October 14th, President Barack Obama announced he was sending United States Special Forces troops to Uganda to join the civil war there. Within the next few months, US combat troops will be sent to South Sudan, Congo and Central African Republic to only “engage” for “self-defence.” Like all America’s subsequent invasions, a trail of blood [...]
A controversial provision in the National Defense Authorization Bill that would “affirm” the President’s supposed power to wage perpetual war anywhere on Earth against undefined enemies — including Americans in the United States — is attracting fierce criticism from across the political spectrum. The language was inserted into the bill by Rep. Howard McKeon [...]
Researchers found a six-fold increase in the risk of developing Parkinson’s in individuals exposed in the workplace to trichloroethylene (TCE). Although many uses for TCE have been banned around the world, the chemical is still used as a degreasing agent. Parkinson’s can result in limb tremors, slowed movement and speech impairment, but the exact cause [...]
Over 12,000 Venezuelan students marched in Caracas on November 5, 2011 in support of the National Program of Integral Community Medicine, created by the Bolivarian Government in 2005. The rector of the Bolivarian University of Venezuela, Angel Moros, said the march was facing a smear campaign run by an opposition group in Venezuela who are [...]
Despite the recent U.S. budget crisis, the Obama administration seemed to find it reasonable to build a new massive and rather pricey prison in Bagram, Afghanistan. The estimated cost of the project is between $25,000,000 and $100,000,000 according to an announcement on FedBIzOps.Gov, a website used to announce privatized spending projects. The detention facility will [...]
On Sept. 8, 1971, an altercation ensued involving a few prisoners and guards. Inmates were furious at this perceived injustice that had happened to them. The next day a violent riot ensued. From Sept. 9 to 13, 1971, prisoners took about 40 people hostage and took control of the Attica Correctional Facility. After four days [...]
“Who creates and allows poverty to exist in the wealthiest and most powerful country in recorded history?” (Paul Thomas) The ever-popular education/poverty debate is a chick-or-egg problem; no one is quite sure which came first and how to solve the problem. When looking to fix the problem we need to focus on improving the education [...]
As if having a family member in prison isn’t hard enough, telephone companies are making it financially difficult to get in contact with their loved one. Nationwide Research Finds Excessive Prison Phone Rates Exploit Prisoners’ Families. “The report, based on several years of research that included submitting public records requests in all 50 states, [...]
US states are making drastic cuts to the Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) program. The TANF is a welfare program financed by block grants to states from the federal government. In 1996 the creators of TANF assured that a TANF Contingency Fund would be available to provide help to people during economic declines however [...]
The environmental protection agency has faced a continuous stream of lawsuits since the 1990s for failing to consult with the Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS) or the National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS) about the potential effects of pesticides on endangered species. At the root of the matter is EPA’s failure to incorporate endangered species consultations [...]
