Controversies
Verizon is the Only Telecom that Retains Text Message Content
If you want to keep your text messages completely private, and out of the hands of law enforcement, then Verizon is not the provider for you.
According to a confidential U.S. Department of Justice document (obtained by the American Civil Lib... read more
FBI Bribed Deputy to Smuggle Cell Phone into L.A. County Jail
While investigating the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department for alleged crimes, the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) may have broken the law as well, and in the process created a serious rift between the two law enforcement agencies.
... read more
World Famous Bear Killed by Minnesota Hunter
Hope is dead in Minnesota, where a young black bear with the inspiring name was killed by a hunter on September 16.
The bear and its mother, Lily, were the subjects of a study by biologist Lynn Rogers and featured in a BBC documentary, The B... read more
SEC Threatening to Bring Charges against S&P for Dubious Credit Ratings that Led to Crisis
The Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) has notified Standard & Poor’s that civil charges may be filed against the credit-ratings firm for its 2007 grading of a high-risk securities deal.
The warning represents the first time the SEC ha... read more
Unelected Czar of Benton Harbor, Michigan, Rejects City Council’s Resolution Honoring Constitution
Michigan’s solution for getting local communities out of fiscal turmoil has resulted in “emergency financial managers,” known to some as “dictators,” undermining the country’s fundamental system of democracy, according to critics.
Last year,... read more
Young U.S. Combat Soldiers are Developing Arthritis
The cumulative effect of carrying heavy packs and body armor, performing strength training and enduring combat injuries are taking their toll on the young bodies of American soldiers. A new research study published in the journal Arthritis and R... read more
Federal Judge Orders Video of Anti-Gay Marriage Trial to be Made Public
Recordings of the trial that struck down Proposition 8, the California initiative outlawing gay marriage, should be released to the public, a federal judge ordered this week.
The 2010 trial was supposed to be streamed over the Internet to co... read more
Health Agency Refuses to Release Physician Data to Journalists
Health officials in the Obama administration are making it difficult for the media to obtain information about doctors punished for malpractice and other misdeeds.
The Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) has removed the Public ... read more
More than 4 Million Americans Have Access to Classified Information, Including 1 Million Contractors
The duty of keeping secrets in the U.S. government does not belong to a small cadre of officials or military leaders. Rather, more than 4.2 million people have security clearances for access to classified information—a figure that’s far larger t... read more
Lower Courts Embrace the Good Side of Citizens United Decision
Citizens United may have been bad for keeping the cost of elections down, but it may prove to be a boon for campaign transparency.
Since the U.S. Supreme Court issued its 5-4 decision in January 2010, deep-pocketed interests have been free t... read more
Why Did Dakota Meyer Receive Medal of Honor and Not Juan Rodriguez-Chavez?
The awarding of the Medal of Honor to Dakota Meyer has raised the issue of why the former U.S. Marine was given the nation’s highest honor while others who participated in the same gallantry did not.
On September 8, 2009, Afghan soldiers and... read more
Family Forced to Settle 9/11 Lawsuit against United Airlines Out-of-Court
The lone 9/11 family that has held out for 10 years in order to have its day in court has decided after all to settle before going to trial.
The survivors of Mark Bavis say they had no choice.
Mike Bavis, twin brother of the pro hockey s... read more
Battle over Morning-After Pills Goes to Court in Idaho
Jennie Linn McCormack of Idaho is suing a local prosecutor for trying to convict her for using the morning-after pill to terminate her pregnancy.
McCormack, a single mother of three children, ended her pregnancy after she purchased FDA-appro... read more
Marijuana Arrests Keep Drug Enforcers in Business
More than half of all drug-related arrests in the U.S. last year involved marijuana, prompting advocates for the legalization of the controlled substance to complain that the war on drugs is largely driven by “minor” offenses.
Law enforcemen... read more
Many at Pentagon Want out of Border Patrol Responsibility
Officials in the Department of Defense are frustrated over the continued use of National Guard troops to police the U.S. border with Mexico, according to a new government report.
There are currently 1,140 Guardsmen patrolling the border. Abo... read more
Homeland Security Law Blocks Green Card Status for Immigrants who Opposed Castro and Saddam
The difference between foreign policy and U.S. law has been on full display for about 4,000 immigrants trapped in limbo by an American government that can’t agree with itself.
For those who fought against Saddam Hussein while he ruled Iraq, ... read more