U.S. and the World
Relatives Sue CIA and Pentagon over Drone Killings of 3 U.S. Citizens
The Obama administration violated the U.S. Constitution last year when it ordered airstrikes that killed three Americans in Yemen, according to a lawsuit brought by family members of those who died.
The drone attacks launched by the Central In... read more
USDA Withdraws Government-Funded Pro-Food Stamp Soap Operas
Following criticism from conservative circles, the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) pulled its Spanish-language radio programs designed to inform Hispanics about the federal food-stamp program.
A conservative website, The Daily Caller, ra... read more
DEA Rejection of Freedom of Information Requests Doubles under Obama
President Barack Obama’s promise to make government more transparent has not applied to the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) when it comes to Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) requests.
In each of the first three years of the Obama admini... read more
TSA Ignores Year-Old Court Order to Regulate the Use of “Nude” Body Scanners
The Transportation Security Administration (TSA) was told a year ago by a federal appellate court to hold public hearings about the use of full-body scanners at airport checkpoints. The TSA has yet to follow the court’s order while continuing to ... read more
Alabama Judge Shuts Down Private Debtors Prison
The Alabama town of Harpersville has been accused of running a “debtors prison” and using its courts to commit extortion.
Circuit Judge Hub Harrington said he was appalled after finding out that the Harpersville Municipal Court and a private p... read more
A French Solution to Budget Deficits…Tax the Tobacco Industry
Jean-Marie Le Guen, a doctor and a member of the French National Assembly from Paris, has proposed closing his nation’s budget deficit by taxing the profits of the tobacco industry.
"The tobacco companies are currently enjoying super-profits... read more
Shipping Containers from Abroad Remain Unscanned for Radioactivity Despite Government Deadline
Five years after Congress ordered it, the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) still cannot guarantee that all shipping containers arriving in U.S. ports have been scanned for radioactive material and nuclear bombs.
DHS was supposed to meet... read more
UNESCO Set to Present Award Funded by African Dictator
The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) plans today to award a controversial prize funded by African dictator Teodoro Obiang Nguema Mbasogo of Equatorial Guinea.
The UNESCO-Equatorial Guinea Internationa... read more
For First Time in 50 Years, U.S. Cargo Ship Delivers Goods Directly to Cuba
The cargo ship Ana Cecilia, carrying humanitarian goods directly from the United States to Cuba, arrived in Havana Bay on Friday, the first direct shipment since President John Kennedy imposed a U.S. embargo on Cuba in February 1962. He did so a... read more
Drug Cartel Used BofA Account to Invest in U.S. Racehorses
Despite its “strong” efforts to counter money laundering, Bank of America allowed the largest drug cartel in Mexico to use its accounts to invest in U.S. horse racing.
José Treviño Morales, the older brother of the No. 2 man in the notorious... read more
Federal Government Allows more than 250 Nonorganic Substances to be Added to “Organic” Foods
More than 40 years since organic foods began as mom-and-pop operations, the multi-billion dollar movement that has transformed into Big Organic has lost much of its “organic” quality.
The National Organic Standards Board (NOSB), which, as a pr... read more
Florida Officials Kept Secret Worst TB Outbreak in 20 Years as Leading TB Hospital Closed to Save Money
Officials in Florida concealed a federal health report warning of a serious tuberculosis outbreak, while at the same time Governor Rick Scott approved the closure of a hospital that specialized in caring for TB cases.
The Centers for Disease C... read more
Mining for Gold and Silver…in E-Waste
For centuries prospectors panned for gold and silver. Today, those seeking precious metals need only tear apart used computers and other electronics.
The market today for PCs, cell phones, tablets, and other electronics consumes an enormous am... read more
Pennsylvania Eliminates State Inheritance Tax for Farms
Pennsylvania has adopted legislation intended to help relatives of dead farmers from having to sell off farms they inherit just to pay taxes owed.
The new law, approved overwhelmingly by the state legislature in bipartisan votes, exempts adult... read more
UN Proposes 1% Tax on Billionaires
As a means to raise more money for poor nations, a 1% tax should be imposed on the world’s billionaires, a United Nations’ report suggested.
The “World Economic and Social Survey 2012: In Search of New Development Finance” states that more t... read more
Obama Approves Loan to Vietnamese Communists to Buy Satellite from Lockheed Martin
With its satellite already in orbit, the government of Vietnam will now receive a $125.8 million loan from the U.S. Export-Import Bank (Ex-Im) that will help pay for the space hardware purchased from Lockheed Martin.
The Vinasat-2 telecommun... read more