Controversies

National Park Service to Highlight Sites Related to Gay History

One location already recognized on the federal government’s National Register of Historic Places is the former Washington D.C. home of Dr. Franklin E. Kameny, who became an early gay rights activist after he was fired from his job as an Army astronomer in 1957 for being homosexual. Fire Island’s Cherry Grove Community House & Theater, are also both on the National Register of Historic Places. read more

Outdated Freight Train Cars Blamed for Explosions…with more to Come

Five major derailments in the last five years have all involved the DOT-111 tank car, which has been in use since the 1960s. Despite the problems posed by the DOT-111’s use, the industry continues to employ 200,000 of them, with nearly 80,000 carrying crude oil. Last year was particularly bad for railway accidents involving oil, with more oil spilled in 2013 than all previous years combined going back to 1971. read more

Obama Administration Desperate to Censor Assassination Memo

Officials with the U.S. Department of Justice said they would make public parts of the internal document written in July 2010 by then-federal lawyer David Barron that justified the use of drones or other means to kill U.S. citizens. The declaration came as the U.S. Senate was considering Barron’s confirmation as a judicial appointee. Now, with Barron’s place on the federal bench secure, the Justice Department says it needs to censor some sections of the memo. read more

Supreme Court Rules 5-4 that States Can’t Use IQ Scores to decide those Eligible for Execution

Kennedy, however, took exception to Florida’s rule, saying it disregarded “established medical practice in two interrelated ways. It takes an IQ score as final and conclusive evidence of a defendant’s intellectual capacity, when experts in the field would consider other evidence. It also relies on a purportedly scientific measurement of the defendant’s abilities, his IQ score, while refusing to recognize that the score is, on its own terms, imprecise.” read more

General Motors Orders 30th Recall of the Year (and it’s only May)

The latest recall came on May 23, when GM officials said 500 redesigned full-size pickups and SUVs (model years 2014 and 2015) need to be brought in to fix a flaw in the airbag system. The week of May 19 alone was a busy one for GM, which issued seven recalls during that span. In total, the carmaker has recalled 13.79 million vehicles in the U.S. since January 1 read more

Pesticide Companies Use Clever Loophole to Avoid Regulation of Genetically Modified Grass

Ordinarily, GE crops come under federal regulation as long as they contain genetic material from “plant pests”—the beings that the gene manipulation are designed to resist. But Scotts decided to use DNA from other plants in creating the new kind of Kentucky bluegrass, along with other techniques that avoided triggering the USDA to step in and require testing, as well as its approval, before the grass could be sold to consumers. read more

Source of Radioactive Leak in Nation’s Only Nuclear Weapons Waste Storage Facility Remains Unsolved

The Department of Energy, which oversees all nuclear weapons facilities and operations, says some of the containers located half a mile underground may have been packaged improperly before being delivered to the WIPP for storage. And by improperly packaged, they mean someone used the “wrong” kitty litter during the process. Mineral-based cat box filler is used to absorb moisture and stabilize materials inside containers of nuclear waste before they’re sealed. read more

House Republicans Clash with Pentagon over Climate Change and National Security

GOP lawmakers, by a vote of 231-192, pushed through an amendment that prevents the Department of Defense from spending money on matters related to climate change, or using funds on alternative sources of energy. The national security implications of climate change include future flooding in areas of key military bases and growing overseas threats created by weather-related famine. read more

Supreme Court Justices Quietly Rewrite Opinions after they have been Published

The changes are never publicized or made clear, leaving judges and academics with no choice but to put the old and new versions side-by-side to determine what was altered. Adam Liptak at The New York Times says the edits “have not reversed decisions outright, but they have withdrawn conclusions on significant points of law.” Nevertheless, what the justices are doing amounts to changing the law, with most people being unaware of it. read more

The Unregulated World of Job Applicant Background Checks

The background check industry is unregulated in the United States. A report (pdf) by the National Consumer Law Center (NCLC) shows that screening companies often mismatch people with records, fail to report crucial information about a case (such as when someone is arrested but found not guilty), access information that was supposed to be expunged from records and other errors. read more

FBI Reverses Century-Old Policy, Will begin Recording Interrogations

Never before in its history has the FBI allowed, nor ordered, its agents to document interrogations. In fact, officials explicitly told agents to not record interrogations. One reason was uncovered in an FBI memo saying defendants might be acquitted by jurors who saw the FBI's tactics. Defense attorneys and others hailed the policy reversal. “As we have seen from data regarding wrongful convictions, coercive police techniques...[can] produce false confessions,” said Jerry Cox. read more

Federal Appeals Court Rules that License Plate Readers are not Good Enough to Justify Detaining Drivers

A license plate reader, mounted in a police car, misread one digit on Denise Green’s license plate, triggering an alert that the vehicle was stolen. Even though the wanted vehicle looked nothing like Green’s, four officers drew their weapons on Green, who was forced from her car and ordered to kneel on the pavement. The incident resulted in Green suing San Francisco, raising the question whether technology alone is enough to legally justify a search. read more

Silly Anti-Sharia Law Cost Oklahoma Taxpayers more than $300,000

Oklahomans are on the hook for more than $300,000 for adopting an amendment banning the use of Islamic law in state courts. Established in 2010 by lawmakers and voters, the “Save Our State Amendment” targeted Sharia law, which conservatives claimed was a threat to Oklahoma. But Muneer Awad argued the law violated the First Amendment’s prohibition on government favoring one religion over another, and he successfully sued to stop the law . read more

Minority Pedestrians more Likely than Whites to be Hit by Cars

The U.S. is reportedly experiencing an “epidemic” of pedestrians being hit and killed by automobiles. But the most startling statistics involve minorities. Death rates for blacks were 60% higher than Caucasians, while fatality rates for Hispanics were 43% higher than whites. Hispanics in S. Carolina were 189% more likely than whites to be killed as pedestrians. In Wisconsin, blacks were 145% more likely to be killed. read more

Match Made in Hell: Comcast and Time Warner Cable Earn Industry’s Worst Consumer Satisfaction Ratings

The nation’s two largest cable companies want to merge, creating not just a new industry dominance but a giant mess of customer dissatisfaction. Comcast and Time Warner say their merger will be a blessing for subscribers. But a new survey reveals that Time Warner ranks dead last in customer satisfaction, with Comcast right behind it. "It’s hard to see how combining two negatives will be a positive for consumers," said David VanAmburg. read more

In Most States, Defendants Must Pay for Public Defenders, Inmates for Room and Board and Offenders for Probation Expenses

It has already been widely reported that poor Americans are increasingly being sentenced to prison because they can’t pay court-ordered fines and fees. But an NPR investigation discovered that defendants in most states are charged for government services that used to be free, including those required under the Constitution, like the right to have an attorney. Those most impacted by the development of these costs are usually low-income and/or minorities. read more