News & Politics Archives - Page 804 of 835

House Committee Clears Major Hurdle to Repeal Crude-Oil Ban

Staff - September 18, 2015

The bill is expected to easily pass the Republican-led House, however it faces a much stronger challenge after that. President Barack Obama has refused to lend his support to the bill, stating that oil-export decisions are made by the executive-controlled Department of Commerce, and that the Department can decide on its own to lift the ban. Still, the president has loosened restrictions in recent months, allowing Shell to drill in a new area off of the Alaska coast and allowing additional oil trade to Mexico. The bill may not reach Obama’s desk anyway, as key Senate Democrats are poised to prevent it from being brought to a vote in that chamber.

Settlement Reached in Police Shooting of Former MLB Player’s Son

Staff - September 18, 2015

Tolan’s mother Marian said about the resolution, “Though I still have my son, I’ve had to watch his dreams and part of his spirit die. We’ve given up so much as a family for a chance at justice, a chance at peace, a chance at being whole again. This has been a horrific experience.” While the attorney for the Tolan family Daryl Washington told reporters outside the courthouse, “As Mrs. Tolan has said and as Robbie has said on many occasions this is not about black versus white this is about right versus wrong,”

GM, Justice Department Tentatively Agree to Ignition-Switch Settlement

Staff - September 17, 2015

It is likely that General Motors got off easy both in comparison to Toyota and to future corporate federal prosecutions. Last week, Deputy Attorney General Sally Q. Yates announced major policy changes in the Justice Department for corporate investigations, focusing on prosecuting individuals who are responsible for wrongdoing instead of offering the deferred agreements and taking financial penalties in lieu of criminal charges. The change in policy discourages the probationary deferred prosecution agreements and requires companies to point out wrongdoing by specific employees to receive any kind of prosecutorial credit.GM as a company had been charged with felonies, according to the New York Times, sources familiar with the settlement say no individuals will be charged in the agreement.

No Jason Rezaian, No Iran Deal

Staff - September 15, 2015

I am not for or against a deal per se, I think the execution and enforcement of the agreement will be much more important for the U.S. than whether a nuclear deal exists or not. But, I believe that more time is needed to rethink the demand that Rezaian, and the other journalists’ release be a component to the deal. I cannot in clear conscious reward arbitrary detention as a policy, in the U.S. or abroad.

Car Manufacturers Agree to Make Automatic-Braking a Standard Feature

Staff - September 14, 2015

A recent IIHS study estimates that injury claims could be reduced by as much as 35 percent by implementing the technology. A comparative study of Volvo insurance claims found that property damage claims involving vehicles with automatic-braking systems were 15 percent lower than vehicles without the systems. IIHS president Adam Lund said about automatic-braking systems, “Most crashes involve driver error. This technology can compensate for the mistakes every driver makes because the systems are always on alert.”

Obama Scraps Federal College Ranking System for “Scorecard”

Staff - September 13, 2015

Unlike most college rating platforms, the scorecard contains a plethora of useful data that is usually unavailable from the private sector. Although prefacing by saying the data is based on students who have received federal grants and loans, the site contains income information, not just for recent grads, but also containing 10-year median income for graduates and loan default rates. The search-engine styled site also contains net costs for students from high-income and low-income families, as well as the ethnic diversity of particular colleges.

California Legislators Agree on Medical Marijuana Regulatory Framework

Staff - September 12, 2015

The bill also comes as residents will likely vote on legalizing marijuana for recreational use next year. As the current medical marijuana industry is regulated through a patchwork of city and local ordinances, Brown and other legislators have been trying to mitigate the concerns of industry lobbyists, law enforcement, local administrators, and opposition lawmakers in advance of the likely 2016 ballot measure.

‘Sort of’ Forgetting 9/11

Jeremy Lesh - September 12, 2015

As more cancer diagnoses related to 9/11 are discovered, the costs for the health program, as well as the over 6,500 people enrolled in the victim fund, will likely increase. This means Congress will either have to allow for the funding increase, or services may get cut dramatically. The decision could have life or death consequences for some like 52 year-old retired NYPD detective Barbara Burnette, who has a debilitating lung condition. Doctors have told Burnette that she will eventually require a double lung transplant. Burnette notes the potential lack of funding, saying “Without this program, people are gonna die, and I’m going to be one of them.”

Federal Regulators Abandon Cancer Study of Nuclear Plants

Staff - September 11, 2015

NAS began the study in 2010, and completed the first phase in 2012. The next phase had been underway for about three years when it was halted. The study was to have been an update to a 1990 review conducted by the National Cancer Institute, which analyzed cancer death rates in areas near 52 nuclear plants. That study concluded that there was no increased risk of cancer for people living close to the nuclear facilities.

New Justice Department Corporate Crime Policies Place Crosshairs on Individuals

Staff - September 10, 2015

Although the Justice Department, along with New York’s U.S. Attorney’s office, have extracted record fines from companies that committed fraud in recent years, many have noted that the department has not prosecuted a single executive from the investment banks responsible for the housing and banking crisis.

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