Top Stories
EPA Set to Halt Largest Mountaintop Removal Mine
Representing the largest mountaintop removal operation in West Virginia’s history, the Spruce No. 1 coal mine project came to a halt this week after the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) vetoed a Clean Water Act permit. EPA officials had ... read more
Bush/Obama Policies Helped Biggest Wall Street Firms Get Even Bigger
Washington’s response to the economic crisis that began last year has done little to help the average American get going again, but it has helped some of Wall Street’s most powerful institutions become stronger than ever. Reducing interest rates t... read more
Geithner’s Aides Made Millions Working for Banks and Hedge Funds
Change has not come to the Treasury Department which, like previous Washington administrations, is filled with former Wall Street high flyers. Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner’s inner circle includes Gene Sperling, who earned more than $1 milli... read more
Iraq and Afghanistan Wars Cost U.S. $15 Million an Hour
From a purely fiscal advantage, it’s not difficult to understand why some in Washington are calling for a shift in war policy in Afghanistan and placing the onus on the Afghan army instead of America’s sophisticated, and expensive, military. The D... read more
Obama Administration Reawakens Safety Agencies Frozen by Bush
After two terms of a Bush presidency that was reluctant, if not hostile, towards regulatory action, the Obama administration is unleashing a vigorous assault on businesses selling dangerous or illegal products and services.
At the Food and Dru... read more
Obama Afghan Troop Increase is More than It Appears
Since President Barack Obama’s announcement in March that the United States would be sending additional soldiers to Afghanistan, the number repeatedly cited by administration officials has been 21,000. But in actuality the number heading overseas... read more
Health Insurance Industry, Stocks Down, Backstabs Obama
Coming off a bad month of stock market losses, the insurance industry launched a last-minute scare attack this weekend against Democratic health reforms. Citing a study conducted by PricewaterhouseCoopers, Karen Ignagni, president of the trade gro... read more
If You Want Good Health Care, Leave Mississippi and Move to Vermont
One argument in favor of national health care reform is based on the fact that quality medical care is not equally available at the state level. To prove this point, The Commonwealth Fund has again published its State Scorecard on Health System Pe... read more
Citigroup, JPMorgan Chase and Goldman Sachs Can Count on Geithner
Reinforcing criticism of his too-close relationship with Wall Street, Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner is reportedly in touch with executives of Citigroup, JPMorgan Chase and Goldman Sachs on a regular, sometimes daily, basis, spending more tim... read more
Almost Half of U.S. Children Assaulted in Past Year
A comprehensive survey on children’s exposure to violence has revealed that nearly half (46.3%) of those interviewed were physically assaulted within the past year—and more than half (56.7%) have been assaulted during their lifetime. According to ... read more
Jobs Market Keeps on Tightening
The average unemployed American is currently competing against more than six other people for every available job, according to the latest statistics from the Department of Labor. That’s the highest job competition recorded since the agency first ... read more
Law Enforcement Deaths May Hit 49-Year Low
For the second year in a row, the nation is on pace to break the record for fewest law enforcement officers killed in the line of duty. In 2008, 133 police, sheriff and other officers were killed—the lowest total since 1960. This year, officer fat... read more
10 FDA-Regulated Foods Most Likely to Cause Illness
Ask any nutritionist and they’ll recommend leafy greens as part of a healthy diet. So then why are these vegetables No. 1 on a list of the riskiest foods approved by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA)? In a word: pathogens. As rich in vitamins... read more
450 Mayors of Both Parties Propose Gun Control Reforms
While the Supreme Court may soon decide a case affecting local gun control measures, a large coalition of city mayors is calling on Congress and the federal government to take action to curb illegal weapons sales. Mayors Against Illegal Guns, a bi... read more
Obama Administration May End Indefinite Hiding of Classified Secrets
Secrecy watchdogs may soon have reason to celebrate if the Obama administration follows through on a national security plan to limit how long government records can be kept hidden from the public. According to a draft of a new executive order, Pre... read more
Rich-Poor Income Gap Widens
Many experts expected the disparity between rich and poor to have shrunk last year, as income levels for all Americans declined because of the Great Recession. But that didn’t happen, according to new data from the U.S. Census Bureau. Although ear... read more