Controversies
Methodist Church Pulls Investments from Private Prisons
Private prison operators have lost a high-profile investor, now that one of the nation’s largest Protestant churches has pulled its money from the companies.
The General Board of Pension and Health Benefits of the United Methodist Church, “aft... read more
Audit Reveals 84% of San Francisco Foreclosures Violated Law
Affirming what anecdotal evidence has suggested about the mortgage crisis, an audit out of San Francisco has found that more than 80% of foreclosures broke some kind of law.
City officials requested the audit that examined 382 randomly chosen ... read more
San Francisco Sues U.S. Government over Deadly Pipeline Explosion
The U.S. Department of Transportation and one of its agencies is being sued by the city of San Francisco for the deadly gas pipeline explosion that occurred two years ago.
According to its lawsuit, the city claims the department’s Pipeline and... read more
U.S. Ordered to Pay $1 Million to Family of Man Murdered by Gangster Whitey Bulger
The federal government went too far in shielding an FBI informant from the 1970s through the 1990s, not only tipping him off about state and local police investigations, but even covering up his involvement in several murders. Last week a three-ju... read more
Who Invented the Microprocessor?...Hyatt v. Patent Office
In the early days of the computer industry, companies like Texas Instruments and Intel were racing to become the first to invent a microprocessor chip, the computation engine on a single wafer otherwise known as a central processing unit, or CPU.
... read more
First-Ever U.S. Trial of Catholic Official for Covering up Sex Abuse
Monsignor William Lynn of the Philadelphia archdiocese is about to become the first Catholic official in the U.S. to stand trial for his actions during the child sex abuse scandal that rocked churches across the country.
With jury selection sc... read more
Citibank Accused of Tricking New Customers about “Free” Frequent Flyer Miles
The same week Citibank settled one lawsuit alleging fraudulent business practices, the bank was hit with another civil case, this one involving the luring of consumers to open accounts through frequent flyer miles promises.
A federal class act... read more
Lobbyists Sue to Reverse Ban on Serving on Government Advisory Committees
Half a dozen lobbyists are suing the Obama administration claiming they are being denied their free speech rights by not serving on federal advisory committees.
The six lobbyists were either serving on or were seeking to be on the Industry Tra... read more
Was the Lance Armstrong Doping Case Whitewashed by U.S. Attorney While Investigation Continued?
A federal prosecutor’s decision to drop the investigation of cyclist Lance Armstrong has raised more questions than answers, especially given the timing of the decision.
U.S. Attorney André Birotte Jr. announced that the 20-month probe was ove... read more
Beware of Lead in Lipstick…Especially Maybelline’s Pink Petal
Four hundred types of lipstick contain trace amounts of lead, according to the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), which found some products tested for levels that exceeded safety recommendations. The FDA has not set legal limits for lead in cosme... read more
Obama Proposes Ending Saturday Mail Delivery and Refunding Prepaid Retirement Funds
In an attempt to help the ailing U.S. Postal Service (USPS), President Barack Obama has proposed two major proposals as part of his 2013 budget plan.
One: Allow the Postal Service to cut back on mail delivery from six days a week to five, star... read more
5,000 Homeless Americans Live in Tent Cities
While the U.S. unemployment rate has improved slightly in recent months, the rosy news of better times ahead contrasts with the difficult reality still haunting many Americans, especially for those living in tents to survive.
It is estimated t... read more
Justice Dept. Ignored Law Requiring Annual Submission of Surveillance Reports to Congress
For five years, the U.S. Department of Justice failed to inform Congress about the surveillance by federal law enforcement of certain types of email and telephone information, despite a lawful requirement to do so.
Using what’s known as pen re... read more
Special Ops Leader Seeks More Autonomy, Prompting Fears of Army within an Army
Coming off the successful kill of Osama bin Laden and the hearty congratulations of politicians and many Americans, the man in charge of Special Operations forces is lobbying civilian and military leaders for more freedom in deciding when and wher... read more
“Chemicals of Concern” List Still on Hold after 21 Months of Chemical Industry Lobbying
A 90-day White House review of an Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) list of possibly toxic “chemicals of concern” has now taken 640 days with no end in sight. Although EPA administrator Lisa Jackson considers the list an important part of her ... read more
BP Wins Exclusion of Prior Felony Violations from Oil Spill Trial
Oil giant BP, owner of the “Deepwater Horizon” oil platform that exploded April 20, 2010, killing 11 workers and spewing 4.9 million barrels (205.8 million gallons) of crude oil into the Gulf of Mexico, won a major legal battle heading into the tr... read more