Controversies

Bank of America Provided Pre-Answered Questions by Independent Foreclosure Reviewers

Until recently, Bank of America was in a prime position to sway “independent” reviewers who decided whether the bank had wronged homeowners during foreclosure proceedings. The reviewers are charged with examining the cases of 4.4 million homeowners. Victims are eligible to receive up to $125,000 in cash compensation and in some cases get their homes back. read more

Arkansas Town to Unleash SWAT-Style Force to Patrol Streets, Question Citizens

Citizens who don’t comply may be charged with obstructing a governmental operation, according to Stovall. For “people who buck us…we are prepared to throw your hind-end in jail,” he promised. Legal advice apparently was not sought before making the decision. When asked if his plan was different from imposing martial law, Stovall said he wasn’t sure if there was a difference. read more

Anonymous Senator Blocks Bill Allowing FBI to Respond Quickly to Mass Killing Incidents

The Investigative Assistance for Violent Crimes Act was first introduced last year by supporters who contend federal law does not allow the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) or other U.S. agencies to quickly provide help whenever a mass killing is taking place. But the proposed legislation is currently bottled up in the Senate, after a senator used the upper chamber’s rules to place a “hold” on it. The same rules allow the senator to keep his or her identity from being revealed. read more

Congress’ Expiration Dates for Laws Turn out to be a Solution in Name Only

A more extreme example of the unending nature of sunset clauses is the one relating to the creation of the U.S. Parole Commission, a semi-autonomous agency within the U.S. Department of Justice that decides parole cases involving certain federal and District of Columbia (DC) prisoners. It was supposed to cease to exist in 1992, but its life has been extended five times since then, most recently in 2011. It is now due to dissolve in November 2013. read more

Obama Administration Allows Counterterrorism Center to Create Database of All U.S. Citizens

Under broad new powers authorized by Attorney General Eric Holder, since March federal counterterrorism officials have been able to collect information on every American citizen, regardless of whether they are suspected of doing anything wrong. The Obama administration quietly authorized the controversial plan that allows the National Counterterrorism Center (NCTC) to collect data on U.S. citizens, even if there is no reason to suspect them. read more

Federal Prison Population Multiplies 10 Times in 30 Years

Driven by an ever-escalating “war on drugs,” the number of federal prisoners incarcerated in the United States has increased by ten times in just 30 years—27 times faster than the rate of population growth. As a result, the Federal Bureau of Prisons (BOP) is operating at 39% above capacity, creating dangerous overcrowding for guards and prisoners. read more

Army Wives Group Denies Membership to Lesbian Wife

Broadway has not given up. Col. Jeffrey Sanborn, the garrison commander at Ft. Bragg, has agreed to meet with her soon to address the situation. Given that at least one military spouses club—the Goodfellow Combines Spouses’ Club at Goodfellow Air Force Base in San Angelo, Texas,—already welcomes gay spouses, the question is whether Col. Sanborn will order club President Mary Ring to cease discriminating against gay spouses. read more

Law Limiting Loudness of TV Commercials Finally Takes Effect

Television commercials must now air at the same volume level as TV programs, under a new federal law that’s finally gone into effect. Representative Anna Eshoo (D-California), who first introduced the bill in 2008, told the media this week that the change “has been a top consumer complaint for decades. I never dreamed that this would strike the chord that it did with the American public.” read more

Ski Resort Industry Struggles with Climate Change

In the Northeast, more than half of the region’s 103 ski resorts will offer less than 100 days of skiing by 2039, according to an upcoming study by Daniel Scott, director of the Interdisciplinary Center on Climate Change at the University of Waterloo in Ontario. Some states, such as Connecticut and Massachusetts, may lose all of their ski resorts by then, while New Hampshire could lose more than half. read more

Half of People Killed by Police are Mentally Ill

In Maine, 42% of those shot by police since 2000—and 58% of people who died from their wounds—were mentally ill. The Portland Press Herald and Maine Sunday Telegram noted that the Justice Department does not keep track of police shootings that involve the mentally ill. Nor does the Federal Bureau of Investigation quantify police shootings that turn out to be “unjustified.” read more

Raising Medicare Age Could Leave 165,000 Seniors without Insurance

A new report from the Center for American Progress disputes this assumption. It says about 164,000 seniors who lost their Medicare eligibility may not have Obamacare to fall back on if they live in the 10 states whose governors have declared they will opt out of the Medicaid expansion called for by the president’s law. read more

Hundreds of Apps for Children Collect Their Private Information without Alerting Parents

Information collected by the apps includes phone numbers, precise locations and unique serial codes of a mobile device, which are then transmitted to app developers, advertising networks or other companies, according to the FTC report. Regulators warned that the information could be used to locate or contact children or track their activities across different apps without their parents’ knowledge or consent. read more

Judge Rules North Carolina License Plates Unconstitutional

The Republican-led legislature in 2011 approved “Choose Life” specialty plates for automobiles, but not plates with a pro-choice message. The American Civil Liberties Union sued to have the legislation thrown out, which U.S. District Court Judge James Fox agreed to do last week. read more

Most Americans Want the Federal Government to Stay Out of State Marijuana Rulings

Support for full legalization of marijuana continues to grow among Americans. In 1969 when Gallup first asked about legalizing pot, only 12% supported the idea. That percentage expanded to about a third of the population by 2005, and now it’s up to 48%, with 60% of those aged 18 to 29 favoring legalization. read more

Atheists and Non-Believers in U.S. Are Widely Viewed as “Lesser Americans,” Says Report

In seven states, atheists cannot run for public office, and in Arkansas, they can’t even testify as witnesses at trials, according to the report. Outside the United States, religious skeptics suffer persecution or discrimination—or even death. At least seven nations that operate under Islamic law have provisions for executing atheists. The seven are Pakistan, Saudi Arabia, Iran, Afghanistan, Sudan, Mauritania, and the Maldives. read more

Obama Push to Continue Warrantless Wiretapping and Email Interception Meets Bipartisan Support—and Opposition—in Senate

Led by Senator Ron Wyden (D-Oregon), 12 other senators want the administration to accept restrictions on spying on Americans who communicate with foreigners that have nothing to do with terrorism. Those siding with Wyden include conservative Senator Mike Lee (R-Utah). “You have this potentially large pile of communications and nobody knows how many Americans are in that pile,” Wyden told The Washington Post. read more