States in which 70% or more of the populations expressed a “great deal” or a “fair amount” of trust in state governments include North Dakota (77%), Wyoming (76%), Utah (75%), South Dakota (74%), Nebraska (73%), Texas (72%) and Alaska (71%). Contrast these numbers with more densely populated states: Illinois (28%), Rhode Island (40%), Pennsylvania (46%), California (49%) and Maryland (49%).   read more

The report said mistakes included unauthorized access to systems, the use of the wrong parts and components, and a failure to maintain records. One big concern, DOE Inspector General Gregory Friedman’s office found, is that the NNSA and the nuclear facilities it oversees haven’t made the maintenance of nuclear weapons control information, known as “configuration management,” a priority for many years.   read more

The data center in Bluffdale, which has yet to open, will require huge amounts of water once it is operational. Estimates show the vast collection of buildings that house fields of computer servers will consume about one million gallons of water a day. But that figure is really an estimate, since official information about water usage hasn’t been disclosed by the center.   read more

Another way to measure the toll of the Iraq and Afghanistan wars is in the number of Americans now taking care of the wounded veterans who fought in these conflicts. More than 1 million individuals serve as caregivers in the U.S. today for post-9/11 veterans, according to the Rand Corporation. Another 4.4 million caregivers look after other ex-soldiers. “Military caregivers consistently experience worse health outcomes...than non-caregivers, and post-9/11 caregivers fare worst.”   read more

Republicans in Florida will no longer purge voter rolls just months before an election, following a decision by a federal appeals court. The administration of Republican Governor Rick Scott launched the controversial program in 2012, just ahead of the presidential contest. That action violated federal law, which prohibits states from “systematic” removals of voters less than 90 days before a federal primary or general election, the appellate justices ruled 2-1.   read more

In 2013 alone, Powell found 10,885 peer-reviewed articles that discussed global warming or climate change. But only two described as peer-reviewed denied the widely-held belief that the planet is warming up because of humans, he says, and one of the two turned out not to be peer-reviewed. One of those papers was produced by a Russian scientist, S. V. Avakyan, who claims global warming is a product of solar activity.   read more

When FBI employees expressed concerns about their workload, the center’s managers allegedly retaliated against them, according to the IG probe. Specifically, the center’s director from the DEA reportedly warned staff that anything they said to the IG inspectors could be traced back to them, and that they should answer all questions from the inspectors, but not elaborate on their answers.   read more

The legislation would permit the public ridicule of gay students for being sinners, according to critics and civil libertarians. Such actions could take place in class, during school assemblies, or at other locations and times while school is in session. But the pending law could also be used by those such as Satanists, to espouse their beliefs in the classroom, opponents say.   read more

A small town in Oklahoma has discovered what other communities across the U.S. have found once their hospital is bought by an ever-growing Catholic medical enterprise: Patients can’t get birth control. During the last three years there have been 20 instances in which Catholic medical organizations have joined with smaller secular hospitals, which often results in policies that ban or restrict access to contraception, sterilization and abortion.   read more

Another bad sign for the GOP is that the party is even losing out among young white people. “From 1995 to 2005, young whites consistently identified as or leaned Republican rather than Democratic, by an average of eight points. Since 2006, whites aged 18 to 29 have shown at least a slight Democratic preference in all but one year, with an average advantage of three points.”   read more

Texas Governor Rick Perry (R) has informed Washington that he won’t comply with the Prison Rape Elimination Act (PREA). Perry’s decision has puzzled some observers, considering the 2003 law was approved by President George W. Bush, whom Perry replaced as governor. Although PREA was signed 11 years ago, it took the federal government nearly a decade to implement the act.   read more

According to the researchers, “marijuana legalization may lead to a reduction in alcohol use due to individuals substituting marijuana for alcohol. Given the relationship between alcohol and violent crime, it may turn out that substituting marijuana for alcohol leads to minor reductions in violent crimes that can be detected at the state level.”   read more

In just the past two years, more than three dozen prosecutions around the country have involved the referencing or admitting of rap lyrics as evidence. District attorneys and police argue that the lyrics can amount to a confession of murder. But the strategy also can be used to sway a judge or jury into just thinking the defendant is guilty.   read more

Georgia’s new gun legislation would allow residents to carry firearms through much of society: schools, churches, restaurants, airports and even bars. The NRA called it “the most comprehensive pro-gun” bill in recent state history. Organizations opposing it include the state’s police chiefs and restaurant associations, several churches, and TSA. One poll showed 70% of Georgians oppose it. The bill’s passage demonstrates how successful the gun lobby has been in pushing its agenda.   read more

Opponents of fracking have won a partial victory before Wyoming’s highest court in the fight over disclosing what chemicals are used by drillers. The ruling may set an important precedent in future cases involving disclosure of fracking chemicals. Critics have tried for four years to reveal fracking ingredients, ever since the state became the first in the nation to adopt a rule requiring such disclosure. That rule came about as a result of water contamination found near well sites.   read more

Likening the receipt of scholarship money to an employer paycheck, a federal labor official has ruled that college football players can form unions. The surprising decision has huge financial implications for big-money college sports, including potential for workers’ compensation coverage for sports injuries. Players are backed by former players Ramogi Huma and Kain Colter, who testified that his grueling 60-hour weeks in football resulted in sacrificing his dream of becoming a surgeon.   read more