Top Stories
Supreme Court Corporate Majority Blocks Arizona Public Campaign Finance Law
Continuing its assault on campaign finance laws, the U.S. Supreme Court this week struck down an Arizona statute that provided taxpayer money for candidates dramatically outspent by well-funded opponents.
In a 5-4 decision, the court’s pro-c... read more
Electricity Company Lawsuit Claims Fuel Tanks below 7 World Trade Center Added to 9/11 Destruction
A federal appeals court has given Con Edison, the electricity provider for most of lower Manhattan, permission to move forward with its lawsuit against the Port Authority of New York for allowing diesel fuel tanks to sit beneath one of the World... read more
Air-Conditioning for Troops in Afghanistan and Iraq Costs More than Entire NASA Budget
Beyond the expected heat of battle, temperatures have played a costly role in the United States’ 10 years of warfare.
With conflicts in Afghanistan and Iraq taking place in desert regions, where the daytime thermometer can eclipse 120 degree... read more
Supreme Court Allows Plea Agreement Sentences to be Changed when Sentencing Rules are Updated
Convicted criminals who previously entered into plea agreements can be allowed to reduce their sentences in situations where a sentencing guideline was later changed, said the U.S. Supreme Court this week.
The ruling stemmed from the case of W... read more
President Obama Clashes with…Senator Obama
Critics of President Barack Obama have had an easy time recently throwing his own words back at him on tough issues like raising the national debt and being involved in Libya.
As president, Obama wants Congress to lift the national debt limi... read more
Half of Elderly in UK Use Prescribed Drugs that Shorten Life or Hurt Brain Function
Half of the senior citizens of the United Kingdom have been taking prescription drugs that can impair brain function or cause death, according to a new medical study of 13,000 people aged 65 or older. Researchers from the University of East Angl... read more
Obama Says “Tide of War is Receding”…But Fatalities are on the Rise
“We take comfort in knowing that the tide of war is receding,” President Barack Obama told the nation. “Fewer of our sons and daughters are serving in harm's way.” That may be true in terms of how many American troops are fighting in Afghanistan... read more
California Stops Paying Legislators for Failing to Balance Budget
In a move that will no doubt inspire Americans in other states, all 120 members of the California legislature will be denied their paychecks after the state’s controller decided lawmakers did not pass a balanced budget on time, as required under... read more
10 Possible Explanations for the Drop in the U.S. Crime Rate
America’s crime rate has been falling for the past 20 years, with a significant drop in violent offenses occurring in the 1990s and an overall dip taking place since 2008. But experts disagree over the cause of this welcome phenomenon. Here are ... read more
U.S. Prison in Afghanistan Has 10 Times as Many Prisoners as Guantánamo
Guantánamo has become synonymous with the U.S. effort to hold detainees, which in turn has given the impression that the military prison in Cuba is the hub of this policy. But Guantánamo is by no means the largest prison for detainees—that distinc... read more
One Quarter of All Federal Contracts Go to Only 10 Companies
The U.S. government prides itself on spreading the wealth when it comes to outsourcing contracts to private companies. In Fiscal Year 2010, it awarded contracts to 163,500 different contractors. It sounds impressive. But a closer look at the num... read more
JPMorgan Chase Gains Booming Profits after Suckering Alabama’s Biggest County
Jefferson County, Alabama, is placing nearly 1,000 public workers on administrative leave without pay as officials struggle to pay off a staggering debt of $3.2 billion. The financial crater county leaders dug dates back to the 1990s when they a... read more
Small Business Hiring Shrinks; Big Companies Expand; Worker Share of National Income Plunges
The latest economic news makes it all too clear who the winners are in the U.S. economy. Small businesses are struggling to expand, while the biggest companies are growing even bigger. And a smaller percentage of the nation’s overall income is g... read more
FBI Loosens Restrictions on Spying
The FBI intends to give its agents more leeway when it comes to investigating suspects, including the ability to search databases, sift through household trash and conduct surveillance without adhering to certain rules that used to apply to such... read more
Prescription Drugs Cause More Deaths than Illegal Drugs
The biggest drug-overdose killers in the United States are not illegal substances like cocaine or heroin. Rather they go by names like Xanax, Klonopin, Oxycodone and Hydrocodone.
Death by prescription overdose is now a larger problem than th... read more
Homeowner Equity Lowest Since At Least World War II…$6.6 Trillion Lost in 4 Years
Like a sandcastle at high tide, equity in the American housing market has swiftly eroded in very little time.
Ten years ago, the average homeowner had 61% equity. Today, the percentage has plummeted to 38%. If this trend continues, 2011 will... read more