Controversies

Paper Industry Fights to Stop U.S. Government from Total Digital Conversion

The Obama administration has been moving aggressively to shift federal agencies closer to a paperless state by embracing new technology options. But this move has angered the companies that produce paper products, which are now fighting to stymie the administration’s plans. Under the cover of a group calling itself Consumers for Paper Options, the paper industry has lobbied members of Congress to roll back some changes implemented in recent years. read more

Common Core, an Early Target of the Right, Now Finds Displeasure from the Left

Many Republicans never liked the idea, but some liberals in New York have now voiced concerns about Common Core. Many of the new critics say the state rushed into testing students on the new standards before new standardized tests were ready—resulting in a two-thirds failure rate. Teachers have said they weren’t trained sufficiently in the new curriculum, or that the proper textbooks and education materials weren’t provided in time. read more

14,000 Tweets per Day Found to Contain Racial Slurs

The researchers concluded in their report that most of the slurs were not aimed at any particular person, and that about half of the time, the language was intended “in a non-offensive, non-abusive manner, to express in-group solidarity or non-derogatory description.” They added that “the racially-prejudiced tweets appear not to be uniform in nature; we suggest that a proportion of such tweets might be described as showing a ‘casual use’ of slurs.” read more

Justice Dept. Accuses Missoula County Prosecutors of Discrimination against Women

The allegations included one instance in which a prosecutor told a mother whose five-year-old daughter had been assaulted by an adolescent that “boys will be boys.” Another case involved a woman who was raped, but prosecutors decided not to pursue charges, telling the victim, “All you want is revenge.” County Attorney Fred Van Valkenburg had argued in court that the DOJ had no jurisdiction to investigate his office. read more

Federal Court Puts an End to North Carolina’s Anti-Abortion License Plates

Judge James Wynn wrote for the circuit court that the legislature’s action constituted “blatant viewpoint discrimination squarely at odds with the First Amendment.” He also noted that the state never denied that it was engaging in discrimination by allowing only “Choose Life” plates. “Instead, North Carolina contends that it was free to discriminate based on viewpoint because the license plate speech at issue was solely its own,” Wynn wrote. read more

Why Did Tennessee Autoworkers Vote against Joining Union When VW Didn’t Oppose Them?

With just three-quarters of the membership it had at its peak in 1979, the United Auto Workers (UAW) hoped to start turning things around by unionizing an auto plant in the South for the first time. But despite no opposition from Volkswagen (VW), the factory’s owner, employees in the Tennessee plant rejected the UAW’s effort to join the union. In a closely watched election, workers voted against becoming part of UAW, 712 to 626. read more

Do License Plate Readers Invade Privacy, or Are They a Protected Form of Free Speech?

A new legal debate has arisen over the use of technology that can record license plate information. On one side, privacy advocates want laws to prevent the technology from infringing on individuals’ privacy rights. On the other side, producers of the readers claim their free-speech rights are being restricted by such laws. “It’s one thing to take a photo,” Sen. Todd Weiler said. “It’s another to take photos every 80th of a millisecond, and then store that data...” read more

“Core Civil Rights at Stake” for Judge Who Struck down Virginia’s Same-Sex Marriage Ban

Wright Allen was clear in her pronouncement that courts must act to ensure civil rights for all. “Notwithstanding the wisdom usually residing within proper deference to state authorities regarding domestic relations, judicial vigilance is a steady beacon searching for an ever-more perfect justice and truer freedoms for our country’s citizens,” she wrote. read more

Nebraska Town Upholds Ban on Renting Homes to Illegal Immigrants

Residents of the small town (population: 26,000) adopted a measure that barred landlords from renting apartments or homes to undocumented immigrants. The same law also required renters to obtain a permit from law enforcement and declare they were legal U.S. residents. Opponents of the ordinance filed suit to have it thrown out. But those efforts failed in a federal appeals court. read more

Idaho Bill Criminalizing Videotaping of Agricultural Operations Targets Opponents of Animal Abuse

Critics point out that the “ag gag” measure comes after an animal rights group used undercover footage to expose animal abuse at Dry Creek Dairy in Hansen, Idaho, two years ago. That footage showed employees dragging a cow by its neck using a chain and tractor, workers hitting and kicking milk cows, and one employee caning a cow. read more

Benefits of Natural Gas as Vehicle Fuel Negated by Harmful Methane Leaks

A new study shows that switching to natural-gas-powered vehicles might produce more greenhouse gases than would occur by sticking with diesel power. Methane is one of the most pernicious greenhouse gases. It’s about 100 times as potent as carbon dioxide shortly after being released into the atmosphere and remains 34 times as potent as CO2 after 100 years in the atmosphere read more

Missouri Officials Prevented by Judge from Using Controversial Drug for Execution

With traditional sources of lethal injection drugs drying up in the U.S., Missouri turned to a compounding pharmacy to produce the supply for the execution of Michael Taylor on February 26. Taylor was convicted of murdering a 15-year-old girl and sentenced to death. But Taylor’s defense team filed a motion to prevent use of a compounded pentobarbital for the lethal injection. They argued that their client risked suffering “severe...inhumane pain” if the drug was used. read more

Still the Most Dangerous City in the U.S.: Camden, New Jersey

The winner of the ignominious feat of being America’s most dangerous city is Camden, New Jersey, which is no stranger to the title. The city of 77,000 residents has ranked at or near the bottom of safest cities to live in for more than 10 years now, according statistics derived from Federal Bureau of Investigation data on violent and property crime. Camden was labeled “most dangerous” in 2004 and 2005 before it managed some improvement in 2006 and 2007 (coming in at No. 5). read more

Women Told Not to Fear Long Childbirth Labor, but Question Mammograms

“Clinicians might need to wait later before intervening with oxytocin, forceps, vacuum or a cesarean,” said Dr. S. Katherine Laughon. It is important for physicians and patients to balance the “benefits of vaginal delivery with potential increases in risk for mom and baby,” she said. A second medical report found that women between 40 and 59 who got mammography weren’t less likely to die of breast cancer than those who just got breast exams by doctors or trained nurses. read more

Airport X-Ray Scanners Can be Hacked to Mask Weapons

Scanners used at airport security checkpoints can be infiltrated and manipulated to fool TSA screeners into seeing false images, according to security experts. The potential vulnerability in the machines could result in terrorists smuggling weapons through checkpoints and boarding planes with them. A hacker could trick agents into seeing, for example, a pair of socks instead of a handgun hidden inside a suitcase. read more

Non-White Prisoners are more Profitable for Private Prisons

Private prison companies know exactly what kind of inmate they want to make their operations profitable: minorities. A study shows people of color—who make up the majority of the U.S. prison population—are even more overrepresented in private correctional facilities, compared to state-run prisons. This is not by accident. Companies want black and Hispanic prisoners because they tend to be younger than white inmates, and are cheaper to care for than older ones, due to medical costs. read more