Controversies

Killer of Colorado Prisons Chief was Released by Mistake

Ebel was released on parole in late January without serving any additional time for assaulting a prison guard in 2008. The extra time was supposed to be added to the eight-year term he was already serving. However, because Judge David M. Thorson, at a June 2008 hearing, did not specify this, prison officials treated the sentence as if the two terms were applied concurrently. read more

Judge Orders Pentagon to Release Records of Soldiers Killed while Wearing Body Armor

The Department of Defense has been ordered by a federal judge to release information on American soldiers killed last decade while wearing body armor. U.S. District Judge Richard Roberts ruled (pdf) that the Pentagon failed to demonstrate that Charles’ request for records would “shock” troops’ families. He also ordered the Office of the Armed Forces Medical Examiner to release 89 records to the plaintiff. read more

Federal Government Redefines Rocket-Propelled Grenade as “Weapon of Mass Destruction”

A different section of the U.S. Code that forbids the use of WMDs by U.S. nationals outside the U.S. also includes “any explosive, incendiary, or poison gas—(i) bomb, (ii) grenade, (iii) rocket having a propellant charge of more than four ounces, (iv) missile having an explosive or incendiary charge of more than one-quarter ounce, (v) mine, or (vi) [similar] device.” read more

Public in “Imminent Danger” Due to Unreliable Parolee GPS Trackers in California

Batteries gave out sooner than expected, locations of parolees were off by miles, and many sex offenders figured out ways to tamper with or jam the GPS systems. At the urging of corrections attorneys, this information was sealed by a judge, reportedly to avoid “erod[ing] public trust” and to ensure that offenders continued to believe that they were constantly being tracked by a flawless system. read more

Security is Lax for U.S. Army Smart Phones and Tablets

Another problem discovered was that the Army hasn’t kept track of the thousands of personal smart phones and tablets used by soldiers that access military networks. The IG investigation discovered that more than 14,000 such devices were in use without authorization, leaving them more vulnerable to data leakage and cyber-attacks. read more

Labor Dept. Drastically Cuts Back Legal Oversight of Mine Safety

Federal regulators hired more than 70 attorneys following the 2010 explosion to establish the Litigation Backlog Project and reduce the backlog of contested mine safety citations, which had grown to 16,600. Two of the Backlog project’s five offices are now slated for closure, which will result in 30 lawyers being laid off by June 1. read more

Intimidation of Minorities Said to be Intent of NYPD “Stop and Frisk” Program

State Senator Eric Adams (D-Brooklyn), a former NYPD captain, said the stop-and-frisk policy was implemented to “instill fear” among young black and Hispanic men. Adams accused Police Commissioner Ray Kelly of admitting to this during a July 2010 meeting. It has been reported that during the past decade the NYPD has stopped around five million people, of whom almost 90% are Latino or black. read more

Is OSHA Missing the Boat by Ignoring Long-Term Health Threats to Workers?

Long-term health problems occurring on the job cost the American economy approximately $250 billion annually, including medical expenses and lost productivity. About $27 billion of these medical costs are born by federal health programs, such as Medicare and Medicaid. read more

Historical Sites for Sale…From Wounded Knee to Berlin Wall

In South Dakota, the uproar involves a 40-acre plot of land where the Battle of Wounded Knee took place on December 29, 1890. U.S. soldiers massacred about 300 Sioux, most of them women and children, in what turned out to be the last major conflict of the American Indian wars. But today, Native Americans want the site preserved so people don’t forget the injustice. The land’s owner, James A. Czywczynski of Rapid City, wants to sell it for $3.9 million. read more

Grand Jury Indicts 35 Atlanta Educators over Test Score Cheating Scandal

A grand jury in Fulton County decided there was more than enough evidence to charge the teachers and Hall, whose bond was set at $7.5 million, an unusually high amount for a crime. Hall was charged with racketeering, theft, influencing witnesses, conspiracy and making false statements. Some of those indicted were part of a group nicknamed “the chosen,” who met secretly during state testing to erase wrong answers provided by students and replace them with correct ones. read more

Good Students from Low-Income Families Less Likely to go to Top Colleges

The study also debunked the common notion that low-income students do not typically succeed at top schools. When they do attend such schools, they actually tend to thrive there, with 89% of them graduating or on pace to do so, compared with only 50% of top low-income students at non-selective colleges. Among high-achieving, low-income students, 6% were black, 8% Latino, 15% Asian-American, and 69% white, the study found. read more

Tucson First City to See Free Gun Giveaway Program…Despite Violent Crime Hitting 13-Year Low

While there is no doubt that the guns will be welcomed by some in Tucson, resistance is likely as well, including from residents of the supposedly “high crime” areas of the city. Cindy Ayala, who is president of the neighborhood association in the working class neighborhood of Pueblo Gardens, rejects the spending priorities behind the gun giveaway. “We could take that $400 per shotgun and give it to these people so they could go buy groceries, pay rent, pay their utility bills,” read more

Judge Rejects Obama Administration Argument that Declassifying Guantánamo Case Documents is Too Much Work

U.S. District Chief Judge Royce Lamberth rejected the administration’s argument, and said he was “troubled by the government’s apparent lack of urgency in issuing public versions of classified materials filed in Guantánamo proceedings.” Lamberth added: “The government’s arguments are unavailing and largely boil down to this: ‘Declassification is complicated and time consuming and we already have a lot of work—please don’t pile on.’” read more

Deadly Attacks at Churches Mostly Personal Conflict Spillovers and Robberies

Of the 646 DFI’s, robberies caused 117 of them, making it the largest category. The next largest category was domestic violence incidents that turned deadly, which occurred 84 times. Third were “personal conflict” situations in which a disagreement between friends got out of hand. These totaled 76. Way down the list were DFIs that were provoked by religious bias, which occurred 36 times (7%). read more

Enforcement of Key Labor Law Grinds to a Halt

The ruling meant that all actions by the NLRB since January 2012 were unenforceable—giving businesses legal grounds to challenge them in court. The number of decisions handed down by the NLRB over the past year was nearly 800, and not only are all of these subject to challenge, but the board effectively can’t impose any new rulings on businesses. read more

Study Suggests Oklahoma Earthquakes Due to Oil Drilling Waste Disposal

The research focused on the 5.7 magnitude quake that hit near Prague, Oklahoma, on November 6, 2011, the largest ever recorded by modern instruments in the state and the largest triggered by injection wells to date, according to the research. The quake injured two people and destroyed 14 homes. The year 2011 saw more than 1,400 earthquakes, the most ever recorded in Oklahoma. read more