Issues
Senate Subcommittee Hearing on Crime and Terrorism: Sally Yates and James Clapper, Testifying
" 'We're not the Department of Prosecutions or even the Department of Public Safety,' " Yates said in May 2015, the week after she was confirmed as deputy attorney general, the second-highest-ranking position in the Justice Department. 'We are the Department of Justice.' In a news release, the White House said Yates had 'betrayed the Department of Justice by refusing to enforce a legal order designed to protect the citizens of the United States.' more »
Shakespeare and Sexting: Reconsidering Penalties for Teen Sexual Activity
More than 20 years ago, when Russell Foster was 19 and his girlfriend Amber was 15, Montana's laws tore them apart, sending Russell to prison for four years for having sex with a minor.Hoping to spare other young couples severe consequences, the Fosters pushed for a bill the Montana Legislature passed last month that would reduce the penalties for teens caught engaging in consensual sexual activity. The measure also would expand the age range covered by the state’s existing Romeo and Juliet law. more »
When Bridges Collapse; the Value of New Perspectives on Climate Change Impact
The United States is considering a $1 trillion budget proposal to update infrastructure, including its crumbling bridges. An obstacle to spending the money wisely is that the current means of assessing bridges may underestimate their vulnerability. Case in point is a bridge along California's iconic Big Sur coast, which collapsed in March, isolating communities and costing local businesses millions of dollars. Although California's recent unprecedented rains were likely to damage infrastructure, standard risk assessments made it hard to identify which bridges were most vulnerable. more »
A Walk in the Woods, A Tree Planted: Arbor Day, Remarkable Trees Found on Public Lands
The tradition of Arbor Day began in Nebraska in 1872. Raising awareness of the importance of trees, people continue to use the day to plant saplings and improve the health of forests. Trees help clean the air, provide habitat for wildlife, help conserve soil and water, and are the source of an entire industry that support jobs and the economy. Land management agencies like the Bureau of Land Management, the National Park Service, the US Fish and Wildlife Service, and the US Forest Service oversee hundreds of millions of acres of forests across the country. more »
