Federal Government

Alaska Lawmakers Release ‘Troopergate’ Report Criticizing Gov. Sarah Palin

After meeting in closed session for much of the day, an Alaska legislative committee released an investigative report concluding that Gov. Sarah Palin abused her power by trying to get her former brother-in-law fired from his job as a state trooper. The report states that “Gov. Palin knowingly permitted a…

Oct 11, 2008 1:50 AM CDT

US Reportedly Listened in on Intimate Phone Calls of Citizens Abroad

Two former linguists with the National Security Agency say their one-time employer improperly listened to intimate telephone conversations of members of the U.S. military, aid workers and journalists stationed overseas. The two linguists, who worked as military intercept officers, told ABC News that some of the NSA employees monitoring the…

Oct 10, 2008 11:31 AM CDT

Top Alaska Court Allows Sarah Palin Probe to Proceed; Report Expected Tomorrow

The Alaska Supreme Court refused today to call a halt to the “Troopergate” ethics investigation of Gov. Sarah Palin, the Republican nominee for vice president. That sets the stage for the state legislature to release tomorrow, as planned, its investigative report about whether Palin abused her power as governor by…

Oct 10, 2008 12:40 AM CDT

Whales Plaintiffs May Face Long Odds in High Court, Prof Says

A Georgetown law professor says environmental plaintiffs have not fared well in the U.S. Supreme Court when citing the National Environmental Policy Act, and plaintiffs who claim Navy sonar harms whales may be no different. The professor, Lisa Heinzerling, told the New York Times that plaintiffs have lost all 15…

Oct 9, 2008 4:01 PM CDT

Supreme Court Hears Whales Case Today

The U.S. Supreme Court is hearing arguments today in a case that pits the preservation of whales against the president’s powers in wartime. The administration contends the president has the power to override environmental laws cited by a federal appeals court in a ruling requiring the Navy to limit its…

Oct 8, 2008 3:46 PM CDT

Tax Law Profs Create Political Issue: Did Sarah Palin Pay All Tax Due?

Tax law professors are taking center stage in the latest political issue concerning Sarah Palin’s candidacy for vice president on the Republican ticket. Among the questions they are raising about her recently released 2006 and 2007 tax returns is whether she reported all the taxable income she received for her…

Oct 6, 2008 10:41 PM CDT

U.S. Lawmaker Suggests Special Counsel Probe of Wall Street Operations

At least one congressional lawmaker is calling for the appointment of a special counsel to probe Wall Street’s operations, as a global financial crisis apparently sparked by the U.S. mortgage meltdown continued today. As stock prices plummeted again worldwide today and the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee began hearings…

Oct 6, 2008 7:25 PM CDT

Sonar, F-Bombs and Public Parks

An eclectic blend of cases and three-a-day arguments are on tap this term

Oct 1, 2008 6:45 PM CDT

Prosecutor Firing Tidbits: Phone Firings, Rejected 9th Circuit Bid, Iglesias E-Mails

Reporters taking an in-depth look at the Justice Department report on the firings of nine U.S. attorneys have uncovered some interesting tidbits about the way they were carried out and possible involvement of the White House. The report released on Monday cited evidence that “partisan political considerations played a part…

Oct 1, 2008 1:08 PM CDT

Judge Lifts FDIC’s Oct. 14 Deadline for IndyMac Borrowers to File Claims

A California federal judge has temporarily lifted a federal deadline for borrowers to file federal claims against IndyMac Bank in a lawsuit that claims the plaintiffs were lured into deceptive loans. The Daily Journal (sub. req.) reports on the reasons for the temporary restraining order by U.S. District Judge Alicemarie…

Oct 1, 2008 11:29 AM CDT

Revealed: Terms of AIG Bailout; US to Vote New Shares to OK Deal

Unusual circumstances call for unusual transactions, as documents newly filed with the SEC concerning the government’s planned $85 billion bailout of insurance giant American International Group demonstrate. Among the terms they reveal are that the U.S. government—which is to purchase not quite 80 percent of AIG via 100,000 shares of…

Sep 30, 2008 9:07 PM CDT

Silver Lining to US Financial Storm: New Law Practice Arena

Continuing economic turmoil in the U.S. and internationally is prompting a number of major law firms to form special multidisciplinary practice groups to help clients deal with financial crises. In the process, some are creating new Internet resources that also may be of interest to other practitioners. In addition to…

Sep 30, 2008 4:16 PM CDT

Existing Laws Give Fed and Treasury Some Options

With Congress’ refusal yesterday to approve a $700 billion Wall Street bailout, the Federal Reserve and the Treasury Department are using existing options to shore up confidence in the financial markets. Yesterday the Fed announced it would add an extra $150 billion to an emergency lending program for banks, and…

Sep 30, 2008 10:53 AM CDT

As U.S. Economy Tailspins, Lawmakers Inch Closer to $700B Bailout Pact

As federal lawmakers inch toward agreement on an emergency bailout plan for the U.S. economy that could cost taxpayers some $700 billion, government regulators both announced the biggest bank failure ever and offered specifics about the multimillions of dollars that state and local government officials can expect to help struggling…

Sep 26, 2008 8:45 PM CDT

Feds Seize & Sell WaMu; Biggest Bank Failure in US History

Moving fast in the midst of an extraordinarily troubled U.S. economy, federal regulators seized—and sold—the troubled Washington Mutual bank last night. “Regulators simultaneously brokered an emergency sale of virtually all of Washington Mutual, the nation’s largest savings and loan, to JPMorgan Chase for $1.9 billion, averting another potentially huge taxpayer…

Sep 26, 2008 7:28 PM CDT