Commentary / World Sep 15, 2019
The National Rifle Association versus America's youth
by Cesar Chelala
U.S. children and teenagers experience much higher rates of gun deaths and injuries than in any other industrialized country.
National Sep 11, 2019
Japan's nuclear watchdog to restart probe on causes of meltdown at Fukushima No. 1
The Nuclear Regulation Authority decided Wednesday to resume a probe into the causes of meltdowns in 2011 at the Fukushima No. 1 power plant, having determined that radiation levels have fallen enough to allow investigators to access the site. The nation's nuclear watchdog will seek ...
World Aug 20, 2018
Russian accused of spying in U.S. faces 'borderline torture': Moscow
Russia accused the United States of trying to break the spirit in jail of Maria Butina, a woman U.S. authorities say is a Russian government agent, and complained she was being subjected to "borderline torture." Butina, a 29-year-old gun rights advocate living in Washington, D.C., ...
World / Crime & Legal Aug 1, 2018
A U.S. gun rights activist has been at least temporarily thwarted in his attempts to publish free blueprints for 3D-printed firearms across the internet. Cody Wilson, a self-proclaimed "crypto-anarchist," has made available for download files on making "ghost guns." His website Defcad went live one ...
World / Crime & Legal Jul 26, 2018
U.S. judge may consider gag order in case of accused Russian agent Maria Butina
A U.S. judge said on Wednesday she may consider imposing a gag order on lawyers for accused Russian agent Maria Butina after prosecutors complained about statements by her lead attorney to the news media and expressed concern about turning over evidence to the defense. U.S. ...
National Jul 25, 2018
Tepco gets low rating for nuclear accident drills, draws criticism
A Niigata Prefecture nuclear power plant run by Tepco, the operator of the crippled Fukushima No. 1 facility, received the lowest possible rating during preparation drills in the event of a severe incident, the nation's nuclear watchdog agency said in a report released Wednesday. None ...
World / Crime & Legal Jul 23, 2018
Accused Russian agent Maria Butina met in 2015 with U.S. Treasury, Fed officials
Accused Russian agent Maria Butina had wider high-level contacts in Washington than previously known, taking part in 2015 meetings between a visiting Russian official and two senior officials at the U.S. Federal Reserve and Treasury Department. The meetings, revealed by several people familiar with the ...
World / Crime & Legal Jul 18, 2018
U.S. grand jury indicts woman on charges of being Russian agent who infiltrated political groups
A U.S. grand jury returned an indictment against a Russian woman on Tuesday, and added a charge accusing her of acting as a Russian government agent while developing ties with American citizens and infiltrating political groups. Maria Butina, who studied at American University in Washington ...
World / Crime & Legal Jul 17, 2018
U.S. arrests, accuses woman of acting as Russian covert agent, including infiltrating NRA
Federal prosecutors in Washington revealed Monday that they have arrested a 29-year-old woman and accused her of working as a covert Russian agent, gathering intelligence on American officials and political organizations through her gun-rights contacts. The announcement of the arrest of Maria Butina came just ...
World / Politics May 8, 2018
Iran-Contra scandal figure Oliver North named next NRA president
Retired Lt. Col. Oliver North, the marine at the center of the Iran-Contra affair three decades ago, was named president Monday of the National Rifle Association, giving it star power as it faces a powerful backlash over the massacres in Florida and Las Vegas. North's ...
Business May 7, 2018
Warren Buffett skirts controversy as politics intrude on his Omaha bash
Even Warren Buffett can't escape the political and social debates that have spilled over into the corporate world. Tens of thousands of investors descended on Omaha, Nebraska, over the weekend to hear him speak about business and the economy at the annual meeting of Berkshire ...
World / Politics May 7, 2018
Conservatives steal liberal term as Illinois counties declare 'sanctuary' status for gun owners
Several rural Illinois counties have taken a stand for gun rights by co-opting a word that conservatives associate with a liberal policy to skirt the law: sanctuary. At least five counties recently passed resolutions declaring themselves sanctuary counties for gun owners — a reference to ...