Controversies
States Clash with Energy Department about Power Lines in National Parks
The federal government’s plan to fast-track the building of new electrical transmission towers, intended to reduce the risk of regional blackouts, has been put on hold by an appellate court that sided with a coalition of states and environmental... read more
Boeing Received $5 Billion in Illegal Government Subsidies
The World Trade Organization has ruled that Boeing benefited from $5 billion in improper subsidies from American government agencies for its 787 Dreamliner and other jets.
Boeing’s European rival, Airbus, was quick to seize on the news, and ... read more
Arizona City Wants Pharmacists to Fingerprint and Videotape OxyContin Buyers
Residents of Peoria, Arizona, will have to submit to fingerprinting and videotaping at their local pharmacy if they buy certain prescription painkillers, under a proposed city ordinance. Peoria is a suburb of Phoenix with a population of about 1... read more
Hawaii Brings its Prisoners Back from Arizona Private Prisons after Charges of Brutality
After more than a dozen inmates filed lawsuits over abusive treatment, Hawaii’s new governor, Democrat Neil Abercrombie, has ordered the return of 243 Hawaiian convicts from private prisons in Arizona.
The state had contracted with Correctio... read more
FBI Accused of Violating Surveillance Laws 40,000 Times
The FBI may have exceeded its legal authority as many as 40,000 times during the Bush administration while collecting intelligence on Americans, according to a report by the Electronic Freedom Foundation (EFF), a government watchdog organization... read more
Sen. Johanns Defends Appearance at Republican Event in 2006
In a recent report, the Office of Special Counsel accused Mike Johanns, then Secretary of Agriculture and now a senator from Nebraska, of attending a November 1, 2006, Arizona Republican Party Photo Opportunity and Reception with Senator John Kyl ... read more
Guantánamo Prisoners Stage Non-Violent Protests
While loud demonstrations in Tunisia, Egypt and Yemen have captured worldwide attention, quieter protests have gone on for the past two weeks at Guantánamo Bay.
Inspired by the movements in North Africa and the Middle East, and to mark the n... read more
Did PR Beat Out Science in the Obama Oil Spill Report?
A Democratic congressman and a government watchdog group have accused the Obama White House of placing a higher importance on public relations than on scientific opinion during last year’s oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico.
Reacting to a gover... read more
National Archives Declassified 12 Million Pages Last Year; 334 Million to Go
The U.S. government made 12,017,075 million pages of previously secret documents available to the public last year, a total that might seem impressive if it wasn’t for the goal set by President Barack Obama: 400 million pages by 2013.
The re... read more
Pennsylvania Considers Life in Prison for 11-Year-Old Accused of Murder
Juvenile Jordan Brown is set to be tried as an adult by a Pennsylvania court for allegedly murdering his father’s 8½-month pregnant fiancée when he was 11 years old.
The criminal case has garnered attention from child advocates in the U.S. a... read more
George W. Bush Staff Illegally Used Taxpayer Funds for Political Purposes
The months leading up to the 2006 midterm elections was a busy time for officials in the Bush administration, what with getting paid for their government jobs while campaigning on behalf of Republican candidates—a clear violation of federal law.
... read more
Kennedy Family Fights to Limit Access to Robert Kennedy Files
The John F. Kennedy Presidential Library and Museum is celebrating this month the 50th anniversary of JFK’s inauguration, amid an ongoing struggle between historians and the Kennedy family over the still-secret files of the president’s brother, ... read more
Kansas Set to Become Only State to Eliminate Arts Commission
Guam has one. So do Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands and every one of the 50 states. But soon Kansas won’t have one…that being a state arts commission.
Under Republican Governor Sam Brownback, Kansas will become the only state in the count... read more
Clarence Thomas Didn’t Report Wife’s Political Income
Chalking up the problem to a misunderstanding, U.S. Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas acknowledged on Monday that he failed to disclose his wife’s income from a conservative think tank for five years, putting him in violation of the 1978 Eth... read more
Spying for Profit
The war in Afghanistan, and military operations in neighboring Pakistan, have provided ample business opportunities for ex-CIA and Special Forces operatives to collect intelligence on behalf of the U.S. government—even though it’s illegal for Wa... read more
USDA Admits Involvement in South Dakota Mass Bird Deaths
The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) has assumed responsibility for the deaths of more than 300 birds in Yankton, South Dakota. But the USDA insists it had nothing to do with other mass die-offs of birds recently in Arkansas, Louisiana, Ala... read more