U.S. and the World
Supreme Court Rules in Favor of Re-Copyrighting Public Domain Works
Over the objections of musicians, teachers and others, the U.S. Supreme Court has decided that some creative works that have entered the public domain can return to copyright status.
In a 6-2 ruling, the court said that Congress can authorize ... read more
Border Patrol Set to Increase Punishment of Illegal Immigrants
The U.S. border patrol is planning to get tough with illegal immigrants caught entering the country, even though the number of those apprehended in recent years has dropped significantly.
Using a system already in effect in Arizona, the Custom... read more
KBR Settles Lawsuit with Driver Injured in Iraq…But Other Cases Thrown Out
Had it waited just a couple more days, defense contractor KBR Inc. might have gotten off completely without agreeing to pay anything.
Sued by the families of seven former employees, KBR faced multiple lawsuits claiming the company sent civilia... read more
Honduras City Takes Title as World’s Most Violent Place
Ciudad Juárez, Mexico, is no longer the most deadly city in the world.
The infamous drug-war ravaged town has been passed up by San Pedro Sula in Honduras as the most violent place on earth.
According to Mexico's Civic Council on Public Se... read more
Swedish Companies Take Advantage of Cheap Labor in U.S.
As far as some companies in Sweden are concerned, America is the land of corporate opportunity—and worker exploitation. So why not take advantage of a business culture that seeks every chance to increase profits at the expense of U.S. employees.
... read more
Lockheed Comes to the Aid of Bahrain Dictatorship
Having made hundreds of millions of dollars off the regime, defense contractor Lockheed has publicly defended the dictatorship in Bahrain by using a former high-ranking military commander now on the company’s payroll. In the past year, King Hamad ... read more
Afghan Government Demands Obama Turn over Prisoners Held at U.S. Base
Allegedly upset by allegations of abused Afghans at the prison, President Hamid Karzai has demanded that the U.S. turn over control of its most important detention facility in Afghanistan, adding that any prisoners held without supporting evidence... read more
Defense Cloud Security Vulnerable to Chinese Tampering
The Department of Defense is investing heavily in cloud-based computing that relies on software developed in China—the same country deemed a major cybersecurity threat to the United States.
In order to shift military operations to the cloud, t... read more
Largest Dutch Pension Fund Pulls Investments in Walmart over Poor Labor Practices
Echoing the criticism of American labor unions, the Netherlands’ largest pension fund has cited Walmart’s poor labor practices as reason for withdrawing its investments from the world’s biggest retail chain.
Algemeen Burgerlijk Pensioenfonds (... read more
6 Years Later, American Marine Finally Goes on Trial for Killing of 24 Iraqi Civilians
The U.S. military may be done in Iraq, but at least one of its men is still waiting to resolve one of the war’s most controversial events.
Marine Sergeant Frank Wuterich is finally going to trial at Camp Pendleton in California on charges of v... read more
Judge Rejects Diplomatic Immunity for CIA Agent Accused in Italian Kidnapping Case
Convicted of participating in the kidnap of a Muslim cleric nine years ago from Italy, Sabrina De Sousa has lost her bid to gain diplomatic immunity from the State Department, which she officially worked for but in reality may have been a spy.
... read more
Army Still Removing Its Stuff from Iraq, As NATO Braces for Transfer of $30 Billion of Gear from Afghanistan
Military logisticians will be keeping busy in the coming months as the U.S. packs up in Iraq and prepares to do the same thing in Afghanistan.
In Iraq, the U.S. hopes to move about four million pieces of equipment across the border and into Ku... read more
Why is Coca-Cola Supporting Africa’s Last Royal Dictator?
Coca-Cola is being urged to pull out of Swaziland, a small kingdom in southern Africa ruled by the notorious Mswati III, the continent’s last remaining absolute monarch. Swaziland produces all of the Coca-Cola concentrate for the rest of Africa, y... read more
U.S. Drone Killing Program Threatened by Disconnect between Contractors and Military
When the United States on February 21, 2010, accidentally killed at least 15 civilians in southern Afghanistan, the missile attack responsible was prompted by ambiguous intelligence provided by a defense contractor that was aggressively misinterpr... read more
USAID Road Building in Afghanistan…a Study in Waste
Road construction in Afghanistan under the auspices of the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) is so terrible that “one could argue that USAID officials are providing aid and comfort to the enemy,” according to Matthew J. Nasuti of K... read more
Obama Approves $29 Billion Fighter Jet Sale from Boeing to Saudi Royal Family
The royal family of Saudi Arabia will receive more than 80 jet fighters from the United States as part of a $29.4 billion arms deal approved by the Obama administration.
Eighty-four new F-15SA Strike Eagle fighters will be delivered to the Sau... read more