Top Stories
Federal Agency Ignored Advice of Own Experts about Oil Rig’s Last Line of Defense
Known as the “blind shear ram,” this piece of equipment at the bottom of the Gulf of Mexico was supposed to prevent the oil well that exploded from spewing out of control millions of gallons of oil. But the blind shear ram, which is meant to cut t... read more
Pentagon Buys Russian Helicopters to Use in Afghanistan
Instead of buying American to equip Afghanistan’s air force, the U.S. Department of Defense decided to purchase helicopters from Russia. Not surprisingly perhaps, this decision has not gone over well with members of Congress.
So far, the Penta... read more
FDA Has Worked on Sunscreen Regulations for 32 Years without a Final Report
1978. That’s when the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) first began developing regulations for sunscreen products—and still has not implemented anything in 32 years.
Manufacturers have been able for decades to promote their sun-block lotions ... read more
Animals Fleeing Spreading Oil Spill Appear Close to Shore
Like animals fleeing a forest fire, fish, sea birds and mammals are relocating close to the gulf coastline to avoid ocean waters polluted by the Deepwater Horizon oil spill. Biologists report seeing dolphins and sharks in shallow areas off the Flo... read more
Louisiana Oystermen Sue over Use of Toxic Dispersant in Gulf
BP’s use of a toxic dispersant to break up oil on the surface of the Gulf of Mexico will cause worse long-term damage to the ecosystem than had the company allowed the spill to reach coastal shorelines, contends a group of oystermen suing the petr... read more
Oil Spill Estimate Rises Again
The amount of oil flowing into the Gulf of Mexico could be 12 times higher the federal government originally estimated, based on new figures released out of Washington. The U.S. Department of Energy, in collaboration with the Department of the Int... read more
House Democrats Offer to Exempt NRA from New Campaign Finance Restrictions
Fearful corporations will spend heavily this election in the wake of a key U.S. Supreme Court ruling, House Democrats are offering to exempt the National Rifle Association (NRA) from a broad campaign-finance bill. The controversial move, which may... read more
Surprise! As Afghan War Loses Support, U.S. “Discovers” Huge Mineral Deposits
While there is no shortage of depressing news these days leading to questions about the United States’ long-term presence in Afghanistan, there’s one word that perhaps guarantees an American presence in the country for years to come: minerals.
... read more
Oil Spill Estimates Go Higher and Higher …up to an Exxon Valdez Every 10 Days
Days after the Deepwater Horizon exploded and sunk, the first official estimate of the oil gushing into the Gulf of Mexico was 200 barrels a day. It then changed to 1,000 barrels, and then 5,000. Now, scientists are talking about 20,000 barrels a ... read more
Who Owns BP? Biggest Shareholder is JPMorgan Chase
In the wake of the Gulf of Mexico oil spill, BP’s stock value has plummeted, prompting news stories identifying the company’s largest investors. Oddly enough, some media outlets have failed to identify the largest BP shareholder: the U.S. investme... read more
BP Refuses to Allow Scientists to Test Oil Spill Samples
Scientists in Florida are concerned that large plumes of oil floating beneath the surface in the Gulf of Mexico originated from the Deepwater Horizon spill, and want to test their samples against oil collected by BP. But the oil corporation is ref... read more
Military Expands from Fighting to Spying
From key appointments to proposed spending increases, the U.S. military is expanding its role and influence in American intelligence operations that once were the privy of civilian specialists. This mission creep on the part of generals and defens... read more
Alabama Town Defends Itself against Oil Spill
Unwilling to wait for the federal government or BP to come to their rescue, the tiny coastal town of Magnolia Springs, Alabama, took matters into their own hands shortly after the Gulf of Mexico oil spill began.
Led by their volunteer fire ch... read more
Obama Administration Could Use Clean Water Act to Collect Billions from BP
If President Barack Obama really does want to kick some ass over the Gulf of Mexico oil spill, as he told NBC’s Today show, the Clean Water Act might be just the shoe to use.
Legal experts believe the Clean Water Act could be a powerful weapon... read more
BP, Halliburton and Transocean Lawyer Up
Corporations facing investigations and lawsuits as a result of the Gulf of Mexico oil spill are putting their financial largesse to use.
BP, which was leasing the Deepwater Horizon oil platform when it exploded and sunk, has retained the inte... read more
Majority of Americans Find Gay and Lesbian Relations Morally Acceptable for First Time
A majority of Americans now say they are okay with homosexual relations, making it the first time this level of acceptance has topped 50%, according to Gallup.
While support for gay and lesbian lifestyles has risen among many groups since 2006... read more