
Over the course of the last 10 years, the amount of m... read more
Obama Refuses to Release Bush’s Legal Excuse for Illegal Surveillance
The Obama administration has refused to declassify a secret memo from the George W. Bush presidency that justified the warrantless spying conducted by the National Security Agency (NSA).
Matthew Aid, a writer who’s covered the NSA and survei... read more
Secret Service Agents Ask for Immunity in Case of Man Arrested for Touching Dick Cheney
Two Secret Service agents involved in the arrest of a Colorado man for supposedly assaulting Vice President Dick Cheney in 2006 have appealed to the U.S. Supreme Court. The agents insist they are immune from a First Amendment lawsuit filed by St... read more
Obama Waived U.S. Law to Use Foreign Ships to Transport Oil Reserve
Supposedly for the sake of stabilizing world oil prices, but also at the expense of creating American jobs, the Obama administration decided this summer to use foreign-owned ships to transport oil from the U.S. stockpile. The big winners in the ... read more