Top Stories
U.S. Industrial Output at 61-Year Low: Here’s the Reason
The Federal Reserve reported Monday that in February the operating rate of U.S. factories dropped to 67.4% of capacity, the lowest level since 1948. Why is this a 61-year record? Because 1948 was the year the government started keeping records. Th... read more
Single-Payer Health Care: A Solution In Search of Attention
As President Obama and his new administration attempt to reform the American health care system, one viable and desirable option is being kept off the table: single-payer health care. Single-payer health care is a financing system whereby the U.S.... read more
Who’s Next? Companies on Verge of Defaulting on Debt Payments
Moody’s Investors Service has issued a list of 283 “Bottom Rung” companies that are most at risk of defaulting on their debt payments. Moody’s expects 45% of these firms to default over the next 12 months. Among the most well-known of these high-r... read more
A Growing Industry in Hard Times: Prisons
Even in the midst of a struggling economy, in which most states are facing budget deficits, the prison industry has continued to experience significant growth and increased funding. A recent report released by the Pew Center on the States, entitle... read more
Leon Panetta Absolves CIA Torturers…Why?
On Thursday, CIA Director Leon Panetta sent an e-mail to CIA employees reassuring them that no one who engaged in torture would be held accountable as long as they were following orders. In 1996, the U.S. Congress passed, and President Clinton sig... read more
Unemployment Rate Highest Since Reagan
The current unemployment rate of 8.1% is the highest since December 1983. The Reagan Recession unemployment rate remained above 8.1% for 26 consecutive months and peaked at 10.8% in November and December 1982. Before Ronald Reagan left office, it ... read more
Secret Bush Memos Released...And the Ones Still Hidden
The Justice Department publicly released nine highly controversial legal opinions, kept secret until now, which gave George W. Bush unchecked powers during his “war on terror.” The contents reveal that the Bush administration took the position bes... read more
Is Bagram Obama’s Guantánamo?
President Obama’s lawyers announced last month that he will be upholding Bush administration policy that forbids detainees imprisoned at a U.S. air base in Afghanistan from challenging their imprisonment in U.S. courts. This action raises the poss... read more
Three Ways to Investigate Bush—Or Not
A solid majority of Americans want an investigation into some of the seemingly illegal excesses of the administration of George W. Bush, such as the use of torture, secret prisons and wiretapping without warrants. The question is: What kind of inv... read more
China on a Global Shopping Spree
Times may be looking bleak for Chinese workers, but for China’s leaders and the banks they control, the global economic crisis is an opportunity to make investments around the world at bargain prices. This month alone, China has signed oil agreeme... read more
Beyond Fingerprints: FBI, Lockheed Build Billion-Dollar ID System
The current identification system used by the federal government, the Integrated Automated Fingerprint Identification System, is ten years old and out of date. The FBI, with primary contractor Lockheed Martin, is developing, for $1 billion, its re... read more
Where in the World is Osama bin Laden?
One of the great and most mysterious failures of the administration of President George W. Bush was its inability to capture Osama bin Laden, the alleged financial backer of the 9/11 terrorist attacks. Considering that bin Laden is 6’4” and in nee... read more
U.S. Military Looking for Skilled Immigrants
The United States Army will begin offering American citizenship to skilled immigrants who are living in this country with temporary visas, in exchange for their military services.
Currently, only immigrants who are permanent residents with “gr... read more
Obama Supports Bush Policy on State Secrets
The Obama administration surprised federal appeals judges in San Francisco by arguing that a lawsuit by one current and four former detainees should be dismissed because it would reveal state secrets. The case involves Guantánamo prisoner Binyam M... read more
Wikileaks Publishes 6,780 Congressional Research Reports
Each year American taxpayers spend more than $100 million for reports written by the 700-strong staff of the Congressional Research Service (CRS), which provides reports on topics requested by members of Congress. These reports are not secret, but... read more
Does Obama Support Bush Threats to U.K. over Torture Secrets?
In a startling judgment, two British High Court Justices ruled that they would not compel release of evidence relating to U.S. use of torture because the Bush administration had threatened to withhold intelligence sharing if it did so. They furthe... read more