Controversies
Does the U.S. Really Need So Many Prisoners?
The NRC report found the huge increase in the number of prisoners held across the U.S. is doing more harm than good for society, making it imperative for policymakers to reconsider the tough-on-crime laws that led to this development.
With 2.2 million adults behind bars, the U.S. not only has the world’s largest prison population, but it also accounts for 25% of all people incarcerated on the planet—even though it has only 5% of its population. read more
States Battle with FDA over Powerful New Painkiller
Attempts to ban the drug outright within state boundaries are being made elsewhere, such as Ohio, where lawmakers have introduced legislation on the subject. Members of Congress from Kentucky and West Virginia as well as from Massachusetts have introduced bills to ban Zohydro. In addition, 29 state attorneys general have asked the FDA to reconsider its approval of the drug. read more
Senate Demands that Obama Give Annual Accounting of Drone Kills…Just Kidding
A move to force the Obama administration into reporting the number of casualties caused by drone attacks has been scuttled in the U.S. Senate.
The plan was quashed after intelligence director James Clapper warned the Senate it could compromise the effectiveness of the drone program.
“How many people have to die for Congress to take even a small step toward transparency? It's stunning...we still don't know how many...[have been] killed with [our] drones,” said Amnesty International. read more
United Church of Christ Sues North Carolina for Right to Perform Same Sex Marriages
A liberal protestant church is suing to overturn North Carolina’s anti-gay marriage law, claiming it infringes on the church’s right to bless such unions.
The million-member United Church of Christ is the first national church to sue in order to throw out a same-sex marriage ban.
“We didn’t bring this lawsuit to make others conform to our beliefs, but to vindicate the right of all faiths to freely exercise their religious practices,” said the church's Donald Clark Jr. read more
Local Police Departments Use Non-Disclosure Agreements to Hide Cellphone Tracking
Police in the Sunshine State and in Arizona have invested in Harris’ tracking equipment. But the equipment is technically on loan from Harris, so agencies must sign nondisclosure agreements that state they can use the spy technology only as long as they keep it a secret from outside parties, including the judicial system. read more
ATF Finally Puts Shop out of Gun Business 8 Years after Inspectors Found 2,396 Guns had Gone Missing
ATF realized there was something wrong with the business in 2005, when agents conducted an audit and reported 2,396 guns, including assault rifles and handguns, were unaccounted for. Furthermore, agents suspected that Kesserling was involved in gun trafficking, as it sold 10 or more guns a year in two different years that wound up being used in crimes within three years of their sale. read more
Texas Family Wins First Jury Award for Health Damages from Fracking
Bob and Lisa Parr of Decatur won a $3 million award in a Dallas County court after a six-person jury agreed that the plaintiffs were harmed by the fracking operations of Aruba Petroleum.
The Parrs said the company’s drilling near their 40-acre ranch caused illnesses that afflicted them and their daughter, as well as pets and livestock, including asthma, nausea, nose bleeds, ear ringing and depression. They even had to abandon their home at times because of the troubles.
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4 Proposals to Reform NSA Human Rights Violations: Feinstein=Worst; Leahy-Sensenbrenner=Best
The worst of the proposals from a human rights standpoint is one put forward by Senator Dianne Feinstein (D-California), the FISA Improvements Act. Her plan would codify the use of current bulk collection programs, would allow intelligence gatherers to query information without prior approval by the FISA Court and would permit the use of intelligence by law enforcement agencies. read more
Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Court Rejects Verizon’s Challenge to Constitutionality of NSA Collection of Call Records
Judge Rosemary M. Collyer ruled that, based on a 1979 decision by the Supreme Court, people have no expectation of privacy when dialing phone numbers. However, American Civil Liberties Union staff attorney Patrick C. Toomey told The Washington Post that the 1979 case, Smith v. Maryland, involved the records of one criminal suspect collected over several days. “That case looked nothing like the NSA’s phone-records program," he said. read more
Vermont First State to Require Labeling of Genetically Engineered Foods
After years of intense opposition from industry, Vermont is about to become the first state in the nation to require labels on food containing genetically modified organisms.
“Genetically engineered foods potentially pose risks to human health and the environment," said Vermont House speaker Shap Smith. "I am proud to be the first state in the nation to recognize that people deserve to know whether the food they consume is genetically modified or engineered.”
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Mine Safety Administration Orders First Reduction in Level of Disease-Causing Dust Since 1969
Characterized as the most important changes for coal miner safety in 45 years, the regulations require companies to provide workers with new technology that warns when the coal dust around them reaches harmful levels.
The rules also call for reducing the amount of disease-causing dust in mines.
“This is a historical day for coal miners in this country,” said Joe Main. “We’re issuing a new rule that’s going to change your lives.” read more
Two-Thirds of Criminals Released from Prison are Rearrested within 3 Years
Recidivism among prisoners is still quite common in the United States, with 67.8% winding up back behind bars within three years of being released.
A new study from the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ), the first such federal survey in nearly 20 years, revealed an even higher recidivism rate within five years of inmates being let out: 76.9%. read more
Nebraskans Want Colorado to Share Cost of Prosecuting Citizens Caught with Marijuana in Nebraska
Six states share a border with Colorado, which legalized recreational marijuana use, and one of those states, Nebraska, wants Colorado to help cover the costs of prosecuting Nebraskans caught bringing pot home, where it is not legal.
“I don't know what it will take to get someone to stand up and do something to try to get some of our money back,” said sheriff Adam Hayward.
But Nebraska’s attorney general, Jon Bruning, has been non-committal about suing Colorado to recover costs. read more
Philadelphia Mayor Nutter Orders Police and Prisons to Limit Cooperation with Federal Immigration Agents
About 17 local governments, including Miami, San Francisco, New Orleans, and New York City, have backed off on cooperating with ICE in recent years. This month nine counties in Oregon added themselves to the list. But Philadelphia's move was different in that it also applies to prison departments, so the city will not inform ICE of a prisoner’s release unless the person was convicted of a violent felony. read more
In first Challenge to Consumer Complaint Database, Court Orders Release of Company’s Name
A company whose product reportedly caused an infant’s death may soon have its identity revealed following a long-running legal battle involving the Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC). A complaint was filed in 2011 by an unidentified local government agency. The company responded by filing suit in federal court, claiming it had done nothing wrong, while demanding its name and details of the case be sealed and kept off a publicly accessible database.
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First Trial of a Non-Native American in a Tribal Court
Congress had been reluctant to grant tribes the right to try non-Indians, but the Yaquis and two other tribes showed evidence that they could hold proper trials and safeguard the rights of the accused. In February, the Justice Department initiated a pilot program with the three tribes to try non-Indians accused of domestic violence against Native American women on reservations. A few weeks ago, Yaqui tribal police arrested Eloy Figueroa Lopez, charging him with trying to choke his wife. read more