U.S. and the World
UK Government Officials Advised Libya How to Free Lockerbie Bomber
Contrary to previous denials by the British government, the decision to release convicted Lockerbie bomber Abdelbaset Ali Mohmed al-Megrahi was influenced by senior officials in London. In fact, the United Kingdom provided Libya with legal instr... read more
Marine Father and Son Both Receive Traumatic Brain Injuries in Iraq
David W. “Junior” Franco decided to follow in his father’s footsteps and become a U.S. Marine. Both men wound up serving in Iraq and, in an unfortunate case of symmetry, suffering the same serious medical problems.
Franco’s father, David R. ... read more
Clinton Opens First-Ever Mass Meeting of U.S. Ambassadors
Rather than conduct one very large conference call, Secretary of State Hillary Clinton has ordered all U.S. ambassadors home to Washington for a first-of-its-kind, face-to-face policy meeting that began on January 31.
The week-long Global Ch... read more
Which U.S. Companies Profited from Arming Hosni Mubarak?
Whatever becomes of Egypt’s president, Hosni Mubarak, the last 30 years of his reign have been good for American defense contractors. With more than $1 billion a year in military assistance from Washington, Mubarak’s government has purchased a l... read more
Boeing/Narus Helps Egyptian Dictatorship Fight Pro-Democracy Movement
The government of Egypt’s attempted crackdown on mass protests has been aided by an American firm that sells telecommunications software that allows the authoritarian regime to spy on citizens’ emails and cell phone communications.
Narus, lo... read more
Egyptian Police Use U.S.-Made Tear Gas against Protestors
Protestors in Egypt told ABC News that some of the tear gas being used against them by the riot police is manufactured in the United States. Spent canisters bearing the “Made in U.S.A.” label were turned over to the news outlet, which verified t... read more
Soldier in Afghan Killing for Sport Case Signs Plea Deal
A key defendant in what’s been described as the worst war-crimes case involving U.S. soldiers in Afghanistan has agreed to help military prosecutors.
Army Specialist Jeremy Morlock of Wasilla, Alaska, a member of the 5th Stryker Brigade, 2nd... read more
Inspector General Recommends Halt to Funding of $26 Million Iraqi Security Academy
The U.S. government so far has spent $13.4 million to build a special academy in Iraq for security officials without bothering to secure an agreement with the Baghdad government that the Iraqis are prepared to fund it once it’s completed.
No... read more
Russian Media Tries to Blame “Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2” for Airport Terror Attack
Borrowing from America’s habit of blaming violent video games for horrific events, a Russian television news story has raised the question of whether the U.S.-made “Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2” was partly responsible for the bombing of Moscow... read more
Drug Company Halts Production of 1 of 3 Execution Drugs
The state of executions in the United States, already on hold in some states, may continue in stasis now that the nation’s only manufacturer of a key anesthesia used in lethal injections has decided to stop making the drug.
Hospira, based in L... read more
Pirates Currently Holding 707 Hostages
While U.S. media coverage of pirate attacks has subsided, acts of piracy continue to rise. Last year, in fact, was the worst ever, with a record number 1,181 people abducted from 53 ships. Eight were killed.
As has been the case for some tim... read more
Self-Immolation Spreads in North Africa
Like the Buddhist monk who set himself on fire to protest the Vietnam War, Mohamed Bouazizi’s act of self-immolation has fueled political protests and inspired others to kill themselves in the same shocking manner. Self-immolation, which can be ... read more
USDA Cracks Down on Honey Laundering
The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) is continuing its pursuit of illegal, and sometimes dangerous, imports of foreign honey into the United States.
After the government in 2002 imposed a tariff on honey imported from China, the world’s l... read more
How Did Canada Avoid Foreclosures and Bank Failures that Devastated U.S.?
Perhaps Americans can learn something from their northern neighbor regarding home finance and staving off mortgage disasters.
While the U.S. has struggled with its crippled housing market since 2008, Canada is doing just fine. Not a single C... read more
How Many Foreign Military Bases Does the U.S. Have? Who Knows?
Figuring out how many foreign military bases the United States is about as certain as guessing the correct number of marbles in a glass bowl.
Writer Nick Turse, who’s written on the subject of U.S. overseas bases, can’t even come up with a s... read more
Mining Companies Ask for Delay in SEC Conflict Minerals Ruling
Both foreign and domestic mining companies have asked the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) for more time to comment on new rules requiring the disclosure of deals involving “conflict minerals.”
Largely involving the Democratic Republ... read more