Top Stories
Does the NSA Spy on Congress? Sounds like Yes
Sanders asked Gen. Keith Alexander, the director of the NSA, whether it “has spied, or is…currently spying, on members of Congress or other American elected officials.”
It would seem that if the NSA had never snooped on Capitol Hill, the agency would have simply assured Sanders that no such surveillance ever had, or is, taking place.
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If Medicare Rollout was Smoother in 1966, Why was Affordable Care a Mess in 2013? (Hint: Insurance Companies)
While Medicare offered a single, uniform plan based on the sole eligibility criterion of age, the Obamacare exchanges feature thousands of insurance company plans (each with its own premiums, co-pays, etc.) and a system of premium subsidies based on verifying income, family size and immigration status.
As result, Himmelstein and Woolhandler contend, Obamacare overhead costs are expected to run closer to the 13% average of private insurers than to the 2% average achieved by Medicare. read more
U.S. Education Department’s Student Debt Collector Accused of Ruthless Tactics
For two decades, the Educational Credit Management Corporation (ECMC) has received millions of taxpayer dollars from the U.S. Department of Education to hound former students into paying their student loans—even when they’ve already paid off their debt or run into financial troubles stemming from serious health problems.
ECMC’s egregious behavior has been particularly evident in trying to stop student loan holders from gaining bankruptcy protection.
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Health Law May Result in Increased Use of ERs by Newly Insured, Not Less
In the case of Portland, Medicaid took care of certain out-of-pocket costs the previously uninsured Americans had to pay themselves, making it easier for them to utilize ERs. White House sSpokeswoman Tara McGuinness dismissed the findings of the study, claiming its timeframe (18 months) was too short to show that ER use will decline in time. Indeed, for many uninsured people, the emergency room is almost their only experience with formal health care. read more
As Statute of Limitations Nears, Federal Judge Questions Lack of Prosecutions for Financial Crisis Misdeeds
Rakoff noted that in the wake of the 1980s savings-and-loan crisis, “which again had some eerie parallels to more recent events,” the government successfully prosecuted more than 800 individuals, including Charles Keating, the former head of the Lincoln Savings and Loan Association, who became the face of Wall Street’s misdeeds and punishment. read more
Federal Judge Rules that Border Patrol Does Not Need Reasonable Suspicion to Confiscate Laptops and Phones
Korman threw out the case on two grounds: that seizures of personal electronic devices don’t occur often enough to be a concern; and that the government doesn’t need to have reasonable suspicion when it comes to taking away possessions at border checkpoints.
It is important to note that the government’s policy on border seizures covers an area within 100 miles of the actual border.
In his ruling, Korman seemed to trivialize the loss of computers and phones while entering the country.
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10 Most Popular AllGov News Stories of 2013
1. Judge Sentenced to 28 Years in Prison for “Selling” Kids to Private Prisons
2. Homeland Security Approves Seizure of Cell Phones and Laptops within 100 Miles of Border; Report Remains Secret
3. 9/11 Suspects Can’t Mention being Tortured during Trial Testimony because Their Torture is Classified
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Judges Clash over Whether NSA Phone Data Collection is Lawful
Pauley followed his introduction about 9/11 with an endorsement of the government’s position that domestic spying has helped disrupt bomb plots against the New York subways, the New York Stock Exchange and a Danish newspaper. Judge Leon, however, found two weeks ago that the program did not help the government fight terrorism, concluding that “the government does not cite a single instance in which analysis of the NSA’s bulk metadata collection actually stopped an imminent attack.” read more
Hospice Companies Increase Profits by Taking in People who aren’t Dying
Although the hospice benefit has been around for thirty years, explosive growth in hospice care began around the turn of the century—just as for-profit corporations began to get into the business. Between 2000 and 2012, Medicare payments for hospice care increased fivefold, from $2.9 billion to $15.1 billion annually, even as the share of hospices run for a profit doubled from 30% to 60%, says the The Washington Post. Payments in 2013 are expected to exceed $17 billion. read more
U.S. Uses 40 Tons of Antibiotics a Day Just to Grow Food
The United States consumes more than 50 tons of antibiotics a day—80% of which is not used for humans. Rather, about 40 tons goes to promote agricultural production, such as giving antibiotics to cattle and chickens.
This practice has dire ramifications for human health, two experts warn, as the abundance of antibiotics in the food chain has resulted in drug-resistant bacteria that can leave people vulnerable to infections and other illnesses.
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As Natural Gas Boom Fades, Wyoming is Stuck with the Mess Left Behind
Once the market became saturated last decade with natural gas supplies, many drillers were confronted with falling prices and too many wells on their hands. So they started pulling out of the state, or going out of business altogether, leaving behind thousands of holes in the ground, as well as surrounding lands in need of cleanup and reclamation. read more
Pennsylvania Supreme Court Says Frackers Can’t Overrule Local Laws
On a 4-2 vote, the Pennsylvania Supreme Court struck down a provision that exempted fracking operations from local zoning laws, which would have forced local governments to allow drilling anywhere, including in areas zoned residential. The opinion by Chief Justice Ronald Castille finds that “by any responsible account the exploitation of the Marcellus Shale Formation will produce a detrimental effect on the environment, on the people, their children, and the future generations read more
U.S. Government Buys Uniforms from Foreign Companies that Exploit Workers
DK Knitwear in Bangladesh, which makes Marine Corps shirts for sale at military stores. The sweatshop’s workforce is 30% children. Workers have been beaten for missing production quotas, and forced to work in a location with no fire alarm system, despite previous outbreaks of fire.
The Georgie & Lou factory in Thailand, which makes clothing sold by the Smithsonian Institution. Workers there can lose 5% of their daily wages ($10) for any clothing they make that has flaws. read more
Computer Security Firm Accepted $10 Million Payoff to Give NSA Backdoor Access
Reuters reported that RSA included in its BSAFE software a flawed formula for generating random numbers developed by the NSA. In exchange, the company received $10 million. EMC Corp., which now owns RSA, informed customers to stop using the NSA formula after leaks by whistleblower Edward Snowden revealed its vulnerability.
RSA has “categorically” denied the allegation that it had secret deal with the NSA involving the random number generator. read more
Obama Administration Tries to Stop Courts from Ruling on Constitutionality of Warrantless Spying
The Obama administration insists federal courts should stop hearing cases challenging the agency’s warrantless surveillance on grounds that they might expose the existence of this spying.
Last week, federal lawyers asked a judge, Jeffrey S. White, in Northern California to dismiss cases that could lead to a ruling on the constitutionality of warrantless surveillance programs.
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Police Deaths May be Fewest Since 1944
As of December 23, a total of 102 police had been killed in 2013. That’s the lowest amount since 1944, when 90 officers died.
The leading cause of death for law enforcement has been traffic accidents, but even those are going down. Forty-four officers were killed in vehicular-related incidents this year, down from 48 in 2012 and 62 in 2011. Officials attribute the decline to improved training for police who get behind the wheel.
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