Controversies
The Threat of a Monopoly of Voting Machines
Electronic voting in the United States could become reliant upon a single supplier of machines if a merger of the two leading companies is allowed to go through. Election Systems & Software (ES&S), which controls about 50% of the electronic voting... read more
Bush-Era BLM Used Exemptions to Pollution-Plagued Oil Drilling in Western States
Efforts to increase oil and gas drilling in the United States during the Bush years resulted in the Bureau of Land Management abusing a special exemption in federal law to bypass environmental reviews. The result was expanded drilling, which in so... read more
The Racial Divide in Overpriced Mortgages
During the rush earlier this decade by banks to give out mortgages, a disproportionate amount of expensive loans were distributed to minorities, including to those whose income levels should have qualified them for better rates. A high-priced loan... read more
SEC Moves to Ban High-Speed “Flash” Trading
Considered an unfair advantage in stock markets, “flash trading” appears to be on the way out, thanks both to new federal regulations and voluntary decisions by leading exchanges. The Securities and Exchange Commission proposed new rules on Thursd... read more
A Solution to ATM Murders
ATM muggings and murders have long been a problem that, for some reason, banks and lawmakers have been reluctant to address. But according to Robin Sax, a former deputy district attorney, the solution is too simple to not implement. The emergency ... read more
In 7 States, Spousal Abuse is a “Pre-Existing Condition”
Victims of domestic violence can be denied health coverage in seven states and the District of Columbia because of unwillingness on the part of insurance companies to cover such individuals. Getting beaten up by a spouse is considered a pre-existi... read more
Treasury Refuses to Disclose Formula for Loan Modifications
Five months into the Obama administration’s loan modification program, only 12% of eligible homeowners have actually seen their mortgages modified. That’s because the lenders will only modify if they think it will bring them greater profits than f... read more
FEMA-Katrina Trailer Fumes Trial Opens
Opening testimony presented this week in the civil trial over toxic trailers provided to victims of Hurricane Katrina was marked by tearful testimony from a former government expert and a rather questionable response from the head of the trailers’... read more
Court Orders Minnesota Vikings to Allow Suspended Linemen to Play
The power of the National Football League to punish players caught taking performance-enhancing drugs has at least temporarily been blocked by a federal court which ruled in favor of two players suspended for failing drug tests earlier this year. ... read more
100,000 Water Pollution Violations a Year
Despite federal environmental hallmarks like the Clean Water Act, America’s water supply is increasingly becoming polluted with dangerous substances as a result of repeated dumping by companies, most of whom have gone unpunished.
An investigat... read more
What the Left Could Have Yelled at Obama’s Speech: Dave Lindorff
Instead of being so righteously indignant over Republican Congressman Joe Wilson’s “You Lie!” remark, liberals should be considering their own verbal blasts at President Barack Obama, writes journalist Dave Lindorff. After all, the American presid... read more
Vets to Care for Vietnam War Memorial Because Government Won’t
Tired of watching the area around the Vietnam Veterans Memorial dilapidate, the group that established the monument intends to spend nearly $100,000 of its own money to improve landscaping that Congress has refused to fund. Officials with the Viet... read more
Judges Appointed and Honored by Bush Return the Favor in Torture Case
A federal appeals court threw out a lawsuit last Friday filed by more than 200 Iraqis claiming they were tortured at the infamous Abu Ghraib prison by interrogators hired by defense contractor CACI International Inc. In a 2-1 decision, the DC Cour... read more
Republicans Missed Their Chance with Health Care: Steve Chapman
While Chicago Tribune columnist Steve Chapman understands and even agrees with conservatives’ opposition to President Barack Obama’s health care reform plans, he insists they have only themselves to blame for not addressing the problem when they h... read more
Latino Workers More Likely to Die on the Job…for 16th Year in a Row
It’s hard out there to be a Latino worker, according to a new report published by the National Council of La Raza. More than any other ethnic group, Latinos are at the highest risk to die on the job—a situation that has not changed in 16 years. Mo... read more
Can a Failed Agency be Trusted to Oversee Oil Industry?
Secretary of the Interior Ken Salazar wants to revamp the nation’s oil-and-gas royalty system to encourage more efficient drilling for fossil fuels on federal lands. The idea makes sense, but the problem lies in its execution—or rather, who will b... read more