Topic: United States

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Detroit bankruptcy: Governor authorizes filing, declaring 'no viable alternative' (+video)

The Detroit bankruptcy filing, which follows a decades-long decline in city finances that led to $18 billion in debt, sets the stage for a showdown with 43 public sector unions facing a drastic cut in pensions.
In California's Mountain fire, lessons of Yarnell tragedy are everywhere

The Mountain fire in California is burning 'some of the more treacherous terrain in the US,' and the memory of last month's Yarnell Hill fire is leading to an abundance of caution.
Feds target 'stand your ground' laws, but what can they do?

Neither Congress nor the executive branch can force states to change their laws, and courts have been skeptical about attempts to strike down stand your ground legislation. At least one juror has said this law was a key factor in the George Zimmerman verdict.
Decoder Wire Wendy Davis goes to Washington: Did Texas abortion fight create a new star?

Wendy Davis gained national fame for her staunch opposition of a Texas abortion bill. Now, she's coming to D.C. to raise money and sounding like someone who might run for governor.
Internet companies call for greater transparency from secret court

Internet companies including Apple, Google, and Yahoo called on the government to create greater transparency around secret court information requests
FISA 101: 10 key dates in the evolution of NSA surveillance

When news of the PRISM data collection and surveillance program broke in early June 2013, it shook up the cyber security debate, and called into question just how much information the US government is authorized to collect. But government data collection isn’t something that just sprang up out of nowhere – it just sprang into national attention after former National Security Agency contractor Edward Snowden leaked government documents about the secret government agency. Here’s a brief list of post-9/11 legislation and surveillance programs to add a historical perspective to the current government surveillance debate.
Did West ignore rape charges related to Ethiopia land grab?

USAID officials are accused of ignoring reports of profound human rights abuses by Ethiopia, a strategic ally in the Horn of Africa. They deny it.
Snowden leaks give new life to lawsuits challenging NSA surveillance programs

Documents Edward Snowden leaked about sweeping NSA surveillance programs have emboldened privacy advocates and government watchdog groups to file a new round of lawsuits challenging the programs' constitutionality.
Bradley Manning trial: 'Aiding the enemy' charges stand, but hard to prove

The judge in the military trial of Bradley Manning ruled Thursday she would not dismiss the 'aiding the enemy' charges. But prosecutors so far have proved neither intent nor harm, observers say.
Nelson Mandela: 10 quotes on his birthday

To celebrate the 95th birthday of Nelson Mandela, here are 10 of his more memorable quotes.
Morgan Stanley quarterly profit jumps on stock trading

Morgan Stanley reported seeing income rise in all of its businesses. Profit for Morgan Stanley in wealth management jumped 83 percent, while profit from trading and investment banking was six times higher than it was a year earlier.
Verizon posts 'solid' quarterly revenue results

Verizon Communications Inc. did not produce as strong a growth in revenue as analysts expected. Verizon executives say the company's shrinking wireline revenue is due to corporate spending cuts and reduced government spending.
Heat wave spreads across US. When will it end?

The largest heat wave of the summer has spiked dangerously high temperatures across large swaths of the country for days. Relief from the heat wave is within sight, but cooler weather can't come soon enough.
Decoder Wire Hillary who? Joe Biden says he still dreams of becoming president.

Everyone knows Hillary Clinton would be the presumptive Democratic front-runner for president in 2016. But Joe Biden, in a new interview, doesn't sound like he's ready to concede.
The Monitor's View A dubious drive to legalize online gambling

A Senate hearing focused on regulating Internet gambling – even though it remains banned interstate by Congress. Such backdoor maneuvers toward legalization only reveal the commercial interests pushing this wrongheaded move.
Mandela meets the press: Monitor coverage after his prison years

The Monitor’s correspondents in South Africa followed Nelson Mandela closely throughout the 1990s, as he transitioned from world’s most famous political prisoner to president of a new nation to a continent’s elder statesman. Here are some snapshots of their reports from that period.
Bestselling books the week of 7/18/13, according to IndieBound*

What's selling best at independent bookstores across America
Think you're well-read? Take our World Lit quiz

Take our test and see how well your knowledge of the world's great books stacks up.
License plate scanners have allowed police to log location and movement of millions

License plate scanners: A rapidly growing network of police cameras is capturing, storing and sharing data on license plates, making it possible to stitch together people's movements whether they are stuck in a commute, making tracks to the beach or up to no good.
Briefing Osama bin Laden's life in Pakistan

A leaked report reveals new details, as well as a nation's vulnerabilities.
Did Cuba's arms shipment to North Korea violate sanctions? U.N. will investigate.

Officials in Panama interrupted a shipment of arms from Cuba to North Korea last week. Now, the U.N. Security Council will investigate the incident for a possible breach of sanctions. North Korea says the weapons were being sent in for repairs.
In Senate, emotional appeal to restore 'heart and soul' of Voting Rights Act

Rep. John Lewis of Georgia, a leader of the 1965 march from Selma to Montgomery, urged the Senate Judiciary Committee to restore a key section of the Voting Rights Act struck down by the Supreme Court.
Why Zimmerman verdict might not roll back 'stand your ground' laws (+video)

The US attorney general, Juror B37, and even Stevie Wonder express reservations about self-defense laws like Florida's 'stand your ground' statute, a factor in the George Zimmerman trial. What's the likelihood such laws will be reconsidered?
Kentucky psychology board targets advice columnist. Free speech violation?

Lawyers for the syndicated advice columnist say his federal lawsuit against Kentucky gets to the heart of free speech rights and whether they can be trumped by occupational licensing laws.
Olympics boycott? Speaker Boehner rejects Sen. Graham's Sochi-for-Snowden proposal

Olympics boycott: Sen. Lindsey Graham of South Carolina is reacting to the possibility that Russia gives temporary asylum to Edward Snowden. Speaker of the House John Boehner rejects the Olympics boycott idea.