U.S. and the World
Chinese Government-Controlled Companies Charged with Stealing DuPont Trade Secrets
Federal officials based in San Francisco have indicted five companies controlled by the government of China, charging them with conspiracy to commit economic espionage, theft of trade secrets and attempted economic espionage.
The Chinese compa... read more
U.S. Citizen Aid Volunteer Blocked from Reentry after Trip to Libya
An American citizen who traveled to Libya in support of its revolution against Muammar al-Gaddafi has been prevented from returning to the United States by the U.S. Government–on suspicion of terrorism. Jamal Tarhuni, a 55-year-old importer from P... read more
Government Subsidies of Fossil Fuels Outdo Renewable Subsidies 6 to 1
It’s no contest between gas and oil on one end and renewable energy sources on the other when it comes to government subsidies.
According to a detailed report by the International Energy Agency, the world’s nations in 2010 spent $409 billion ... read more
In a First, U.S. Judge Orders Deportation of Warlord for Using Child Soldiers
Former Liberian warlord George E.S. Boley is being kicked out of the United States after an immigration judge ruled the Clarkson, New York, resident should be deported for violating a federal law banning the use of child soldiers.
The decision... read more
Egyptian Government Charges 19 U.S. NGO Workers
Egypt’s military-controlled government is quickly losing support in Washington after it announced that 19 Americans working for pro-democracy groups would stand trial on licensing and financial charges.
The Americans are among 43 people, inclu... read more
U.S. Charges Swiss Bank with Tax Fraud for First Time
For the first time ever, the United States has indicted a Switzerland bank, its oldest in fact, on charges of conspiring to help Americans hide more than $1.2 billion from the Internal Revenue Service (IRS).
The action is part of an IRS plan t... read more
Shades of Jimmy Carter…Obama Allows Yemeni Dictator in U.S. for Medical Treatment
More than 30 years after another American president allowed a fallen Persian Gulf dictator to enter the U.S., President Barack Obama has allowed the ex-ruler of Yemen to visit New York City for medical reasons, provoking protests from those oppose... read more
Plundering Pacific Ocean Fish for Short-Term Profits
The protein-rich jack mackerel is a fish in high demand, which has led to overfishing by multiple countries and risks of the species disappearing.
Over a period of 20 years, the stocks of jack mackerel have dropped from about 30 million metric... read more
State Dept. Bans Nonprofit Accused of Exploiting Foreign Exchange Students
Council for Educational Travel, USA (Cetusa), a sponsor of international exchange students to the U.S., has been banned by the State Department after students in Pennsylvania last year protested their working conditions.
The State Department’s... read more
Apple the Jobs Creator…Outside the U.S.
As Apple, Inc. enters its first full year without founder Steve Jobs at the helm, expect one thing not to change: Apple will not be creating large numbers of jobs in the U.S. In fact Apple, which until 2004 did a lot of manufacturing in the U.S., ... read more
U.S. Drops 27 Places on World Press Freedom List…Now Tied with Romania
The arrests of more than two dozen journalists during the “Occupy” protests of 2011 are among the reasons why the United States saw its free-press ranking drop significantly in the latest report from Reporters Without Borders.
In the group’s ... read more
Massacre Marine Escapes Jail Time
The last U.S. Marine facing charges stemming from the November 19, 2005, Haditha massacre will lose some stripes, but not serve any time in jail after pleading guilty.
Staff Sergeant Frank Wuterich entered a guilty plea on one count of derelic... read more
Border Patrol Using Drones to Battle Marijuana Trade
U.S. border patrol agents are using drones, the same type in fact being used to fight the Afghanistan war, to locate illegal shipments of marijuana being smuggled across the Southwest border.
But based on the government’s own statistics, it re... read more
Obama Wants to Make it Easier for Chinese and Brazilian Tourists to Visit U.S.
As part of his effort to boost the U.S. economy, President Barack Obama has ordered federal agencies to make it easier for tourists from countries with growing national incomes to visit American cities and travel spots.
Under Obama’s plan, the... read more
Tax Evaders Renounce U.S. Citizenship
Rather than deal with the complexities of U.S. tax law, Americans living overseas are increasingly renouncing their citizenship in order to avoid paying their income taxes.
According to National Taxpayer Advocate Nina E. Olson, approximately 4... read more
Liberian War Criminal Charles Taylor Worked for U.S. Spy Agencies
Long before he became one of modern Africa's most notorious dictators, Charles Taylor of Liberia was on the payroll of the U.S. government providing intelligence on American enemies.
Taylor's relationship with the Defense Intelligence Agency ... read more