Controversies
Discovery Channel Refuses to Address Causes of Polar Warming
Despite a stated mission “to satisfy curiosity and make a difference in people’s lives,” the science-oriented Discovery Channel decided not to satisfy the curiosity of viewers of its latest documentary series, Frozen Planet. The BBC series on life... read more
Obama Justice Dept. Asks Supreme Court to Reinstate Janet Jackson Breast Flash Fine
Seeking to bolster the government’s ability to enforce obscenity laws, the Obama administration has asked the U.S. Supreme Court to reinstate the Federal Communications Commission’s (FCC) fine against CBS over Janet Jackson’s “wardrobe malfunction... read more
Academy of Arts and Sciences Honors Creator of “Too Big to Fail”
The American Academy of Arts and Sciences, a 232-year-old society which routinely honors scientists, writers and scholars, has chosen to honor the banker who created the first “too big to fail” institution that helped cripple the U.S. economy less... read more
Big Campaign Donor Wins Right to Bring Radioactive Waste to West Texas
Billionaire Harold Simmons has gained permission from Texas environmental regulators to receive low-level nuclear waste at his remote dumping ground near the New Mexico border.
The first shipments to Simmons’ Waste Control Specialists facility... read more
Big Coal Polluters Get a Pass in Obama’s Environmental Plan
President Barack Obama has assured environmentalists that his administration is serious about reducing greenhouse gas emissions. But a new rule crafted by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) contains a loophole big enough to drive a dum... read more
Wells Fargo Sued for Allowing Foreclosed Homes in Non-White Areas to Fall into Disrepair
Housing advocates have filed complaints against two national banks for allegedly allowing foreclosed homes in black and Latino neighborhoods to fall into disrepair, while at the same time taking better care of bank-owned houses in predominantly wh... read more
Chevron Pays $350 Fine after Oil Worker Boiled to Death
Labor leaders are outraged over a California worker-safety agency’s decision to fine Chevron only $350 for an accident that resulted in an employee being sucked underground and boiled to death.
Construction supervisor Robert David “Dave” Taylo... read more
Retraction Crisis Hits Scientific Journals
Three scientific journals have published articles over the past two years warning of the rise in retractions and misconduct by researchers who have fudged results.
The latest publication to do so was Infection and Immunity, which revealed it h... read more
Software Makers Fight Back against Tax Simplification
Simplifying income tax returns may be good for individual Americans, but bad for software companies that do business with the Internal Revenue Service (IRS).
Until now, 14 software makers have sold tax preparation programs to the IRS for the a... read more
Veterans Disability Waiting List Doubles under Obama
The Department of Veterans Affairs is so behind in processing claims and benefits that the waiting list for decisions has doubled since President Barack Obama took office.
Currently, about 870,000 veterans are waiting for the VA to approve or ... read more
Fracking Goes to the Big City…Los Angeles
Having caused drinking water contamination and outbreaks of earthquakes in rural regions in Montana, Oklahoma, Ohio, Arkansas and Pennsylvania, the controversial practice known as hydraulic fracturing, or “fracking,” has gone Hollywood. Resident... read more
Nuclear Facilities Agency Releases Weapons Site Report…after being Sued
The National Nuclear Security Administration (NNSA), a semi-autonomous agency within the U.S. Department of Energy responsible for overseeing the nation’s nuclear weapons complex, pays private contractors tens of millions of dollars to run day-to-... read more
Johnson & Johnson Ordered to Pay Billion-Dollar Penalty for Risperdal
Johnson & Johnson must pay a $1.1 billion judgment after an Arkansas jury found the company guilty of misleading doctors and patients about the antipsychotic drug Risperdal.
The company was accused of defrauding Medicaid by not properly disclo... read more
UC Davis Pepper Spray Report Faults Chancellor, Police Chief and Cop
There was plenty of blame to go around for the pepper-spraying incident last November 18 at the University of California Davis.
According to a task force that reviewed the demonstration, the spraying of protesters “should and could have been p... read more
Limited Study Finds E. Coli in almost Half of Raw Chicken Products
A sampling of raw chicken sold in grocery stores across the United States revealed nearly half of the meat contained the bacteria E. coli.
According to the group that conducted the study, the Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine, the ... read more
Secret Service Agents Sued for “Viewpoint Discrimination”
A federal appellate court has ruled that two Secret Service agents must face charges for violating the free speech rights of protesters by engaging in “viewpoint discrimination” during the administration of President George W. Bush.
On October... read more