Controversies

States with Medical Marijuana have Lower Rate of Drug Overdoses

Researchers using federal health statistics found a 25% annual reduction in drug overdose mortality rates in states that allow medical marijuana. They also discovered that the reductions tend to occur very shortly after adopting medical marijuana laws and strengthen over time. read more

Federal Election Commission, with 3-3 Votes, Loosens Restrictions on Campaign Funding

The Federal Election Commission (FEC), in reaching yet another 3-3 deadlock due to the Democratic-Republican split among commissioners, has effectively told the Conservative Action Fund that it can receive Bitcoin donations. The most recent deadlock is considered a blow to efforts to improve transparency in elections, due to the untraceable nature of Bitcoins. read more

Former TSA Scanners Still Used in Government Buildings Easily Tricked by University Researchers

Researchers tested the Rapiscan recently and found it was possible to carry firearms, explosives and other weapons through the scanners without detection, Greenberg wrote. These included “a disturbing list of other possible tricks, such as using Teflon tape to conceal weapons against someone’s spine, installing malware on the scanner’s console that spoofed scans, or simply molding plastic explosives around a person’s body." read more

Obama Adjusts Health Care Rules to Supreme Court Hobby Lobby Ruling

The new rule allows such corporations the same out as previously given to non-profit organizations with similar objections. They file a form with the insurer or write a letter stating their objections to the Department of Health and Human Services, and the company’s insurance carrier is required to provide contraception coverage without cost to the employer. read more

Michigan Welcomes Radioactive Fracking Waste Rejected by other States

A landfill in Wayne County, near Detroit, is one of the few places in the eastern United States with a license to take such waste. As such, drillers and other producers of radioactive materials from nearby states with tougher environmental laws send their waste there. read more

Federal Law Requiring Annual Report on Excessive Force by Police has been Ignored for 20 Years

In 1994, Congress passed the Violent Crime Control and Law Enforcement Act. Among its provisions was the order that “the Attorney General shall, through appropriate means, acquire data about the use of excessive force by law enforcement officers.” The Justice Department was also required to publish an annual report on the data collected. And…that’s pretty much the last anyone heard of that. read more

Airports Reject Fact-Based Women’s Equality Ads

UltraViolet says the ads aren’t political. They’re “designed to elevate issues like paycheck fairness, minimum wage increases, and paid family leave and to expose the ongoing attacks on women’s health and economic security,” Karin Roland of UltraViolet, told ThinkProgress. “The goal is to shame and pressure candidates with industries that rely on tourism to make them champions for these causes.” read more

Washington State Leads U.S. in Corporate Transparency; Texas Tied with Afghanistan

One big problem with the Lone Star State is its requirement of those seeking information to reveal who they are and to provide credit card information in order to access Texas’s corporate registry. In other words, Texas puts more emphasis on personal disclosure in the course of supposedly facilitating corporate disclosure. read more

FBI Cracks Down on Fraudulent Charter Schools

Sometimes even a six-figure salary isn’t enough. Ron Packard, who until early this year was CEO of charter school operator K12, made $4.1 million in 2013, according to Conniff. K12 has been accused by the state of Florida of attempting to falsify records, using unqualified teachers, and booking classes of more than 100 students. read more

This Obama-Appointed Judge Signed off on the CIA Killing of a U.S. Citizen

While serving in the Office of Legal Counsel, Barron and another lawyer, Marty Lederman, wrote the first of two memorandums that sought to rationalize how the administration could target and kill an American Islamic cleric, Anwar al-Aulaqi, in Yemen for his suspected ties to al-Qaeda. Their first attempt to explain how the Central Intelligence Agency could legally assassinate al-Aulaqi was only seven pages long. read more

Justice Dept. Adds Money Laundering to Drug-Related Charges against FedEx

The U.S. Department of Justice contends that company officials were aware of illegal shipments from online pharmacies, but accepted them anyway, which if proven would make FedEx criminally liable. But now prosecutors have added money-laundering charges and the company could face a fine of $1.6 billion if found guilty on all counts. read more

Energy Dept. to Make Thousands of Research Papers Available to Public for Free

In response to orders from the White House, the DOE has established a Web portal through which anyone can read research produced with public funds. The new site, known as PAGES (Public Access Gateway for Energy and Science), is expected to feature 20,000 to 30,000 additions annually on a wide range of scientific subjects. Papers will become available one year after their publication in a journal. read more

33 Fracking Companies Accused of Ignoring Law and Using Diesel Fuels

Using information compiled by industry, the Environmental Integrity Project discovered that 33 drillers had used diesel fuels in at least 351 wells, and in the process, violated the Safe Drinking Water Act over a four-year period from 2010 to 2014. Furthermore, about 30% of the companies tried to hide their use of the fuel by changing their filings, which went into an industry-run database, FracFocus. read more

Obama Loosens Restrictions on Lobbyists Serving on Advisory Boards

Following rules promoted by President Barack Obama in 2010 that barred lobbyists from being advisers on the boards, a group of lobbyists who had been dismissed from boards sued the government claiming the restrictions violated their rights. They won their case in federal court, forcing the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) to issue new guidelines that allow lobbyists to serve on the boards if they are representing clients. read more

NAACP Wins Court Victory over Philadelphia Airport Regarding Ad about Prisoners

The billboard read: “Welcome to America, home to 5% of the world’s people [and] 25% of the world’s prisoners. . . . Let’s build a better America together,” But Philadelphia airport officials rejected the ad, claiming their policy allowed only advertisements with commercial appeal. However, the airport had already displayed ads by other non-profits, including the World Wildlife Federation and the National Parent-Teacher Association. read more

Fish & Wildlife Declares 300 Wolverines are not Threatened by Climate Change

FWS scientists in Montana first suggested protecting the animals, saying the loss of spring snow from global warming could adversely impact the species that lives in underground dens. Climate change had been used as a justification for the listing of polar bears as a threatened species in 2008. read more