Controversies
Prison Reform, an Overlooked Issue
Senator James Webb, decorated Marine, journalist, novelist, and Ronald Reagan’s one-time Navy Secretary, has announced his intention to tackle the politically delicate issue of prison reform. Unafraid of being perceived as “soft on crime” by his c... read more
Should OSHA Protect Workers or Their Employers?
A series of Bush appointees have effectively hobbled Occupational Safety and Health Administration by halting progress on a number of workplace safety initiatives, and by siding with employers against employees. During George W. Bush’s presidency,... read more
The Uncertain Fate of Some Innocent Guantánamo Prisoners
Seventeen Chinese Muslims unlawfully held in Guantánamo are still awaiting news of their fate after U.S. Federal Judge Ricardo Urbina deemed them innocent and ordered their release and delivery into the continental United States in October. The me... read more
Ten Worst Religious Stories of 2008
Rev. Paul Raushenbush, Associate Dean of Religious Life at Princeton University, reviews the ten worst religious stories of 2008. Coming in at number 9 is Sarah Palin’s Witchcraft video (Palin appears at about 5:00), in which visiting Kenyan pasto... read more
Groups Sue Department of Interior over New Mining Rules
A coalition of environmental groups including Earthjustice and the Sierra Club have sued the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) over a new revision finalized on December 12, which will allow mining companies to dump waste in streams. Specifical... read more
Will Obama Gladly Inherit Increased Presidential Powers?: Aziz Huq
Aziz Huq, writing in The Nation, urges Barack Obama to immediately begin the process of reversing the centralization of power that characterized the Bush administration. The administration manipulated the judiciary by creating an atmosphere of fea... read more
Doctors (and Insurance Companies) Can Just Say “No”
Health and Human Services Secretary Michael Leavitt has issued a new rule that “protects the right of medical providers to care for their patients in accord with their conscience.” The new rule allows any health-related individual or institution, ... read more
SEC Regulation for Kung-Fu Masters, but not for Hedge Fund Sharks
While a government lawyer tasked with investigating financial crimes, Gary Aguirre learned a hard lesson: under Chairman Christopher Cox, the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) is only interested in regulating minor players. Aguirre: “In the... read more
Creeping Military Takeover…in the U.S.: Thomas A. Schweich
Thomas Schweich, a Republican who served in the Bush administration as ambassador for counter-narcotics in Afghanistan and deputy assistant secretary of state for international law enforcement affairs, warns about the gradual takeover by military ... read more
Torture Doesn’t Work
Reporting on the Bush administration’s use of torture to extract confessions from terrorism suspects, Vanity Fair’s David Rose reminds us that in addition to the moral considerations, torture is not effective. For example: “The unreliability of in... read more
Interior Report Slams Former Fish and Wildlife Leader
A report issued by the Department of Interior’s Inspector General harshly criticizes Julie MacDonald, the former Deputy Assistant Secretary for Fish, Wildlife and Parks. According to the report, MacDonald “frequently contested the scientific findi... read more
Texas County Tries to Stop Border Fence
El Paso County in Western Texas, which has a larger population than the state of Alaska, has filed an appeal with the U.S. Supreme Court to stop construction of hundreds of miles of fencing on the Mexican border. Homeland Security Secretary Michae... read more
Federal Agency Board Worth $34 Billion Hasn’t Met in Almost Two Years
The Railroad Retirement Board is a rich but obscure agency that distributes $10 billion a year in retirement benefits to more than 600,000 beneficiaries and $74 million annually in unemployment benefits to 29,000 claimants. According to an investi... read more
Bush Rushes to Sign Nuclear Deal with Iran’s Leading Trade Partner
The Bush administration is rushing to sign a nuclear cooperation deal with the United Arab Emirates (UAE) despite the fact that the UAE has been used as a transshipment point for military technology headed to Iran. The nuclear trafficking program ... read more
Bush Lifts Protection for Endangered Species
The Bush administration issued revised endangered species regulations that will eliminate some of the mandatory, independent reviews that government scientists have performed for 35 years on dams, power plants, timber sales and other projects. In ... read more
Protecting Corporations Against Their Employees
The Labor Department is racing to complete a new rule, strenuously opposed by President-elect Barack Obama, that would make it much harder for the government to regulate toxic substances and hazardous chemicals to which workers are exposed on the ... read more