The makers of two violent action films set in Texas have sued the state’s film commission claiming they were denied tax breaks because they dared to portray immigrants in a flattering light. The "[Texas] Film Commission improperly denied the grant based on a perception that the film glorifies the role of a Mexican Federale and sympathizes with immigrants,” according to the lawsuit. They also claim the commission was concerned with “political fallout” if it supported the movies.   read more

A Southern California seller of firearms components engaged in a legal battle with the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) after the agency sought the names of customers who purchased an illegal gun base. Ares Armor sold thousands of the bases, used to build the AR-15 assault weapon. The store's owner refused to comply, prompting the ATF to threaten to shut down his business. The next day ATF agents raided the store.   read more

In 2012, the administration cited “national security” as reason to keep hidden information a record 8,496 times. That was 57% more than during the previous year and more than double during Obama’s first year in office. Even agencies whose mission is not the defense of the nation cited this reason for denying Freedom of Information Act requests. The Farm Service Agency did it six times, the Environmental Protection Agency did it twice and the National Park Service once.   read more

Attorneys general (AGs) from 24 states, the District of Columbia and three U.S. territories sent letters to five major retailers—Walgreens, Walmart, Rite Aid, Kroger and Safeway—requesting them to stop selling cigarettes and other tobacco products. The letters stated that it was a contradiction for companies to offer for sale “dangerous and devastating tobacco products” while meeting the health care needs of consumers.   read more

Paul didn’t comment on the proposed law’s effect on pot legislation. On March 24, 2013, he told Fox News, “The main thing I’ve said is not to legalize them [marijuana and synthetic recreational drugs] but not to incarcerate people for extended periods of time.” Representative Bob Goodlatte (R-Virginia), submitted a committee report citing President Barack Obama’s failure to enforce federal marijuana laws as an example of federal overreach.   read more

Since John Roberts was confirmed as chief justice, cases in which the Chamber has an interest have gone the pro-business group’s way 72% of the time, according to the Constitutional Accountability Center. This compares to a 56% win rate from 1994 to 2005 when William Rehnquist, like Roberts a Republican appointee, ran the court. So far this term, the Chamber has come out ahead on seven of eight cases in which it’s involved.   read more

The repeal would not apply to the death sentence of Michael Addison, who was convicted of killing Manchester Police Officer Michael Briggs in 2006. He is scheduled to be the first person to be executed in New Hampshire in 75 years. Hassan’s support of the bill is contingent on Addison’s life not being spared; otherwise she promised to veto it.   read more

Regulators wrote that they had found two cattle heads with eye cancer and that some of the meat shipped was “likely affected with epithelioma of the eye.” Federal investigators told the Santa Rosa Press Democrat that the heads were cut off to remove the evidence. The USDA has announced that, in an unusual move, it is conducting a criminal investigation and may actually hold someone accountable.   read more

A special military board to review cases of Guantánamo detainees has ruled for the first time that a prisoner remain behind bars indefinitely. The board decided that Abdel Malik al-Rahabi, of Yemen, should not go free in order to “protect against a continuing significant threat to the security of the United States.” Rahabi told the board that he had no desire to harm the U.S. or Americans, and that he just wanted to return home to his family and go back to farming.   read more

Clozapine can cause serious side effects, including seizures and heart-muscle inflammation. Psychiatrist Michael Reinstein was found to have prescribed more clozapine to patients in Medicaid’s Illinois program than all of the doctors in the Medicaid programs of Texas, Florida and North Carolina combined. He also prescribed the drug to Medicare patients, despite its risks to the elderly. At least three of the doctor’s patients died of clozapine intoxication.   read more

Two whistleblowers fired from their jobs at the nation’s biggest environmental cleanup project were prevented this week from testifying before a congressional committee looking into whistleblower terminations. That’s due to the objection of Republican Senator Ron Johnson of Wisconsin. Senator Claire McCaskill wanted to hear from the whistleblowers in light of the numerous problems encountered at the Hanford nuclear cleanup operation in Washington state.   read more

A Michigan woman who starred in a conservative attack ad denouncing the Affordable Care Act has had her erroneous claims exposed and debunked by media sources. Still, she refuses to admit she was wrong. The Detroit News concluded that her change in coverage would actually save her money this year—more than $1,000. "It appears she jumped on television without trying to understand...her new coverage," wrote the Washington Post.   read more

Many cabinet-level departments have done a very poor job of facilitating or responding to Freedom of Information Act requests.. Among the 15 federal agencies reviewed using the criteria, not a single one received an A grade. The Departments of Labor, Veterans Affairs, Defense, and Homeland Security received F’s. The State Department had the distinction of earning the lowest overall score of any agency: 37%.   read more

The change in terminology was discovered in a military document, “Medical Management of Detainees With Weight Loss.” “The document tries to give the impression that it’s not about hunger strikes — that it’s about weight loss,” said Ret. Army Brigadier General Stephen Xenakis. It is clear that the military never intended for the document to be released. “They are completely sidestepping WMA’s advice,” that hunger strikers “shall not be fed artificially,” said Xenakis.   read more

The massive spill in February was from one of Duke Energy’s power plants that sent at least 80,000 tons of coal ash into the Dan River, which flows between Virginia and North Carolina. North Carolina's Republican Governor Pat McCrory—who has received more than $1 million in campaign donations from Duke Energy, where he once served as an executive—has told the utility to explore ways of moving its ponds, which could cost $1 billion. Duke's response: ratepayers will have to foot the bill.   read more

One of CFPB's key duties is to ensure that banks don’t discriminate when it comes to customers’ ethnicity. But the agency appears to have its own problem with favoring white employees over non-white ones. In rating the performances of CFPB workers, management has clearly given a greater number of higher marks to whites than minorities. The percentage of whites receiving high ratings was 75%, while the rate for Asians as well as Hispanics was 65%, and for African-Americans it was 58%.   read more