All Articles

Lawsuits Call Air Pollution Standards Deadly, Arbitrary

As the government rolls out new pollution standards this week, critics are charging federal regulators with ignoring science and arbitrarily allowing toxins into the air.

New Orleans Public Defender System Rotten, Neglected

Low-income defendants are being denied their right to counsel, and while everyone from the judges to the Justice Department knows it, little is being done to fix it.

Regulators Give Nod to Hazardous Chemical Import, Production

The Environmental Protection Agency has announced that it will allow the import and production of a banned pesticide that depletes the ozone layer.

Feds Make Forest Planning, Protection Less Deliberative

The government rewrote the rules for managing forests last week, largely erasing obligations to consider potential environmental harm when planning the future of public wild lands.

Immigration Sweeps Raise Questions About ‘Identity Theft’

Critics say the illegal use of Social Security numbers by undocumented immigrants – like those rounded up in a massive raid this week – is a predictable result of a broken system.

New Jersey Activists Want Farm Practices Declared ‘Inhumane’

A coalition of environmentalist and animal-rights groups went to court this week, accusing a New Jersey agency of illegally authorizing inhumane treatment of farm animals.

New Nuke Arsenal Decried Nationwide

A movement is mounting to foil a controversial federal program to "modernize" the nation’s nuclear weapons arsenal. The Bush administration says its plan will lead to a "smaller, safer and more-secure" stockpile, but opponents call it a blueprint for a new atomic arms buildup.

More Families to Face 'Heat or Eat' Choice this Winter

Over the next few months, families across the country will be deciding which comes first: staying warm or staying fed. Heating-fuel costs have soared in recent years, now rivaling food, health care and other essential expenses squeezing low-income households.

Canadian Appeals U.S. Torture Lawsuit

A Canadian survivor of "extraordinary rendition" is appealing a federal court’s decision to dismiss his lawsuit against the US government.

Thousands More Scientists Slam Bush Science Policies

Over 10,000 scientists are calling on the US government to stop manipulating science for political reasons, a government watchdog has announced.

EPA Shirks Court Order on Mercury Emissions

After a federal court ordered the EPA to set limits on mercury pollution from cement kilns, the EPA signed a rule last week that fails to impose them.

DuPont Still Hiding Teflon Hazard Study

Nearly two months after DuPont claimed to have evidence that a chemical it uses in the Teflon-manufacturing process is safe for workers, the chemical giant still refuses to release its full findings to the public.

LAX Hotel Workers Hungry for Living Wage

As Los Angeles airport hotels fight a law ordering them to pay enough to barely raise a family on, some workers are staging a hunger strike to gain public sympathy and realize the promise of a better wage.

Orlando’s Homelessness Fight Continues

Tensions between homeless people and city officials in Orlando, Florida are flaring after the city destroyed an encampment and a judge dismissed part of a lawsuit challenging restrictions on public meal programs in downtown parks.

Traveler Tracking Program May Violate US Law

A US Department of Homeland Security program that compiles data on millions of travelers and determines how likely they are to be terrorists may be operating illegally, according to privacy advocates and some members of Congress.

Closures Loom for Community-Focused Hospitals in New York

Healthcare advocates say a state commission's plan to consolidate hospitals is wrong-headed, glossing over the real problem and real reforms.

New EPA Rule Inhibits Wetland Protections, Watchdog Says

Environmental Protection Agency staff will have to jump through hoops when protesting permits that allow for wetland destruction, thanks to a new Agency policy.

Judge: S. Dakota City Discriminated Against Indian Voters

Native Americans in South Dakota won a four-year-old legal battle this week when a federal court ruled that the city of Martin violated the Voting Rights Act and discriminated against American Indian voters.

Meat Contributes to Climate Change, UN Study Confirms

The typical American diet adds significantly to pollution, water scarcity, land degradation and climate change, according to a United Nations report released last week.

Offshore Drilling Back on Washington Agenda*

Lawmakers and the Bush administration are renewing controversial efforts to blast open new channels for offshore oil and gas drilling in Florida and Alaska.

Lawmakers Still Control FBI Budget while Under Investigation

In what government watchdogs call a conflict of interest, three lawmakers under investigation by the Justice Department are in a position to determine how much money the Department will get next year.

Companies Leave Coal Miners Gasping for Health Payments

In the ultimate game of buck-passing, coal firms and the government have spent decades withholding benefits from black-lung-inflicted miners and their spouses.

Sewage Discharges Threaten Great Lakes

A newly released report has found that US and Canadian cities are polluting the Great Lakes system with billions of gallons of a toxic "cocktail" of sewage and storm water each year.

KBR’s Violations Run Deeper, Wider

With millions of dollars in alleged contract abuse, former Halliburton subsidiary KBR has become a symbol of the rampant corporate fraud driven by the Iraq war. But a settlement announced last week by the US Justice Department reveals that KBR’s malfeasance began long before "shock and awe" hit Baghdad.

Govt. Commission Questions School Desegregation Programs

A new government report that questions the merits of active school desegregation has met with harsh criticism from civil-rights groups.

Enviros Want Penguins on Endangered Species List

Though there are no wild penguins in North America, an environmental group is asking the US government to consider several species endangered – a move that could help activists compel the government to act against global warming.

Judge: No 'Guilt by Association' for Aiding 'Terrorists'

A federal court in Los Angeles has handed a partial victory to humanitarian groups seeking to help organizations the government has labeled "terrorists."

Report: Sacred Sites Need More Protection

A group of environmental filmmakers is urging governments and corporations to do more to protect sacred indigenous sites.

Arizona County Appeals Inmates’ Abortion Rights

County officials in Arizona are appealing a 2005 court decision that struck down a policy making it difficult for inmates to obtain abortions.

Activists Redouble Efforts Against Past Lead-Paint Makers

In the ongoing battle to eradicate lead poisoning, state and local governments have begun targeting the companies that sold toxic paint before it was banned for residential use in 1978. This week, grassroots activists are taking that fight to the streets.