Controversies
Offshore Oil Drilling Deaths More Common in U.S. than in Europe
Offshore oil workers stand a higher risk of getting killed or injured on the job than their counterparts in Europe. This finding was uncovered among others in an investigation by The Wall Street Journal of the Minerals Management Service (MMS), wh... read more
Gulf of Mexico Turtle Autopsies Closed to Public
Government scientists are denying media access to necropsies being performed on dozens of dead sea turtles found washed up along the Gulf of Mexico coast. Thirty five young Kemp’s Ridley sea turtles, an endangered species, have been discovered on ... read more
Greed vs. Regulation: Robert Reich
Some of the highest profile business disasters in recent history have been driven by greed, demonstrating how important it is to usher in a new era of government regulation, argues Robert Reich, formerly of the Clinton administration and now a pro... read more
President’s Cancer Panel: Cancer Caused by Contaminants “Grossly Underestimated”
Much to the delight of environmentalists and to the chagrin of industry, a panel of experts has warned that cancer, the No. 2 killer of Americans, has been “grossly underestimated” when it comes to potential causes from everyday items and procedur... read more
Pentagon Bans 4 Reporters from Guantánamo Trial
Four journalists have been banned from covering military tribunals at Guantánamo Bay because they reported the name of a former soldier accused of abusing a detainee. The Defense Department said the media was asked at a recent hearing to identify ... read more
Don’t Reform Campaign Financing Behind Closed Doors: Jeff Patch
You can’t really trust Democrats or Republicans when it comes to campaign finance reform, argues Jeff Patch, communications director for the Center for Competitive Politics.
Both liberals and conservatives, while in control of Congress, have d... read more
FDA Investigates Contamination at Johnson & Johnson Plant Making Children’s Tylenol and Motrin
The maker of children’s Tylenol and other pediatric medicines has gotten into trouble with federal regulators for operating a plant where materials were contaminated with bacteria and that lacked sufficient quality controls. McNeil Consumer Health... read more
EPA Stopped Keeping Records to Avoid Disclosure in Landfill Case
Rather than inform the public about potentially dangerous substances buried in the ground outside a leading scientific laboratory, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency in New Mexico deliberately took actions to avoid compliance with Freedom ... read more
BP Tried to Force Fishermen Volunteers to Agree Not to Sue
Fishermen who agreed to help stem the oil disaster in the Gulf of Mexico were asked by the owner of the offshore platform, BP, to sign an agreement waiving their rights to sue the corporation. The company hired local fishermen to lay out oil booms... read more
Dramatic Rise in Prescribing Psychiatric Drugs to Children Younger than Five
Described by one leading psychiatry expert as “a national tragedy,” the United States since the 1990s has greatly expanded the use of antidepressants and other powerful medications on children.
Data published in the Journal of the American Aca... read more
20% of Federal Watchdog Posts Still Vacant
More than 70 federal watchdog positions, including inspectors general for cabinet-level departments, remain vacant or without permanent appointees. In some cases the posts have gone without an appointment for more than two years.
For example, ... read more
Wiretaps Up 26% in 2009
Electronic surveillance by law enforcement and prosecutors increased significantly last year, mostly to combat drug-related crimes. In a report issued by the Administrative Office of the U.S. Courts, it was revealed that wiretap authorizations jum... read more
Justice Dept. Declines to Appeal $101 Million Damages for 4 Falsely Accused by FBI
More than 40 years after they were wrongly convicted for a mafia killing in 1965,
Joseph Salvati and Peter J. Limone may soon be compensated for being framed by the FBI. The two men, along with Louis Greco and Henry Tameleo, spent decades in pri... read more
Marine Corps Tries to Cope with Rising Suicide Rate
From awarding medals to offering expanded stress-related training and counseling, the U.S. Marine Corps is seeking to rid its distinction as the military branch with the highest suicide rate. Whereas the U.S. Army is averaging 21.7 suicides per 10... read more
Double Life of FBI Gangster
Someone in the FBI missed something when the bureau decided to hire Vo Duong “Ben” Tran as an agent. The former Vietnamese refugee, whose immigrant story of making a new life in America as a federal law enforcement officer seemed so uplifting, has... read more
Should Obama’s Supreme Court Choice be Non-Ivy League and Non-Northeast?
In addition to weighing the ideological, gender, ethnic and religious composition of the U.S. Supreme Court, perhaps President Barack Obama should consider one more qualification while deciding on a replacement for Justice John Paul Stevens: choos... read more