Controversies

NSA Swept up Phone Data of Millions of Americans, but only used it to Investigate 248

Hundreds of millions of phone records were vacuumed up by the spy agency in 2013. But out of this enormous volume of personal information, the NSA wound up probing the data belonging to only 248 individuals in the U.S., according to a report from the Office of the Director of National Intelligence. The report also showed that the agency asked the secretive Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Court 178 times for phone record data in 2013. read more

CarMax Accused of Selling Used Cars Recalled but Unfixed

The company is able to sell potentially faulty, even dangerous vehicles, because of a loophole in federal safety law. Car dealerships cannot sell new autos under recall, but they can sell used ones subject to recall. California lawmakers have tried to pass a bill that would put used cars on the same level as new ones when recalls are in play, but the bill died in a state Assembly committee. read more

Facebook Clashes with New York City Prosecutors (and New York Courts) over Privacy of Member Details

The Manhattan district attorney’s office has sought access to the Facebook accounts belonging to 381 people as part of an investigation into public workers, including police officers and firefighters, accused of defrauding the government with fake disability claims. Facebook’s executives have refused to comply with the warrants, saying it is compelled to protect the privacy of its users. read more

Natural Gas Industry Hires Politicians’ Relatives

From the White House to Capitol Hill, the natural gas industry has employed relatives of politicians as part of its strategizing. Burisma, a Ukraine gas firm, now counts the son of Vice President Joe Biden among its board members. Biden recently announced a $50 million aid package that could increase Burisma’s profits. Rep.Bill Shuster, chairman of the House committee that oversees pipeline safety, has a brother who lobbies for EQT on the regulation of shale gas and pipeline safety. read more

Iraqi Survivors of Blackwater Massacre Finally get their Day in Court

Accounts presented in court this week included that of Sarhan Moniem, a traffic officer on duty in September 2007 when the Blackwater team started shooting in Nisour Square. Moniem said he tried to help a victim inside a sedan. “There was a lady. She was screaming and weeping about her son and asking for help,” Moniem told jurors. “I asked her to open up the door so I could help her. But she was paying attention only to her son.” read more

Education Dept. Proposes Requiring Colleges to Release Statistics on Sexual Assaults and Hate Crimes

Under the proposed rules, colleges would have to reveal statistics on date-rape attacks as well as incidents involving domestic violence and stalking. In addition, schools would have to work towards helping sexual assault victims receive academic and living-environment accommodations, and for holding “prompt, fair, and impartial disciplinary” proceedings to resolve allegations. The types of hate crimes would expand to include “gender identity” and “national origin.” read more

5 States Refuse to Reveal Details of Oil-Train Routes and Volumes; Montana Disagrees

Transportation Secretary Anthony Foxx ordered railroads to provide states with details on train shipment routes and their oil volumes following multiple derailments in parts of the U.S. and Canada. Officials at the Federal Railroad Administration, though, threw a bone to railroads, telling them they could work with state leaders to restrict disclosures. As a result, California, New Jersey, Virginia, Minnesota, and Colorado are not releasing shipment details to the public. read more

Federal Judge Rules Secrecy of No-Fly List is Unconstitutional

Judge Anna Brown declared the plaintiffs, all of whom are Muslims, have the right to know why they have been prevented from boarding aircraft. Under the current system, individuals placed on the list cannot learn the basis for their ban from flying, nor can they confirm their status with the government—something Brown said was a violation of the U.S. Constitution. The only way someone can find out if they can fly is to buy a ticket and see if they’re allowed to board the plane. read more

Colorado Halts Use of Injection Well for Fracking Waste because of Earthquakes

In the wake of this week’s quake, state experts began to wonder if an injection well used to dispose of waste fluid from fracking operations was causing the ground to shake. The Colorado Oil and Gas Conservation Commission (COGCC) took action on Tuesday, ordering a 20-day halt at the well operated by High Sierra Water Services in Weld County to allow seismologists from the University of Colorado (CU) time to study the situation. read more

As Marijuana Legalization Spreads in Some Parts of U.S., Some States Use Federal Grants to Crack Down Harder

While out West the states of Colorado and Washington have legalized recreational marijuana, parts of two eastern states—West Virginia and Virginia—have cracked down harder on those buying, using and selling it. In Hancock County, West Virginia, marijuana busts skyrocketed by more than 2,000% last decade, according to The Washington Post. That was the highest increase in possession arrests among local governments in the country. read more

Chemical Safety Board Chair Accused of Whistleblower Retaliation and Creating a “Toxic Environment”

The situation has been so bad inside the operation that at least nine veteran employees have quit since 2011, helping to exacerbate the agency’s backlog of investigations into chemical accidents. CSB’s investigations into two 2010 accidents—the Deepwater Horizon disaster and the Tesoro Corporation refinery fire in Washington State—each took four years to complete. read more

8,800 Transgender Americans are on Active Duty in U.S. Military

Transgender people generally do not self-identify with the gender with which they were born. It is estimated there are about 8,800 transgender people on active duty currently, according to a report (pdf) from The Williams Institute, a think tank based at UCLA School of Law. Another 6,700 are serving in the National Guard or reserves, making a total of 15,500 transgender individuals helping to protect the United States. read more

Study Finds Increased Chance of Autism for Children Born Near Commercial Pesticide Use

The UC Davis MIND Institute released a study showing expectant mothers exposed to certain agricultural chemicals, specifically organophosphates, face a 60% higher chance of having autistic offspring. The danger is especially prevalent during the second and third trimesters of pregnancy. Those at risk include residents near fields growing cantaloupes, melons, oranges, tomatoes, cotton and alfalfa. read more

Anthropologists Discover Mass Graves of Immigrants in Texas

A team of researchers says they found remains stuffed inside garbage bags, body bags and in some instances nothing at all before their unmarked burials. Skulls were found in red plastic biohazard bags placed between coffins. The haphazard internment included putting multiple bodies in a single bag, making it difficult for anthropologists to determine just how many immigrants were dumped this way. read more

Energy Industry, Blamed for Fueling Climate Change, May be At Risk from Its Effects

If it is not flooding, it is drought—another growing concern in this climate-change century—that could severely affect power plants, many of which rely on volumes of water for their operations. Rising water temperatures will also make it more difficult to cool plant equipment. Oil and gas pipelines near coastal areas risk being hit by rising sea levels and those in the Arctic are in danger from thawing permafrost, which can affect the infrastructure of the lines. read more

Pennsylvania Health Dept. Accused of Ordering Employees to not Speak to Residents who Complained about Fracking

Stuck said she was given a list of words to watch for by her supervisor. “There was a list of buzzwords we had gotten,” Stuck said. “There were some obvious ones like fracking, gas, soil contamination. There were probably 15 to 20 words and short phrases that were on this list. If anybody from the public called in and that was part of the conversation, we were not allowed to talk to them.” read more