There were 38,329 drug overdose deaths nationwide, with medications and prescription drugs involved in nearly 60% of cases. Most of the fatalities involved addictive painkillers, such as OxyContin and Vicodin, which contributed to 75% of medication overdose deaths. Meanwhile, traffic fatalities went up in 2012 for the first time in seven years   read more

Before they were confirmed, at least four members of the high court indicated that they favored or were open to TV cameras in the courtroom. Since then, however, Justices Clarence Thomas, Antonin Scalia, Sonia Sotomayor and Elena Kagan have changed their minds and now reject video coverage. In 1990, Justice Scalia said, “When I first came on the court, I was in favor of having cameras in the court. I am less and less so...I don't want it to become show biz.”   read more

Federal researchers say more than 30% of new medications—first tested on mice or other mammals—have failed in human clinical trials because they turn out to be toxic or ineffective. The National Institutes of Health (NIH) hopes to develop “human tissue chips that accurately model the structure and function of human organs, such as the lung, liver and heart."   read more

This right, they argue, stems from a provision in the Fair Labor Standards Act of 1938—even though their own collective bargaining agreement says nothing about the overtime. Part of the case hinges on whether hard hats, safety glasses and ear plugs qualify as clothing or safety equipment.   read more

The deal came together thanks to a longstanding relationship between the university and the company’s CEO, George Zoley. Zoley is an alumnus of the school, and previously chaired its board of trustees. GEO Group is based in Boca Raton, Florida as is Florida Atlantic. Opponents of private prisons were not pleased with the news of the stadium sponsorship and have launched a petition drive against the deal.   read more

The U.S. Sentencing Commission revealed in a new report that the sentences of black men were on average 19.5% longer than the sentences of white men from December 2007 to September 2011. The commission did not mention racism as a factor in sentencing decisions, but did write that judges “make sentencing decisions based on many legitimate considerations that are not or cannot be measured.”   read more

During the study, parents were provided with viewing guides that advised them on how to get their 3-to-5-year-old children to watch shows like “Sesame Street” instead more violent programs like “Power Rangers.” The researchers checked in on progress after six months and after a full year, comparing results with a control group in which parents were only given suggestions for improving their kids’ diets.   read more

In 2010, two-thirds of all gun-related deaths were the result of someone shooting themselves (20,000 out of 30,000), according to the most recent figures from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). State level statistics indicate that with higher rates of gun ownership comes higher rates of suicide. The three states with the highest suicide rates are also the top gun-owning states (Wyoming, Montana and Alaska).   read more

In a victory for anti-fracking activists and open government advocates, a federal judge in Denver has ordered the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) to disclose the names of companies that nominate specific parcels of public land for oil or gas development. The North Fork leases, which are opposed by a coalition of environmentalists, ranchers, tourism interests, and farmers, have twice been put up for sale and then yanked back by BLM, most recently on the same day Matsch signed his ruling.   read more

The union wants to know what the FDA’s inspector general said in an internal report about defibrillator devices manufactured and sold by St. Jude Medical (SJM). When labor officials received a copy of the report, “almost every portion” of the document had portions blacked out. The company stopped selling the devices in December 2010 due to safety concerns, but more than 79,000 people in the U.S. and 49,000 abroad still have the implants.   read more

Three years ago, the EPA seemed poised to act against hexavalent chromium after experts concluded that even trace amounts in tap water could cause cancer. But then the American Chemistry Council (ACC)—the chemical industry’s trade association and chief lobbyist—urged the EPA to wait for more research, which the agency ultimately decided to do, delaying any decision another four years.   read more

It has been five years since the State Department had a permanent IG, leaving the office in the hands of deputy inspector general Harold W. Geisel. No other agency in the federal government has had an inspector general vacancy as long as the State Department has. The last State Department IG, Howard Krongard, resigned effective January 15, 2008, after allegations that he had blocked investigations into Iraq-related contract fraud and alleged arms smuggling by Blackwater Worldwide (now Academi).   read more

Navy Captain Thomas J. Welsh, Guantánamo’s staff judge advocate, told The Washington Post that the microphones were placed inside devices that look like smoke detectors in rooms where attorney-client meetings take place. In addition, Maurice Elkins, director of courtroom technology at the base, testified that 32 mikes were used to monitor legal hearings even when public microphones were muted.   read more

Of the 12,000 students taken from school to jail by police in 2012, 67% were accused of misdemeanors, such as disorderly conduct. Oftentimes, disorderly conduct amounts to little more than a student disobeying a teacher’s order to put away a cell phone or stop talking in class. It was also found that African-American and disabled students were arrested disproportionately in number.   read more

The researchers said two organizations most identified with the modern tea party, Americans for Prosperity and FreedomWorks, received large amounts of money from Big Tobacco. In fact, before they became separate organizations, they were part of a single entity called Citizens for a Sound Economy, which was co-founded in the 1980s by billionaire David Koch.   read more

The community recently gained the distinction of being the most impoverished in the United States, with 42% of its population living in poverty. The city also suffers from 18.6% unemployment. In addition to its terrible economic situation, Camden was listed as the “most dangerous” urban setting in the country by CQ Press. Last year, 67 murders occurred in the city of 77,000. It also had the highest rate of rape and, perhaps not surprisingly, robbery.   read more